《My Vampire Little Sister》


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    The Blood Moon.


    An event that happens only twice a year.


    In a world where Vampires, Werewolves and Mythical Beasts ran rampant, it wasn¡¯t an event that we regr humans could ignore. Twice a year, the full moon that hung over the dark empyrean sky would turn crimson red.


    Werewolves and other creatures aside, the Vampires were the ones that benefited the most from this semi-annual event.


    On that very night, those notorious creatures of the night, which have already been enhanced through years of evolution, will reach their fullest potential. Their powers would effectively double, and their senses would be heightened beyond anyparison. Even the world¡¯s greatest humans, the hunters of Outer Demons that are said to be the hope andst defence of humanity¡­ Would pale inparison to those monsters.


    Fortunately, with the threat of the Outer Demons that had invaded our world hanging over our necks, humans and Vampires had settled with a peace treaty.


    Gone were the days of the inquisition. Humans would no longer hunt Vampires, and the reverse was to be expected.<sub>-.</sub>


    Vampires and humans would stand united to fight back the threat of the Outer Demons, the alien monsters that had invaded our through the use of spatial rifts.


    And with that agreement came peace. The Night of the Blood Moon was no longer a hunting festival where Vampires ran amok, murdering humans on sight. Some humans had even turned the event into a day of celebration. Couples would take their significant others to nice viewing spots to cuddle and kiss under the enigmatic Blood Moon.


    The Blood Moon was nothing more than a beautiful night where lovers could rendezvous and have their little midnight tryst in our modern era.


    And yet¡­


    ¡°ARGHHHH!!!¡±


    Lying painfully on my hospital bed, my mouth unconsciously opened up, pushing out numerous agonising groans. I rolled around in the puddle of sweat I¡¯d created, kicking and swearing in excruciating pain. There was an unbearable heat rising from the inner reaches of my body, and I felt as if my limbs were being torn tendon by tendon.<sub></sub>


    At the same time, an icy chill broke free from my back, making every movement I made feel like a billion frozen needles piercing deep into my shallow skin. My face was flushed, and my throat had turned dry from all the screaming.


    Yet, there was nothing wrong with my body on the outside looking in. There wasn¡¯t any blood, and neither was there any skin peeling off. Everything that I was feeling was purely from the inside.


    The pain continued on and on for god knows how many minutes. I tried multiple times to call for help, but no one answered. No matter how many times I pressed the button, no one was entering my room.


    ¡°N-Nurse¡­ N-Nurse¡­¡±


    My mind was in shambles. I couldn¡¯t string together a coherent line of thought. I felt my soul being ripped apart, and my body functions were weakening by the second.


    Am I going to die?


    Oddly enough, the pain disappeared as that final thought came into my mind. No, it didn¡¯t disappear per se. My mind just gained the rity to ignore the torment that had been torturing me since childhood.


    I guess¡­ I have epted my fate.


    If I¡¯m going to die¡­ I won¡¯t die in misery! I refuse to do so!


    I¡¯m going to wee death with a smile!


    I turned my head towards the ss window and directed my eyes at the towering red ball that filled the night sky. Like a sentinel, it watched over me all my life. It didn¡¯t matter if I was ten, twenty or twenty-five. It didn¡¯t matter if I was in the hospital or rxing at home. The Blood Moon would always watch after me.


    In a sense, it was a fitting way to leave thend of the living with the one that had watched over me all my life.


    ¡®Ah¡­ It¡¯s hopeless¡­¡¯


    I tried my best to keep smiling, but it proved too hard to manage. My eyelids were gradually turning heavier. The senses that perceived the pain and agony I was in had turned off. Slowly but surely¡­ The life in my soul was being drained out.


    It was almost time.


    ¡®Mom¡­ Dad¡­ I¡¯ll be leaving first¡­¡¯


    Just before thest bit of consciousness was about to leave my body, a fuzzy silhouette appeared right before the glorious Blood Moon. My eyes were blurring out, and so I couldn¡¯t make out the shape of that mysterious thing that emerged from the Blood Moon. Perhaps I was hallucinating; maybe I was not. But what I couldn¡¯t deny was the sweet voice that shouldn¡¯t exist in this private hospital room.


    ¡°Dear brother¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Leave the rest to me¡­¡±


    ¡®Brother? Sorry? What on earth are you talking about?¡¯


    Before my soul drifted away, I put on one final show of defiance against the Grim Reaper. I willed myself to consciousness. My heavy eyelids pried half-open, doing their absolute best to defy the fate of eternal slumber. And while my vision wasn¡¯tplete, it did give me one final chance to look at the intruder who hade into my room.


    A breathtaking young woman. At least, that was what I could make out with what little vision I had. She had beautiful white flowing hair and an impable body. Her skin was pale white, even whiter than the snow that dropped from the heavens.


    ¡°My beloved brother¡­ Have a nice little nap¡­ Do not worry about a thing¡­ When you awake, we can finally be together again.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to react. No, I couldn¡¯t respond. I was already on the verge of death, and I couldn¡¯tpute a single thing the young woman had just said. But as I watched the exquisite woman¡¯s eyes turn the same colour as the Blood Moon that hung beyond her shoulders¡­


    ¡°How beautiful¡­¡±


    And with that¡­


    The consciousness that I had hung so desperately to¡­


    Faded away.

 Chapter 2 Jin Valter (1)

    ¡°Jin~ We came to visit!¡±


    Hearing a knock on the door, I turned my attention away from the book in my hands and watched as two silhouettes made themselves known from the other side of the door. Sliding it open with no reservations, a middle-aged woman led the charge and nestled herself on the chair right beside my bed.


    She was wearing a thick jacket, possibly to protect herself from the rapid snow currents of our winter. However, the second she stepped foot into my room, the woman stripped the jacket off, revealing a well-toned body that was neither too fat nor skinny. She brushed her rich ck hair down and shed me a warm smile.


    A few momentster, a humongous man followed the woman¡¯s footsteps, barely able to get his head under the door frame of my ward. In his hands, there was a customary basket of goodies that was essential for all hospital patients, and behind his back, there was a hefty backpack that seemingly weighed as much as me.


    Like a bona fide bodybuilder, the man seemed toned with pure muscle. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to assume that he was carved out of hard marble. With his overwhelming height and frame, the man seemed capable of breaking anything he so chose as we mere mortals couldn¡¯t hope to contest with his strength.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­ You¡¯re here.¡± I smiled happily at the entrance of my parents. Putting down my book, I continued: ¡°You guys are early.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, how could I leave my precious baby waiting?¡±


    My mom¡¯s beautiful sapphire eyes sparkled in delight as she reached out to my head and began to pat it.


    ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m twenty-five.¡±


    ¡°So what?! No matter what happens, you¡¯re still my son! Are you rebelling against your mother?!¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re ten years toote on that¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! Is thiste puberty?! It¡¯ste puberty, isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Dad, do something about this.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you know your mother. Just leave her alone, and she¡¯ll get bored.¡±


    My father smiled wryly and ignored my plea. He proceeded to zip open the backpack that he¡¯d brought and began cleaning up my room. A fresh change of clothes and underwear¡­ An assortment of snacks and sweets¡­ And most importantly, an array of freshly printed books.


    Honestly, I¡¯d felt guilty about asking him to do this much, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. I had been chained to this hospital bed for about three weeks now, and the contact I had with the outside world was somewhat limited. Other than my parents, only a handful of people would visit me. Speaking of which¡­<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Oh, was someone here?¡±


    Lifting up the half-filled cup on the coffee table a metre away from my bed, my father looked at me quizzically and asked.


    ¡°Yes, Professor Cain is here. He¡¯s meeting one of his friends right now, so he should be back in a moment.¡±


    ¡°Professor Cain? Why is he here?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±


    It was embarrassing to say it out¡­ Especially in front of my mother, who was most certainly going to react like a catapult¡¯s rope that had been cut. Fortunately for me, there was someone who woulde to my aid.


    ¡°Elna? Jael? You¡¯re here.¡±


    An old, wizened man waltzed into the room just a few minutes after my parents arrived. Well, I say old, but he was still in his mid-sixties. The deep and profound gaze that was hidden behind a thick pair of spectacles certainly added years to his overall appearance. His numerous wrinkles didn¡¯t give him any favours either.


    He was wearing a thick overcoat and fancied a Victorian top hat. A little odd in our modern times, but that somehow fit his appearance as an academic. Dusting the snow from his hat, the old man hung his outerwear before turning towards our family of three.


    ¡°Professor? We weren¡¯t expecting you today.¡±


    My mom was the one who broke the deadlock. She went over to the boiler and prepared another cup of coffee while ceding the central seat to the old, wise man.


    ¡°Haha, there¡¯s no need to be so formal. I have finished my business with Jin today.¡±


    ¡°What business?¡±


    ¡°Oh? The boy didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Professor Cain looked at me for a brief moment. A flicker of understanding gleaned through his brain before a teasing smile broke free from his lips, much unlike his intellectual demeanour.


    ¡°Our paper on how sub-atomic particles affect the flow of magic was just nominated for an award. After years of peer-review and simtion tests, the theorem proved true. Althoughpetition is tough this year, I say we have a high chance of winning!¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My parents paused with their mouths hanging agape. For a moment there, they couldn¡¯tprehend the gravity of the Professor¡¯s words. However, as former powerhouses themselves, it didn¡¯t take long for them to regain their wits. In particr, my pesky mother¡­


    ¡°THAT¡¯S GREAT NEWS!!!¡±


    Excited beyondparison, my mother leapt up and down like a gazelle and reached for my head once more.


    ¡°All your hard work is finally paying off, Jin!!! Being honoured by the Magic Association is a big deal!!!¡±


    ¡°C-Calm yourself, woman! You¡¯re hurting Jin!¡±


    The rapid brushing of my hair caused my head to spin. Both physically and mentally. It was only through my father¡¯s divine intervention that I managed to keep my neck from breaking in two.


    ¡°S-Sorry, it¡¯s just! As a magician myself, I know what award the Professor is talking about! It¡¯s not some run-of-the-mill award that we Hunters would normally receive. Those awards are only given to academics who have furthered magical science development! It was something that I could only dream of getting!!!¡±


    My face warped into a smile.


    As the person who co-wrote the paper, I obviously knew how prestigious the award was. And while it was good manners to be humble and not gloat about the achievement, it still felt awesome to hear someone describe the enormity of my aplishment.


    After all¡­ It was possibly the only thing in my life that I could amount to.


    ¡°Professor Cain did most of the writing and testing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t try to act coy! You were just bragging about how good you were for theorising the whole thing!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t you let me save some face in front of my parents?¡±


    A barrel ofughter soon seeded my bold statement. As former teacher and students, Professor Cain and my mother took some time to catch up on each other¡¯s life while my father cleaned the ce up. Given that we had some free time, my father decided to help me shower and change into a different pair of clothes. It did feel a little embarrassing at first, asking my father to wash me even though I was twenty-five, but there was nothing that I could do.


    The alternative was to ask the nurses to clean me, but even a cripple like myself had pride. I couldn¡¯t possibly ask women I had no rtions with to scrub myher regions or anything of that nature.


    After a quick shower, I was wheelchaired out from the bathroom, only to see Professor Cain and my mother waiting at the door with their winter clothes on.


    ¡°Youngd, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Professor Cain gestured with a smile. ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t stay any longer. I have a few meetings at the university.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all! Thanks for stopping by!¡±


    ¡°Haha, thanks for understanding! Alright, I¡¯ll see you soon!¡±


    The old man bowed before pivoting his feet away from the room. Watching the man leave, my mom hastily said: ¡°I¡¯ll see the Professor down to the entrance.¡± My mother added while addressing my father and me. ¡°Honey, look after Jin for a moment longer, alright?¡±


    ¡°With pleasure!¡±


    ???


    Two figures slowly sauntered down the wintry aisle that separated one hospital wing from the other. The slightly taller figure trailed behind the older shadow, carefully watching the man¡¯s every move. The older figure gradually came to a stop, and with his back behind his hands, he looked back at the woman following him.


    ¡°Thanks for visiting Jin today, Professor. I know that you¡¯re busy nowadays. He might not say it, but it means a lot to Jin that you delivered the news in person.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do,¡± Professor Cain paused and shook his head. ¡°The boy¡¯s a genius. Far smarter than anyone of his generation. You¡¯ve raised him well, Elna.¡±


    ¡°Yes! He¡¯s my pride and joy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that such a bright child came out from a person like you.¡±


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s that supposed to mean?!¡±


    The mentor and pupil duo shared a moment with a symphony ofughter. The pair had a long history, dating back to when Elna was just a budding magician who wished to further her knowledge in the arcane arts. Needless to say, other than her own parents, Professor Cain was the one who had known Elna the longest.


    And hearing the man that she respected the most praise her only son¡­ That filled Elna with pure joy. Like an angel that had ascended to heaven, her gorgeous features sparkled with the light of the winter sky. Her chest puffed out in pride at the mention of her son, and her face was on the highest of moons.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Such a pity¡­ If he was healthy, Jin might have the potential to surpass any magician alive! Even those high and mighty Hunters wouldn¡¯tpare to his brilliance!¡±


    ¡°As a former Hunter, I decline toment.¡±


    Elna snorted defiantly, but there were tinges of joy in her snark remarks. Since she was a former Hunter, she knew very well how powerful they were. Hunters were superhumans trained to the absolute limits of human capabilities.


    Magicians that could summon a tornado with a single spell¡­ Warriors that could split a mountain with a single cleave¡­ Archers that could snipe targets from a continent away¡­


    There were an array of Hunters, each one stronger than thest.


    However, even among all of the elite Hunters that Elna had seen in her past, barely anyone could match Jin when it came to pure potential. Inheriting both his mother¡¯s magic and his father¡¯s strength, the Jin that Elna remembered as a child was a monster just waiting to be nurtured.


    s, heaven wasn¡¯t always going to sit back and watch.


    When Jin had turned ten, he suffered a major ident when an Outer Demon attacked him. Not much was known about the attack, as neither Elna nor Jael was there to protect him, and the boy suffered severe memory loss right after the attack.


    The type of Outer Demon that attacked him¡­ What was he doing before the attack¡­ How did he manage to survive¡­ It was all lost to history.


    But one thing was for certain¡­


    Jin¡¯s future was robbed from him right there and then.


    The former child prodigy was turned into a sickly patient that couldn¡¯t conjure his own spells without suffering bacsh. A mysterious illness would routinely force him to faint periodically, and as a consequence, his body turned physically weak. Of the twelve months in a year, Jin would regrly spend three of theming in and out of the hospital.


    Several physicians, academics and healers looked at the boy, and none of them could urately pinpoint the cause of Jin¡¯s mysterious illness. All that they knew was his soul had been damaged by the attack. How did it happen? How to cure it? None of them knew.


    And none of them has figured it out till this day.


    ¡°Elna, I had a talk with the hospital director just now, and we both came to the same conclusion. Now that we¡¯ve exhausted every means at our disposal, it¡¯s time to look to other alternatives.¡±


    ¡°Other alternatives as in?¡±


    ¡°¡­ The other races.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Elna stayed silent. Her body was shaking, not because of anger¡­ But due to a silent show of defiance.


    ¡°Will they even bother to help my Jin?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say,¡± Professor Cain shook his head. ¡°The Werewolves are a stubborn bunch. The Vampires are too elusive to trace down, and the Merfolk prefer to roam the oceans than toe onnd. And you know how negatively the Elves see humans.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Given our choices, I would say that the Werewolves are the best bet. They might be stubborn, but they¡¯re fiercely loyal to one of their own. If we could turn Jin into a Werewolf, maybe he¡¯ll recover under their care.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Must we really go to that extent?¡±


    ¡°You know him better than I do, Elna. Jin¡¯s life might not be in danger right now, but who knows what will happen in the future? He¡¯s weakening every time he visits the hospital, and no one really knows if the next visit will be hisst. Furthermore, do you really want him to spend a quarter of his life bedridden and at the mercy of others?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Elna paused at looked up at the winter sky. A thousand thoughts were running through her head. What was the right thing to do? Was this her decision to make? How was she going to cope with a non-human son?


    These were all topics that she could write essays about. But ultimately, Elna wasn¡¯t going to spend all day pondering about it.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll talk to Jael about it.¡±


    Neither party noticed it, but the moment that Elna said those words¡­ The winter winds of the hospital became a little colder.

 Chapter 3 Jin Valter (2)

    A few minutes had passed since my mother disappeared past the doors of my hospital ward. Rather than following my mother, my father stayed right by my side as he peeled an orange for my afternoon snack. Typically, as a twenty-five-year-old man, I shouldn¡¯t burden my father with such a mundane task. s, my motor skills weren¡¯t exactly in their peak form.


    Fortunately, my father wasn¡¯t one toin about such a menial task. cing the peeled oranges into a bowl, he put them on the bowl and handed them over on the tray.


    ¡°Sorry, Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± the hulk of a man shook his head with an affable smile. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°A little weak¡­ Maybe it¡¯s the weather¡­¡±


    Sighing as I looked out at the brewing snowstorm, I didn¡¯t hide my difort. Not that I was able to anyway. Before he retired, my father was a renowned Hunter who specialised in holding the frontline. His martial skills and sensory abilities are among the top one per cent of all Hunters. Hiding my current state from him was virtually impossible.


    My condition was an odd one. On most days, I functioned normally like a regr adult, albeit a weak one. However, there were days when my body would simply cease to cooperate. It didn¡¯t matter if it was sunny, snowy or rainy. My weak constitution would force me to be bedridden for weeks, if not months.


    ¡°¡­ Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing of that sort.¡± I shook my head in denial of his assumption. ¡°I just feel a little faint. Perhaps a good night¡¯s sleep would help.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to look after you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good! Besides, isn¡¯t today your wedding anniversary? If you spent your night here, there would be no hope of me getting a younger sibling!!!¡±


    ¡°You little chap¡­ Your mother and I are reaching fifty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the golden age, Dad! Besides, no one would guess that both of you are older than thirty!¡±


    ¡°You and your sweet talk¡­¡±


    My dad snorted, though I could see the edges of his lips rising. That¡¯s right. Today was a special day for my parents. If they had a normal son, the two of them would have taken off on vacation or even booked a day off at a fancy diner.<sub>-.</sub>


    s, they were burdened with me.


    Truth be told, I knew I was the cause of much of their difort. They had given up their sessful careers to raise me. They had spent much of their hard-earned cash on my hospital bills. And they wouldn¡¯t admit it, but¡­


    I knew that they weren¡¯t trying to make another child because of the financial and emotional burden it would put on our family.


    They had made so many sacrifices for me, and yet¡­


    ¡°Jin?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Ah, sorry. I spaced out. Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just telling you that we won¡¯t be able toe in early tomorrow. Your mom and I are visiting some friends for our anniversary.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fine! In fact, why don¡¯t you take the day off tomorrow? The nurses here are superb, you know? Even if you don¡¯t visit for an entire week, I¡¯ll manage just fine.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡± I wiggled my index finger in front of my blundering father. ¡°Take your time with Mom! And make sure you make me a younger sibling! Isn¡¯t the house boring without me around? If possible, make me a younger sister! That way, I would have someone to y with when you guys aren¡¯t around!¡±


    ¡°You little¡­¡±


    If I was a little healthier, I was confident that Dad would wrap me in his arms and nudge my forehead. Too bad! Being handicapped does have its benefits!


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    Before my father couldy his hands on me, a youthful voice broke the jovial atmosphere. My mother, who had just finished seeing Professor Cain off, returned with a beaming smile.<sub></sub>


    ¡°The prospect of me having a younger sister.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, this again?¡± My mother pped her forehead. ¡°I told you many times, Jin! You¡¯re the only child that I need. Or what, do you not like us as parents?!¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m twenty-five¡­¡±


    And just like that, the visiting time I had with my parents passed by with jokes andughter.


    ???


    Nightfall.


    Iid downfortably on the hospital bed, browsing through the selection of books my father had brought for me. Most of them were research papers and other published books from renowned scientists, while a select few were just simple books to heal my mind when reading became too mundane.


    As someone who was forced to spend a fraction of his life a cripple, reading was my only sce in life. It helped broaden my horizons, learn things that I would have never encountered, and finally¡­ It gave me some control.


    Many things were beyond mymand. I couldn¡¯t move too much, I had to rely on others to go to the bathroom, and jobs essible to the average person¡­ were beyond my reach.


    So reading books was my method of taking back some control over my life.


    With books, I could advance my knowledge to scientific standards and, with that knowledge, research the mysteries of the universe and magic. And who knows? Maybe I might be able to figure out how the Outer Demons started to invade our and possibly figure out a method of stopping them.


    s, for now, those were pipe dreams for a young cripple like me, but that was the least that I could do.


    My parents had spent therge majority of their lives tending for me. If I could be someone big in the scientific sphere¡­ I could finally repay them and rid them of their burden. Getting nominated for that award was just the first step. If I could deepen my understanding just a little more¡­


    ¡°Mister Valter, you should get to bed soon.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    I raised my eyes off the thick book in my hands and peered towards the open door of my ward. An affable nurse, who seemed to be no older than fifty, walked in with a set of wet towels.


    ¡°Ah, was it already thiste?¡± I grimaced and peeked up at the clock. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I lost track of time.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re always so engrossed in your studies, Mister Valter. While that¡¯s a good thing, you shouldn¡¯t push yourself too hard! Your body can¡¯t take extreme exposure to stress.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Begrudgingly, I closed the book and ced it on the adjacent chair. Following my steps, the nurse handed me the warm, wet towels and reced my water as she did a thousand times before.


    ¡°And here I¡¯d thought you were staying up to watch the spectacle tonight.¡±


    ¡°Spectacle?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? You didn¡¯t know?¡± The nurse looked at me with a genuine look of confusion. ¡°Tonight is the Night of the Blood Moon!¡±


    ¡°Oh, was it today?¡±


    I gradually tilted my head towards the window obscured by the thick hospital curtains. Seeing my intention, the nurse quickly drew them, revealing a stunning full moon that hung brilliantly over the sky. Its white luminescence shone down from the heavens and illuminated my dull hospital bed.


    Unlike my crippled self, the moon glistened with such majesty that it was almost blinding. Fortunately, my ward was directly facing the moon¡¯s position in the sky; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have such a good view of the biannual event.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ll have quite the view when it turns red!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded in silence.


    The Blood Moon was a phenomenon that happened twice a year. When the moon was brightest in its orbit, and the clock struck midnight, a reverse flow in the magic streams would dye the white moon in a brilliant crimson hue.


    During that phenomenon, any creatures who dwelled in the dark and whose power closely resonated with the magic streams would reach their peak potential. While the Blood Moon was only an illusion created by magic, its effects were most definitely real.


    Vampires, Werewolves and other mythical creatures would be infinitely stronger. The magic that they held within their bodies would reach a level that no human could ever hope topare with, and their absolute position as the predators of the realm became unquestionable.


    And the race that benefitted the most¡­ were the apex predators of the. The Vampires.


    There had been many instances where Vampires took advantage of the Blood Moon to wage war against humans in the past. Those creatures would burn down entire towns in revenge for all the prosecution they faced, while the humans would lead Divine Crusades back in hopes of wiping out all of the Vampires.


    And on and on, that cycle went.


    If not for the Outer Demons¡¯ invasion, I¡¯m afraid that Vampires and Humans might have continued this bloody war.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a few minutes left! Maybe you can fall asleep to the beauty of the Blood Moon.¡±


    ¡°Haha, thank you.¡±


    After ensuring that I had the best view in the house, the nurse smiled happily, left my room and switched off my lights, closing the door behind her.


    I stalled for a minute there before finally letting go of my body, allowing it to tumble down onto the bed beneath me. With the lights off and the hospital gradually grinding to a halt, there wasn¡¯t much I could do but sleep. Still, since the Night of the Blood Moon was a biannual event, watching the phenomenon before I fell into the Garden of Hypnos didn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ The moon really is beautiful tonight¡­¡±


    I marvelled in awe. There wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky, giving everyone beneath a breathtaking view of the empyreans above. The bright, white full moon was more prominent than it ever was on any other day. The river of stars that made up the milky way sparkled with intense liveliness. Even if it wasn¡¯t the Night of the Blood Moon, there would be countless astronomers looking up at the night sky just to get a glimpse of this perfect sky.


    ¡°How dazzling¡­ Humans are really inconsequentialpared to the marvels of the universe.¡±


    During times like this, I would remember how small I really was.


    Compared to the mysteries of the universe, I was merely a speck of dust, nay, a molecule that wasn¡¯t worth consideration. Heck, evenpared to other humans, I was a mere nobody. In our reality, where magic and the arcane ran rampant, countless beings could affect change on a scale that I could only dream of.


    Hunters that master their crafts to fight off the Outer Demons that consistently invade our worlds. Vampires that could harness magic in ways that no other existence ever could. Werewolves that had the strength to move mountains with their physical prowess¡­ The list went on and on.


    Even my father and mother, who seemed like a suburban couple, were once a powerhouse that could spark fear when others just muttered their names.


    And then¡­ There was me.


    A cripple who had no control over his life.


    All my life, I lived as an inferior person. I watched as my peers used magic with ease. I watched them be powerful beings that could fight toe-to-toe with any Outer Demon. I watched as my friends went on to lead lives that I could only dream of.


    Was I jealous?


    I would be lying if I said no.


    But well¡­ I wasn¡¯t going to live my life as a miserable cripple.


    One day, I swear I will make others remember my name. I will show the world that I, Jin Valter, am not just an invalid that will fall behind the rest of the world.


    So what if the world has forsaken me? So what if I could never use magic in my life? So what if I had to live most of my life in the hospital?


    I will show them! I will show that I am a being worth their reverence! I will prove to the world that I¡¯m not just a nobody that will be forgotten by the annals of history.


    As my feverish mental rant reached its peak, I realised that the luminescent moon above had started to change. Its noble and gant image had turned sinisterly red. The cloudless sky had seemingly brought forth a crimson mist and with it, an ominous glow.


    And before I knew it, the moon that I had fervently watched¡­ Had begun to bleed.


    And with that¡­


    Came my suffering.

 Chapter 4 Jin Valter (3)

    ¡°ARGHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    I bellowed out in excruciating pain. The Blood Moon hung silently over the sky, ignoring the immense agony I was going through. I had no idea why, but the moment the celestial body turned red, my body went through some sort of metamorphosis.


    No, it wasn¡¯t a physical change like when a Werewolf turns during the glow of a full moon or anything. But I felt like my entire being was being ripped from the inside out.


    I tried my best to call for the nurse, but there was no one heeding my pleas. Seemingly to mock me, the pain I¡¯d experienced increased exponentially each time I pressed the button for help.


    This pain¡­ It wasn¡¯t like anything I¡¯d experienced before.


    My hands refused to obey mymands as they automatically dug deeper into the bed linings. Veins popped out from every inch of my finite skin as my muscles tensed up like an agonising cramp that would never go away. My face was flushed, and my teeth began to chatter.


    In desperation, I attempted to turn my back in the hopes of falling onto the floor and hopefully creating a big enoughmotion for the nurses to hear me. But it was all for nought¡­


    The moment I turned my body, a searing heat enveloped my entire body and every muscle I had seemingly failed. The pain, which I¡¯d thought was the worst thing a human could ever experience, somehow multiplied.


    Now, on top of the intense feeling of my body breaking apart, I felt like my entire being was being burnt on moltenva. I was instantly drenched from head to toe, and I¡¯d lost what seemed to be half of my body¡¯s water weight. No, it might be at an even higher ratio¡­


    And as if to mock me, a chilling cold permeated through my veins and crept up my spine like a serpent coiling towards its prey. One moment I was in the Burning Hells of Muspelheim, the next, I was experiencing the sub-zero ciers of Niflheim.


    All this pain¡­ All this suffering¡­<sub>-.</sub>


    And yet, oddly enough, there wasn¡¯t any blood or physical alterations that could exin this agony.


    ¡°Fucking¡­!¡±


    I screamed out mentally.


    It was my final prayer. I hoped my scream would notify a nurse or a doctor¡­ Just anyone.


    s¡­ The world was a cruel ce. No matter how much my body attempted to scream, no words woulde out of my mouth. Just a soundless groan that was muted by the winter winds that howled on my window pane.


    Why was I going through all of this?


    All my life, I had been dealing with this mysterious disease. An ailment that could never be resolved even when all of the world¡¯s best doctors had worked together to find a cure. Scratch that, they couldn¡¯t even diagnose me, let alone begin their treatment.


    I¡¯ve wasted so much of my finite life fighting this disease.


    While others were training to be Hunters or deepening their knowledge as an Arcane Schrs, I was holed in the hospital, unable to clean my own underpants.


    And yet¡­ Even with this cruel reality¡­ I¡¯ve learned to ovee it¡­ To live with it¡­ To make use of what little things I had.<sub></sub>


    I¡¯d studied my way to the top. I¡¯d learnt more magic theory than anyone of my peers. I¡¯d devoted my life to research to hopefully make something out of myself. I could have been so much more¡­ I could have been so much better¡­


    So why?


    Dear World¡­


    Why are you killing me?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    NO!!! FUCK YOU!!!


    You want to take my life?! So be it!!! You want to rob my future away?! Come at me!!! But I won¡¯t let you win on your terms! You want my life,e take it!!!


    Perhaps it was due to my dying consciousness; my mind had gained rity that allowed me to ignore the suffering I was put under. I wasn¡¯t going to die like a headless dog with no free will.


    The world has taken everything away from me¡­ But there¡¯s no way in hell it would take away my pride. I will not die in misery. I will not die in vain. I will not die¡­ without any control of my life.


    If I was going to die¡­


    I¡¯m going to die with a smile on my face.


    ¡®Ah¡­ It¡¯s hopeless¡­¡¯


    I tried my best to keep smiling, but it proved too hard to manage. My eyelids were gradually turning heavier. The senses that perceived the pain and agony I was in had turned off. Slowly but surely¡­ The life in my soul was being drained out.


    It was almost time.


    ¡®Mom¡­ Dad¡­ I¡¯ll be leaving first¡­¡¯


    Hehe, will my body still be smiling after death? I really hope it will. At least the world will remember that I got thestugh. I fought against it¡­ I fought against death!


    Well, I lost that battle, but¡­ I still fought against it nheless.


    History will not remember Jin Valter as a miser that suffered in his death.


    History will remember Jin Valter¡­ As a brave warrior that dared to defy the Grim Reaper¡­


    With a smile on his face.


    ¡°Dear brother¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Leave the rest to me¡­¡±


    Just as thest sliver of my consciousness was about to disappear, a sweet, sonorous sound rung by my ears. It was soft and ever so gentle, like a mother¡¯s caress that cradled in the Autumn breeze.


    And oddly enough¡­ That voice brought some semnce of peace to my damned soul.


    I struggled with whether I was hallucinating or not. Perhaps it was my mind ying tricks on me, seeing that I would die anyway. It sought out some sort of humanfort before my soul returned to the River Styx. Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone in the room. Even if there were one, there was no one who would call me Lord Brother.


    I didn¡¯t even have a sister, for Christ¡¯s sake!


    But on the off chance that I was wrong¡­


    In one final middle finger to the Lord of Death, I willed myself to consciousness. I used what remaining strength I had left to open my heavy eyelids and did what best I could to clear my clouded mind. It took me many tries to finally fight off Death¡¯s grip on my conscious mind, and well¡­


    With what little vision I had, I was treated to the image of a breathtaking, ethereal woman. She had beautiful, white-flowing hair that seemed to never end. Her decanter-like waist and tight-fitting clothes were just as lustful as it was enthralling. The youngdy appeared to be the epitome of womanhood, with an ample bosom that would make an infant drool.


    But there was one oddity¡­


    Her pale skin that bordered on sickly camouged itself well with the trickling snow that fell from the heavens above.


    Noticing my gaze, the pristine beauty looked stunned for a moment. However, it didn¡¯t take long for her to recover her wits. Recing those rounded lips was a captivating smile that would melt even the most hardened hearts.


    ¡°My beloved brother¡­ Have a nice little nap¡­ Do not worry about a thing¡­ When you awake, we can finally be together again.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to react. No, I couldn¡¯t respond. I was already on the verge of death, and I couldn¡¯tpute a single thing the young woman had just said. But as I watched the exquisite woman¡¯s eyes turn the same colour as the Blood Moon that hung beyond her shoulders¡­


    ¡°How beautiful¡­¡±


    And with that¡­


    The consciousness that I had hung so desperately to¡­


    Faded away.

 Chapter 5 Irina Everwinter (1)

    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­¡±


    My mind slowly came online. I felt like wisps of light orbiting around my head, and my hearing was reduced to a sharp radiofrequency.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­¡±


    Slowly but surely, I felt my senses returning to me. The first was the sense of hearing. For some time now, I could hear someone calling my name. Though, I couldn¡¯t make out the source of the voice. It sounded like a woman¡­ No, a girl? No, definitely a woman.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­¡±


    What came next was my sense of smell, oddly enough. I could acutely pick out the aromas of a few people. Two of them were familiar and warm¡­ The other three seemed sterile and stale. Soon after, I could feel my tongue and the sense of tasteing back to me. For some reason, I felt like I could ¡®taste¡¯ the five people in the room as well. It felt weird, but it was truly the case for me now.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­¡±


    Touch was the next toe back. My body was under a weight, probably a nket, and my hands werefortably rested by my sides. The soft-touch of a mattress quickly permeated my fingertips as motor control came back to my body. I started to feel my environment far better than I ever could in the past.


    The warmth of the heater¡­ The chill of the winter¡­ Every single piece of fabricid upon me¡­ Even the thumps of the voices in the room. Everything seemed so clear to me.


    And with that¡­ There was one sense left¡­


    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­ Jin!!!¡±


    ¡°Huarggghhh!!!¡±


    With that final callout, my body jolted awake. My fragile and fatigued physique sat up on the hospital bed like a sprouting out for Spring. Still groggy and unaware of my surroundings, I rubbed my hand on my eyes, trying my best to wake up.


    ¡°JIN!!! You¡¯re finally awake!!!¡±


    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    My mouth subconsciously replied to the loud exmation by my bed. Now that my senses were rapidly returning, that simple shout by my bed sounded like a banging explosion that clouded my ears.


    What the hell?


    Why was a shout so deafening? Fuck, I feel like my head is going to explode¡­


    The first thing I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. My room¡¯s ceiling always had an oval white light to brighten up my nights, but this ce seemed far more expansive. In fact, there wasn¡¯t even a light, to begin with. As my vision cleared, I turned my head towards the source of that ringing noise. And needless to say, it was the face of the person I knew better than anyone else.


    ¡°Mom¡­ There¡¯s no need to shout like that¡­ I think you ruptured my eardrums¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to joke around?! Do you have any idea what happened to you?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    A look of shock and fear shed through my mother¡¯s gaunt expression. I squinted my eyes, unsure of what the woman was talking about, only to find four other individuals looking at me with a noticeable caution.


    First off was my father. He stood right behind my mother, staring down at me with an imposing figure. As someone who had lived with him all my life, I could tell that he was showing me a side that I¡¯d never seen before. Gone was his slouchiness and overall ease. The loveable father that would typically be pushed around my mom and me had turned into a poise of a seasoned soldier who was ready to be deployed for war.


    The other three individuals were no different. The doctor who usually treated me and the two nurses in charge of my ward looked at me with a noticeable apprehension. Especially the two nurses. They seemed ready to turn around and bolt out of the room at any given moment.


    Yes¡­ They were looking at me as if I were a¡­


    Monster.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°Jin¡­ You really don¡¯t know anything?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Did something happenst night? Anything unusual? Did someone visit you? Or did you go somewhere?! Please, could you try and recall anything?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Elna!¡± My father stepped in and stopped my mom from going on a rampant asking spree. ¡°Jin just woke up. Let him gather his thoughts first.¡±


    I could see the love and tenderness in my father¡¯s eyes for a brief moment. However, that onlysted for a moment. His fierce expression quickly followed as he pushed my mom behind him and stood right by my bed.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Do you feel anything different?¡±


    ¡°Different? Ah, speaking of which¡­¡±


    As my father mentioned, my brain immediately went into overdrive. I had been so bothered by my mom¡¯s odd words that I didn¡¯t realise the changes that had gone through in my body. The pain that gued my entire life had all but disappeared. My arms, which had been as skinny as a stick, had begun to build up some muscle. And most notably, I could feel that something waspletely different about my senses.


    My hearing had improved dramatically. Even when talking to my parents, I could hear the whispers from down the hall. And I was confident that if I focused enough, I could listen in to the nurses¡¯ gossip as if I were right behind them.


    My touch, smell and taste were refined as well. I could hear the heartbeats of the five individuals in my room and partake in their thick perfume and cologne as well. No, I could probably take a whiff of their natural body odour if I wanted to. And don¡¯t ask me how, but¡­


    I could somehow get a feeling of how they ¡®taste¡¯ like.


    And with that, that leaves my most dominant sense.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s so clear¡­¡±


    I looked around the room,pletely in awe of my new vision. I never had to wear sses, and my vision had always been near perfect. Still, my current eyesight was something different altogether. I could see everything with crystal clear resolution, from the simple crease in the nurse¡¯s cor to the subtle crack on the wall.


    Honing in, I could even ¡®zoom¡¯ in on my targets, examining every nook and cranny of the room in HD perfection.


    It was absolutely bizarre.


    But the most incredible thing wasn¡¯t my senses¡­


    ¡°I feel¡­ So full of energy!¡±


    I had never felt this refreshed throughout the years that I was down with this mysterious disease! A distinct power pulsing through my veins, and I couldn¡¯t tell what it was. The soreness in my body was absolutely gone, and my muscles seemed more defined than ever before.


    It felt as if¡­


    I waspletely reborn!


    ¡°Mom! Dad! What happened to me?! Am I cured?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡­¡±


    Contrary to my absolute joy, my mom looked downcast and torn. The same could be said about the others in the room. I could tell from the rate of their heartbeats. You didn¡¯t need to be a genius to read the room and guess that something was terribly off.


    Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t going to be left hanging for long. Sighing, my father turned to me and spoke the words that would change my life forever.


    ¡°Jin¡­ My son¡­ You have turned into a Vampire.¡±


    ???


    My father gave me a full exnation of what had transpired.


    It had been an uneventful night in the hospital before. There weren¡¯t any signs of trespassing or any signs of an attack. So, the nurses in charge didn¡¯t think that anything was wrong. That was until they opened my door to wake me for my routine checkup.


    However, when they opened the doors, they realised that something was terribly wrong. There were remnants of magic being used in my room. Apparently, the magic currents were so dense that a weaker nurse could not take the strain and fainted on the spot.


    Shocked by the revtion, the nurses called the best physician, who happened to be a magician, to tend to the situation. After a cursory inspection and moving my sleeping self to another room, they realised the changes to my human self.


    Notably¡­ I wasn¡¯t human anymore.


    My heart was beating at a slower rate, much slower than any human body could ever tolerate. My body had gone through the aforementioned transformations where a noticeable growth could be observed. And most importantly¡­


    I was subconsciously generating magic, something I could have never done in my previous condition.


    And the moment the doctor saw my fangs¡­


    My parents didn¡¯t need a lengthy examination to determine that, though. From their long experience as Hunters and elites who fought side-by-side with Vampires during their heyday, they could instantly tell that I had be something absurd.


    What they didn¡¯t know was how I became a Vampire. They knew that sometime in the middle of the night, a Vampire slipped through the hospital¡¯s security and made its way into my room. Then, it performed some ritual to transform me into a Vampire and just as mysteriously as it came¡­ It vanished.


    Why the Vampire changed me, what was its goal and how it aplished all that was still a mystery.


    And due to that fact, itplicates the matters that were about to follow.


    As a human hospital, there was no way the management would tolerate a Vampire staying in its ranks. Not that they had any qualms about housing a Vampire, particrly a transformed one like me. The problem was that the hospital wasn¡¯t equipped to tend to my needs.


    Treatment was one thing, but since I¡¯ve turned, I will require a supply of blood bags, seeing that Vampires could only feast on blood. Furthermore, there would be concerns by other patients if a Vampire was to stay in their facility near other weak and feeble humans.


    So to prevent all of those issues, I had been moved to a makeshift cabin adjacent to the hospital, where I would stay temporarily until my parents could figure out what the hell had happened. At the very least, they would track down the Vampire that made me this way.


    What happened after, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Everything was happening so fast, and I didn¡¯t know what to make of it.


    I sat on the lounge chair and nced out at the winter forest thaty before me. A metal cup was filled to the brim with a chilled red liquid by my side. I looked down at the cup and couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    I¡­ really was a Vampire.


    Perhaps it was due to the suddenness of the event I wasn¡¯t able topute everything that happened. It was only after I was left alone in this cabin and after my parents left that I could finally take some time to think to myself.


    The hospital was kind enough to offer me a few bags of expired blood while this mess was being sorted out but honestly¡­ They shouldn¡¯t have done that.


    The moment I tasted that packet of blood¡­ I felt my entire being rejecting that atrocious liquid.


    Was it because it had expired? Or was it because I was a human just hours ago? I couldn¡¯t go past the first sip.


    Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t hungry just yet. I may have read plenty of books, but I know very little about a Vampire¡¯s biology. A significant reason why was because facts about this race varied extremely. Some schrs believe that all Vampires need to feast on the blood of their victims once a day. Others im that they were fine even if they had a ss of blood a month.


    And it didn¡¯t help that the Vampires were such an elusive bunch. They rarely shared their races¡¯ data with outsiders, and even if they did, there was no hard evidence to back up any of their ims.


    So who knows? Maybe I¡¯ll be tempted to drink that dreadful liquid in a few hours?


    Not that I¡¯m looking forward to that, though¡­


    ¡°Urgh¡­ Let¡¯s not think about that now!¡±


    I shifted my head away from the disgusting metal cup and focused my attention on the vast expanse of a forest that I was moved to. Due to my unique circumstances, the hospital had banned any patients from wandering close to my cabin. And honestly, that was a godsend for me.


    Why?


    ¡°Let¡¯s test my new body out!¡±

 Chapter 6 Irina Everwinter (2)

    What would you do if you had lived your entire life as a cripple? Helpless with daily chores, unable to bathe without someone else¡¯s help, unable to exercise like a regr person and¡­ Entirely at the mercy of your ailment that could take away your mobility at any given time?


    And what would you do if one day¡­ the illness that had gued you for a decade and a half¡­ Had miraculously disappeared?


    Would you sit still on the hospital bed as per usual?


    Of course not!


    Like a child who had been given the green light to roam free at the yground, I tedly hopped out of my cabin and strayed to a secluded area surrounded by trees and boulders. The first thing I did was to check my physical state.


    Even though I had long left puberty behind, my body had begun a new stage of rapid growth. I was a mere 1.7 metres tall before, but I had already reached 1.75 metres in just a few hours. The doctors hypothesised that my illness had stunted my childhood development, causing the crucial hormones that triggered growth to be paused.


    And now that I had transformed into a Vampire, a well-renowned race for their regenerative capabilities, my body was reverting back to what it should have been.


    Given how massive my father was, I was curious to see what my limits were if I continued growing at this pace, but I had better things to think about now.


    ¡°So the Sun doesn¡¯t really affect me that much, huh?¡±


    I raised my arms up towards the dazzling sunlight that pierced through the grey clouds of Winter. It was still three in the afternoon, and there was plenty of sunlight to go around. Fortunately, unlike the myths of old, Vampires do not turn into ashes when in contact with the big fiery ball in the sky.


    While I did feel a little difort, it was nothing life-threatening or problematic to the extent that I had to scurry to shelter. Which made it perfect for me to finally test this new body out.


    Ever since I woke up, I had been thrust from one messy situation to the other. The fact that I had turned into a Vampire, the medical facility questioning me about what happenedst night, my concerned parents constantly bugging me¡­


    All of that noise had left me very little time for myself.


    And now that I was all alone¡­


    It was time to have some fun.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take deep breaths¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve always heard stories about the elusive race that were the Vampires. Many call them the apex predators of society, and with good reason. They had superhuman strength that could contest with any Hunter. Enhanced senses that could only be described as magical. Transcendent regeneration which allowed them to heal whatever injury they might receive. And most importantly¡­<sub>-.</sub>


    Their connection to magic was second to none.


    I closed my eyes, and as if in concert, the whole world was being painted in my mind. Using my sense of hearing, I could hear every chirp of a bird, falling snowke, and rustle of a leaf. Bit by bit, I pieced together the wintry forest. To my surprise, I found that using my other senses was just as effective as using my eyesight.


    No, it might be just a tinge better.


    I¡¯d never ¡®seen¡¯ the world in such rity before. The heartbeats of the squirrels that leapt from tree to tree, the footsteps of a colony of ants picking up fallen leaves¡­ Even the simple movement of snow couldn¡¯t escape my senses.


    It felt utterly surreal¡­


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s try this out.¡±


    People say that the average Vampire had the strength of an elite Hunter. Just using their raw muscle power, they could carry boulders and rip flesh in half. So, to test that theory out, I stood right in front of a small tree and went into a simple martial arts stance.


    Before my ident, my father had drilled many fundamentals into my young body. Of course, I hadn¡¯t trained since I got injured, but my body remembers the many years of hard training. With my right fist tucked down at my waist and my left arm extended to give bnce, I aimed my body at the tree.


    And in one smooth movement¡­


    ¡°HAH!!!¡±


    I yelled as my right fist exploded towards the brown trunk before me. There wasn¡¯t anything fancy about my punch. There weren¡¯t any hints of magic or any use of body strengthening. It was just a simple, straight punch using all of my strength.


    And the result?


    ¡°Creeeeeakkkkk!!!¡± With smokeing out from my fists, I watched as the tree broke down with most of its trunk falling onto the snowy ground.


    ¡°I actually punched it down¡­¡±


    Even though I was the one who did it, I couldn¡¯t fathom my newfound power. Not just that, as I looked down at my fists, there wasn¡¯t even a single scratch. It was as if the tree was as soft as water, and my skin was made out of pure diamond.


    ¡°What about this then?¡±<sub></sub>


    Next up, I tested my regeneration. I¡¯ve heard about how absurd a Vampire¡¯s healing ability was, but I¡¯d never seen it in action before. Taking one of the split branches that fell from the tree, I chose the sharpest end I could find and directly made a cut on my left arm. It was shallow, but given the tool that I had, it was the best I could do.


    The thick aroma of blood entered my nose, briefly intoxicating me for a moment. However, it took me a second to snap out of the odd sensation, and my rxed demeanour quickly followed.


    ¡®Ah, this is interesting¡­ I¡¯m more interested in my own blood than the expired one the hospital gave¡­ Is it because I¡¯m a Vampire, or is it because the blood they gave me was expired? I¡¯ll need to experiment more.¡¯


    My curious mind quickly went into overdrive as I thought of the countless variables that might affect how my tastes were, but I chucked that aside for a moment. The more critical issue at hand was¡­


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s really healing!¡±


    I marvelled in awe as the wound I created gradually closed up. It wasn¡¯t instantaneous like in the movies, but it was definitely far faster than an average human. Within half a minute, my skin was as good as new, and there were barely any signs of me being injured. A wound that would take a regr human, days to recover was being healed in just seconds.


    ¡°Superhuman strength and a healing factor that could only be described as miraculous¡­ I really became a Vampire¡­¡±


    Once again, I was dumbfounded by my new reality. To think that the cripple was now capable of doing so much?


    ¡°That leaves one other test¡­¡±


    Taking one deep breath in, I gingerly closed my eyes. For thisst test, I had to haveplete focus. I ignored the other senses that painted the world around me and focused on one main aspect. I looked¡­ Inside.


    I could ¡®see¡¯ my blood from the depths of my heart to the small vessels on my fingertips. I could ¡®see¡¯ the seamless flow of my inner body. And most importantly, I could feel a familiar force, one that I could have never experienced just hours ago. It was a force that I so desperately craved, and it was a power that I had ripped away from me at the age of ten.


    Magic.


    It was there. It was faint, but there was no doubt that it was there.


    I¡¯ve always watched my peers use spells as if they were second nature to them. While I scored the best points in the theoretical field, everything was for nought as I couldn¡¯t use the one thing I yearned for the most.


    ¡°HAHAHA!!! I¡¯d actually have it! I actually can use magic again!!!¡±


    My heart felt lighter. No, my entire being felt lighter. The weight that had been dragging me down ever since that incident was no longer there. All my life, I¡¯d felt like half my soul was sealed. The one thing that I was the best at¡­ I couldn¡¯t use.


    I don¡¯t even know how many times I¡¯d said: ¡°If only I could use magic¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve learnt every theorem¡­ I¡¯ve studied so much¡­ And yet, my body refused to learn the one thing I loved the most.


    Well, that changes today.


    ¡°It¡¯s there¡­ It¡¯s most definitely there¡­ s, I don¡¯t know how different Vampire magic is from humans, though¡­¡±


    I sighed deeply. Just because I was an expert at magic research, it doesn¡¯t mean that I would be able to use magic straight away. Especially since I¡¯d turned into a Vampire. I didn¡¯t dig deep into the power of Vampires. Still, I did know that their magic system waspletely different to what I was familiar with.


    ¡°Fortunately, if I didn¡¯t know something, all I need to do is ask someone who does, right?¡±


    My voice was neither loud nor soft, but there was a certain firmness to my tone. I turned towards a gap between two trees that were about fifteen metres away from me and looked straight into the void. Visually speaking, there wasn¡¯t anyone around. Anyone who had a pair of eyes and a normal sense of logic couldprehend there. But deep down, I knew¡­


    I knew that someone was watching me.


    And true enough¡­


    ¡°Wow¡­ I didn¡¯t expect this. To think that you could urately identify where I was. I guess I should have expected nothing less from you.¡±


    An ethereal mist emerged from beyond the trees and slowly congregated together. The fog slowly got thicker and thicker until the outlines of a person could be seen. And from the thick fog, came a pleasing voice that seemed reminiscent of that of a Siren¡¯s chorus.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to identify the foreign visitor who had been spying on me all this time. A young woman, probably in her early twenties, walked out from the mist that enveloped her and brought herself to full view.


    And wow¡­ What a view it was.


    The woman that came from the woods was nothing short of breathtaking. The most distinct part of her features was her umon white hair that flowed down her back like a waterfall. But that was just the start. She seemed to boast the perfect body, with curves so alluring that it would even make a gay man blush.


    Her heart-shaped face greatly highlighted her distinct facial features. Mainly the elegant winter grey eyes that were built in perfect harmony. With a sweet, sharp nose and perfect cherry lips, it was no exaggeration to call this woman the most beautiful one I¡¯d ever seen in person. And as if toplement all of those features, the woman¡¯s fair skin was almost as white as the snow surrounding her.


    The only odd detail about the woman was her choice of clothes during the Winter. Even though the winds had been tame, it was still the middle of the snowy season, with subzero temperatures being the warmest it could go.


    Yet, this youngdy stood calmly in a noble white gothic dress with barely any warm clothes on her. If I were to examine her closely, she didn¡¯t even bother to cover her neckline, which was unheard of during the winter months.


    Which could only mean one thing¡­


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Brother.¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    There was a slight pause in my mental functions when the girl called me her brother. Did I ever have a sister? No, that can¡¯t be true. If I had a sister, there was no way my parents would ever hide her existence from me. So what gives?


    And at that very moment¡­ The memory of the night before flowed rose from the recesses of my mind. The first sight of the Blood Moon. The fact that my illness started acting up again. The moment I resigned to my fate and prepared to die with a smile, and¡­


    The woman that came into my room.


    ¡°Yesterday¡­ That was you?¡±


    Yes¡­ How could I forget? When I was on the verge of death, an angel appeared. Even though I had passed out soon after, there was no denying the fact that this young woman had entered my room. And given the circumstances¡­ She was probably the one who turned me into a Vampire.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m d you remember me, brother!¡± A faint blush appeared on the beauty¡¯s face as her lips blossomed into a dazzling smile. Stepping closer to me in two steps, the woman ced both her hands on my chest and slowly slid them up my shoulders.


    Since we were about the same height, the youngss¡¯s face was just inches away from mine. Now that we were up close, I could fully admire every inch of her poreless skin. The sweet fragrance of Winter emerged from her blooming body, and an intoxicating feeling struck the deepest parts of my brain.


    Strange¡­


    This woman was a stranger. No, she was probably a Vampire as well. And yet, I don¡¯t feel threatened in the slightest.


    For some weird reason, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reject her touch. Instead, it felt like every fibre of my being was weing her to touch me.


    That youthful smile¡­ This familiar fragrance¡­ Her joyful voice¡­


    Where have I felt it all before?


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    At that moment, my head began to throb. A faint vision shed by my consciousness. It was blurry, but I could make out the image of a young girl running through the meadows with me. In that world, there was no one but her and me.


    We were no more than ten-years-old, and we spent our days with nothing but joy andughter. It was a vision that I¡¯d never seen before, and yet¡­ I felt as if it was a memory that had been sealed tightly away in the depths of my mind.


    But no matter how much I tried, the pain which came from that memory didn¡¯t subside. No, in fact, it intensified with every passing second. Fortunately, before I pushed myself too hard and fainted, a melodious voice broke me free from my stupor.


    ¡°Brother! You don¡¯t have to force yourself!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing, my dear brother¡­ You¡¯re still in the midst of recovering. There¡¯s no need to push yourself. All will be revealed to you in due time¡­¡±


    When I woke up, I found myself wrapped around the woman¡¯s arms. She held my back with one hand and had her other stroke my ck hair.


    This is odd¡­


    Why does being with her¡­ feel so right?


    This stranger she¡­


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Unconsciously, I asked.


    The woman paused briefly and pushed her body away from mine. Though, her arms were still firmly grabbing onto my shoulders, as if she was afraid that I would run away the moment she let me go.


    And with the most brilliant smile I¡¯d seen yet, she dered:


    ¡°My name is Irina Everwinter¡­ your little sister!¡±

 Chapter 7 Irina Everwinter (3)

    ¡°Irina¡­ Everwinter? My¡­ Little sister?¡±


    The words that came out of the youngdy¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t make any sense. If she was my little sister, why wouldn¡¯t I have known of her? Furthermore, why would my little sister be a Vampire? Besides, even if we were rted by some miracle, this woman looked nothing like me!


    Fortunately, the beauty noticed my mental turmoil and proceeded to clear my doubts.


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t rted by blood or anything! Honestly, it would be an issue if we really were rted by blood! But even so, you are still my beloved brother!¡±


    Irina proceeded to fire out a series of odd statements. We weren¡¯t rted by blood, but we were siblings? I had a million ways to refute this girl scientifically. But it didn¡¯t help that she was giving me those puppy eyes that were beyond adorable.


    Hold on a second¡­


    ¡°Irina¡­ was it? Can I call you that?¡±


    ¡°Please, by all means!!!¡±


    Overwhelmed by my ¡®little sister¡¯s¡¯ enthusiasm, I subconsciously took two steps backwards. Irina¡¯s eyes sparkled in pure joy, and her snowy whiteplexion turned a little flushed. I had to admit that simple expression tugged on my heartstrings tremendously.


    Why was I feeling this much affection for someone I¡¯d never met? Why do I not feel perturbed by any of these developments?


    I had always been a rational person and could always keep my head cool in the tensest of situations. However, this was a whole different ball game. The affection that I felt for this gorgeous woman¡­ Came from deep inside my soul.


    It wasn¡¯t a men¡¯s primal urge to procreate with a beautiful woman. Neither was it the infatuation one might have with their idol.


    The feeling that I had for this Irina¡­ was different.


    And there was only one exnation for this phenomenon.


    ¡°Irina¡­ Do you know what happened to me fifteen years ago?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Irina turned silent at my simple question. The excitement in her face had disappeared, and it was reced with a heavy sadness. The change in her emotions wasn¡¯t just transmitted to me visually. Deep in my heart, I could feel a spiritual connection with the young beauty. It was as if her feelings were directly fed into my entire soul.


    The frustrations she had¡­ The remorse she harboured¡­ The pain and suffering that weighed on her heart, and finally¡­


    The yearning she had for me.


    It was all so heavy.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Yes, brother¡­¡± Irina replied sadly. ¡°The reason why you got that injury in the first ce¡­ Was because of me.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got all the time in the world.¡±


    Irina paused for a moment and sighed. Softly, she reached for my hands and said: ¡°¡­ As you may have guessed, we¡¯d met fifteen years ago.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I kind of got that impression. Although I couldn¡¯t remember anything, from the familiarity I felt with this young woman to the amount of affection she disyed for me¡­ There had to be some underlying reason. As for why I couldn¡¯t remember anything¡­


    ¡°You won¡¯t remember it now, but we spent three entire months together. During that time, you protected me, you showed me the warmth of a human and¡­ You truly became my brother. The days we shared together¡­ Were the best moments of my life.¡±


    A tinge of sadness enveloped Irina¡¯s face as she fondly recollected the memories we shared. However, that bitter smile quickly turned into a rage-filled sneer.


    ¡°And like any brother would do¡­ You protected me from the Outer Demon that came to attack us. That fucking monster! If I were just a little bit stronger!!!¡±


    ¡­ I¡¯m starting to get a better picture of what was going on.


    From Irina¡¯s words, we¡¯d met many years back and became as close as siblings. It wasn¡¯t an absurd story as my parents were often busy with their Hunter work, and I would usually wander into isted areas to train my magic and martial arts.


    I should have bonded with this beautiful girl, not knowing that she was a Vampire. Or maybe I did but just didn¡¯t care?


    Urgh¡­ Even as a child I was a chauvinistic brat, huh?


    ¡°Wait, so if I protected you from the Outer Demon, why do I not remember anything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯splicated¡­ The Outer Demon that attacked us was one that could attack souls. Even though we put up a valiant effort and managed to chase it away, you took one of its attacks, and your soul ripped into many pieces.¡±


    ¡°My soul what?!¡±


    A soul injury was much more severe than any other injury for regr human beings. Heck, even the most elite of Hunters would have trouble healing from a soul injury. And if Irina was correct, having my soul ripped into pieces was practically a death sentence!


    The fact that I was still alive is probably a modern miracle.<sub></sub>


    ¡°So to save you, I performed a forbidden ritual¡­¡±


    At that point, Irina¡¯s grey winter eyes began to water. She nced up at me with a reserved demeanour, unsure of whether she should divulge all of the details.


    ¡°To ensure that your soul didn¡¯t dissipate, I ripped a portion of mine and glued it back in ce.¡±


    ¡°You did what?!¡±


    Was that even possible?! That goes against all logic! And wait¡­ Didn¡¯t she say that she was my younger sister? Does that mean she was even younger than me when she performed such a mind-blogging thing?!


    ¡°¡­ I had help, of course.¡±


    Irina shifted her eyes while wearing a suspicious smile. For some reason, I could tell that she was hiding something behind that smile, but I was too shell-shocked to follow down that route. Besides, if she had the help of other older Vampires, it would make more sense.


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason why you could survive that ordeal, my dearest brother¡­¡±


    To stop me from further probing, Irina raised both her hands onto my cheeks and grabbed my head so that my eyes wouldn¡¯t leave hers.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much that I want to say¡­ So many things that I want to do with you¡­ It¡¯s been so many years, my dear brother¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s eyes began to water. The image of a cold beauty had quickly changed to that of a longing lover. Or in this case, sister? Her silky smooth hands slipped up the back of my head and pushed it down to the base of her neck.


    Instantly, the fragrant smell of fresh winter snow, filled my senses. It was an intoxicating feeling as if I had returned to the ce where I belonged.


    This fragrance¡­ This touch¡­ This feeling¡­


    I had it all before.


    ¡°I waited¡­ I waited so long¡­¡±


    Still stroking my head, Irina continued pouring her heart out to me.


    ¡°Forgive me, brother¡­ I couldn¡¯t turn you into a Vampire then¡­ Your soul couldn¡¯t take the burden. I had to wait until it was fully healed before I could truly save you. Also¡­¡±


    Irina continued to open up her feelings to me. Perhaps it was the connection with her soul in my body; I could feel every wave of emotion that Irina had. Grief for causing my fifteen years as a cripple¡­ Regret that she couldn¡¯t do more for me¡­ And more importantly¡­


    ¡°Sorry, it had to be this way. I know I should have asked before I turned you into a Vampire, but there was no other way. If you remained as a human, your healed soul with my Vampire factor would rip your body apart. And¡­¡±


    The gorgeous youngdy lifted my face and brought her face close to mine. We were now close enough that our noses were practically touching. And with that simple deed, her eyes were all that I saw.


    Time had slowed down, and it felt as if all my other senses had dulled. I didn¡¯t care for the world that surrounded me. All that mattered was the girl in my arms.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to die!¡±


    Irina blurted out in remorse. I could truly feel the amount of turmoil she was in. Irina was worried that I would hate her¡­ That I wouldn¡¯t forgive her¡­ For taking away my humanity without my permission.


    ¡°It was my selfishness that turned you into a Vampire. But between the choice of losing you and making you hate me¡­ I had no other choice! I¡¯ve been watching you from a distance for so long! I couldn¡¯t just let my beloved brother die!¡±


    ¡°Irina¡­¡±


    Watching this beauty rage, a thought came to my mind.


    Did I hate her for turning me into a Vampire? Perhaps the gravity of the situation hadn¡¯t hit me yet, but oddly enough¡­ I don¡¯t feel all that bad.


    So what if I became a Vampire? The alternative was dying on the hospital bed, never bing strong enough to clean my own body. Bing a Vampire had also reverted back my ability to use magic, something I¡¯d thought that I would never use again.


    Maybe I was just naive, but¡­


    Bing a Vampire might be the best thing that happened to me. Besides¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the implications of bing a Vampire, and neither do I know if everything you are saying is true, but¡­¡±


    I reached out my hands and gently stroked the youngdy¡¯s soft hair. Stunned by my touch, Irina jolted a little, but she quickly got used to it. Leaning her left cheek into my chest, she allowed me to continue ying with her ivory hair while letting out a purr or two.


    ¡°If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same thing. I would never choose to die.¡±


    That was an undeniable fact. Even without Irina, if I were given a choice between death or bing a Vampire, I would have taken the Vampire deal, no questions asked. There was no way I would allow myself to die before bing someone great. Or, at the very least, someone who wasn¡¯t crippled his entire life.


    ¡°Also¡­ I can¡¯t seem to hate you, Irina.¡±


    ¡°W-What?!¡±


    Watching the adorable creature in my arms jerk like a frightened bunny, my heart began to fill up with emotions I¡¯d thought I never had. All my life, I never had a lover. It was primarily because I was a cripple and no one ever found me attractive, but I was also never drawn to any romantic interest.


    It was as if the part of my brain governing emotions had been sealed for a long time, and I now realise why.


    All of my affection metres had been reserved for this charming beauty in my embrace.


    ¡°Is it because of your soul in my body? I don¡¯t think I can feel any sort of negative emotion towards you. It¡¯s weird¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    From the moment Irina appeared, I could feel my entire being drawn to her. It was aplex emotion to describe. It was as if she really was my long-lost sister. A precious sister that I would do everything in my power to protect.


    In fact, I hated myself for not knowing the past. If only I had my memories¡­ The precious memories I had in the past with this lovable beauty.


    Seeing that I wasn¡¯t angry, Irina finally rxed her tense self. She slid her hands down my neck and brought her mouth next to my ears.


    ¡°So¡­ Brother¡­ Will you stay with me?¡±


    It was all so intoxicating. From Irina¡¯s weing aroma to her overflowing emotions¡­ I was tempted to take up her offer right then and there. However¡­


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    ¡°W-Why?!¡±


    I shook my head and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying no, Irina. It¡¯s just there are many things I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    From my perspective, I had just be a Vampire, a being that I¡¯d never thought I would ever be. And then, this beauty shows up from nowhere and says that she was my Vampire little sister. She also said we¡¯d met many years back, even though I don¡¯t remember it. And these feelings that I had for her¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much of the things that you¡¯re telling me is the truth.¡±


    ¡°I would never lie to you, brother!¡±


    ¡°s, as much as I would love to trust you¡­ We¡¯ve only just met.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Irina took two steps back as the revtion began to take over her senses. If what she had said was correct, Irina has been observing me for many years now. Plus, she had the memories that we shared when we were younger. But in my mind, I¡¯d just literally met her for the first time.


    If my memory returns when my soul recovers, it might be a different story. But for now, Irina was nothing more than a stranger who happened to have some mysterious connection to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ You can¡¯t trust me yet¡­¡±


    Irina put on a bitter smile, one that seemed as sad as it was remorseful. That downtrodden face tickled on my heart, and it made me want to eat my previous words and do exactly what she said. However, this time, my logical brain triumphed.


    ¡°STILL!!! You can¡¯t stay here! You¡¯ve just be a Vampire, and the human world can no longer treat you! I know you can¡¯t trust me yet, but please follow me back to my estate!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t you want to recover as soon as possible?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know anything about Vampire biology. Not to mention, I was still recovering from the soul injury that Irina had told me about. Besides, there was no point in crying over spilt milk. Now that I have be a Vampire, I should learn more about them. And leaving with Irina seemed to be the right idea.


    But¡­


    ¡°My parents¡­ Could you bring them along?¡±


    ¡°Are you agreeing?!¡±


    Irina grabbed onto my hands with sparkles in her eyes and exhaled an excited cry.


    ¡°Yeah, but I need someone I trust to be with me. But you need to promise me that no one will hurt them there.¡±


    My parents were former Hunters, high-ranking ones at that. In fact, to call them former has-beens would be an insult. If not for them retiring early to be with me, they could have easily climbed the ranks with their current power. So, I wasn¡¯t worried about their safety. But, there was no guarantee that Irina¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t overwhelm them with numbers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! I swear on my soul that no harm will ever befall on your parents!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far¡­¡±


    I gave a bitter smile. Honestly, seeing Irina¡¯s earnest reactions made me feel guilty about doubting her. s, I was never raised to be a trusting person. Even if everything Irina said was true, I still had to have some protection.


    But still, watching the young beauty leap up in the air with a dazzling smile¡­


    Really made my heart tingle.

 Chapter 8 Everwinter Estate (1)

    ¡°So you¡¯re the Vampire that made Jin this way¡­¡±


    My mother looked straight at the neer in the cabin, her expression bordering between pure rage and morbid curiosity. Simrly, my father had his posture ced inbat mode, with his arms ready to strike at any given moment.


    Well, their reactions weren¡¯t all too surprising. From the moment they received the news that I¡¯d been transformed into a Vampire, they had been dragged from ce to ce. Not to mention, they had been put under tremendous emotional pressure from seeing their only son turn into another species.


    It was natural for them to disy animosity toward the culprit who made their son that way.


    ¡°Mom, draw in your killing intent a little. It¡¯s suffocating, even from here.¡±


    Now that I had be a Vampire, my body had be much more sensitive to minor changes. Mom¡¯s magical power was creating an invisible pressure that even I could feel.


    ¡°Are you defending her already? Did she brainwash you?!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I deeply sighed at my overprotective parent¡¯s cry. ¡°I just want to give Irina a chance to exin herself. And she probably can¡¯t do that if you¡¯re breathing down her neck.¡±


    ¡°Jin is right, Elna.¡± My father stepped in to help by tapping on my mom¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You know better than anyone that if Jin is brainwashed, there will be traces of magic all over.¡±


    ¡°He could have been subjected to a Blood Servant contract. Even without brainwashing, Jin will move to protect her.¡±


    Blood Servant contract? What was that? Was that why I couldn¡¯t feel any hatred for Irina? Jesus, I really don¡¯t know anything about Vampires. Fortunately, someone was quick to my rescue.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll make Brother a servant!!!¡±


    Irina hollered out at the top of her lungs. The sudden outburst stunned everyone else in the room, including my fuming mother. Without waiting for any replies, Irina continued:<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Rest assured, Brother hasn¡¯t be a Blood Servant! The best proof is the fact that he is able to use Magic!¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right; Jin shouldn¡¯t be able to use magic if he¡¯s a blood servant.¡±


    My experienced father nodded in satisfaction as he examined me from head to toe. Seeing that I was confused, my father further exined.


    ¡°Vampires are grouped into two main categories. True Vampires and Blood Servants. True Vampires are the purest form of Vampires. They are the beings closest to magic and are, in general, the types of Vampires you see in books. On the other hand, Blood Servants are a sort of discounted Vampire. They live to serve the Vampire who created them and won¡¯t have the full capabilities of a True Vampire. So, while their physical capabilities and healing factors are simr to True Vampires, they won¡¯t be able to use magic.¡±


    Hearing that exnation, I could feel a weight drop from my shoulders. If I became a Vampire that couldn¡¯t use magic, it would have been the greatest disappointment of my life.


    ¡°Still¡­ You transformed him into a True Vampire¡­ What¡¯s your motive?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Irina fell silent and stared back at my father. Her eyes began quivering, but not from fear. Instead, there was an unwavering determination.


    ¡°You may not be aware, but Brother was in serious danger that night.¡± Irina raised her hand and gently stroked it on myp as she said that. ¡°Over the years, I¡¯ve watched him grow his soul, ensuring that nothing bad would ever happen to it before he fully healed. It has been fifteen long years since then¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s cold expression quickly turned warm and affectionate.


    ¡°It has taken a long time, but my brother¡¯s soul has finally healed up. However, his weakened body could not withstand the power of his rejuvenated soul, and it was beginning to tear itself apart. Especially since it was strengthened by my Vampiric soul.¡±


    The entire room remained silent as Irina¡¯s words turned from an exnation to a monologue.<sub></sub>


    ¡°At this point, my brother¡¯s soul is as powerful and pure as a True Vampire¡¯s one. If he were to remain as a human¡­ His body will explode. Especially when the Night of The Blood Moon arrives.¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s why I felt that pain on that night. My soul had already evolved into a Vampire¡¯s, but my body couldn¡¯t endure it. If that¡¯s the case, everything suddenly made sense now.


    ¡°I apologize for turning Brother into a Vampire without your permission, but it was a necessary evil! If he remained as a human, Brother would have died yesterday!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    My mother, who had been silently listening this whole time, frowned with a bitter expression hidden within her eyes. For one, I could tell Irina was telling the truth. Anyone with a little bit ofmon sense would have known that there was something off with my soul back when I was human.


    And now that I have turned into a Vampire, the illness that had gued me my entire adult life has all but disappeared. Heck, I feel healthier than I¡¯d ever been in my life.


    ¡°If you¡¯re still worried that Brother might be a Vampire servant, you don¡¯t have to be. I used a contract of equals on him which turns him into a True Vampire! He¡¯ll be free from anyone¡¯s influence and can do whatever he pleases!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    At this point, even my mother was at a loss of words. To be quite frank, I could understand the mental turmoil she was under. For one, she was still pissed off that Irina had turned me into a Vampire. Any mother would, for that matter. However, she also understood that Irina wasying out the facts logically. If it weren¡¯t for her, I might have died yesterday when the Blood Moon rose.


    So how was my mother supposed to feel? Angry that Irina changed me into a species that wasn¡¯t human? Happy that she saved me from a life of torture? Or irritated that a Vampire had taken her beloved son?


    Either way, my mother had found her match in this cold beauty.


    ¡°Before we proceed, could I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Feel free!¡±


    ¡°Why are you calling Jin your brother?¡±


    It seemed a littlete to ask that now, but my mother appeared to be grasping for straws. I could see that most of her anger had subsided, and now she was mostly trying to gather herself.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s my brother?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Both Irina and my mother looked at each other with emptiness in their eyes. In Irina¡¯s, there seemed to be a derision that was saying: ¡®Why are you asking such an obvious question?¡¯ while my mother¡¯s eyes were definitely scolding Irina with: ¡®What nonsense are you spouting?¡¯


    ¡°No, no! I never had a daughter like you! Unless!¡±


    My mother sharply red at my father, who was immediately aggrieved that he was brought into the picture for no apparent reason. However, it didn¡¯t take long for him to quickly shake his head and exim:


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been with anyone else!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±


    The glint in my mother¡¯s eyes eased up as her faith in my father overwrote the doubt that Irina had cast over him. Her suspicious gaze was then cast over the snowy-haired girl whose expression had barely changed.


    ¡°No, Brother and I aren¡¯t rted by blood. But, he¡¯s unquestionably my beloved brother!¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not how biology works¡­¡±


    Needless to say, my mother was firmly on the side of science. However, Irina wasn¡¯t going to move an inch on her im that I was her brother. So, as a funny consequence, the two women stared at each other with unresolving determination.


    It was pretty amusing to see my mom at a loss of words. Usually, she was the one leading everyone by the nose, but it seemed like she¡¯d finally met her match.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move on for now,¡± My mother gave up with a sigh before her mental capacities malfunctioned. ¡°So what are you nning to do to my son now?¡±


    With herposure now regained, the invisible pressure that befitted that of a veteran Hunter¡¯s returned and wrapped itself around my mother. There was no way that my mother, the overprotective woman that would rather quit her high-paying hunting job to care for a cripple like me, would allow Irina to get off that easily.


    I was confident that if Irina were to enve or control me, my mother would immediately behead the young girl right before my eyes.


    Fortunately, Irina didn¡¯t have any of those intentions.


    ¡°I will bring Brother back home!¡±


    Irina¡¯s cold demeanour broke down as a wave of exhration overwrote her expression. Her smile was intoxicating, especially to me, as I could feel her intense joy bubbling in my soul.


    ¡°Although he seems to have recovered, we can¡¯t bepletely sure! Plus, I need to teach Brother everything he needs to know to live as a Vampire. Don¡¯t worry, if you want, you can follow him back to my estate! I swear that no harm wille to you! Also, all your expenses will be paid!¡±


    ¡­ I didn¡¯t know Vampires could be this expressive.


    Irina¡¯s overwhelming excitement felt reminiscent of that of a desperate salesman trying to pitch a shady deal. I didn¡¯t know why, but it seemed like Irina was in a hurry. Was there something off with my soul?


    Nevertheless, Irina¡¯s shady pitch seemed to have paid off. My parents, who were hell-bent on enacting revenge on the Vampire who had turned me, were now primarily meek. If anything, they were d that another Vampire wouldpletely heal me.


    ¡°¡­ Fine, we¡¯ll ept your offer.¡±


    Defeated, my mother had no choice but to agree to Irina¡¯s suggestion.


    ???


    Stars.


    A staple in the night sky. Twinkling masterpieces that donned the carpet of ck. The only thing brighter at night was the glorious luminous lunar orb that lit the world with a mystifying glow. Some of the stars faded as the night went on, while others shone with the light of a thousand suns.


    Nothingpared to the magnificence of the night sky with its river of celestial stars falling into ce.


    Especially with a beautiful woman as its backdrop.


    Seated in an isted area where the clouds could reach the earth and the ocean couldn¡¯t touch the sky, a young woman watched the stars with her rich vale eyes. Her beauty was different from Irina¡¯s, with a less than ample bosom and a more schrly appearance. But that didn¡¯t mean that, for a second, she was less alluring than the snow-like beauty.


    Her blonde, glossy hair seemed to be kissed by the Gods themselves, blessing it with near-perfect proportions. Her face was on the thinner side, which properly matched her perfect appearance that was bnced in a way that no fat could permeate out from her unwanted regions.


    If there was a model for the modern-day Athena, this blonde woman would unquestionably be it.


    But unlike Athena, she wasn¡¯t a holy goddess.


    Watching as the stars twinkled, the woman¡¯s eyes turned blood red, and her noble expression promptly scrunched up into an angry frown. With her eyebrows furrowed, the woman growled in a low voice.


    ¡°Irina, what have you done?¡±

 Chapter 9 Everwinter Estate (2)

    ¡°¡­ When you said that all expenses were going to be paid, I didn¡¯t expect you to actually bring in a private jet to fly us.¡±


    My mother marvelled at the ne¡¯s interior which Irina had sent to pick us up. The same could be said about my beefcake of a father. He stood broodingly in the private cabin, which seemed tailored for his enormous size.


    And who could me them? Although they were former Hunters and were not strangers to flying in private jets, most of the time, they were for military use. However, the ne we were in was easily at the pinnacle of luxury.


    It had oversized velvet chairs that were made for royalty plus huge headspace for people of all shapes and sizes to wander about. Over a dozen stewards and stewardesses were also serving us, even though the ne was supposed to fly only the four of us.


    Whatever luxury item we wanted, the ne provided. Be it expensive food to high-end entertainment, the aircraft had it all. There were even a few beds just in case we wanted to have afortable sleep in the air.


    ¡°Please feel free to ask for anything,¡± Irina said as she took the chair next to mine. A ss of fine wine was in her hands, which highly resembled that of the liquid that flowed in our bodies.


    ¡°Can Vampires drink things other than blood?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Irina smiled as she replied. ¡°Eating or drinking regr foods won¡¯t harm our bodies or anything. We just don¡¯t do it often as blood is all that we need to survive. So if you want, you can eat and drink as per usual. But truth be told¡­ Blood is more intoxicating than any other delicacy in the world.¡±


    Irina shot me a suggestive look as she twirled the ss of wine in her hands. I thought back on the expired blood that the hospital provided to me and couldn¡¯t help but scowl. If that was the best delicacy in the world, then Vampires weren¡¯t right in their heads.


    ¡°So¡­ Why are you drinking wine instead of blood?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saving my appetite,¡± Irina shook her head as the corners of her lips slightly rose. She then looked at me with a sultry expression and said: ¡°For the most delicious blood I¡¯ll ever taste.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Not knowing how to reply to that, I simply kept my mouth shut and moved my attention elsewhere.<sub>-.</sub>


    Only a day had passed since the Night of the Blood Moon, and the journey I had been on was nothing short of extraordinary. After Irina had gotten my parents¡¯ permission, the wheel began to spin rapidly.


    Firstly, over a dozen servants came out of nowhere and brought my parents and me back home to pack and settle our small bookstore. Although my parents were functionally retired, they did run a bookstore that housed a plethora of interesting papers and novels. Plus, with their connections with the world of Hunters, we had a steady flow of customers throughout the years.


    And usually, it would take us a few days to get everything in order before we could leave for an extended duration. However, Irina¡¯s servants were just too efficient. Our passports that expired, our luggage that needed to be packed and everything we needed to travel was done within six hours, and we were whisked off to a private terminal by nightfall.


    Before entering the ne, we were asked to surrender our phones and were given brand new recements to prevent anyone from tracking our location.


    Although I knew nothing of Vampire society, even I could tell that this was highly peculiar. And evidently, my parents felt the same way.


    ¡°Hey, Miss Vampire.¡±


    ¡°Please, just call me Irina.¡±


    My mother¡¯s face was ashen, and her voice was far lower than I¡¯d ever heard before. For one, her tone of speech was much more respectful than when she¡¯d first met Irina, and her business-like demeanour quickly took centre stage.


    ¡°Alright then, Irina¡­¡± My mother sighed deeply before locking eyes with the snowy-haired girl who coquettishly sat by my side. ¡°You aren¡¯t a normal Vampire, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that, Mom?¡±


    I answered in Irina¡¯s stead. No, rather, I wanted to hear my mother¡¯s logic foring to that conclusion.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Jin, your little Vampire friend isn¡¯t that simple.¡± My mother frowned and spoke in a grave tone. ¡°Yes, the average Vampire would have amassed a vast amount of money during their near-infinite lifespans, but what she has is on a whole other level.¡±


    My mother turned to the man seated next to her for validation and found precisely what she was looking for.


    ¡°Your mom and I had met a few Vampires back when we were still Hunters. They had fortunes that would make the average millionaire cry out in jealousy and would often spend thousands without blinking an eye. They sometimes even had servants like this girl here. However¡­¡±


    My father folded his arms in akimbo and looked warily at the adorable critter whose hands were slowly encroaching up my knees.


    ¡°I¡¯d never seen a Vampire influence the government this easily¡­ No regr Vampire could force the government to issue a new passport within hours. Also, the fact that we were escorted to a private terminal and took a private ne¡­¡±


    Irina blinked twice and stared right back at my parents. If my parents were wavering due to the unknown variable that this young beauty brought, then Irina¡¯s eyes were as calm as a stillke. It felt as if everything was under her borate spell.


    ¡°Ah, it was rude of me¡­ I don¡¯t believe I have introduced myself properly yet.¡±


    Irina¡¯s cold expression broke into a gentle smile. Irina pulled her hand away from myp with great reluctance and ced both her hands gently down on her own. With her chest puffed out and her back straightened, the girl spoke confidently.


    ¡°My name is Irina Everwinter, granddaughter of Matriarch Innocence! As you¡¯ve guessed, I¡¯m part of the Everwinter House as well as an heir-in-training! Pleased to make your acquaintance!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence fell upon the cabin.


    Neither one of my parents could breathe a word, and just from that, I could tell the amount of shock they were in. My mother¡¯s jaw dropped so wide that an apple could fit through. Even my usually stoic father couldn¡¯t help but gape.


    ¡°Everwinter¡­ To think that you¡¯re part of THAT house.¡± Breaking out from his stupor, my father brought his fingers up to his head and rubbed his eyebrows.


    Meanwhile, my mother was nowhere close to waking up from her trance. Taking this opportunity, I asked my father:


    ¡°Dad, please exin.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Vampires may seem independent and elusive to the average human, but that was far from the truth. In fact, hidden from our prying eyes, they had built an entire society based on the sole purpose of unifying against the other races.¡±


    This was news to me¡­ I¡¯d always thought that Vampires were creatures that lived on their own terms and never liked to intermingle with other Vampires.


    ¡°In the beginning, there were just Noble Houses that independently manoeuvred based on their own interests. However, as their poption grew, so did their need for strong leadership. And so, after a thousand years of strife, the Master Council was born.¡±


    My father stopped to look at Irina, who was only watching on with a smile. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t going to interrupt, he continued:


    ¡°Ten Houses, each one more prestigious than the other. Many of them had thousands of years of history behind them, and each one had the power to defeat an entire army. They have powerhouses strong enough to destroy countries on a whim and magical capabilities beyond humanprehension. The Holy Churchbels them as monsters, but to the Vampires, they are known as the Ten Guardian Houses.¡±


    Ten Guardian Houses¡­ For my father to bring that up, it could only mean¡­


    ¡°And even among the Ten Guardian Houses that make up the Vampiric Master Council, the Everwinter House stands out.¡±


    For a brief moment, my indomitable father showed a trace of reverence. Not because he liked the Vampire House, but due to the immense respect he held from one Hunter to another.


    ¡°The Everwinter House are the only Vampire Noble n to guard a major gate that the Outer Demons use to invade our world, the Northern Pole Gate. And due to their unique abilities and adaptation to the cold, no entity would dare to contest their im to that gate. No country, no military, heck even the other races wouldn¡¯t dare attempt to take the Northern Pole Gate from the Everwinter House.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it is¡­


    From what I understand, there are about twenty-seven major gates that the Outer Demons use to invade our. Most of them fall under the control of the humans and the Hunters that we could train from scratch. However, a handful was well guarded by the other races.


    The Merfolk took care of those beneath the ocean; the Elves were responsible for the forests. In contrast, Werewolves and Vampires took those that were located in harsh conditions that no regr human could survive in.


    But from what I remember, each one of those races would solicit the help of humans as guarding one major gate on their own would sometimes prove too difficult for them to handle.


    So for the Everwinter House to be solely responsible for a gate¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Everwinter House has always been considered as one of the top ns, even among the Master Council. In fact, Matriarch Innocence is well-regarded as one of the strongest beings that our could offer. No, if she¡¯s in her home territory, there¡¯s no question that she¡¯s the most powerful Vampire alive.¡±


    What? So one of the most powerful Vampires alive was Irina¡¯s grandmother? No wonder my parents reacted in that manner¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Matriarch Innocence. The whole existence of the Everwinter House is just absurd. They have over two dozen Vampires that can equal humanity¡¯s top Hunters, and their army of Blood Servants is unparalleled among the other Vampiric Houses. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the Everwinter House alone could match the military of a medium-sized country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised¡­ To think that you know this much about our House.¡±


    Irina replied with a genuine shock in her voice. It was pretty apparent that she didn¡¯t expect my parents to react this much when they heard the Everwinter name.


    ¡°When you¡¯ve been a Hunter for over twenty years, you hear things here and there.¡± My father rxed a little before continuing:


    ¡°The Everwinter House is an ancient existence that has never fallen out of the Master Council. And to uphold that standard, I¡¯ve heard that all of the Everwinter heir candidates must be the aces of their generation. For you to be an heir-in-training that young¡­¡±


    Hearing my father¡¯s sceptical words, Irina¡¯s brightened expression gradually dimmed down as her ears dropped downwards.


    ¡°Yes, most of the other heirs-in-training are selected after they reach a hundred years old and have made significant contributions to the n. The only reason I could get this position this young was my grandmother¡¯s influence.¡±


    Irina tried to speak in the calmest possible manner, but I could tell that something was off even without looking at her.


    Why was that?


    Every time this girl does something, I feel my entire being gravitate towards her. I barely knew this girl, and yet¡­ I felt like I¡¯d known her all my life.


    Even just looking at her sombre expression was tugging on my heartstrings.


    It¡¯s odd¡­


    Before I could get my emotions in order, the ne shook a little and drew our attention away from the conversation. Even my mother, who had been shocked to silence, was distracted by the sudden turbulence.


    As we peered out into the darkness of the night, the first thing that came to our sight was the heavy winds dragging by pieces of snow and hail. Needless to say, since we were this far north, a blizzard or two was to be expected. However, numerous lights beckoned to us from the ground in the far distance.


    It was faint, but with my newly acquired vision, I was able to make out the image blocked by the heavy snow.


    An ostentatious pcepound, one that was possibly bigger than any royal castle I¡¯d ever seen in my life. High walls with white-golden pirs. Towers upon towers surrounded the main pce, which seemed to be the size of a dozen football stadiums. And oddly enough, even though it was in the middle of a blizzard, none of the snow managed to prate the beautiful walls of the humongous pce.


    ¡°We¡¯re here¡­¡±


    Irina smiled as all the tension in her body seemed to be released. She turned towards me and ignored the gazes that my parents were throwing at her. And with the most dazzling face I¡¯d ever seen from her yet, she said:


    ¡°Wee to the Everwinter Estate!¡±

 Chapter 10 Everwinter Estate (3)

    The Everwinter Estate wasn¡¯t like most houses where the rich lived in. Instead, the ostentatious pce that we saw from the sky was nothing more than a ce to wee visitors. In truth, the Everwinter Estate was more akin to that of a small town.


    The number of buildings in thepound was endless, with the vast majority of their facilities dug underground to escape the constant blizzards that howled outside. Networks of underground tunnels helped the residents of the Everwinter Estate move frompound topound, and due to its immense size, even luxury subways were constructed for ease of travel.


    Being so close to the North Pole, there was nothing but barren snow outside. No farnd, no rivers, no livestock. Living here would be a death sentence to most humans, but for the Vampires of the Everwinter House, their prized Estate was practically a paradise.


    So, one can imagine the danger of running into elite Vampires of the Everwinter Estate. Fortunately, Irina immediately led us through the massive subway system once we hadnded at the airport, and it wasn¡¯t long until we reached a small bungalow.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly small. The bungalow had at least an acre ofnd with at least fifteen rooms and was possibly the biggest house I¡¯d ever been in. Butpared to the other buildings and pces that surrounded it, the bungalow was rtively modest.


    ¡°Wee back, young miss.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Variel.¡±


    Irina returned the greeting to the aged man who weed her. The first thing I noticed from the man was his rich grey hair and trimmed beard that sat well on his chiselled face. His mannerisms were impable, so much so that I couldn¡¯t see a single w in his movements. Donned in a well-fitted suit with tails, the man seemed to be the epitome of what a butler should look like.


    But there was one caveat¡­


    ¡®Vampire¡­¡¯


    I thought to myself silently. Ever since I¡¯d awakened as a Vampire, my five senses had been heightened significantly. And just from their smell and mere presence, I could determine a human from a Vampire. I¡¯d yet to try this ability on the other races, but I would imagine that my senses would likely differentiate them as well.


    ¡®Not just any Vampire, though¡­ His magical ability is through the roof¡­¡¯


    Given that this butler had such a strong magical presence, he was most likely a True Vampire. But to think that a True Vampire was serving as a butler for Irina¡­ It seems that I¡¯ve got a lot to learn about the Everwinter Estate.


    ¡°Have you prepared the bracelets?¡± Irina asked without turning back.


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± The butler called Variel reached into the case next to him and pulled out two distinct blue bracelets with the Everwinter crest on them. Carefully, he walked toward our family of three and stared straight at my two parents.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Please, raise your wrists.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I apologise for the inconvenience,¡± Irina was the one who answered my mother¡¯s cautious query. ¡°The Everwinter House rarely allows outsiders to enter, powerful humans like yourselves. And while you are my guests, not everyone in the Estate will recognise that. So to prevent anyone from mistakenly attacking you, you must wear these bracelets.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried, they only let out an aura to show that you¡¯re a guest. There won¡¯t be any restrictions on your end.¡± Variel noticed my parents¡¯ apprehension and promptly reassured them. ¡°Of course, I suggest you stay in thispound and don¡¯t wander anywhere without permission.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we understand¡­¡±


    It was understandable for my parents to feel wary. They were in the heart of Vampire territory, after all. While there was a peace treaty barring Vampires from attacking humans and vice versa, who knows what would happen behind closed doors?


    ¡°What about me, Irina? Don¡¯t I need a bracelet?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Irina smiled happily before gently gripping my hand. ¡°You¡¯re not an outsider, after all. You¡¯re my Brother! Besides, I will be with you all the time, so I will protect you!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡±


    Were all heirs-in-training this free?


    Those were the words that I really wanted to say, but I knew better than to break that joyful smile. She hummed happily and gently slipped her arm around my elbow. Seemingly in bliss, Irina leaned her head towards me and rested it on my shoulders.


    Goodness, why was this girl so adorable?


    ¡°Young miss, I¡¯ve brought the doctor.¡±<sub></sub>


    After we settled down in our new lodgings, a silver-haired young woman sauntered into our humble bungalow. Her voluptuous build was elegantly wrapped in a luxurious Victorian dress shaded in ck and white fabric. Walking with the poise and elegance of a noble, I could only drop my jaw at the entrance of a bona fide maid.


    So Irina has a butler AND a maid? This girl really is some high-ssdy¡­


    ¡°Thank you, Luminita!¡± Irina unwrapped her hands from my arm and weed the two neers.


    The maid called Luminita wore a humble expression and simply stood to the side where Variel was waiting. Just like the butler, the maid was unquestionably a True Vampire. Although the magicing out from her was fainter than the butlers, her seasoned expression showed the abundance of experience that she possessed.


    It really was a treat to behold. Two True Vampires conducted themselves with ss even though they had the ability to humble everyone in the room.


    s, not all True Vampires behaved in the same way.


    ¡°Young Lady, I have received your summons.¡±


    The final Vampire that entered the bungalow was a middle-aged man who seemed no older than fifty. His appearance was nothing out of the ordinary; if anything, he seemed more human than Vampire. However, when his eyes fell on my parents and me, that Vampire couldn¡¯t hide the disdain and disinterest in his mind.


    Still, since he was a doctor and in front of a potential heir to the n, the Vampire kept his professionalism.


    ¡°¡­ Is he the one I¡¯m supposed to treat?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Irina seemed unfazed by his actions. She simply exined the situation: ¡°He received a soul injury a long time ago and has just recently turned into a Vampire. There¡¯s nothing wrong with his physical state, but his memories are still jumbled up. Could you check if there are any pressing issues?¡±


    ¡°Consider it done.¡±


    The Vampire nodded before stepping forward toward me. There was a tinge of unwillingness in his eyes, and I could feel his burning aversion as if treating me was beneath him.


    Feeling irritated, I asked: ¡°How may I address you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Just call me doctor.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Fine.¡±


    I wanted to remember his name, but instead, he made me burn his face into my memory. It didn¡¯t feel good to be looked down upon, after all. Still, I wasn¡¯t immature enough to let it get to my head. I raised my right wrist and allowed him to feel my pulse.


    ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯m going to conduct a soul search. Do not resist.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Hearing the Doctor¡¯s words, my mother immediately raised her voice in protest. She red menacingly at the Vampire who held my wrist and bellowed out: ¡°You want to conduct a soul search?!¡±


    ¡°How else will I know what his condition is?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, and you expect him to lower his mental defences for a cursory examination? Who knows what kind of damage you could do to him?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Listen here, human. I could care less about what your opinions are. If you are not willing, just leave the room.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    My mother raised her arms in a frenzy. I could feel magic rising from within her soul as the pressure within the room increased dramatically. It was a tremendous amount of magic, given that my mom was a former A-Rank Hunter, but the Doctor remained unfazed. In fact, it seemed like he was ready to fight back if need be.


    However, before things could escte into a full-on battle, Irina¡¯s soothing voice calmed the room:


    ¡°Please rx; the Doctor is one of the Everwinter House¡¯s best healers. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll make a mistake when treating my dear Brother.¡± Irina addressed my mother with a blissful smile.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t do anything to harm Brother, am I right?¡±


    However, when that smile turned towards the rude Vampire holding my wrist, that joyful expression turned into one of coldness and steel. The Doctor, who had been showing a callous expression since entering the room, quickly returned to his professional smile.


    ¡°O-Of course,¡± The Doctor said while hiding the shiver in his voice. ¡°I would never betray the Young Lady¡¯s expectations.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Irina¡¯s face was smiling, but her eyes surely weren¡¯t. Her wintry grey eyes locked onto the hand that was grabbing my wrist as if she was trying to burn through them with X-ray vision. I could even feel the Doctor¡¯s apprehension as he carefully touched my wrist.


    ¡°P-Please don¡¯t resist¡­ If you do, there might be some bacsh¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡±


    Although I had no clue what the Doctor was nning, I still obliged. Did I have faith in this shady Vampire? Absolutely not. However, I knew that if he nned on harming me for a second, Irina would be the first to have his head served to me on a tter.


    Taking a deep breath in, the Doctor began his examination. As promised, I felt a tug on my inner soul. Don¡¯t ask me how, but I felt like a foreign substance was invading my consciousness. There was an urge within me to kick that foreign invader out and burn him to the ground. However, I had the decency to suppress that desire.


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like the Doctor was nning on delving deep into my soul as I could feel his ¡®vision¡¯ just brushing the outside. It was hard to describe this ufortable feeling. The best I could define it was how a dentist would work on your teeth without sticking their tools down your throat.


    After a brief few minutes, the Doctor finally released his ¡®vision¡¯ and returned to his normal appearance.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± The Doctor brushed on his non-existent beard and looked at me with wonder and curiosity.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Irina asked with a tinge of worry in her voice. ¡°Is Brother¡¯s life in danger?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong with his body,¡± the Doctor removed, or rather, forgot his disdain for me and answered as any physician would. ¡°His physical state is constantly growing stronger, and it won¡¯t be long until he matches that of a naturally born True Vampire. His soul, on the other hand, is extremely peculiar.¡±


    The Doctor¡¯s eyes turned deep red and pierced his vision on me once again.


    ¡°This soul is that of a True Vampire; there¡¯s no doubt about it. No, it¡¯s even brighter than a regr True Vampire¡¯s soul. Yet, there are some irregrities that I can¡¯t quite put my finger on¡­ How very strange¡­¡±


    If the Doctor treated me like a pest before, now he looked at me with a degree of interest that mirrored that of a research subject.


    ¡°Do those irregrities have anything to do with his missing memories?¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± the Doctor nodded. ¡°His memories aside, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any danger to his life. However, I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like this in all my five hundred years. In fact, I doubt any of my seniors would know anything about these peculiarities. I¡¯m afraid¡­ Only the Matriarch could diagnose him.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that the only way?¡±


    Irina frowned as she answered. Evidently, even though they were grandmother and granddaughter, Irina had a problematic rtionship with the Vampire called the Matriarch.


    ¡°No¡­ She was going to find out either way¡­ It¡¯s better to get it over with.¡±


    Irina turned towards her butler and gestured: ¡°Variel, arrange a meeting with the Matriarch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± The butler nodded once before disappearing out of the bungalow doors and into the darkness of the night.


    After hearing the white-haired girl¡¯s words, my parents, who had been watching the exchange between Irina and Variel, froze in ce. And honestly, who could me them?


    While we were still travelling, my parents filled me in on what kind of entity the Everwinter House was. How immensely powerful each of their Vampires was. How just fifteen Everwinter Vampires froze an entire country to deal with the Outer Demons that invaded. And most importantly¡­


    How devastatingly powerful their leader, Matriarch Innocence was.


    A Vampire that was over five thousand years old, Matriarch Innocence was quite possibly among one of the very first Vampires to walk this. Her powers over ice and snow had made her name synonymous with Winter. Her abilities in the right climate could easily contend with the world¡¯s most powerful beings or perhaps even surpass them entirely.


    There was a reason why the Holy Church never onceunched a conquest over the Everwinters, even though they were amongst the world¡¯s most dangerous Vampire ns.


    And that was due to¡­


    The monster I was about to visit.

 Chapter 11 Matriarch Innocence (1)

    The summons for visiting the Matriarch came sooner than any of us expected. As if she was expecting Irina¡¯s request, the Matriarch summoned Irina and me the very next day. It did give us very little time to prepare, but fortunately, Irina seemed to be ready for the visit. In fact, she¡¯d even prepared a full suit for me overnight, which was quite a feat since I was still in the middle of my growth spurt.


    As for how she got my exact measurements¡­ Well, I guess she¡¯d gotten it when I was sleeping? I wasn¡¯t all that sure, but I wasn¡¯t brave enough to question the anxious girl.


    And who wouldn¡¯t be?


    Especially since we were whisked away into the deepest regions of the Everwinter Estate. Since it was my first time visiting this exclusivepound, I wasn¡¯t particrly sure where we were going, but from the number of times we were stopped by Vampire butlers and bodyguards¡­ I¡¯d imagined that we were entering a ce fully restricted even for the direct lineage of the Everwinters.


    Fortunately, Variel and Irina were by my side, absorbing all of the pressure from the seasoned guards. All of whom were perfectly capable of pounding my head into the ground ten times over. Still, that didn¡¯t disperse my nervousness at all.


    After thirty minutes of checks, we were finally permitted to enter our final destination. A piece of barren Winternd. Compared to the rest of the Everwinter Estate, this isted area wasrgely undeveloped. Other than snow and trees, there was literally nothing around.


    It was eerily quiet¡­ There weren¡¯t any signs of animals or any living creature for that matter. Even the trees that surrounded us seemed to be withered dry by the state of constant snow. The chilly winds were stale, as if they were programmed to blow at a constant speed.


    It really felt like¡­


    I had entered a virtual dimension where the programmers controlled every aspect of the world.


    It was mind-bendingly creepy.


    And in the middle of this creepy Winter Wondend was a certain little cottage. Unlike the luxury and extravagance of the pce that weed us, this simple cottage was the epitome of unassuming. It was about the size of an apartment, and it barely had any liveable materials.


    However, even though it seemed like nothing more than a humble hut, everything in this barren snownd gravitated toward this very house. No, it felt as if the entire Everwinter Estate was centralized based on this unassuming cottage.


    Or rather, the being that resided within it.


    ¡°Young miss, we have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Variel.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure. I will be waiting outside.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    The butler bowed once to Irina and turned his heel around. It felt like even this seasoned butler, who was unfazed by most things, was avoiding getting as close to this cottage as possible. He would rather brave the cold than step on foot closer to the being within this modest home.


    Needless to say, only Irina and I were left standing at the entrance. As much as they were unwilling, my parents couldn¡¯t pass the clearance to enter the deepest region of the Everwinter Estate. Nevertheless, I knew I couldn¡¯t be protected by them forever, particrly since I¡¯ve be a Vampire.


    Now that I could protect myself with my own two hands¡­ I would rather face my foes alone than let my parents fight my battles for me.


    And meeting the Matriarch was just the first step in my long journey as a Vampire.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± I said with determination. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t keep your grandmother waiting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Even at this junction, my ¡®little sister¡¯ felt threatened by the creature within this cottage. With our souls connected, all of her emotions were directed into my subconsciousness. The dread for her grandmother. The fear that something might happen to us. The caution she felt when entering a hostilend.


    All of which were transmitted to my soul. And oddly enough, it felt familiar. As if I had been in this position before.


    Still, I wasn¡¯t in the position to look through my fractured memories. I gently reached out to her ice-cold hand and grabbed it tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I whispered warmly. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Feeling the gentleness of my touch, Irina¡¯s tense expression eased up, and a dazzling smile was soon stered all over her face. Her fingers soon intertwined with mine as she took a deep breath in.


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±


    With new, reassured confidence, Irina led the way and sauntered through the wooden doors of the cottage.


    The inside of the humble abode was very much like its exterior. There weren¡¯t anyvish sculptures, nor was there any degree of opulence on full disy. In fact, it seemed like the cottage only had two rooms based on its interior.<sub></sub>


    There wasn¡¯t any kitchen, bathroom, or even a balcony. It seemed at first nce that there was only a living room and a bedroom which was hidden behind a door. And thus, the moment we entered the cottage and stepped foot in the living room, we were already greeted by the humble abode¡¯s only resident.


    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived¡­¡±


    It was only two words. Two words. But that was all it took for my earlier confidence to evaporate. The affliction and tone of the voice were nothing spectacr. If anything, it sounded like a sweet woman¡¯s whisper that was as harmless as a firefly.


    However, the existence behind that voice was anything but harmless.


    Seated right in the centre of the living room on an elevated tform was a young woman who seemed barely older than thirty. She was dressed in historical Victorian clothes, which weren¡¯t adaptable to the freezing temperatures outside in the slightest. But it wasn¡¯t like the woman cared for the cold.


    Beautiful ivory hair that flowed longer than the world¡¯s deepest waterfalls. Pale white skin that seemed whiter than the snows of Winter. Deep grey eyes that pierced through one¡¯s soul if she so wished. And¡­ Magic power that was far more concentrated than the endless abyss that purged the Netherworld.


    There was only one word to describe this existence that sat nonchntly while staring me down.


    Unfathomable.


    ¡°Irina, don¡¯t be shy. Have a seat. Didn¡¯t you want to chat with your feeble grandmother?¡±


    ¡°Please excuse me, Honored Grandmother.¡±


    Irina nodded whilst shivering and holding back her desire to run out of the cottage. Leading me to the two wooden chairs prepared for us, Irina took her seat while I promptly followed. Perhaps I was blinded by curiosity, so my fear of the monstrous existence had been clouded. So, I cautiously examined the young woman who sat confidently in her elevated position.


    An elegant noblewoman¡­ That was the feeling I¡¯d got from her appearance. If anything, the woman looked like an older version of Irina herself. An Irina who had matured from years of experience and endless trials.


    Irina had warned me beforehand, but I couldn¡¯t imagine that this young woman, who seemed no older than thirty, was actually a five-thousand-year-old monster. One that was able to take on entire countries and sink mountains into the ocean.


    While this woman looked like an older version of Irina, make no mistake, she was capable of turning me into a blood mist with a wave of her finger.


    After a brief moment of silence, the Matriarch finally turned her attention to me and snorted:


    ¡°I see you have brought your toy.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Irina¡¯s face instantly turned red, and her eyes screamed out with fury. Evidently, she didn¡¯t like how her grandmother addressed me and immediately went into fight mode. However, before anything could happen, the elder Vampire chuckled.


    ¡°To think that there would be a day where my favoured heir would side with a human¡­ I must be getting old.¡±


    ¡°Brother is not a human anymore!¡±


    ¡°Just so,¡± the Matriarch¡¯s lips rose ever so slightly. ¡°You¡¯re really quite the daring little imp. To think that you would use that ritual to turn him into a True Vampire. I don¡¯t see anything special with that toy, so why would you risk your life so easily?¡±


    The white-haired Vampire¡¯s attention then moved over to me and eyed me from head to toe.


    ¡°Hmmm, he does have the looks, and when his growth ispleted, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be a good catch. But you¡¯re the future heir to the Everwinter House. There¡¯ll be countless men for you to pick from. If you want, you could even get a few consorts like I did.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I would rather be with my Brother than inherit the Everwinter House.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡±


    The Matriarch held the temples on her forehead as she watched her precious granddaughter openly defy her. Helpless to stop her, the Matriarch then looked over at me with a tinge of amusement in her smile.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of magic you pulled on my granddaughter. To think that she¡¯s so enamoured with you even after all these years. Do you know how much I had to spend just so she could spy on you?¡±


    ¡®¡­ She what?¡¯


    Irina had been stalking me all these years? No, I think she vaguely mentioned something along those lines before. However, I was so caught up in the other matters that itpletely slipped my mind. I wanted to press the subject, but the Matriarch had other ns.


    ¡°I really wonder¡­ What¡¯s so special about you that she had to use that ritual to turn you into a Vampire? If it were me, I would have just turned you into a Blood Servant and toy with you until I got bored. Why did she have to take that risk?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh? She didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    The Matriarch looked down at both of us as a yful smile crept up her face. Seeing this, Irina¡¯s body visibly shook as if she were living through a past trauma.


    ¡°This littless¡­ She used a special ritual to turn you into a True Vampire. You humans might call it a Blood Contract, but it¡¯s far moreplicated than that. It¡¯s so arduous and troublesome that not even Vampires that are a thousand years old would bother attempting it.¡±


    Hearing the Vampire¡¯s words, I turned to the young girl with a look of astonishment.


    ¡°We call it the Contract of Equals. As you may already know, there are two types of Vampires. True Vampires and Blood Servants. Most of the time, a True Vampire would make a Blood Servant as it¡¯s far lessplex. Furthermore, while a Blood Servant is weaker than a True Vampire, they are far more loyal and would never do anything to harm their creator.¡±


    Yes, I heard that before. In fact, after reading up on it, I realized that almost ny percent of all Vampires were Blood Servants who served as food and meat shields for their masters. It was a cruel fate but a worthy price for some when it came to eternal youth and evesting life.


    ¡°As for making a True Vampire¡­ There are only two feasible ways. One is through traditional reproduction. However, Vampires aren¡¯t as fertile as humans, so it would take decades, sometimes even centuries or millennia for a new True Vampire to be born. Additionally, the stronger the blood, the harder the conception.¡±


    That was news to me. Perhaps this was why Vampires couldn¡¯t survive in the past. Even the strongest Vampire would be overwhelmed with numbers. If every True Vampire was hunted down before they could be replenished, it made sense that the Vampires were almost hunted to extinction during the Age of Blood.


    ¡°So, the ancient Vampires experimented on various methods to create new Vampires. Two of which seeded. The Blood Servant contract and the Contract of Equals. The Blood Servant contract created Lesser Vampires, but Vampires nheless. On the other hand, the Contract of Equals was the only bona fide way to create True Vampires other than reproduction.¡±


    The Matriarch then turned her attention to her granddaughter, who trembled in her seat like a puppy who had been caught tearing up the sofa.


    ¡°But s, the Contract of Equals came at a tremendous risk.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°First of all, the Vampire initiating the ritual must find a noblepatible soul, one powerful enough to be a Vampire. Next, the Vampire must be willing to link its own soul with the human andstly, the Vampire must remake the person into a True Vampire.¡±


    The elder Vampire then alternated her gaze between the two of us, seemingly amused by our reactions.


    ¡°And the conditions had to be right for each of those steps; otherwise, the True Vampire conducting the ritual would have their soul utterly annihted. In fact, the sess rate is so low that most Vampires wouldn¡¯t even bother as the risks were so astronomically high.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    This time, it was my turn to be utterly bbergasted. I¡¯d always thought that Irina remaking me into a Vampire was as simple as biting down on my flesh. But evidently, that wasn¡¯t the case in the slightest. To think that this girl had taken such a big risk for me¡­


    Feeling awkward at my passionate gaze, the cold beauty¡¯s face flushed red. Shyly, Irina averted her gaze from mine.


    So cute¡­


    As much as I wanted to admire the adorable little creature before me, the five-thousand-year-old Vampire had other intentions. After watching our exchange for a few seconds, the friendly face of the elder Vampire quickly turned.


    ¡°Jin Valter¡­¡±


    The Matriarch¡¯s voice resonated through the entire chamber with a dead tone. As if answering her call, the howls of the Winter winds beckoned from the outside, sting the windows and walls of this small, wooden cottage.


    Magic filled the room we were in, so much so that it became suffocating for me to even be in. My world felt as if it had been turned upside down, and an ocean had been weighing on my human body. My fingers could barely move, and my eyes began to tear up.


    It was then that I remembered who I was dealing with.


    Matriarch Innocence.


    The undisputed ancestor of the Everwinter House and one of the strongest beings alive. A monster that made Nine-Star Hunters, humanity¡¯s strongest heroes, tremble in fear. An ancient existence that even the Holy Pope, the leader of the world¡¯srgest religion and a former organization that hunted Vampires, couldn¡¯t hope to overpower. A monster that killed the strongest Outer Demons for sport and a being that I couldn¡¯t hope to equal.


    Against her¡­ I was a mere firefly.


    No, an ant that was waiting to be squashed.


    And thus, all I could do was wait with bated breath as the Matriarch began to speak.


    ¡°Human toy¡­ Are you worthy?¡±

 Chapter 12 Matriarch Innocence (2)

    ¡°Human toy¡­ Are you worthy? Worthy of my granddaughter¡¯s sacrifice?¡±


    Matriarch Innocence¡¯s face was ashen, and the pressure she emitted was far too inconceivable for my newly turned Vampire body. The threat level that she produced far exceeded anything I¡¯d ever experienced, and it became hard to breathe just by being near her presence.


    I¡¯d felt my bones being crushed and my blood flow reversing at the Elder Vampire¡¯s question. I felt like¡­ If I gave the wrong answer, even in jest, this creature in front of me would erase my existence within a blink of an eye.


    That was how insignificant I felt in front of this Goliath.


    But¡­


    I¡¯d fought against a bigger adversary before. An entity that even the lofty Matriarch Innocence could never hope to match.


    Death.


    I was supposed to die on that night. My life had been reaped from my body, and my consciousness was just inches away from dissipating forever. If it wasn¡¯t for Irina, I would have been tossed into the River Styx, never to awake again.


    I swore never to live as a cripple with my new lease on life. Never to bow down in the face of an adversary and to fight for my own life with every means necessary. My own power. My own¡­ Legacy.


    It was suffocating¡­ Just fighting back my instinct to run as far as possible was turning my stomach inside out. However, for the sake of my own life¡­ I didn¡¯t.


    I stared back at the abyss that was Matriarch Innocence and did what I did when I faced my eventual demise.


    I smiled.


    ¡°Words won¡¯t prove anything, Matriarch.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Evidently confused by my odd action, the five-thousand-year-old Vampire squinted and even forgot to raise the pressure on my shoulders. With my body being released from her grasp, I heaved a sigh of relief and continued:


    ¡°Actions are the true decider of one¡¯s worth. So, rather than tell you that I¡¯m worthy, I¡¯ll prove that your granddaughter made the right choice.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Oh? And how will you do that?¡±


    All of a sudden, I felt the entire world had been isted. Irina wasn¡¯t there. The cottage that we were in wasn¡¯t there. And the whole dimension that we lived in had disappeared. All that remained was the Matriarch and me.


    The stage was set. The battlefield had been prepared. The opera had begun. If I lose, I lose my life. But that didn¡¯t matter to me.


    From the moment I was freed from my chains as a cripple. From the second, I learned that my fate had returned to my hands. From the instant, I could use magic once more.


    I swore¡­


    ¡°I will¡­ Be the strongest being in the world!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My firm, heartfelt deration. I knew that I had the potential, and I knew I had the necessary knowledge. And while I was held behind by my disabilities, it didn¡¯t damper my confidence one bit. In fact, it had enhanced me to a height I would have never imagined.


    While I was crippled, I wasn¡¯t idle in the slightest. I trained my mind in ways that no human ever could. I strengthened my resolve to never waver even when facing Death right in its face. And most importantly, I envisioned every method I could to improve my body just in case I recovered.


    And all of that will prove useful in my future training.


    I was confident of it.


    No, it was a foregone conclusion. It will take time, but Vampires had an eternity ahead of them, did they not? I will be strong. Strong enough to take on this Elder Vampire and bring her down a peg or two.


    But of course¡­


    ¡°HAHAHAHA!!! Human, you sure are amusing!!!¡±<sub></sub>


    The Matriarch began to bellow out as if she¡¯d heard the funniest joke of all time. Well, I couldn¡¯t me her. From her perspective, it was like an ant telling a bull that it would one day be big enough to squash it. And it was true that I was powerless to even be annoyed by herughter.


    So, all I could do was wait for the Matriarch to finish herughing spree.


    ¡°Irina, did you bring this toy here so that he could be your exclusiveedian?¡±


    ¡°My name is Jin Valter, Matriarch.¡±


    ¡°HAHAHA!!! Fool, do you know how many idiots wish I would remember their name? Some would even offer up their entire countries if I could at least remember their surnames. You¡¯re not worthy,edian.¡±


    ¡­ Well, at least I upgraded from toy toedian.


    ¡°HAHAHA!!! Well, at least you have the guts, I¡¯ll give you that¡­¡± The seductive female Vampire wiped the tears off her eyes as she slowly regained her bearings. ¡°But, you¡¯re right. If you had given me an empty promise, I would have had your head served to Irina as a warning.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    For the first time in a while, Irina reacted violently. Earlier, she had been intimidated by the Matriarch¡¯s overwhelming presence that she¡¯d forgotten all about protecting me. However, as if that was a one-off mistake, the adorable creature seated beside me moved her hand in front of mine and growled angrily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, child. I won¡¯t do that anymore. Youredian has amused me, so I¡¯ll take him off the killing floor for now.¡±


    For now, huh? I really am nothing more than a pig waiting to be ughtered in her eyes. Tsk, even after breaking free from my cripple status, I¡¯m still powerless. I had to admit, this was an irritating feeling.


    ¡°Bing the strongest being in the world, huh? Now, that¡¯s a statement I haven¡¯t heard in a long time¡­¡±


    The Matriarch looked up in the air, seemingly in nostalgia as she remembered the days of her yesteryear. I wasn¡¯t sure what she was reminiscing or how long ago it was, but she seemed to be reliving a pleasant time.


    ¡°Fool, you might be the first person in a thousand years not to cower in fear when they meet me. I shall let you live and train under the Everwinter House as a reward. Irina, your wish is granted. I¡¯ll let thisedian of yours train using all the resources you have.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Thank you, Honoured Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Ah, there was that other thing, right?¡± The Matriarch smiled coldly as she remembered the main reason for my visit. ¡°You said that his soul has been injured?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!!!¡± Irina regained her wits and abruptly answered the Elder Vampire.


    ¡°Alright, let me have a look¡­¡±


    Matriarch Innocence¡¯s eyes turned to my growing body, and her beautiful wintry-grey eyes turned crimson. Unlike that quack who examined me yesterday, the Elder Vampire didn¡¯t need to feel my pulse or conduct a soul search. Or maybe she did, and I was too weak to resist or notice it.


    Nevertheless, the examination was done in a matter of seconds, and soon, the Matriarch hadpleted her check-up.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ I¡¯ve never seen this happen before¡­¡±


    ¡°I-Is it bad?¡± Irina asked in my stead.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡±


    The Matriarch continued looking at me even though her examination had been long over. Just like the Doctor, it seemed like she was looking at me as if I were a specimen to be experimented on.


    ¡°You used a quarter of your soul to hold his soul together. That was a risky move on your part, but it did its job. His soul is now as strong, if not more robust than any True Vampire¡¯s soul.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s fully recovered?!¡±


    Irina burst out in glee as she heard the first piece of good news she had all day.


    ¡°Yes, but the problemes with your remaining soul fragment in his body.¡± The Elder Vampire put aside her biases and went into an investigative mood for a brief moment.


    ¡°No living creature, even True Vampires, can house more than one soul. A small fragment, maybe. But a full quarter of a soul? That¡¯s the main problem for his irregrities.¡±


    The Matriarch continued to give her hypothesis as to my body¡¯s problems.


    ¡°Now that his soul has fully recovered, it¡¯s time to return your soul fragment. In fact, his memory problem must have something to do with your soul still inhabiting his body. You should know better since you¡¯ve waited this long to finally turn him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    What did that mean? I wanted to ask that question, but I quickly swallowed my words. The Matriarch seemed to know that I would ask that and promptly added:


    ¡°The main reason why Irina has kept her distance from you even though she desperately wanted to be by your side was due to her soul inhabiting your body. If she was anywhere near you before your soul fully healed, her soul fragment would automatically try to return to its original ce. If that were to happen while you were still recovering¡­¡±


    Ah, that made sense. ording to Irina, my soul had been ripped into pieces. And if the glue that kept it all together were toe undone¡­


    I might have died even earlier than expected.


    I turned and looked at the white-haired beauty who had averted her eyes. To think that she had endured all these years just for me¡­ Although I didn¡¯t know why she adored me so much, I knew that her love was genuine.


    And for such a girl, how could I keep holding her back?


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve recovered, shouldn¡¯t I return Irina¡¯s soul to her?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you should! Rather, you should just end your own life so that her soul would return immediately!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    This fucking Vampire¡­ Does she want to kill me or not?


    Fortunately, Irina wouldn¡¯t let the Matriarch do as she pleased.


    ¡°I jest,¡± the Matriarch sighed before Irina could growl like the adorable puppy she was. ¡°You will have to return the soul, but not now. First, you¡¯ll need to mature as a Vampire. Learn how to use our magic and let your body and soul sync together as a True Vampire. Only then would you be able to return Irina¡¯s soul without any repercussions.¡±


    The Elder Vampire waved her hand, and instantly, Variel the butler appeared before our eyes. Without any indication, the aged Vampire went on one knee and gave the Matriarch a salute reserved only for royalty.


    ¡°My liege.¡±


    ¡°Variel Caramitru. You will teach this fool how to use his Vampire abilities. Physicalbat, awakening his Aspect, basic magic¡­ Make him somewhat usable.¡±


    ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± The butler nodded his head and crossed his heart.


    I quickly asked: ¡°How long would the training take?¡±


    ¡°Depends on your rate of learning. If everything goes quickly, you will be able to return Irina¡¯s soul within a year.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I understand.¡±


    ¡®A year, huh? No, that¡¯s too long. Irina has already sacrificed so much for me. I shouldn¡¯t keep holding her back anymore.¡¯


    Quietly, I made a promise to myself. I didn¡¯t know how strong I would be, but there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d never had a doubt about. I was a superbly fast learner. If some people took ten years to learn something, I only needed one. Furthermore, I would be able to wholeheartedly devote all of my attention to bing stronger, something I was already going to do anyway.


    Good¡­ I¡¯m beginning to look forward to the next few days.


    As I was silently contemting my future moves, the Matriarch waved her hand once more and said:


    ¡°Alright Variel, take the fool away for now. I need to have a chat with my rebellious granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Seeing that it was my cue to leave, I gave Irina one final nce. As if we had a heart-to-heart connection, Irina¡¯s simple smile conveyed all of the emotions I needed to know. Her faith in me. Her desire to protect me. And the relief she had that I was going to be okay.


    Goodness¡­ What an adorable little sister I had.

 Chapter 13 Irinas Past (1)

    I watched sadly as Variel brought Brother away from the Matriarch¡¯s chambers. Ever since we¡¯d arrived at the Everwinter Estate, I¡¯d never once let Brother out of my sights. He was still too weak to survive on his own, especially in the snakepit that was the Everwinter Estate. If I were to leave him alone for too long, who knows what would happen to him.


    Even as he left, I could feel Brother¡¯s weary emotions. It felt like he was worried that my grandmother would harm me, and he wanted to protect me by every means possible. Goodness, you¡¯re weaker than me, you know? Even though his memories had been sealed, the kindness in his heart hadn¡¯t changed one bit.


    No, how could he change? All these years I had been watching him¡­


    Even after losing his powers, crippling his body and losing his memories. My Brother was still the confident, kind man that I remember. Even when up against my grandmother, who was easily among the top three most powerful Vampires alive, he didn¡¯t flinch for a second.


    He¡¯d even said that he would protect me!!!


    That¡¯s why I love you so much!


    Urgh, this stinking grandmother of mine¡­


    Why must she jeopardise my long-awaited bonding time with Brother?


    ¡°Look at you; I separate that toy away from you for one second, and you¡¯re already bearing your fangs at me.¡±


    That stupid grandmotherughed at me as if it was no big deal. Hey, if you¡¯re going tough at me, why don¡¯t you just let me leave?


    ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t you want to know more about that toy¡¯s current soul state? Especially since¡­ You weren¡¯t the one who conducted the ritual in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    How on earth did she know?! The ritual happened fifteen years ago, and other than the others, no one should know! Don¡¯t tell me this grandmother had a spy at my side?!


    ¡°¡­ How did you know, Honoured Grandmother?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. Other than your fragmented soul, I detected the others. I know that I favour you quite a bit, but performingplicated rituals isn¡¯t your forte. And given your history, only thatss from the Moonreaver House could perform such a feat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I guess the title of Matriarch wasn¡¯t for show. The ritual that she did should have hidden all signatures of our souls. To think that this stinking grandmother of mine would have detected it so effortlessly.


    ¡°Still, she was a little older than you when that incident happened, right? Seriously, what did the Moonreaver n feed that girl? A ritual thisplex would be difficult for even the most seasoned Vampires, let alone a mere eleven-year-old.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hearing the Matriarch praise that girl¡­ Really gets on my nerves. She¡¯d never once talked about me in that manner. Tsk, this is why people from the Everwinter House are a bunch of assholes. They only care about those with talent and power. Only Brother can truly soothe my heart.


    ¡°So, what do you n to do next?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t oppose you owning a boy toy or two. You are of that age, after all. But given that there are other souls in his body, the rest wille gunning for him.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen!!! Brother is mine!!!¡±


    Those girls will try and steal Brother away from me?! Like they did in the past?! That¡¯s fucking uneptable!!!


    Brother is mine!!! He¡¯s all mine!!! I won¡¯t let them have a single hair on his body!!!


    If they want to take my beloved Brother away again¡­ They¡¯ll have to do it over my dead body!!!


    ¡°HAHA!!! So you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re willing to fight against the Moonreaver, ckburn AND Shadowgarden House just for that toy? HAHAHA, that human must have been an incubus in his past life or something.¡±


    The Matriarchughed at me, but she didn¡¯t seem all that disturbed by my deration. Knowing her, she must have some other ideas and schemes hidden behind her conniving mind. However, I was just too inexperienced to think about them.


    ¡°Very well!!! A strong Vampire just does as she pleases, regardless of who she pisses off! Although your prize is wanting, I quite like your attitude! It¡¯s befitting of my heir!¡±


    What do you mean my Brother is wanting?! He¡¯s the best thing that ever happened to me! Even if I had to give up my position as an Everwinter heir, I wouldn¡¯t give my Brother up!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now. I¡¯ll keep everything we said here a secret from your toy. Additionally, I¡¯ll help shield his information from the other girls. But, in exchange, you will have to do something for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What is that?¡±


    ¡°The Winter Hunt.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Was it already this time of year again? Urgh, I¡¯d just gotten back together with my beloved Brother, and I don¡¯t want to waste any more of my precious time with him!


    ¡°You¡¯ve skipped on thest two hunts, and the other heirs-in-training are beginning to grumble. While you¡¯re much younger and far less inexperienced than them, you are the one most suited to take my ce. So, silence the noise for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, Honoured Grandmother.¡±


    Tsk, I really wanted to decline. The Winter Hunt is just a formality anyway. I would much rather spend more time with my Brother. Speaking of which, I wonder if he would let me sleep on his bed tonight? Yesterday, I missed the opportunity to ask, but at the very least I got his measurements.


    Hehe, I look forward to measuring his growth tonight as well.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that.¡±


    My grandmother ced her finger on her chin and tilted it slightly. What the hell are you doing, you stupid ancient Vampire? You¡¯re older than the mountain outside, so what are you trying to achieve by acting cute?


    ¡°How about this? I will tell you the method of returning one¡¯s soul as a reward for attending the Winter¡¯s Hunt.¡±


    ¡­ What?


    ¡°See, performing a ritual to rip your soul and ce it in another¡¯s body is extremely difficult. However, returning it isn¡¯t all thatplicated. All you need to do is¡­¡±


    The white-haired Vampire looked at me and smiled with a seductive grin. My grandmother was already over five-thousand-years-old, yet she could still make this face. I guess she¡¯s still living a healthy life with her endless amounts of consorts.


    ¡°Connect yourselves in mind, soul and¡­ Body.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    W-W-Wait!!! Does she mean what I think she means?!


    I-Isn¡¯t that too soon?! I mean, I don¡¯t mind living with three-quarters of a soul as long as it means that my Brother would live. But, if he wants to return it¡­


    Y-Yeah, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that!


    After all, we aren¡¯t real siblings! No, even if we were, it can¡¯t be helped, right?! He needs to return my soul, and it would stop the irregrities of his soul. It¡¯s a win-win situation!


    Yeah! Why should we wait for him to return my soul?! We should seal the deal tonight!


    ¡°Hold your horses, youngdy. That toy is still recovering from your Contract of Equals. He¡¯ll continue to grow to his true size. And the flow of magic in his body has yet to stabilise. There¡¯s no saying when his soul will be healed if you rush it. At least wait until his training is over.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I-I wasn¡¯t thinking of doing it yet!¡±


    Tsk, again with her stupid intuition! I know that she isn¡¯t a mind-reader, but she might as well be! I don¡¯t understand how she could always guess what I was thinking about every single time! That¡¯s why I hate this stupid Everwinter House! As expected, Brother is the only one who treats me like family¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face,¡± the Matriarch smiled at me like she could tell every single thought I had. ¡°And here, I¡¯d thought you weren¡¯t interested in men. Since you never took a Blood Servant or yed with any of the servants in the house.¡±


    ¡°¡­ No other man can rece my Brother.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, you really are enamoured with that fool. I wonder if you¡¯re actually under some kind of hypnosis spell?¡±


    Tsk, why would my Brother put me under a hypnosis spell? If anything, I should be the one casting a hypnosis spell on him! What would happen if the other three were to find out that I converted him into a Vampire without telling them? I¡¯m certain that they¡¯lle banging on my door!


    Thinking about it, performing a hypnosis spell might be good¡­ At least I can keep him by my side if those bitches really want to steal Brother away from me.


    But to harm Brother in that manner¡­ I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t like it¡­


    Urgh, I¡¯ll think about thatter!


    ¡°Whatever the case is, you¡¯ll have to participate in the Winter Hunt.¡± My grandmother waved her hands and gave me the signal to leave. As if her earlier warm expression was a lie, the ancient Vampire dismissed me as if I were just an afterthought.


    ¡­ This was the true face of the Everwinter House built by Matriarch Innocence Everwinter.


    ¡°¡­ Yes, Honoured Grandmother.¡±


    Fine! I¡¯ll participate in your stupid hunt! And after that¡­


    Huehuehuehue¡­

 Chapter 14 Irinas Past (2)

    Other than my deration to the Matriarch, our trip to the deepest regions of the Everwinter House concluded without any more hups. Irina did stay back for about fifteen minutes there, but judging from her happy expression when she¡¯d left, I¡¯d guessed that nothing of note happened.


    And thus, Irina and I made our way back to the bungalow without making any detours. After all, my parents must have been worried sick after sending off their only son to meet one of the world¡¯s most powerful Vampires. Furthermore, there wasn¡¯t anything I wanted to do in the Everwinter House.


    So logically, we shouldn¡¯t encounter any roadblocks on the way back.


    s, fate worked in mysterious ways¡­


    ¡°Irina, you¡¯ve returned.¡±


    ¡°Trent¡­ What are you doing here?¡±


    On our one-way path back to Irina¡¯s bungalow, a well-dressed, handsome young man stopped us in our tracks. Just like Irina, the intelligent-looking man had rich ivory hair with an impable sense of style. His porcin skin seemed otherworldly, and every slight movement he made oozed elegance.


    If anything, he barely looked like a man. Rather, he seemed like a remarkably handsome woman who just happened to have broad shoulders and a man-like frame. But what struck me the most was his shocking resemnce to the young woman who stood by my side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cold,¡± the man put on an amicable smile in contrast to Irina¡¯s frigid scowl. ¡°Although we haven¡¯t talked in a while, I¡¯m still your older brother.¡±


    Hoh? As expected, the suave Vampire in front of me was Irina¡¯s true blood brother. Anyone with a decent eye could deduce their resemnce in an instant. However, now that I was a Vampire, I could roughly tell that they smelt simr.


    Irina¡¯s fragrance was akin to a sole Winter flower that stood bravely in the cold, while the man in front of me was like a leaf from a snowy tree. Both had their roots in the same family, but they had their own unique qualities.


    ¡°¡­ Stop wasting my time. Tell me what you want.¡±


    Nevertheless, just because they came from the same tree, it didn¡¯t mean that the flower and the leaf would get along just fine. Irina¡¯s eyes instantly turned red, and her voice became colder than before. In fact, it felt like the girl was just seconds away from releasing a torrent of magic waves.


    ¡°Haha, I see that you¡¯re as straightforward as always.¡±


    The man named Trent didn¡¯t falter at Irina¡¯s threatening gaze and simply shook it off by scratching his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the Winter Hunt. I need you to attend it this year.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­ Since when were you in a position to order me around?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be that way¡­¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    The handsome man continued smiling brightly, but I could tell that there was a slight tremor in his voice. It felt like he was holding back his anger as his grey eyes started to falter.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t participate in the Winter Hunt, your position as an heir-in-training will be questioned. No, in fact, rumours had begun to circte that the Elders are thinking of removing you from your position. And you know, if you¡¯re removed as an heir-in-training¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s brother then looked towards me briefly before quickly reverting his gaze back to the young Vampire.


    ¡°Your allowance will be cut. And with your aggressive spending habits, I doubt you would just let it be, right?¡±


    This asshole¡­ Is he threatening Irina by alluding to me? Wait a second, this fucker is Irina¡¯s blood-rted brother? How can two people be rted and be so different?


    ¡°My expenditures have nothing to do with you, Trent.¡± Irina folded her arms and continued to re at the Vampire before her. ¡°Besides, whether I remain as an heir-in-training has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be that way¡­ We are rted, after all. With our parents hibernating, we are all that we have in this Estate. We should look out for each other¡¯s needs.¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap,¡± Irina immediately snapped back. ¡°All you want is an affiliation to an heir-in-training. Don¡¯t talk to me as if you cared about our bullshit ties in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Irina, you¡­¡±


    At this point, I could physically hear his nerves cracking. Trent¡¯s paleplexion slowly turned red as the magic within his body began to act up. It appears that all of his patience had run out. It was only a matter of time before this indecent Vampire exploded.


    ¡°Irina, I know we have our differences but aren¡¯t you taking this too far? Participating in one Winter Hunt shouldn¡¯t be too difficult with your capabilities. You¡¯ll get to keep everything you currently have! It¡¯s a win-win situation for all of us!¡±


    At this point, I¡¯d heard enough. Based on their conversations thus far, I could somewhat guess their sibling dynamic. Most likely, Irina and her brother weren¡¯t cordial when they were younger, and things only changed when Irina somehow became an heir-in-training. And so, to leech off his younger sister, this Vampire attempted to foster a sibling bond that didn¡¯t exist.


    Now, I didn¡¯t know what an heir-in-training entailed, but if it¡¯s anything like the human world, the prestige that came out of being rted to one was hard to let go of.


    And therefore¡­ Irina¡¯s blood-rted brother was merely a bottom-feeder in the Everwinter ecosystem.


    ¡°Us¡­ You¡¯re really going to go there?!¡±


    Unable to contain her rage any longer, Irina¡¯s voice began to rise. And perhaps it was the soul connection between us; I could distinctly feel her rampaging emotions in my heart. It was all so bitter and so¡­ painful.


    And it was endured by this little girl who was younger than me.<sub></sub>


    Well, I won¡¯t let that fly.


    ¡°Howughable.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Trent raised his voice as he noticed that I had stepped into the ring. cing my hand in front of Irina¡¯s body, I separated the two siblings and confronted the Vampire face-on. I knew very well that I was weaker than Irina. Heck, I¡¯m probably weaker than this failure of a brother too.


    But there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m going to let Irina face her troubles alone.


    ¡°Have you no shame?¡±


    Irina¡¯s brother looked at me once as if he¡¯d seen a UFO. However, he quickly regained himself and said: ¡°Step aside mongrel. I¡¯m talking to my sister.¡±


    ¡°You dare!!!¡±


    Irina was about to step forward to fight the Vampire the moment he belittled me. Goodness, how adorable¡­ Even when he was disrespectful to her, Irina endured to the best of her ability. But the second he said something disparaging about me, the girl couldn¡¯t hold back her wrath.


    ¡­ How can this girl be so lovable?


    Oops, I nearly got distracted¡­ Let¡¯s deal with the main problem at hand first.


    I stopped Irina from bolting forward like an enraged mother bear and simply stood my ground against the older, stronger Vampire.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t step aside. Especially since you¡¯re such a failure of a brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± I snorted in derision. ¡°If all you can do is leech off your sister, then you¡¯re a failure of a brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My harsh words quickly broke the man¡¯s gentle facade. The emotions he¡¯d held in check started to bubble to the surface, and he was on the verge of ripping my head off right here in the long corridors of the Everwinter Estate.


    However, that rage wasn¡¯t able toe to pass. Irina¡¯s gaze intensified, and I could feel the air around us thickening. It wasn¡¯t just Irina who was keeping the older Vampire in check. Behind us, Variel, who had been silently following us while keeping his presence hidden, showed himself to the man who imed to be Irina¡¯s brother.


    Perhaps sensing that he was outnumbered and outgunned, the older Vampire did something unexpected.


    ¡°Hah¡­ I didn¡¯te here for a fight, Irina.¡±


    Rather than address my words head-on, the man just¡­ ignored me altogether.


    ¡°I¡¯m just here to catch up with my little sister who I haven¡¯t seen in so long.¡±


    The friendly and amicable face of the white-haired Vampire returned. However, this time, it was far less charming, given that I knew his true character.


    ¡°Whether you want to attend the Winter Hunt or not, that¡¯s up to you. However, as your older brother, I suggest you participate this year. I can tell when my stay is not weed, so I¡¯ll leave you be.¡±


    Irina¡¯s brother shook his head and walked past us. But as he stepped past me and reached Irina¡¯s shoulders, he said in a loud whisper so that all three of us could hear him.


    ¡°Also, I do have one final word of advice. It¡¯s okay to keep dogs, but remember to keep them on a leash. I¡¯m kind and forgiving, so I¡¯ll let this incident slide. However, there won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    ¡°YOU!!!¡±


    Unable to take the insults toward me anymore, Irina¡¯s right palm clenched into a fist. The heated hallways started to lose all of their temperatures, and the sub-zero atmosphere of Winter descended upon us. Irina¡¯s eyes had turnedpletely bloodshot, and the magic being generated from her body could suffocate anyone who stood within a certain radius of her.


    Fortunately, before Armageddon was unleashed, a hand gripped Irina¡¯s wrist and stopped the Vampire from rampaging.


    If it weren¡¯t for the circumstances, I might have whistled out in amazement. Irina¡¯s hand movement was fast, so fast in fact that I couldn¡¯t follow it with my naked eyes. However, Variel¡¯s movement was even quicker. Adding to the fact that he¡¯s easily suppressing Irina¡¯s magic, I could tell that this butler was more than a servant for an heir-in-training.


    ¡°Young miss, you mustn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Variel! Are you on his side?!¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡± The butler shook his head and answered politely. ¡°We have house rules, remember? No one is allowed to fight in the main buildings. If you attack him, the Everwinter House will be forced to take action against you.¡±


    Oh? I guess the Vampires followed normal rules as well. Well, that made sense. If everyone were to fight whenever and wherever they wanted, there would be no squeaky-clean houses for the Vampires of the Everwinter House to sleep in.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Although Irina was unwilling, her logical mind managed to keep her emotions in check. Slowly lowering her fists, she stopped releasing that invisible pressure and stared right at the man who insulted me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Brother like that ever again. Or else, I¡¯ll rip your head off myself.¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    Needless to say, Irina¡¯s biological older brother was confused by her words. However, the girl was in no mood to exin. Instead, she immediately grabbed my hand and briskly walked away, leaving the white-haired Vampire with no chance to get his answer.


    First, it was the crazy grandmother, and now it¡¯s an estranged elder brother.


    It¡¯s really one thing after another in this family, isn¡¯t it?


    ???


    After our brief run-in with Irina¡¯s older brother, the young girl bolted straight back into her bungalow with her hand firmly grasping mine. The pressure from her grip was firmly etched into my fingers, and as the pain intensified, so did the shape of my hands.


    It wasn¡¯t until we reached the entrance of her bungalow did I muster up the courage to say:


    ¡°Irina, you¡¯re hurting me¡­¡±


    ¡°A-Ah! Sorry!!! Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I smiled and brushed off the disfigured shape of my hands. Although my fingers were bent in different directions, I could already feel them slowly regenerating back into ce. Now that I¡¯m a Vampire, my biological sense of danger has changed drastically. Things that would have hurt me before no longer registered as a threat in my mind, and even if I were seriously injured, the transcendental regeneration of a Vampire would heal me back to full health.


    Irina¡¯s mind must have been in shambles for her to use this much force just to keep me close to her. It was as if¡­ She was afraid of losing me once more.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, Brother¡­ I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh, I understand.¡±


    I knew the girl felt guilty, so I silenced her by cing my index finger on her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to you and your brother, and neither do I know much about your past, so¡­ Would you be willing to share it all with me?¡±


    Irina seemed to know everything about me. My past and my present. Even during the years when I¡¯d lost my memory, it seemed that Irina had always been on the lookout for my safety. At least, that¡¯s what the Matriarch had insinuated.


    And for me to not know a thing about Irina, who was essentially my saviour¡­


    ¡°T-That¡­ Of course¡­¡±


    The guilt from Irina¡¯s face evaporated as a faint blush coloured her beautiful snowy face. A few secondster, the girl looked up at my face and shyly asked:


    ¡°Would you minding over to my room tonight? I¡¯ll tell you everything¡­¡±


    That¡­ It wasn¡¯t that bad of an idea. I¡¯m guessing it will be a long story, and besides, I needed to inform my parents of what happened with the Matriarch first.


    Putting on the warmest smile in my arsenal, I ced my palm on Irina¡¯s soft face and stroked her cheeks.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Young miss, I shall take my leave.¡± Before we entered the bungalow, Variel bowed solemnly towards the two of us. ¡°Young master Jin, whenever you feel like beginning your training, I¡¯m just a call away.¡±


    ¡°Please, Jin is good enough.¡±


    It didn¡¯t feel right to have an older Vampire, particrly one with the ability of someone like Variel, call me master. Besides, he¡¯s going to be my teacher from now on.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± the butler smiled once before finally saying: ¡°Young miss, Jin. Please excuse me.¡±


    And with that, the Vampire seemingly disappeared right before our eyes. Although I¡¯d seen this once before, I couldn¡¯t fathom how Variel could simply vanish into thin air. Even with my enhanced Vampire vision, I couldn¡¯t begin toprehend his movements.


    Hah¡­ To be the world¡¯s strongest being, huh? I still have a long way to go¡­

 Chapter 15 Irinas Past (3)

    It took a while for me to convey everything that had transpired to my anxious parents. When they¡¯d heard that I¡¯d directly challenged the Matriarch, I think I could hear their hearts stop beating for a moment. Fortunately, after a full hour of exnations, I¡¯d managed to calm their fears.


    Additionally, I told them that I would be training in the Everwinter House to get my powers under control and eventually return Irina¡¯s soul back to her. Seeing that I was going to stay for a while, my parents agreed to linger on as well, just to ensure that the Everwinter Vampires couldn¡¯t do anything too dangerous to me.


    Truth be told, I was relieved that my parents were going to stay with me. While they couldn¡¯t train me in the Vampire arts, their experience as former Hunters was valuable for my training as well.


    But most of all, I was happy that they would be by my side to emotionally support me.


    Funnily enough, they were the ones who were emotionally drained today. It seems that waiting for your son to return from the lion¡¯s den, not knowing whether he would be eaten or not, was physically taxing. And thus, after my continued reassurances, they turned in early for the day to beat their mental exhaustion.


    And so, I briefly washed up before heading up to Irina¡¯s room as we¡¯d arranged. While there were over a dozen rooms in this bungalow, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to find Irina¡¯s room. After all, it was right next to mine.


    ¡°Irina, are you in?¡±


    I gently knocked on the door and called out the room¡¯s only inhabitant.


    ¡°Yes, pleasee in.¡± The familiar voice, which sounded as sweet as the snowy dew of a Winter morning, beckoned me.


    I took heed of the timing and opened the door as silently as possible. The first thing that caught my eye was how simple the room¡¯s design was. In fact, theyout was eerily simr to my own room, which was meant to house guests. Being the master of the house, I¡¯d thought that Irina would pick a nicer ce to sleep in, but I guess that didn¡¯t matter to the young Vampire.


    ¡°Brother¡­ You¡¯re here¡­¡±


    Before I could fully admire the room¡¯s simplicity, Irina¡¯s ethereal voice brought me back to reality. As I stepped deeper into the minimalist ce, my jaw dropped at the sight that weed me.


    Irina donned on a piece of thin, satin nightgown which was far more alluring than anything I¡¯d ever seen a woman wear in public. Heck, it was probably not safe to wear in private as well, given how revealing her outfit was.


    The nightgown¡¯s tight fabric perfectly wrapped around Irina¡¯s impable, decanter-like waist. And that wasn¡¯t the worst part; since it was a gown, nothing protected her delicious, snowy-white legs. If anything, the purpose of the nightgown was to show off how enticing Irina¡¯s long legs were.


    However, the most dangerous part of the nightgown wasn¡¯t how short or tight it was¡­ It was the fact that the area between Irina¡¯s face and breasts was entirely uncovered. Irina¡¯s densely sharp cor bones and swan-like neck, which were as white as snow, were fully in view for my hungry eyes.


    And for the first time in my life¡­<sub>-.</sub>


    I felt like biting into that delicious flesh and tasting that savoury, female blood¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Irina asked me innocently.


    ¡°N-No, nothing¡­¡±


    What¡¯s the matter with you, Jin? Irina invited you to her room to talk about her painful past, and all you could think about was biting her neck and drinking her blood? You¡¯re better than that!!!


    I forcibly purged my disgusting urges and confidently walked over to Irina¡¯s bed. Like my own, it was an oversized king-size mattress that seemed capable of allowing a family of four to sleepfortably.


    However, even I wasn¡¯t crass enough toy on a woman¡¯s bed. I took a nearby chair and dragged it to Irina¡¯s side, rigidly settling down at a safe distance from Irina.


    ¡°Are you ready to talk?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yeah,¡± Irina answered softly. There seemed to be a tinge of regret in her voice. After alternating her gaze between the chair I was seated on and the bed, the girl sighed deeply and continued: ¡°Brother, wouldn¡¯t you be morefortable on the bed?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Maybe another time.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±


    Irina seemed to notice my apprehension and simply showed a small smile. Please forgive me, Irina. If I were on the bed, I might not be able to control my Vampiric urges.


    ¡°Now, where should I start?¡± Ignoring my lecherous gaze, Irina looked up at the ceiling in an attempt to recall all of her past experiences.


    ¡°Firstly, how much do you know about the structure of the Everwinter House, Brother?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Pretty much nothing.¡±


    Well, I¡¯d just learnt of its existence a few days back. It would be strange if I became an expert on this ancient Vampire n overnight.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Hehe, I like how honest you are.¡± Irina¡¯s face shed with a moment of happiness, but it quickly turned sombre as she began her story.


    ¡°The Everwinter House¡­ The Vampiric ns all revere us and think that we are great. They all think that we are the epitome of what a noble Vampire House should look like. They believe that every Vampire family should structure themselves with our family model. But¡­ They¡¯re all wrong.¡±


    I listened attentively as the young girl grasped her nkets.


    ¡°The Everwinter House is a machine. It is a machine that churns out elite Vampires by sacrificing what it means to be a family. Concepts such as love and brotherhoods or sisterhoods don¡¯t exist in our n. From the moment we were born, we were trained with the sole purpose of serving the Everwinter House.¡±


    I see¡­ So this n of Vampires based their entire society on raising the finest soldiers. I now understand how this ancient n could survive this long in a world that was hostile to Vampires.


    ¡°We don¡¯t see our parents for weeks at a time, and even when we do, unless you show potential, they won¡¯t care about your existence.¡±


    Irina¡¯s grip on her nket became tighter, and her nails started wing into the soft fabric.


    ¡°What we have isn¡¯t a family. It¡¯s a ce where the strong survive, and the weak perish. There is no such thing as familial ties here. Even if you are blood-rted to someone, they wouldn¡¯t care if you lived or died. They only care about what kind of benefits you could bring to them.¡±


    The girl shook her head as painful memories resurfaced.


    ¡°If you are at the top of the food chain, no one will question what you do. You can take multiple consorts if you wish. You can drink the finest blood and will be provided with the best amenities, trainers and facilities. You can evenmand an army of maids and butlers to do everything you want. However¡­¡±


    Irina then looked towards the exterior of her house and bitterly said:


    ¡°If you¡¯re weak, even if you have the bloodline of the Matriarch coursing through your veins, you¡¯ll be relegated to the side. Destined to live a life of a servant or a foot soldier that dies for the sake of their kin. Even if you were a mere child¡­¡±


    What a spartan household! To think that they would make children fight it out from young. No wonder Irina didn¡¯t feel an ounce of attachment to this wretched n.


    ¡°Brother¡­ Do you know something? I¡¯ve never seen my parents once in twenty years.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°When I was three years old, both my parents went into hibernation. It¡¯s something that Vampires do when they find their eternal life too boring and want to wake up at a different time. So, rather than being raised by them, I was tended to by maids and distant rtives who couldn¡¯t care less about my survival.¡±


    Irina was smiling, but the sorrow in her eyes was bing more and more apparent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know my grandfather¡¯s face. He was probably one of the many consorts that the Matriarch had fun with and discarded. My mother wasn¡¯t talented, but she was powerful enough to survive in the Everwinter House. So she managed to marry a good-looking Vampire and somehow gave birth to me and my brother.¡±


    ¡°Your brother¡­ That person we¡¯d met, right?¡±


    ¡°Just so,¡± Irina heaved a charming sigh. ¡°That man¡­ He¡¯s called Trent Everwinter. The only other direct family member I have in the house. However, even though he was my blood-rted brother, that man has never seen me as a sister.¡±


    The gorgeous white-haired Vampire eyes slowly turned a vicious red, and icy particles rose from her milky-white body.


    ¡°All my life, that man has always seen me as a nuisance. I¡¯d thought that as siblings, we would look out for each other, and he would protect me in my parent¡¯s absence. After all, he was fifty years older than me.¡±


    Oh? That Vampire was that much older than Irina? How could he be that much of a failure even though he¡¯s so much older than us?


    ¡°But all he cared about was gaining influence in the n. He hopped from faction to faction, all the while ignoring my cries for help.¡±


    ¡­ And to think that he was over seven decades old. You couldn¡¯t even spare a few moments to care for such an adorable sister? How stupid could you be?


    ¡°I can¡¯t even remember how many times I bled from training. How many times I¡¯d been abused by Vampires stronger than me. How many times¡­ I cried alone in my bed.¡±


    Irina¡¯s voice turned softer, and her overflowing emotions drilled a hole into my heart.


    ¡°All I wanted¡­ was a family. Someone that loved me, cared about me and treated me nicely.¡±


    Subconsciously, my hand reached out, and my body edged closer to the sobbing young girl. Even though she was a True Vampire and was infinitely more powerful than me, at that moment, Irina looked like an abandoned puppy that needed saving. She seemed so fragile and could break at any given moment.


    But before my hand could touch her head, Irina instantly grabbed onto me and stared right into my soul with her big, longing eyes.


    ¡°¡­ And that¡¯s when I¡¯d met you, my beloved Brother.¡±


    Irina led my outreached hand onto her right cheek and happily indulged in my touch.


    ¡°Even though we weren¡¯t rted, you treated me as if I were your real sister. You showered me with love and pampered me. Even when I was selfish, youughed it off and gave in to me. Whenever I wantedpany, you would do everything in your power to make me happy. And most importantly¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s earnest and pure gaze healed my soul as my heart began to melt.


    ¡°You protected me¡­ When no one else would¡­¡±


    Irina pulled on my hand, slowly guiding me into the bed where shey weeping. Subconsciously, my body moved as if I had been ced in a trance, and before long, I found myself just inches away from the young Vampire.


    Our hearts started beating as one, and our eyes never once left each other¡¯s sight. I could feel all of Irina¡¯s deepest desires and the overwhelming love that she wanted from me.


    ¡°We may not be blood-rted, but¡­¡± Irina raised both her hands and softly ced them on my cheeks. She eximed determinedly with a soft whisper: ¡°You are my Brother. My only true family member.¡±


    ¡°Irina¡­¡±


    Finally, I understood¡­ The feelings of attachment I had to this beautiful little girl. My unconscious desire to protect her even though we¡¯d just met. The main reason why I was so unafraid and trusting of this Vampire¡­


    They were all caused by my unwavering love for this little sister of mine.


    I may not have my memories, but my emotions never went away. I still deeply cared for this little creature and adored her with all my heart.


    Irina was right.


    She was my precious little sister.


    ¡°Irina, you really are spoiled.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being spoiled?! I want to be pampered by my one and only brother!¡±


    ¡°Haha, you little imp.¡±


    Smiling, I brought my arms behind her back and reached for her soft white head. Like how one might treat a tiny kitten, I stroked her luscious hair, and she returned with a blissful purr. However, the girl wasn¡¯t satisfied with a mere head pat.


    Irina turned me around and ced me squarely on the head of the bed. And soon after, she arose from her rested position and ced her petite bum on my crossedp. Without knowing it, my hands moved in tandem to support her waist as we embraced face-to-face.


    ¡°Brother¡­ Will you stay with me?¡±


    This question¡­ Irina had asked me once before. I was too confused and rejected her earnest, heartfelt request back then.


    But I won¡¯t make that same mistake twice.


    ¡°Irina,¡± I smiled tenderly as my hands stroked her soft hair. ¡°It would be my honour to be your older brother again.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    The gorgeousdy in my arms jolted in glee as an electric current of happiness flowed from the tip of her body and into mine. And for the first time in my life¡­ I saw the smiling face of a Goddess.


    ¡°Brother¡­ I can¡¯t hold it back anymore¡­¡±


    As our hearts connected, I felt Irina¡¯s burning desires enveloping my mind. Her eyes turned crimson red as the fangs which had been expertly hidden in her small mouth grew exponentiallyrger.


    And perhaps it was my innate Vampire instincts, but I knew what Irina wanted.


    And needless to say, I was much the same. I stared hungrily at the smooth, snowy-white nape that had been beckoning to me ever since I¡¯d entered the room. Blood rushed to my eyes, and my gaping mouth began to salivate.


    With both our intentions known, Irina pressed her body onto mine until not a single gap remained. Leaning right next to my ear, I could feel her warm breath tickle my senses as she whispered:


    ¡°Come, Brother¡­ Let¡¯s eat.¡±

 Chapter 16 Irinas Past (4)

    ¡°Come, Brother¡­ Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Irina¡¯s alluring words resonated in my mind. At that moment, I realised the precarious situation I was in. Irina was seated on myp with her leg crossed around my waist as if she wanted to merge our two bodies together. Our noses were probably less than two inches away from each other, and our warm bodies melted together in the cold.


    But the true danger was¡­


    ¡°Irina¡­ Your neck¡­¡±


    The blood in my eyes pulsated wildly as I greedily ogled Irina¡¯s exposed shoulders. Due to her raunchy choice of nightwear, everything from the neck down to her bosom was fully exposed for my viewing pleasure.


    Oh, how sweet would it be to bite down on that smooth skin¡­ How delicious would it be to have a taste of her warm fluids¡­ How intoxicating would my experience be¡­


    It was all baked into my Vampiric instincts. I wanted to suck out everything that was within this woman¡¯s body. And the only real thing holding me back was the fact that I still had twenty-five years of human logic beaten into my mind. I didn¡¯t want to hurt Irina. Even if it was to satisfy my Vampiric hunger.


    Sensing my reluctance, Irina smiled and said:


    ¡°Ah, how could I forget? This is your first time eating as a Vampire, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    I tried drinking expired blood at the hospital, but all that I got was a bad taste in my mouth. Ever since then, I hadn¡¯t had a morsel of food or even a drop of blood. Surprisingly enough, I didn¡¯t feel hungry throughout my long fast.


    Until now, of course¡­


    ¡°You do not need to worry about me, Brother.¡±


    Irina raised her long, cleaned nails and gently scratched deep into her left shoulder. Almost instantly, an intoxicating aroma melted my senses. It felt like the nice winds after a night-long snowstorm where both life and ice mingled together to create a symphony of Winter. The blissful smell of tea leaves being brewed gently with the water from a hot spring.


    It wasn¡¯t like anything I¡¯d ever experienced before.<sub>-.</sub>


    But one thing was for certain¡­ It was far more alluring than any food, beverage, or perfume that I¡¯d ever smelt.


    As I was mind-numbed by the aroma of Irina¡¯s blood, the wound on her shoulder had already regenerated back to its original state.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Vampire now, Brother. We heal quickly, and our blood replenishes instantaneously. You don¡¯t have to worry about a thing and let your instincts do the work.¡±


    Irina yed with the drop of blood dangling on her fingernail and raised it towards my mouth. To the outside eye, it was probably the most disgusting thing one person could do to another. However, to my famished eyes, that bead of blood was sweeter than all of the world¡¯s candybined.


    I opened my mouth and slowly brought my tongue out to receive that one drop of Irina¡¯s blood. But as I was just a mere centimetre away¡­


    ¡°No,¡± Irina chuckled and flung that single drop of blood into her own mouth. ¡°If you want it, take it from the source.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You bully.¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± the white-haired girl blushed but didn¡¯t bother to retort. Instead, she brought her milky white shoulder to my mouth and whispered: ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush¡­ We have all night.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, we do!!!¡±


    Like a dam that had been broken, myst sense of human reasoning was thrown out of the window. I wrapped my hands around Irina¡¯s back, one at her tailbone and the other beneath her shoulder des. As I pulled the girl so deep into my body that I could feel her ribcage rub against mine, I felt my conscious mind cking out as the primal instincts of a Vampire took over.


    And with my sharpened fangs¡­


    I bit her.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡±


    A groan, no, a moan, escaped from Irina¡¯s mouth. I couldn¡¯t tell since I wasn¡¯t looking at her expression, and honestly, I wasn¡¯t in the state to do anything about it. Even if my little sister felt ufortable, I doubt I could stop now. Especially since the first taste of her decadent blood entered my mouth.<sub></sub>


    ¡­ What¡¯s this?


    I was clearly seated in a bedroom in the middle of the northernmostnd before the Arctic, so why was I so warm? It felt like I had been transported to a ce of fantasy where the weather made my inner core tingle with warmth. From the tips of my toes to the inner reaches of my organs. Everything started to heat up.


    And that was just the start of it.


    As Irina¡¯s blood washed on my tongue, my face instantly reddened in delight. What was best on a warm day when everything tingled within your body? A sweet tub of ice cream, of course!


    That was the best I could describe my first impression of Irina¡¯s ungodly blood. Her blood tasted like pure Madagascar Vani ice cream. Not too sweet, but at the same time, delightful enough to keep oneing for more. Heck, it didn¡¯t matter if it was sweeter than caramel, chocte, maple syrup and pure sugarbined. Such a heavenly taste only made one crave for more.


    How could something taste this good?


    But just when I thought Irina¡¯s blood couldn¡¯t get any better.


    ¡®Ahhh¡­¡¯


    I moaned internally. The only reason why I didn¡¯t voice out my ecstasy was because I didn¡¯t want to let go of my fangs biting into Irina¡¯s supple flesh. And honestly, I should be apuded for keeping hold of my senses.


    The taste of Irina¡¯s blood was one thing, but the effects as it slid down my throat and into my internal system¡­ That was a feeling I¡¯d never experienced in my entire life. The warmth in my core was mixed with the sweetness of Irina¡¯s tantalising blood. Both of those factors concocted a cocktail of pleasure that reached every corner of my Vampire body.


    From the tip of my head to the toes of my feet. I felt an electric shock pulsate through my entire being. My heart rate was elevated, my primal urges were rising and eventually¡­ My mind nked out.


    I finally let go of thest semnce of reason in my consciousness and allowed my body to do the work. And honestly, I couldn¡¯t remember what happened next. All I could feel was wave after wave of pleasure,ing from the numbing of my mouth to the very core of my existence.


    It was all so¡­ intoxicating.


    ¡°Brother¡­ Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Iri¡­ na?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed since my mind cked out. As the fog cleared, I could hear my little sister¡¯s ethereal voice getting louder. Eventually, I realised that we were still in her room. That moment seemed like it hadsted forever, but in actuality, less than ten minutes had passed since I began feeding.


    What¡¯s more egregious was the position Irina and I were in. While in my trance, I seemingly pushed my little sister down on the bed and continued to suck on the residue blood that remained on her neck.


    It seemed that my Vampiric urges were too strong and when I allowed them to take over me, they kept wanting more, ultimately ending up in me forcibly pushing Irina down.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s normal¡­¡±


    Irina shook her head with the same warm smile that she would show me, and only me. She raised her snowy-white hand above my head, preventing me from moving away and gently stroked down my neck.


    ¡°You¡¯ve just turned into a Vampire. It¡¯s normal for you to get lost in your urges. In fact, it happens to Vampires who live thousands of years as well. It¡¯s just something that you¡¯ll have to get used to.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Irina¡¯s enthralling grey eyes gave me a firm nod of approval before saying: ¡°But still, you really drank a lot of my blood. Was it that delicious?¡±


    ¡°It is¡­ You weren¡¯t lying when you said that blood is the most intoxicating thing in the world. I¡¯ve never tasted anything quite like your blood. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever return to eating human foods again.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is my blood really that nice?¡±


    Irina thought for a moment before her thinking face quickly lit up with a eureka sound. Smiling like a mischievous child ready to y a prank on their parents, Irina held the back of my neck with both her arms and lifted her face up to mine.


    And before I could do anything, her lips brushed past mine as her tongue licked on the traces of blood that remained on my mouth.


    ¡°Hmmm, it isn¡¯t that nice, though?¡±


    ¡°Irina¡­ Aren¡¯t I your brother? So how could you kiss me like that?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a kiss,¡± Irina licked her lips and chuckled. ¡°And besides, I heard that human siblings kiss all the time.¡±


    ¡°Maybe when they were kids. No one kisses when they are adults.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, then aren¡¯t I just making up for lost time? I waited fifteen years for this, after all.¡±


    ¡­ If she put it that way.


    Argh, whatever. It¡¯s not like I minded Irina¡¯s kiss anyway. And besides, whether she was my sister or lover, it didn¡¯t matter. All that was important to me was that I protect this adorable creature thatid under me.


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to think too much about it as Irina quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°Brother¡­ I¡¯m feeling faint.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Did I suck too much of your blood?! Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine!¡± Irina hurriedly reassured me. ¡°However, I did lose some blood, and I¡¯m feeling hungry. I wonder if there¡¯s a Vampire nearby that I could suck some blood from.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    I realised Irina¡¯s ploy right then and there. While holding back myughter, I quickly got off my mounted position and began to unbutton the silk pyjamas that I wore. As a guy, I didn¡¯t have shame in going topless. Besides, since Irina gave me so much blood, it was only fitting to return the favour.


    ¡°Brother¡­ You¡¯ve grown again¡­¡±


    ¡°I did?¡±


    Now that she mentioned it, I really did increase in size. Before I turned, I was scrawny and about 1.7 metres in height. However, now my muscles were slowly bing defined, and my height had increased to 1.85 metres. Irina mentioned that I would continue to grow until I reach my true size, but I¡¯m already taller and more robust than most adult males.


    Given the size of my father, I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Still, it was interesting to see what my final height and muscr mass would be.


    ¡°¡­ You look delicious.¡±


    Irina, who seemed to be in a daze, finally snapped out of it before baring her fangs at me. For a moment there, it felt like I was a mere rabbit standing in front of a hungry wolf. Not to mention, I was already cornered in her den with nowhere to run.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t hold back anymore.¡±


    Ignoring my apprehension, Irina immediately mounted me once more, and this time, I was the one being pushed down. Her grey eyes instantly turned blood red, and her Vampiric fangs protruded out like two elephant tusks.


    Ah, there¡¯s nothing I could do. I was about to be eaten.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal!!!¡±


    The moment Irina¡¯s fang sunk into my flesh, a new wave of pleasure hit my senses. It wasn¡¯t as intense as the time I sucked her blood, but it was a euphoria that couldn¡¯t be equalled by the human senses.


    I finally understood why Vampires loved sucking blood so much.


    Not to be outdone, I grabbed the sucking Vampire on top of me by the bum and pushed her deeper into my body. And at the same time, my fangs re-entered Irina¡¯s swan-like neck and greedily drank her addictive nectar.


    It seems¡­ The night was going to be a long and fulfilling one.

 Chapter 17 Vampire Aspect (1)

    ¡°Irina, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    A small girl hid behind a pile of rocks with crystalline tears dropping from her gorgeous, winter-grey eyes. She seemed no older than ten which made her falling tears all the more adorable. Holding onto her cute little hands, the girl looked up to the young boy who came to find her and softly said:


    ¡°The adults¡­ They areing to get us next week.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the young boy blinked twice before showing a sombre smile. ¡°I see, so you¡¯re returning soon.¡±


    ¡°Brother! I don¡¯t want to go back!¡±


    The white-haired girl leapt straight at the ck-haired boy, torpedoing him down as she did so. The meadow that they were in was soft enough to cushion his fall, but that didn¡¯t exempt him from the pain of the girl¡¯s tackle.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be selfish, Irina. We talked about this before, right?¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­ I can¡¯t bear to leave you! I¡¯d rather turn into a human and stay with you than return to that stupid n!¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ You¡¯re probably the only Vampire in the world that would say that.¡±


    Finding the girl¡¯s reactions amusing, the young boy used his index finger and gently touched her red, swollen nose. After ying with the girl¡¯s adorable face for a while, the boy took a handkerchief from his pocket and lightly rubbed the snort off her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! I would rather live a dozen years with you than live forever!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very touching, but¡­¡±


    The young boy continued to wipe the girl¡¯s face with a look of tender love. He then brought his hand up her forehead and gently brushed down her snowy-white hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you die, Irina.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t I promise you that I would find you once I be strong enough?¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°You did¡­¡±


    ¡°So, are you doubting my words?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course not!!!¡±


    ¡°See? So there¡¯s no need to worry, am I right?¡±


    The young boy yed the girl like a fiddle, calming down her rampaging emotions. Pressed against each other, the two younglings enjoyed each other¡¯s embrace, ignoring the nice breeze that kissed their fair skin.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s too soon¡­ Those stupid old farts! They only know how to train, train, train! Why must I go back to that stupid n?! I don¡¯t want to do drills anymore! I don¡¯t want to fight anymore! I don¡¯t want to be an Everwinter anymore!!!¡±


    ¡°Irina¡­¡±


    The young boy looked down at the sobbing girl with a tinge of sadness. Words couldn¡¯t express the misaligned childhood that the girl had suffered through. Rather than ying like an ordinary human girl would, this young angel had to endure years upon years of suffering.


    Never once had she experienced the love of a family. The one family she had only sought to abuse and use her. The people that were meant to love and care for her saw her as nothing but a tool.


    The young boy knew that, and he knew how tragic the girl¡¯s fate would be. And so, as he held her deeper into her arms, the boy whispered:


    ¡°How about this? When we meet again, I¡¯ll give you a prize.¡±


    ¡°A prize? What for?¡±


    ¡°For being such a good and obedient girl, of course!¡± The young boyughed as he rubbed on her head. ¡°Anything you want, your older brother will do for you!¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Have I ever gone back on a promise?¡±


    ¡°Nope, never!¡± Finally, the young girl smiled for the first time. Hugging her elder brother like a ko bear, the girl nudged her head deeper into his chest and said: ¡°Brother is the best brother in the world!¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Hehe, of course, I am!¡±


    Gone were the tears of the young girl. Instead, what reced the sadness within the secluded area, was the joy andughter of two children ying in a meadow of flowers.


    ???


    ¡®A dream?¡¯


    My eyelids flickered wildly as I slowly rose from my sleep. The first thing that came to my mind wasn¡¯t my current physical state or how sore my body felt. But the images that had yed in my consciousness just seconds before.


    ¡®No, that wasn¡¯t a dream¡­ It¡¯s a memory.¡¯


    Somehow or another, I was able to distinguish that the image of me from the past was no mere dream. It felt like a piece of a massive jigsaw puzzle had been put in ce, and my broken soul was slowlying back together.


    If I had any doubts before due to my amnesia, this one memory was the final nail in the coffin.


    Irina and I did meet in the past. There¡¯s no disputing that now. In fact, we were far closer than I¡¯d ever imagined. It wasn¡¯t a ploy by Irina to brainwash me, and neither was there some nefarious scheme behind Irina¡¯s actions.


    The girl genuinely wanted her brother back¡­


    ¡°Mmmnnn¡­¡±


    A seductive moan came from under my sheets as I was lost in thought. Looking under the nket, I could see a young beauty lying near my waist, her arms stiffly grabbing onto me like how a bear would. However, unlike a killer bear, the girl showed a face full of satisfaction, as if she had been experiencing a pleasant dream.


    Ah, how could I forget? Yesterday, Irina and I feasted on each other¡¯s blood.


    I was able to hold my own for the first few times we traded blood, but after an hour, my mindpletely nked out. Lost in my instincts, I fed like a beast starved for months, immensely enjoying the physical pleasure that came with the bloodsucking. It was possibly the most orgasmic experience I¡¯d ever had, and it didn¡¯t help that Irina¡¯s blood was far more delicious than anything I¡¯d ever eaten.


    I looked down at the sleeping girl, and my eyes immediately zoned in on that tender, white neck. It was the spot where I frequented the most and sucked on it so much that the smell of my saliva overtook her natural odour.


    It was all so mesmerising. Irina was still dressed in her lingerie-cum-nightgown, with the only difference being that it was much looser than yesterday night. Probably in our struggle for dominance, Irina¡¯s seductive nightwear was unable to handle the heat and lost much of its sticity.


    Honestly speaking, it was so baggy that if I wanted to, I could look down her cleavage and all the way down to her secret garden. But what kind of brother would I be if I lusted over my sister?


    Luckily, I was able to somehow control my carnal desiresst night and focused primarily on feeding my hunger. But if we were to continue this impure method of satisfying our hunger¡­


    ¡°Hmmm? Brother, you¡¯re awake¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I pushed aside that thought and quickly greeted the sleeping beauty with a firm smile. ¡°Good morning, Irina.¡±


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    Irina gingerly rose from the bed, and unknowingly, one of the straps holding onto her already racy nightgown fell down from her corbone and onto the side of her arms. Still groggy from waking up, the seductive young woman rubbed her gorgeous eyes and slowly willed herself to sit squarely on the bed.


    However, even though she was sitting upright, her perfectly sculpted body was slowly slouching back down as her head reached for the soft pillow by her side.


    ¡°Haha, you aren¡¯t a morning person, are you?¡±


    I reached out to the sleepy girl and adjusted her clothes back to their proper state. At the same time, I fixed some of the loose bed hair that was sticking out from her head. I¡¯ll be honest, it did feel odd at first, showing such intimate contact with a girl I¡¯d met just a few days ago. But after everything we didst night, helping Irina put her clothes back on was nothing special.


    In fact, if I truly wanted to ept her as my little sister, doing stuff like this shoulde as second nature to me.


    ¡°Mmnnn, my body feels heavy¡­ And I feel so full¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did drink quite a bit of my blood.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if it was because of my bigger frame, but Irina seemingly sucked the life out of mest night. There were many times when I feltpletely faint as my regenerative abilities couldn¡¯t keep up with Irina¡¯s incessant desire to milk me dry.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it¡­ Your blood was so delicious¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? What did it taste like?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I guess the best description would be like a dense soup that had been stewing for over fifty hours? It felt like abination of all of the world¡¯s best meats, vegetables and fruits brewed into one pot. It was such a deep and mature taste¡­ and it was all so¡­ enticing.¡±


    Is that so? It was such a different experience than mine. I guess each Vampire would have their own distinct vours.


    ¡°Brother, I know that it might be selfish of me to ask, but¡­¡± Irina tugged on my arm and shot me a needy look with her delicate puppy eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can return to drinking normal blood anymore¡­ Do you think that we can¡­ Feed again tonight?¡±


    Looking at Irina¡¯s adorable expression made me feel like I had been shot in the heart. Was this why they said that beautiful women ruled the world? Against those fucking eyes, there was no way I could say no.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I chuckled and happily rubbed her head. ¡°Anytime you want to drink my blood, just call for me. Even if I¡¯m on the other side of the world, I¡¯ll give you your favourite stew.¡±


    ¡°Yay!!!¡±


    Goodness¡­ Why is my little sister so cute?! No, no, no. I can¡¯t get distracted. While I would love to stay on the bed and continue feasting on Irina¡¯s delectable blood, I had more pressing matters to attend to.


    ¡°Irina, please call Variel for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you beginning your training already?¡±


    ¡°Time waits for no man, Irina.¡±


    Ever since I¡¯d entered the Everwinter Estate, it had be painfully obvious how weak I was. Matriarch Innocence was one thing, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to put up a fight against any of the Vampires that roamed these icynds. Heck, I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the servants of the n, let alone Irina¡¯s bastard brother.


    Forget bing the strongest being in the world¡­ I had to train if I wanted to survive in thisbyrinth of Vampires.


    ???


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re eager to train, Jin. However, don¡¯t you think that you should rest a bit more?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Variel. But I don¡¯t want to waste any more time.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Irina¡¯s personal butler to arrive at our doorstep after her call. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t just the bungalow that was under Irina¡¯s private property. All of the other buildings surrounding this luxurious vi were all under her name. The servant quarters, the personalised training chambers, the many buildings to receive guests¡­


    Irina owned about two to three football fields worth ofnd, if I were to guess. And that was just the structures above! Being in a country that constantly snowed all year round, the Everwinter Estate had an array of underground facilities to help the Vampires with their regr daily activities.


    And one of those underground facilities was this humongous training ground that seemed like something out of a science fiction movie. It had white walls that seemed taller than most buildings themselves, and there was nothing but nk space between each wall. No, to say that there was nothing would be a lie. After all¡­


    ¡°Hah¡­ That little chap. After facing that monstrous existence, he actually wanted to begin training right away? I wonder who he takes after?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t look at me; I hadn¡¯t trained him since he was ten.¡±


    ¡°Yeap, he definitely got that training freak gene from you! I remember in the past-¡­!¡±


    My two parents stood approximately fifteen metres away, with Irina standing that too far away. While they were rtively far, the emptiness of the training quarters, topped off with my enhanced Vampire senses, allowed me to hear every detail of their bickering.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± the butler held back a chuckle and walked right before me as Irina rushed over from her position. ¡°Before we can begin your training proper, let¡¯s discuss the core functions of Vampires, shall we?¡± Once again, Variel looked at me and asked: ¡°What do you know about how True Vampires use magic?¡±


    How do True Vampires use magic, huh? I think I¡¯d read it in a book before.


    Humans used magic by utilising their magic source, which was located within their body, to alter the information of the world. For example, to melt an ice cube, a human magician would use the power within their magic source to construct a spell which loosened the bonds between each water molecule.


    The information from the spell came from the human¡¯s knowledge. The magic power came from their source. And the catalyst for it all was a wand, grimoire or anything that could help with the casting.


    True Vampires, however, didn¡¯t have that restriction.


    ¡°You don¡¯t use catalysts, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very good.¡± Variel nodded in satisfaction. ¡°But that¡¯s not all of it. As much as we don¡¯t want to admit it, True Vampires were originally elves that turned due to the Progenitor¡¯s influence.¡±


    Ah, the Progenitor of Vampires¡­ His tale was a story that even five-year-olds knew about. Many years ago, in an age before the Outer Demons invaded, there was an Elf that was obsessed with immortality. He rejected the traditional method of Elf immortality, which was turning into a tree to protect the forest once they reached the end of their lives, and chased continuously for a solution to live forever.


    In the end, he got his answer through obsessive magical research and formed a new race. One that would prove to be history¡¯s apex predator.


    The Vampires.


    ¡°Taking from our roots as Elves, us Vampires are as close to magic as theye. We don¡¯t need a catalyst because our entire body acts as one. Of course, there is one other factor¡­¡±


    Variel walked up to me and faced me eye-to-eye. Slowly, he removed his white suede gloves, elegantly putting them away in his jacket pocket. The old man¡¯s hands were heavily wrinkled, but I didn¡¯t dare underestimate them. I knew that if the butler wanted to, he could slit my throat before I could even blink.


    Still, that didn¡¯t deter me from scrutinising his hands, particrly the heavy magic signature appearing at the back of his right palm. It wasn¡¯t long until a white mark tattooed itself for all to see. It was in the shape of an icicle with numerous patterns protruding out from its sides. It felt oddly simple but at the same time, brutally elegant.


    ¡°The real difference between human magicians and True Vampires is¡­ Our Vampire Aspects.¡±

 Chapter 18 Vampire Aspect (2)

    The mark on Variel¡¯s hand continued to shine ever so brightly. Perhaps it was my imagination, but the warm temperatures of the training room slightly began to dip as cool mist escaped from that luxuriously decorated emblem.


    ¡°A Vampire Aspect?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the bread and butter of all True Vampires.¡± Variel continued to put magic power into his Vampire Aspect as he adjusted his tie. ¡°All True Vampires, regardless of whether they were naturally born or transformed using the Contract of Equals, will possess their own unique Vampire Aspects.¡±


    ¡°Vampire Aspects act as catalysts for True Vampires to utilise magic. In fact, by using our Vampire Aspects, we never have to weave a spell. Everything moves in ordance with our desires and within nanoseconds¡­¡±


    Taking advantage of the moment, the seasoned butler stretched his hand and made a finger gun sign. And before I could evenprehend his actions, a shard of ice was shot out at breakneck speeds, far quicker than the eye could follow.


    ¡°¡­ Reality can be changed.¡±


    Variel dropped his arm casually as if nothing had happened. However, as someone who studied magic his entire life, I knew how impressive that simple feat was.


    Traditional human magic worked in four major steps. First, the magician¡¯s mind makes a conscious decision to cast a spell. Following that, magic power would be diverted from the core to whichever catalyst the magician chose. Next, the magical power would be weaved into a spell that the magician wished to cast. And finally, reality would be altered as per the magician¡¯s spell.


    All of these steps took crucial time and processing power from the brain. In fact, their long cast times were the main weakness of all magicians. Through repetitive training and assistance from high-end catalysts, a magician¡¯s cast time can be significantly reduced. However, there were limits to how much one could whittle down their cast time.


    Human magicians having long cast times were eptable in a research setting. However, that additional second that a human magician spent could be the difference between life and death when it came tobat.


    Judging from the beautiful demonstration that Variel had just put on for us, I could tell that there was no spell being weaved. Which meant that there were only two steps for True Vampires to use magic. Taking their magic from the core and changing reality immediately after.


    That was¡­ so broken.


    ¡°Of course, there are limitations to the Vampire Aspect as well.¡±


    Contrary to my expectations, the proud True Vampire began talking about the pitfalls of their broken ability.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°While Vampire Aspects allow you to use magic without any spells or catalysts, you are limited by what type of magic you can use with the Vampire Aspects. For me, my Vampire Aspect only limits me to creating ice shards. If I want to use any other magic, I will have to follow the traditional method.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So it¡¯s something like a speciality?¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡±


    I see¡­ Truth to be told, that came as a relief. If every True Vampire in the world had the ability to use any type of magic without the cast time, humans might have been wiped off the face of the Earth centuries before the Outer Demons even invaded.


    ¡°So what determines a Vampire Aspect?¡±


    ¡°Many factors,¡± Variel stroked his chin and put on a wizened face. ¡°Your bloodline is a key point. Members of the Everwinter n would almost always inherit a Vampire Aspect that has something to do with cold magic. Be it calling blizzards or simply creating ice.¡±


    ¡°Really? So would I inherit a Vampire Aspect that has something to do with the Everwinter House as well?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say. While your bloodline is a key factor, your soul is even more important. Besides, you weren¡¯t born from our n, so the likelihood of you inheriting our powers isn¡¯t high.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    That¡¯s a shame. I was looking forward to experimenting with the ice and snow that was in abundance over here. Still, no matter what kind of Vampire Aspect I got, I was confident that I could mould it into one that fit my liking.


    ¡°What about you, Irina? What Vampire Aspect did you get?¡±


    ¡°M-Me?! E-Ermmm¡­¡±


    Hmmm? Why was Irina behaving so fidgety? I only wanted to know her Aspect as it might give some clue on what mine would be. Fortunately, my answer came from another source.<sub></sub>


    ¡°The Young Miss has inherited the Winter Sovereign Aspect! The second Vampire in history to obtain that Aspect after the Matriarch! If all goes well, the Young Miss will be the future of the Everwinter House!¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­¡±


    I looked down at Irina, whose face was beginning to flush. Evidently, she wasn¡¯t a fan of Variel¡¯s dramatic response. But, I understand why Irina was being treasured by the Everwinter House now.


    ¡°What powers does the Winter Sovereign Aspect have?¡±


    ¡°As the name suggests, the owner of the Winter Sovereign Aspect will be the Lord of Winter. The one that controls ice and snow like no one ever could. Creating ciers and turning the world back into the Ice Age is nothing more than a simplicity for a True Vampire who owns that godly Aspect. It is truly a power most fit for the noblest members of the Everwinter House.¡±


    Goodness, was my little sister that overpowered? I continued to stare at the blushing girl, who couldn¡¯t even look back into my eyes. She shuffled her feet as her beady eyes started to sweat. She kind of reminded me of a Chihuahua that had been caught by its owners for biting their shoes.


    This adorable creature is the Lord of Winter?


    ¡°Variel, please keep quiet.¡±


    ¡°As you wish!¡±


    As I watched the old butler bow down in reverence to the gorgeous girl younger than me, something clicked in my mind.


    I see¡­ Now, I¡¯m able to paint a better picture of what Vampire society looks like. Those with poor Aspects could only be relegated to serving those with exceptional ones. Irina, who was only twenty-three, enjoyed perks within the Everwinter House that others could only dream of. Meanwhile, even though Variel was much older and definitely far more powerful than her, he could only live as her servant.


    To think that disparities like these existed within the Vampire ranks as well.


    What if I awakened a poor Vampire Aspect as well? What would happen to me? Could I even survive in this cutthroat Vampire Noble House?


    No, what the hell am I thinking? It doesn¡¯t matter if I had an excellent Aspect or a trash one. The only true thing that mattered was my desire to seed. So what if I was given the worst Vampire Aspect in the world?


    I will show these arrogant Vampires!


    ¡°Alright then, so how do I awaken a Vampire Aspect?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a ritual we all do to awaken it,¡± Variel answered with a smile. ¡°However, your body is still not in its prime state. If we rush it, we might do more harm than good. So I suggest you train in the basics of Vampire arts.¡±


    ¡°Basics?¡±


    The butler nodded before pping twice. Seemingly out of nowhere, two figures appeared behind the old Vampire and gave us a respectful bow. One of them was a humongous male who seemed only an inch shorter than my father. The other one was a young maiden that was of an athletic build that was no taller than Irina standing next to me.


    ¡°These two are my Blood Servants. They have served the Everwinter House for fifty years and have been perfecting their Vampiric bodies ever since. They will teach you how to control your physical strength, how to increase your regeneration, how to control your bloodlust and a plethora of other things.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not training me?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet, at least.¡± Variel shook his head and continued: ¡°What you need is a trainer that can guide you through your transformation from human to Vampire. It¡¯s something that Ick.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t underestimate them just because they are Blood Servants. While they can¡¯t use magic, they are quite proficient in Blood Arts.¡±


    Oh? Blood Arts? That¡¯s a term I¡¯d never heard before. Jesus, being in the Everwinter House is like peeling the skin of an onion. Just when I¡¯d thought I¡¯d learnt it all, a newyer of information presents itself.


    Hehe, I really should thank Irina for bringing me into this gold mine. There¡¯s possibly no better ce in the entire world for me to be stronger! Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if they are True Vampires, Blood Servants or Ancient Vampires.


    If it means that I¡¯ll be stronger¡­


    I¡¯ll take them all on!!!


    ???


    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!¡±


    While Jin and Irina were busy frolicking, a certain someone wasn¡¯t having such a good time. Pacing up and down within her room, a young blonde woman could be seen biting down on her nails while eagerly checking her phone.


    ¡°Young Miss, please calm your anger.¡±


    A woman dressed in a bodyguard suit crossed one arm over her chest and bowed to the angsty blonde girl.


    ¡°Calm down? How can you tell me to calm down at this time?! Irina, that bitch! She actually kidnapped Jin right before my eyes!!! I should have guessed that she was up to something!¡±


    ¡°¡­ No one could have anticipated her brazen act, Young Miss.¡±


    Rather than calming the me that was her master¡¯s wrath, the bodyguard¡¯s words intensified the young woman¡¯s anger.


    ¡°Brazen¡­ Yes, brazen indeed! When the rest of us weren¡¯t looking, she dared to steal and hide him!¡± Looking like she was about to explode at any moment, the young girl took the time to sit down on her luxurious chair. ¡°Has the Everwinter House agreed to our teleportation request?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­ They said that due to the uing Winter Hunt, they won¡¯t be allowing any visitors.¡±


    ¡°A bullshit excuse,¡± the blonde snorted loudly. ¡°Irina is just using her influence to keep us away from Jin for as long as possible!¡±


    At this point, the blonde girl angrily stared at her phone before throwing it into her bed.


    ¡°Irina is not answering my messages! The other two seem to be busy as well! That motherfucker! How far has she nned out this kidnapping!!!¡±


    The blonde girl¡¯s mesmerising vale eyes were soon dyed in the colours of crimson blood as her entire room began to shake. The magic powering out of her body was so tantalising that even her bodyguard couldn¡¯t help but take two steps backwards.


    ¡°Fine! If that¡¯s how you want to y it, Irina!¡±


    Raising her arms, the young Vampire threw a que right at her bodyguard andmanded: ¡°Go to the forbidden library and get me these books. Also, tell my brother that I¡¯ll be entering an independent study session.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Lord Sirius won¡¯t be pleased by this.¡±


    ¡°Like I care!¡± The girl snapped and red her nostrils. ¡°If that stupid brother of mine thinks that he can control me, he has a screw loose in his head!¡± Folding her arms as if she was losing her patience, the blonde woman continued: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything. My brother won¡¯t do anything to you. Just tell him word for word what I said, and if he has any issue with it, he cane to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Your wish is mymand.¡±


    Although the bodyguard was unwilling, she was ultimately the young girl¡¯s servant. Thus, with gritted teeth, she dragged her feet out of the door toplete her mistress¡¯ orders.


    Which was quite unfortunate as if she had stayed just a minuteter¡­


    ¡°Ah, Jin¡­ Your soul is getting stronger; I can feel it.¡±


    As if her earlier anger was a lie, the blonde woman¡¯s frown melted into a blessed smile. The pale white of her face gradually flushed red, and her fuming eyes turned blissful with ecstasy. Unable to hold it back any longer, she reached into her drawer and pulled out a picture of a scrawny young man.


    ¡°I have waited too long¡­ Too long for this day toe¡­¡±


    The girl paused with the picture in her hands. Tender emotions rose from the depths of her heart as the memories began to pour in. It didn¡¯t take long for her to express her love by nting a kiss on the photograph.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯lle and see you soon.¡±

 Chapter 19 Jins Growth (1)

    A month had passed since Jin had first stepped foot in the Everwinter Estate.


    The day was calm as the Arctic winds howled as per usual. Heavy snowfall drifted into the humongous dominion as the warm sunlight of the morning heated the secluded area. It was just like any other day for the members of the Everwinter Estate.


    Well, at least that was what it looked like from the outside¡­


    ¡°Variel, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Matriarch Innocence watched nonchntly as a wizened old man walked into her chambers. As the highest power within one of the world¡¯s greatest Vampire Houses, Matriarch Innocence barely had any visitors on a regr day. And for a mere butler to impose on her sacred territory¡­


    ¡°My liege.¡± The butler bowed down respectfully as he addressed the ancestor of the Everwinter n. ¡°You called for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, how¡¯re the preparations for the Winter Hunt going?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Steward mention it in his reports?¡±


    Variel shot the Matriarch a look of pure astonishment. Although the Matriarch was the de facto leader of the Everwinter n, that didn¡¯t mean she had her hands in all of its internal affairs. In fact, she had long washed her hands clean from all the administrative duties that came with being the leader of a Noble Vampire House.


    Most of the work had been relegated to the Matriarch¡¯s eldest son, who had taken the role of Steward. While her son toils away with the most boring duties, the Matriarch would act as a shadow empress, controlling therger matters of the House as and where she saw fit.


    However, the main reason for Variel¡¯s shock was the fact that the ancient Vampire was taking an interest in the Winter Hunt, something that she hadn¡¯t participated in for centuries.


    ¡°You know my style. I don¡¯t take reports from just one source.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°But of course.¡±


    Variel nodded in agreement. One didn¡¯t stay as a leader of one of the most powerful and wealthy Vampire Houses just by being strong. They had to have a certain amount of wisdom as well. And while it might not be apparent due to her frivolous behaviour, the Matriarch had that in abundance.


    ¡°Preparations for the Winter Hunt have been proceeding smoothly. The Blood Servants have been trained, all of the equipment has been checked, and the Northern Pole Gate has been examined. The Winter Hunt will proceed as nned.¡±


    ¡°Variel¡­¡±


    The Matriarch nkly stared at the butler, only to draw a wry smile from the old chap.


    ¡°Yes, and as per my investigations¡­ No foul y will be conducted. The Young Miss will be safe.¡±


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    Hearing that answer, the Matriarch finally revealed her teeth and gums. There was a reason why Matriarch Innocence sent her mostpetent and trusted butler to serve as Irina¡¯s protector. She knew about the lies, backstabbing and plots that gued the Everwinter Estate. And typically, she would relish and encourage such behaviour. After all, that was how she grew the Everwinter House to the massive juggernaut that it was now.


    However, Irina was too precious to die from an internal ploy. The Winter Sovereign Aspect was unique and unbelievably rare. Even though she had lived for thousands of years and bred with countless powerful Vampires, none of them managed to bear a child that controlled the Winter Sovereign Aspect.


    And the problem was, Irina was too young. A twenty-three-year-old Vampire was practically a baby in the eyes of the Matriarch. Although her potential was limitless, her current power was nothingpared to the other potential heirs that the Everwinter Estate had. Also, she wasn¡¯t a once-in-a-generation genius like the Moonreaver House¡¯s sessor.


    Therefore, Irina will take time to be epted as the heir to Matriarch Innocence¡¯s throne. And before that happens, Variel will behave as her safe umbre and protect her from the harms of the Everwinter Estate.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I hope those stupid children of mine would be smarter¡­ Irina¡¯s sess means that the Everwinter House will survive even if I somehow perish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve trained them to be that way, my liege. They¡¯re just following your teachings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very true¡­¡±


    The Matriarch felt a headacheing up as she thought of her beloved children, who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill each other at a moment¡¯s notice. To think that the mantra upon which she built her entire Empire would one daye and bite her in the ass.


    ¡°Hah¡­ I feel a headache brewing. Why don¡¯t you let me suck your blood, Variel? Like old times sake?¡±


    The white-haired Vampire eyed the old man as if he were a piece of meat with her wet tongue licking her cherry lips.


    ¡°My liege, my old blood isn¡¯t any good. I would arrange for some virgins to be served if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, are you disobeying my order?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, my liege. I¡¯m sure that you wouldn¡¯t like an inadequate snack like me. My bloodline is nowhere as pure as you¡¯d like.¡±


    The two stared each other down like two deers that were about to lock horns. While the seemingly young woman was far superior in every aspect, the older butler didn¡¯t flinch. He stood his ground and endured the burning gaze that the Matriarch was shooting him.


    ¡°Hah¡­ You know, among all of the men I¡¯d ever wanted, you¡¯re the only one that I¡¯d never got to sleep with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honoured.¡±


    ¡°HAHA!!! You should be, my little doll!¡± The Matriarch stood up from her seat and walked toward the elderly man. Grabbing the butler by the chin, she brought her lips closer to his and whispered: ¡°How long have we known each other? Three thousand years?¡±


    ¡°Three thousand, one hundred and sixty-three¡­ My liege.¡±


    ¡°And in all those years, you have always rejected my advances. I wonder if you¡¯re just impotent or gay.¡±


    ¡°I had a wife, my liege.¡±


    ¡°I know you did,¡± the white-haireddy smiled and said nothing more. On his part, Variel shook his head and kept the silence. As for this part of their history, some things were best left unspoken.


    ¡°Right¡­ Speaking of lovers, didn¡¯t Irina take in a boy toy recently?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯d forgotten about it?¡±


    ¡°Haha! Though that brat made quite an impression, he¡¯s nowhere near worthy of my memory.¡±


    That was true. For the Matriarch, a newly created Vampire was nothing more than an amusement. In fact, the ancient Vampire couldn¡¯t count the number of Vampires she¡¯d created out of sheer boredom. It would be stranger if Matriarch Innocence could even remember Jin¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s he faring? Has he be the strongest Vampire in the world yet?¡±


    The Matriarch chortled in a demeaning tone. Clearly, she didn¡¯t think much of the boy toy that her granddaughter had picked up. However, Variel¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t as mocking. Rather, his face turned ashen as he grimly said:


    ¡°My liege¡­ Haven¡¯t you been reading my reports?¡±


    ¡°Reports? What¡¯s there to read about a mere boy toy?¡±


    ¡°My liege¡­¡±


    This time, it was Variel¡¯s turn to feel a headache. He should have anticipated this since he was well aware of the Matriarch¡¯s temperament. s, it was his fault for not personally reporting this matter sooner.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you getting so tense over something so small?¡±


    ¡°My liege¡­ That boy toy that you had just talked about¡­ Just defeated all of my Blood Servants.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What did you say?¡±


    The Matriarch¡¯s teasing smile quickly turned. For the first time since the butler arrived, the ancient Vampire seemingly let go of her facade and showed her true face for a moment. A face of shock and bewilderment.


    ¡°All of them? Wasn¡¯t Zuno part of your Blood Servant army?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Variel nodded harshly. ¡°Zuno was defeated three days ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re saying a one thousand-year-old Blood Servant lost to a child that was born a month ago?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the butler answered without a tremor in his voice. ¡°If I didn¡¯t witness it myself, I would have been questioning the result, just like you.¡±


    The Matriarch fell into thought as, for the first time in a long while, the woman didn¡¯t show her yful side. Almost instantly, the cordial persona that she draped on evaporated into nothingness as the cold-blooded Vampire who led the Everwinter House into their glory days, returned.


    ¡°Report.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my liege.¡±


    Variel knew the severity of the situation and solemnly knelt down on the floor. The Matriarch¡¯s affectionate eyes had all but disappeared, and all that remained was a piercing gaze that didn¡¯t allow a single ounce of falsehood.


    ¡°It all started when I¡¯d first started training the boy. In the beginning, I sent two of my weakest Blood Servants to train his body and teach him how to move in his Vampire body. And I must say, he learnt the basics extremely quickly. I¡¯d never seen any True Vampire with a learning speed like his.¡±


    The butler recollected the rapid pace that Jin picked up all of the basics. Regeneration, body-strengthening, high-speed movements, enhanced senses¡­ Within a week of training, the young boy had taken significant strides in mastering all of them. While he wasn¡¯t perfect, Jin was able to put up a fight with the Blood Servants that Variel sent. Of course, he wasn¡¯t beating them yet, but with the help of his former hunter parents, Jin¡¯s training had seemingly doubled the fruits of hisbour.


    ¡°As our training intensified, Jin¡¯s learning pace just got quicker. Eventually, his body finally grew into its final mature state. That was two weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Hoh, he took two weeks to grow his body. That¡¯s much faster than I¡¯d anticipated.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the butler nodded at the Matriarch¡¯s estimates. ¡°Before then, he wasn¡¯t able to beat a single one of my Blood Servants. While he was bing stronger and putting up a fight, he was no match for my well-trained soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Huh? So what happened?¡±


    Variel paused for a moment. Knowing that this was key, the butler didn¡¯t want to rush his ount. Rather, he firmly stared back at the bewildered Matriarch and boldly said:


    ¡°We awakened his Aspect.¡±

 Chapter 20 Jins Growth (2)

    The Everwinter Estate. Many people specte what the insides of this elusive Vampire House would look like. Would it be barren with life? Would there only be snow and ice? The truthy somewhere in the middle. Being this close to the Arctic, it was difficult for life, particrly animal life, to survive in these harsh conditions.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean that the Everwinter Estate was utterly void of animal life. A Snowshoe hare was one such example. Happily hopping about the massivend, the innocent rabbit scavenged for twigs and leaves. In such a humongousnd, as long as it didn¡¯t catch the eye of any predators, the hare would thrive, even in the deepest months of Winter.


    s, its peace wasn¡¯t tost.


    BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!


    Three shockwaves pulsated through the wintry floor, startling the rabbit from its daily feeding. It ran some distance away and paused, only to be greeted with yet another bombard of shockwaves.


    BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!


    This time, it didn¡¯t look back. Too afraid to stay in its former feeding ground, the adorable white rabbit bolted to safety, swearing never to return to this wretched earthquake-boundnd. So was there truly an earthquake?


    Deep in the trenches that was the Everwinter dungeon, tremors and sonic booms dominated the training grounds of Irina¡¯s mansion. In it, three figures were heaving as they stared one another down. Two of them stood next to each other, one of them towering over the other. They both wore servant uniforms, each tailored to their own needs.


    The colossal man held onto a giant axe, which seemed too massive for any regr lumberjack or butcher. Meanwhile, the smaller female wore red gloves with stic strings swinging by its tips.


    They looked in prime condition and seemed ready to burst forth at a moment¡¯s notice. And although their clothes were mostly pristine, there was the odd wear and tear.


    Their opponent, however, didn¡¯t have the same luxury.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    Jin shouted at the two Blood Servants as he stood and got off his knees. Unlike the two Vampires that faced him, Jin¡¯s clothes were in tatters. His body was riddled with cuts and bruises, even though they slowly faded due to his recovery factor.


    ¡°You¡¯re really tenacious, kiddo.¡± The bulky Vampire chortled and brandished his weapon.


    ¡°Are you sure? We¡¯ve been going at it for six hours now. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a break.¡± The female Blood Servant asked worriedly.


    ¡°No,¡± Jin shook his head in resistance. ¡°I know my limits. I can still fight.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Hah¡­ Youngsters these days.¡±


    Knowing how stubborn Jin could be, the female Vampire shook her head and moved to herbat stance. The strings beyond her fingers moved independently like serpents eyeing their prey and coiled around in the air.


    It was always the first to strike who took the initiative in a duel. So, that¡¯s what Jin did. The young man added all of his energy into his lower body which propelled him forward like a missile. Jin moved at a speed that wasparable to a sports car that was elerating and had even left some of his foot imprints behind.


    Jin¡¯s target was the young woman who stood safely behind her main tank. Throughout history, the method of winning a battle was to take out their heavy guns. And that was what Jin sought to do. s, the massive Vampire with an axe had better ideas.


    Moving at a much faster pace, the bulky man blocked the woman from Jin¡¯s line of sight. However, Jin was not deterred. Rather than panicking, the young man leapt from his position and performed a somersault in mid-air. And using that momentum, he performed an axe kick and aimed right for his opponent¡¯s cranium.


    Not expecting that retaliation, the massive Vampire hopped backwards, allowing Jin¡¯s heel to fall straight from the sky and depress deeply onto the ground. Cracks emerged from the epicentre of the attack causing the grounds to tremble for a moment.


    While Jin had one foot in the ground, his opponent took this chance tond a decisive blow on the ambitious young one. The axe, which was easily half of Jin¡¯s size, flew rapidly in his direction, ready to cleave Jin in two. But Jin didn¡¯t tremble in fear. Not in the slightest. Rather, he used his dug feet as a pivot and swung his body under the sharpened axe as if he were in the matrix.


    Once Jin was free from danger, a clear opportunity to strike arose. With his opponent revealing his nk after the swing, Jin had a clean shot at his exposed side. Pulling out his feet from the ground, Jin turned his fingers into ws and aimed straight at the massive Vampire¡¯s neck. It was his best opportunity to achieve victory thus far, and therefore, Jin exploded at his maximum speed.


    The w moved at a blinding pace, so fast in fact, that his opponent barely had time to register the attack. Which gave Jin the perfect opportunity tond a decisive blow. However, just as his w was a few centimetres away from tasting flesh and blood, a red, burning string cuffed his wrist, exposing him to a searing hot pain.


    ¡°Tch,¡± Jin clicked his tongue and retracted his hands. That gave the tank of a Vampire some time to recuperate. As they both got some distance from each other, Jin shot the owner of the string an annoyed look. ¡°Damn that Blood Art¡­¡±


    Blood Servants had always been treated as lower-ss citizens by True Vampires. And that was with good reason. Most Blood Servants couldn¡¯t disobey their master¡¯s orders, and the vast majority of them were used as meat shields or blood banks. However, that didn¡¯t mean that all Blood Servants were any weaker than True Vampires.


    In fact, there were numerous cases where a Blood Servant was able to beat a True Vampire just by their unique attributes alone. Blood Servants were physically strong, amazingly durable and most importantly, had far more experience on the battlefield aspared to True Vampires who stood at the back while shooting their magic.


    However, the Blood Servants did have something else up their sleeves.


    Vampiric Blood Arts.


    Historians are mixed on when and how Blood Arts were first developed, but somewhere along the lines, Vampires had developed their own unique ability as opposed to magic. While both True Vampires and Blood Servants could use Blood Arts, it was moremonly mastered within the Blood Servants.<sub></sub>


    Blood Arts came in many shapes and forms. Some of them use the power of blood to create weapons that could never truly be broken as they could just replenish them with their blood. Some created bloody mists to confuse their opponents and aid them in battle. Some could even use Blood Arts to create phenomena that wereparable to magic!


    And the woman that Jin was facing¡­ Her Blood Art turned her red fluids into evergrowing sentient strings that burned everything it touched.


    It was a painful ability, one that had caused Jin many problems throughout his training sessions. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Jin was powerless towards it.


    Jin rushed right at the woman with everything that he had. Expecting that response, the seasoned Vampire twirled her fingers, and the blood strings followed like a whip. Jin dodged the first few that preyed on his flesh, but that was just the beginning. As the young Vampire closed the distance, the number of strings seemingly multiplied, and they formed into an interconnected web, making it near-impossible for Jin to escape.


    As defeat loomed, Jin¡¯s eyes turned blood red, and in his mind, it felt like time had slowed down. He was able to see every minute movement of the strings as they approached him. Every slight muscle twitch of the female Vampire he battled. And every intricate flow of magic.


    It felt like he had entered his own world where everything was under his control. And within that world, a distinct memory emerged.


    ¡°Enhance.¡±


    Using the basics that he¡¯d learnt all his life, Jin¡¯s mind weaved a spell. The four basic steps of using magic were recalling a spell from memory, taking magic power out from one¡¯s core, turning that magical power and converting it into the spell, and changing reality with a catalyst.


    That base fact didn¡¯t change, even though Jin had changed into a Vampire. No, now that he¡¯s a True Vampire, Jin didn¡¯t need to worry about the catalyst as his magically enhanced body itself acted as one. And thus, within two seconds of casting, Jin had altered his reality.


    BOOM!!!


    Jin¡¯s body glowed red as his body turned into a flying tank. With his body as hard as graphite, the young Vampire bulldozed through the web of blood strings and made it right before his opponent.


    While the female Vampire¡¯s Blood Arts were amazing, her physical prowess was less spectacr. If Jin couldnd a solid blow, especially in his enhanced state, he was confident that he could dmission her for at least half a minute.


    But s, before his punch could connect to her face, another fist was going to find him.


    WHOOSH!!!


    Jin¡¯s body was flung dozens of metres away and rolled pathetically on the dusty ground. That simple act broke through Jin¡¯s magically enhanced body and easily ruptured a few tendons. At the same time, many of his bones were broken. If Jin was still a human, that one punch would have forced him to be hospitalised for weeks.


    Fortunately, the moment Jin got on his feet, the Vampire¡¯s infamous regeneration began.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ And I almost had you.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Did you think that we¡¯ll make it easy for you to beat us? You¡¯re still too young, kiddo!¡±


    ¡°Still, did you really have to hit him that hard? What if the Young Miss finds out?¡±


    ¡°Bwah, how can we train if he¡¯s afraid of a cut or two? Aren¡¯t I right, Jin?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Jinined under his breath, but he didn¡¯t dare to voice it out. After all, it was his decision to up the training intensity. If heined now, the young man would be seen as nothing more than a wimp and a quitter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go again!¡±


    After healing all of his wounds, Jin stood up to his two trainers and heroically asked for one more round. s, before they could begin their one-sided beating, a voice bellowed out from the entrance of the training grounds.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re stopping for today.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    Jin looked over his shoulder and saw Variel and Irina walking over. The seasoned butler had a neutral look on his face, all while holding onto a book in his hand. On the other hand, Irina didn¡¯t have such a cordial look. As she saw the state that Jin was in, her nostrils red up, and her pupils began to bleed red.


    Needless to say, Irina was furious that the two Blood Servants dared to hurt her beloved brother. If it were up to her, she would have skinned those two mongrels alive and served them up to her brother as tribute. But unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t what Jin desired.


    ¡°Irina¡­ Variel¡­ You¡¯vee.¡±


    ¡°Brother! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jin took the towel from Irina¡¯s hand and gently wiped the blood and sweat off his face. ¡°I¡¯m actually feeling quite good. I¡¯d managed to find a way to hit both of them today. It¡¯s not much, but in a few more days, I should be able tond a few hits on them.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you have some spunk, kiddo!¡±


    The bigger Vampire tapped on Jin¡¯s shoulder in jest, only to draw the ire of the angry white-haired Vampire.


    ¡°A-Ah, I mean¡­ Y-yeah! Keep up the good work!¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    Jin wanted to chastise Irina for scaring his trainers, but ultimately he knew that she was just concerned for him. Besides, he had other issues on his te.


    ¡°Variel, why did you stop my training? We still have some time before nightfall, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡±


    The old Vampire shook his head and shed a gentle smile. Afterwards, he raised the book in his hand and simply said the one sentence that Jin had wished to hear for the longest time.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to awaken your Vampire Aspect, Jin.¡±


    ???


    ¡°My Vampire Aspect? Is it already time?¡±


    My jaw dropped as I stared squarely at the handsome butler whose words seemed to hold no falsehoods. If my memory serves me right, Variel said that it would take at least a month or two before my body fully grew to its true size. It had barely been two weeks since I¡¯d begun my training and the man said it was already time?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Variel answered concisely. ¡°We¡¯ve been monitoring your growth, and you¡¯ve stagnated since a week ago. Plus, your soul has be much more stable. In fact, it feels a little too stable for someone with another person¡¯s soul residing in you. So, rather than wait, we decided to push up the ritual.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    As Variel mentioned, I finished my physical growth about a week ago. From a scrawny boy who barely measured at 1.7 metres, I was now a fully grown man, standing at 1.99 metres. I had bulging muscles, though not to the extent of my tank of a father, and a fully chiselled face that one would only see in movie stars.


    My legs were longer, my abdomen showed eight distinct packs, and I felt much more robust. If truth be told, it felt like I had transformed into a totally different person.


    However, I was still undeniably me. And it became crystal clear as I trained diligently under the tutge of Variel, my parents and my two training partners. I improved at a rapid rate, not because I had any special constitution or anything, but because I knew very well how to integrate the knowledge I¡¯d obtained as a human to my new Vampire existence.


    ¡°How will it be done?¡±


    ¡°Quite simple, actually. We often do it with children, so there¡¯s no risk of any pain or injury.¡±


    Variel opened the book he had been protecting and dropped a bead of blood onto the pages. A torrent of blood and ink gushed out from the open pages and began to paint the floor in a unique symbol almost instantly.


    With its work done, the suave butler mmed the book shut and tossed it to the side.


    ¡°Step into this circle and channel your magic power through it. From there, the ritual circle will guide you, and you¡¯ll intuitively know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Is it that simple?¡±


    I looked at Irina, hoping to gain some additional insights on what might ur. Fortunately, Irina gave me a warm smile and said:


    ¡°Nothing will happen, Brother. It¡¯s a ritual that has been conducted countless times. You¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    All of my doubts had evaporated right then and there. Since Irina had guaranteed its safety, there was no need to hesitate any longer. Taking a deep breath in, I rested my shoulders and confidently walked into the painted circle on the floor.


    And took one step toward my destiny.

 Chapter 21 Jins Growth (3)

    The moment I stepped foot onto the ritual circle, I felt a little queasy. At that moment, it felt like over a thousand eyes were looking at me, watching my every move and reading my every thought. It was a surreal experience, to say the least, but I quickly shook it off.


    All I needed to do was to focus on the task at hand.


    Following Variel¡¯s instructions, I channelled some of my magic power into the small circle beneath me and¡­


    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯


    Almost instantly, my entire body began to warm up. The blood within my veins began to flow rapidly, and my inner organs were overwhelmed with a sense offort. And for the first time in my life, I felt like I could ¡®see¡¯ inside my body. Every micron that existed within, every blood cell that danced harmoniously, every fibre of my being¡­


    It felt like everything was under my control. If I so chose, I could independently move anything as I pleased. It didn¡¯t matter if it were the tiniest brain cell or a strand of hair. Everything was under my explicit control. And of course, that included my very own¡­


    Soul.


    ¡®So, this is what a soul looks like.¡¯


    One might think that your soul was shaped to fit your body; however, that was far from the truth. My soul was tucked into a small marble, one that was less than a few inches long. It shone with a beautiful azure hue. In the void of my inner consciousness, that one shining light was blinding, to say the least. Rather than crumbling under the pressure of the dark, my soul continuously burnt bright, seemingly in defiance of its miserable fate toy alone in the void.


    ¡®Haha, I guess I would expect nothing less.¡¯


    A soul was a reflection of oneself. And the fact that it was a tenacious little bugger did put a smile on my face.


    ¡®But what are those things attached to it?¡¯


    However, as I closely inspected the luminous sphere that represented my soul, I did notice some irregrities. Four of them, to be exact.<sub>-.</sub>


    Four smaller marbles, each one with its own unique colour, protruded out from my soul. Each of them had long roots that dug deep into my soul as if they wished to hold the marble firmly in ce.


    ¡®White, Golden, Obsidian, Emerald¡­¡¯


    I counted the four marbles and identified their distinct colours. For some reason, even though the four spheres looked like parasites that leeched on my soul, I didn¡¯t feel any animosity towards them. Rather, I felt a tinge of affection for each one of those parasitic balls that held my soul in ce.


    ¡®No, I can learn more about themter¡­ What I should do now is¡­¡¯


    Like Variel had said, the moment I channelled my magic power into the ritual circle, my instincts instantly knew how toplete the job. If I wanted to awaken my Vampire Aspect, all I needed to do was touch that small blob of energy that I call my soul.


    And thus¡­


    My ¡®hands¡¯ reached out and earnestly cupped the small azure ball within them. Like a mother cradling a baby, I gently and lovingly brought the luminous marble closer to my chest. Instinctively, I knew what to do. I knew what was going to happen. And I knew¡­


    What my power was going to be.


    A warm, fuzzy feeling echoed through my body, waking me up from my intoxicated stupor. My consciousness was kicked out of the void that my soul resided in, and I slowly regained much of my lost motor functions.


    ¡°Brother! How are you feeling?¡± As I gradually awakened, I saw Irina rush straight toward my arm and grabbed it with abination of worry and anticipation.


    ¡°A little tipsy, but other than that, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I smiled and gently reached for her soft, white hair. I get it now¡­ That white marble that I saw within my soul should belong to my beloved sister. They do look quite alike, after all. The reason why I couldn¡¯t feel any hatred towards it was probably due to the affection that I shared with this adorable little creature that was rubbing her face on my arms.<sub></sub>


    But, what were the other three spheres then? Were they three other souls?


    Numerous questions entered my mind, and honestly, I would have loved to get the answers right away. However, there were more pressing matters to attend to.


    ¡°So, how was it? Have you awakened your Aspect?¡±


    ¡°Variel¡­¡± I turned towards the aged butler, gently prying Irina¡¯s hand away. ¡°My Aspect seems kind of different.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ It¡¯s better to show you.¡±


    I raised my hand and channelled my inner magic power as I¡¯d done so a thousand times before. However, I called upon something hidden deep within my soul rather than using my magic power to weave a spell. Something that I¡¯d just recently acquired and something that only I could use.


    Five metal rings appeared on each one of my right fingers. All of them were borately designed with ornate markings that could only be described as aristocratic. Embedded within each ring were distinct jewels, each one forming into a unique shape. However, unlike the marvellous rubies or sapphires that shone in their own blend of colour, four of mine werepletely void of any luminous glow.


    Well, all but one.


    From the ends of the rings, five chains ran down the lines of my fingerbones and connected themselves to a silver bracelet that was likewise decorated with luxurious finishings. However, the special jewellery set was unlike any regr one you could buy from the shop. Instead, it was pulsating so heavily with my magic power that it was almost nauseating to look at.


    ¡°Hoho¡­ You managed to conjure up a Soul Armament.¡±


    ¡°Soul Armament? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Usually, Vampire Aspects manifest themselves as emblems or markings on the user¡¯s body.¡± Variel began his exnation neatly. ¡°It can be summoned on any part of the body, and it is normally not visible. However, there are rare cases where the Vampire Aspects would manifest themselves as Soul Armaments.¡±


    Variel looked at my five rings with great interest, but he didn¡¯t really seem all that shocked.


    ¡°Less than one per cent of True Vampires would ever awaken a Soul Armament. While they might not be any stronger than a Vampire Aspect, they are unquestionably powerful. Particrly since they can be weapons that could never be destroyed. So, what powers does your Aspect hold?¡±


    Still looking at me with great interest, Variel asked while stroking his chin. His expression was that of an amused kid who just got permission to y at the zoo.


    Seriously¡­ Why do all Vampires treat me like a test subject?


    ¡°Let me show you¡­¡±


    Rather than tell him what my ability was, I raised my right hand and targeted a nearby rock. It was odd. Even though this was my first time seeing this Soul Armament and awakening my Vampire Aspect, I felt like I was in control of every given moment. By instinct, I knew what my power was.


    With four of the gems void of any magic, only the ring on my middle finger started to glow in an empyrean sky blue. My blood began to pump faster, and my concentration levels spiked almost immediately. I could ¡®see¡¯ everything about that rock at that very moment. Its orientation, the number of edges it had, its weight¡­ Everything was under my distinct control.


    And as my magic power left my body¡­ Reality has changed.


    The simple rock, void of any life or magic power, was now levitating in mid-air. If I wanted to, I could catapult it a hundred metres away. If I wished, I could crush it with the weight of my magic. That rock¡­ was now under myplete control.


    ¡°Hoh¡­ So you got Telekinesis.¡± Variel¡¯s curiosity soon turned into a look of shock with a tinge of disappointment.


    ¡°Why? Is it bad?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the seasoned butler shook his head. ¡°Telekinesis is an extremely desirable ability. You can use it to fly, block attacks and even wrest your opponent¡¯s body out of their control. It¡¯s highly versatile and in the right hands, can be immensely powerful. Many True Vampires would love to have that power as their Aspect. And because it was so desirable¡­¡±


    Variel looked for a nearby rock, and to my surprise, after three seconds of casting, the man also managed to levitate his target.


    ¡°Once a True Vampire trains for long enough, they will one day be able to use Telekinesis as well. Yes, it would take a cast, and yes, it would be less effective as someone who uses the ability through an Aspect. But in the end, other True Vampires will be able to use the same ability as you.¡±


    Ah, I understood the concept. The advantage of a Vampire Aspect was the unique powers that it granted the user. Take Irina¡¯s case, for instance. With the Winter Sovereign Aspect, she could create snow and ice out of thin air or even change deserts into the deepest nights of Winter. And the most broken part of that Aspect was the fact that very few people in the world could replicate what she did.


    As for me, while Telekinesis was a handy ability to have, if every powerful Vampire could use it, I would have no other trump cards to surprise my opponents with.


    Right, that was the supposed theory behind Variel¡¯s disappointment. However, I don¡¯t quite agree¡­ I don¡¯t think that the Telekinesis I have is the same as what Variel imagined.


    ¡°Is that your only power? Why are there four other gems that seem to be powered down?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, honestly, I¡¯m not quite sure,¡± I answered the butler impassively. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, I should have five unique abilities, each one encased into one of these jewels. However, when I awakened my Aspect, only the ring on the middle finger was activated.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­ Now that¡¯s interesting¡­¡±


    Once again, the butler eyed me down like a precious specimen that needed to be dissected.


    ¡°I¡¯d never heard of a Soul Armament providing five unique abilities. Do you have an emblem for your Aspect? Maybe I can help identify what Vampire Aspect you awakened.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there isn¡¯t a mark.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Variel shot me a look of bemusement. And well, I could understand his confusion. Every Vampire Aspect would have their own unique emblem. Variel¡¯s one was in the shape of an icicle. Irina¡¯s was in the shape of a snowke with eighteen sides and a symbol of a crown within. And since it was something that resided in one¡¯s soul, a True Vampire could call out their Vampire Aspect onto any part of their body.


    However¡­


    ¡°When I awakened my Vampire Aspect, the only thing that showed up was this Soul Armament. I didn¡¯t see any emblems or marks.¡±


    ¡°Curious¡­ Truly curious indeed¡­¡± Variel thought for a moment before saying: ¡°Is it because your soul has yet to recover?¡±


    ¡°I doubt that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    Honestly, when I saw what my soul looked like in the depths of my inner consciousness, I knew for certain that my injury had all but healed. The only problem was the four unidentified marbles that leeched onto my soul. And I had a feeling¡­


    That Irina knew what they were.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to experiment with thister on. But for now, let¡¯s get you familiar with your current Telekinesis ability, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    I smiled in response. After all, I didn¡¯t need to get my answer from Irina immediately. For now, training was much more important.

 Chapter 22 Jins Growth (4)

    ¡°So he awakened an Aspect that grants him the ability of Telekinesis?¡± The Matriarch furrowed her brow as she looked at the aged butler who was slowly reporting the past month¡¯s events to her.


    ¡°Just so.¡±


    ¡°Telekinesis, huh? It¡¯s rare to get that power in an Aspect, but it isn¡¯t all that amazing.¡±


    Just like every True Vampire that had trained for over a thousand years, Matriarch Innocence had learnt how to utilise Telekinesis through the usage of spells. Yes, it was extremely taxing on her magic power pool, but for someone who had a near-infinite reserve of magic, using Telekinesis was as easy as breathing.


    ¡°And you¡¯re saying that his Aspect wasn¡¯t recorded in the archives?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Variel nodded solemnly. ¡°Just to be sure, I checked our records and even searched in the databases of the other Vampire Noble Houses. No one has awakened a Soul Armament like Jin¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Five rings with a chain that reaches his wrist¡­¡±


    The ancient Vampire searched through her many years of experience, hoping to recollect one Soul Armament that resembled Jin¡¯s. The closest that she¡¯d got was a True Vampire who lived fifteen hundred years ago and had five rings as well. However, that Vampire didn¡¯t possess Telekinesis and most certainly didn¡¯t have five unique abilities.


    ¡°Since he was a human turned Vampire, I think it might be the first of its kind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I surmised as well.¡±


    ¡°And so?¡± The Matriarch looked at her butler with a solemn expression. ¡°What is so special about a mere telekic ability? I¡¯m pretty sure you train your Blood Servants on how to resist magical control. How is he able to defeat all of them then?¡±


    The Matriarch was puzzled. While powerful inbat, Telekinesis had been researched extensively by the True Vampires. That was how they learnt to use the ability, to begin with. However, just like any powerful ability, the Vampires found a method to counter its effects. After centuries of research and refinement, countering Telekinesis had be so simple that it became part of a Vampire¡¯s training regimen, regardless of whether they were True Vampires or Blood Servants.


    So, for Variel¡¯s elite Blood Servants to lose to a mere ytoy¡­


    ¡°Jin, that boy, his Telekinesis ability is different.¡±


    ¡°Hoh? How so?¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Usually, when one is stuck in a True Vampire¡¯s Telekinesis, they would need to use an equal amount of magic power or physical strength to break free from their control.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯smon knowledge.¡±


    That was the main weakness of using Telekinesis. Anyone with ample experience and training to deal with the ability would handle their opponent with ease.


    ¡°However, Jin¡¯s Telekinesis isn¡¯t as easy to break free from. I¡¯d experienced his power first-hand, and I can say that it was quite possibly, one of the most bizarre experiences I¡¯d ever had. Rather than using an equal amount of magic power, I estimate that¡­¡±


    The butler recollected the time when he was caught in that mere ¡®ytoy¡¯ trap.


    ¡°If you want to break free from Jin¡¯s Telekinesis, you¡¯ll need to put in at least ten times more magic power.¡±


    ¡°What..?¡±


    If the Matriarch wasn¡¯t bbergasted before, she was now. If Variel was correct, that meant that Jin could effectively defeat any opponent that didn¡¯t have a deep enough magic pool. After all, if his Telekic ability was over ten times stronger than anyone else¡¯s, the number of opponents that he could face would be drastically lowered.


    ¡°How¡¯s that possible? Even if it was an innate Aspect, there¡¯s no way for a Telekic ability to be that powerful! I¡¯d never even heard of such a thing, even during the time when the Progenitor was still alive! Are you sure that his ability is just Telekinesis?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, my liege. I also had my doubts that Jin¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t just Telekinesis, so I¡¯d thought I would research it myself. I looked through the oldest books we had and the newest theorems from both the Vampire and Human races. And if I may be so bold to give a theory¡­ I don¡¯t think that Jin¡¯s first ability is Telekinesis.¡±


    Variel shivered as he recollected how potent Jin¡¯s power was. It felt like his surroundings were warped into ce, and he¡¯d been constricted back to his mother¡¯s womb. There was next to nothing that he could do against that suffocating power, and it took him a significant effort to even attempt to break free.


    It was as if¡­ The world itself was fighting back against him. The amount of power he needed to use¡­ The helplessness he felt¡­


    That ability wasn¡¯t Telekinesis.


    That power was¡­<sub></sub>


    ¡°I believe that Jin has the ability to¡­¡±


    ???


    ¡°Again!¡± I shouted determinedly as I eyed down the many Blood Servants that stood in my path.


    About fifteen Vampires, each one with their own unique shape and size, begrudgingly shed an annoyed look at me. Although they weren¡¯t all that keen on following my orders, the image of Irina staring them down with a frosty look behind them forced their asses to move.


    The Blood Servants could be split into three specific categories. The tanks with plenty of physical strength and could soak up as much damage as a pure-blooded Werewolf. The damage dealers that used an array of weapons with dexterous means to break through their enemy¡¯s defence. And finally, the specialists that used a variety of special Blood Arts to facilitate their allies and weaken their opponents.


    When all of these Blood Servants worked together, they could defeat any True Vampire, particrly since they were elites trained by the Everwinter House.


    However, that only applied to regr True Vampires¡­


    The first wave of attackers were the tanks. They were all above two metres in height with a frame that even bodybuilders would dream of. Whilst showing off their bulging muscles, the veins beneath their skin began to show. I¡¯dtere to understand that this phenomenon helped to harden their bodies so that they would be as tough as steel and as unbreakable as diamond.


    The second wave contained the Blood Servants, who specialised in using weapons and martial arts. Their fighting prowess was equivalent to that of the world¡¯s top Hunters, so much so that my father loved to train with them just to hone his ageing body. Some of them held spears so sharp that one touch was enough to draw blood. Some held massive ives that would hack an elephant into two. And some of them had mystical arrows, shot from the most powerful bows I¡¯d ever seen.


    As for the final line of my opponents, they were using Blood Arts in an array of methods. One of them had created a bloody mist to hinder my vision. One of them created armour made out of blood to protect theirpatriots. And one of them even created a web of traps that made it near impossible for me to move anywhere without getting fatally wounded.


    Surrounded by all sides, it was a situation that I could never get out of.


    Well, it was a situation that I couldn¡¯t get out of in the past. Now, however¡­


    I raised my hand, and my Soul Armament instantly appeared. The five rings covered all of my fingers on my right hand, and the chains softly covered the back of my hand. Four of the five rings were still dulled out, with barely any magic power being emitted from them. It was still a significant issue in my opinion, but they didn¡¯t need to be activated for now.


    All I needed¡­ was the ring on my middle finger.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    My voice resonated within the training chambers. At that moment, magic power churned out from the ring on my middle finger. The empyrean blue glow got brighter and brighter within nanoseconds, and then¡­


    The world stopped.


    Or to be exact, all of the Blood Servants that attempted to draw my flesh seemingly turned to stone. Not just that, the projectiles and Blood Arts that they threw at me remained suspended in the air. It didn¡¯t matter if they were three metres tall, weighed a thousand kilograms or even had enough force to push a bull. Nothing was moving under mymand.


    ¡°Hmmm, my limit has increased once more.¡±


    Contrary to the Blood Servants¡¯ opinion, I wasn¡¯t asking them to suffer the same fate over and over again just to throw a blow to their egos. I was testing the limits on how far my Telekinesis could go.


    When I first awakened my Vampire Aspect, all I could do was move a few rocks. However, as time went by and my magic pool deepened considerably, I became capable of stopping a fully grown human being. And ever since then, through abination of training and syncing with my Aspect, the number of objects that I could constrain increased drastically.


    Eventually, I became capable of stopping experienced Blood Servants as well, rendering them incapable of movement and using their Blood Arts.


    Clenching my fists, I crushed the arrows and numerous traps that wereid out before me. Evidently, the force of my Telekinesis far surpassed anything the Blood Servants could throw at me and almost instantly, my surroundings were cleared entirely.


    Satisfied with my improvement, I released my control over the Blood Servants and gave them back their freedom.


    ¡°Alright, thank you for your help. Let¡¯s take a fifteen-minute break.¡±


    As I pped my hands to signal the end of the training session, the Blood Servants shuffled to the side, allowing the white-haired torpedo toe running into my arms.


    ¡°Brother! That was amazing! To think that you can defeat fifteen Blood Servants so easily!¡±


    Irinaunched herself into my chest and adorably called out my name. Seeing her ecstatic face greatly soothed my soul, and much of my fighting instinct dulled down. I reached for her soft white hair and brushed it with tenderness and ease.


    ¡°I¡¯m still nowhere as powerful as you,¡± I replied withplete honesty. ¡°I¡¯m a bad matchup for them, so I was just lucky.¡±


    I was speaking the truth. The only reason why I could trounce my opponents, especially when some of them even had a few centuries ofbat experience, was due to the fact that they couldn¡¯t use magic. By their very nature, Blood Servants were at a disadvantage against magical abilities. And seeing that I used magic to telekically control them, fighting them would be like an adult stealing candy from a defenceless baby.


    ¡°Still! You only turned into a True Vampire a month ago! If you continue growing at this pace, you¡¯ll easily surpass other True Vampires that have lived for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating¡­¡±


    I took my younger sister¡¯s words with a pinch of salt. After all, I had seen what the peak of the Vampire world looked like. Yes, I could hold my own and even defeat weaker True Vampires if I trained hard enough, but that was hardly enough. They weren¡¯t the enemies I wanted to face.


    Against someone like Matriarch Innocence¡­


    Yeah, I still needed to train.


    ¡°The Young Miss is right, sire.¡±


    Just as I was about to call back thezy Blood Servants, a firm voice beckoned to me. Turning around, I saw a brown-haired man strutting toward me with an amiable smile on his face. Don¡¯t get fooled by his youthful appearance. Even though he looked in his mid-thirties, the man was easily over a thousand years old.


    And from what I¡¯d heard, he was even themander of Variel¡¯s Blood Servants and had been fighting all sorts of enemies. Be it Outer Demons, Werewolves, Humans¡­ Every sort of creature imaginable had fallen under his de. Even many of the Everwinter House¡¯s True Vampires respected this Blood Servant.


    ¡°Zuno, don¡¯t patronise me. You and I know very well that without my Telekinesis, I wouldn¡¯t be able to contest a second with you.¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but there¡¯s no such thing as banning abilities in a real battle. If we were to fight to the death, I would have been killed in an instant.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ I guess so¡­¡±


    During my rapid improvement phase, I did manage to defeat this thousand-year-old Vampire by restraining his movements. However, that was purely due to the fact that he wasn¡¯t able to retaliate with magic. The moment we fought using other methods, I was defeated before I could even get a thought out.


    And while it was true that my Telekinesis was somehow stronger than most, I didn¡¯t want to growcent. Relying too heavily on one ability was a recipe for disaster.


    ¡°Still, thank you for helping me train. I know that you¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    ¡°Haha, no worries there! I should be thanking you, actually.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Well, since the Winter Hunt is uing, my soldiers needed a nice ce to train. While the servant¡¯s quarters are nice and all, it can¡¯t bepared to the Young Miss¡¯ abode.¡±


    ¡°The Winter Hunt?¡±


    I raised my brow after hearing this new term for the first time.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the brown-haired Vampire smiled. ¡°Since the Young Miss is participating, I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re going to join as well, sire. Don¡¯t worry about it! With your overpowered Telekinesis, I¡¯m confident that you¡¯ll do just fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m participating in this as well?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Are you not?¡±


    With both of us confused, we could only turn to the one person who knew the answer. Irina, who had been listening in on our conversation this entire time, jolted like an adorable rabbit. If I looked a little closer, I would probably see the bead of sweat that escaped from the tip of her forehead.


    ¡°No, Brother will not participate in the Winter Hunt.¡±


    ¡°Irina?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, I see¡­¡± Zuno took two steps back as he realised that he¡¯d stepped on a bomb. Finding an excuse to escape, the man bowed and requested: ¡°Please excuse me, Young Miss. I need to check up on thosezy brats.¡±


    Before even getting Irina¡¯s answer, Zuno walked off impatiently. Dropping andmine and then walking off¡­ Isn¡¯t that kind of irresponsible?


    Still, I was in no mood to question his actions. Rather, I looked at the young girl who seemed afraid of my piercing gaze.


    ¡°Irina¡­ Let¡¯s talk.¡±

 Chapter 23 The Winter Hunt (1)

    Nighttime.


    People often imagine this time of the day to be the period where Vampires were the most active. And for a certain period in history, that was definitely the case. Due to the inquisition from the Holy Church and the active prosecution from Elves, Humans and Werewolves, Vampires loved to move under cover of darkness.


    However, in the modern-day, that reality has changed somewhat. While there are definitely many Vampires that lived during the night, a significant portion took this time to rest and recover from the long day.


    Particrly for the members of the Everwinter House, where everything was covered in snow and ice. With no one to hunt them down, the Vampires of the Everwinter House didn¡¯t need to hide under cover of darkness. Not to mention, the Outer Demons didn¡¯t care about the time of day. They could emerge from the Gate and wreak havoc on the peaceful poption at any given moment.


    And thus, many members of the Everwinter House greatly enjoyed their hibernation at night. In fact, many of them use this time to do other nightly activities¡­


    ¡°Argh! Argh! Argh!!!¡±


    Loud, sultry moans echoed within Irina¡¯s bedroom. The young woman herself was pinned down on the bed while giving me a full view of her snowy-white neck. As my fangs sunk deeper into her immacte flesh, the soundsing out of her mouth got even louder. Blood flowed directly from her veins and into my hungry mouth. Even the beads of red fluids that rushed to the bed weren¡¯t spared from my insatiable thirst.


    With my newly awakened Telekinesis skill, not a single drop of Irina¡¯s scrumptious blood was wasted. Like a hungry lion, I relished in the sweetness of Irina¡¯s red fluids and continued sucking as if my entire life depended on it.


    On the other hand, Irina was simply enjoying the ecstasy that came with my blood-sucking. Wrapping her legs around my waist, the girl rubbed ourher regions together as if she were instigating something unholy. However, I was simply too focused on the task at hand to decipher my little sister¡¯s intentions.


    And it wasn¡¯t until fifteen minutester that my mouth finally let go of Irina¡¯s pale white flesh.


    I looked down at the young kitten, whose entire body was nowid bare for my viewing pleasure. Donned in a white strapless bra and tight high-cut panties, the girl revealed over ny percent of her wless skin. Combined with her blushing face and sweating pheromones, it really was an enticing treat to behold.


    In the beginning, Irina used to wear a nightgown, albeit a revealing one, whenever we had our nightly eating sessions.


    However, as the days went by, Irina switched from loosely worn nightgowns to just sleeping in her underwear. Her rationale for the switch was that our intense tugging when feeding caused the sticity of her nightgowns to be worn down. Therefore, from a cost perspective, it made sense to just wear her underwear when we went to bed.


    And while I didn¡¯t think that a wealthy heiress like her needed to care for finances, I relented as she said that sleeping in her underwear would make her morefortable as well.


    I did, however, stop her suggestion of sleepingpletely naked. While that might be the mostfortable for her, I didn¡¯t want to change my location to bama just yet.


    ¡°Irina¡­ This is your punishment for keeping information from me.¡±


    ¡°Ye-Yesh¡­¡± Seemingly intoxicated, the young girl¡¯s face flushed red as she struggled to keep her senses sane. ¡°P-Please, can I eat now?¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°No,¡± I decisively answered. As much as I was tempted to fulfil my adorable sister¡¯s wishes, I came onto this bed intending to punish her. If I gave in right now, that would defeat my purpose. ¡°You should have told me about the Winter Hunt. Did you really think I would let you go to that dangerous ce alone?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­¡±


    I looked down at her zing wintry-grey eyes, which seemed to be drifting in and out from consciousness. To tempt her, I had fully removed my shirt, revealing the entire upper part of my body. After being with Irina for a month, I knew how fascinated she was with my body, particrly how muscr it had be.


    In her own words, just looking at my broad chest and firmly built abdomen was enough of a treat for Irina. However, I didn¡¯t want to satisfy her desires just yet. I needed to make sure that she got the message.


    ¡°The Winter Hunt is something the Matriarch has ordered you to attend, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°And you said that other than Variel and Luminita, you have no real allies in the Everwinter House.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°So why are you thinking of attending this event alone?¡±


    I had a right to be worried. ording to Irina, the Winter Hunt was an annual festival where the members of the Everwinter House loosened the seal on the Northern Pole Gate to prevent potential overflowing. During that one time a year, the Vampires of the Noble n would gather their top forces andunch a counter-attack on the Outer Demons that attacked.


    Of course, since the Winter Hunt had been ongoing for centuries, the Everwinter House had perfected the method by which they fought. Through the use of modern weapons and innovative magical tools, the Outer Demons could be contained even without any external help from the n members.


    However, the Everwinter House was a hegemonic power for a reason. Rather than letting modern weaponry do everything, they purposefully let some Outer Demons run free, giving the younger generation a chance to train and show their worth. Truth be told, it was an ingenious idea. With one stone, they could discipline their Blood Servant army, give their younger True Vampires experience with fighting Outer Demons and, as a consequence, grow their skills. And they could even weed out those who were simply not up to par.


    Irina, already being an heir-in-training, didn¡¯t need to prove herself in the slightest. Rather, the purpose of her attending the Winter Hunt was more ceremonial than not. The most that she would do was attend and maybe participate in a battle or two.


    However, it didn¡¯t seem wise to let Irina go by herself on this asion.


    ¡°You said that your rtionship with the Everwinters isn¡¯t good, right? And that many don¡¯t like the fact that you¡¯re an heir-in-training. So wouldn¡¯t you be targeted if you went alone?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen¡­ Variel made sure of it¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Yes, maybe there won¡¯t be a pre-nned attack. However, God knows what would happen if a random heir feels like it would be a prime opportunity to eliminate one of their opposition.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s red face quickly turned ashen. As a blood member of the Everwinter House, she knew better than me how scheming her rtives could be. ording to what I understand about the Winter Hunt, there would be a certain point where Irina would have to wander off to acquire ¡®points¡¯ by eliminating Outer Demons.


    While she was under close surveince, vignce alone couldn¡¯t deter an attack. However, if I was there¡­


    ¡°Let me apany you, Irina.¡±


    I raised my hand and tenderly stroked her plump, white cheeks. I smiled and reassured her with the most loving eyes I could use.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen how far I¡¯ve grown. I can protect you now. I know that I¡¯m still weak, and I can¡¯t defeat the older True Vampires, but I can at least be your meat shield.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s too dangerous!!!¡±


    The white-haired beauty immediately leapt into my arms and threw me backwards onto the bed. She ignored my intention to punish her and moved to instantly pin me down, mounting me in the process. In the void of her eyes, I could see a plethora of emotions rising.


    Fear, anxiety, longing¡­


    Even without her words and tears, I could tell the mental turmoil that she was put under.


    ¡°I¡¯d just gotten you back, Brother! How can I expose you to danger?! I would rather die than let you be my meat shield!!!¡±


    ¡°Irina¡­¡±


    I could understand her worries. I really could. However¡­


    ¡°Irina, just like how you care for me, I too care for you.¡±


    My soft, yet powerful words, seemingly sent a shiver down my younger sister¡¯s spine. As evidence, the girl froze on the spot above me as her eyes locked on mine.


    ¡°We¡¯d just reunited. Did you really think that I would stand by as you dove headfirst into trouble?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­¡±


    ¡°And if anything were to happen to you, do you think the Everwinter House would simply keep me around?¡±


    ¡°T-That!!!¡±


    It was a viable worry to have. Although the Everwinter House has been amodating towards my parents and me, the moment something happened to Irina, all of that courtesy would evaporate away. Even the Blood Servants, who would put up with my antics, would simply toss me aside like I was a sack of garbage.


    So, on a selfish level, Irina¡¯s safety equates to my own safety.


    ¡°See? So it¡¯s in everyone¡¯s best interest for me to join the Winter Hunt with you.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    The girl was clearly torn. On the one hand, she knew that my arguments made sense. However, emotionally speaking, she didn¡¯t want to subject me to any form of danger. And while the Winter Hunt was highly regted, there was no guarantee that no danger would fall on any of us.


    Looks like this little girl needs one more push¡­


    ¡°How about this? If you agree to my request, I¡¯ll lift the ban¡­ You will be able to drink as much blood as you want.¡±


    ¡°T-That!!!¡±


    Irina¡¯s face instantly flushed red. After controlling her bloodlust the entire night, my words seemed sweeter than honey.


    ¡°How about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ fine, I¡¯ll agree to it this once.¡± Finally, after numerous minutes of persuasion, the girl relented to my humble request. ¡°However, you have to stay by my side at all times! You can¡¯t move alone, can¡¯t wander off alone, and definitely, can¡¯t talk to anyone! Especially the other women of the n!¡±


    That¡¯s a bit excessive, isn¡¯t it? Still, I wasn¡¯t in the position to argue. If Irina felt like the women of the n were dangerous, there must be a good reason. Besides, I¡¯d already gotten what I wanted.


    ¡°Hehe, there¡¯s my adorable little sister.¡±


    Turning my frown into a smile, I yfully poked Irina¡¯s nose. However, the girl didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood to y. Instead, her gorgeous wintry-grey eyes were firmly affixed to the space between my neck and shoulder.


    ¡°You sure are an impatient one¡­¡±


    I turned my face to the side and exposed Irina¡¯s favourite part of my body. Almost instantly, her eyes glowed crimson red as saliva began dripping from her exposed fangs. Like a predator ready to strike, the young woman hungrily brought her mouth down towards me.


    ¡°Thanks for the meal!!!¡±


    ???


    ¡°Brother¡­ Brother¡­ You¡¯re not awake, right?¡±


    I whispered twice, just to make sure that the man thatid on my bed was truly knocked out. It was only after seeing hisck of reactions did I finally breathe a sigh of relief. I removed the nket that covered both of us and carefully examined the top half of my Brother¡¯s body.


    When he was in his weakened state, my Brother wasn¡¯t able to grow to his maximum size and was most definitely unable to build his body up. Now, however, my Brother has grown almost thirty centimetres, with every part of his body turning more and more divine.


    As I touched the hard, sweaty muscles that my Brother had built up, I couldn¡¯t help butpare it to ancient marble, which wouldn¡¯t erode even after a thousand years. If there was apetition for men to determine who had the best body, I was confident that my Brother would win hands-down.


    ¡°He really has grown¡­¡±


    I smiled happily as I observed every inch of his sleeping body. I was fortunate. My Brother finished his growth without any issues and had safely awakened his Aspect. He was even bing stronger every single day. In fact, I would say that hisbat ability already rivals many elite True Vampires his age. If he continues this trajectory, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he even surpasses me!


    No one could have guessed that the once bedridden cripple would have risen this quickly. Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    Even back then, my Brother was already much more skilled than the four of usbined. If it wasn¡¯t for that fucking Outer Demon, he might have already be one of humanity¡¯s top Hunter by now.


    ¡°Hehe, and he said that he will protect me!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I remembered his chivalric face just before we slept. He really was like the Brother I¡¯d met fifteen years ago. So confident¡­ So handsome¡­ So resolved¡­


    That¡¯s why I fell in love with you!


    ¡°Still¡­ The Winter Hunt is going to be too dangerous¡­ What if one of those old grandmothers sees how impressive he is and tries to devour him for themselves?!¡±


    The concept of monogamy was non-existent in the Everwinter House. As long as you are powerful enough, you can get all the husbands or wives you want. And while I did have some protection, if my Brother caught the eye of an Elder, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to kidnap him just for a night of debaucherous fun.


    I can¡¯t let that happen! I have to protect my Brother¡¯s chastity!


    Speaking of which¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s time to have some examinations¡­¡±


    After a full day of extensive training and a satisfying feast, my Brother was now in a deep sleep. ording to my one month of lying by his side, I knew full well that once he was in this state, he would likely be knocked out until morning came.


    Which gave me the perfect opportunity to ¡®check¡¯ his actual growth.


    ¡°Gulp¡­ It really is big¡­¡±


    I lifted up his pyjamas pants, and almost instantly, I felt a knot being stuck in my throat. Just as how he had grown to his full height, his member had grown tremendously as well. And even though it wasn¡¯t erect, it was already asrge as my hand.


    Imagine what it would look like if he were fully aroused and ready to plunge me into oblivion¡­


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s still too early! If we rush things, it might actually do more harm!!!¡±


    I quickly shook away the dirty thoughts that came into my mind. Although my Brother has mostly recovered, there¡¯s still that little bit of doubt. Before I could actually seal the deal, I would need confirmation from the Matriarch. And the earliest I could meet her again was right after the Winter Hunt.


    ¡°But still¡­ Just a taste would be fine¡­ right?¡±


    Yeah, that makes sense! I¡¯m not doing anything to return his soul yet; I¡¯m just checking his growth!


    Yeap! That is what I¡¯m doing! Nothing wrong there!


    As I continued to convince myself, I found my head going down to his pants. My panting got heavier and my face hotter. It wasn¡¯t long until my lips were just centimetres away from tasting gold. The rich musk of hisher regions engulfed my senses, and I could feel all of my logical thoughts nking out.


    What happened after¡­ I will seal it in the darkest regions of my memory.

 Chapter 24 The Winter Hunt (2)

    The Winter Hunt. An annual tradition when the members of the Everwinter House gather together to fight off the threat of the Outer Demons. Ever since they first appeared a few centuries ago, the Outer Demons had long be the world¡¯s most hazardous threats.


    No one truly knew where the Outer Demons came from. Some specte that they were using wormholes to transcend from to. Others believe that they were gateways to a different dimension. However, while their origins were unclear, their motives sure weren¡¯t.


    The Outer Demons are beings that sought to conquer the blue marble that we called home.


    Just like the top Hunters and elites from the other races, the Outer Demons were proficient in using magic and other mystical abilities. Some might say that they were the evolved versions of our species, with even the weakest among them already powerful enough to contest with a Hunter.


    Fortunately enough, for the most part, they were creatures without higher intellect and could only fight how beasts and animals would. However, their instincts alone were dangerous enough to wipe out entire countries within a blink of an eye.


    That¡¯s why it was so important to seal the major Gates that they used to invade our. While smaller Gates do exist, the most dangerous ones were still the twenty-seven major Gates that gued the Earth.


    The best method of dealing with the Gates was to seal them up, but unfortunately, if you were to leave a Gate sealed for too long, it would lead to an overflow which could turn into a major catastrophe.


    Which was why the Winter Hunt was so important¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Young Miss. Master Jin.¡± Variel bowed his head respectfully toward Irina and me, gesturing us to leave the monorail that we had been riding.


    For some reason, after I¡¯d defeated Zuno, Variel had stopped calling me by name and had added an honorific in. I¡¯d tried to question him about the change, but he¡¯d always evaded the subject. And since I had better things to do, I helplessly epted the change after a few days.


    I looked outside the thick ss and was instantly taken aback at what I saw. A humongous ice dome, one with a bigger circumference than any caldera I knew, stood taller than the highest building man could make. It wasn¡¯t just massive; the amount of magical power flowing from the austere ice walls was utterly unlike anything I¡¯d felt before.


    Against that massive structure, I felt like I was a firefly trying to fly into the moon. Just by being near the dome, my skin started to crawl, and my back began to sweat. Even my meeting with Matriarch Innocence didn¡¯t wield such a strong response from me, and not to mention, I was much stronger now.


    ¡°So? How do you like the Winter Graveyard?¡±


    ¡°Winter¡­ Graveyard?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call this ce,¡± Variel answered my question with a proud smile. ¡°To seal the Northern Pole Gate, the Matriarch and several Elders joined forces to create a prison that no Outer Demon could ever hope to escape from. It consists of approximately seventy-three magical seals, a hundred and fifty-four physical restrictions, thousands of traps and instant death mechanics¡­ And of course, this physical ice dome.¡±


    While the Everwinter House might be deceitful and conniving, they weren¡¯t going to kid around when it came to guarding one of the most dangerous ces on the. To protect our inhabitants from the threat of the Outer Demons, the Everwinter House went above and beyond to ensure their protection.


    Some might add excessively as well.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°While the seals and contraptions within will be changed and updated as new technologies emerge, the ice dome has remained this way for centuries. It is the Everwinter House¡¯s bastion of strength. Our one and only true pride.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t think that the Everwinter House was this thorough.¡±


    ¡°How is it different from the other Gates you¡¯ve been to, Mom?¡±


    Naturally, as I made my decision to follow Irina to the Winter Hunt, so did my parents. While their main reason was to protect and guide me, they too had an interest in how the elusive Everwinter House kept the Northern Pole Gate in check. Besides, they had been sitting around all day, and their Hunter instincts were itching for a date with the Outer Demons.


    ¡°They are all about the same,¡± my mom answered while shaking her head. ¡°However, I¡¯d never heard of any Gates having so many protectiveyers. And this ice dome¡­ This is a first for me.¡±


    It looks like even my mother was in awe of this amazing structure.


    However, the surprise didn¡¯t end there. As we ventured into the Winter Graveyard, we were greeted with a plethora of new sights that could only be described as surreal. The first thing that came to mind was a dungeon that was filled to the brim with perils and traps. Shards of ice, each one sharper than any spear or sword lined up on the dome¡¯s ceiling.


    Gardens of ice flowers, which I could only imagine were traps made by the Everwinters, blocked the exit paths, making it nearly impossible for an Outer Demon army to march through. Magic seals, homing cannons, machine guns¡­


    The list was endless.


    To call this ce a fortress would be an understatement. Like Variel had mentioned, the only apt name to call the ice dome was a graveyard¡­ A graveyard for Outer Demons.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Variel continued to lead us down numerous checkpoints until we reached the deepest part of the ice dome. Hundreds, if not thousands of Vampires, stood all around us, each one seemingly more powerful than the next. Judging by their scent, most of them were Blood Servants, but there were a few True Vampires mixed in with the crowd.


    It was my first time seeing so many Vampires grouped together in one ce. Some of them were over two metres tall. Others seem to be barely taller than a ten-year-old child. Some of them had youthful looks even though their demeanour betrayed their actual age. Some had unnatural wrinkles on their face as if they had purposefully aged on purpose. However, there was one thing inmon. All of them possessed breathtaking looks.


    The gathering of Vampires was much tamer than I¡¯d thought. They weren¡¯t monstrous beings or any supernatural elites. If anything, this gathering could easily be mistaken for a model show or a red carpet event where the world¡¯s most attractive people attended.


    But naturally, that was far from the truth¡­


    The moment Irina and I stepped foot into therge amphitheatre, a collection of eyesnded on our shoulders. Mainly the white-haired girl who was happily clinging to my right arm.<sub></sub>


    ¡°They¡¯re all looking at you, Irina. Shouldn¡¯t you greet them?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re just a bunch of nobodies anyway,¡± Irina whispered softly as she couldn¡¯t hide the disgust in her voice. ¡°If I talked to one of them, the rest would start to think that I¡¯m approachable. Onees and then the next, the next, the next¡­ In the end, I¡¯ll spend my entire time talking to them. I¡¯d rather spend all that time with you, Brother.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ You little one¡­¡±


    I sighed helplessly. I had mixed feelings about Irina¡¯s behaviour, if I werepletely honest. Unless she was going topletely renounce her blood ties, Irina was undoubtedly going to join the upper echelons of the Everwinter House. And to do that, she needed to have good connections or, at the very least, not antagonise the people in her family.


    At the same time, I knew how much Irina had suffered under the Everwinter House. The fact that they only protected her because of her potential and not due to any affection they had made me sick to the stomach. And so, I didn¡¯t want her to y nice with the people who tortured her as a child.


    Urgh¡­ Why am I thinking so much about this? If Irina couldn¡¯t use the Everwinter House and a protective umbre, all I needed to do was to be strong enough to protect her, right?


    Looks like I have to grow much faster now¡­


    ¡°Irina! You¡¯vee!¡±


    As I contemted doubling my training hours, a melodious voice beckoned toward us. Well, there was only one person that voice was calling out, but the person in question didn¡¯t feel like answering. Putting on her annoyed face, Irina looked over and growled:


    ¡°What do you want, Trent?¡±


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be that way! I¡¯m just d that my little sister has decided to attend!¡±


    Like before, Irina¡¯s real brother came up to greet the young girl, totally ignoring herplete disdain for his character. Well, for a shameless hack such as himself, I guess this behaviour was to be expected.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been skipping the past two years, so you might have forgotten some of the procedures. How about it? Do you want apanion? I can assist you in anything you might need.¡±


    ¡°I refuse,¡± Irina snorted and looked away.


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be like that.¡± I could feel the amiable Vampire radiate a tinge of anger, but it was so expertly hidden that even Irina couldn¡¯t notice it. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I could ask Sir Damien to send some guards over as well. You won¡¯t need to lift a single finger during this Winter Hunt.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So you¡¯ve finally joined a faction.¡±


    If Irina wasn¡¯t irritated before, her face was fuming now. Vampires weren¡¯t immune from politics that stained everyplex society. In the race for supremacy, the Everwinter House had split themselves into many factions, each hoping to vie for the throne one day.


    And while there were many heirs-in-training, and each of them could potentially take Matriarch Everwinter¡¯s seat in the future, only three factions stood out. The faction led by the current Steward of the Everwinter House, Magnus Everwinter, and the one with the longest history. The faction helmed by one of Irina¡¯s aunts, Hi Everwinter, and possibly the strongest female Vampire in the n other than Matriarch Innocence herself.


    And finally, the faction led by Damien Everwinter. A five-hundred-year-old Vampire that had taken the younger generation by storm. While he was still considered young by Vampire standards, that genius had worked his way to the top, bing as strong as any High Elder and had been raking in achievements like they were wheat to be harvested.


    Each of these factions was immensely powerful, and they all possessed an unquestionable right to aim for the throne. However, Irina¡¯s Winter Sovereign Aspect had thrown a wrench in that delicate bnce.


    Some of the factions felt that Irina should be eliminated, while others thought it necessary to bring her over through any means necessary. And if that meant bribing her only brother¡­


    ¡°Irina, we will have to choose a side sooner orter.¡± Trent shook his head as if doubting the naivety of his sister.


    ¡°Sir Damien is the most obvious choice for that. He¡¯s only five hundred years old, and he¡¯s already contesting against those more than five times his age. A thousand yearster, the Everwinter House will undoubtedly be in his hands. If we join then, it would be toote. In fact, if you were to join as his wife, we could even eliminate the other factions entirely.¡±


    ¡°You want me to do what?!¡±


    ¡°Irina, you¡¯re no longer a child. You should know that while having a boy toy is fun and all, eventually, we¡¯ll need to make marriage alliances. I could put a good word for you if you want, and I¡¯m sure Sir Damien will ept you with open arms.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What did you say?¡±


    At this point, Irina didn¡¯t need to breathe a word. It was one thing to be a bad brother, but to actually sell his sister for his own personal glory¡­ This fucking asshole!!!


    ¡°Shut it, mongrel. I¡¯m talking to my sister.¡±


    ¡°How dare y-¡­¡±


    My own magic power spiked before Irina could even get angry on my behalf. The Soul Armament that I¡¯d be so ustomed to instantly appeared on my hand. The metallic sound of nks echoed through therge amphitheatre, and the ring on my middle finger started to glow.


    ¡°You scum¡­ You actually wanted to prostitute out your own sister!¡±


    ¡°Mongrel, watch your words.¡±


    While Trent needed to show some form of respect to Irina, he didn¡¯t care about my existence. To him, I was just a mere boy toy that Irina had brought home and was a thing that could be squashed anytime he wanted.


    But if he really thought I was just a weakling¡­ He was in for a rude awakening.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need to watch anything. You are the one that has crossed the line, and so¡­¡±


    Blood rushed to my eyes, and the world changed in my mind. I could feel the fabric around me moving. The flow of magic slowing. And most importantly¡­ I could feel my own power spiking. My mind cleared, and I could clearly feel my raging emotions. I wanted to give Irina some semnce of protection, some form of revenge. And thus, I pointed at the good-for-nothing Vampire and said:


    ¡°Kneel.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Trent fell straight to the floor like a puppet whose string was cut. The full force of my Telekinesis towered over the Vampire¡¯s body, making sure that his knees weren¡¯t able to even move a single inch.


    Surprised by the fact that he¡¯d lost his body, Trent howled in agonising pain. However, like any good Everwinter, he quickly found out the precarious position he was in and attempted to struggle out of it. His magic power rose, and his eyes turned blood red. A mark began to shine on his chest as he likely attempted to use his Aspect. But no matter what he did, my control over his body remained firm.


    Seconds passed, and the pressure I was pushing down on him only increased. Blood began tearing out from his wounded knees as the colour on his face disappeared. Although I didn¡¯t intend it, it seemed like my Telekinesis was straining his air supply as I could see the Vampire struggling to breathe.


    Wait¡­ Is this what a fifty-year-old True Vampire was like?


    How is he so¡­ weak?


    Weren¡¯t True Vampires trained to deal with Telekinesis? So why was he struggling so much? It felt like I was against a weaker Blood Servant rather than a True Vampire.


    ¡°Hey! Stop that right now!¡±


    Before the weight of my magic could crush that insolent Vampire to death, a group of older Vampires rushed to the scene. Judging from their clothes and scent, they were likely True Vampires as well. However, unlike Trent, they seemed to be much morepetent.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill someone on the day of the Winter Hunt?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ We just had a small disagreement.¡±


    Rather than fight the two older Vampires, I decided to release my grip on Irina¡¯s supposed brother. As my Telekinesis wore off, the man immediately gasped for air as snort and tears fell from his face. Blood was still dripping down from his knees as his body slowly began to heal up. Although I couldn¡¯t ascertain it, I reckon that he also had some broken bones.


    Seriously¡­ Was this guy really a True Vampire?


    ¡°Still for you to have the audacity to raise your hand against an Everwinter member! State your name and affiliation!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with me,¡± Irina¡¯s voice boldly resonated through the massive halls. ¡°You¡¯ve got a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The moment Irina stepped in front of me, the two older Vampires instantly pieced together the missing puzzle. They looked at each other once before straining their eyes between Trent and us. It didn¡¯t take long for them to make their decision.


    ¡°Do keep your personal affairs private, Young Miss. The Winter Hunt is about tomence, and any disturbances might reflect negatively on you.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Irina folded her arms and spat. ¡°Just keep him away from me. If he approaches me again, I can¡¯t promise that he¡¯ll return in one piece.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll let him know.¡±


    Not willing to fight with Matriarch Innocence¡¯s favourite granddaughter, the two Vampires grabbed onto Trent and firmly dragged him away. The fifty-year-old Vampire didn¡¯t regain his wits once throughout the ordeal.


    As Irina¡¯s blood rtive, I¡¯d thought that the man must have had some ability. But to actually faint on my first attack¡­ The little respect I had for that man had all but evaporated. If he didn¡¯t have the skill, why even try to provoke me?


    Our little stunt caused quite a big stir as most of the Vampires near us began to stare. Even though they didn¡¯t breathe a single word, I felt like I could decipher their every thought.


    Who am I? Why did Irina protect me? What ability did he use?


    It didn¡¯t take long for us to steal the spotlight. Fortunately, being the elite butler that he was, Variel quickly moved to help us.


    ¡°Please, follow me. The opening ceremony will begin shortly. We need to be seated by then.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    As we followed the wizened butler down the stretch, I couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward at all of those piercing eyes. s, if I wanted to survive in this world¡­ This was something that I had to ovee.

 Chapter 25 The Winter Hunt (3)

    ¡°Wee! Ladies and gentlemen! To the annual Winter Hunt!!!¡±


    Standing at the front of the colossal amphitheatre where the Vampires gathered, a handsome young man greeted the audience with an affable smile. He was donned in a top hat with a regal monocle, making him seem like he¡¯s cosying someone from the eighteenth century. Behaving as any good host would, the man watched every move of his audience and waited for the right time to continue his introductions.


    ¡°Thank you all foring on this fine Winter morning. As you all know, we have switched from a seventy-seven seal system to a seventy-three seal system this year. But not to fear, the quality of each seal has been tested rigorously and¡­¡±


    The host started to give a run-down on all of the changes that urred within the past year, from the transformation of the seals to the introduction of new traps. However, that information was useless to me for now. What was more pressing was¡­


    ¡°Irina, which are the Vampires we need to look out for?¡±


    Fifteen minutes had passed since our littlemotion with Trent. And while it had mostly flown under the radar, plenty of Vampires were targeting their gazes in our direction. Unfortunately, I knew nothing of those Vampires. Whether they were friendly, curious or even hostile.


    And as someone who hade to protect Irina¡­ That was unforgivable.


    ¡°¡­ The ones that could threaten us aren¡¯t present right now.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Why not?¡±


    ¡°The most powerful members of the House don¡¯t always attend the Winter Hunt. And even if they do, they will observe from afar or assist the operation. Only those from the younger generation would participate in this farce.¡±


    That makes sense. Unlike most social gatherings, the Winter Hunt was serious business. Even if the strongest Everwinters did attend, they would help eliminate the Outer Demons rather than listen in on this weird theatrical performance.


    ¡°That being said¡­ Do you see the Vampires in the other booths?¡±


    Following Irina¡¯s words, I observed the numerous private booths that were set up. Like how it was in a football stadium, there were public stands and private rooms. The public stands were mainly upied by Blood Servants, which made quite a bit of sense as the Blood Servants outnumbered the True Vampires nine to one.


    As for the private booths¡­


    ¡°They are representatives from each major faction. Every Winter Hunt, they will participate in raking in points to improve their standings.¡±


    ¡°Points?¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Yes,¡± as Irina thought back on how dirty the factions were in the n, her adorable little face trembled. ¡°The Winter Hunt is basically an event that gives bragging rights. Whoever eliminates the most Outer Demons would gain an advantage for the entire year. It¡¯s like in the Olympics where countriespete for the most gold medals.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°And some of the factions follow a sick system where whoever scored the most points would get whatever that person wished. Be it consorts, better training grounds or even the best virgin blood. They will do all that just for a stupid title that renews every year.¡±


    Wow¡­ I didn¡¯t think that they would take it that far.


    ¡°Urgh¡­ Factions truly disgust me¡­ Why can¡¯t they all be like you, Brother?¡±


    ¡°Haha, you little imp.¡±


    Although I said that, my sentiments were simr to Irina¡¯s. Why would anyone pit their family members against each other for some bullshit title?


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to worry too much! While we will be forced to go downter, all you need to do is stay behind me, Brother! Variel, Luminita and I will handle all of the Outer Demons.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    It seems like there will be apetitionter on in which every Vampire present wouldpete to kill the most Outer Demons. And since Irina wasn¡¯t part of any faction, she didn¡¯t have to eliminate many of them. Our Winter Hunt would be over in a few hours as long as she showed her powers and followed the Matriarch¡¯s instructions.


    Seems like an anti-climatic end, but honestly, I was happy as long as Irina was safe.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s starting.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    I followed Irina¡¯s eyes back down to the open field of the amphitheatre. Almost on cue, numerous magic runes emerged from what I¡¯d thought was an open space, and a massive wave of magic power filled the ice dome. As a student of magic, I recognised many of the runic symbols and could even decipher some of the seals that were being used. There were a few odd ones mixed in, but I reckon they were just an amalgamation of seals developed by the Vampires.


    Bit by bit, the seals came undone, and once the fifth one had been released, the illusion of a field of snow shattered. Whaty beneath the Winter Graveyard, the entity that the ice dome was sealing¡­ was a cosmic whirlpool of pure energy.<sub></sub>


    Just watching it from afar made me breathless. It was unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen in my life. While it had been covered by seals and even a thickyer of ice, its mystique was something that would be etched in my mind for the rest of time.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Northern Pole Gate?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± It wasn¡¯t Irina or Variel who answered my question. Rather, it was my stoic father who had been mostly silent throughout our journey here. ¡°That¡¯s a Gate, alright. It¡¯s almost as big as the one at the Hunter Headquarters.¡±


    The cosmic whirlpool was easily asrge as a smallke, which gave quite some rity on how Outer Demons could invade our world so frequently in the past. If the tear between our realities were this huge, it would make sense for the invaders toe in droves.


    ¡°It has been a while since west participated in a purge right, Elna?¡±


    ¡°Haha, yeah! My blood is already pumping just imagining what kind of creatures would emerge from this Gate!¡±


    Both my parents watched the unsealing event with sparkles in their eyes. Before they were relegated to protecting their cripple son, both of them were high-ranking Hunters that killed Outer Demons for a living. Although they never once said it to me, I knew very well that they missed the thrill of the hunt. Particrly when their other colleagues were still going strong in the industry.


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    As the seals slowly came undone, my mage mother turned to Variel, eager to show a portion of her skills that had been honed for decades.


    ¡°Not to worry,¡± the butler shook his head as he answered. ¡°We have experimented extensively and have developed the perfect procedures. There¡¯s almost no risk of a full break or any Disaster-ss Demons escaping from the Gate. Besides¡­¡±


    Just as the man had mentioned, as the seals gradually became undone, so did the massive ice wall blocking the spatial vortex. A small portion of the cial barrier melted away, giving enough space for two elephants to fit through. And with the seals now at their weakest state¡­


    BOOM!!!


    Cosmic thunder struck. The ice dome trembled slightly as a variant light emerged from the now animated spatial whirlpool. As if the fabric of space had been rearranged, the Gate began distorting. And almost immediately after.


    CREEEEEE!!!


    Shrieks of reckoning pierced our eardrums. A ck figure burst through the vortex of space, emerging like a newborn that fell in love with the beautiful world. That figure possessed three wings with a bloated, round figure. Seventeen tentacles iled about from the top of its body, making it look like an absolute monstrosity. However, the worst part was its disgusting seven eyes whichid irregrly at the centre of its body, right above its three mouths.


    There were no creatures on the that resembled that atrocity. No, that mutation seemed like a creature ripped out from the worst Mythos humans could imagine.


    s, it was a real, living creature. A being that we call¡­


    Outer Demon.


    The Outer Demon looked around, seemingly delighted that it had finally invaded our world. However, it recognised that it was in quite a difficult position. From the numerous seals surrounding it to the traps and weapons pointed in its direction. If it wanted to have any chance of living, it had to escape immediately.


    So, that¡¯s what it did. Or at least, that was what it attempted to do.


    The moment it flew up, a magically enhanced machine gun sent a hundred thousand rounds per minute, bolting right into its disgusting flesh. Before it could even breathe the fresh air of our, it had been decorated with bullet holes, causing its life to be forfeited immediately.


    ¡°An Obhuirvath. Looks like the first Outer Demon was a letdown.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Variel tilted his head and continued to exin it to my confused parents and me.


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t just blindly eliminate every Outer Demon thates through. Since we¡¯ve been guarding the Northern Pole Gate for so long, we have an extensive database of what kind of Outer Demons would try to invade. If they are a new species, we would capture it immediately and bring it to ourboratories for testing. If they are powerful known creatures, our elites will use everything in their arsenal to eliminate them on the spot. And if they are weaker Outer Demons, they will be filtered to the hunting zone for the participants of the Winter Hunt.¡±


    The butler then looked at the corpse of the disgusting-looking monster and snorted.


    ¡°But the Obhuirvath is nothing more than cannon fodder. Their only impressive feature is their amazing awareness and tendency to flee. Capturing them for the Winter Hunt would just waste everyone¡¯s time, so we will kill them immediately.¡±


    Oh damn. So even amongst the Outer Demons, there were useless species. I wonder if I threw Trent into that pit, would he be treated the same way as the Obhuirvath.


    The Obhuirvath was just the beginning of the show. Almost immediately, another type of Outer Demon emerged. It was shaped in a jar and had over twenty eyes with dozens of tentacles. If anything, that monstrosity was more disgusting than the Obhuirvath that had been eliminated just seconds prior. However, rather than being gunned down, an ethereal chain emerged from a nearby seal, pulling it to a side as a barrier restrained its movements.


    ¡°Ah, a Lauvhoggdaxz. We can use that for the Winter Hunt.¡±


    Bit by bit, the Outer Demons continued to be filtered out by the Winter Graveyard. None of the Outer Demons could showcase their strengths before the might of the Everwinter House. Some of them were instantly terminated by the numerous traps, guns and even magically-enhanced bombs that were littered around the massive ice wall. Others were captured for either testing or hunting. It really was an automatic process that didn¡¯t need too much input.


    However, as the hour deepened¡­


    ¡°Hoh, now the heavy hitters are arriving.¡±


    Like Variel mentioned, as the seal continued to be open, more and more powerful Outer Demons appeared. The most standout of which was this Elk-like creature. It had tentacles for antlers, and it was bathed in a pale white me that didn¡¯t seem to burn with heat. With its inhuman speeds and reactions, the Outer Demon danced past the hail of bullets and resisted every chain that attempted to capture it. In fact, each one of its tentacles started to emit strong magical energy, destroying anything that came in contact with it.


    ¡°That Outer Demon is strong¡­¡± Watching that Elk-like creature easily brush past its opposition, my father frowned. ¡°It seems capable of fighting A-ss Hunters.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not the only one¡­¡± My mother¡¯s face turned ashen as even more Outer Demons erupted from the spatial whirlpool.


    Those monsters were unlike their weaker counterparts. The seals, weapons and traps that the Winter Graveyard provided weren¡¯t enough to reap their lives away. Fortunately, the Everwinters weren¡¯t just made up of machine guns and bombs¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Elders are present.¡±


    Variel¡¯s words didn¡¯t manage to reach our ears as ourplete attention was glued on the three humanoid beings that descended from the apex of the ice dome. Three Vampires, one well-built middle-aged man, one woman in her prime and another in her adolescence, floated down like Angels descending toy judgement on the beings of hell.


    The first woman opened her arms wide like a shaman performing a rain ritual. However, unlike the fake shamans, her ritual worked immediately as snow started falling. The Outer Demons, confused by the odd urrence, simply watched as the bits of snow graced their skin and melted away.


    Little did they know that their hesitance was what sealed their fate.


    Without giving any warning, the melted snow bloomed into gorgeous icy flowers. It didn¡¯t matter if they were on the surface of the Outer Demon, within their eyeballs, or even absorbed deep into their body. Wherever the snow touched, a bloody flower would bloom.


    It didn¡¯t take long for half of the Outer Demons to be encased entirely in floral coffins, never again to see the light of our beautiful world.


    Seeing theirpatriots fall, the other Outer Demons did all they could to evade the falling snow. But s, that was just the prelude to the Everwinter Elders¡¯ onught.


    The humongous male Vampire clenched his fists and moved faster than the eye could track. No, he moved way faster than anyone I¡¯d ever seen, and that includes my martial artist father. And if I couldn¡¯t even track him, neither could the poor Outer Demons.


    His fistnded a clean hit before they even knew that the Vampire was upon them. Within nanoseconds, the Outer Demon he touched turned into pure ice, and with the force of his strike behind him, the Vampire shattered his adversary into mere shards.


    Not satisfied with a single enemy, the man continued to pulverise the Outer Demons, all with a single punch. I¡¯d never seen someone as efficient as he was. Every enemy he eliminated took less than a second, and they were all decently powerful Outer Demons!


    However, there weren¡¯t just two Elders participating in the unsealing.


    The youngest looking Vampire of them all floated downzily and conjured out a book seemingly out of nowhere. As the book¡¯s pages flipped, a white light emerged from within the Soul Armament and coagted into a physical creature. Possessing a humongous lizard body with demonic wings, the white, feathery creature was something taken straight out of mythology.


    ¡°A dragon¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Elder Jimena is a summoner. Using her Vampire Aspect, she can create a book of summons which can call for creatures far stronger than herself.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So summoners exist even amongst Vampires.¡±


    I watched in awe as the Elder continued bringing out new creatures from Yetis to Frost Wolves and from frosty Terracotta soldiers to Will-o¡¯-the-wisps. Each one was capable of taking down an Outer Demon all on their own.


    What happened next could only be described with one word.


    Massacre.


    It was aplete massacre.


    Coffins of ice flowers. Pieces of shattered ice. Mythical beasts ripping their enemies to shreds.


    None of the Outer Demons could survive thebined power of the three Elders, and it didn¡¯t take long until they werepletely wiped off the face of the Earth. Corpses were littered all around the ice dome, living up to its name as the Winter Graveyard. And with its army annihted, the spatial vortex stopped acting up, enabling the seventy-three seals to smoothly restructure themselves.


    And with that, the first phase of the Winter Hunt hadpleted, bringing peace back to the Everwinter Estate.

 Chapter 26 The Winter Hunt (4)

    ¡°So those are the Elders of the Everwinter House¡­¡±


    Once again, I was reminded of how vast the world truly was. While I bragged about one day bing the strongest being in the world, right now I was far from the summit. A mere Elder was already capable of eviscerating Outer Demons that were as powerful as A-Rank Hunters. Compared to them, my Telekic abilities did seem rather stale.


    ¡°But¡­ I won¡¯t lose.¡±


    Did I feel intimidated? Wary that I could never surpass them in the future? Of course not! I knew full well what my potential was. With my extensive knowledge of magic and rapid learning capabilities, I knew that I would eventually surpass those who stood at the precipice of the food chain.


    It was just a matter of time.


    Besides, as the days continued to go by and I¡¯d begun to familiarise myself with my Vampire Aspect, I became more convinced that it wasn¡¯t just Telekinesis¡­


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    Irina¡¯s gentle voice broke me from my mental dedication, forcing my gaze to follow her line of sight. As suspected, a group of Vampires who looked like they were in their twenties were ring right at us as if we were their mortal enemies.


    ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They must be members of Damien¡¯s faction,¡± Irina spat in annoyance. ¡°They probably were sent to back Trent in recruiting me. And since you¡¯ve foiled their ns, they naturally aren¡¯t happy.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    So they were part of that scum¡¯s crew? Should I give them a ¡®warm¡¯ greeting?


    No¡­ That would cause too much of amotion. I¡¯d already incapacitated Trent, and besides, they have yet to actually show that they were a threat. I couldn¡¯t just restrain someone just because they looked at me funnily. However, if they dared toy a single finger on Irina¡­


    My eyes turned red as my bloodlust spiked. It was odd. Normally, I was quite adept at controlling my emotions. Yet, ever since meeting Irina and turning into a Vampire, I couldn¡¯t tolerate anyone even breathing a single bad word in her direction. Even that incident with Trent before. I wouldn¡¯t have outright plummeted the guy, no matter how irritated I was back when I was a human.


    Was this part of my original self? Or was I affected by the Vampire¡¯s instincts?


    Haha, no it didn¡¯t matter what caused this change in me. I quite liked how honest I¡¯d be. Rather than hiding behind social norms, I¡¯vee to ept that my actions spoke louder than any threat I could give.


    And thus¡­


    I stared. No, my red eyes burst forth with magic power, causing the Vampires to subconsciously take a step back. Since they were trying to intimidate me, I decided to fight fire with fire. It didn¡¯t matter what happened to me; I wasn¡¯t going to forgive anyone who aimed at my precious little sister, even if they were an Everwinter House Elder.


    ¡°Stop it, Master Jin.¡± Variel raised his hand in front of me, suppressing my urge to fight. ¡°It¡¯s not worth dirtying your hands. If they pick a fight, I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡±


    Although thoseckeys weren¡¯t afraid of me whatsoever, the moment Variel showed his intention to fight, their bloodlust faded away like snow in the Summer Sun. After snorting to show their dissatisfaction, they turned away and quickly moved to their starting locations.


    ¡°Hmph, just a bunch of cowards.¡±


    Irina folded her arms and spat once again. And well, I was inclined to agree with her statement. If they wanted to pick a fight, they should have the balls to finish it. If they were going to turn tail the moment Variel intervened, they weren¡¯t worthy of being my opponents, to begin with.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Young Miss, we should get going as well.¡±


    Variel bowed and began to guide us to the starting point of the Winter Hunt. Since we were participating in it to appease the Matriarch and the other Elders, Irina needed to at least kill a number of the captured Outer Demons. Or at the very least, she needed to showcase her abilities so that no one could question her position as heir-in-training.


    ¡°Remember that I won¡¯t be actively participating in the hunt. I will protect you if a dangerous threat were to present itself, but otherwise, everything will be in your hands, Young Miss.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just leave it to me.¡±


    If Variel participated, it wouldn¡¯t even be apetition. The man was a three-thousand-year-old Vampire that had served the Everwinter House since its inception. If he wanted to, he could annihte the entire field of Demons without breaking a sweat. The only reason he was allowed into the arena was to serve as Irina¡¯s guardian.


    Therefore, the only ones that could actively hunt the Outer Demons with Irina were me, my parents and Luminita, the battle maid that served at Irina¡¯s side.


    ¡°Luminita, assist Irina in any way you can.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The silver-haired maid bowed respectfully as she received her orders. I¡¯ve rarely interacted with the girl for the past month since she always seemed to be busy with something. In fact, I can¡¯t even remember thest time we talked until today. However, since Irina and Variel had so much trust in her, I decided to believe in their faith.


    It didn¡¯t take long for our small group to reach the hunt¡¯s starting point. Unlike the other factions that had dozens, if not hundreds of younger True Vampires or Blood Servants. Our party was only six people strong. Well, if you excluded Variel, we only had five fighting bodies.


    And so, when the siren of the hunt finally sounded, none of us were eager to rush in. We followed in Irina¡¯s lead as she happily sauntered into the deadly field with my right arm in her hands.


    Rather than being on a hunt where our lives could be threatened, it seemed like we were going on a leisurely afternoon date.


    ¡°Irina, shouldn¡¯t you be more cautious?¡±


    ¡°I am serious! Aren¡¯t I protecting you from Outer Demons right now?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    Apparently, the girl was in some kind of jovial mood. I don¡¯t really understand what made her this happy, and given our current location, I wasn¡¯t that curious to find out. Though, I was hopeful that Irina would at least be more aware of our surroundings.


    ¡°Please give it up, Master Jin.¡± Luminita, who had been quiet for the longest time, finally spoke her mind. ¡°Once the Young Miss is in this state, it¡¯s almost impossible for her to stop fawning over you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Has she been in this state before?¡±


    ¡°Multiple times,¡± Luminita tried her best to be serious, but the slight rise in her lips betrayed her true feelings. ¡°Whenever she¡¯s having a bad day, the Young Miss will look at photos and videos of you. And when that happens, she will start to have those delusions and-¡­¡±


    ¡°Luminita! Stop talking or I¡¯ll dock your pay.¡±


    ¡°Krmpht! As you wish, mydy.¡±


    The silver-haired woman broke intoughter and struggled to keep her poker face. But still, you don¡¯t just drop that kind of information and just leave me hanging¡­ Looks like I¡¯ll need to meet this Vampire in secret after the Winter Hunt is over.


    Whoooosh¡­


    A chilling breeze broke the monotonous still air of the Winter Graveyard, drawing a sense of uneasy danger in my heart. And sure enough, it wasn¡¯t just me who felt this change. Irina and my father instantly turned towards my right as their faces became as still as stone. Only my mother, who wasn¡¯t a Vampire or a Hunter with enhanced senses, remained oblivious.


    However, she wasn¡¯t kept in the dark for long as¡­


    ROARRRR!!!


    A hideous monstrosity broke free from the dense forestry, roaring and raging with every step that it took. The ground shook every time it jumped, causing numerous trees to fall. And it wasn¡¯t long until we had a clear view of the Outer Demon that attempted to target us.


    Silver fur dominated the ape-like creature that emerged from the shadows. It measured at over ten metres in height, with thick, muscr arms that would make a bodybuilder cry in shame. However, unlike most silverback goris, the Demon didn¡¯t possess a face. Or to be more precise, the only thing on its head was a gigantic mouth with teeth sharper than a talon¡¯s beak.


    But the creepiest part of this Outer Demon wasn¡¯t the fact that it was faceless. Instead, it was the disgusting twenty-odd tentacles protruding out from its back. Attached at the tip of every tentacle was a blood-stained eyeball and each one of them contained a sinister energy that made me nauseous just by observing it from afar.


    It was unquestionably one of the worst things I¡¯d evere across. And so, I looked to the only people who could give me some semnce of normality.


    ¡°A Yzhigesh,¡± true to his word Variel didn¡¯t lift a single hand to help us. Instead, our source of information came from the silver-haired maiden who was wearing a Victorian-style maid uniform.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Outer Demon with immense physical strength and agility. While its defence is weak, it has an amazing awareness. It can sense danger from every angle using its twenty-six eyes, so sneaking up on it is near-impossible. If you want to defeat it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just need to do it in one, unavoidable strike, right?¡±


    Irina stepped forward without anyone prompting. She raised her right hand, and almost instantly, a white light illuminated the back of her hand. The Winter Sovereign emblem, the mark of the Empress of Ice, was now shining brighter than it ever did.


    Within seconds, a giant ice cier, one the size of a small mountain, appeared above our heads. Or to be more precise, it was formed directly above the Yzhigesh. True enough, its awareness was top notch as it instantly realised the precocious situation it was in. And almost as swiftly as it charged towards us, it quickly attempted to flee.


    It thought that it could evade any attack that we could throw at it with its massive hind legs and monkey-like dexterity.


    But s¡­ How could you outrun a mountain falling at terminal velocity?


    BOOM!!!!


    The frozen cier crashed violently, causing a mini earthquake to send tremors through the Winter Graveyard. Snow and hail flew in our direction, but they miraculously turned into water droplets the instant they came within five metres of us. The cier crumbled into multiple pieces, ensuring that nothing could ever escape from its wrath.


    There wasn¡¯t a need to verify the kill.


    Even I couldn¡¯t say that I would survive that damage, let alone a mere Outer Demon with no regenerative capabilities.


    So what was Irina doing after performing such a violent deed and almost rearranging the map¡¯s topography?


    ¡°Hehe, I think that hits my quota for today, right?¡±


    That adorable creature leapt back to my side, iming the right side of my arm as her property once more. She snuggled her face on my elbow, all while saying that she was tired even though she didn¡¯t even break a sweat.


    Goodness¡­ My little sister sure is overpowered.

 Chapter 27 Dancing In Dangerous Waters (1)

    ¡°Thatss¡­ She¡¯s grown this much in just two years¡­¡±


    Up in the stands where members of the Everwinter House could spectate the urrences of the Winter Hunt in real-time, over a hundred Vampires watched as Irina summoned an iceberg out of nowhere to one-shot a mere Yzhigesh.


    Among those in the audience were members from each of the three main factions. In particr, those that had sworn their allegiance to Damien Everwinter.


    ¡°That¡¯s the power of the Winter Sovereign Aspect,¡± one of the elites amongst the Vampires spat with a mixture of disgust and envy. ¡°She can perform feats that no one else in the Everwinter House can. There will be no bottleneck in her abilities, and the only limitation she will have is her magic pool. However, her growth rate will surpass everyone else in the Everwinter House, Master Damien included.¡±


    ¡°Surpassing Master Damien, huh? As expected, shouldn¡¯t we get rid of her?¡±


    The Vampires frowned as a surge of bloodlust overcame them. In their opinion, anything that stood in the way of their master bing the next leader of the Everwinter House needed to be purged. s, nothing in life was so easy.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that. The Matriarch would likely annihte our entire faction if we disobeyed her orders.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! This is getting irritating!¡±


    One of the Vampires cursed in a fury. Although they were part of the three most influential factions, their entire existence paled inparison to one finger on the Matriarch¡¯s hand. If she so chooses to, the Matriarch could make half of the Everwinters disappear, and no one could question her decision. That was the being that protected Irina.


    To aptly describe their feelings, it was like watching a training towards them from a thousand kilometres away, yet they could do nothing to stop it.


    ¡°I heard that she¡¯d even incapacitated her own brother that we¡¯d sent to invite her. She¡¯s clearly hostile to our group.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly right.¡± The calmest Vampire in the group shook his head. ¡°The person who took down Trent wasn¡¯t Irina, but the boy toy she¡¯d brought home.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°That thing?¡±


    With Irina holding onto Jin¡¯s arm so hard, it was evident who that Vampire was talking about. Watching the disy screen with interest, the elites examined the young man.


    ¡°Well, he looks good, but is he really strong enough to take down a fifty-year-old True Vampire? I know that Trent isn¡¯t all that powerful, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we have witnesses that can testify to that,¡± the lead Vampire folded his arms and sighed. ¡°Apparently, he used some mysterious Soul Armament which enabled him to use Telekinesis. Trent was unable to react, and thus he was taken out.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­ Telekinesis, huh?¡±


    The members of Damien¡¯s faction fell into deep thought. While Irina had immense talent and would one day be strong enough to contest for the throne, she was still a baby in their eyes. Not to mention, she didn¡¯t have the requisite number of backers, plus her influence in the n paled inparison to the other major factions.


    However, if she started to gather powerful followers¡­


    ¡°Hey, there was a ban on touching the girl, but not the people around her, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right,¡± the leader amongst them smiled sinisterly. ¡°We can¡¯t hurt Irina now, so we¡¯ll have to make due.¡±


    The Vampires smiled in response as one of them reached for a transponder, a device that allowed members on the outside tomunicate with those who were participating in the Winter Hunt in case of emergencies. However, it was used for a far more nefarious purpose in this case.


    ¡°Lads, we have a job for you¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    ???


    After eliminating our first Outer Demon, our group proceeded through the hunting grounds with next to no disruptions. Evidently, the earthquake that Irina had caused scared many Outer Demons and Vampires away, making our hunt seem like a stroll in a snowy park.


    My parents, who were initially on high alert, even got bored after a while. But we couldn¡¯t actually just leave in the middle of the hunt. In the end, to pass the time, I decided to ask some questions.


    ¡°Luminita, could you exin what kinds of Outer Demons appear in the Northern Pole Gate?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you interested, Master Jin?¡± The silver-haired maid looked at me as her face lit up in joy. ¡°What do you want to know about? Is it the Okhiash? The Iautejh¡¯xu? Or is it the Xythloss? There¡¯s just so many to choose from!¡±


    ¡°H-Haha, there¡¯s no need for specifics¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect that this maid was such a nerd about Outer Demons. Still, that actually worked in my favour.


    ¡°Could you tell me why most of the Outer Demons we¡¯ve seen so far all possess tentacles?¡±


    Of all the questions I had, this was the one that I was most curious about. Although each Outer Demon thus far was unique in its own way, they all possessed the same feature. It didn¡¯t matter if it was in the shape of a deer, an ape or a giant eyeball; they all had some form of tentacles protruding out from their bodies. While it was disgusting in the beginning, my curiosity now overruled my disgust.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s because of the Outer Demon¡¯s habitat, we presume.¡± Luminita calmed down a little and began to exin calmly.


    ¡°Every major Gate is defined by the monsters thate out from it. Although we can¡¯t enter the Gates, we know that they lead to another world or dimension. And just like our world, the Outer Demons must have evolved to fit into their habitat. But well, that¡¯s not the only reason¡­¡±


    The maid paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing.


    ¡°Have you heard of the first time the Northern Pole Gate appeared?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t say that I have.¡± Shaking my head, I turned to my parents to see if they knew anything. Unfortunately, just like myself, their faces were nk.


    ¡°Well, I guess it was aeons ago, and the Everwinter House doesn¡¯t really like to spread the word of their biggest ever defeat.¡±


    ¡°Their biggest ever defeat?¡±


    Luminita nodded at my words. At the same time, I could see Variel¡¯s face twitch a little while Irina was still snuggly attached to my arm. Noting that I would get nothing out of them, I urged my Everwinter encyclopaedia to continue.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Luminata sighed. ¡°While the Outer Demons thate out from the Northern Pole Gate are strong, they pale inparison to the atrocity that emerged on that fateful day. A monster that stood over a thousand metres tall. Its octopus-like head controlled dozens of rubbery tentacles, each one moving independently as if they had a mind of their own. Demonic wings that created hurricanes with every p. Scaly skin that surpasses any kind of armour. And with a humanoid body that had intelligence that surpassed any of our greatest minds¡­ It was the first time the world hadid their eyes upon Cthulhu.¡±


    ¡°Cthulhu? I thought that was a myth?¡±


    At this point, even my mother couldn¡¯t help but interject. As a fellow magic researcher, she¡¯d obviously had heard of that monster that seemed so terrible that it was thrown into the annals of fiction.


    ¡°Cthulhu is no myth,¡± Luminita shook her head with a wry smile. ¡°The Everwinter House paid an enormous price to force the mighty beast to retreat and the army that came with it. Half of our members got wiped out, and that doesn¡¯t include the numerous reinforcements we had to call from the other Vampire Houses and our alliances with the humans.¡±


    ¡°So such a battle happened in the past¡­¡±


    Just as how humans and Vampires could grow more powerful, the same theory applied to the Outer Demons. Most Outer Demons had low intelligence and possessed nothing more than their instincts to hunt. However, as they evolved and climbed up the food chain, their entire characteristics began to change.


    They would gain intelligence equivalent to that of humans. They would start tomand other Outer Demons to do their bidding. And sometimes, they will surpass any powerhouse that our world has to offer.


    We would call those entities by their deserved names¡­


    The Demon Lords.


    ¡°If Cthulhu was a Demon Lord, it made sense why the Everwinter House would have suffered.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And due to its blessing, we presume that the other Outer Demons thate through this Gate had inherited the characteristics of Cthulhu.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why they all have tentacles¡­¡±


    Evolution and a blessing from a Demon Lord. If that¡¯s the case, then it all fits. Not to mention, if that monster was still alive and kicking, it could easily spawn new Outer Demons that would do its bidding.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Everwinter House emphasises improving the seals and allowing some magic to leak out before it umtes too much.¡± Luminita continued her exnation, this time with a much more serious tone. ¡°If the magic within the Gate gets too powerful, Cthulhu might reappear once more, and that¡¯s a risk that we cannot take.¡±


    I can only imagine. If Matriarch Innocence, the full power of the Everwinter House, and their allied reinforcements were only able to repel Cthulhu, one could only guess the ceiling that the Demon Lord had reached.


    Demon Lords, huh¡­ I guess I have one more goal to work towards.


    BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!


    ¡°Hoh¡­ There¡¯s another one, huh?¡±


    Just as we¡¯d gottenfortable, we were once again reminded that we were amid a battle zone. Tremors shook the grounds of the Winter Graveyard as a massive creature emerged from the trees. Unlike the Outer Demons that came before, it possessed an enormous elephant body with tentacles recing its tusk and trunk. Each step it took sent tremors toward us as its hideous body seemed dead set on ttening us to the ground.


    ¡°An Oghythe,¡± Luminita¡¯s eyes opened wide for a brief moment. ¡°It¡¯s an Outer Demon with tremendous defence and resistance to ice. Young Miss, this opponent will be a little tricky to handle for you. You won¡¯t be able to pulverise it like you did with the Yzhigesh.¡±


    Oh hoh? An Outer Demon that had resistance to the powers of the Everwinter House, huh? Well, I guess that¡¯s evolution at work for you.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s going to be difficult for Irina¡­¡±


    I peeled my little sister¡¯s fingers off my arm, finally giving me some freedom to do as I liked. Five rings appeared on my right hand as the chains that connected the rings to my bracelet started to chime. Without giving any opportunity for it to react, I raised my hand up, channelling magic power into the gem on my middle finger.


    Like a mirage in the middle of a desert, the image of the Oghythe began to distort. Several of its wiggling tentacles paused in mid-air while its body began to levitate. Hung by its head, the Outer Demon tried its best to escape from my grasp, but s, it was far too weak. Its four limbs iled about as its ears pped in utter despair.


    ¡°Hoh¡­ I guess Outer Demons do breathe as well.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect my first attempt to strangle this monstrosity to prove this effective. But I wasn¡¯tining. Tightening my grip on the Demon, I continued to channel magic power for my Telekinesis, particrly my control over its throat. And within two minutes of its desperate struggle¡­


    ¡°A pity¡­ I didn¡¯t expect my first Demon kill to be this easy.¡±


    Once the monster had breathed itsst, I threw its corpse to the side, losing all of my interest in the feeble creature. An Outer Demon that specialised in defence? A minion of the Demon Lord Cthulhu? It didn¡¯t matter.


    It was just a mere stepping stone on my path to the top.

 Chapter 28 Dancing In Dangerous Waters (2)

    The next hour passed by asfortably as a stream running down a river. After eliminating a few Outer Demons, Irina started bing disinterested in the Winter Hunt altogether. ording to her words, once she¡¯d shown her ability and proven to the Elders that she was indeed worthy of the title of heir-in-training, there was no need for her to remain on the grounds any longer.


    In fact, if not for the time limit set by the Everwinter House, we might have already left the moment she threw a cier at the Yzhigesh.


    Still, since we had a few more hours left to kill, our small group leisurely strolled through the hunting grounds, asionally stopping to watch the carnage of the battlefield unfold.


    ¡°How many Outer Demons are there left?¡± I thought out loud as we watched a group of ten Vampires battle it out with another Yzhigesh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Irinazily answered my question while firmly attaching herself to my body. ¡°Every year, we capture thousands of Outer Demons. And while the Winter Hunt gathers some of the top elites that the Everwinter House has, we rarely get to eliminate them all. That¡¯s why this damned eventsts so long.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Unlike the other factions, Irina didn¡¯t need to hunt for points. So, the time limit was more of a burden to her than a restriction. While the other Vampires were racing against the clock to eliminate as many Outer Demons as possible, our small group simply sauntered about as if we were on a weekend stroll.


    ¡°Shall we find a corner to rest then? We don¡¯t have to dive deep into dangerous territory if you¡¯ve already hit your quota, right?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a great idea!¡±


    Irina was delighted about my sweet suggestion. Honestly, I would have loved to test my ability out on the other Outer Demons or, at the very least, watch how the other True Vampires fought, but Irina¡¯s safety was the most paramount. There was no need to expose ourselves to unnecessary risk if we didn¡¯t need to.


    And thus, Irina led us to a somewhat isted location where very little surveince would be around. A shady tree with nothing but snow surrounding it stood firmly erect even though the entire forest was littered with battles. Using her ability to control snow, Irina made afortable spot underneath the massive tree, giving us plenty of space to lie down and rest.


    My parents, who had battled some Outer Demons already to shake off their rusty hands, also took the liberty to rest with us. Only Variel and Luminita remained standing to keep their eye out for any threats that mighte our way.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Hehehe, resting on our bed would have been better, but this is fine as well.¡±


    Like we did dozens of times before, Irina happily snuggled on my chest while nuzzling her face into the corner of my arms. Perhaps it was the cool temperatures, but feeling her warm body against my skin made these perilous hunting grounds seem much morefortable.


    ¡°Hey, my parents are watching.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t mind us.¡± My mother yfully winked while she chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just d to see that my son has finally gotten someone to fawn over him! Ain¡¯t that right, Jael?¡±


    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡±


    Just like how I¡¯d gotten used to Irina being in my life, my mom and dad had also opened up to her. While they were hostile to her in the beginning, as the time went by, they could tell that Irina genuinely cared about me and would never do anything to harm me.


    ¡°Hah¡­ I used to think that there would be no one to care for my little boy when we passed on. It feels like it was just yesterday that I had to help change your clothes, bring you books and watch over your health.¡±


    My mother¡¯s face got a little misty as she thought back on the time when I was a cripple. Well, it was just a month ago that I had to rely on them for my daily needs. Not a day went by when they didn¡¯t worry about my needs and sacrificed everything in their life to help me through my darkest times. And if I were to bet, I¡¯m certain they worried about how my life would be when they eventually passed on.


    Fortunately, everything worked out for the better, and I¡¯m now recovering my lost strength and potential. Otherwise¡­


    ¡°Yeah, I need to be much stronger.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? What are you saying all of a sudden?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I smiled and gently stroked Irina¡¯s soft head. ¡°Irina, what are your ns after the Winter Hunt?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to stay in the Everwinter Estate?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    My sudden question turned Irina¡¯s face pale white. The hand that grabbed my arms slowly released their grip as the girl looked at me with watering eyes.


    ¡°W-Why are you asking that?¡± Irina¡¯s voice hid a slight tremble within. ¡°Are you nning on leaving the Everwinter House? Are you abandoning me?!¡±


    ¡°No, not at all!¡±


    This time I was the one who took the initiative and brought the girl closer to my chest. While stroking her soft and luscious hair, I whispered: ¡°Didn¡¯t I promise you that I would protect you for the rest of my life? That I would be your older brother for as long as you wanted? How would I dare go back on my promise?¡±


    ¡°T-Then why are you thinking of leaving the Everwinter House?¡±


    ¡°Irina¡­ I want to be stronger.¡±


    That was my heartful and earnest wish. I knew what it was like to be powerless. To fight a battle throughout as a cripple, forced to live under the mercy of others. It was a feeling that I never want to feel ever again. And therefore, to grow my strength, I needed to leave the Everwinter House.


    It¡­ was a decision that I didn¡¯t make lightly. Yes, the Everwinter House was the perfect ce for me to hone my abilities. There were Blood Servants that had mastered literally every martial art. There were True Vampires that were far stronger than any Hunter the human world had ever produced. There were even all the facilities, supplies, training manuals and teachers that I would ever need.


    And most importantly, there was Irina to stay by my side. To be my rock, protection, and anchor for my love and desires.


    It was truly a paradise for me to train peacefully.


    s, I knew the fastest way for me to grow. And it wasn¡¯t safely behind the walls that Irina had safely made for me. It was to experience the wide-open world. To hunt the Outer Demons that gued our. To meet with other species and learn their ways.


    And besides¡­


    ¡°Irina¡­ I know.¡±


    ¡°K-Know what?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I know that there are three others.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    If Irina wasn¡¯t surprised before, she sure was now. Her gorgeous and charming face quickly turned paler than the snow that surrounded us, and her body trembled violently. Shifting her eyes to the side, Irina muttered softly:


    ¡°W-Whatever are you talking about?! I don¡¯t know three others! Brother, you must be tired! Let¡¯s just head to the exit and call for a doctor, alright?¡±


    ¡°Irina¡­¡±


    Goodness, what an adorable creature. Even when she¡¯s trying to lie, her expressions are this cute. I would have just let it slide if it were any other topic. No, I have been avoiding this issue for the past month now. I can¡¯t allow her to evade this any longer.


    ¡°When I awakened my Vampire Aspect, I saw four souls attached to mine. They were all moulded to keep my soul from tearing apart, and like guardian angels, they watched over and protected my fragile soul.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But now that I have recovered, those souls need to return to their owners. I can tell since I¡¯ve been monitoring them ever since I¡¯d awakened my Aspect. Now that their job is done, they have turned parasitic. Rather than keeping my soul from tearing apart, they are now absorbing the powers of my soul. That¡¯s why I¡¯m unable to use the full power of my Soul Armament.¡±


    I¡¯d only figured this out after observing the four blobs attached to my soul. While they would not harm my soul in any way, they were limiting me from reaching my full potential. And I¡¯m guessing that the fact that a quarter of their souls were attached to mine, their potential had also been limited.


    ¡°Irina, I know that I have to return your soul to you. But, there are three others waiting as well. And when I dream, I can often see visions of them. We weren¡¯t the only ones that met and yed together fifteen years ago, right?¡±


    ¡°Brother, your memories?!¡±


    ¡°No, they haven¡¯t returned yet.¡±


    Perhaps it was the power of the Outer Demon that attacked me, or maybe it was the fact that there were four soul fragments within mine. But the memories that I had fifteen years ago had been sealed tight.


    Although, I would often get hazy dreams where I yed with four young girls. Not just that, I could feel that my affections weren¡¯t only directed at Irina. Deep within my consciousness, I knew that there were three others. I could even vaguely pinpoint which direction they were in.


    Maybe if I were to return all their souls back to them, I could finally get out of this deadlock that I was in. I could someday return to my maximum potential and grow into the Vampire I was meant to be.


    ¡°Irina, I know this might be selfish to ask, but¡­¡± Grabbing her hand, I made sure that Irina met my eyes. I knew about her love for me, and I knew the best way to move this cold beauty was to sincerely ask her with all my heart.


    ¡°Would you travel with me to meet the other three?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡­¡±


    Once again, Irina tried to evade my question. However, this time, she was going to be sessful because¡­


    Scrrrrrreeeeeeeee!!!


    ¡°Tch, another one came to annoy us.¡± Before I could force an answer out of my adorable little sister. Yet another Outer Demon came flying our way. Sighing, I gently stroked Irina¡¯s face and said: ¡°We¡¯ll continue this talk after the Winter Hunt, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Irina didn¡¯t answer, but I expected that. There were just too many things for her to process right now, and I couldn¡¯t fault her for thinking about this life-changing decision that I was forcing her to make.


    And thus, to blow off some steam¡­


    Let¡¯s kill this fucker that interrupted my sweet time with Irina.

 Chapter 29 Dancing In Dangerous Waters (3)

    The Outer Demon that disturbed my precious time with Irina was much like the many others I¡¯d encountered thus far. It measured over four metres long with one central eyeball that seemed to span its entire width. Dozens of tentacles wiggled around in a disgusting manner while its putrid mouth spewed out a green breath.


    However, unlike the other Outer Demons, this one seemed a little special. Without any limbs or wings, it defied thews of gravity by levitating in mid-air.


    ¡°Luminita, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A Kouthus, Master Jin,¡± Luminita answered my question sinctly. In fact, her face betrayed the ample amount of surprise and excitement that came with being an Outer Demon nerd.


    ¡°What powers does it have?¡±


    ¡°A Kouthus is a demon that specialises in using teleportation. It can often teleport away to safety or teleport its opponents away. Not to mention, they could teleport objects to fall on their enemies. It¡¯s a tricky opponent!¡±


    ¡°Hoh?¡±


    Teleportation? I have yet to learn a spell regarding teleportation, but I¡¯m certain that I could take this menace on. Cracking my knuckles, I stepped forward and told the rest to stand back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how strong your teleportation really is.¡±


    I raised my right hand and summoned the Soul Armament that had already been familiarised with my body. Almost instantly, the ring on my middle finger glowed with an azure light as I could feel my power bind the good-for-nothing in ce.


    The Kouthus struggled for a moment, its tentacles iling about like a baby throwing a tantrum. However, before the force of my telekinesis could crush it like an aluminium can, the beast disappeared entirely.


    ¡°Hoh¡­¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    That teleportation urred in less than a second. It reappeared a couple of metres away, this time with a face that seemed to taunt me. Its tentacles pointed in my direction, and its creepy mouth broke into a smile. It even made a sound simr to that of a giggle.


    You crazy little bastard, I was already in an irritable mood, and you¡¯re trying to annoy me once more? Fine, I¡¯ll kill you without mercy.


    Once again, I directed all of my magic power toward the Kouthus and bound it under my control. Its entire outline was constricted by my power, and telekically, I made sure that it didn¡¯t have any chance of escaping. However, just like before, the Outer Demon disappeared entirely and transferred a few metres away.


    And as it did that¡­ The space around the Kouthus warped ever so slightly.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡±


    It was very slight, and possibly no one other than me would have noticed it. But I knew that space was being distorted. The power of the Kouthus wasn¡¯t anything special as it could only move around like an annoying bee. But what really got me was¡­


    ¡°Again!¡±


    My telekic ability locked in on the Kouthus again, crushing every corner of its body. But this time, I primarily focused on the Outer Demon¡¯s eye. Just like before, the Kouthus teleported away before I could crush its guts out of its mouth. However, as I¡¯d surmised, the space around the Outer Demon warped ever so slightly, with the biggest depression being near the Kouthus eye.


    Again and again, I experimented. Each time it teleported, I noted down the amount of space that got warped and whether it fit the amount of force that I put it. And after five additional times, I finally came to a realisation.


    ¡°I see now¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­ Is it too hard for you? Do you want me to take him down?¡±<sub></sub>


    Irina, who had seen the Kouthus slip through my fingers every time I tried to control it using telekinesis, misunderstood that I was struggling against the Outer Demon. Seeing her pumped-up face that seemed ready to tear the Kouthus apart for pissing me off really brought warmth to my Vampiric heart.


    But s, I wouldn¡¯t be a man if I made my sister fight my battles for me.


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve misunderstood Irina. I was just experimenting.¡±


    ¡°Experimenting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you see¡­ I¡¯d always thought that there was something different about my awakened power. While everyone told me that it was telekinesis, I¡¯d always thought that it didn¡¯t quite fit that description.¡±


    When Variel told me that my ability was telekinesis, I knew something was missing. That doubt only grew after discovering that my telekinesis was far stronger than the average Vampire¡¯s, and it would take my opponent ten times the amount of magic power to break free. And as time went on and I continued to test and train with my Soul Armament, I realised that there was a missing piece of the puzzle.


    And after fighting the Kouthus, I finally realised what the missing piece was.


    Seeing that it was the perfect chance to pounce, the Outer Demon teleported five metres above me and attempted to throw bits of rock down on my body. The pieces of debris fell rapidly, with each one deadlier than the other. If nothing was done, my body would be crushed, and the Kouthus would have finally taken out its first prey of the day.


    s¡­


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    I raised my hand above my head, and instantly, the world froze. Everything from the Kouthus that flew overhead to the sharp rocks that wished to prey on my flesh. Everything had fallen under my distinct control.


    The Kouthus smiled again, thinking that it could break free from my control once more. However, as it attempted to teleport away¡­


    Creeeeee?! Creeeeeeee?!


    It was befuddled. It couldn¡¯t understand why its innate power, which had never failed to activate before, finally malfunctioned. No matter how hard it tried, no matter how loudly it cried, no matter how much magic power was resonating in the air¡­ There was nothing that the Outer Demon could do.


    ¡°H-He stopped¡­ a Kouthus from teleporting?!¡±


    Luminita¡¯s jaw dropped, and her eyes bulged out from their sockets. It did look amusing, the way that this normally professional-looking maid lost all sense of herposure. And it wasn¡¯t just her; even Variel had begun twitching his eyebrows.


    ¡°B-Brother, what did you do?!¡±


    Irina held herself back from running into my arms as we were still in the middle of a battle, but I could tell that she desperately wanted to. Goodness, why is she so adorable? Let¡¯s conclude this battle quickly so that I can fulfil her wish.


    ¡°You see¡­ You guys thought that when I control the movements of an object, inanimate or otherwise, it¡¯s because of telekinesis.¡±


    That was a natural conclusion. I was even tricked that my power was telekinesis, the ability to control another object or person. However, judging by how space itself distorts whenever I use this ability¡­


    ¡°But that¡¯s not true. Not true at all. My power isn¡¯t telekinesis¡­ But the power to control space.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re joking.¡±


    If that¡¯s the case, then everything makes sense. There was a reason why it was so difficult to use magic to escape from my telekinesis and a reason why thousand-year-old Blood Servants could do nothing but watch as I wrest control away from them.


    When they attempted to break free from my telekinesis, they weren¡¯t just fighting against my magic power. They were fighting against space itself.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Kouthus could escape from my control so easily. It could just teleport away from the space that is distorting it. However, its teleportationes with a limit, doesn¡¯t it? It can only teleport to distances five metres away from itself. And so, if I control space within five metres of its body¡­¡±


    Clenching my fists, I moved the Outer Demon right in front of us, all the while making sure that it couldn¡¯t find a single area to teleport to.


    ¡°Thank you, Demon. If I hadn¡¯t met you, I would have continued the misunderstanding of my power. So, I shall kill you with my most powerful attack as a parting gift.¡±


    I stood tall as magic power condensed from my inner core onto my right middle finger. The power that was being channelled started to shake the Earth as rocks levitated all around me. The rocks began spinning, and they congregated at one point as a ten metres tall structure.


    I willed for the gigantic rock to turn into a shape that I was most familiar with, and my control over space moulded the boulder into a giant fist. Clenching my own, I moved to a stance that I was most familiar with and stamped my feet firmly on the ground.


    The Kouthus was iling about, terrified about what was going to happen to it. And well, it was right to be afraid. I¡¯d yet to release control over the space that surrounded it; if anything, the force I generated had almost tripled. To ensure that nothing would go wrong, Ipressed space into a single corridor where only me, my giant rock fist and the Kouthus existed.


    There was no escaping. No hiding. No blocking.


    The only thing that the Outer Demon could do¡­ was face my attack head-on and pray that it would survive. But that¡¯s a big if.


    I pulled the fist all the way back, stretching thepressed space as I did so. Like a slingshot, the giant rocky fist stored up potential energy as space itself started to distort. And like a kid testing out his new toy, I experimented on the limits of my power. More and more energy was being stored within the fist until eventually¡­


    BOOOOOMMM!!!


    Flying at over ten times the speed of sound, the ten-metre tall fist came crashing back, elerating every second that it distorted the space around it. All at once, the stored potential energy turned into pure kic energy, causing the simple rocky structure to seem like a meteorite falling from the skies.


    Well, it might have been since the moment the Kouthus came into contact with the fist, it copsed right into the floor and created an impact crater twenty metres in radius. Space itself returned back to normal, revealing my fatigued and sweaty body.


    ¡°Brother! Are you alright?!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± I panted softly as I tried to catch my breath. At the moment, I¡¯d felt like I had done a full exercise routine that included a high-intensity cardio session. It was an ufortable state of exhaustion, but it wasn¡¯t something that I couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°I¡¯d just pushed myself a little, that¡¯s all. Give me a few minutes, and I should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Geez, you should leave small fries like this to me next time!¡±


    ¡°Haha, duly noted.¡±


    Small fry, huh? Irina was right; this Kouthus was just a weak Outer Demon that was cannon fodder for the youths of the Everwinter House. Defeating it was to be expected. But still, I had to thank this small fry for opening my eyes.


    Now I¡¯m one step closer to fully awakening my potential.

 Chapter 30 Dancing In Dangerous Waters (4)

    After taking a short break, Irina and I walked over to the Kouthus to check on its defeat. Since I¡¯d used my strongest attack yet, it had taken massive amounts of damage, with most of its tentacles torn to shreds. Its singr eye was filled with blood and what little life it had left seemed to be leaving its body.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t die from that? What a tenacious fellow.¡±


    Outer Demons really were something else. If it were any regr human, they would have been crushed by the makeshift meteorite impact that I¡¯d created. However, the Kouthus survived a direct hit from my most powerful attack.


    ¡°Irina, why don¡¯t you finish it off? It counts to your tally, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh? But didn¡¯t you take it down, Brother? It doesn¡¯t seem right to steal your prey¡­¡±


    ¡°You stupid girl. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll get anything by taking this kill.¡±


    I was literally just a carry-on for Irina during this Winter Hunt. All of my kills would just add to her tally, so there was no point in me taking this final blow. Besides, after learning the true nature of my telekinesis, I¡¯d lost all interest in the Outer Demon. I was more excited to test the limits of my power now that I knew what it truly was.


    ¡°Still¡­ It doesn¡¯t feel right to take your achievements.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ If you really want to make it up to me, can I get the answer to my question from earlier?¡± I earnestly looked at my little sister and repeated myself. ¡°Will you travel with me to meet the other three?¡±


    ¡°T-That!!!¡±


    Just in case Irina thought I¡¯d forgotten about it, I made sure that the girl remembered my proposal. I knew that Irina wasn¡¯tfortable with talking about the other three, but I knew very well that they existed. More so since my soul starts to yearn for the other three with every passing day.


    I would often see images of them within my blurred out memory and as my soul recovers, so do my sealed up emotions. I knew that just like the bond I shared with Irina, the other three were individuals who were important to me. I just didn¡¯t know why yet due to my annoying amnesia.


    But then again, I couldn¡¯t just leave Irina all alone in the Everwinter House, especially since I knew how much she sacrificed to be with me. I couldn¡¯t just abandon my adorable little sister. And so, I needed to bring her along on my adventure.


    But before I could hear her answer¡­


    ¡°¡­ We¡¯re not alone.¡±


    Almost simultaneously, Irina and I snapped our heads to a gap within the forest. As True Vampires, our senses were far above any regr human beings and sensing changes in our environment was as natural as breathing, even if they were kilometres away. And true enough, about a dozen Vampires emerged from our line of sight.


    ¡°Mistress Irina, please pardon our intrusion.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    The first one to reach us was a charming young man who possessed simr traits to the girl by my side. With strikingly long white hair and a petite face that seemed to be moulded by marble, I¡¯d almost mistaken the Everwinter Vampire as an androgynous female.


    ¡°Who are you, and what do you want?¡±


    Obviously, Irina was on guard. There weren¡¯t many people that she could call her allies in the Everwinter House and those that swore allegiance to her were all by her side. The rest of the Everwinters all had their own respective schemes and desires. And for them to approach so tantly¡­


    ¡°My lowly name is not worth mentioning. However, I am part of Lord Damien¡¯s youth corp. We are participating in this Winter Hunt on behalf of his name.¡±


    ¡°Damien again¡­¡±


    It¡¯s a name that I keep hearing. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was the weakest faction and was desperately trying to improve his standings in the family, from pulling Irina¡¯s blood-rted brother onto his side to messing with us so openly. It feels like this won¡¯t be thest time that I¡¯m shing with this asshole and his faction.


    ¡°I really have to apologise, but we were tracking this Kouthus down from a while back. We seemed to have scared it in your direction. To prove it, we have made a scar on its back.¡±


    To prove his case, the True Vampire got his underlings to flip the Kouthus on its back and showed a deep scar that I hadn¡¯t noticed before. No, given the circumstances, it did seem likely that this Outer Demon was running away from their group before stumbling across ours.


    ¡°Hmmm, so what? Are you saying that you should be given credit for the kill?¡±


    ¡°¡­ We aren¡¯t so brazen as to ask that of you,¡± the man continued smiling and hid his intentions masterfully. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ We¡¯ve been tracking this Kouthus for the past hour, and we have sustained some casualties due to this Demon. Allowing it to fall into the hands of another¡­ It won¡¯t sit well with my injured brothers. If you might, please allow us to take this kill. We will be certain to award you handsomely once the Winter Hunt is over.¡±


    Hoh? So it was a matter of revenge? Well, it can¡¯t be that simple¡­


    ¡°Why should I give in to you? That Kouthus came towards us, and we killed it. Even if you¡¯d been hunting it, we are the ones that killed it.¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned, we would be most grateful if you gave us this kill. We will reward you handsomely for it.¡±


    ¡°Even if you-¡­¡±


    Before Irina could deny their words, I pulled her aside and whispered: ¡°Irina, just give it to them.¡±


    ¡°B-Brother?! But that¡¯s your kill! They can¡¯t just¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Irina,¡± I made sure my voice was soft enough that none of them could hear. Just to be on the safe side, I isted the space around us to prevent noises from escaping. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re just here because we stole their prey. It¡¯ll be better if we leave now before they can pull any stunts.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­ They¡¯ll start a fight?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what their intentions are, but¡­¡±


    Once more, I examined the individuals that faced us. Fifteen Vampires came from the forest. All fifteen of them were True Vampires rather than Blood Servants, and the density of their magic power seemed well above average. To give aparison, if Trent¡¯s magic power was that of a wild boar, these True Vampires all had auras that surpassed that of a bear. Not to mention, other than the one that talked to us, the others didn¡¯t have friendly faces in the slightest.


    But the thing that bugged me the most was¡­


    ¡°They said they have been chasing the Kouthus for an hour, yet their clothes are squeaky clean. They wouldn¡¯t be this unscathed if they really had such a difficult battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right.¡±


    Everything about their appearance was suspicious. From the fact that they urately knew where we were to the spotless clothes they wore. If I were a betting man, I would bet that they came here with a hidden purpose.


    ¡°It¡¯s a different matter if they tried to hurt you. However, if it¡¯s just one random Outer Demon, we don¡¯t have to risk anything just to confront them. Besides, killing a Kouthus means nothing to us. It¡¯s better to just retreat.¡±


    ¡°You make a good point¡­¡±


    Safety came first. I wouldn¡¯t risk the safety of Irina and my parents just because of some ego kill. Fortunately, Irina agreed with my analysis and hollered back at the unweed guests.


    ¡°If you want the Kouthus this badly, you can have it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Thank you, Mistress Irina.¡± As I¡¯d expected, the lead Vampire faltered for a second. Evidently, he wasn¡¯t expecting us to give up the Outer Demon this quickly. Still, as a professional, he bit down his frustrations and continued:


    ¡°Would you want me to draw up an agreement?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Irina frowned angrily before grabbing onto my arm. We turned around abruptly and walked briskly back towards Luminita, Variel and my parents. However, even with our backs turned, the majority of our senses were locked in on the fifteen True Vampires.


    One¡­ Two¡­ Three steps.


    We kept walking, not at all bothered by the fact that we had just given up an Outer Demon for free. But the True Vampires behind didn¡¯t bulge in the slightest. Normally, when a hunting group had finally obtained their prey after an hour of tracking it, they would kill it immediately to im the kill. However, none of the fifteen True Vampires did that.


    In fact, they were just staring at Irina and me. As if¡­


    We were their prey all along.


    BOOM!!!


    ¡°I knew it!¡±


    The second one True Vampire made a move, I instantly turned around while summoning my Soul Armament. As if in concert, all fifteen of the True Vampires leapt up into the air, each one exuding a tremendous amount of magic power from their Aspects.


    Almost instantly, weapons appeared in all of their hands, and a select few had summoned animalpanions to assist in the fight. However, their objective was clear. They wanted to fight, and they wanted to see blood.


    ¡°Jin!!!¡±


    My parents were the first to call out their attack. My mother brought out her wand and instantly created a wall of fire to separate us from the attackers. My father too mmed his fists together and rushed to our side. Variel and Luminita, on the other hand, weren¡¯t in a hurry to defend me. Rather, they flew to Irina¡¯s side and ensured that no harm could ever fall on her.


    ¡°You fuckers! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t me us, Princess. We are just following orders!¡±


    Five of the True Vampires rushed towards Irina, each one seemingly aiming to aim for her head. Variel waved his hand and summoned thousands of icy needles in a calm gesture. With a second movie, the needles circled around him at Mach speed, creating a protectiveyer that couldn¡¯t be prated unless one was willing to be ripped to smithereens.


    But s, it didn¡¯t seem like the True Vampires¡¯ target was Irina.


    The remaining ten flew faster than most birds could move and had already surrounded me. My father and mother weren¡¯t consequential in their eyes, and so they simply had two of their buddies keep thempany. However, the bulk of their manpower was concentrated on eliminating me.


    ¡°BROTHER!!!¡±


    Irina¡¯s cries sharply resonated within my mind. Ah, I see¡­ They wanted to remove me from Irina¡¯s side. I don¡¯t know what their motivations were, but they saw me as a pest that needed to be extracted at all costs.


    Hahaha¡­ This is frustrating.


    Even after training for this long and after awakening my Aspect, I¡¯m still being belittled. Even after proving that I was capable, people still thought I was a disposable toy that Irina had brought in.


    That was how the Vampiric world functions. It was a society where only the powerful got a voice, and those who couldn¡¯t fight were treated as second ss.


    But I ain¡¯t no second-rate, am I?


    I am a man who has fought against death itself. I am a man who is destined to climb to the top and, most importantly¡­


    I am Irina¡¯s big brother.


    I can¡¯t afford to die to some measly underlings, can I?


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    I raised my hand and forced everything that I had into the ring on my middle finger. Space contorts, and the fabric that made up our dimension wobbled. I locked all of my attackers down in a stranglehold in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s this?!¡±


    ¡°F-Fuck, careful! His telekinesis is strong!!!¡±


    The True Vampires cursed and moved to break free from my spatial hold. Surprisingly enough, many of them did manage to break free from my grasp. I guess that was the difference between True Vampires that had trained adequately. They weren¡¯t Blood Servants who were innately unable to resist me or weak True Vampires like Trent who couldn¡¯t resist me. They were elites that had been trained and fought to be the very best.


    If we were in any other situation, I might have befriended them and asked them to be my training partners. However¡­


    ¡°Make sure to pay attention to his telekinesis! Once we deal with that, he¡¯s nothing but a boy toy!!!¡±


    ¡°Aim for his head!!!¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t!¡±


    My father broke free from the deadlock that he was in and attempted to rush to my side. My mother was trying to do the same as well. In a frantic state, her wand was spewing out random spells while ignoring the fact that she could be hit. If nothing was done, both of them might get injured by their opponents who were actually paying attention to them.


    And I won¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°Mom! Dad! Stop where you are!¡±


    I leapt a dozen metres in the air and easily dodged the attacks that came my way. Levitating in ce, I made sure that everyone could see me. Be it, Irina, my parents or the opponents that attempted to reap my life away.


    I made sure that everyone could see me. That¡¯s because I wanted all of them to know that I was no pushover. I am not a boy toy. I am not someone that needs protection anymore.


    I am¡­


    Jin Valter.


    CRACKKKK!!!


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re joking¡­¡±


    ¡°T-The Ice Dome?! It¡¯s breaking apart?!¡±


    Using all of my remaining magic power, I targeted the one thing that the Everwinter House was most proud of. Not because I wanted to send it crashing to the ground. Even I wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that I could do that. All I wanted to do was break a few pieces of ice off the impregnable Ice Dome, the Winter Graveyard that the Everwinters were most proud of, to attack the assholes that thought that I was a pushover.


    And true enough, none of my opponents moved a muscle. They watched in horror as I opened a hole in the emblem of their pride, the supposed invincible wall of ice that protected the Everwinter House with my very own spatial abilities.


    Fifteen massive shards fell towards me before hovering about like levitating des. Using my authority over space, I ensured that the ice fragments were akin to homing missiles that never lost sight of their targets. And while the True Vampires were stunned, I raised my middle finger and pointed my shining ring at the individuals that sought to take my life.


    Only this time¡­ I wasn¡¯t the one who was going to see the Grim Reaper.


    ¡°Die, you bastards.¡±

 Chapter 31 Rising (1)

    Swoooshhh!!! Swoooshhh!!! Swoooshhh!!!


    The fifteen ice shards elerated past the speed of sound and eventually exceeded a pace that I could keep track of. The inertia of the falling ice became so intense that they resembledets falling from the sky.


    ¡°Fuck!!!¡±


    All of the True Vampires that attacked us were being targeted. It didn¡¯t matter if they focused on me, my parents or even Irina. All of them were facing the wrath of my power. Some of them tried to evade the falling ice, but I made sure that the icyets were locked onto their fleeing bodies using my spatial ability. So that left them with only one viable option.


    BOOMMM!!! BOOMMM!!! BOOMMM!!!


    The shardsnded urately on all of their targets, creating an impact crater with every hit. Most of the True Vampires were unable to defend against my attack and had their bodies viciously pierced through. Those that were lucky managed to barely scathe through without any serious injury, but they were likely shell shocked by the impact.


    ¡°Hoh¡­ None of them died? I guess my power is stillcking¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel underwhelmed. I¡¯d thought that using the ice from the Winter Graveyard, I would be able to kill the bastards that attempted to attack me. s, True Vampires had extraordinary recovery abilities and had tenacious bodies. It would take more than just pure ice shards to kill them for good.


    ¡°Should I try again?¡±


    I was tempted to call forth another barrage, this time to truly end their miserable lives. However, I felt my world spin as I attempted to call forth more magic power. Catching myself before I lost all motor functions, I held my palm up on my face and purged the headache through sheer will.


    ¡®F-Fuck¡­ I used too much magic¡­¡¯


    This was a rarity for me. I usually trained for hours upon hours every day, and most of my sessions involved limit-testing, where I exhausted all of my magic. Still, the amount of magic power I¡¯d used throughout the day did seem excessive.


    I crushed Trent in the morning. Killed an Oghythe on Irina¡¯s behalf. Fought a plethora of Outer Demons, including the Kouthus, which exhausted a considerable amount of my magic power. I learned and probably overused my spatial magic. And finally, I fought against fifteen True Vampires where I used everything I had left in the tank to break the Ice Dome to create fallingets and defeat said Vampires.


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that I was spent.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Brother! Are you alright?!¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±


    I said that, but truth to be told, I was feeling extremely sleepy. All it took was one slight push, and my consciousness would have slipped into darkness. Still, I couldn¡¯t just leave Irina to fend against her foes alone. Through sheer willpower, I kept standing as I stared at the fifteen True Vampires who were still attempting to recover from their injuries.


    ¡°Irina, let me finish them.¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯re too fatigued right now! Let me deal with them!¡± The gorgeous youngdy snapped her head back at the fifteen individuals, her Vampiric fangs sharpening by the second. ¡°They dared to attack you! In front of me, no less! I shall make sure they pay the price!¡±


    ¡°No, Young Miss. Let¡¯s stop here.¡±


    ¡°Variel! Are you on their side?!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the elderly butler shook his head before pointing a finger to the sky. ¡°You should know that I will always be on your side. However, even if we joined forces, I don¡¯t think we will be able to kill fifteen Everwinters when there are three Elders here.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Using what little strength I had left, I followed Variel¡¯s finger up and sure enough, the three Elders that began the Winter Hunt were staring at our group with wary eyes. No, to be more precise, all of their gazes were locked onto me.


    Curiosity, apprehension, shock, anger¡­


    A myriad of emotions was stered all over their faces. Most likely, they were called because a hole had been created in the Ice Dome, and they needed to find the culprit. However, rather than a powerful Outer Demon or an elite Everwinter, they discovered that the person responsible for desecrating their impregnable Ice Dome was just a mere boy toy that they¡¯d overlooked.


    Haha, it did feel a little liberating to see their bbergasted faces.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Brother¡­ Just leave the rest to me. You take a nice nap, alright?¡±


    ¡°No, I can still¡­¡±


    ¡°Sleep.¡±


    Suddenly, the drowsiness that I had been keeping at bay overwhelmed me all at once. Darkness enveloped my consciousness as I felt strength leaving my already fatigued body. Although I had attempted to fight back the sleepiness, I was no match for the umted fatigue I¡¯d built up. Thest thing I saw was my sister¡¯s proud face, smiling down at me like a shining ray from the warm Sun.


    ???


    Due to the extraordinary circumstances this year, the annual Winter Hunt came to an abrupt halt. It was a scandal that sent shockwaves through the Everwinter House, one that gathered every single High Elder, Administrator and even the Matriarch herself into one room.


    Irina Everwinter, one of the heirs-in-training as well as the Matriarch¡¯s favourite granddaughter, had been attacked on Everwinter soil. The perpetrators imed that they were acting alone in response to her taking their kill, but everyone with a brain could tell that the factional war for dominance had something to do with the attempt.


    Needless to say, everyone involved in the attack had been thrown into jail and was awaiting further investigation. Based on the Everwinter¡¯s ownws, they would be sentenced to harshbour or even exiled for attempting to start an internal battle during the sacred Winter Hunt.


    But honestly, none of the elites was worried about their sentencing right now. The more pressing issue was¡­


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­ To think that a mere human could have destroyed the Ice Dome.¡± One of the Elders couldn¡¯t help but remark. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he just turned into a True Vampire a month ago? How did he obtain that power?¡±


    ¡°You need to be precise,¡± another Elder frowned in response. ¡°He didn¡¯t destroy the Ice Dome; he broke a hole through it. The Ice Dome itself recovered after a few seconds and regenerated the hole that he¡¯d created.¡±


    ¡°My question still stands. How does a mere one-month-old True Vampire damage the Ice Dome, designed to contain the Cthulhu? Must we reconsider how it¡¯s designed?¡±


    The hall broke into a flurry of discussions, with each high-ranking member of the Everwinter House raising their own opinions. One thing led to another, and eventually, everyone started to talk over each other. Some wanted to hold Jin ountable for the damage that had been done, while others wanted to figure out what his origins were.


    It wasplete mayhem. Until¡­


    ¡°Have you forgotten that I¡¯m here?¡±


    That simple voice¡­ That familiar tone¡­ That was all it took for all of the Vampires in the room to close their mouths. Their faces turned pale as a shiver ran down their spine. Slowly pivoting their heads to the side, they fearfullyid eyes upon the one being that sat upon the throne.


    ¡°Matriarch, please forgive our unruly behaviour.¡±


    ¡°Please punish us, Matriarch.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter which faction they served; all of the Elders bowed in reverence as they waited on their Sovereign to speak. Matriarch Innocence sat back on her regal throne whilezily shaking her hands.


    ¡°I have left the administration for a thousand years, and all of you have forgotten how to act. Magnus, have you lost control over the House?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, honoured mother.¡±


    A muscr man donned in the most luxurious suit humanity had ever seen stood up and bowed to the white-haired Vampire. Like the Matriarch, he possessed an impable face with luscious long hair. In fact, if he stood side-by-side with the Matriarch, one might even mistake them as twins.


    ¡°I know that the Everwinter House runs on factional politics, but always remember¡­ Strength can onlye in unity. We will eventually eat each other apart if you keep fighting over small deadlocks. Remember the lesson from the Bloodbourne House.¡±


    Although the Matriarch seemed to be talking to the Steward of the House, her words resonated within the hearts of her subjects. Peace had made them forget where their true powery. Other than the threat of the Outer Demons, the factions had lost many of their external enemies. And so, they had begun fighting with each other until even the threat of a talented young Vampire such as Irina was significant enough for them tounch an unprecedented attack.


    It truly was a shame on the Everwinter House.


    ¡°Damien, although the culprits won¡¯t incriminate you, I know that they are from your faction.¡±


    ¡°¡­ My apologies, Matriarch.¡±


    A man who looked like he was in his twenties stood up and immediately bowed down. He was simrly donned in a suit, but it was much more ostentatious this time. From gold chains to earrings and tattoos. He seemed like a young scion who wanted to show off all of his assets.


    ¡°It was my fault for not controlling my subordinates. For that, I¡¯ll take full responsibility.¡±


    Matriarch Innocence smiled in satisfaction as she eyed down the rising supernova of her House.


    ¡°From the video evidence we have, the culprits didn¡¯t intend to hurt Irina. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I can easily forgive someone who went against my order. Damien¡­ You know that punishment is due, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I will ept whatever punishment you mete out, Matriarch.¡±


    At Damien¡¯s words, the Matriarch¡¯s eyes lit up red and magic power soon filled the room. Every True Vampire, whether they were a three-thousand-year-old Elder or a fifty-year-old heir-in-training, felt a mounting pressure weigh on their shoulders. To them, it felt like the Earth and sky had been inverted, pushing the weaker few down on their knees.


    However, Damien remained standing. He held his chest up high and looked at the Matriarch with an unwavering will. The Matriarch¡¯s lips rose ever so slightly, somewhat impressed by the man¡¯s mindset. But, no matter how impressed she was, the punishment had to be meted out.


    Almost by magic, Damien¡¯s left arm had been cleanly sliced off and instantly disintegrated into nothingness. At the same time, a pale white me covered the man¡¯s wound, preventing blood from spilling all over the floor. Usually, the arm would regrow back in seconds with a Vampire¡¯s regenerative factor. But unfortunately, the me seemed to be preventing any form of regeneration.


    ¡°For disobeying my order, you shall live fifty years without your left arm. My seal will dissipate once your sentence is up, and you can regrow your arm back.¡±


    Everything happened in a blink of an eye, from the sentence to the punishment. Damien barely had a chance to react to the Matriarch¡¯s invisible power.


    ¡°¡­ Thank you for your mercy.¡±


    Even if he was unwilling, the faction master had to bow his head down in servitude. Besides, fifty years without an arm was nothing to the True Vampire. If anything, he got off easy as his subordinates had directly attacked the Matriarch¡¯s favoured granddaughter.


    With Damien¡¯s matter put to rest, the Matriarch finally addressed the elephant in the room.


    ¡°The matter regarding the Ice Dome shall be closed. I¡¯ve personally checked the tapes and examined the seals, and there¡¯s no permanent harm done to the Winter Graveyard. The Ice Dome is working as expected, and the seals have not degraded in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°B-But, Matriarch! What about the human that broke a hole through the Ice Dome?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a threat,¡± Matriarch Innocence answered the anxious Elder with a bored voice. ¡°His Aspect is unique and a bad match-up for the Ice Dome; that¡¯s why he destroyed it that easily. He was just lucky.¡±


    There were truths in the Matriarch¡¯s answer. Jin¡¯s control over space just happened to be the only weakness that the Ice Dome had. In fact, other barriers were protecting the Winter Graveyard just in case an Outer Demon possessing spatial abilities just like Jin appeared. So, there was no need to panic over some broken ice.


    ¡°S-So, what is your sentence?¡±


    ¡°Sentence? What sentence? The boy isn¡¯t even part of the Everwinter House.¡± Matriarch Innocence couldn¡¯t help but break intoughter. ¡°Besides, he didn¡¯t break anyw, did he?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡­¡±


    Yes, the Ice Dome was a bastion of pride for the Everwinter House, but there wasn¡¯t anyw saying that it shouldn¡¯t be damaged. In fact, the members of the Everwinter House would always run tests by attacking the Ice Dome with their powers, just to see how much damage it could sustain.


    One could even argue that Jin did the Everwinter House a service by showing what vulnerabilities the Ice Dome had.


    ¡°No harm shall befall upon the boy. That¡¯s my verdict.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, Matriarch.¡±


    Although many had differing opinions, they could only bury their grievances. The Matriarch had the final say in the Everwinter House, and anyone who went against her word would suffer the same fate as Damien.


    And with that final note, the meeting of the Everwinter House came to a sessful close. Many left while dragging their feet, while others couldn¡¯t wait to get out of the room. Irina was one of those individuals, but s¡­


    ¡°Irina,e with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, honoured grandmother¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s long day only seemed to get even longer.

 Chapter 32 Rising (2)

    After the emergency meeting of the Everwinter House, my grandmother led me straight to her abode, wasting no time with pleasantries or haggling with the aftermath of the Winter Hunt. In her opinion, the ancient Vampire had long washed her hands clean from the administrative duties that gued every n leader.


    In addition, I believe that there was a more pressing matter to address.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°N-No, honoured grandmother. Thank you for asking.¡±


    My body stiffened up as I stopped myself from shaking in my seat. Although this ancient woman has said that she wouldn¡¯t me Brother, who really knows what her thoughts were? The other Elders were insulted that Brother had destroyed the Ice Dome, the source of their pride and joy. So, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if my grandmother wanted to punish Brother as well.


    If ites to that¡­ I¡¯ll fight her!!! I¡¯ll fight her until myst breath!!!


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± my grandmother chuckled and moved her legs to a morefortable position. Seriously, she¡¯s over five thousand years old; can¡¯t she show some ss?


    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how much I can protect you. Although I have ced Variel by your side, you¡¯re still too young to fight against the other factions, particrly Damien¡¯s. They are young and out for glory; naturally, there would be some hotheads who woulde after you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I will keep that in mind.¡±


    Did she bring me here to give me another lecture? Tch, why are you acting like a grandmother? Oh wait, she was my grandmother¡­ Ahhh, I just want to leave and check on my precious, precious Brother! He must be so lonely, sleeping afterplete magic exhaustion! I should be there to feed him and help him recover, not sit here stupidly and listen to some bullshit lecture!


    ¡°I wonder how much you have actually heard¡­¡±


    The ancient woman in front of me smiled as if she could read my thoughts once again. Seriously, is this bitch a mind-reader? She has to be, right?


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s skip all of the boring stuff and get straight to what you want to talk about. That boy toy¡­¡±


    ¡°B-Brother¡­ Is not a boy toy!¡±


    ¡°You did well to pick up such an interesting boy toy.¡±


    I don¡¯t think my rebuttal was even registered by this stupid grandmother! Did she have hearing andprehension problems? Has her age finally caught up to her? Should I give her some hearing aids? Maybe a p to her ears will help?


    Before I could execute my filial n, the Matriarch¡¯s voice sounded out once again: ¡°Hmmm, but I guess he does have some skill. To be able to destroy the Ice Dome is no mean feat.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°¡­ Thank you?¡±


    ¡°Haha, why thank me? I¡¯m just stating the facts!¡± The ancient hagughed once more and continued: ¡°Ability to control space! That¡¯s a rare ability, even among Vampires! If he trains well enough, he might evolve from a boy toy to a legitimate option of consort. Irina, you sure have a good eye for talent!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I¡¯m not going to answer that. Brother was my Brother. I won¡¯t let him serve the Everwinter House, even if it was from a position of a consort. Though, I wouldn¡¯t mind if he performed consort duties to serve me¡­ N-no, no, no! What am I thinking?!


    ¡°Ah, wasn¡¯t he the one who said that he would be the strongest being in the world? Haha, what a childish dream¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother will achieve it.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    I knew that the Matriarch had heard me. She was just taken aback that I dared to talk back to her. Usually, I would have just kept silent and allow her degrading remarks to pass. But this was my Brother she was talking about. When Brother sets his mind on something, he will aplish it even if it means breaking every fibre of his bones.


    If Brother wanted to be the strongest being in the world, he would undoubtedly achieve it.


    ¡°Brother will be the strongest being in the world. I trust in him.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My grandmother was stunned speechless for a few seconds. However, after a brief moment of silence, the ancient Vampire broke intoughter.


    ¡°HAHAHA!!! What a riot! To think that my precious granddaughter had fallen this deeply in love! She even dared to talk back to me! HAHAHA, in a sense, he¡¯s already achieved that dream.¡±


    It took a while for my grandmother to contain herughter. Rather than fight her, all I did was sit there silently in defiance. Even if the whole world wouldugh at my Brother, I would never. He has proven to me many times in the past that he was a man of that calibre. And evidently, my silence didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    ¡°Wow¡­ You really have this much trust in that boy toy. It really makes me want to change my assessment of him.¡±


    ¡°Honoured grandmother¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to exin any further.¡± The beautiful woman sat back on her chair, and her eyes reached for the ceiling. ¡°I wonder¡­ What kind of future lies ahead in front of that youth.¡±


    T-This! This was the first time my grandmother hadn¡¯t demeaned Brother! All those times, she would either call him a boy toy or aedian. But now, she had finally acknowledged his existence! Well, not that it mattered to me, but my grandmother rarely praised anyone.


    I knew it! Even if the whole worldughs at my Brother, a jade is still a jade. Eventually, my Brother will prove his worth to the world and will one day stand at the apex of our society!


    But before he could do that¡­


    ¡°G-Grandmother. About my Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Is he healthy enough¡­ To return my soul now?¡±


    My grandmother looked stunned for a moment before a yful smile crept up her face. T-that was an important question, okay?! I just didn¡¯t want to prolong his suffering! Since Brother wished to reach his maximum potential, shouldn¡¯t he return my soul first? Y-yeah, I have no ulterior motives at all!


    ¡°Wow, so you guys haven¡¯t done the deed? I wonder who has the better restraint? My thirsty granddaughter or the eunuch that hasn¡¯t made a move on her.¡±


    ¡°B-But! Y-you said that it was too early! That it might hurt his soul!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did say that, and I didn¡¯t think you could endure for that long. You were smitten for him, after all.¡±


    I-I wasn¡¯t smitten! I mean, I would always stare when Brother wiped his sweat off his face during training. Or watch him secretly when he showered. And even¡­ yed with him when he was asleep. But I wasn¡¯t smitten!!!


    ¡°It should be fine.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    ¡°It should be fine,¡± my grandmother repeated the words I wanted to hear. ¡°In all honesty, he could have returned your soul the moment he awakened his Aspect. After all, no Vampire could have awakened their Aspects if their souls were unstable.¡±


    That was two weeks ago!!! Do you mean I could have sealed the deal long ago?! This stupid bitch! Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?!


    ¡°Hah¡­ Look at you. Seriously, how on earth did he charm you? Is he truly not an Incubus?¡±


    ¡°Brother isn¡¯t a sex demon.¡±


    ¡°HAHA!!! All men are sex demons, my stupid child.¡± My grandmother decided to give me an impromptu sex talk. Please, you didn¡¯t care about my well-being for twenty-three years. Do you really think that you¡¯re in the position to lecture me now?


    ¡°But let me tell you a secret, Irina¡­¡± The Matriarch¡¯s face rose into a disgusting smile as she whispered into my ears. ¡°Women can be sex demons too.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    My face instantly turned red as I thought of all the impure fantasies I had in the past. As if reading my thoughts, the ancient hag broke into a peal of loudughter before finally letting me go:


    ¡°HAHA!!! Alright, go back my perverted little granddaughter! It¡¯s your first time, so make sure to take your time! It might be painful in the beginning, but I¡¯m sure that you¡¯lle to love it soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Thank you for your advice, honoured grandmother.¡±


    Tch! I didn¡¯t even bother to retort this time. If we continued bickering, god knows how much longer I would have to stay here. I would much rather spend that time with my Brother.


    Especially since there¡¯s something else we can do now¡­


    ???


    ¡°There she goes¡­¡±


    I watched as my granddaughter happily skipped out of my abode and ran back to her home. Goodness, does she know how many Presidents, Emperors and Chairmans would love to spend just one second in my presence? This stupid girl actually treated me like a pest and couldn¡¯t wait to get back to her beloved.


    Just which ungrateful bastard did she take after?


    ¡°Yes, the Young Miss is worried about Master Jin.¡±


    ¡°Master Jin?¡± I leaned back and looked at the only other person in the room. ¡°Variel, since when did you add an honorific when talking about that boy?¡±


    ¡°My liege, surely you must understand, right?¡± My former butler bowed politely and said confidently: ¡°I don¡¯t want to offend a future powerhouse. It¡¯s best to treat him with respect when he¡¯s weak now and raise some goodwill with him.¡±


    ¡°A future powerhouse, huh?¡±


    ¡°Do you not feel that way?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    I had eyes. I saw how that mere brat who knew nothing of the Vampire world grew to overwhelm my House¡¯s elites with just a month of training. No matter what kind of impression I had of him in the beginning, I wasn¡¯t stubborn enough to call him a weakling anymore. Although, I would say he was still a fledgling. But he was perhaps the first True Vampire in a long time to have this much potential.


    ¡°Variel, you were the one who trained him. How high do you think his ceiling might be?¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, my liege¡­ I believe that he will one day reach your level.¡±


    I was shocked by the honestment. Variel wasn¡¯t one to praise his students, and since he was trained by me, he knew how high my standard was. For him to say that this boy could one day challenge me¡­


    ¡°Unlike most True Vampires, Master Jin actually trains, and he trains hard. Having talent is one thing, but having the will to sharpen that talent is rare, especially amongst us immortal Vampires.¡±


    That was amon problem that we Vampires had. Since we were born as apex predators and had immortal bodies, very few trained as hard as humans. It took me forever to create a system in the Everwinter House to incentivise our troops to train, but even then, we still havezy people who don¡¯t hone their blessed gifts.


    ¡°Master Jin¡¯s raw talent is perhaps the best that I¡¯ve seen. He learns things extremely quickly, sometimes after one demonstration. He¡¯s also extremely knowledgeable, so he absorbs new information like aputer and churns it out into something that is useful to him. Eventually, I wasn¡¯t teaching him anything as he¡¯de up with more efficient training programs himself. Not to mention, his Aspect is powerful.¡±


    Varieluded sentence after sentence of praise to the youth who he¡¯d only trained for a month.


    ¡°God knows how powerful his Aspect will be once he¡¯s unlocked all of his rings.¡±


    ¡°Unlock his rings?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve yet to report! About this, Master Jin actually proposed to the Young Miss¡­¡±


    Variel exined the boy¡¯s n to travel the world, in particr, to meet with the other girls to return their souls. However, something about the fact that he wished to grow outside the Everwinter House struck a chord with me.


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, my liege?¡±


    ¡°Sending Irina out on a journey with that boy.¡±


    The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. There was recently an attack on Irina, not in the dangerous human world and neither by the Outer Demons that came through Gates. Irina was attacked right on my home turf, the Everwinter Estate.


    Right now, the situation with the factions has be highly vtile. Although I had punished Damien, there¡¯s no saying that he wouldn¡¯t plot his revenge. And he wasn¡¯t the only one. To the established members of the Everwinter House, Irina¡¯s existence was a thorn in their flesh. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that if I appointed her as the next leader, there would be a rebellion plot brewing the next day.


    I can¡¯t allow that to happen to my long-awaited heir. Besides, Irina¡¯s growth in the house has been stagnating. The boy was right; no one could really grow within the safety of their parents¡¯ home. If Irina wanted to take the next step, she had to venture out independently.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you keep Master Jin in the Everwinter House? If we can make him pledge allegiance to our House¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tempting idea, but ultimately the boy is right.¡±


    Growth couldn¡¯t be achieved by secluded training alone. One had to experience the world for themselves, fight their way through predicaments, and fight Outer Demons and other foes that seriously wish to harm them. If they wanted to reach the apex, they couldn¡¯t just live in the Everwinter House for the rest of their lives.


    ¡°Besides, Irina will be by his side, no? If he truly does be a powerhouse in the future, we can exploit their rtionship to form a favourable alliance.¡±


    ¡°You are wise, my liege¡­¡±


    Variel finally epted my words as he bowed down in reverence. With his duty done, Variel disappeared once more, most likely to assist Irina once more.


    ¡°The most powerful being in the world, huh?¡±


    A fool once said the exact same thing to me. At first, I didn¡¯t believe him, and I brushed him off like a maniac who had a big mouth. But that man never once doubted his belief. He stuck to his word, and with a mixture of genius and hard work, he truly became the man who had once stood at the apex of the world.


    Maybe¡­ I¡¯m witnessing history rewrite itself.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Drac?¡±

 Chapter 33 Rising (3)

    Two days had passed since the Winter Hunt hade to an end. Apparently, my antics with the Ice Dome were a bigger deal than I¡¯d imagined, and the whole Everwinter Estate was in an uproar. Fortunately, the Matriarch had given her orders, and no one in the Everwinter House came to disturb me, but I still had to keep a low profile.


    All thatmotion gave me ample time to rest and recover. Throughout the month, I had been training non-stop, and that fatigue really piled up. In fact, I was too tired to even suck my beloved sister¡¯s blood, something that I would do at least once a day.


    And when I finally did recover, I couldn¡¯t even leave the premise as it would have drawn too much attention. Perhaps this was what stardom felt like?


    But luckily for me, there were two people who could still fly under the radar.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­ Have you packed your bags?¡±


    ¡°Jesus, you asked us that question a dozen times already! Are you senile or something?¡± My mother warmly chastised me as she dragged her luggage to the door: ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m packed to the brim? Or do you want me to smuggle you inside here as well?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, not that bad of a n.¡±


    Apparently, I couldn¡¯t even go to the training grounds as there might be people trying to catch a glimpse of me. I didn¡¯t expect that my small disy of strength would bring in eyes from all corners of the Everwinter House. Although the Matriarch had ordered that no punishment would be meted out, there were a few proud Vampires who were still bitter. Or they were acting as spies for their respective factions.


    Urgh¡­ I just want to get out of this hellhole.


    ¡°Haha, as much as I would love to bring you back, today is the day where we part ways, my son.¡± My father, who was carrying the bulk of the luggage, happily tapped on my shoulder andughed. ¡°Besides, it was your idea, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    My father was right. After realising the status that I¡¯d reached, I knew that it was dangerous to keep my parents around, particrly in the Everwinter House, which was hostile to me. Especially since it had nothing to do with them. My parents weren¡¯t Vampires but ordinary human beings. Their ce wasn¡¯t with the Everwinter House; it was with our home in a human city.


    Also¡­ I couldn¡¯t rely on my parents to protect me anymore.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°You have grown so much in the past month that I doubt our rtives would even recognise you anymore! You¡¯ve also be so strong¡­ Who would have thought that my bedridden little boy would have been capable of causing an uproar in the esteemed Everwinter House?!¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha! Sorry about that! But it sure is refreshing to see those snobbish Vampires react to my son!¡±


    What the hell are you saying in front of three other Vampires? Fortunately, Variel, Irina, and Luminita were a good sport and just smiled it off.


    ¡°What are your ns now? I doubt the Everwinter House will look fondly at you now. You know, it¡¯s not toote to return home with us. You might be a Vampire now, so there might be some issues with getting permission, but we can work through it.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, whatever are you saying? Even if it means breaking thew, we will keep our doors open for you! We¡¯ll do anything to keep our little boy safe!¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m twenty-five¡­¡±


    Hah¡­ Even at her age, my mother still behaved like a little child. No, perhaps the main reason they acted this way¡­ was to make me feel safe. Ever since the day I was crippled, my parents did everything that they could for me.


    They quit their jobs. They worked odd hours. They abandoned going out with their friends. They basically uprooted their entire lives to tend to my every need. It wasn¡¯t a stretch to say that they had sacrificed fifteen years of their prime just to care for their good-for-nothing son.


    That¡¯s why¡­ I can¡¯t burden them anymore.<sub></sub>


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to go back home.¡± I smiled as I rejected my parents¡¯ goodwill. ¡°There are still many things that I need to do. Besides, you saw how strong I became. I can protect myself now.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, you¡¯re right. You have be strong.¡±


    My father¡¯s face loosened up, and his shoulders rxed. He saw how I dealt with the fifteen True Vampires that came to attack me. He participated in my training every day for the past month, trying to impart as much physical training as he could in that short period of time. If there was anyone who knew how much I¡¯d grown, it would be him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown so strong within this short time¡­ I fear to imagine how strong you¡¯ll be in a year.¡±


    ¡°Haha, by then, I bet that he would be able to beat you!¡± My mother interjected with her signature joyful face. ¡°He also has Irina to train him!¡±


    Laughing as she walked, my mother reached my oblivious little sister and winked: ¡°Thank you for taking care of my stupid son, Irina! I¡¯ll leave him in your hands!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯ll take good care of him!¡±


    Over the past month, Irina¡¯s rtionship with my parents has improved dramatically. In the beginning, my parents were wary of my beautiful sister, so much so that they flew to the heart of the Everwinter House just to take care of me. However, as they got to know Irina a little better, the suspicion that they had dissipated away, and my mother had even fostered a loving rtionship with the girl. Sometimes, it was odd to see the two bonding over my childhood photos, but I didn¡¯t care as long as they got along.


    ¡°Mom, can you stop all the worrying? I¡¯m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.¡±


    ¡°HAHAHA!!! It¡¯s my god-given right to worry about you. You are my son, after all!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I am your son.¡±


    I remember the days when I would suffer from my illness with pain searing through every fibre of my body. I remember the many times when I couldn¡¯t even muster up the strength to eat my meals. I remember the fifteen years I¡¯d spent as a cripple, always fearing that the next day would be myst.


    And no matter what the situation was, my parents were there. They didn¡¯t just treat me as their child; they treated me like their precious belonging and tended to my every need. They treated me when I was sick. When I neededpanionship, they would be there. They encouraged me to pursue my studies and did everything in their power to make that happen.


    The things that they did for me over those fifteen years¡­ I could never repay.


    Even though I had be a True Vampire, I am and will always be the son of Jael and Elna Valter. It didn¡¯t matter that we were two separate species now. It didn¡¯t matter that Vampires looked down on humans.


    These two angels were my parents. That was the unadulterated truth.


    And they will always be my family.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­ Please bear with my selfishness once more.¡±


    Before the two could finally leave for the aerone, I stopped them right at the door. It would probably be a long time before I could see them again, so I had to do this now. Holding each one of their hands, I went down to my knees and stared them straight in the eyes.


    ¡°Jin?! What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Jin! A man shouldn¡¯t kneel down to others so easily!¡±


    Naturally, both my parents were stunned by my sudden gesture, and they quickly urged me to stand up. But for the first time in my life, I was going to be a disobedient child.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve taught me that¡­ And so, this will be the first andst time that I¡¯ll kneel to another person.¡±


    I released their hands, giving them a chance to take a few steps back and observe my sincerity. My father was right; a man should never kneel to another so easily. Even Variel, Irina and Luminata were shocked by my sudden actions. But, it wasn¡¯t a deed that I was going to regret.


    My eyes never faltered for a second, and my parents finally understood how firm my resolve was. They paused for a moment before turning solemn. They knew the magnitude of the situation and responded ordingly.


    Haha, I guess we really do share the same blood.


    Holding back my emotions, I pushed my forehead onto the wooden floorboards giving them the most respectful kowtow that I could muster. I couldn¡¯t see their faces, and neither could they see mine, but oddly enough¡­ I could feel that our hearts were connected. And thus, from the bottom of my heart, I said:


    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­ Thank you¡­ Thank you for raising me!!!¡±


    It was just one sentence. One sentence was all I wanted to say.


    However, that one sentence carried fifteen years of weight behind it. The many years of sacrifice that my parents had to go through. The many years of suffering that they had to endure on my behalf.


    They could have abandoned me. They could have sent a caregiver to take care of me while continuing their work. They could have just left me to die. But they didn¡¯t. They gave me everything and more.


    And thus, they deserved my knees.


    The knees of a future sovereign.


    ¡°Goodness, what are you doing in front of Irina?¡±


    My mother bent down and helped me up. As I looked up, I could see her eyes turn misty even though she was still stering the joyful smile that I knew and loved.


    ¡°You¡¯re really such a handful¡­ Are you trying to make it harder for us to leave?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, if you¡¯re up for it, I can turn you into a True Vampire, and you can turn Dad into your Blood Servant. That way, you can stay here.¡±


    ¡°Stupid child, we don¡¯t want to be Vampires!!! Though, making your Dad into my Blood Servant does sound nice!¡±


    ¡°¡­ What stupid ideas are you putting in your mother¡¯s mind, Jin?¡±


    The three of us broke intoughter. Ah, I am going to miss this. The days when I could be carefree and rxed with my parents. s, all good things muste to an end. If I held them up any longer, the nightly winds might be too strong for them to fly back. Standing back on my feet, I pulled the two people who had influenced my life the most into my arms.


    ¡°Mom, Dad. Stay safe. I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    ¡°Stupid boy,¡± my mother returned my hug and said: ¡°Our door is always open for you. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a Vampire or not.¡±


    ¡°Do call us every now and then. We¡¯ll be worried if we don¡¯t hear from you.¡±


    My parents said very parent-like things just before our final farewells. Even till the very end, the two couldn¡¯t help but treat me like a child. But well, I guess this was what fifteen years of bonding looks like.


    Digging my face deeper into their bodies, I burnt the memory of their scent into my brain. Not that I¡¯ll ever forget it in the first ce. From now on, I will continue on my journey without them.


    ¡°Take care¡­¡±

 Chapter 34 Rising (4)

    ¡°So they finally left¡­¡±


    My eyes didn¡¯t leave the deste door for one second. Five minutes had passed since my parents left for the airport, and they would likely return home within the day. One might think that I¡¯m being overly emotional about their parting, but from my perspective, this was the first time in fifteen years that I was going to live without them.


    A mixture of emotions rushed through my heart at this very moment. Sadness, longing, fear, anticipation¡­ But most importantly, I felt like a boulder had been removed from my chest. The chains that bound me had been broken.


    It was all so¡­ liberating.


    ¡°Brother, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Irina. I¡¯m doing fine.¡±


    I reached for my younger sister¡¯s beautiful white head and allowed my fingers to brush through each strand of her soft hair. The perfume she was wearing had a distinct floral note with a healthy serving of Winter woods. It was aforting aroma, one that I sorely needed right now.


    ¡°Thank you for everything, Irina. Without you, I doubt my parents would have returned safely.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, what are you talking about? Your parents are my parents as well! Of course, I¡¯ll treat them well!¡±


    ¡°You little imp¡­¡±


    Throughout their entire stay here, Irina did everything in her power to keep my parents happy. Other than the fact that they couldn¡¯t use their phones, my parents had every luxury under the sun given to them, from award-winning dishes to a plethora of training materials. She¡¯d even prepared masseuses to help mend their sore muscles if they needed to.


    In the end, Irina had even paid for their trip back on the private ne, even adding in some protection as insurance. Honestly, meeting Irina must have been the best thing that has happened to me thus far.


    This is why¡­ I couldn¡¯t dy my training anymore.


    ¡°Irina, have you thought about my request?¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    There was no need for me to borate on what my request was. Ever since I¡¯d discovered that there were three other souls within my body, I knew that I had to leave the Everwinter House. Not just for my sake but for the others as well. With each passing day, I could feel my yearnings for them getting stronger, and it was likely the same for them as well. Not to mention, if I wanted to fully awaken my Vampire Aspect and restore all of my sealed memories, I had to return the souls.


    ¡°Before I give you my answer¡­ Will you agree to my request?¡±


    ¡°What request?¡±


    Irina¡¯s eyebrows fell, and her beaming, white face quickly turned into a sad frown. She waved her hand, summoning Luminita and Variel in the process. The two servants bowed down respectfully as Irina gave her firm order.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t let anyone enter the bungalow without my permission. I don¡¯t want any disturbances.¡±


    ¡°We hear and obey!¡±


    As if they¡¯d rehearsed it, the butler and maid pair eximed loudly before promptly leaving the house, locking the door behind them as they did. Somehow, the atmosphere felt like I¡¯d been trapped in a dungeon against my will. But this was Irina I was talking about. She would never do anything in a thousand years to harm me.


    And to prove my point, the girl paused for a moment as she collected her wits. Once Irina had prepared herself, she reached for my rough hands and cupped them together with her own. Pulling me closer to her chest, Irina looked up at me with teary eyes as she asked:


    ¡°Brother¡­ No matter what I¡¯m going to show you¡­ Will you promise never to hate me?¡±


    ¡°Hate you? I would never hate you, Irina.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡­ But I want you to promise me! Don¡¯t think less of me! Don¡¯t hate me! And please, please, please¡­ Don¡¯t abandon me!¡±


    ¡­ What on earth was she going to show me? The more desperate she looked, the wilder my imagination became. Was she a mass murderer that kept the heads of her victims? Or was she a sadist that tortured her victims?


    I really didn¡¯t know what to expect.


    But honestly¡­


    ¡°I promise, Irina.¡±


    I freed one of my hands from her chest and brought it forth to her supple cheeks. Reacting to my touch, the girl purred softly as she relished in the warmth of my hand. Goodness, so what if she¡¯s a serial killer? She¡¯s so damned cute!


    ¡°No matter what you¡¯re going to show me, I will never hate you. And Irina¡­ You should know by now that I¡¯ll nevere to hate you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a relief.¡± Looks like my words had finally gotten to her. Rxing just a little, the girl finally released her tense shoulders and held me by the hand. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Smiling, she intertwined our fingers into a lover¡¯s hold and brought me straight to an isted part of the bungalow. Usually, I was busy with training, and so I never got to fully explore this enormous house. And so, this was unfamiliar turf for me. It didn¡¯t take long until we reached a dead-end where a humongous painting of a bloody lily flower hung, covering the entire wall.


    ¡°Have you ever wondered why my room upstairscks many of my belongings?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded subconsciously. For a girl her age, Irina¡¯s roomcked any personality. If I were to describe it, it was more of a hotel room than a ce where a twenty-three-year-old would sleep in.


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ It wasn¡¯t my room, to begin with.¡±<sub></sub>


    Irina lightly tapped the picture three times, causing the wall to shake violently. After a few seconds of gears being turned, the painting of the bloodied flower shifted to the side like a sliding door, revealing a wall of ice that seemed thicker than the walls themselves. Heaving a huge sigh, Irina ced her fingers on the icy blockade and gradually, the ice melted to create a passageway.


    ¡°This whole bungalow is a cover. Usually, I would never use the upper rooms due to safety andfort reasons. My real living area¡­ is in the basement.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­¡±


    I guess that makes sense. As a person of interest in the Everwinter House, Irina must have spies or watchers observing her every move. If she slept upstairs where all the windows and doors were, the girl might be attacked in her sleep and never know it.


    In addition, as a Vampire, Irina never really did get along with the morning sun. Being human just a month ago, I hade to tolerate the uneasy feeling a Vampire would get when in contact with the shining rays of the morning. On the other hand, Irina had consistently shown that she was weak during the hours of dawn.


    ¡°But¡­ There¡¯s also another reason why I keep my room hidden¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s eyebrows furrowed together, and her lips trembled. Her grip on my hand tightened even further as she feared to even take a single step down. Woah, what on earth was she hiding? The more she dyed the reveal, the wilder my imagination got. Still, I made a promise, and I intended to keep it.


    ¡°Irina¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I promised you, didn¡¯t I? No matter what you show me, I will nevere to hate you.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­ Yes, you did promise me.¡±


    ¡°And I have never gone back on my promises, right?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±


    I continued to reassure the youngdy with the most assuring voice that I could muster. It really didn¡¯t matter what she was hiding in the basement. She could be a cannibal for all I know, and I would still care and love her. That was the true extent of my feelings. Irina was the person who saved me from my living hell, the woman that gave me a new lease on life. She was my shining beacon, and I would never abandon her no matter what kind of monster she was.


    ¡°Brother¡­ Thank you!!!¡±


    Renewed with confidence, Irina finally took the first step into the basement. With our arms locked together, I could feel every ounce of her bubbly emotions. Goodness, what should I do with a sister like this?


    Alright! No matter what she¡¯s going to show me, I swear to ept it! I won¡¯t show any form of disgust or fear!


    s¡­ I spoke a little too quickly.


    ¡°I-Irina? W-What is this?¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ my room.¡±


    As the two of us finally made it into the basement, I noticed that it was quite arge room. No, to call it a room would be an understatement. It was more of an entire floor that had been refurbished to look like a room. Other than the doorway leading to the first floor, there weren¡¯t any openings that one could exploit or use to get out.


    If I were honest, it did seem like a suitable ce for a Vampire to live in. However, contrary to my expectations, there weren¡¯t human corpses littered all around with the jars of virgin blood stacked for Irina¡¯s sick consumption. No, there was nothing sick like that. If anything, it seemed like an ordinary room that a girl would sleep in.


    There was a bed that seemed twice as big as the one we usually slept on. A toilet with a huge bathtub and shower room with a ss wall allowing people on both sides to see each other. And there even was a walk-in closet for all of Irina¡¯s expensive clothes.


    It was a perfectly ordinary room¡­ Other than the posters that were stuck all around the walls.


    ¡°Irina¡­ These pictures¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-yes! They were taken without your knowledge! I-I¡¯m sorry that you had to find out this way.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not mad, but¡­¡±


    Usually, young girls might have posters of their favourite idols or heartthrobs stered on their walls. However, Irina¡¯s posters weren¡¯t by any famous male celebrity. Heck, the man in the pictures wasn¡¯t even a celebrity! I knew that very well as the man in the posters¡­ was yours truly.


    ¡°When did you even take these?¡±


    Over a hundred posters, pictures and even drawings stuck inly on the walls. No, even the ceilings and floor weren¡¯t spared by Irina¡¯s obsessive glue. Some of the posters were recent photographs of me. There was one when I was sleeping half-naked. Another was when I was training with the Blood Servants. And there was even a photograph of me in the shower!


    When did she even take those photos?! And how on earth did I not realise it?!


    However, the recent images of me were in the minority. The vast majority of the posters were images of me from when I was a young child at ten to a grown adult at twenty. There were pictures of me with no pubic hair. Photos during my first ever graduation. The first time I visited the hospital as a cripple. The time when I went on a school trip with my friends¡­


    The list went on.


    Before I knew it, I was tracing a timeline of my life from when Irina left me when I was ten to the current day, where I transformed into a Vampire.


    This girl¡­ She¡¯s a voyeur!!!


    ¡°When you were first injured, the four of us agreed to take care of you from afar. Although we couldn¡¯t get near you as your soul might be injured, we could observe you from a cautious distance. And so, that¡¯s what we did.¡±


    This goes way beyond observing, did it? There were even images of me naked as a kid! But still¡­


    ¡°¡­ Are you disgusted?¡± Irina¡¯s voice ttened as she ced her hands behind her back, and her eyes began to turn misty. ¡°You must be disgusted, right? I took all of these photos without your permission, and I¡¯d even used them for my own benefit.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ And here I thought you would show me something serious.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    As if it were entirely natural for me, I ran my hands through her silky white hair and brushed my fingers down her cheek. I¡¯d thought that she was going to show me half-eaten human corpses! Compared to that, some unsolicited pictures of me were nothing. Besides¡­


    ¡°This is just proof that you care about me deeply. There¡¯s nothing wrong with this.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Then you are fine with all the pictures I took of you secretly?¡±


    ¡°Naturally!¡±


    ¡°What about the body pillow that I made in your image?¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s fine!¡±


    ¡°Then, what about the old strands of hair and nail clippings that I¡¯d collected every year of your growth and framed in my album?¡±


    ¡°E-Errrr¡­¡±


    Wait, you did that? That¡¯s pushing it a little far, right? In the first ce, how did you manage to do all that without me knowing? Was I under some kind of hypnosis spell? No, that¡¯s not important right now.


    ¡°Irina¡­ Didn¡¯t I say that I will love and protect you? That means that I¡¯ll ept your everything. If you want to take photos of me and keep memorabilia that reminds you of me, go right ahead.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t taken aback. But ultimately, I wasn¡¯t disgusted by her actions, far from it, in fact. I was delighted that there was someone who actually cared for me this much to do this kind of act.


    ¡°Brother¡­ I love you so much!!!¡±


    Irina leapt into my arms and nuzzled her head against my chest. Her sweet aroma and soft body overwhelmed my heightened Vampiric senses, melting away all of my doubts in the process. Jesus, who could deny this adorable little sister?!


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ However, don¡¯t take random strands of my hair to keep anymore. It would smell after a while. If you want, you can touch my hair anytime you wish.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Even though I epted Irina and all of her kinks, there was a line to be drawn. Rather than keeping old and dead cells of mine, wouldn¡¯t it be better to touch them from the source?


    ¡°Thank you, Brother¡­ You truly are the best thing to ever happen to me.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you sillyss.¡± I gently tapped on her petite buttocks, signalling her to remove her grip on my body. Holding her in my arms, I looked her right in the eye and asked: ¡°I have listened to your request, so will you listen to mine?¡±


    The girl¡¯s happy face broke, and a look of disappointment quickly followed. Her gorgeous eyes sparkled, and her nose began to shift adorably. Evidently, there was a mental turmoil going on within her mind. However, it didn¡¯t take long for her to finally give me the answer I was looking for.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I will follow you out of the Everwinter House.¡± My beloved little sister smiled brightly as if nothing could ever bring her down anymore. ¡°No, scratch that¡­ I will follow you anywhere you want to go, Brother. Even if you wish to delve into the depths of hell, I will follow you!¡±


    ¡°Irina¡­¡±


    What did I do to deserve this woman? Even if I were to die tomorrow, I would die happy knowing that I had this precious little sister by my side.


    ¡°However, before we can leave the Everwinter House, you will need to return my soul to me, right?¡±


    ¡°What?! I can finally return your soul?!¡±


    This was imperative for me. If I wanted to get stronger and if I wanted to unlock Irina¡¯s full potential, I needed to return the quarter of a soul that Irina had left in me. It was a win-win situation for both of us. And so¡­


    ¡°Yes, the Matriarch has told me that it¡¯s safe for you to return my soul now.¡±


    ¡°Tell me! How do I return your soul? Is it through a ritual like before?¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t anythingplicated like that. If you want to return my soul, Brother¡­ We need to¡­¡±


    Irina shook her head and calmed my raging emotions. She grabbed my body and dragged my ear down to her misty mouth. At that moment, I felt like a mouse caught in a snake¡¯s stranglehold with her arms firmly locking me in ce. Her grey eyes locked with mine, and with an expression that suggested that she would never let me go, Irina¡¯s sultry voice entered my ears:


    ¡°Be connected in mind, soul¡­ and body.¡±

 Chapter 35 The First Night (1)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don¡¯t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    ¡°Be connected in mind, soul¡­ and body?¡±


    Putting the mind and soul part aside, when she said that we had to be joined in body¡­ It could only mean one thing, right?


    ¡°Just to be certain¡­ Are you talking about intercourse?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Irina answered smoothly as if she had anticipated my response the whole time. ¡°Our souls are already connected, so there¡¯s no need for us to establish a link. As for our minds, we need to experience the same emotions and not have any form of repulsion toward each other. That¡¯s why I opened up about my secret to you, Brother.¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s why she shared this secret with me? I guess she felt guilty about keeping this room from me, and therefore, our mental connection wouldn¡¯t be perfect.


    ¡°Since our minds and souls have already been connected, all that remains is a physical bridge where my soul can be transferred. Usually, we can begin the process by sucking each other¡¯s blood, but that would be too inefficient since my soul has been inside yours for fifteen years now. The best and fastest way is to create the deepest physical connection two individuals could have, and that is¡­¡±


    ¡°Sex.¡±


    The theory made sense. There was no deeper physical connection than a mating session between a man and a woman. Though, I wasn¡¯t sure how the transfer would work. Does the part of her soul break off during our deed, or would it be transnted upon ejaction? I never did study matters regarding the soul, so my knowledge of it was quite sparse.


    ¡°¡­ Are you unsatisfied with that?¡±


    Seeing my face that was deep in thought, Irina misunderstood that I felt averse to the idea. Her adorable nose even started to sniffle as her eyes looked at me longingly.


    ¡°No, not at all!¡± I reached up to her petite little head and gently stroked her hair. ¡°I was just taken aback, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡±


    Irina heaved a massive sigh of relief. With my consent taken, Irina brought her cherry red lips forward and her snow-white skin closer to mine. Once more, I was overwhelmed by her distinct floral fragrance, but this time, I could feel my heart beating faster as heat rose to my ears.


    Truth to be told¡­ I always knew this day woulde. I knew that Irina¡¯s feelings for me far exceeded that of mere siblings. After all, no siblings would sleep together in the same bed when they were in their twenties. And no younger sister would go to such extents to protect their older brother, risking everything that she had in the process.<sub>-.</sub>


    Additionally, Irina had always shown hints that she desired a more physical rtionship. From the times she would ¡®identally¡¯ kiss me during our feeding sessions or the times she ¡®identally¡¯ brushed our crotches together.


    I knew from long ago¡­ That we weren¡¯t going to be siblings for much longer.


    However, I¡¯d always dyed it. For one, Irina was in a much higher position than me. She was stronger, richer and most importantly, the woman that was protecting me. There was this irrefutable distance between our statuses, and if I were the one who asked for sex, the distance would only grow muchrger.


    Therefore, I wanted to at least grow my strength or show that we could be equals before I pushed her down and made her my woman. After all, I didn¡¯t want to be a sugar baby who was pampered by Irina throughout his entire life.


    But if it was for the sake of returning her soul¡­


    ¡°You sure are a perverted little sister. To think that you would ask for your brother¡¯s virginity.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?! We aren¡¯t blood-rted, are we?¡±


    Irina giggled at my joke as she finally closed our distance to zero. Slithering her arms around my neck, the girl ensured that our lips were centimetres away from touching as she said the words that would turn any man on.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯ll be giving you my first time as well!¡±


    ¡°Haha, I guess it¡¯s a fair trade then!¡±


    For some reason, I didn¡¯t want to waste any more time with thoughts and words. I scooped Irina up and carried her like a princess. The girl let out a delighted yelp as I did so, her arms never leaving my neck. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t a need to travel upstairs as we had a perfectly functional bed right in front of us. And thus, I gently ced her on the mattress before falling squarely on top of her.


    ¡°Brother¡­ I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re being so proactive¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if you are my younger sister or my lover. My feelings for you won¡¯t change.¡±


    Those were my true thoughts. While Irina might consider me as her brother, in my mind, Irina was a ¡®younger beautiful girl that I loved.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if she was my sister or not. Heck, I would prefer it if she were my lover. Even I had primal urges to reproduce, you know. Night after night, I had to resist my sexual desires to devour this perfect specimen before me.<sub></sub>


    Irina was, by any standards, a beautiful woman. She had perfectly perky breasts with the bestplexion to highlight its size. Her heart-shaped face that seemed to be unreal at times, her cherry lips that seemed like a forbidden fruit waiting to be bitten, her wintry-grey eyes that seemed to suck in one¡¯s soul every time we locked eyes.


    I wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit it. My little sister was exactly my type!!!


    Not to mention, we weren¡¯t siblings by blood anyway. So everything that I wanted to do to her waspletely legal. Well, not that it mattered to the Vampire Society.


    Irina¡¯s words had literally broken down a floodgate of my pent-up emotions. And now¡­


    ¡°Irina, take off your clothes.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Brother, take off yours as well.¡±


    I asked Irina to remove her clothes as I couldn¡¯t trust myself to do so. My impatience might lead to me tearing her thousand-dor dress, and that wasn¡¯t how I wanted our first time to begin. But my worries were unfounded as Irina herself slipped out of the dress within seconds, not caring about the state it was in.


    Not willing to lose to her, I disrobed all the way as well, leaving nothing but my briefs. On the other hand, Irina took it one step further as both her bra and panties went flying, leaving the gorgeous youngdy in her birthday suit.


    The moment everything came off, my body refused to move. I was spellbound by the image thaty before my eyes. Regrettably, this wasn¡¯t my first time seeing Irina¡¯s uncovered top. However, it was the first time I¡¯d seen her most intimate and precious ce.


    Clean-shaven with not a stubble of hair to be seen. Her skin seemed smoother than a baby¡¯s bottom as the outer lips of her vagina hung tightly outside. It was pink in colour, and a faint, enticing smell was permeating out. And finally, the biggest, or should I say smallest, feature that caught my eye was the tight hole above her butthole.


    It was like a temptress call, an undiscovered cave waiting for pirates to explore and find its treasure. And it was a temptation that I couldn¡¯t resist. Blood immediately flowed into my lower half, and my member erected so much that it almost pierced a hole through my underwear.


    ¡°Oh dear, that must be painful! Let me help you with that, Brother!¡±


    Irina, who had no concept of what an erection might feel like, misunderstood that I was in pain underneath my briefs. And so, in a bid to help me, the girl pulled down my underpants quickly, causing my manhood to bounce right into her face.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, did I hurt you?¡±


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s fine!¡±


    Irina rubbed her face where my naughty wood hit her, not because of pain but due to the residue liquid that remained. Maybe it was due to my impatience or my intense desire to mate with her, pre-cum was already leaking from the tip of my member. Once again, Irina gulped as her eyes were fixated on the bottom half of my body.


    ¡°It¡¯s really big¡­¡±


    Many parts of my body grew during my growth spurt. My height was one of them, and so were my muscles. And my reproductive organ was no different. Now that it was fully erect, it measured between twenty-five to thirty centimetres. And since I¡¯m highly aroused by the beauty before me, I would say that it was closer to thirty centimetres now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you apologising?! It¡¯s better to be bigger! I like it that way!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯m d¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve always heard that women liked it big, but you can never know one¡¯s personal preference. Fortunately, Irina seemed enamoured with my manhood, so much so that she started to bring her mouth closer and closer to it.


    ¡°Irina?! What are you doing? It¡¯s dirty!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no part of your body that can be dirty, Brother.¡± Irina took a huge whiff of my member once more and gave it a little peck. My fifth limb flinched backwards as if to escape the sudden touch, but Irina wasn¡¯t going to let it go so easily. She grabbed onto the bottom half of my shaft to keep it from moving and said: ¡°I¡¯ve read somewhere that making it wet would help when doing the deed.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, lubrication ismon.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ Looks like I¡¯ve been reading the right book.¡± Irina looked at me with a sultry smile on her face and continued: ¡°Then, you don¡¯t have to do a thing, Brother. Let me help you feel better.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Irin-¡­¡±


    Before I could stop the girl from proceeding, Irina¡¯s mouth gobbled my manhood whole. Her tongue circled around the tip, gently pulling my foreskin back. Waves of pleasure assaulted my mind as Irina¡¯s saliva was left all over my member. As if she were making a vacuum, the girl sucked in air with her mouth and in the process, my fifth limb went straight for her throat.


    Before I could choke her, Irina released the pressure on my shaft, and her tongue swirled around the thick rod as her mouth retreated to the tip. However, doing it once was not enough for the seductive girl. Irina continued to suck on my member for a full minute, coating it with thick saliva that umted after doing it multiple times.


    And once she was satisfied with her work, the girl finally released her stranglehold on my member, as a transparent string of saliva connected her cherry lips with my crotch.


    ¡°Irina, you¡­ Where did you learn how to do this?¡±


    ¡°I watched videos online,¡± my perverted little sister gave the standard answer. ¡°Also¡­ I practised on you when you were sleeping.¡±


    ¡°You did that?¡±


    Goodness, how deep was my sleep that I didn¡¯t know someone was blowing me? And this debauched sister of mine¡­ What was she doing to a sleeping person?!


    ¡°Are you unsatisfied?¡±


    This! This again! How can I say no to such an adorable face?! Shit, I best learn how to resist Irina¡¯s puppy eyes or else I¡¯ll continue to be led by the nose. However, I could let it slide onest time.


    ¡°No, you can do it¡­ But please stop doing it when I¡¯m sleeping. I would be more than happy to let you do it when I¡¯m awake.¡±


    Rather, I wee it wholeheartedly! That short minute was some of the best physical pleasure I had had in my entire life! It felt much better than pleasuring myself! Speaking of pleasure¡­


    ¡°Irina, let me do you too. You lubricated mine, so it¡¯s only right that I lubricate yours.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    My little sister shook her head, and before I could retort, she grabbed onto my hand and directed my fingers towards her secret garden. My heart was beating rapidly as a knot tightened in my chest. It was my first time looking at a woman¡¯s special ce, let alone touching it. And as my fingers gently stroked on the hole that all men sought to possess, all I could think of was the sensation my fingers felt.


    ¡°It¡¯s already this wet¡­¡±


    And slimy. If anything, it was a little too wet. Even without me touching or pleasuring it, Irina¡¯s vagina was already soaking. Beads of her sweet nectar dripped on my palm, and some had even escaped down her long, impable legs.


    ¡°Brother, whenever I am with you, my bottom half reacts this way. Call me a dirty girl, but ever since we¡¯ve met, I was always preparing for this moment.¡±


    ¡°Irina!!!¡±


    Thest string that held my senses together snapped, and I charged right at the white-haired doll. I pinned her down under me and spread her legs with a fury. I grabbed the bottom of her head with one hand and used the other to pull her chin up. And while looking at her stunned expression, I immediately sealed her lips with mine.


    All of my lust was poured out in our first kiss. No, this was our first kiss as lovers, not siblings. As if I had something to prove, my tongue invaded Irina¡¯s lips and roughly imed her mouth as my own.


    The dense smell of jasmine erupted within my nostrils. Our teeth gently collided with each other, and with each passing second, our kiss got deeper and deeper. Irina finally realised the situation that she was in and happily epted my advances. Her soft, supple arms slid up from my stomach and firmly pushed my neck and back down towards her.


    Her legs didn¡¯t spare me as well. Almost connecting ourher regions together, Irina¡¯s thighs wrapped around my tailbone and pulled our bodies so close that no gaps could be found between our skins.


    But I wasn¡¯t focused on the movements of her lower body. All I wanted to do was enjoy the kiss that finally made Irina mine. I wanted to mark her. I wanted to make her think of nothing but me. I wanted to¡­ make her mine.


    All of my emotions were transmitted to her through this one long kiss. We swallowed each other¡¯s saliva so that this kiss wouldst longer, even if it was just by a millisecond. Until eventually, I couldn¡¯t endure it anymore.


    I wanted¡­ to put it in her.


    ¡°Irina¡­ I¡¯m going to make you my woman.¡±


    At this point, nothing could stop me. Even if Irina were to physically resist, I don¡¯t think I can pause my raging emotions. I wanted her! I wanted her! I wanted her!!! It was an intense emotion that I couldn¡¯t bottle in anymore.


    Irina was going to be mine and mine alone!!!


    Irina¡¯s face twitched for a moment before a knowing smile covered her face. Licking her lips, the woman gave me the most sensuous look I¡¯d ever seen. Sheid down t on the bed, resting her head on the pillow and spreading her legs wide in an M shape. Using both her hands, Irina spread out the beautiful lower lips, the forbidden fruit I had yet to taste, fully exposing the hole that all men sought to explore.


    Just that scene alone was enough to pump even more blood into my fully erect member, but she said the words I wanted to hear the most:


    ¡°Yes¡­ Make me yours¡­¡±

 Chapter 36 The First Night (2)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don¡¯t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    Irina¡¯s words were the final nail in the coffin. Overwhelmed by my lust for her, irrelevant thoughts in my mind quickly faded away. There was only one thing on my mind, one thought that dominated my mind, body and soul¡­


    I wanted to ravage this woman and make her mine.


    ¡°Arrggghhhh!!!¡±


    I directed my manhood into Irina¡¯s petite little hole, thrusting it slowly so as to not hurt her. Irina moaned loudly at my action, but I did not know whether it was from pain, pleasure, or abination of both, I did not know. All that I could focus on was the feeling of ecstasy that my lower half was in.


    One would think that such a small hole couldn¡¯t take a behemoth. However, with the help of the natural lubricant ourher regions had and Irina positioning herself to help me enter, the tip of my manhood pierced the forbidden garden.


    Almost instantly, I felt something tear in Irina¡¯s body, and I¡¯d instinctively pulled out before I went any further. I looked down, mainly at her womanhood, only to find traces of blood dripping from that precious hole I¡¯d just pierced.


    ¡°B-Brother? Why did you stop?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Irina might have said something, but I couldn¡¯t hear it. My attention was focused on the beautiful juicy fruit that was concocted with a mixture of sweet nectar and Irina¡¯s virgin blood. And it wasn¡¯t any kind of virgin blood; it was blood that came straight from the hymen. If I were a regr human, I might have been turned off when seeing something red flow out from the vagina of the woman I loved, but¡­


    ¡°W-Wait! B-Brother, stop!!!¡±


    Once again, Irina seemed to be saying something, but my ears were blocked. No, it was fairer to say that my desire to drink from that juicy, juicy tap overwhelmed my five senses. I kept Irina¡¯s legs spread as my mouth descended straight for the most seductive thing I¡¯d ever seen in my life.


    I couldn¡¯t help it. Even if I wanted to stop, my body moved all on its own. Not to mention, my mind and soul were hellbent on drinking that blood. Before Irina could even react, my upper mouth connected with her lower mouth, and I gave her the deepest kiss I¡¯d ever done.


    My tongue greedily forced its way into the hole, which had been torn bigger by my extraordinary member. The hymen had been ripped apart, and the blood that came from it was less than a few drops. However, those few drops were extremely precious, and I didn¡¯t want to waste even a single cell.


    Almost instantly, my taste buds were overwhelmed. The sweetness of Irina¡¯s blood was still there, and there was a hint of familiarity to it as I sucked her blood every night. However, there was a distinct difference. Mainly, it was far more concentrated and thick. Not to mention, there was a salty and slimy texture that came from Irina¡¯s natural lubricants.


    But no matter what texture or smell it produced, my verdict remained the same.


    It was fucking delicious.


    Lost in my desires, my tongue swirled around inside Irina¡¯s womanhood, hoping to find even one more drop. I became like a ravaged beast and continued sucking for god knows how long. I came to my senses only after a gush of fresh liquid squirted out from inside her.


    I removed my mouth from Irina¡¯s vulva and looked in shock as the girl covered her reddened face with her arms. Her whole body was spasming slightly, from the back of her ears to the tips of her toes. And most importantly, tears were falling from the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°Irina! Are you okay?!¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°B-Brother¡­ You¡¯re mean¡­ I told you to stop¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, did I hurt you?!¡±


    ¡°No, you silly!!!¡±


    Irina grabbed my wrists and pulled my body up on top of her. She positioned herself once more so that we were back in a mating position, with my manhood lying directly over the delicious hole that I¡¯d just ravaged. She grabbed my member with one of her free hands and directed it into her gaping vagina.


    ¡°You went ahead and made me feel so good that I could not control myself. I wanted us to enjoy our first time together!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you were crying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying!¡± Irina used the hand behind my head and pushed my lips down towards hers. Once more, our tongues did the dance as we both greedily tasted each other¡¯s saliva. After a full minute of debaucherous tongue activity, Irina separated our mouths, leaving a transparent trail of sultry liquid behind.


    ¡°Brother¡­ Do you know how long I¡¯ve waited for this day? These aren¡¯t tears of sadness or pain! I¡¯m just¡­ so happy!!!¡±


    ¡°You little imp¡­¡±


    Fine then! If it¡¯s happiness that my little sister wants, then it¡¯s happiness I¡¯ll give her!


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±


    I thrust my hips and immediately pierced into Irina¡¯s womanhood. The girl moaned once again, but this time, I could tell that it was from pure pleasure. My fully erect member dug its way through the tightest hole imaginable, and eventually, it reached the holy grail of Irina¡¯s secret garden. Her baby-making room.


    The pressure mounting on my fifth limb was immense, and any slight movement could force me to prematurely ejacte. Luckily, I managed to hold the urge in, but just barely. I looked down at our connectedher regions and was amazed by the sight I saw. Only two-thirds of my manly rod made it in, while the remaining third was still unable to taste the warm embrace of her heavenly body.


    ¡°Irina, it¡¯s in¡­ Do you feel any pain?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­ I feel fine¡­¡±


    She said that, but I could see her biting the bottom half of her lip. Perhaps my manhood was a little too big for her at this moment. But s, it was toote to turn back now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move slowly, okay? Tell me if it¡¯s too much.¡±


    Carefully, my hips pulled out until I could feel my member just barely reaching the exit of her special ce. I thrust once more, this time at a slower pace and on and on, the pattern repeats. My first few pumps were at a snail¡¯s pace, probably at one pump every five seconds. And that was a consequence of my fear of causing even more harm to Irina, the woman I loved.


    But that slow pace came with an unexpected advantage.<sub></sub>


    I could fully enjoy the moment, untethered by my raging lust.


    Euphoric waves of pleasure pulsated through my entire body each time my manhood pushed against her tight vaginal walls. When the tip of my hardwood ¡®kissed¡¯ Irina¡¯s womb, a wave of electricity, one that I¡¯d never felt anywhere before, forced my legs to go numb. The perfume of Irina¡¯s body had been diluted away by her falling sweat, creating a fragrance note that was irresistible to a healthy male who wished to mate.


    The taste of her body each time I licked her neck. The fragrance overwhelmed my senses each time I sniffed her. And most importantly, the image of her perfect face as she endured the pleasure, even going so far as to close her eyes and scrunch up like a baby who had eaten something bitter¡­


    I loved it.


    I loved all of it!!!


    ¡°Irina, I¡¯m going to go faster, okay?¡±


    I leaned next to the girl who was desperately trying to avoid climaxing and whispered softly in her ear. That turned out to be a great idea as the moment my warm breath tickled her cheeks, her body convulsed adorably as another gush of fluids lubricated my lower half. There was a small amount, but it was significant enough to create a stain on the bed.


    Embarrassed by her actions, Irina covered her face with both her hands, herplexion turning redder by the second.


    My god¡­ How can someone be this cute?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take that as a yes.¡±


    Although I didn¡¯t receive her verbal consent, Irina¡¯s body gave me her answer. I ced more power into my hips and began thrusting at a speed simr to that of a cuckoo clock. With Irina¡¯s womanhood now wetter than an entire ocean, it became much easier for me to slide in and out. Each time my member entered, it reached all the way to the entrance of her womb, creating an electrifying sensation whenever I kissed it with the tip of my hardwood.


    The feeling of pleasure was indescribable. It was a euphoric experience that no mere human could ever feel. Even with my enhanced senses, the pleasure was able to override my thoughts as everything in my mind was filled with Irina and her otherworldly body.


    Again and again and again and again¡­


    I continued moving my hips, imitating the motion of waves crashing onto the sandy shore. Irina¡¯s beguiling voice resonated within the basement room, echoing from wall to wall and further enhancing my lust for her. Even though I was in the middle of making her my woman, it was far from enough.


    I wanted more. I wanted to hear more of her voice. I wanted to see her embarrassed face turn even redder. I wanted to feel the hole that I was thrusting turn even wetter.


    More¡­ More¡­ MORE!!!


    My desires soon overwhelmed my brain, and I was no longer capable of rational thought. My hip¡¯s momentum went out of my control as I could hear the sounds of slippery ps every half second.


    ¡°ARGHHH!!! ARGHHH!!! ARGHHH!!!¡±


    Irina¡¯s moans only got louder, and she also became incapable of thought. Her body was limp as if she was entrusting everything to me, giving me the ability to do whatever I wished to this enthralling young woman.


    And if she was going to give control of her body to me¡­ I was going to do whatever I wished!


    My lips fell upon hers, and my tongue greedily licked on her strawberry, decadent, honey lips. Irina reacted to my immoral kiss with a lustful deed of her own. Grabbing the back of my head, Irina forced my face deeper into hers, and her tongue invaded my mouth, reaching straight to my uv.


    Like two beasts battling for territory, we exchanged tongues, all while my hips mmed into her crotch. Nothing was going on in our minds other than the feeling of our bodies coiled together like serpents doing a mating dance.


    Our kisssted for god knows how long, but when we finally released our lips, both our tongues and lips had be swollen. I looked down at the aftermath of our lustful deeds, only to see Irina¡¯s adorable face drenched in sweat and her hairpletely unkempt. Her womanly fragrance burst forth and overwhelmed my nose, and most importantly¡­


    Her beautiful, snow-white neck¡­


    It was enticing me¡­ Enticing me to take a bite.


    And that¡¯s what I did.


    ¡°AHHHHH!!!¡±


    Irina let out the loudest moan of the night. My fangs sunk straight into her white flesh, forcing more of her sweet blood to flow into my mouth. As if in response, Irina bit the other side of my neck to im her prize as well, drawing blood away from my body at a rapid pace.


    We were unable to control ourselves anymore. The feeling of sex was already intense enough, and now that we were sucking each other¡¯s blood¡­ Our minds nked out from exhration.


    It was a feeling that no human could ever hope to reach.


    It felt like we were both bonded together in a cloud, untethered by gravity and the woes of the world. Everything was so liberating. Our souls were conjoined together, and our feelings melted into one pot. It was as if our entire existence had merged together as one.


    And with that feeling of bliss controlling my body, I lifted up Irina¡¯s waist and thrust my hips in one final push. My manhood was at itsrgest possible size, and I stabbed it all the way into Irina¡¯s body as if I wanted to skewer her with it. And as if to wee me, her womanhood finally epted everything that I had.


    All thirty centimetres were thrust inside Irina¡¯s forbidden fruit as it pierced into her baby-making room. And with an electrifying pulse, my lower body reacted.


    Splurt!!! Splurt!!! Splurt!!!


    I didn¡¯t know how long my ejactionsted. It felt like a second, but at the same time, it felt like an hour. There was no way to tell. However, I could see the aftermath of my lust.


    Soon after I released my first load, the consciousness that had evaded me quickly returned. The euphoria I¡¯d felt was settling down, and my limp legs were slowly regaining their strength. As much as I wanted to remain, I slowly retracted my fifth limb from the tight embrace of Irina¡¯s lovely cave and watched in shock as a puddle of white fluids dripped out.


    Looking at that gooey mess, I couldn¡¯t help but think that I¡¯d overdone it. It was my first time, and I hadn¡¯t relieved myself ever since turning into a Vampire. Thus, my first load was naturally much more than usual. But then again, did Vampires regain vitality after doing the deed? I would need to experiment on thatter. What was more important¡­


    ¡°Irina¡¯s soul¡­ It¡¯s gone!¡±


    We started indulging in our lust for each other that I¡¯d almost forgotten the original purpose of this activity.


    I looked deep into my soul and noticed that the white blob had beenpletely removed! Although three other blobs remained, Irina¡¯s soul had been extracted sessfully, and as a consequence, my soul was starting to grow brighter and stronger.


    I had finally¡­ returned Irina¡¯s soul!!!


    ¡°B-Brother?¡±


    ¡°Irina! I¡¯ve returned your soul!¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    Hearing my words, Irina checked her soul. The Aspect of the Winter Sovereign appeared on the back of her right hand, shining brighter than I¡¯d ever seen it before. At the same time, I could feel Irina¡¯s magic power grow slightly more powerful, further proving my theory.


    ¡°We did it! Thank you, Irina!!!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t contain my tion and hugged the girl with all of my strength. Fifteen years ago, Irina tore out a quarter of her soul to help me. It must have been painful back then, and ever since, she had been living with an iplete soul. One can only imagine the suffering she¡¯d been through as her powers couldn¡¯t fully materialise.


    And now that I¡¯d returned her soul to its rightful owner, Irina can now live aplete life.


    But for some reason¡­ The girl didn¡¯t look all that happy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why aren¡¯t you celebrating?¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­ Of course, I¡¯m happy that my soul has returned, but¡­¡± Irina looked up at me with her signature puppy eyes and said: ¡°If you don¡¯t have to return my soul, we don¡¯t have a reason to do this anymore. I¡¯m just having mixed feelings about that.¡±


    This girl¡­ Was shementing the fact that we couldn¡¯t have sex anymore?! What a pervert! But well, having a perverted little sister wasn¡¯t that bad.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You have to take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Responsibility?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I gently stroked the side of her cheek and lovingly gave her nose a kiss. ¡°You made me experience something otherworldly, a feeling that can never be topped! And you¡¯re saying that you won¡¯t do it with me anymore? Aren¡¯t you too cruel?¡±


    ¡°N-No, of course not!¡± Irina hurriedly panicked and iled her arms about. ¡°We can do it again, no, in fact, I want to do it again! If Brother likes it so much, let¡¯s do it every night from now on!¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smirk at my little sister¡¯s animated response. After seeing my smile, the girl finally widened her eyes and pouted like an adorable squirrel.


    ¡°You¡¯re bullying me! Hmph! Stupid brother!¡±


    ¡°HAHA!!! There, there¡­ I was just joking.¡±


    To cate the angry girl, I gave Irina her favourite head pats, and at the same time, I allowed her to drink a little of my blood. This is how you appease an adorable Vampire; at least that¡¯s what I read in a book.


    ¡°But still, every night, huh? We might need to buy a lot of protection then.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, why would we do that?¡± Irina took a break from drinking my blood and shot me a quizzical look. ¡°Vampires don¡¯t use protection, you know? We have trouble reproducing as it is, so no True Vampire would ever use contraceptives.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the girl continued while her secret garden rested happily above my erect manhood. ¡°On average, a female True Vampire takes about twenty years of trying to conceive their first child. And the stronger the blood, the harder it is to reproduce. After all, Vampires are immortal. We don¡¯t rely on reproduction to survive.¡±


    That actually made a lot of sense. The main reason why living creatures reproduce was to ensure that their species would evolve and live on to fight another day. But in the case of Vampires, we had no true need to reproduce as we essentially lived forever. Yes, there are things that can kill us, but those are external factors. When ites to evolution, we are practically at the peak.


    ¡°With how pure our blood is, Brother being a first-generation True Vampire and me being a direct descendant of the Matriarch, the chances of me getting pregnant is so low that it¡¯s virtually zero.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?!¡±


    Wait, so I couldn¡¯t conceive a child with Irina? That might be a problem¡­ Yes, I didn¡¯t want a child right now, but maybe when I¡¯d be strong enough¡­


    ¡°But if we really make a baby after one try¡­ Would you dislike it?¡±


    ¡°You little imp¡­¡±


    Hah¡­ Let¡¯s think about thoseplicated matters at a different date. Right now, there was something far, far more enticing to do. My veiny manhood stood erect, or should I say, it had never lost its desire to keep pounding into Irina¡¯s gorgeous hole, even though it had been stained with both our fluids.


    And when Irina saw that, she smiled in glee and spread her legs once more, throwing thick, seductive pheromones into my sensitive nose.


    ¡°Come, Brother¡­ You can do whatever you want¡­ No one wille and stop us.¡±


    ¡°My god!!!¡±


    My lust instantly shot up to a billion points, and I pounced on the girl once more. All of my concerns were thrown to the back of my mind that night. My parents, my training, my soul¡­ All of that didn¡¯t matter.


    All I wanted to do from now on¡­


    Is ravage Irina all night long.

 Chapter 37 The Second Soul

    ¡°Jin! Jin! Have you read this book?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Ah, the theory of how spatial magic affects the flow of time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Could you exin it to me? If spatial magic keeps affecting the flow of time, wouldn¡¯t our timeline be distorted right now? Given how magicians, Vampires and Outer Demons alike use spatial magic constantly.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ You hit the crux of the issue. It¡¯s amon misconception that space and time are two different things. Yes, they are quite different in the physical realm, where you can measure space and time using different methods, but from a magical standpoint, Spacetime is one singr entity. Whether it is spatial magic or time magic, they all affect the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ So does that mean that whenever someone casts teleport, time slows down for them as well?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Although it will be very small, so insignificant that we won¡¯t be able to physically feel it. The same could be said about using time magic to slow down or speed up a person. Time slows down for them, and at the same time, space will contort.¡±


    ¡°So why doesn¡¯t it affect the timeline?¡±


    ¡°Because Spacetime is a self-recovering entity. Let me show you a visual model. Take this piece of paper and imagine that it¡¯s the dimensions of Spacetime. Whenever someone casts spatial magic, a small depression will be formed. However, once the effects of the spatial ability run out, the piece of paper will fold back up as if nothing ever happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh! So that¡¯s the reason why the timeline won¡¯t be affected?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So no matter how much spatial or time magic is being cast, the dimensions of Spacetime will never be damaged. That¡¯s why time will continue flowing on until the death of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Eyyy, I don¡¯t want the universe to die!¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to live with you for the rest of eternity! If the universe dies, how am I going to live with you?!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯repletely right! How about this? When I grow up and be stronger, I promise you that I¡¯ll stop the death of the universe!¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Really? You¡¯ll promise that?!¡±


    ¡°Of course! Who do you think I am? I¡¯m Jin Valter, the boy who will one day stand at the top of the world! And I never broke a promise with you, have I?¡±


    ¡°No, you definitely haven¡¯t!!! As expected, you¡¯re the only person worthy of being my Bloodmate!¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re both just ten¡­¡±


    ¡°Age doesn¡¯t matter! You¡¯re going to be my Bloodmate, and that¡¯s final!¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ Even though you two don¡¯t get along, you sure think like Irina¡­ Alright then! I¡¯ll promise you this! When we meet in the future, and if your feelings haven¡¯t changed, we can talk about this at length.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re protesting something that will happen anyway!¡±


    ¡°Wow, can you see the future? Would you please teach me that lost magic that no one knows?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, if you get married to me, I¡¯ll teach you!¡±


    ¡°You vixen¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only a vixen to you, Jin.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ You¡¯re really a handful¡­¡±


    ¡°Li-¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    ???


    A dream?


    No, that was too vivid to be a dream. As I awoke from my slumber, the distinct memory of a young boy and girl having a conversation remained sternly in my mind. The young boy sounded very much like me as he echoed a theory that I¡¯d learned many years before. In fact, the dream felt more like a memory.


    And if it was a memory, it begs the question.


    Who was that girl?


    I knew for sure that it wasn¡¯t Irina. Rather than Irina¡¯s beautiful snow-like hair, that girl in my dream had rich golden ones. Her level of thought was something of note as well. I don¡¯t remember Irina ever talking to me aboutws and theories. Most of the time, she would only care about being by my side. But that girl, on the other hand¡­


    There was no question that what I saw was no dream. And if my theory is correct, the girl might be part of the four souls that resided in my body. No, now that Irina¡¯s soul has been returned to her, there should be only three left.


    Speaking of the little imp¡­


    ¡°Huehuehue¡­ Brother, not there¡­¡±


    There was plenty of time to think about that girl in the future. The more important person right now was the white-haired beauty who seemed to be having a fun time in the Garden of Hypnos. First, I checked the state that the two of us were in. My body was sore, and my limbs felt as heavy as a rock.


    Given how quickly Vampires regenerate, it¡¯s been a while since I was in this much difort. And I knew exactly why I was so fatigued.


    ¡­ Just how many days and nights did we spend indulging in each other¡¯s bodies?


    I couldn¡¯t tell. Due to our istion in Irina¡¯s basement, there were no windows, nor was there any natural light. We could only tell how much time had passed by the number of times we climaxed. And that wasn¡¯t exactly a good gauge. The number of times we did it was easily documented just by looking at the aftermath of the room.


    Torn bedsheets that had been drenched by sweat and other bizarre liquids. Puddles of mysterious fluidsy all throughout the entire room. On chairs, tables, sofas¡­ Even the bathroom was not spared from our lust. The ce that was meant to be the cleanest was, in fact, the filthiest. The shower room that should have been cleaned with water had been reced by our foul sweat. The air freshener had been overwhelmed by ourbined natural stench, even overpowering the smelling from the toilet.


    It was aplete site of a warzone.


    A warzone of two Vampires who desperately wished to mate.


    I learned one thing throughout the time when Irina and I vigorously bonded. Vampires do not have infinite vitality. Just like humans, we required a few moments to rest before we could go again. Or, to be more precise, we didn¡¯t have infinite fluids to throw out. That was the main reason why I felt this much difort.


    Irina greedily sucked on my blood while, at the same time, her lower mouth sucked on my vitality. No matter how fast one¡¯s regenerative capabilities were, a Vampire wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the twenty-four-seven onught of a female nymphomaniac like Irina.


    Fortunately, after many days of tending to her lust, both of us had finally satisfied ourtent desires. Well, at least I did. And judging from the fact that I¡¯m still in a puddle of my own sweat and mysterious liquid, I think I¡¯d just about had enough.


    ¡°Irina¡­ Irina¡­ Wake up¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Do you want to go again? Give me a minute, okay?¡±


    ¡°No, you silly¡­¡±


    Jesus, does she only think of sex?! Although I didn¡¯t mind an obsessive girl that loved me enough to do this every day, I did have other things that I wanted to do.


    ¡°Irina, I¡¯ll be going to get a change of clothes, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s eyes were still dropping down, and her lethargic face, which screamed cuteness, was looking right at me. Even though she had just woken up and was unable to wear makeup, the girl was still far more beautiful than any woman I¡¯d ever seen on television.


    Since she was still groggy, Irina didn¡¯t have a chance to cover herself up. Her snowy whiteplexion mirrored that of the Winter hills, particrly the two female peaks that only seemed to grow more enticing over time. Beneath the two peaksy a lustful body that no one would pry their eyes away from, including her decanter waist and long sultry legs.


    Oh¡­ How I wished I could lick them again¡­


    No! What am I doing?! If we start, we won¡¯t be able to stop anymore!


    Okay, let¡¯s leave before I do something that I can¡¯t take back.


    nting a kiss on the sleeping beauty¡¯s happy face, I stepped away from the bed and wore back my clothes or what remained of them. Irina seemed to tear them to shreds during one of our sessions, leaving many parts exposed. Fortunately, we were the only two people in the house, so even if I walked outpletely naked, there would be no one to judge orugh at me.


    Leaving the basement, I quickly made my way to my bedroom, where I got a nice pair of clothes to wear. Though, I did force myself to take a shower, given the debaucherous smell that I was emitting. And while in the shower, I had the free time to dissect the dream that I¡¯d just had.


    And no, I wasn¡¯t thinking about the girl in the dream just yet. I had plenty of time to do that in the future. What I was most interested in¡­ was the concept of Space and Time.


    Why?


    Because the me from the past was right. Space and Time weren¡¯t two separate concepts in magic. They were unified under the dimension of Spacetime. When a spatial spell is cast, time gets affected.


    So, what happens to my ability to control space? Will I be able to affect time as well? If my younger self¡¯s words were correct, was my ability the power to control Spacetime?


    Now that was a theory that I wanted to test.


    But still¡­ I had to take one step at a time.


    Coming out of the shower, I pondered the many possibilities my power could hold. Even if I wanted to test out my theories, the training rooms were still closed to me. If I wished to continue my development, I had to at least get out of the Everwinter House. But it was going to be a tall task. If the Matriarch was going to ban Irina from travelling out, I had to try and smuggle her. s, breaching the Everwinter House walls was easier said than done.


    They had security checkpoints everywhere, and not to mention all of their nes were tightly regted by the House.


    s, I was just not imaginative enough.


    Zzzsssstttt!!!


    Suddenly, a bolt of electricity struck with violence right before my eyes. Was this an enemy attack? No, that can¡¯t be. The Everwinter House was protected by a vast array of barriers and other physical protections in ce. Even a fly couldn¡¯t break into the Everwinter House, let alone a home that an heir lived in.


    So was this an inside attack?


    Luckily, I didn¡¯t need to wait long to get my answer.


    The bolt of lightning exploded, and space started to distort. And what stood before me wasn¡¯t a picture ofplete and utter destruction, and neither was it an ambush of enemies. What stood before me¡­ was a beautiful young woman.


    The first thing that I noticed was the sudden explosion of Spring fragrance that came with the young woman¡¯s appearance. Boasting rich golden hair that flowed effortlessly down to her shoulder des, the woman seemed like an incarnation of a Greek Goddess. Her tightly measured body was wrapped in a white shoulderless blouse with an indigo flutter skirt toplete her modern woman image.


    The young woman brushed her hair to the side as if nothing ever happened, revealing her milky white and tender shoulders to my Vampiric eyes. She took a deep breath in and took a moment to observe her surroundings.


    And before long¡­ Her vale eyes, which seemed capable of sucking in all forms of life, connected with my own. The girl looked shocked for a moment, but the astonishment on her face was quickly reced by a happy and longing smile.


    ¡°Jin¡­ We finally meet.¡±


    That voice¡­ That face¡­ That smile¡­


    Ah, yes. How could I ever forget?


    This girl¡­ The promise that I made to her. The oath that I swore I would keep. She was¡­ the girl in my dreams.


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±

 Chapter 38 End of Volume 1 & Authors thoughts

    Hi! This is the author here!


    First of all, thank you for reading or nning to pick up this story! I really appreciate it whether it¡¯s a view, ament or a power stone. You reading and engaging with this story is what gives authors like me motivation to keep writing. I¡¯m writing this end of volume thoughts to answer some of your burning questions and to give you a better idea of what kind of novel you¡¯re picking up.<sub>-.</sub>


    1) Yes, it¡¯s loosely inspired by My Three Wives Are Beautiful Vampires and Little Tyrant Doesn¡¯t Want to Meet with a Bad End. However, it is apletely original novel and it will be apparent as we get into theter stages of the story. So if you like those novels, maybe give this a try. ??<sub></sub>


    2) No, there isn¡¯t incest. It¡¯s just a clickbait to get the incest-degens-¡­ connoisseurs to read my novel. There will be R-18 content though. Whether it¡¯s a deal-breaker or not, that¡¯s up to you. As for the harem aspect, I¡¯m only thinking of developing the four main female leads. One reason why I wrote this novel was because I didn¡¯t like how some harem novels had just too many female characters, so much so that I would lose track of who was who. So for now, I will focus on the four girls on the cover, or at the very least until the story develops to the point where adding a new character wouldn¡¯t feel too overwhelming.


    3) I wrote this novel with the intention of letting you turn off your brain and not take a story too seriously. There won¡¯t be anything too thematically heavy or there won¡¯t be any life-inspiring moral to take out of. I wrote this novel for readers to just enjoy. So, please sit back and enjoy the ride!


    4) As forments, I won¡¯t be too involved in thements. As much as I would like to be, this is more of a hobby for me and I do have a full-time job and real-lifemitments. Besides, I don¡¯t want to identally spoil the plot for you guys, right? ??


    5) Finally, I will be converting this to a paid work on AllNovelFull soon. It may have happened by the time you read this author¡¯s thoughts or it may still be in the works. I still have to figure out how this contract system works. So for my readers on the other tforms, sorry but I guess you will have to read it exclusively on AllNovelFull soon. Also, since this is the end of the volume, you guys will have a rough gauge of what kind of novel this will be. So you can decide for yourself whether it¡¯s worth the money you would spend in the future.


    Alright, I hope I covered it all. Please, leave a review if you like the story. Or just simply add it to your collection. Every little act helps with my novel engagement. Cheers, and hope you enjoy the story!

 Chapter 39 Lilith Moonreaver (1)

    ¡°Lilith?¡±


    The young woman¡¯s face bloomed with one of the brightest expressions I¡¯d ever seen from someone else. Her lips rose so high that they seemed to touch her ears, and her gorgeous vale eyes started to mist. Unable to hold back her emotions anymore, the woman leapt into my chest and gently grabbed hold of my arms.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­ Jin!!!¡±


    The beauty¡¯s tears stained my newly washed shirt as her face connected with my heart. She seemed a little shorter than Irina, probably about 1.71 metres tall, and thus she could only snuggle up below my neck. However, that gave me a unique vantage point to observe her from above.


    My arms naturally moved and stroked the young woman from the crown of her head down to her neck. Luscious wasn¡¯t enough to describe the beauty¡¯s hair. If anything, her golden, silky head was softer than mink¡¯s fur, and the gentle fragrance that escaped from her pores was far more feminine than anything I¡¯d ever encountered.


    She was weing¡­ warm¡­ gentle¡­ and¡­


    Comfortable.


    ¡°Lilith¡­ That¡¯s your name, right?¡±


    The young woman looked up at my face with a tinge of shock at my words. However, as our eyes were interlocked, she could see the innocence and genuine confusion in my expression. And that made her face turn rapidly. This time there was sadness in her eyes.


    ¡°¡­ As expected, your memory hasn¡¯t fully returned yet.¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I would! Who do you think conducted the ritual to save your soul in the first ce? I know your condition better than anyone else in the world!¡±


    Hold on a minute¡­ So Irina wasn¡¯t the person who conducted the ritual? No, that actually made a lot of sense. Ever since the day we got together, I¡¯ve been observing Irina, notably how she trained. Irina, while talented, never struck me as the schrly type. She was far more of a practical genius than someone who would studyplicated magical rituals or theories. However, now that I think back on it, Irina never said that she was the one who initiated and conducted the ritual. She could have just been a participant in the ritual, which exined why she didn¡¯t know anything about my soul¡¯s problem.


    Wait¡­ So if this girl was the one who performed the ritual¡­ Maybe she could answer all of my burning questions!


    However, before I could even breathe out my first word, the girl in my arms looked up at my face with a scrunched up nose.


    ¡°¡­ You stink.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    That can¡¯t be true. I just took a shower for god¡¯s sake! Did I miss a spot? No, I clearly remember using soap and shampoo for every part of my body as I felt filthy after days on the bed with Irina. Wait, does that mean¡­


    ¡°That fucking minx¡­ Has she sunken her ws on you already?!¡±


    ¡°Ermmm¡­¡±


    How was I supposed to answer that?


    ¡°She did¡­ She did, didn¡¯t she?! Of course, she did! That brat has always been that way! I should have noticed it on that day when we passed over the observation rights to her! When we were busy with our own problems, that fucking bimbo snatched and hid you from our eyes!¡±


    The youngdy instantly broke out in a fury, her voice cursing my precious little sister. If it were any other person, I might have sliced her throat for saying such things to Irina. However, I felt like I couldn¡¯t get mad at her for some odd reason. It was the same feeling I had whenever I was around Irina.


    It must have been the connection that we had in the past. Since our souls have been bound for so long, I likely won¡¯t be able to feel any disgust or anger towards either of the four women who were with me back then.


    And, what the hell was observation rights? Did they take turns spying on me throughout my entire life? I guess that exins the numerous photos that Irina had of me.


    ¡°Where is she?! Where is that thieving harlot?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad¡­ Why don¡¯t you calm down and let¡¯s have a conversation?¡±


    ¡°IRINA!!! I know that you¡¯re here! How long are you going to keep hiding?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down¡­ We should talk things-¡­¡±


    Before I could reason with the raging girl, an explosion ripped the door to my room as multiple icy swords rushed straight at the blonde beauty. My hand moved immediately as I prepared to stop the sharp weapons from piercing into the woman¡¯s tender flesh. However, it seemed like my actions weren¡¯t needed.


    The woman waved her hand calmly, creating a warped distortion of reality. A dimensional mirror protected both of us, shattering in the process as the ice swords made contact with it. And as the dimensional mirror broke away, so did the ice swords and all of their momentum.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Space magic? No, it seems a little different¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but think out loud. Since my first power was rted to Space, I was acutely sensitive to the changes in the fabric of Space. That defensive manoeuvre was something that bypassed thews of Space in its entirety. Rather than using Space to her benefit, it seemed like the girl created a new dimension and bent it to her will.


    s, I wasn¡¯t given enough time to fully admire the technicalities behind theplex magic that the woman just cast. Irina, who had already changed into a new nightgown, emerged from the other side of the door, fuming from ear to ear as her face turned steaming hot.


    ¡°Irina¡­ You finally show your face!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Get away from my Brother!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! You are the one who broke our agreement! I have the right to take him away!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    The two girls red at each other, neither of them wishing to lose their position as the alpha. It felt like I was watching an evening soap opera, where the wife confronted the mistress that her husband was sleeping with. However, I couldn¡¯t enjoy this scene in the slightest. Why? Because I was the husband who was supposedly cheating.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right! I¡¯mpletely innocent in all of this!


    Fortunately for me, the two women weren¡¯t focused on my stumped face at all. Rather, they were shooting daggers at one another, both of them just waiting to pull the trigger. Ultimately, it was Lilith who struck first.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take this outside!!!¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more!!!¡±


    Lilith punched the air, which somehow created cracks on the dimensional wall. And as a consequence, the rear wall of the room shattered into pieces, revealing the snowynds of the Everwinter Estate. Both women leapt out from the room, not caring that it was on the second floor andnded softly on Irina¡¯s garden.


    The two beauties stared at each other, neither willing to show a millisecond of weakness. Irina¡¯s white hair fluttered with the Winter winds as a chilling gale breezed through the space between them. Lilith, on the other hand, had numerous sparks emitting out from her body as if she were Nik Te demonstrating the power of electricity.


    And the stalemate wouldn¡¯tst for long.


    ¡°HAH!!!¡±


    Irina created three ciers, each one easily surpassing the size of the bungalow, andunched them right at Lilith¡¯s defenceless body. Hey¡­ That was going too far, wasn¡¯t it? Even if you¡¯re angry, you shouldn¡¯t start a battle with such a killer technique, right?


    However, before I could even think of intervening, the blonde woman moved her hands in a circr motion, creating a distortion in the dimensions. The three ciers didn¡¯t even get within ten metres of Lilith before it was swallowed up by a mysterious vortex and disappeared as if they didn¡¯t exist in the first ce.


    And as if the positions had switched, Lilith snapped her fingers, this time summoning out the three ciers that had disappeared. This time, however, they preyed on Irina¡¯s precious flesh. Furthermore, the ciers seemed to move at a much faster pace this time.


    ¡°Did you really think that you could beat me, Irina? Do you even remember who trained you when we were children?¡±


    ¡°That was ages ago!¡±


    Irina¡¯s Winter Sovereign Aspect glowed brightly, and with a wave of her hand, the ciers turned into Winter mist, avoiding the gruesome scene that was expected. With control over the mist, Irina willed the crystal dust onto Lilith, hoping to choke her out instantly.


    s, Lilith didn¡¯t seem like an amateur that could be caught by such a simple trick. With a flick of her finger, the woman¡¯s body disappeared like an astral image before reappearing fifty metres in the air.


    At that distance, the blonde beauty looked like a divine Goddess who stared down upon the world as she passed judgement on the ignorant mortals who dared to defy her.


    ¡°Irina, you have crossed the line! I shall punish you for kidnapping Jin and hiding him away from me!¡±


    Lilith¡¯s breathtaking vale eyes turned crimson red, and a vague pressure mounted on all whoid eyes upon her. Spreading her arms wide like the Buddha incarnate, the girl¡¯s Vampiric aspect shone brightly on her chest as an image of the Blood Moon appeared in the sky. No, it wasn¡¯t just the Blood Moon. The stars of the night, the crackles of thunder and lightning in the sky, the divine presence of the world¡­ They were all reflected in Lilith¡¯s mysterious illusion.


    At that moment, I felt empowered, just like a Vampire would on the night of the Blood Moon. However, Irina was clearly feeling a different emotion.


    Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, and her teeth began to chatter. I could feel her apprehension about Lilith¡¯s sudden rise in power, but that didn¡¯t pour cold water on her confidence. Not a single bit.


    Clenching her fist, Irina¡¯s Winter Sovereign Aspect glimmered ever so brightly, creating a surge of magical power that I¡¯d never experienced from Irina before. Wings of an Ice Dragon bloomed from the pure maiden¡¯s back as she defiantly took to the air like a Seraphim from the highest heavens. A raging blizzard fell on Irina¡¯s side, roaring right at the Blood Moon illusion.


    It was a sh of two titans. The magical power being emitted was so dense that cracks began to form on the bungalow, and weaker structures like my chairs and desk had already crumbled into pieces. Even a natural disaster couldn¡¯tpare to the destruction the two were about to unleash upon each other.


    It felt like a battle between two gods. Well, if not for the words that wereing out of their mouths.


    ¡°Hmph! Punish me?! Who do you think you are?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Jin¡¯s Bloodmate! The fact that you¡¯ve stered your smell all over him is a vition of every internationalw!¡±


    ¡°What kind of stupid internationalw is that?!¡± Irina bellowed out in anger. ¡°Besides, I did way more than ster my smell all over him.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯ve sucked his blood?¡±


    ¡°HAHA!!! That¡¯s why you¡¯re still a virgin! I did wayyyy more than that! I took all of his firsts away! I¡¯m his rightful Bloodmate now!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence dropped on the battlefield. Lilith¡¯s face was dropped, and so I couldn¡¯t tell what emotions were going through her head. However, one thing was for certain¡­ The tension was winding up to a dangerous point.


    ¡°Unforgivable¡­ Unforgivable! Unforgivable! UNFORGIVABLE!!!¡±


    Lilith directed her finger to the sky, and the stars of the Blood Moon began to move. Starlight dazzled the sky of the Everwinter Estate with plenty of lunar light falling straight at Irina. Even as an outsider, I could tell that even one of those blobs of light was deadly. Let alone a few thousand of them striking Irina all at once.


    ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!!!¡±


    ¡°Not a chance!!!¡±


    Irina retaliated with her own use of Winter magic. The icy blizzard tackled Lilith¡¯s power, and almost in support of her im, the entire snowy fields of the Everwinter Estate rose up in defiance to the illusion of the Blood Moon that hung over the sky.


    Shit! If they continue like this, they will heavily injure each other. And as the cheating hus- ahem! Man, that they were fighting over, I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    My Soul Armament appeared in a hurry as I rapidly attempted to separate them with my control over space. However, before my magic could activate, the magic power from the two sides instantly dissipated into nothingness as if the whole thing had been an illusion from the beginning.


    ¡°W-Wha-¡­!¡±


    ¡°Tsk!!!¡±


    Lilith expressed her astonishment, while Irina seemed to know what had happened. And as if she were there from the start, a woman appeared between the two raging girls, her effortless and smiling face betraying the years of experience that she had rued.


    ¡°I was wondering which little mouse had broken through our spatial barriers and defence system. Princess of the Moonreaver House, do you n on wrecking my home?¡±


    ¡°Matriarch Innocence¡­¡±


    Lilith instantly calmed down, and her fighting posture quickly turned into one of reservation. Evidently, even with a hot head, the girl knew her limits.


    ¡°Forgive my trespass; I¡¯ve juste to settle an ount with my friend.¡±


    ¡°It sure was a friendly greeting that you gave Irina.¡±


    ¡°That was just our way of saying hello. We wouldn¡¯t have harmed each other, even if you didn¡¯t intervene.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I guess that¡¯s true.¡±


    That was just a greeting?! God damn, what would happen if they were genuinely going for the kill? Hold on a second; if the two of them are going to fight in the future, am I supposed to take care of it? Shit, now I REALLY needed a reason to be stronger quickly.


    ¡°But still, you will have to give me a good exnation on how you breached our defences, youngdy. Even though the Moonreaver House monopolises the trade on teleportation gates, I don¡¯t recall allowing you guys toe into my property as and when you wish.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that Matriarch; the Moonreaver House will never set up backdoors in our products. There was a special reason why I could perform teleportation¡­¡±


    At her words, Lilith¡¯s eyes unwittingly fell upon me. However, that was all it took for the Matriarch to connect the dots. The five-thousand-year-old Vampire shed a nce at me before breaking out intoughter.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ Haha, this sure is interesting! Come, let¡¯s discuss this over some tea, shall we? Irina, bring that boy as well!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, honoured grandmother.¡±


    Unknowingly, my morning began with a literal bang. And now, I had to face that monster of a Matriarch once again.


    God damn it¡­ I just wanted a shower¡­

 Chapter 40 Lilith Moonreaver (2)

    The Matriarch led Irina, Lilith and me back into the bungalow, or at least, what remained of it, and satfortably on the lead chair in the living room. Irina sat to my right while Lilith monopolised my left. Both of them were close enough that I could take a whiff of their equally alluring yet distinct fragrances.


    Irina, who didn¡¯t get a chance to shower before Lilith came barging in, still reeked of the built-up lust that I¡¯d unleashed over a period of a few days. However, her unique, floral womanly aroma was still ever-present.


    Lilith, on the other hand, had a fresh, citrusy fragrance. Her distinct aroma reminded me of the first bloom of Spring, as with every passing whiff, her allure exponentially grew. Perhaps it was the resonance of our souls, but I felt the same way that I did when I¡¯d met Irina for the first time.


    But unlike Irina, I didn¡¯t feel a brotherly bond with the young woman. Far from that, in fact. The best way that I could describe my current emotions to her¡­ Was from the fact that my heart beats faster just by taking in her smell.


    It was odd¡­


    I didn¡¯t think that I would feel this way with another woman. I¡¯d always thought that I was the kind of man to be faithful to one person.


    Was this because of the souls within my body? Or was it because of my past rtionships with the four women, two of whom I can¡¯t even remember right now?


    Honestly, that question wasn¡¯t important right now. The more pressing issue was the white-haired ancient Vampire that sat before the three of us.


    ¡°Princess of the Moonreaver House. Would you mind exining yourself?¡±


    Matriarch Innocence smiled at Lilith, her lips clearly raised and her eyes shining brightly. But, even though there wasn¡¯t any magic power added, and neither was there any hint of hostility, that one line sent a shiver down my spine. And Lilith should be no different. At least, that was what I¡¯d thought.


    ¡°Matriarch Innocence, I apologise for showing up in your estate unannounced. The Moonreaver House tried contacting the Everwinter Estate multiple times, and our requests for a teleportation transfer had been rejected multiple times.¡±


    ¡°So, are you saying that it¡¯s our fault?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! The Everwinter House has every right to deny our correspondence, however¡­¡±


    The blonde beauty didn¡¯t even falter for a second as she faced the five-thousand-year-old Vampire¡¯s pressure face on. Rather, she smiled under the Matriarch¡¯s influence, not once betraying her image of a wless character.


    ¡°I have every right to search for my Bloodmate. Even if it means breaching the Everwinter¡¯s defence by my own power.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Hoho¡­¡±


    The Matriarch blinked, somewhat taken aback by Lilith¡¯s confidence. No, it was better to say that she was genuinely impressed. How many Vampires, let alone young Vampires such as Lilith, would dare stand up to her? No,e to think of it, I stood up to her once?


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You aren¡¯t a True Vampire if you don¡¯t fight for what you want.¡± The Matriarch chuckled a little, unbing of her grandma¡¯s status. But that innocent giggle soon turned into a fear-inducing snarl.


    ¡°Still, do you expect me to believe that a mere twenty-five-year-old Vampire managed to bypass all of our defensive barriers? We may not be as skilled as the Moonreaver House regarding dimensional and spatial magic, but the Everwinter House is still an ancient House. We don¡¯t just allow brats to squirrel in undetected.¡±


    The pressure from the Matriarch mounted, this time on all of us. It felt like the ancient Vampire was truly enraged now.


    ¡°Tell me, which one of your Elders helped you? Or is it your air-headed brother? If you tell me honestly, I won¡¯t pursue your transgressions.¡±


    But the person who assisted her wouldn¡¯t be spared¡­ Everyone, including Lilith, got the hidden message behind the Matriarch¡¯s words. Although she was angry at the young beauty, it was unbing for a five-thousand-year-old monolith to seek revenge on a mere girl. No, judging by their ages, Lilith was a mere fetus, nay, sperm cell in her eyes.


    Even if the Matriarch was in the right to punish her, no one in upper society would look fondly if one of the strongest Vampires in the world kills a mere upstart.


    However, contrary to the Matriarch¡¯s expectations, Lilith came back with an iprehensible answer.


    ¡°No one helped me. I teleported to the Everwinter House through my own power.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Girl, I don¡¯t appreciate liars.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying!¡±


    Lilith pounded her chest and raised her chin in pride.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that a mere twenty-five-year-old girl managed to find our exact coordinates within the Mist of Confusion, breach the spatial barrier we¡¯d set up, bypass the jamming magic barriers, break through the teleportation restriction and teleport here all on her own?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    At this point, I was even impressed. I knew that the Everwinter House was heavily guarded, judging by the fact that no one had even attempted to raid the Vampire Nobles. But hearing it allid out by the Matriarch made me gape in awe. No one in their right mind, even if they had an army of professors, magical researchers and barrier or spatial magicians, would even attempt to break into the Everwinter House.


    And yet, this girl managed to do so.


    ¡°Give me a satisfactory answer, Princess of the Moonreaver House.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually quite simple, actually.¡±


    Lilith folded her arms in akimbo and pivoted her eyes towards me.


    ¡°Fifteen years ago, due to an unfortunate incident, I was forced to split a quarter of my soul into my Bloodmate¡¯s body. Ever since then, I was able to always coordinate his exact location, even if he was three thousand metres in the sky or ten thousand metres in the Earth¡¯s crust.¡±


    Wait¡­ So I had a tracking device this entire time? Irina¡¯s quirks aside, this Lilith seemed to be even more extreme¡­


    ¡°And so, even though he¡¯s inside the Everwinter House, I could always pinpoint his exact coordinates.¡±


    ¡°I see; that exins how you could bypass the Mist of Confusion and teleportation restriction.¡±


    Teleportation wasplex magic. Particrly teleportation across vast distances. Usually, one would need a portal, an established link of sorts, for teleportation across thoserge distances to ur. And from what I understood, the Everwinter House had that link to help them move to each one of the Ten Guardian Houses.


    That was what the Matriarch meant by bypassing the Mist of Confusion and teleportation restriction. The Mist of Confusion hid the Everwinter Estate¡¯s coordinates from magical entities while the teleportation restriction prevented anyone from the other Vampire Houses from using the teleportation portals.


    But Lilith didn¡¯t need that portal; rather, by using me as a coordinate, she managed to teleport here all on her own.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t exin how you breached the spatial barriers or bypassed the magic jamming protections.¡±


    If all that was needed to breach the Everwinter defences was the ability to have a coordinate, then the enemies of this ancient Vampire House would have used this loophole aeons ago. They could have had an insider do the job or simply send a gift with a magical signal.


    ¡°That was the tricky part and the reason why I came sote¡­ Somebody rushed to bring Jin here as soon as she could, and that really messed with my n.¡±


    Lilith red at Irina, who looked away and failed to whistle.


    Cute¡­


    Both of them are so damned cute. Lilith¡¯s face that seemed scrunched up like an indignant squirrel, and Irina¡¯s adorable attempt to ignore the subject. I can¡¯t help but feel that they behaved like sisters who had known each other for the longest time.


    No, no, no! Focus, Jin!


    ¡°To bypass your defences, I had to research many books to find out which vulnerabilities your protection had. There weren¡¯t many, and those weaknesses were so insignificant that it¡¯s hard for anyone to take advantage of. But little by little, I sent my magic power through those small holes and attempted to establish a link with my soul within Jin¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°And once you managed to do that, you could teleport to where the boy was¡­¡±


    The Matriarch finished Lilith¡¯s exnation for her. The blonde beauty nodded and continued:


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I was fortunate, for some reason, Jin¡¯s soul became even stronger, and our link was established yesterday night. After a few hours of trial and error, I finally managed to conduct the teleportation.¡±


    ¡°I see, so this is a rarity among rarities.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The Matriarch fell into a thoughtful position. It made sense for the leader of the House to worry about the vulnerabilities in their defences, particrly since it was done by a mere youngling that she wouldn¡¯t spare a second nce at. But now that she knew that it was a one-off thing¡­


    ¡°HAHAHAHA!!! What a pity! Hah, if only Irina had half the brains you had!¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Irina jerked at her grandmother¡¯s words, and it felt like she was ready to rebut at any moment, but the Matriarch didn¡¯t give her a chance to continue.


    ¡°The Moonreaver House sure is fortunate! I now realise why you¡¯re called a generational prodigy!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ttering me.¡±


    Lilith epted the Matriarch¡¯s praise with a smile.


    ¡°However, the fact still remains that you¡¯ve trespassed my Estate¡­ Not even your brother, that wet-nosed brat, can enter the Everwinter Estate as and when he wants. And for you to do so without my permission¡­¡±


    The Matriarch wrapped her hands around each other, her eyes deeply ring at the woman who had breached her defences. Even if she was impressed by Lilith, it was an undeniable truth that the girl was in the wrong. Hell, since they were two separate Vampire Guardian Houses, Lilith¡¯s teleportation could be taken as an act of war.


    Even if the Matriarch won¡¯t kill her, something had to be done for the Everwinter House to retain its image.


    ¡°How about this? I shan¡¯t pursue this issue if you do something for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so cautious! I won¡¯t ask you to do something difficult!¡±


    The Matriarch paused and alternated her eyes between the three of us. Most of the time, her gaze remained on the white-haired girl seated to my right.


    ¡°That final attack you used on Irina just now was a domain, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°For such a Vampire to possess a domain at that age, you sure are impressive!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°And I heard that the Moonreaver House had gifted you a dimensional domain, one that could help talented Vampires develop their domain at a faster rate!¡±


    ¡°¡­ yes.¡±


    At this point, even I could guess what the Matriarch wanted. Lilith was talented, so much so that she seemed to impress the five-thousand-year-old Vampire. But one of the reasons that Lilith had reached her level of power was due to the backing she¡¯d got from her House. And that included all of the material gains that were provided to her.


    And if my hypothesis was right¡­


    ¡°Let Irina train in that dimensional domain! If you do that, your breach on our Estate will be just a bygone memory.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lilith stayed silent for a moment. I didn¡¯t know how precious a dimensional domain was but based on the words that were exchanged thus far, I could tell that it wasn¡¯t something that was easily given over. Particrly to a rival Vampire House¡¯s talent.


    There might be bacsh from her House, her supporters, and maybe the fallouts would have made Lilith lose her standing. But contrary to all of my guesses, the girl was more concerned about something else.


    ¡°¡­ If I agree to those terms, will you return my Bloodmate to me?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Both Irina and I snapped our heads to look at the girl. My eyes were filled with astonishment, while Irina¡¯s were burning with hatred.


    The Matriarch, clearly amused by the whole situation, simplyughed and replied:


    ¡°I don¡¯t have rights over him, so I can¡¯t do that. But¡­¡± The ancient Vampire¡¯s sinister smile brushed past Irina and me. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your love. You can take that boy with you back to the Moonreaver Dimension. And if you manage to steal him away from Irina, I shall give my blessings.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    The two Vampires, one twenty-five and one five-thousand years old, came to an agreement with a smile on their faces. I was bbergasted while Irina seemed to be on the verge of apoplexy.


    And somehow¡­ Without me knowing¡­ My next destination had already been confirmed.

 Chapter 41 Lilith Moonreaver (3)

    The Matriarch left just as suddenly as she appeared. A gust of wind breezed through the half-decimated structure that used to be called Irina¡¯s bungalow, and the ancient Vampire vanished as if she were a mere hallucination. However, as she left, I swore that I could see the outlines of her lips breaking into a sly smile.


    So why did she smile?


    Because of the ticking time bomb that she¡¯d left in my hands.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Irina and Lilith remained silent, their faces ashen with both their eyes looking away from one another. No, Irina seemed more reluctant to meet the blonde beauty¡¯s face while Lilith was withholding her desire to start a new World War. Evidently, the two hadn¡¯t recovered from their previous fight and were itching to go again.


    But I won¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°Lilith¡­ You don¡¯t mind me calling you that, right?¡± I smiled at the fuming girl, hoping to somewhat appease her. ¡°Would you mind telling me the details of the ritual? My memory is still quite fuzzy, and I can¡¯t remember anything from the past.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You still haven¡¯t told him?¡±


    Hearing my question, Lilith¡¯s face wasn¡¯t pointed at me; instead, it red right at Irina as if it were trying to reproach and denounce her.


    ¡°Brother¡¯s soul has not recovered then. I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm him with memories that he can¡¯t even remember. Also¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s body started fidgeting as she looked away with guilt. There were words unspoken, but I¡¯ve known the girl long enough to somewhat guess her thoughts. Yes, Irina purposefully withheld details about our past to ease my suffering. But the most pivotal reason was¡­<sub>-.</sub>


    She wanted to monopolise me.


    Irina didn¡¯t want the other girls to know that I was taken by her, and she definitely didn¡¯t want the other girls to touch a hair on my body. She wanted me all for myself, and it became extremely apparent judging by the way she treated me.


    The love that Irina possessed for me was heavy, so heavy in fact, that she was willing to fight everyone in the world, including her best friends, just to retain me for herself.


    And honestly¡­ I quite liked that.


    The feeling of being loved so much that she wanted to monopolise every part of my being. Truthfully, I felt the same way about Irina. I didn¡¯t want any other man to have her, and if she were to run into the arms of someone else¡­


    Yeah, I understood the immense jealousy that my little sister felt.


    ¡°Tsk, I should have never passed the observation rights to you!¡±


    Like an active volcano that was about to erupt, Lilith¡¯s face turned hellish red as fumes spewed out from her nostrils. Her ethereal vale eyes turned crimson as magic power started to fill the room. To defend herself, Irina turned and prepared to battle to the death. Goodness, could these two just calm down for just one second.


    Attempting to defuse the situation, I abruptly changed the subject: ¡°What are observation rights? Do you mind exining it to me?¡±


    ¡°T-That!¡±


    Lilith stopped her onught of anger and turned her attention back to me. Her bloodshot eyes of hers wavered, and the fuming woman turned mellow. She dropped back on the sofa and lowered her head down. If the girl had dog ears, they would be hanging down in shame as well.


    Cute¡­<sub></sub>


    ¡°Jin¡­ How much do you know about the past? About why our souls are in you and the reason why we weren¡¯t able to be near you for fifteen years?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Irina exined the gist of it to me already. Your souls are meant to hold mine together, and if you approached me, they might go out of control as they tried to return to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the blonde beauty asserted my words. Lilith¡¯s face quickly turned sour, and her eyes locked right on me. And within those gorgeous pupils, I could see the yearning she had for me. The desires and words that she¡¯d suppressed for many years.


    ¡°On that day, the Outer Demon ripped your soul into pieces. We were only children back then, and none of us were specialists in treating the soul. But we desperately wanted to keep you alive, and so¡­ we performed that ritual.¡±


    ¡°Ritual?¡±


    ¡°Yes, since there were four of us, each one of us sacrificed a quarter of our souls. Using them, I glued your broken soul back together and left them there so that your soul could heal by itself. It wasn¡¯t the best option, but it was the only path we had at the time.¡±


    That soundedplicated¡­ Wait a minute, if Lilith was right, did that mean she performed this ritual when she was just ten years old?! When Irina told me that she had help, I¡¯d always assumed that there was an adult present!


    I stared intensely at the beauty who seemed nothing like a magic researcher or an academic at the top of her field. If Irina had the look of a wless doll, Lilith boasted an image of a fresh supermodel who could easily beat anyone on television. Her perfectly toned body made it seem like she had been dieting and exercising well. The only weakness was her small chest size, but that wasn¡¯t a problem at all! Rather, it added to her allure as an intelligent beauty.


    ¡°Because the ritual was done in a hurry, and there wasn¡¯t any time to fix any underlying problems it had, the moment you passed out, we were forced to leave you alone.¡±


    Lilith¡¯s darkened eyes betrayed her anguish, her deep and murky emotions, and her remorse for not being able to do more for me. Unknowingly, her hands reached out to me but stopped just shy, as if there was a mental barrier preventing her from fully epting my warmth.


    Looking away, the blonde¡¯s voice cracked as she continued:


    ¡°We knew that you would forget us, but we never forgot about you¡­ Not for a single second, Jin. We wanted to be with you, grow up with you, and help you with everything you needed¡­ But, we couldn¡¯t evene near you.¡±


    Lilith¡­


    ¡°However, even if we couldn¡¯t be near you, we would at least protect you! That¡¯s why the four of us shared the responsibility to observe you and assist you from afar. No one was allowed to harm you! No one!¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s the meaning of the observation rights¡­¡±


    Now everything made sense. Irina had multiple pictures of me growing up, from the time I hit puberty all the way to the day I graduated from university. Although Irina did have her weird hobby, it was mostly to surveil my surroundings and ensure that I remained safe at all times.


    And now that Lilith has mentioned it, I do remember some mysterious events that happened throughout my life. From small things like finding my missing wallet on my desk the next day to even weirder things like bullies not disturbing me even though I was crippled.


    So¡­ Rather than call them voyeurs, it would be better to think of them as my guardian angels!


    ¡°Yes¡­ We would take turns holding onto the observation rights. After all, as much as we wished to monitor you twenty-four-seven, we had other obligations to fulfil. And once your soul had beenpletely healed, we nned to meet you together to exin everything. But¡­¡±


    Lilith snapped her head back to Irina, ring at her with a look that could kill a million people.


    ¡°SOMEONE just had to break our promise! When all of us weren¡¯t looking! Not only that, she¡­¡±


    Lilith looked at me, mainly the lower half of my body, and blushed furiously. Steam rose from the crown of her head, and her pale white face was rapidly dyed red from head to neck. That simple face sent electric pulses through my veins as my heart started beating far more rapidly. The gap between a calm and confident intellectual and a shy virgin was seriously bad for my heart.


    Why was she so fucking adorable?!


    Irina once said that due to the connections between our souls, I would feel far more affectionate towards her just through that fact alone. However, Lilith¡¯s mellow nature would strike down even the toughest of men.


    ¡°¡­ I wanted his firsts.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing!¡±


    Lilith whispered softly so that no one could hear. However, there was no way her honest thoughts could escape my superhuman ears. Smiling impishly, I stood up and gently reached out for her soft head.


    The girl flinched for a moment, unsure how to react to this foreign action. Watching Lilith switch from a bold woman to a flustered young girl sure was amusing, and the urge to tease her till the end of time. But, I refrained from that for now.


    My fingers traced the outline of her forehead, down to her mochi-like cheeks. Good god, they were soft. Her face was so unnaturally smooth that it felt like the girl didn¡¯t have a pimple her entire life. Lilith¡¯s sharp chin, soft skin and gorgeous cheeksbined to make a killerbination, one that was addictive to the touch.


    And to top it all off¡­


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    Lilith¡¯s rage had melted away in its entirety. She looked at me, her eyes misty as her lips parted slightly. The redness of her face, the longing desire in her eyes, the warmth and softness of her face¡­


    Ah¡­


    This feeling. It was the same. I felt the exact same way when I was with Irina.


    ¡°Lilith, please forgive Irina. She was forced to turn me into a Vampire back then. I was dying due to the sh of the souls, and if Irina didn¡¯t turn me¡­ I¡¯m afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be here talking to you.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, so she had no choice but to break that promise.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±


    I think I¡¯m starting to understand how this woman works. Perhaps it was due to the experience I¡¯ve gained by interacting with Irina, or maybe it was the fact that a quarter of her soul was within me. Just by my instincts alone, I could understand how to work with her. How to tame her. And¡­ How to please her.


    ¡°Please forgive her¡­ For me?¡±


    I purposefully left out the fact that Irina hid me away so that Lilith and the rest couldn¡¯t find me. Sometimes, leaving out one tiny detail was the difference between life and death. And in this case¡­


    ¡°A-Alright¡­ I guess I can forgive her this time.¡±


    Eureka! Smiling from ear to ear, I ced my hands on Lilith¡¯s diamond face and tenderly stroked down her chin.


    ¡°Thank you, Lilith!¡±


    My lips naturally went in for the kill. Happily nting kisses on her forehead, my face moved at rapid speeds to prevent her from pulling away. Not that Lilith would do that in the first ce. Stunlocked by my actions, the girl froze like an ice sculpture, unable topute the deed that was happening. If I tried tond a kiss on her lips, there was no question that Lilith would be unable to resist.


    In fact, I was tempted to do just that. However¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± After my third kissnded, Irina immediately forced herself between us and pulled me away. ¡°Brother, I think she got the message.¡±


    On the surface, Irina¡¯s actions seem to be protecting Lilith from me, but we all knew that she was just jealous. Hehe, even a jealous Irina was so cute! On the other hand, Lilith was still petrified in ce, as if Medusa herself had cast a spell.


    Oh my god¡­


    One adorable lover had now turned into two!


    I am most definitely going to enjoy my time in the future!

 Chapter 42 Lilith Moonreaver (4)

    Lilith¡¯s unannounced trespass into the Everwinter Estate wentrgely unnoticed due to the Matriarch¡¯s immediate intervention. Usually, an invader would have been captured and possibly executed after weeks of interrogation, but fortunately for us, Lilith was considered a friendly. And so, the days passed in rtive peace.


    Yes, there were the days when Irina and Lilith started to fight. Mainly due to them arguing over who could sleep in my bed at night. Irina wanted to continue our nightly activities, which included sucking both my blood and vitality vicariously with no end.


    Lilith, on the other hand, just couldn¡¯t forgive Irina for stealing me away and hated the idea that her Bloodmate would be pairing with another woman without her consent. However, since we¡¯d only just reunited, the girl was too shy to approach me just like Irina did.


    And so, we reached a deadlock in our rtionship. While things looked peaceful on the outside, internally, there was a tense war between the two beauties. Neither side wished to give in, and every time one seemed to get an advantage, the other would do everything in their power to stop the other.


    But the true victim in this war¡­ was none other than myself.


    It had been three days since Lilith arrived, and I had yet to suck her blood. I couldn¡¯t even enjoy my daily dosage of Irina due to the cold war that was brewing in the house. Furthermore, I couldn¡¯t even train properly due to the restrictions that were ced on me now.


    Damn it! I wanted to suck their blood! I wanted to push them down on the bed and enjoy our time together!


    Shit! Seriously, after bing a Vampire, mytent desires had be more and more transparent. And it didn¡¯t help that both of them had heavenly bodies that somehow appealed to me far more than any human woman ever could.


    Just looking at Lilith¡¯s untasted neck was enough to get my gears turning¡­ Urgh, I really need to learn self-control.


    The only good thing that I¡¯d gained during my quarantine was the enjoyable talks I shared with Lilith, which helped me piece together the puzzle that was Lilith Moonreaver. Firstly, unlike Irina, who was just one out of many heirs-in-training, Lilith was the sole heir to the Moonreaver House. Well, to call her the sole heir would be a reach, but it is widely epted that in a couple hundred years, Lilith would inherit the House.


    And to understand why that was the case, it was imperative to understand how the Moonreaver House worked.


    Just like the Everwinter House, the Moonreaver House was one of the Ten Guardian Houses that ruled the Vampiric world. Each one of the Guardian Houses had its own unique traits, and all of them were integral to keeping all Vampires safe from the other races that wished to prey on them.


    And if the Everwinter House were the shield that protected Vampires from the threat of the Outer Demons, the Moonreaver House was the barrier that kept the Vampires hidden from humans and other eyes.<sub>-.</sub>


    There were many reasons why Vampires hadrgely disappeared from the and had be as elusive as the Elves themselves. They mainly hunted at night and when the Moon wasrgely visible. They were few in numbers and rarely showed themselves in fear of the Holy Church and other rogue scientists that wished to experiment on their bodies.


    But the main reason why the Vampires had vanished from our society was due to the creation of alternate dimensions called the Nightmare realms. Each Nightmare realm was a dimension that gave Vampires a safe ce to stay where they were untethered by humanws.


    Most Nightmare realms were small and barely the size of a football field. They were used as emergency hideouts for Vampires or a ce where they could hide their lifetime of wealth. However, there were Nightmare realms that could reach the size of an entire country!


    ording to Lilith, the Nightmare realms were ces for Vampires to live, trade and hibernate in peace, away from the pesky humans that wished to disrupt them. Yes, there were certain powerful ns, such as the Everwinter House, that lived in the human world and didn¡¯t need to migrate to a Nightmare realm. However, the vast majority of Vampires lived in the Nightmare realms, where they were unhindered by the Sun, and they could live by their own rules.


    Not only that, since Vampires hated to travel in the Sun and facing other races without the Blood Moon would be a pain in the ass, the Vampires had developed Warp Gates, which linked the Nightmare realms together.


    And the Guardian House responsible for the creation, maintenance and protection of all the Nightmare realms¡­ was none other than the Moonreaver House.


    If the Everwinter House¡¯s speciality was the dominion over ice and Winter, the Moonreaver had absolute authority over dimensional magic. They were the ones who helped the Vampires stay out of harm¡¯s way and were the architects of the paradigm-shifting Nightmare realms. The Moonreaver House was even responsible for all the Warp Gates that each Nightmare realm had.


    And therefore, while the Guardian Houses never tried to rank themselves, there was an unspoken consensus that the Moonreaver House stood at the apex. They may not have the best fighters, and its numbers were much fewer than the other Houses, but the Moonreaver House was unquestionably the most influential one.


    And since their influence didn¡¯t rely on personal power but the ability toprehend, innovate and generate new dimensional magic to progress, the Moonreaver House¡¯s leader didn¡¯t need to be the strongest Vampire in the n. On the contrary, they needed to possess foresight and intelligence that trumps any mere physical brawler.


    And that was the main reason why the Moonreaver House could confidently ce Lilith as their sole heir.


    At the age of three, she had mastered basic arithmetic andnguage. At the age of six, she started to study spells and had even mastered dimensional ones that were difficult for Vampires five times her age. At the age of ten, she performed a soul ritual that no ten-year-old could ever hope to replicate, even if they were supported by knowledgeable adults. At the age of fifteen, she created her own pocket dimension, which many think that it¡¯s a record that would stand the test of time. At the age of eighteen, she created her own Nightmare realm without any assistance from the Moonreaver House. And finally, at the age of twenty-five, she obtained a domain, something that even True Vampires that lived for a thousand years would rarely master.


    Each record was more stunning than thest, and Lilith had eventually be a celebrity in the Vampiric World.<sub></sub>


    Nicknames such as the Princess of the Moonreaver House, the generational prodigy, the gift from the stars¡­ Each moniker shows how terribly gifted Lilith was, so much so that people were hoping she inherited the Moonreaver House sooner rather thanter.


    But right now, this prodigy was more invested in doing something else¡­


    ¡°Ten metres! I said you should keep ten metres away from Jin!¡±


    ¡°And why the hell would I do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to contaminate him more than you¡¯ve already had!¡±


    ¡°Contaminate? Do you think that I¡¯m a bacteria?¡±


    ¡°Worse! You¡¯re a subus that doesn¡¯t know when to stop! Don¡¯t spread your cooties to him!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, this is why I didn¡¯t want you to find out¡­¡±


    Lilith and Irina quarrelled as per usual, their nostrils fuming and eyes burning. One was a generational talent that terrified every True Vampire in her age group. The other possessed the Winter Sovereign aspect, in which only two had ever existed.


    And yet¡­ These two were fighting like little children at a schoolyard. Cooties? Now that¡¯s a term I¡¯d never heard in a long time¡­


    ¡°Are you guys five years old?¡±


    ¡°She was the one who started it!¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re the one who interrupted my sweet time with Brother! IF you behaved, we could have continued doing this and that!¡±


    ¡°T-T-This and t-that?!¡± Lilith¡¯s paleplexion instantly turned crimson, and her arms iled about in pure hysteria. ¡°I-I knew it! You need to stay ten metres away! N-No, twenty metres away!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, what a virgin¡­¡±


    Hey, Irina? Weren¡¯t you a virgin just a few days ago as well? I wanted to retort that, but my mind rightfully held back my mouth. After interacting with these two for a few days, I knew better than to jump right into a catfight. Although they wouldn¡¯t admit it, these two were as sisterly as sisterse. Perhaps it was due to how simr their ages were and the fact that they oftenmunicated to monitor my surroundings. But, these two seemed closer than mere friends.


    Especially when ites to Irina. Irina wasn¡¯t close to anyone in the Everwinter House and the only ones that she truly trusted, such as Variel and Luminita, were far older than her. So, to see her behave in afortable and unrestrained manner to another young Vampire¡­


    It really warmed my heart.


    ¡°Alright, stop fighting. We¡¯re already here.¡±


    I reached out for both of their necks and gently grabbed their napes. Like a mother cat catching its kittens, I tenderly massaged them to calm down and brought them closer to me.


    ¡°B-Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°J-Jin¡­¡±


    Irina¡¯s eyes gleamed with hearts as her wintry-grey pupils locked with mine. Meanwhile, Lilith¡¯s mystified expression,bined with her desire to lean into my touch and to run away in shame, was clearly evident in her ethereal vale eyes. Both of those expressions shot two critical hits in my heart, and I was tempted to carry them both to bed at this very moment. s, we didn¡¯t have that luxury right now.


    ¡°We are about to teleport to the Moonreaver Dimension. If you keep fighting, the operators won¡¯t know when to start the initiation.¡±


    I nced over to the technicians handling the teleportation device, only to see them desperately trying to hide theirughter. Lilith and Irina noticed them as well, and they both looked down with faint blushes on their cheeks.


    ¡°Master Jin, you sure have be adept at handling the Young Mistress.¡± Varielughed as he carried thest remaining suitcase onto the tform.


    ¡°As expected of Master Jin! The Young Mistress has already been wrapped around your finger!¡± Luminitamented as well while she held onto Irina¡¯s personal belongings.


    ¡°You two¡­ Do you want a pay cut?¡±


    ¡°Ara? How scary!¡±


    Luminita chuckled and showed a gesture that she was going to zip her mouth. Variel smiled widely in response and retained his silence as well.


    While the Moonreaver House was officially an ally and would never do anything to harm Irina, it didn¡¯t hurt to have some protection. Furthermore, Variel and Luminita were both top ss servants who could both protect and serve Irina better than anyone could. And so, bringing them along wasn¡¯t a bad n.


    ¡°Alright, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Lilith and Irina answered at the same time. Lilith¡¯s voice was more enthusiastic than the white-haired beauty, who had secretly connected her arms around mine without Lilith noticing. Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. We were leaving her home for a foreign ce that Irina would be ufortable with. It was natural to be a little afraid.


    However, I truly misjudged Irina¡¯s feelings this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to obtain my domain as quickly as possible¡­ That way, we can return before Lilith can do anything to Brother¡­¡±


    ¡­ This little imp. Shouldn¡¯t you want to be stronger for your own sake? Why do you have such twisted motivations?


    Hah¡­


    While holding back my sigh, the operators of the teleportation portal held up a thumbs up, to which we replied with our own friendly gesture. After nodding, the lead technician spoke to a headset, likely to inform the operators at the Moonreaver House of our request to teleport. And after a few seconds, the runes on the tform started to light up as magic power was transferred to the circr device leaning against the wall. And then¡­


    Zssssttttt!


    A wave of particles congregated into a whirlpool of magic, and it felt like space itself had been manipted. No, it didn¡¯t feel like it; it was what actually happened! Due to my affinity with Spacetime, I could tell that this structure was simr to that of a wormhole, a fold in the fabric of Spacetime that allowed entities to travel from one ce to the other without traversing the entire distance.


    And while I would love to delve into the physics and magical theory of this phenomenon, there was simply no time for my scientific curiosity.


    Lilith led the road as she walked confidently toward the vortex of magic. However, just before she could step through, the blonde goddess looked over her shoulder and shed a confident smile. She held her left hand back, and her lustrous voice reverberated in my mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Ah, that¡¯s right¡­ This is only the beginning of my journey. The Outer Demons, the Vampires, the other races¡­ This was only just the start. There would be countless adventures toe. Countless stories to experience. Countless fights to endure.


    And throughout them all¡­


    They will be there.


    Putting on my broadest smile, I firmly grabbed the slender hand that reached out to me and took that one confident step. The first step forward in my journey.

 Chapter 43 The Moonreaver Dimension (1)

    The Moonreaver Dimension.


    A Nightmare realm that had been crafted specially by the architects in the Moonreaver House, the inventors of the Nightmare realm. Few humans could ever step foot in the Moonreaver Dimension, and those that did rarely came back with their souls intact. Therefore, there was very little known about this mysterious ce.


    Was it the same as the other Nightmare realms that most Vampires resided in? How big was it? Did it have a climate of eternal night? Very few humans even knew that this ce even existed!


    And therefore, when I¡¯d finally got to peek behind the curtain¡­


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    The moment I stepped out from the Warp Gate, the first thing I was greeted with was a nket of stars. The constetions of the night sky twinkled in their celestial splendour, bringing forth an astralfort that only beings of the night could enjoy. The climate here was different as well. Coming from a ce where the heat of Summer never came, the slight warmth and humidity of the Moonreaver Dimension slowly got my blood pumping.


    And the most intriguing aspect of this foreign dimension¡­ was the ever-glowing Blood Moon hanging above our heads.


    By my calctions, it shouldn¡¯t be the Night of the Blood Moon yet. Heck, it¡¯s only been less than two months since the previous Night of the Blood Moon! And thus, for the Blood Moon to appear right before my eyes, there could only be one exnation¡­ It was a fake.


    I walked forward and closed my eyes, taking in the new environment with my enhanced Vampiric senses. It has been a while since I¡¯ve experienced Spring, as I¡¯ve only experienced Winter since turning into a Vampire. The temperature was just beneath fifteen degrees celsius, the perfect temperature for a Vampire to thrive.


    Thick fragrances of grass and soil tackled my sensitive nose as the sweet sounds of crickets echoed through the night. The soft spring breeze and the sweetness of the evesting moonlight bounced off my body to give me an odd radiation effect. Empowered by the Blood Moon, my blood started to boil, and I could feel my entire soul slowly strengthening by the second.


    It truly was a surreal experience¡­


    ¡°Young Miss, you¡¯ve finally returned!¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    My self-indulgence was quickly cut short by the anxious voice that called out to us. Breaking free from my stupor, I nced down from the elevated tform and saw a plethora of Vampires staring at me. Some of them were True Vampires, while others were Blood Servants. However, regardless of their identities, they all wore simrly white robes to show their uniformity. They were most likely technicians who serviced the Warp Gate, much like how air traffic controllers worked.


    And in the middle of all those technicians was a young female True Vampire who wore a butler¡¯s uniform. Though, unlike Variel and Luminita, the woman seemed less professional just based on her flustered look alone.


    ¡°How could you disappear like that, Young Miss?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I leave a letter?¡±


    Lilith tilted her head while scratching the bottom of her chin.


    ¡°Yeah, you did! But it¡¯s not the same! How would I have known if it was really written by you? Someone might have kidnapped you and forged your handwriting!¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that someone could kidnap me?¡± The blonde stunner scoffed while impeaching her servant¡¯s words. However, her face quickly turned as she saw tears streaming down the female butler¡¯s cheeks ¡°O-Okay, I¡¯ll inform you personally next time.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still going to be a next time?!¡±


    ¡°H-Haha¡­¡±


    Lilith let out a restrainedugh, not willing to give any promises. Looking at the two¡¯s dynamics, I could guess how much of a troublemaker Lilith truly was.


    ¡°Ah, let¡¯s give some introductions! Jin, this is Lisa! She¡¯s my personal servant and assistant!¡± Desperately trying to change the subject, Lilith pointed toward me and spoke. ¡°Lisa, you know Jin, right?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Oh, so this is the legendary Jin¡­¡±


    Legendary? What did she mean by that? Fortunately, my question would be answered without me asking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard many stories about you from the Young Miss.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What kind of stories?¡±


    Lisa¡¯s paleplexion turned a little excited as she happily recounted the vast amounts of information that had been stored in her mind.


    ¡°Even though the Young Miss is a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, she says that she pales inparison to you. It didn¡¯t matter if it was control over magic or simply the ability to understand theories. She said that she¡¯d never beaten you once when you were children.¡±


    Oh? Did that happen when we were younger? The only clues I had were from the recurring dreams that resurfaced when I slept. And from the conversations that Lilith and I shared in the past, it did seem that I was more of the teacher than the student. As for magic¡­ yeah, I can¡¯t remember if wepeted in the past. But one thing was for certain, if wepeted now, Lilith would wipe the floor with me in a heartbeat.


    ¡°She¡¯s overstating it¡­ I¡¯m not that impressive.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t have to be that humble. The Young Miss even said that she wouldn¡¯t have created a pocket dimension and Nightmare realm that young without your guidance!¡±


    Wait, I gave her guidance on that? Jesus, what on earth was I doing as a child?! Was I seriously that smart?


    ¡°Because of that, the Young Miss has rejected dozens of engagement proposals, even though they were from the top talents in the Vampiric World! She famously said that only one person was fit enough to be her Bloodmate, and the rest of the men just couldn¡¯tpare! In fact, the Young Miss yearns for you so much that at night-¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    As I contemted my prodigious talent, Lilith was busy scowling in an adorable frown. She red at her servant, who seemed to say one word too many, and angrily tapped on her forehead. cing both hands on her hourss waist, the blonde beauty looked down at Lisa, who was crouched down and rubbing the red mark on her head and asked:


    ¡°Did anything significant happen during my visit to the Everwinter Estate?¡±


    ¡°Ouch¡­ Young Miss, I get that you¡¯re hiding your embarrassment, but did you really have to hit that hard?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to ignore your mistress¡¯ question, maybe I should give you another red mark?¡±


    ¡°N-Nope! My head is as clear as the night sky!¡±


    Lisa abruptly stood up and gave Lilith a firm soldier¡¯s salute. What the hell? Are they performing aedy routine? Still, I was d to see this side of Lilith, a person that, with each passing day, my heart begins to gravitate toward.


    ¡°The Bloodborne House has sent an envoy to the Gravemind House. It seems like they are nning to join forces against the Church¡¯s Exorcists who have been pestering their operations in Germania.¡±


    ¡°¡­ An alliance against the Holy Church?¡±


    That came as a surprise. While it was true that there was a ceasefire between the Vampires and Humans, that didn¡¯t mean that skirmishes wouldn¡¯t exist. In particr, the Holy Church found Vampires too vile and an existential threat to society. Should the threat of the Outer Demons vanish tomorrow, the Holy Church would point their de at the Vampires within a blink of an eye.


    Honestly, I wished to learn more about the intricacies between the Holy Church and the other Vampire Noble Houses, but Lilith was more concerned about other matters.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in external affairs. Tell me¡­ Did he find out?¡±


    Lilith gulped as her voice skipped an octave. She tried hard to hide it, but her body shivered slightly at the mention of this ¡®him.¡¯


    ¡°Lord Sirius has yet to be informed and is still working on themission for the Eastern Nightmare realm. You can rest assured, Young Miss.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡±


    Hearing the news, Lilith¡¯s face regained its colour, and her chest exhaled deeply. Evidently, she was afraid of this Lord Sirius, and I didn¡¯t know why yet. I turned to Variel, who was helping Luminita transfer our luggage to the car sent to pick us up and asked:


    ¡°Who is Lord Sirius?¡±


    ¡°Lord Sirius is the current head of the Moonreaver House,¡± Variel happily replied to my question. ¡°Although he¡¯s one of the youngest n leaders, the man is widely respected due to his ability to fuse old and innovative ideas together. He¡¯s the one who linked the Nightmare realms together using Warp Gates and the man responsible for the high standing that the Moonreaver House has.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­¡±


    So he¡¯s the head of the family. I¡¯m guessing his stature should be simr to that of Matriarch Innocence. I guess it made sense for Lilith to fear such a person. However, Variel continued with a caveat that I could never anticipate.


    ¡°He¡¯s also Mistress Lilith¡¯s blood-rted elder brother.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Now that¡¯s a surprise¡­ Irina¡¯s elder brother was a bum, and I¡¯d imagined Lilith¡¯s sibling would be much the same. However, contrary to my expectations, the man was the fucking leader of the Vampire World¡¯s most influential House!


    ¡°Is that why Lilith was so afraid of him?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ That¡¯s not entirely the case¡­¡±


    Variel scratched his cheek with a coy smile. His eyes spun a little before he finally started to spill the beans.


    ¡°You see¡­ Mistress Lilith is Lord Sirius¡¯ only sibling. Even though Lord Sirius is a thousand years old, his parents never made another sister for him. And when Mistress Lilith was born, their parents basically left her in his care while they went into hibernation.¡±


    What¡¯s with Vampires and going into hibernation? First, it was Irina¡¯s parents, and now it was Lilith¡¯s¡­ Were their lives so boring that they had to sleep constantly?


    ¡°And since Lord Sirius didn¡¯t have a child of his own, he raised Mistress Lilith as if she was his own daughter. He spoiled her rotten and had famously said that anyone who wishes to get her hand in marriage would have to step over his dead body.¡±


    Wait a minute¡­ Does that mean?


    ¡°Lord Sirius is a kind and magnanimous man, but when ites to his precious little sister, he has created a mountain of corpses. That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Variel looked at me as if I had just contracted terminal cancer and shook his head sadly. The butler didn¡¯t continue his sentence, but his expression told me a thousand words. He was basically writing my eulogy at this point.


    Ah, so after surviving the Matriarch of the Everwinter House, I have nowe to challenge the leader of the Moonreaver House that had a sisterplex. It really is one thing after another¡­

 Chapter 44 The Moonreaver Dimension (2)

    Lilith¡¯s home in the Moonreaver Dimension was quite simr to Irina¡¯s. She had her own personalised mansion, a training facility and a plethora of other luxuries only given to those with upper standings within a Vampiric Noble House.


    Though, there was one stark difference between Lilith¡¯s abode and Irina¡¯s loft¡­


    Lilith¡¯s ce was MASSIVE.


    Spanning at least ten hectares in size, the young woman¡¯s abode was easily thergest private property I¡¯d ever been on. Being the creators of the Nightmare realms, the Moonreaver House had perfected their craftsmanship to establish the masterpiece that was the Moonreaver Dimension.


    And while it wasn¡¯t thergest Nightmare realm in the Vampire World, it was easily among the top five regarding its size. However, the size didn¡¯t matter to the Moonreaver House as they only housed a couple thousand Vampires. Hence, the Moonreaver House went for quality over quantity when developing its own home turf. And it showed in the final product.


    The fake Blood Moon that hung over the night sky captured half the effects of the original Blood Moon, which increased the quality of the magic power within the mirror dimension. A True Vampire living within the Moonreaver Dimension would never feel the lethargy of the Sun, and their wounds would heal at a much faster rate. Not only that, their concentration, overall fighting ability and cognitive functions are greatly enhanced when bathing in the light of the fake Blood Moon.


    It was truly a paradise for all Vampires, let alone the members of the Moonreaver House, to thrive.


    And the biggest beneficiary of this paradise was none other than the next heir of the Moonreaver House.


    ¡°Please, make yourselvesfortable!¡±


    Lilith happily showed us around her mansion, delegating our rooms as she did so. The estate was much bigger than Irina¡¯s bungalow, with over twenty rooms and a shared, luxurious living quarter that would make billionaires salivate in desire. Variel and Luminita were shown to the servant rooms by Lisa, leaving Lilith, Irina and me to wander about the gigantic mansion.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Why is Brother¡¯s room so close to yours? And why is mine in the other wing?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? You must be mistaken. They are equidistant to each other.¡±


    ¡°How on earth are they equidistant?!¡±


    Irina bellowed out in anger. This time, however, the girl had a right to be furious. Irina¡¯s room and mine were separated by about six doors, which meant that the girl had to walk an entire corridor to visit me at night. Not only that, her room was on the second floor while mine was a level up, on the top floor. Compared to our arrangement back at her bungalow, Irina was practically living in another house.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! You came for the dimensional domain, right? For your convenience, I made your room as close to the exit as possible! You won¡¯t have to worry about travelling!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my point!¡±


    ¡°Ara? I thought you came here for the dimensional domain? Should we rescind your rights? If that¡¯s the case, you can return to the Everwinter Estate. Shoo, shoo! Leave so I can spend the rest of my time with Jin!¡±


    ¡°You bitch!¡±


    ¡­ These two got along surprisingly well. Still, if I let them continue, we would be wasting precious time. Time that could be spent training and¡­


    ¡°Irina, Lilith¡­ Cut it out.¡± I sighed while shaking my head. ¡°Lilith, arrange it so that Irina¡¯s room is beside mine and yours. Actually, scratch that; just make sure that it¡¯s near ours. None of us will spend much time in our rooms anyway.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    A sly smile crept up my face as I saw Lilith¡¯s ethereal face of innocence. This girl may be a genius, but her social skills were seriously wanting. Even Irina, who had been sheltered since young, realised the meaning behind my words and her cheeks slowly blushed red.


    My desire to tease these two women peaked. I grabbed Lilith by the chin and raised her eyes to meet mine. The girl was stunned by my movement, but she didn¡¯t show any signs of resistance. Her beady vale eyes blinked as a slight tremble was reflected by her pupils.


    Cute¡­


    Lilith Moonreaver. A genius of the dimensional arts. The future heir of the Moonreaver House. The generational prodigy that everyone looked up to. There was no doubt about her prestige, and yet¡­ In my hands, she¡¯s nothing more than a shy girl who had to face her loved one.


    I could hear Irina clicking her tongue in the background, but I ignored my first precious woman for now. I leaned closer into Lilith¡¯s ear and whispered with the most seductive voice I could muster:


    ¡°We¡¯re going to sleep together¡­ All in one room. Irina¡­ You¡­ And me.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Lilith leapt back like a frightened deer and pasted her back on the wall. Beads of sweat dripped down her gorgeous face as her crystal eyes looked up at me with a mixture of emotions.


    Goodness¡­ Looks like this is going to be an entertaining night.


    ???


    Germania. Homeground of the Bloodborne House.


    ¡°Huergh! Huergh! Huergh!¡±


    Heavy pants escaped the mouth of three men while their legs sprinted down through the dense forest of Germania¡¯s countryside. And while they were in the thick overgrowth of nature, the three men sure didn¡¯t dress the part. Donned from head to toe in luxurious suits, trousers and woollen shoes, the men seemed to have sauntered out from a High Society party.


    Though, there was one distinct difference. Their clothes were in shambles. One of them had their shirt torn from the chest down. One had dozens of holes littered throughout their suit. And the final one barely had any semnce of his suit left.


    Blood dripped all over their fragile, white skin showing the numerouscerations, bruises and punctures they had sustained.


    ¡°A-Are we there yet?¡±


    ¡°Huergh¡­ Soon! Just past these trees!¡±


    The leader of the group pointed to the north, and as if by coincidence, the light of the bright full moon illuminated their destination. A dpidated, ruined vi, one that had been reimed by mother nature herself. The three men¡¯s faces brightened as if they were vagrants in the desert that had just discovered an oasis.


    The three men pushed forward with what little strength they had left and quickly entered the ruined building. The strongest among them hurriedly closed the door and barricaded it with some cabs and chairs before finally copsing on the floor next to hisrades.


    ¡°Urgh¡­ We made it¡­ We finally made it!!!¡±


    ¡°Finally! We can rest!¡±


    All three of them cheered their survival as their consciousness slid in between reality and their dreams. As one of them caught their breath, he asked their leader the all-important question.


    ¡°Do you think that they¡¯ll find this ce?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the leader answered confidently. ¡°This is a dmissioned hideout from a hundred years ago. There are only a handful of people who even know about this ce in our House. Plus, we¡¯d covered our tracks. They won¡¯t be able to find us.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡±


    A deep sigh of relief. Probably the biggest one the man had ever released in his entire life. Rxing his shoulders, he finally moved to the wound he¡¯d left untended for so long. It had been bleeding excessively, and every time he attempted to touch it, a stinging pain would paralyse his entire body. Turning his fingers into sharp ws, the man dug into his flesh and cautiously extracted the bullet, drawing loud groans of agony with each passing second.


    ¡°AHHH!!! Huergh¡­ Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!!! Those fucking Church maggots! They were clearly here to hunt Vampires! Blessed silver bullets?! Those were banned when we signed the peace treaty!¡±


    Vampires were immortal creatures, but that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t be killed. And one of the most effective methods of sending an immortal Vampire into the other world was to use silver bullets, or to be more precise, silver bullets that had been soaked in holy water.


    As creatures of the night, Vampires were highly vulnerable to Holy magic, rendering their absurd healing factor useless. And if a bullet was lodged in their skulls¡­


    ¡°Since when did they care about the peace treaty?! If they had their way, those Church maggots would wage a Holy War in a heartbeat!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, our ancestors should have hunted humans down to extinction! What¡¯s with this peace bullcrap? The wolf should never befriend the sheep!¡±


    The leader cursed, and his subordinates followed. Clearly, they were not only antagonistic towards the Church but towards the entire human race. However, they were currently not the hunters but the hunted. And so, they could only curse behind closed doors.


    ¡°Fifteen of us died in that raid¡­ How did they figure out where we were?¡±


    ¡°The Holy Church has their means. They might have used a seance or maybe even sent undercover Vicars to investigate where our hideouts were.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it did seem like a nned attack. After all, they sent that man¡­¡±


    At the mention of their assant, the three True Vampires trembled in fear. Unconsciously, they looked out the holes of the broken vi, not knowing if someone was watching them or not. It was only after thirty seconds of silence that they finally lowered their guard and continued to discuss their future ns.


    ¡°Damn it! Twenty years of work flushed down the drain! Where will we find a better ce to capture sacrifices?!¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ We¡¯ll have to start all over again. Our House¡¯s revival depends on those sacrifices. Have you contacted HQ?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re still not safe.¡± The leader answered lethargically. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for a while and recuperate our wounds. Once we¡¯re healed up-¡­¡±


    The leader paused as his gaze rested on the man lying on the floor. What remaining colour he had left in his skinpletely faded to obscurity, and his pupils dted wildly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Your wound¡­ Why isn¡¯t it healing?¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    True Vampires were unparalleled when it came to self-regeneration. Given the time, they could even regrow limbs and organs in a matter of minutes. The only way to stop a True Vampire¡¯s regeneration was to separate the head from the body, but otherwise, a mere bullet wound to the chest should be healed by now. And yet¡­


    ¡°What a pity¡­ I might have heard something good if you had discovered it a few minutester.¡±


    A booming voice vibrated the entire ruined vi, forcing the three fatigued True Vampires to leap to their feet. They immediately attempted to flee through a window or a back door, but it was toote.


    BANG!!!


    A single gunshot echoed through the air, and one of the three Vampire¡¯s heads was sted to smithereens. Brain matter and blood sttered all over the vi floor, freezing the remaining two Vampires. And well¡­


    Their moment of shock was very well theirst chance to flee.


    BOOOMM!!!


    The barricaded door sted open, revealing a singr, solid leg which was covered by ck cashmere. The man responsible for kicking the door open waltzed into the broken home with the dazzling moon as his backdrop.


    A tall man. That was the first impression the two remaining Vampires got. He was easily over two-metres tall, possibly reaching twenty centimetres above the two-metre mark. But that didn¡¯t mean he was a skinny stick. Quite the contrary, in fact. Built like a tank, the man had bulging muscles all over his tight robe, which was very conservative for these modern times.


    ck hair and silver eyes. And not to mention, the handsome beard, which was trimmed to perfection. Even though the man was in his forties, he could easily pass as an alpha in his prime.


    A ck cassock with a simrly ck ferraiolo draped around his shoulders. Silver chains held the cape in ce as several silver, and gold jewellery stood out on the man¡¯s garments. In particr, the shiny golden cross that hung between his neck.


    However, the most dangerous parts of the man¡¯s choice of wear weren¡¯t the priestly robes, and neither was it the essories that had been drenched in holy power. It was the two silver long-barrelled handguns that were decorated in the images of angels and the symbols of the Church.


    ¡°Ah-ah¡­ I¡¯d thought that by letting you go, you would have led me to your base. What¡¯s with this shithole of a house?¡±


    ¡°E-Exorcist! Does the Holy Church wish to wage war against our House?! T-The mighty Bloodborne House?!¡±


    The leader attempted to get his words across, but fear overcame his speech. The exorcist lookedzily at the weakened True Vampire and closed his eyes as if he¡¯d swallowed a bitter pill.


    ¡°Honestly, my orders were to let you lead me to your hideout and gather more intelligence by interrogating you, but this is just a pain¡­¡±


    The exorcist spun his silver guns around and pointed his guns at the two Vampires. A torrent of magic and holy power mixed together, and the tip of the guns started to glow in a rich golden hue. The priest¡¯s face gradually turned from azy frown into a sly smile¡­ A sly smile of a fox that had cornered its prey.


    And for the cornered Vampires, his words don¡¯t sound like a holy sermon at all. Rather, it sounded like the whispers of the devil himself.


    ¡°Hallelujah, motherfuckers!¡±

 Chapter 45 The Moonreaver Dimension (3)

    Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep!


    Fifteen minutes had passed since the exorcist traced his prey down to the abandoned vi. Added to the dust and spider webs was the fresh blood of Vampires, sshed around like in a B-rated gore movie. However, the man in the middle of the carnage didn¡¯t have a single drop of blood on his cassock.


    Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep!


    ¡°Hmmm? What is that sound?¡±


    The massive priest tapped down his clothes, confused by the foreign sound that was umon in a dense overgrowth forest such as this one. He continued searching until a thick satellite phone dropped down from his belt, and the impact identally answered the call for him.


    ¡°Father Amorth¡­ Father Amorth!!! Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Jonathan? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°How on earth can you confuse me with your pet bird?! I¡¯m Ingrid! Ingrid, your liaison in Germania!¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m just pulling your leg!¡± The exorcist grabbed onto the phone and continued speaking into the phone. ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?! Have you caught up to the Vampires of the Bloodborne House?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ That I did.¡±


    ¡°Really?! That¡¯s great! As expected of the Holy Church¡¯s number one exorcist!¡± The female voice excitedly praised her superior as she was one step closer topleting her mission. ¡°And so? Did you manage to capture them? Or do you need backup?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for backup because they¡¯re all dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Excuse me?¡±


    For a brief moment, the woman couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She was well aware that her superior was more than capable of capturing his prey. Rather, those were the exact orders that His Holy Eminence Cardinal had given their team. While killing them was an eptable oue, the Holy Church had been chasing this lead for months. They wished to uncover the sinister ns that the Bloodborne House was concocting and the best method was to interrogate those True Vampires in their dungeons.


    But now, they are dead¡­<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Father Amorth! Father Angelo Augustus Amorth! Why did you kill them?!¡±


    ¡°It was a pain in the ass to capture them. Imagine carrying three bodies from the middle of nowhere back to the chapel. It¡¯s too troublesome to do that.¡±


    The honesty of the priest shocked his partner, who could only bellow out in frustration.


    ¡°You could have called us! We have a team ready to do that for you!¡±


    ¡°How would you know my position?¡±


    ¡°My god! Haven¡¯t you heard of GPS?!¡±


    The woman was simplifying her words. Like most influential organisations, the Holy Church had their own satellites and broadcast stations throughout the world. Therefore, while they did not use the traditional GPS, they had their own methods of tracking down their operatives, even if they were under the ocean or deep in a dense jungle.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Whatever. We can¡¯t change what¡¯s done. At least you¡¯ve killed the Vampires responsible for kidnapping innocent people from the viges. We can bring back some good news for the victims.¡±


    ¡°See? It¡¯s a happy ending!¡±


    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±


    Ingrid wanted to protest, but she knew how useless it was against a knucklehead like Father Amorth. His ability to hunt Outer Demons, Werewolves and Vampires was unparalleled in the Holy Church. Creatures of the night dreaded his existence, and the number of souls he¡¯d imed was easily in the thousands. However, the man had quite a bird brain.


    ¡°Do you need help returning?¡±


    ¡°That would be helpful. I am in the middle of-¡­ Ah, Jonathan!¡±


    Just as the priest was going to seek help in his return journey, a beautiful white dove pped its wings down from the heavens andnded square on Father Amorth¡¯s shoulder. It rubbed its white head on the sweaty neck of the man and affectionately pecked on his cheeks.


    ¡°Jonathan! Where were you? I was worried sick!¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, you were navigating the area? Well, it can¡¯t be helped then!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you know the way back?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was a mystery how a man and a bird couldmunicate so well. In fact, it seemed like the priest was better at talking to his pet dove than the woman who was meant to be his line of support. Speaking of whom¡­


    ¡°Hello? Hello?! Father Amorth! Do you read? Do you read?!¡±


    With his buddy here to pick him up, the exorcist could care less about the satellite phone that he barely knew how to use. Leaving the thousand-dor telephone on the floor, Father Amorth happily exited the dpidated building, ignoring the headless bodies on the bloodied floor.


    ???


    ¡°Jin¡­ Am I a monster?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? What are you talking about?¡±


    In the middle of a Spring meadow, two young ten-year-olds sat on arge rock as they stared deeply at the night sky. The young girl had her head resting on the young boy¡¯s arms, and her face was sunk into his armpits. Yet, her soft, muffled voice drew the boy¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Am I a monster?¡±


    The girl raised her supple face-up, going eye to eye with the young boy. Jin was lost in the girl¡¯s otherworldly vale eyes for a moment before finally snapping back to reality. He brought his fingers forth and tenderly stroked the young girl¡¯s blonde hair.


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about, Lilith? You¡¯re not a monster!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ All the adults look at me funny. They all avoided me even though we¡¯d never talked before. My teachers don¡¯t want to teach me anymore. My servants all keep a distance from me. Even my brother doesn¡¯t talk to me like before.¡±


    Lilith bit the bottom of her lip and rubbed her face on Jin¡¯s shoulder softly. The way that she behaved was just like a puppy who sought the warmth of her mother. Her fingers turned into a tiger grip as Lilith struggled to hold back tears.


    ¡°All because I can read a little better than they can. After they realised that I was different from them, they started keeping me at arm¡¯s length. Am I really that repulsive?¡±


    At this point, Lilith¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t hold back. Misty tears dripped down her clear, pimpleless face as her nose started to sniffle. It was hard to imagine, but Lilith was still a young ten-year-old girl. Despite her maturity and mastery over magic, the sciences and other fields. The blonde Vampire was barely older than the tree sprouts surrounding the pair.


    And this young girl¡­ Had to carry the weight of being a genius on her shoulders. She had all the riches in the world; everyone in her n bowed to her every whim; she would have anything that she wished to get.


    And yet¡­ Lilith was so alone. So alone in this world.


    Jin, unable to take her sadness any longer, brought the girl deeper into his chest and whispered:


    ¡°Orion.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    ¡°Andromeda, Aqu, Eridanus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor.¡±


    ¡°Jin?¡±


    ¡°Canis Major, Vulpec, Lacerta, Equuleus, Corona Borealis¡­¡±


    One by one, Jin pointed at each one of the constetions in the night sky. He didn¡¯t stop until he covered every single one and listed some of thes and significant stars to Lilith.


    ¡°By age five, I¡¯ve memorised all of the stars in the sky. At the same time, I studied university-level maths and learnt all elementary-level magic. By eight, I havepleted all of my mandatory schooling curric. And right now, I¡¯m studying a thesis that could change how we understand how magic affects the world.¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    At first blush, it seemed like the boy was showing off his aplishments to the girl. However, that was far from the truth. He smiled back at the girl, who only had him in his eyes and asked:


    ¡°Am I a monster?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jinughed as he gently caressed the young girl. ¡°Just because we¡¯re a little different from the others, it doesn¡¯t mean we are monsters. And besides¡­¡±


    Jin¡¯s right index finger picked up the tears from Lilith¡¯s face and lovingly rubbed her dry. Lilith looked stunned for a moment, and Jin took the opportunity to gently pinch her soft cheeks.


    ¡°How can a cute girl like you be a monster?¡±


    ¡°Y-You! How can you say such things without blinking!¡±


    Lilith¡¯s face instantly turned red as if her previous forlorn anguish didn¡¯t even happen. Embarrassed by Jin¡¯s words, she hid her face like an ostrich, and her shoulders trembled whenever Jin¡¯s hot breath tickled her skin.


    ¡°Hehe, you sure are cute!¡±


    ¡°Y-You! Y-You!!!¡±


    Lilith was too flustered to mount any sort of counter-attack. So what if she¡¯s a generational genius that everyone in her family avoided in fear? The girl was nothing more than a little girl in Jin¡¯s arms.


    ¡°¡­ As expected, I will make him my Bloodmate one day.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡±


    Jin was unable to hear Lilith¡¯s final mumble, but as he watched Lilith¡¯s face of sadness turn into one of pure bliss, his lips couldn¡¯t help but break into a joyous smile.


    ???


    ¡­ Yet another dream?


    I woke up heavy-headed and fatigued. Springing up from my bed, I recollected the vivid dream I¡¯d just had. No, rather than a dream, it was a memory of the past. A memory where Lilith and I shared a moment under the stars and a memory from my forgotten past.


    It¡¯s odd. I had never triggered these dreams in the past, even immediately after I became a Vampire. What were the reasons for this phenomenon? And why could I only remember that I¡¯d met Irina and Lilith in the past? What about the other two?


    There¡¯s so much to test and so much to experiment on. But for now¡­


    ¡°Hummmm¡­¡±


    A soft moan tickled my ear, probing me to look to the left. Irina, who was in her familiar loose nightgown,id snugly by my side. Her face was posh red, and her mouth would often rise into slight chuckles.


    Well, that was to be expected, given that she¡¯d spent half the night sucking my blood. But that wasn¡¯t the odd part. As I looked to my right, I saw another girl sleeping soundly while grasping my trousers.


    Lilith, who was dressed far more conservatively in fully covered pyjamas, sweetly snored. Unlike Irina, the young virgin Vampire was too shy to actively feast on my blood for the first time. Especially since she was in front of Irina, a girl whom she considered her rival and sister. And since I wasn¡¯t an animal, I didn¡¯t force her to do anything that she didn¡¯t want to.


    Which led to this current situation.


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    I gently stroked her supple skin with my palm, and the young girl purred like a cat in response. She moved her cheeks ordingly as she sought the warmth of my touch. Lilith waspletely defenceless.


    Goodness¡­ I¡¯ve only known this girl for a few days, and yet, the emotions I had for her were no less than those I had for Irina.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. I didn¡¯t just know this girl for a few days. I¡¯d known her in the past. Lilith and I had an undeniable connection, one that surpassed the decay of time and separation. She had watched over me for fifteen years, protecting me even though I¡¯d forgotten her existence.


    But now, I¡¯ve remembered.


    And I¡¯ll never forget, ever again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lilith. I won¡¯t leave you alone anymore.¡±


    The girl couldn¡¯t hear me, but her sleeping face reacted anyway. Her lips twitched slightly before her body wiggled closer to myp. Once she¡¯d found afortable position, Lilith shed a satisfied grin and continued to snooze away in Lland. Breaking into a smile, I couldn¡¯t help but nt a kiss on her forehead and lovingly stroke her adorable head.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start the day, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 46 The Second Ability (1)

    ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t push yourself too much!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°Anytime that you need me, just tell Variel. I¡¯ll exit the dimensional domain immediately ande to your side.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Irina.¡±


    ¡°Also, if Lilith makes a move on you, make sure to kick her away! You don¡¯t have to hold back! Just kick her into another dimension!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I heard that!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but break a smile at my younger sister¡¯s worried expression. Irina continued to tap on my body, hoping to get one final touch. And why was she so concerned?


    ¡°You¡¯re acting like this is the final time you¡¯re meeting Jin. I¡¯ll have you know the dimensional domain is perfectly safe, okay? I¡¯ve spent months meditating in it and came out perfectly fine.¡±


    Lilith, who had been staring daggers at Irina¡¯s touchy hands, snorted derisively from the side. The girl was still ufortable with the skinship that Irina and I had developed, and she couldn¡¯t help but frown at my little sister¡¯s actions. Though, in truth, I knew that Lilith wanted to join in on the fun.


    She really was someone who wore her emotions on her sleeve. She couldn¡¯t hide her jealousy even though her words clearly meant something else.


    Was this the infamous Tsundere that I¡¯ve been hearing about?


    ¡°It¡¯s not the dimensional domain that I¡¯m worried about¡­¡± Irina red at the blonde woman, who was slowly edging closer toward us. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about what this thirsty virgin would do to you when I¡¯m not around.¡±


    ¡°T-Thirsty?! You¡¯re the one who did all those immoral things to Jinst night!¡±


    Lilith¡¯s face instantly turned crimson as she recalled the feeding session Irina and I shared. While Lilith was too shy to participate, her eyes were wide open the entire night long. The sight of her covering her face with both her hands while leaving a gap between her fingers was one that I would remember for the rest of my life.


    ¡°Tsk, this is why virgins are so annoying.¡±


    ¡°V-Vir¡­ Stop calling me that! You were one just a few weeks ago too!¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop fighting.¡±


    I separated the two cautiously and held Irina by the hand.


    I could watch these two go on with their sisterly act all day long. But unfortunately, Irina couldn¡¯t spend much time dilly-dallying. The dimensional domain was a simtion that the Moonreaver House formted for training talented young Vampires. Due to the immense cost and the amount of effort needed to create such a contraption, it was only limited to the direct descendants of the Moonreaver House. Even then, you had to have exceptional ability to be even considered.


    The only reason Irina had this opportunity in the first ce was due to Lilith¡¯s uwful trespass on the Everwinter Estate. To prevent the esction of tensions that might even lead to a rift in their rtionship, the Moonreaver House acquiesced to Matriarch Innocence¡¯s demand. It gave Irina a free pass into their dimensional domain.<sub>-.</sub>


    However, that didn¡¯t mean she could use it for an unlimited time. Lilith had been using the dimensional domain over the past few months, and there were barely any resources left. At best, Irina had one month¡¯s worth of time; therefore, every second was worth more than gold.


    Which sadly means¡­ I would be unable to see Irina for a month.


    ¡°Irina¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    We looked into each other¡¯s eyes, and our longing feelings for each other were transmitted clearly. This was going to be our first time separated ever since Irina first transformed me into a Vampire. To some, one month might seem like a short time, but for Irina and I, it was practically our first time apart since establishing our rtionship.


    ¡°Stay safe, okay? There¡¯s no need to rush. Even if you don¡¯t be stronger, I will protect you.¡±


    ¡°Stupid Brother, you took the words from my mouth.¡± Irina giggled as her arms slithered up my neck. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. I know you want to be stronger fast, but think about what would happen to me if you copsed from overtraining.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you got me.¡±


    My hands naturally went down to her waist, and the girl instantly knew what to do. She leapt up, forcing me to carry her like a ko bear. And after licking the base of my neck twice, Irina¡¯s sharp, ivory teeth pierced through my skin as a torrent of blood flowed from my veins into her mouth. Since she¡¯s going to be away for a month, I allowed her to feast to her heart¡¯s desire.


    It was only after fifteen minutes that the girl released her grip on my neck. Face-to-face, Irina went for my lips, and her blood-soaked tongue invaded my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    No other words were needed between us. I watched fondly as Irina walked into the dimensional domain as Variel and Luminita followed along.


    ¡°Well then, if you would excuse me, Master Jin.¡± Luminita, being Irina¡¯s personal maidservant, had to be by her side at all times. Meanwhile, Variel was her protector and the only one the Matriarch truly trusted. No matter how much Irina begged, there was no way that these two elites would guard me.


    Well, not that I needed protection in the first ce.


    ¡°Take care of Irina for me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Finally, after the three disappeared into the private chambers that held the dimensional domain, peace and quiet returned to my life. It was the first time in months that I was left alone. A world without Irina¡­ It sounded so mncholic. Could I actually survive in such a world? Fortunately, this situation was only temporary, and I would see Irina after a month. But, God forbid¡­ What if something happened to her? Or what if I was too weak to protect her?


    Yes¡­ I will never want to see a world like that¡­ ever.<sub></sub>


    And therefore¡­


    ¡°Lilith¡­ You sure held back well.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not that insensitive.¡± The blonde beautyughed under her breath. ¡°She won¡¯t be seeing you for a month, so that level of skinship is still eptable.¡±


    ¡°Still eptable, huh?¡±


    ¡°Besides, now that she¡¯s not here, we can¡­¡±


    ¡°We can, what?¡±


    ¡°Huehuehue¡­ Nothing~¡±


    Goodness, how cute could you be? I felt the need to tease this adorable creature, but I held back my words. The more important thing was¡­


    I walked over to Lilith and grabbed her by the shoulders. Her vale eyes faltered, and her entire body convulsed. Perhaps she thought I was about to give her the same kiss that I gave Irina? Well, as much as I wished to, there was something else I wanted to do at the moment.


    ¡°Lilith¡­ Let¡¯s train!¡±


    ???


    Lilith¡¯s training facility was quite simr to Irina¡¯s one. She had an entire gym filled with empty space. An entire library that could easily match those in universities. Dozens of facilities, such as swimming pools, forest and mountain ranges, testing grounds¡­ Even a myriad of weapons and artifacts would make the world¡¯s top Hunters drool.


    It was a stacked facility through and through.


    However, the most impressive feature of Lilith¡¯s massivend wasn¡¯t anything from the aforementioned list. It was the virtual dimension simtor that trumps anything that even the Everwinter House could get.


    Being the premier authority in creating mirror dimensions and alternate realms, the Moonreaver House had the best magical technology when it came to creating a training ground. Using aplicated algorithm and a set of arrays, the Moonreaver House had created something awe-inspiring.


    I stood in the middle of a white chamber, one that was about a football field in size. There was nothing within these four walls, but that didn¡¯t matter one bit. Why? Because with a press of a button, this facility could transform into anyndscape I desired.


    A technological metropolis with towering skyscrapers that reached the skies? A rocky cavern with nothing but broken boulders and shadowy moss? Or a beautiful meadow with thousands of flowers littered all over the ground?


    Any environment that I wished to train in, I could create.


    And that was the power of the Moonreaver House.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember you being so dedicated to training, Jin.¡±


    ¡°Really? How was I in the past?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ You used to train a lot back then as well, but you always made time for us. Even if you were in the middle of your routine, if one of us wanted you there, you would drop everything ande to us immediately.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Dear God, just how chauvinistic were you, ten-year-old Jin? Then again, I should thank the past me for being that charming. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have met Irina and Lilith and made them enamoured with me.


    ¡°Later, when we are resting¡­ Would you mind sharing the details about the past with me?¡±


    ¡°Sure! But I will only share bits and pieces. As much as I hate to agree with her, Irina is right. We can¡¯t overload your brain with too much of your past memories, especially since they are still sealed. Once you¡¯ve returned the remaining three souls, then maybe¡­¡±


    Lilith¡¯s face blossomed into a smile. She was probably thinking about the deed that would return her soul back. Hah¡­ This girl should never y poker. Anyone with half a brain would be able to read her face.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s discuss thatter. Would you mind changing the scenery for now?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Lilith snapped her fingers, and the world changed. Or, to be more precise, our surroundings changed. The white room transformed into a vast in with a clear blue sky and acres upon acres of grass. At that moment, the adorable young girl I knew and lovedpletely transformed. Gone was her bashfulness, and in its ce, a certain mature confidence took over.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basics, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Since we¡¯d already discussed this before, there was no need for any further exnations. I immediately summoned my Soul Armament. Five rings appeared on my right hand, and they were chained up to the bracelet that engulfed my wrist. Amongst the rings, only the middle one had retained its colour, while the other four were wholly dulled out.


    Naturally, Lilith knew about the state of my Vampire Aspect and the Soul Armament it produced. However, since she was seeing it for the first time, the researcher in her immediately came alive.


    ¡°Hoh¡­ So you¡¯ve only awakened one of your five rings, and it has already given you the power to control Space?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I agreed while pushing down my desire to kiss this enthralling woman. ¡°From what I surmise, the five rings will each grant me one attribute. And once my soul is whole again, the five rings should bepletely unlocked.¡±


    ¡°You Vampire Aspect sure is¡­ unique.¡±


    Lilith thought out loud. Compared to the sparse information the Everwinter Estate had, the Moonreaver House should have a better record of what kind of Vampire Aspects were out there. However, even with her extensive knowledge, Lilith was still impressed by my innate ability.


    ¡°Controlling space is an ability no other Vampire had in the past. No, there should be one¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who was that?¡±


    ¡°The First Vampire,¡± Lilith stated calmly. ¡°The First Vampire, also known as the ancestor of all Vampires, used to have an extraordinary Aspect. To date, it was the most powerful Aspect ever recorded. With it, he could create a zone where he himself was the Sovereign. A zone that could suppress any enemy and dominate anyone who dared to breathe in his presence.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­¡±


    ¡°He could bend space, dominate the minds of others, and kill anyone with a thought. And since he was the First Vampire, he had the power to force all Vampires to bend to his will.¡±


    That sounds¡­ broken.


    Wait, wait, wait! Such a monster existed? Doesn¡¯t that mean he held the entire Vampire race in his hands? Jesus, it¡¯s fortunate that he¡¯s passed away now. I don¡¯t think I could handle it if I knew some random ancient fossil could dominate my will.


    And if he were to decide to forcibly steal Irina or Lilith¡­


    Yeah, thank the heavens he¡¯s dead.


    ¡°So your power to control space isn¡¯t unheard of. The problem is what are the other four abilities.¡± Lilith went into schr mode and carefully examined each one of the rings. ¡°Do you have any idea how you can unlock them?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I do¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    Even before Lilith asked this question, I¡¯d run through thousands of scenarios in my mind. I thought back at the events leading up to my awakening and the main reason why my first ability awakened. And I¡¯vee to one conclusion.


    ¡°Yes, Lilith¡­ I need your blood.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    My words made the girl freeze instantly. It was such a funny scene that I was tempted to take a photo, but I held back for now. Coughing twice, I continued with my exnation.


    ¡°When I first awakened my Vampire Aspect, I had already sucked on Irina¡¯s blood. And while her soul still resided in my body, I started to get memories of the past. Plus, my soul became much stronger. It was as if her blood was the catalyst to unlocking my first ability. That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ you need my blood?¡±


    It was a sound theory. My memories and powers were sealed due to the four souls that resided in my body. If I was exposed to them, be it drinking their blood, bonding as Bloodmates or even just being in their presence, the seals that chained me up would loosen up on their own. And therefore, if I just had a chance to drink Lilith¡¯s blood¡­


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Lilith once again slipped back into her bashful teenage self. Her eyes darted everywhere, and her left index finger curled her long blonde hair. She didn¡¯t know it, but at the moment, Lilith looked exactly like a stereotypical cheerleader who was flirting with the football captain.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we do it on the bed? And Lisa is watching. Ah, maybe if I create an illusion, we can do it right here! But what if it goes beyond that? Ahhhhh!¡±


    Fuck¡­ This girl is just too cute!


    Lilith thought that I couldn¡¯t hear a word she mumbled, but her every thought was delivered to me in surround sound. Unable to bear it anymore, I leaned in and raised her pointed chin.


    ¡°Lilith, don¡¯t worry. I will only take a sip.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    As expected, this girl was weak to a forceful man. Almost immediately, she closed her eyes and bent her head slightly, revealing the scrumptious, white nape of transcendent beauty. Irina¡¯s blood was the most delicious meal I¡¯d ever had, and so¡­ I expect Lilith¡¯s blood to be much the same.


    I¡¯d unconsciously gulped down a mouthful of saliva. My fangs were salivating, and my desire for Lilith shot up tenfold. And without knowing, I closed my eyes and leaned in for the taste.


    s¡­ My teeth would never find the swan-like neck. However, I did taste blood. Blood that came from my abdomen, unfortunately.


    ¡°What are you doing to my sister?¡±


    I hurriedly opened my eyes and saw a massive man standing before me. He seemed a little over two and a half-meters tall. A toned adult, one that couldpete in swimmingpetitions all around the world. And most importantly, he had the same rich blonde hair that my beloved Lilith had.


    But he didn¡¯t have the same face ofpassion that Lilith had, and neither was he showing an expression of kindness. What he had¡­ was a face of pure, red-hot rage.


    ¡°Y-You¡­ Bleurgh!¡±


    I tried to speak, but I started coughing up blood. And the reason for that was simple. The man that appeared, the man that resembled Lilith the most, had pierced his arm through my chest.


    I felt overwhelming pain. My mind was in shambles, and my body refused to move. However, even with these conditions that would kill a man instantly, my mind could stilltch on to the word that came out of the man¡¯s mouth. No, it had already be something that would live on with me for the rest of time.


    ¡°Weakling.¡±

 Chapter 47 The Second Ability (2)

    ¡°Weakling.¡±


    The words that came out of Sirius Moonreaver¡¯s mouth resonated within my mind. My head was hurting, my body was in tremendous pain, and my sensory organs were all over the ce. However, hearing the man¡¯s words brought me more agony than anything else.


    Because it was true.


    Compared to the man who pierced my chest, I really was a weakling. I didn¡¯t even notice his presence, let alone his deadly attack. If he wanted to, he could have beheaded me before I could even react. The only reason why I was still alive was due to some kind of sick mercy he granted me.


    ¡°Brother! What are you doing?!¡±


    Lilith rushed over to my side, immediately grabbing the suave man¡¯s arm that had pierced through my chest. She used all of her force to push her brother away, but it was to no avail. Sirius Moonreaver was insistent on leaving an imprint on my body, and not even his precious little sister could do anything to stop him.


    ¡°Lilith, why are you protecting this trash?¡±


    ¡°Trash?! Jin is going to be my Bloodmate!¡±


    ¡°Bloodmate? This weakling?¡±


    Sirius Moonreaver continued disregarding me, his vale eyes looking down at me withplete disdain. The family head of the Moonreaver House was a mammoth of a man. Standing at two and a half metres tall, Sirius towered over most humans. Heck, I would even say that he¡¯s the tallest person I¡¯d ever met. However, his build wasn¡¯t that of a bodybuilder, and neither was it too bulky. The man looked like a toned schr who just happened to be two and a half metres tall.


    But even though he seemed like a refined gentleman, his actions sure didn¡¯t feel that way.


    The arm that was lodged in my chest refused to budge. Not even after Lilith used all of her strength to push it away. Plus, for some reason, I felt like my body was paralysed. It seemed like the Moonreaver Head was running static through my body, forcing it to temporarily refuse my orders.


    It was all too emascting.


    ¡°Is he the reason why you infiltrated the Everwinter Estate and was forced to do Matriarch Innocence¡¯s bidding?¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t concern you, Brother!¡±


    ¡°Oh, but it does.¡± Sirius Moonreaver raised his arm with me attached to it and disdainfully growled at me. ¡°My dear sister. While the Moonreaver House pampers you, we expect big things from you. You will be the future head of the House, and you have to act like it. The fact that you actively antagonised the Everwinter House, our long-established partner, for the sake of this mere insect ispletely uneptable. Furthermore¡­¡±


    The blonde colossal Vampire stared into my eyes as if he were a predator that wished to engulf his prey in one shot.


    ¡°What right does this brat have to be your Bloodmate? He¡¯s just a disgusting frog who dares to dream bigger than he is. Let me get rid of him for you.¡±


    This man¡­ He¡¯s serious. He wants to kill me.


    The gap between the two of us was far too big. It didn¡¯t matter if it were our physical stature, magic power, or even wealth of experience. Sirius Moonreaver, the thousand-year-old True Vampire and the head of one of the world¡¯s greatest Vampire Houses, towers over me like a mountain to a pebble.


    I couldn¡¯t even move a muscle as his free arm attempted to sever my head off my neck.


    However, just seconds before the overwhelming Vampire could reap my soul, Lilith¡¯s body glistened in a golden light as the image of the Blood Moon appeared before our eyes.


    ¡°STOP IT NOW!!!¡±


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    ¡°IF YOU DON¡¯T LET JIN GO, I¡¯LL DESTROY YOU AND THE MOONREAVER CLAN!!!¡±


    The blonde goddess glowed with a symphony of lightning, starlight and moonlight. Magic power, one far more powerful than any magician I¡¯d ever encountered, filled the atmosphere and lightened the pressure around me. Even the thousand-year-old Vampire that was Sirius Moonreaver couldn¡¯t help but scowl.


    ¡°Lilith, are you willing to go that far?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°BROTHER! I WON¡¯T LET YOU HARM A SINGLE HAIR ON JIN!!!¡±


    ¡°You motherfucker¡­¡±


    A bad word came out of Sirius¡¯ mouth, but it wasn¡¯t directed at his beloved sister. Instead, he growled at me with eyes that could kill a million men. Unwillingly, he released the grasp he had on my body before throwing me to the side at the speed of sound.


    ¡°Guargh!!!¡±


    My body rolled a dozen times before finallying to a stop. Multiple abrasions,cerations and punctures could be seen on my pale, weak body as I sat ufortably in a pool of my own blood. However, those injuries started to heal rapidly. Only the hole in my chest took some time to recover.


    ¡°Jin!!!¡±


    Lilith rushed over and instantly tended to me. Since I had a Vampire¡¯s regenerative factor, there was no need for any medical attention. Yet, the girl still bathed me in a warm, artificial Blood Moonlight baptism, hoping to increase the chances of fully healing my injuries.


    ¡°Jin, talk to me! Are you alright?!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, just barely.¡±


    I was in agony. My bones were shattered, my body was in tatters, and my world was spinning. However, I¡¯ll live to fight another day.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologise¡­¡±


    I rubbed Lilith¡¯s ethereal goddess-like face, forcibly stopping the tears from spilling out. I didn¡¯t want to ruin her image. A beautiful girl such as Lilith shouldn¡¯t cry. She should always be smiling and happy. The one that should cry was the man who made her this way.


    ¡°Sirius Moonreaver¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me by name, you weakling.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    How stubborn. I¡¯d thought Lilith¡¯s brother would be different from Irina¡¯s, but all True Vampires are cut from the same cloth. No, the main difference between Sirius and that broken manchild was the fact that Sirius could back up his actions. s, I wasn¡¯t strong enough to break this blonde Vampire¡¯s face the same way I did with Irina¡¯s brother.


    ¡°Let me tell you this, I don¡¯t ept you being with Lilith, you weakling.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Lilith is a generational talent, a genius that will inherit the Moonreaver House one day. She has the potential to bring the Moonreaver House to greater heights and has no business ying around with a filthy person such as you. So I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t get too close to Lilith from now on. Bloodmate or not, I¡¯ll ensure you won¡¯t see the light of day.¡±


    ¡°Brother! What are you saying? You have no right to decide who gets to be my Bloodmate.¡±


    ¡°Lilith, you¡¯re still too young to understand. You will have plenty of chances to get better and more worthy Bloodmates. Right now, ying with this weakling will only hold you back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! Jin will stay with me, no matter what you say!¡±


    ¡°¡­ As expected, this piece of trash should be disposed of.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second!¡±


    The two siblings continued to fight, neither willing to back down from their decision. Sirius had no intention of letting me stay near Lilith and was utterly hell-bent on either killing me or forcibly separating me from her. And if pushes to shove¡­


    The man would likely kill me. Or worse, he¡¯ll make sure that I¡¯ll never be able to see Lilith again.


    I can¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°Sirius Moonreaver.¡±


    ¡°Trash, I told you not to call me by name.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you want to make a bet?¡±


    ¡°A bet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a bet.¡± I smiled valiantly. ¡°Let¡¯s have a duel.¡±


    ¡°A duel?¡±


    ¡°A duel?!¡±


    Sirius raised his eyebrows in shock while Lilith furrowed her brows. One was intrigued by my preposition, while the other waspletely stunned by my words. However, one thing was for sure, neither of them could believe my words.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s fight. If you win, I¡¯ll leave the Moonreaver House. If I win, you will ept our rtionship and do everything in your power to assist Lilith in whatever she wants to do.¡±


    ¡°Weakling, I wonder where you get that cocky confidence from.¡± The Moonreaver House head folded his arms in akimbo and red at my face. ¡°I have no interest in pummelling trash, but if that¡¯s what it takes to keep you away from Lilith, so be it.¡±


    ¡°Wait!!!¡±


    Lilith jumped in between us and started to greatly dispute our terms.


    ¡°Jin! How can you do such an absurd thing?! You¡¯ve only just recovered and have barely awakened your Vampire Aspect! There¡¯s no way that you can win in a fight against my brother!¡±


    ¡°That may be true¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t dumb, and neither was I conceited. I knew very well that I wasn¡¯t a match for Sirius Moonreaver at the moment. No, I wouldn¡¯t even be able tost two strikes from the man. But still¡­ For the sake of our future, this is a fight that I must ovee.


    ¡°Lilith, your brother will never ept our rtionship if I were to just leech on you like a parasite. I must prove my worth if I want to be by your side.¡±


    ¡°But still¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me handle it.¡±


    I grabbed Lilith¡¯s tiny hand and gently stroked her head with my other. I pulled the youngss closer to my body and held her in my chest. That drew a raised eyebrow from Sirius, but he was too focused on my following words to do anything about it.


    ¡°I am still far too weak to fight you, so I ask that you wait a month for our duel tomence. Additionally, I want Lilith to be by my side to train and assist me during this time. Finally, I wish for a handicap. I doubt that the esteemed head of the Moonreaver House will find honour in defeating a True Vampire that¡¯s less than a year old.¡±


    ¡°Honour¡­ Hmph, you¡¯ve only been a True Vampire for a while, and you¡¯ve already learnt how our society works.¡±


    Bingo.


    Just like how Matriarch Innocence wouldn¡¯ty hands on Lilith even though she had every right to, it was hard for a family head like Sirius to truly go into an equal duel with a junior.


    ¡°Fine, I agree to your terms. And since you have some guts, I shall allow you one handicap.¡± The blonde man thought about it for a moment before saying: ¡°One hit. As long as you manage tond a single hit on my body, it shall be considered your win.¡±


    One hit, huh? That¡¯s more than I¡¯d bargained for. However, that just shows how confident Sirius was at beating me. I¡¯m sure that he thinks the fight would be over within the first millisecond. All in all, this duel is nothing but favourable to me. Even if I lost, all I needed to do was leave the Moonreaver House. The moment I be strong enough, I¡¯ll storm the gates and take Lilith back if I need to.


    But it won¡¯te to that.


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    I agreed immediately to the duel. The gap between the world¡¯s most powerful Vampires and myself¡­ Let¡¯s see how big that gap really is, shall we?

 Chapter 48 The Second Ability (3)

    ¡°Jin¡­ You¡¯re really crazy, you know that?¡±


    Just as quickly as he¡¯d arrived, Sirius Moonreaver departed without even sparing me a second nce. My guess is that being the Moonreaver Head, he had an array of duties and responsibilities to tend to and practically had no free time to deal with small things like me.


    And yet, that man ran all the way down here when he¡¯d suspected that Lilith was about to be taken away.


    What a sis-con.


    ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    ¡°No one in their right mind would challenge a head of a Guardian Family, let alone the head of the Moonreaver House.¡± Lilith shook her head and frowned. ¡°It must have been a century since the head of the Moonreaver House has been called to duel. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re just brave or pure dumb.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    I smiled suggestively as my hands continued to stroke Lilith¡¯s soft, blonde hair. The girl looked like she was about to snap, but she still immensely enjoyed the tenderness of my touch. Snorting, she said:


    ¡°I think you¡¯re dumb.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, then I¡¯m your dumbo.¡±


    ¡°Y-You! Can you be serious for just one second?!¡±


    How could I? Watching Lilith¡¯s animated response that came straight from aic book only filled my heart with joy. Every fibre of my being wanted to continue teasing the youngss, but I had to endure it for now. Now that I¡¯d thrown down the gauntlet, every second was precious.


    A month to train wasn¡¯t ideal, but it was the best time frame for me. After all, Irina would be exiting from her isted training by then. Win-or-lose, I had this entire month to hone my skills as well as awaken my new ones. Speaking of which¡­


    ¡°Lilith¡­ Do you think I have a chance?¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    The girl fell silent at my question. She raised her brow as if she¡¯d fallen into a deep state of contemtion. It was only after fifteen seconds that Lilith stared right in my face and said determinedly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯ll be utterly destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Lilithcked faith in me. Heck, she was the one who moved mountains just to recover me from the Everwinter Estate. The problem was my opponent.


    ¡°My brother is over a thousand years old, and unlike most members of the Moonreaver House, he was trained as a warrior. So, he wasn¡¯t like thosezy True Vampires you¡¯ve encountered. My brother led expedition after expedition to y the Outer Demons. He¡¯d also participated in multiple battles against the Holy Church and the Werewolves. I dare say that no thousand-year-old Vampire is as strong as him.¡±


    Haha, I guessed that was the case. After all, one doesn¡¯t be the head of a Guardian House as a weakling.


    ¡°He¡¯s capable of using high-level magic that eludes most magicians, fights fist-to-fist with Werewolves has the brains befitting that of a Moonreaver, and has pioneered new magic in his field. My brother is the epitome of how terrifying Vampires can be.¡±


    Oh ho? So he¡¯s drawing that much praise from Lilith, huh? I guess that¡¯s another reason to bring him down a peg or two.


    ¡°¡­ As expected, you should withdraw from this fight, Jin. In a duel, not even I can protect you if my brother tries to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, toote for that now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    What kind of man would I be if I backed out from the fight? Not to mention, there was no way the Moonreaver House would ept it if Lilith was in a rtionship with a coward. Being weak was one thing, but not having the guts to face your adversaries and rise up higher was practically unforgivable.


    And I would rather die a weakling than be known as a coward.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a trump card.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What is that?¡±


    ¡°You, my precious little flower!¡±


    Iughed heartily. My hands pulled the stunned girl down to myp, and my arms lovingly wrapped around Lilith¡¯s shoulders. I gently stroked her hair and went down to her nape with my free hand. Feeling my massage, the blonde goddess purred in pleasure and bit the bottom of her lip.


    ¡°Y-You¡­ Tch, how are you this good at sweet-talking?! I bet you¡¯ve practised a lot on Irina.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t you like it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I hate you.¡±


    Lilith was coquettish yet shy. This contrast really prickled at my heartstrings, and so I couldn¡¯t help but tease the young woman even further.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious.¡± I continued to stroke the adorable kitten in my arms as I continued: ¡°You are the one who knows Sirius Moonreaver. His abilities and his tendencies. Fortunately for me, he agreed to my handicap, and I only needed tond a single hit on him. If webine our forces, I¡¯m confident we cane up with a n of attack.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ If you say so.¡±


    Lilith wore a helpless smile. I could tell that she wished for me to abandon such foolishness and simply be protected under her umbre. s, I wasn¡¯t going to be a man that stands behind his woman.


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re the best. So, what is your brother¡¯s weakness?¡±


    ¡°If I were to bepletely frank, he has absolutely none,¡± Lilith replied without even thinking about it.


    ¡°I said that he was trained as a warrior, right? His martial arts have reached the Kyrios stage. In human terms, that means he¡¯s an Eight-Star Master.¡±


    Hoh¡­ And here I¡¯d thought that True Vampires didn¡¯t train in martial arts. Even if you gathered every Hunter in the world, the number of SS-Ranked martial artists could be counted with the fingers in one hand. Reaching Eight-star is a colossal feat for a True Vampire, who is known for their disdain of physical techniques in favour of their powerful magical talents.


    ¡°And that¡¯s in both hand-to-handbat and spearmanship. Well, his spearmanship should be slighter better as it¡¯s said that he¡¯d learnt from the Spear Paragon himself in his prime.¡±


    ¡°Wait, the Spear Paragon that you¡¯re talking about is THAT Spear Paragon.¡±


    ¡°Is there another?¡±


    The Spear Paragon was history¡¯s greatest spearmaster and one of humanity¡¯s greatest heroes. It was said that he single-handedly annihted an army of Outer Demons, including dozens of Cmity-ranked demons, all while protecting hisrades. Unfortunately, he met his end on the battlefield, surrounded by the river of blood he¡¯d created and corpses upon corpses of high-ranking Outer Demons.


    And since the Spear Paragon lived nine hundred years ago, when technology wasn¡¯t as developed, there weren¡¯t many records of his godlike spearmanship. Over the centuries, his teachings had been lost to time, and there was hardly anyone who could replicate the spear that reaped the souls of a million Outer Demons.


    But it seems that Sirius had learnt it.


    ¡°Not only that, my brother has mastered the use of dimensional magic. Only a handful of Elders and previous n Leaders can match his dominance with magic. Honestly, the only way you can beat him is if youunch a surprise attack, but even that¡¯s a reach as his reaction time is beyond the limits of Spacetime.¡±


    ¡°Hoho¡­¡±


    Looks like I have a lot of homework to do if I wish to win this uing battle.


    ¡°Then, we shouldn¡¯t waste any more time, right?¡± I brushed Lilith¡¯s hair to the side, tracing my fingers down her soft, supple cheeks. Our eyes locked together, and my fangs escaped from my mouth. ¡°Shall we continue where we left off?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lilith looked at my open mouth, and her face instantly turned crimson. As someone who couldn¡¯t even watch Irina and I go at it, it surely was an embarrassing experience for the young girl. And from what I¡¯d heard from her attendant, Lilith rarely interacted with other Vampires due to her immense talent and overprotective brother.


    It was even urate to say that I was more of a Vampire than she was.


    But still¡­ The girl wasn¡¯t one to turn down a free meal.


    Lilith was already wearing a blouse that showed her vicle, but she lowered the straps from her shoulder even further. She bashfully looked away as if she was forced tomit this seductive act. However, both she and I knew that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    Lilith was inviting me¡­ And I would be a fool to decline.


    ¡°Lilith¡­ Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±


    The moment my fangs met the soft, tender flesh of Lilith¡¯s shoulders, a provocative moan escaped from the girl¡¯s mouth. Her body convulsed, and her tense muscles softened up. And as if to facilitate our feeding process, Lilith moved to a morefortable position allowing much of her delectable, warm fluids to flow into my mouth.


    And boy, was it delicious.


    Irina¡¯s blood wasparable to that of the sweetest dessert humanity could ever hope to create. It was akin to enjoying ice cream on a warm summer¡¯s day withyer uponyer of sweetness which would soothe the thirsty soul. It was a heavenly taste that only kept improving with time and was quite possibly the best thing I¡¯d ever tasted.


    And yet¡­ Lilith¡¯s blood was just as tasty.


    I¡¯d felt like I¡¯d been brought to a five, nay, ten-star restaurant and was given a meal made with the finest ingredients ever procured by mankind. It tasted like it was made with dozens of fruity vours blended into one. Strawberries, bananas, grapes¡­ Lilith¡¯s blood seemed to contain hints of all of the best fruits in the world, mixed together to form a fermented wine that brewers could only dream of making.


    The blossoming aroma of Spring also exploded in my mouth, creating a symphony of essences that overwhelmed my tastebuds.


    Like my first time sucking Irina¡¯s blood, it took all of my willpower to stop myself from losing control. It was a meal that I wanted to savour, not rush. And luckily for me, Lilith felt the same way.


    Krttt¡­


    The barely audible sound of Lilith biting into my flesh tickled the side of my ears. I opened one eye and looked at the girl who was trying hard to keep her fangs in my neck, all while her adorable little face was shaking off tears.


    Damn it¡­ Why is she so cute?!


    At 1.71 meters tall, Lilith was by no means a small woman. However,pared to my 1.99 meters height and broad frame, Lilith did seem like a little girl. Especially when she became intoxicated by my blood while straddling on myp.


    Our Vampire senses were heightened, and we shared a long, deep connection as we sucked on each other¡¯s blood. The pleasure we¡¯d both felt had been increased tenfold, and it felt like the entire world had stopped for us.


    No, the entire world did stop for us.


    Unknowingly, my magic power created a pocket in Spacetime where we were free to do whatever we wished. Untethered by thews of the world and unrestrained by the Moonreaver Dimension. I could feel magic power rising from the inner workings of my soul, but I hardly cared for any of that.


    All of my attention was focused on the beautiful woman in my arms, and the same sentiment was shared by her.


    We¡¯d even forgotten about our objective foring to this training room in the first ce.


    The two of us were nothing more than bloodsucking beasts at this point.


    Enamoured with our scents and tastes, the two of us continued deep into the night.

 Chapter 49 The Second Ability (4)

    ¡°The dogs from the Holy Church have exterminated the Delta Squad.¡±


    Six people gathered at a council table in a dark, ominous room with red light as the backdrop and an borate emblem hanging down from the ceiling. Each one of them was draped in a red robe that seemed to be dyed with dense human blood. It was hard to see their faces that had been covered with hoods, but even without seeing their faces, one could deduce the rage thatid within.


    ¡°Tch, twenty years of preparations just wiped out like that! Those fucking Church dogs! If I get my hands on them!¡±


    ¡°We were too careless. We¡¯d thought that if we chose ces out of their reach, we could go undetected.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯d even sent their shiest exorcist to deal with us! Fuck, what they¡¯re doing is pure disdain over our great house! The Bloodborne House!¡±


    True Vampires were prideful creatures. They saw anything besides their race as inferior, and in particr, the hatred they held for the Holy Church, their mortal enemies, was beyond that of two organisations squabbling. The Bloodborne House, in particr, saw the Holy Church as pests that had to be exterminated.


    Well, the same could be said about the Holy Church. Before the Outer Demons invaded the world, the Holy Church was in open war against the Vampire race. They would train millions of priests, thousands of exorcists and even send Archbishops to rid the world of what they called the demonic gue.


    For them, Vampires were fiends that needed to be wiped out and once upon a time, the Bloodborne House was at the top of their list.


    ¡°If the Ancestor was still around, would those bottom feeders even dare challenge us?¡±


    ¡°Tch, it can¡¯t be helped; we really have weakened.¡±


    ¡°How dare they!!!¡±


    The six executives ground their teeth in a fury. If it were up to them, they would have waged war against the bastards that dared toy a hand on their master n and wreak havoc on the greater world. s, they were still too weak to decide the tides of war. Even though the Holy Church had destroyed the n they¡¯d spent years preparing, they could only swallow the bitter pill and move on.


    ¡°Hold it in. We aren¡¯t in the position to challenge the Holy Church yet.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Tch, I know that!¡±


    The other executives of the Bloodborne House clicked their tongues and turned her faces away. It was the destiny of the weak. If they were at their Prime, it didn¡¯t matter if there were one or two Holy Churches. The Bloodborne House would wipe the floor clean with any enemy. Unfortunately, the current Bloodborne House was unlike the one in the past. Even though the Holy Church had inflicted a humiliating blow on them, the only thing that they could do was grit their teeth and endure.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Let¡¯s stop thinking about the Holy Church for now. Once we¡¯ve regained our position, we will have our due.¡±


    ¡°So the main problem is¡­¡±


    ¡°The Moonreaver House¡­¡±


    The six executives turned their attention away from the dastardly exorcists that impeded their ns and focused on the most pressing issue at hand. They snorted and watched the image of the Moonreaver Dimension that theirputer had put on the screen.


    ¡°Those bastards have be way too arrogant! Just because they supply Nightmare realms, they think they can boss us around!¡±


    ¡°Tch, we should have wiped them out the moment they left our allegiance.¡±


    ¡°Now, now. We can¡¯t wage war on the Moonreaver House just yet.¡± The oldest executive of the bunch calmed his subordinates down tofortably continue the conversation. ¡°They have good rtions with the other Guardian Houses, particrly the Everwinter, ckburn and Shadowgarden Houses. If we actively wage war against them, we would be digging our own grave.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! If the Ancestor was still around, we would have forced all those Houses to their knees!¡±


    ¡°But he isn¡¯t here, is he?¡±


    The one sentence turned the room into a silent chapel. None of them wanted to admit it, but they weren¡¯t the powerful Vampire n that once brought the world to heel. Now, they were nothing more than an honorary Guardian House, with not much power and influence to back them up.<sub></sub>


    Even though the Moonreaver House and the Bloodborne House were both Guardian Houses, the difference between them was night and day. One of them was the main supplier of the most valuablemodity the Vampiric World requires, with legions of supporters within and outside their ranks. While the other was a fallen Noble House that didn¡¯t have a single supporter outside its four walls. The difference was practically night and day.


    ¡°Nevertheless, the Moonreaver House has something that we need.¡±


    ¡°The Ancestor¡¯s arm, was it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The leader of the executives disyed an image on the screen that showed a withered arm that seemed to be excavated from a sarcophagus of an Egyptian tomb. It was pale grey with nothing but wrinkled skin and toned-down meat on the arm, but it seemed as lifelike as any other arm.


    ¡°From what I understand, they are using the arm to power the Moonreaver Dimension.¡±


    ¡°sphemous!!! They dare deny our hegemony, and yet, they would use our Ancestor¡¯s sacred artefact in that manner!¡±


    The biggest executive in the room mmed his fist on the table, creating numerous cracks on the marble surface in the process. He bit down on his teeth and allowed his magic power to run rampant. For the Bloodborne House, having their Ancestor¡¯s memorabilia used as a battery for another Guardian House was nothing more than a p in the face.


    ¡°As much as I agree with your grievances, we can¡¯t wage war on the Moonreaver House yet.¡±


    ¡°So what? Will we let them desecrate our Ancestor¡¯s relic for the rest of time?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the main executive smiled. ¡°I¡¯d wanted to wait until we¡¯re stronger to do this, but the actions of the Holy Church have left us no choice.¡± With the most sinister smile one had ever seen, the lead executive of the Bloodborne House whispered:


    ¡°Let¡¯s steal it from the Moonreaver Dimension.¡±


    ???


    Lilith¡¯s blood, just like Irina¡¯s, had an intoxicating factor to it. No matter how much I drank, I felt thirsty for more. The rich floral and fruity taste enveloped my senses as the taste of blood lingered within my mouth. It took everything that I had to not push this gorgeous young girl down, even after drinking mouthfuls of her delicious blood.


    And it was fortunate that I didn¡¯t¡­


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°A little flushed.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take a rest over there.¡±


    Lilith seemed to be overwhelmed by our first feeding session. It was the same with Irina; even though she was a True Vampire and had tasted over a hundred different types of blood before, they seemed to have an orgasmic experience whenever they drank my blood. ording to Irina, it had something to do with the links of our soul and my blood being utterly different from anything they¡¯d tasted before.


    Nevertheless, I wasn¡¯tining. I carried Lilith in a princess carry and gently ced her down near a tree for her to rest. When I attempted to leave, the blonde beauty smiled and grabbed onto my arm.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°It was delicious¡­ Truly the nectar of Gods. Your blood is something that-¡­¡±


    ¡°N-Not that! Have you awakened your second ability?!¡±


    Lilith¡¯s face instantly turned red, and her body trembled slightly. It felt like I was watching a startled puppy who had just been caught chewing her owner¡¯s socks.


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± I quickly corrected my misunderstanding and raised my right hand. ¡°Let me see¡­¡±


    Magic power gathered from within my soul, and the five rings representing my Vampire Aspect quickly formed. Each one of the five rings was ornately decorated as if they were relics of the Ancient Gods that had been sealed in the mortal world. The chains that came from each ring nked with every movement as they tightened together until they met at my silver, heavy bracelet.


    As per usual, the middle ring was glowing with an azure hue. And though it was hard to notice, the light was bending the properties of Spacetime with it. The rings on my index, fourth and pinky, were still darkened out, which was nothing new to me. However, the gems that were engraved on the ring of my thumb¡­


    ¡°Oh ho? It looks like it was a sess!¡±


    Lilith smiled joyfully as she switched into her schrly mode. Even though she was the heir of the mighty Moonreaver House, the girl¡¯s true calling was that of a researcher. Perhaps that was the reason why we got along fifteen years ago and the reason why I¡¯d felt a kinship with the blonde bombshell.


    But I digress.


    ¡°Quick, show me what it does!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    What does it do, huh? I looked deep into my soul and attempted to replicate my feeling when I¡¯d first awakened my Vampire Aspect. And sure enough¡­


    Bzzzztttt!!!


    The gem on my thumb glowed in a dazzling rainbow colour as crackles of lightning coiled around my hand. The small currents of electricity soon turned into torrents of lightning bolts as they struck viciously onto the ground. I raised my right hand and directed the lightning serpents away, striking an innocent tree in the process.


    ¡°Hoh¡­ Lightning magic? The Moonreaver House specialises in that, so maybe you got it from me? But that doesn¡¯t make sense. If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you inherit Irina¡¯s Winter powers?¡±


    ¡°Lilith, the show¡¯s not done.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I swung my hand to the side, and the earth popped out like an exploding pimple. The ground shook violently, forcing Lilith to drop back on her bum, but I waspletely undeterred. Instead, I felt a sense of kinship with the earth. So much so that I started to manipte it freely by breaking the boulder into pieces and willing them to orbit around me.


    ¡°Earth magic as well?! So you can use two elements without casting now?!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you really need to learn to be patient.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?!¡±


    I summoned a ze of searing mes and forced them to spread over a dozen metres wide. Once that was done, the winds of the area spiralled into a wild tornado, absorbing the intense mes with it. However, since I didn¡¯t want the forest to burn from a mere demonstration, I summoned a tidal wave of water, dousing the me tornado and turning it into a spiralling mess.


    ¡°C-Control over five elements?! That¡¯s your second ability?¡±


    ¡°Haha, no, my darling. Since my first ability is control over Spacetime, did you honestly think my second one would be something that simple?¡±


    The ring on my thumb was illuminated by the colours of the rainbow, gathering magic power from ces I¡¯d never thought I had. Opening my hand into a palm, a shard of mercury appeared. It soon turned into a ceramic bowl, and then a rock-hard diamond, and then a can of beer and various forms of matter. I¡¯d even created a bottle with a lighting bolt striking all around it. Something like this wasn¡¯t possible with control over the five elements. Heck, it wasn¡¯t even possible if you could control every element in the world.


    What my ability was¡­


    ¡°My second ability is¡­ Creation itself.¡±

 Chapter 50 Training For The Fight (1)

    ¡°C-C-Creation?!¡±


    Lilith¡¯s facial expression was something to behold. First, it went from pure astonishment, then it moved to innate doubt, and it switched to uncertainty before finallynding onplete befuddlement. It was like looking at a child not knowing how best to show her emotions, and it was extremely adorable through my rose-tinted sses.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way! Creation magic doesn¡¯t exist! Do you know how many magic researchers have been studying this subject?! It must be some kind of lesser magic, isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ Yeah, I guess that¡¯s the natural reaction.¡±


    Logically speaking, I should feel the same way that Lilith did. Creation magic is, by its very essence, one of the most sought-after magic. Essentially, a user that had mastered that overpowered magic system could affect change in the world far better than any magician could ever. For instance, if one wanted to crash the gold market, they could effectively double the world¡¯s stockpile instantly, saturating the market and making them a billionaire overnight.


    Not only that, Creation magic went against the known conventions of the system that bnced the world. Thew of conversion states that you can¡¯t create something out of nothing. But Creation magic literally breaks that rule.


    One could create antimatter, dark energy, or even the rarest materials ever created in the known universe. It was the dream discovery of all magic researchers, and yet¡­


    I felt nothing.


    No, it wasn¡¯t that I felt nothing. I¡¯d just felt like this new magic that had been awakened in my body was nothing more than an extension of myself. A power that was as natural as breathing.


    ¡°J-Jin¡­ Y-You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡±


    ¡°Lilith¡­ You should know I would never lie to you about something like this.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Lilith dropped her face and began to scratch her chin. She knew my personality well, probably far better than I knew her. So, she knew for a fact that I wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this. Still, the logical mind was sound. If I were to tell someone that the world was t, they wouldugh at me, no questions asked. However, since Lilith knew that I wasn¡¯t a liar and neither was I delusional, her logical mind was fighting against her understanding of me.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Are there limitations to your Creation magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± since there was no need to lie to her, I replied honestly. ¡°I¡¯ve yet to test it, but I believe my Creation magic only applies to non-organic materials. For instance¡­¡±


    I raised my right arm, and magic power flowed out from my rainbow-coloured ring. Almost immediately, a fifteen-centimetre long, dark brown tree branch materialised out of thin air. It was dried up with kes of bark falling from all around. There wasn¡¯t a hint of any leaves, fruits or flowers. It was nothing more than a dead branch that could only wait to be dposed.


    ¡°I tried to make this branch a verdant one that had been plucked from a tree. However, all I could create are theponents of the dead branch.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­ So you are unable to replicate life?¡±


    ¡°Just so.¡±


    Creation magic was powerful, but that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t have its limitations. Life itself was an enigma that no scientist had ever solved. It didn¡¯t matter if they were Vampires, Humans, Elves, or even the Outer Demons. There¡¯s no entity that could figure out the puzzle that was called life. And brings me to my next point.


    ¡°My Creation magic only works if I FULLY understand the object that I¡¯m creating. For instance, I know that water is two hydrogen atoms bound together with an oxygen atom. That¡¯s why I can create water just like that.¡±


    A stream of water flowed out from my hand and swirled around into a water dragon. It was the easiest form of Creation magic that I could make as all I needed to know was thepounds that made water, water. If need be, I could even change the vibrations of the molecules to turn them into ice or steam.


    ¡°Anything that¡¯s tooplicated, or if it¡¯s something that our intelligence can¡¯tprehend, I wouldn¡¯t be able to create it. Plus, I¡¯m limited by the amount of magic power that I have. So, I won¡¯t be creating a Sun anytime soon.¡±


    I winked as a joke to tease the beautiful young researcher. However, Lilith¡¯s mind had taken that joke quite literally and went off into a tangent.


    ¡°Wait, so doesn¡¯t that mean you can create an artificial Sun in the future?! Won¡¯t that solve our energy crisis by using nuclear fusion energy rather than the traditional fission reactors?!¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Ah, now that you mention it¡­¡±


    Nuclear fusion energy has been eluding humanity¡¯s best and brightest minds for centuries now. And while fission reactors were still very popr and were one of the most widespread methods of generating power, they had several limitations. Namely nuclear waste and the danger of a nuclear meltdown. Fusion reactors, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have all those downsides.


    By creating an artificial star, one could harness infinite amounts of energy, quite possibly to power the entire for the rest of time. It was a technology that all energy enthusiasts had been waiting for all their life as it was far more sustainable than natural gas or oil and was just as clean as renewable energy.


    However, no one has cracked the code of nuclear fusion. Be it technological hurdles or the science doesn¡¯t add up. Even with the use of magic, no one could create an artificial Sun to create the world¡¯s greatest power generation.


    And yet, I held that dream in the palm of my hand.


    ¡°Hmmm, creating a nuclear fusion reactor, huh? That actually sounds fun.¡±


    ¡°Right?! And if you¡¯re sessful, you can sell it to every Vampire Nightmare realm that requires a tonne of energy to maintain! I¡¯d bet the Moonreaver House would invest in your technology in a heartbeat.¡±


    ¡°Haha, let¡¯s talk about that another time.¡±


    Lilith was right. If I could create a nuclear fusion reactor, I could quite possibly shoot up to be the wealthiest man on the. However, there was no need to rush. As a True Vampire, I had an eternity to develop that technology. Not to mention, I wasn¡¯t even sure if I could create a miniature Sun with my paltry amount of magic power.


    Right now, it was more important to consolidate my findings and train for the imminent fight against Sirius Moonreaver. Fortunately, Lilith noticed my misgivings and changed the subject. Dear me, what a good wife.


    ¡°Are there any other limitations of your Creation magic?¡±


    ¡°It seems I can only create things that exist in this universe. If I attempted to create something that doesn¡¯t exist, it would turn into pure magic energy.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ But it¡¯s still amazing! Your Creation magic is something that would change the world!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, now do you think I have a chance against your brother?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As if a bucket of cold water had been doused on her, Lilith¡¯s me of passion was quickly extinguished. She once again thought about her brother¡¯s martial and magical abilities, only to show a distinct frown.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest¡­ You are still too young. Maybe if you had a couple of centuries to train, you could match my brother. But a month is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is he really that out of my reach?¡±


    Creation and Spacetime magic. Although I wasn¡¯t able to awaken the other two that had been sealed, these two, when mastered, should be more than enough to take down any opponent. And yet, Lilith was still sceptical about my chances.


    ¡°¡­ Alright, I would be viting my House¡¯sws here, but I would rather you know about it than get eviscerated during the match.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Lilith shook her head and brought out her phone. She tapped on the screen a few times before showing a picture of a reaping ive. It had a long metal handle, one that seemed heavy enough already. However, at the tip of the polearm, there was a curved, single-edged de carved with detailed images of flowers, thunder, mythical beasts and an array of more designs that I couldn¡¯t identify.


    But one thing is for sure, that weapon looked like something out of a legendary story.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the speciality of the Moonreaver House is?¡±


    Lilith ignored my question and raised her own. Although I was confused, I still answered ordingly.


    ¡°Dimensional magic, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Lilith raised her right hand and showed the back of her palm. At that moment, a gorgeous tattoo appeared with a torrent of magical energy. A slight illusion of a moonlit night filled with stars and empyrean darkness emerged, mystifying any who dared admire its grandeur.


    ¡°This is my Vampire Aspect, the Elysian Melody,¡± Lilith exined sinctly. ¡°Just like how Irina¡¯s Winter Sovereign helps her control the power of Winter, my Elysian Melody helps me utilise the power of dimensions, which all starts from the night sky.¡±


    At this point, the simtor we were in turned from day to night, revealing the starry night sky all Vampires loved and basked in.


    ¡°If the Everwinter House¡¯s poweres from Winter, the Moonreaver House is the power of the stars. We derive everything that we have from the night sky. The Blood Moon. The Nightmare realms. The power over lightning. And the mystical traits of the dimensions. All of our power stems from the night sky.¡±


    I guess the clue was in the name.


    ¡°And because of that, our actualbat ability is minimal. Most of our abilities rte to dimensional magic, which allows us to have a monopoly over who controls which Nightmare realms. And while that is good for business, ourck ofbat ability is painfully obvious whenever we participate in wars.¡±


    Yeah, I think I¡¯d heard Lilith exin this once to me. Most True Vampires in the Moonreaver House hatedbat. From what I understood, they were like Lilith, who preferred to research in herb or experiment on new subjects.


    Think of the Moonreaver House as a pharmaceuticalpany. Most of their residents are science nerds who don¡¯t like to exercise or go out anyway. They loved to stay indoors and innovate like no one else.


    While that was good for creating new magic and Nightmare realms, it was terrible for their own defence force.


    Which was precisely the reason why¡­


    ¡°So, to counter that, the Moonreaver House created a special force unit. An elite force that specialises inbat and could rival any Ancient Vampire from the other great Guardian Houses.¡±


    ¡°¡­ And you¡¯re telling me that your brother was part of that force?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lilith shook her head decisively. ¡°My brother is their leader. The undisputed strongest elite of the Asterias.¡±


    The Asterias? So there was such a secret force within the mighty Moonreaver House.


    ¡°Canopus, Rigil Kentaurus, Arcturus, Vega, Cape, Rigel. Each of these elites was the best fighting talent in their generation, and they had been groomed for a lifetime of bloodshed and power. And the most frightening part of the Asterias was the fact that their abilities could be passed down from generation to generation.¡±


    Lilith showed the beautifully ornate ive once more and solemnly continued her exnation.


    ¡°The first generation of Asterias knew that training a new elite to match and surpass them was almost impossible. And so, they created relics that could ¡®record¡¯ the memory of their abilities, so that they could effectively pass down their skills down the generations.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re saying that this is one of those weapons?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Lilith nodded in silence. ¡°This weapon is called Stardevourer. Wielded by the strongest of the Asterias, the one who bears the name of Sirius!¡±


    I see¡­ So Sirius wasn¡¯t Lilith¡¯s brother¡¯s real name. Rather, it was a title given to the strongest fighter of his generation.


    ¡°My brother is the first Moonreaver in history to simultaneously hold the name of Sirius and lead the House. And while I doubt he would use Stardevourer in your battle, the knowledge he¡¯d gained from all of the previous Sirius¡¯ still remains.¡±


    Now I finally understood why Lilith didn¡¯t believe I could win as much as she wanted to.


    ¡°Jin¡­ What you¡¯re fighting isn¡¯t my brother. It is the collective knowledge of all the past Sirius¡¯ blended into the Moonreaver House¡¯s best fighter!¡±

 Chapter 51 Training For The Fight (2)

    Stardevourer¡­ Sirius Moonreaver¡­ Most powerful Moonreaver¡­


    All of these des were rolled into one person. One True Vampire that denied my rtionship with Lilith. And the man that I must defeat.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡±


    ¡°J-Jin? Have you gone mad?¡±


    ¡°HAHA!!! No such thing, darling! It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m grateful. I¡¯m grateful for this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Lilith shot me a look as if I was sick in the head. Well, I guess I was kind of crazy. All my life, I had been sidelined to a bed, with no way of pushing myself to the next limit. After all, fighting against my own illness was hard enough, let alone challenging fighters that could increase my strength. I had been starved for stimtion, starved for fights¡­ And most importantly¡­ Starved for power.


    And fighting against the Moonreaver¡¯s best fighter was arguably the best method to improve my strength.


    Irina gave me a new lease on life. And Lilith was going to teach me how to live it. The Moonreaver House was unquestionably the most ideal training grounds for a man like me. It had the best facilities with simtions that won¡¯t be destroyed no matter how hard I tried to break them. It had the best libraries, containing some of the best books and documents the world had to offer.


    And most importantly¡­ I had Lilith. The woman who conducted the ritual fifteen years ago and the woman I had to protect with all my heart.


    ¡°Lilith¡­ Will you help me? Help me beat your elder brother?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ You are crazy, you know that?¡±


    Lilith pped her palm on her forehead and heaved out a deep sigh. However, that beautiful face of hers couldn¡¯t hide the big smile that was creeping up from the side.


    ¡°Hehe, so be it! It¡¯s about time someone knocked some sense into that overprotective brother of mine!¡± Lilith knelt down next to me and met me in the eyes. Her lips blossomed into the most enthralling smile I¡¯d ever seen as she dered:


    ¡°Jin! Let¡¯s beat that stupid bastard!¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s what I wanted to hear!¡±


    ???


    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­ Jin¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it, Lilith?¡±


    A young girl skipped jubntly like a rabbit, rushing toward the young boy who sat silently on top of a massive boulder. Typically, it would have been impossible for the girl to reach the boy without proper climbing tools, but she levitated up as if there was no gravity to hinder her ascent.


    However, the one that was most shocked by the move was none other than the girl herself. Opening her vale eyes wide, she eximed from the bottom of her heart:


    ¡°Jin¡­ Have you mastered the floating technique already?! Even though I¡¯d just showed you the book yesterday?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± the boy said nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple spell.¡±


    ¡°Mou¡­ It¡¯s not that simple! I haven¡¯t even mastered it!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you will in time.¡±


    The boy reached out to the blonde girl¡¯s hair and ruffled it as if trying to mess it up. Unhappy by the action, the girl swatted the boy¡¯s hands away and pouted like an adorable kitten.


    ¡°Would you stop that! It takes ages to style my hair!¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? You¡¯re a Vampire. Do you really need to style your hair?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Before I¡¯m a Vampire, I¡¯m a maiden! Of course, I would want to style my hair for the boy I love.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re really forward, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I don¡¯t want to lose to the other three after all!¡±


    ¡°¡­ I refuse toment on that.¡±


    Young Jin rubbed his cheek in embarrassment, not knowing the best way to answer. Even though he was at a tender age of ten, he knew that the four girls he¡¯d met harboured feelings for him. And all of them were hell-bent on keeping him as their boyfriend/brother/Bloodmate.


    Being ten years old, the boy was still immature regarding matters of the heart. He knew he loved the four, but it wasn¡¯t in the romantic sense. How could it? He was just ten. However, there was one thing that he knew for sure. Young Jin loved the four Vampires that he¡¯d stumbled upon one fine evening.


    They were each unique in their own way and all equally lovable. Heck, Jin even knew that he would take a bullet for those four, no questions asked. And Lilith here was one of the girls he connected with the most.


    Being geniuses, they had their fair share of trouble. None of them had any friends their age, as no one could effectively speak theirnguage. After all, which ten-year-old child could understand university-grade magic and even amend them after a few hours of studying?


    Jin always found apatriot in the young girl, and Lilith found something even better in Jin.


    Jin was someone that was worthy of her. He had the brains, the talent and most importantly¡­ He was right in her strike zone. He wasn¡¯t a Vampire, but Lilith believed that it was only a matter of time before she converted him into her Bloodmate. Every young girl, it didn¡¯t matter if they were human, Vampire or any other race, dreamed of their handsome male lead.


    And for Lilith, Jin had ticked all of those boxes.


    But s, good things weren¡¯t going to go unnoticed.


    Lilith hadpetition, and Jin was basically a hot potato that had been tossed around amongst the four of them. That¡¯s why the girl was doing everything in her power to win Jin over to her side and eventually seal the deal.


    Meanwhile, Jin was suffering from a conundrum. He wanted to be with all four of the girls as he loved them all, probably as much as he loved his parents.


    Jin¡¯s true feeling was it would be best if they could all live together in harmony. Him and the four girls that had torpedoed their way into his life. But, he was too young to see the answer yet. So now, he could only keep quiet and let the girls fight over him openly.


    ¡°So, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I find my future Bloodmate?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, that¡¯s¡­ Okay¡­¡±


    Jin attempted to change the topic, but Lilith reversed it immediately. Not knowing what else to say, the boy kept silent and continued to read his book. But that didn¡¯t do anything to curb Lilith¡¯s enthusiasm. If anything, the hearts in her eyes were intensified as she watched Jin focus on the book while hiding his tomato-like face.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Focused Jin is good, but embarrassed Jin is even better!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Hehe!!!¡±


    Lilith turned her body perpendicr to the young boy and dropped her head squarely on Jin¡¯sp. Jin moved his arms, not willing to harm the girl as she secured her dominant position on his waist, and naturally moved his hand down to stroke Lilith as one would a kitten.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would catch me!¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ Seriously, who raised you this way?¡±


    Knowing that he won¡¯t be able to continue on with his studies, Jin mmed his book shut and looked down on the gorgeous fairy that made hisp her home. A deep sigh escaped the young boy¡¯s mouth as he surrendered his entire time and body to the girl who demanded it.


    ¡°Jin¡­ You¡¯re so kind¡­¡±


    ¡°Tsk, what else can I do? Continue reading when you want to snuggle?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re the best!¡±


    Lilith giggled, her vale eyes glittering just as brightly as the stars in the sky. Shifting her head around to find a better position, the girl took a deep breath in as if she was trying to engrave Jin¡¯s smell into her memory.


    ¡°¡­ You know, my parents never allowed me to do this.¡±


    ¡°Do what? Snuggle?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lilith replied sadly. ¡°All my life, I¡¯d beenpared to my elder brother. They¡¯d always said that in order to catch up to him, I would need to study and train twice as hard. They saw signs of affection as weaknesses and never once showered me with love.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Sad, right?¡± Lilith put on a bitter smile as she thought back on her childhood. ¡°My brother wasn¡¯t any better either. He¡¯s often too overprotective and never allows anyone remotely fun near me. Being overprotective is fine, but he¡¯s always working! He¡¯s never around to y with me or even give me snuggles! I think the most he¡¯d ever done was give me a pat on the head!¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear¡­¡±


    Unknowingly, Jin¡¯s hand moved to the girl¡¯s luscious hair and began to stroke it. Lilith purred in pure bliss as she moved her head around to find the mostfortable position. It was something that the pair had done countless times now, and they did it as naturally as breathing.


    ¡°Yeah, your head pats are definitely better!¡±


    ¡°Thank you?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯reparable to my grandma!¡±


    ¡°Your grandma? You¡¯ve never talked about her before.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At that sentence, the pretty young fairy went quiet. Lilith stared into Jin¡¯s eyes before curling up into a foetal position, her head still resting on hisp. Most of her beautiful features were hidden from the young boy¡¯s eyes as she sunk deeper into his waist.


    ¡°My grandma¡­ She was the only one that genuinely cared for me. While the others were afraid of my talent or my parents were trying to urge me to train harder. My grandma always stood up for me. She said that it was fine to be different, and I could live life as I liked.¡±


    ¡°Those words¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ve noticed?¡± Lilith chuckled softly, but her face was still hidden from view, so Jin didn¡¯t know if she wasughing or crying. ¡°Those were the same words that you said to me!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ This ce reminds me of that ce¡­ The first time she said that to me.¡±


    Lilith turned her face around, the bottom of her eyelids still slightly red. It seemed like she¡¯d dropped some tears and desperately tried to hide that fact. She looked around the surroundings, the vast moonlit sky, the rustling of the twilight grass, and the calm and calming temperature of the night.


    ¡°What ce?¡±


    ¡°Starfall,¡± Lilith looked back with a beaming smile. ¡°The Holy Grounds of the Moonreaver House and the ce where my grandma is buried.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°Are you interested?¡± Lilith shed her pearly white teeth and leaned closer to the young boy. ¡°But my storiese at a price, you know?¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Not giving any chance to bargain, Jin grabbed Lilith¡¯s sharp chin andnded a soft kiss on her forehead. The abrupt move caught the girl off guard, turning redder than a tomato. Lilith then gently pped Jin on the chest and cried:


    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t y fair.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, where did your confidence go?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut it!¡±


    The two ten-year-oldsughed joyfully under the starry night sky, enjoying each other¡¯spany as they talked about their past.

 Chapter 52 Training For The Fight (3)

    Yet another memory, huh?


    I woke up and rubbed my drowsy eyes with a little bit of vigour. Ever since the day I turned into a Vampire, I had been dreaming about my past. And not just any past, the memories I shared with Irina and Lilith. Most of the time, I would see snippets of how our rtionship blossomed and the pleasant moments where we bonded alone.


    I had to admit, those days did seem rather peaceful. Although I don¡¯t know how we¡¯d met in the first ce, from the memories that I saw, I could tell that we were in a loving rtionship far before the Outer Demon attacked us.


    At the same time, I was frustrated. My soul was still sealed, and most of my memories with the girls were still locked away. And apparently, there were two others that were with me fifteen years ago.


    I felt like a piece of shit since I couldn¡¯t even remember their names. Oddly enough, ever since I¡¯d met Irina and Lilith, the connections with the mysterious girls only seemed to strengthen. While I couldn¡¯t pinpoint where they were, I started to feel random emotions, albeit small ones,ing from an unknown source.


    If I were to guess, I likely shared an unbreakable bond with all four of the girls. After all, they did sacrifice a quarter of their souls to keep me alive.


    I wanted to meet them¡­ I wanted to remember the misty parts of my memory¡­ And I wanted to be whole again¡­


    But that¡¯s for another time¡­ The most pressing thing I had to worry about was the duel that would ur three weeks from now.


    As I yawned, I looked to the side of my bed only to see my beloved sleeping beauty happily snoozing away without a care in the world. Contrary to my half-naked self, Lilith was still donned in her conservative pyjamas, don¡¯t get it twisted. Unlike Irina, it seemed that Lilith didn¡¯t have the same social intelligence as most girls her age. She knew about love, but the things that lovers did¡­ Well, I would say she¡¯s purer than a virgin.


    However, I too, didn¡¯t want to cross the final border with her yet. While I would drink her blood every night and asionally sneak a few cuddles here and there, I won¡¯t force myself on her.


    Why?<sub>-.</sub>


    Because I needed that extra motivation.


    To improve myself at a faster rate to match the monster that was Sirius Moonreaver, I needed to train doubly as hard. No, I had to go beyond the speed of light and train harder than I¡¯d ever done before. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to breathe the same air as the man. And to do just that, I needed to ce a shackle on myself.


    If I tasted Liltih¡¯s sweet nectar, I was certain that I would indulge in her for days. Perhaps, I might even spend the entire month on the bed, never to see the sunlight or lift a single dumbbell.


    Furthermore, if I restrained myself and treated Lilith as a reward that I would get for defeating the strongest Moonreaver, I was definitely going to train twice as hard. Fortunately, the girl was ignorant of my mental state and was more than happy with the little skinship that we had. Come to think of it, I was lucky that Irina was in secluded training. If she were around, I might not be able to train as effectively as I did.


    ¡°Lilith¡­ Lilith¡­ I¡¯m going to wash up and head to the training room, alright?¡±


    ¡°Huehuehue¡­ Not there, Jin¡­ What if Lisa walks in?¡±


    Haha, what kind of dream was she having? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I gently kissed her forehead and immediately got dressed. Lilith¡¯s ce was massive, and the walk to her training facility was at least thirty minutes. Fortunately, someone in the room was a master of Spacetime.


    I found the coordinates of the simtion chambers and teleported over just like I normally did. And funnily enough, the first person that I saw was precisely the woman that Lilith was dreaming about.


    ¡°A-Ah! Master Jin! You shouldn¡¯t scare me like that!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Tsk, no matter how many times I see it, Spacetime magic sure is convenient, huh? I wasn¡¯t even able to sense your magic!¡±


    My teleportation was vastly different from the instant movement that the Vampires of the Moonreaver House used. ordingly to Lilith, my teleportation was practically instantaneous, while the Moonreaver House¡¯s teleportation had a few milliseconds of dy. And it made sense, given how they were weaving through the dimensions while I was directly manipting Spacetime.


    There was a slight time dy in their teleportation but make no mistake, in a battle where creatures moved at the speed of sound, those few milliseconds were key. s, even if my teleportation was much faster than theirs, I¡¯m sure that Sirius¡¯ reaction speed could deal with me.


    ¡°Would you mind booting up the system for me? I would like to practice.¡±


    ¡°Again?! But you just left for bed with the Young Miss six hours ago!¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I smiled back confidently. ¡°I had a good four hours of sleep. That¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re really something else, Master Jin.¡±


    I shook my head and ignored the stunned maid. Apparently, most Vampires didn¡¯t train this hard. After all, they were effectively immortal and were blessed with magic. Did a Lion need to sharpen his ws daily if he was already the apex predator? That was the mentally of most undying Vampires.


    It was evenmon to see True Vampires hibernate for centuries at a time, never mind sleep a mere four hours. Even the most studious of Vampires got their eight hours of sleep, and if they weren¡¯t in the Nightmare realm, they would likely sleep through every hour that the Sun was up.


    But since I was once human, I didn¡¯t have that mentality. Heck, I felt like there weren¡¯t enough hours in the day to train! s, I didn¡¯t have a hyperbolic time chamber that turned a thousand years into one like in the novels.


    Wait a second¡­ I had the ability to manipte Spacetime and Creation¡­ Doesn¡¯t that mean?!


    I instantly hopped into the simtion chamber and immediately got to testing. Firstly, I summoned out my Soul Armament, the five chained rings. The ring on my thumb glowed first in the vibrant rainbow hue I¡¯ve be ustomed to. The light miraculously turned into a simple capsule that I¡¯d envisioned, one that seemed highly reminiscent of a tiny spacecraft.


    Next is the hard part. I focused all of my magic power into my middle ring, channelling all my attention to manipting Spacetime. The hyperbolic time chamber was capable of slowing down time over a thousand times so that a thousand years would pass in a year. And in real life, it was theoretically possible as well, given how time works on differents.


    If I could do that, the mere month I had to train could be extended to a thousand months! That would give me more than enough time to smash that arrogant Sirius Moonreaver.


    But as I tried to mess with time, it seemed like time wanted to mess with me.


    The more I attempted to control the flow of time, the more I realised how pitifully little I understood it. It felt like a linear stream, like a river that constantly flowed. But at the same time, I felt like it wasn¡¯t that simple. As if time wasn¡¯t just a straight line. It felt like it could branch in different ways; it could be a lemniscate, an upward flow resisting the linear path we were on.


    Now that I could ¡®see¡¯ time in in the face, it felt so confusing¡­


    And the requisite condition for me to use my Vampire Aspect was that I understood how something worked. For instance, if I didn¡¯t know thepounds for water, I would bepletely unable to create it. The same went with time. The things that I thought I knew about it werepletely off.


    Hah¡­ Now, that¡¯s a dead-end¡­


    Learning how time worked wasn¡¯t a one-day journey. If I didn¡¯t have a guillotine hanging over my head, I might have delved into the experiments. s, I didn¡¯t have that luxury yet. With a heavy heart, I could only postpone my desire to create a hyperbolic time chamber.


    At a loss, I decided to practise the things that I already knew. I started testing the limits of my Space maniption, first by creating the biggest piece of metal I could. At the moment, my Creation magic is limited by the amount of magic power I could supply and so I couldn¡¯t create anything outrageous like a mountain range or an entire ocean.


    The same could be said about my Space maniption. At the moment, my magic power was quite finite, which was expected of a two-month-old Vampire. And that was my biggest weakness.


    This means that I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand toe-to-toe with Lilith¡¯s brother anytime soon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try this then¡­¡±


    It was a long shot, but I decided to attempt the secret move I had nned. Closing my eyes, I focused solely on the Spacetime ring and gathered magic power like never before. It didn¡¯t take long for the strain of the activity to hit my soul. I felt like the weight of the entire was resting on my body, forcing heavy beads of perspiration to fall. With gritted teeth, I endured the pressure and focused solely on the spell that I¡¯d conjured up.


    It looked like my body was spasming out of control to the outside eye. One second my face would be looking up, while the next, it would teleport to another direction. And after a few minutes of seizures, I dropped to the floor, as my body was entirely drenched with sweat.


    ¡°Hah¡­ I barely managed to stop time for one nanosecond¡­ Would that be enough to stop Sirius?¡± I thought out loud.


    The spell wasplete, no doubt, but I wasn¡¯t sure it was enough to challenge the mighty Sirius Moonreaver.


    Stopping time.


    I¡¯d first conceived of this spell when I¡¯d learnt that I could manipte Spacetime. ording to thews of physics, reversing time was virtually impossible. Even with my magic, the best I could do was elerate or slow it down. Of course, doing such a thing would require an absurd amount of magic power, something I just didn¡¯t have yet.


    And so, I attempted to stop time just for the immediate space surrounding me. Well, stopping time was a stretch. I slowed it down so much that it felt like space was suspended in time.


    However, just slowing time for an area that was one cubic metre around me instantly drained all of my magic power. Not to mention, my limit right now was barely one nanosecond.


    All I needed to do in the duel wasnd a single hit on Sirius. If I could slow time down for just ONE SECOND, I would win immediately. But this trick could only work one time. If I failed to end the duel within that short time I had, Sirius would make the proper adjustments and would never be caught in it again.


    So the spell had to be perfect.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Let¡¯s wait for my magic power to recover and try again.¡±


    That was the problem with such broken spells. It consumed far too much magic power for anyone to properly utilise in battle. Still, it was the best move I had. I closed my eyes and went into a meditative state. But then¡­


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    I abruptly opened my eyes. Being someone that had the power to manipte Spacetime, I was highly sensitive to the changes within the fabric. And at that moment, a slight ripple could be felt within the Moonreaver Dimension.


    It was very small, akin to throwing a pebble into argeke, but I could feel it as if it were right next to me. This was the first time I¡¯d felt something like this ever since I¡¯d entered the stable Moonreaver Dimension. And judging by theck of awareness from the other Moonreaver members, it seems like something weird is going on.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Since I have time, let¡¯s go and investigate!¡±

 Chapter 53 Intruders In The Realm (1)

    ¡°Have they noticed anything?¡±


    Four shadowy figures hid perfectly in the dark in a remote part of the Moonreaver Dimension. Their bodies were wrapped in a mysterious cloak, one that blended them into their surroundings. Even the best of magicians wouldn¡¯t be able to notice their immediate surroundings, no matter how hard they tried.


    ¡°There¡¯s no movement from the Moonreaver House,¡± one of the figures replied to his leader¡¯s question. ¡°We should be in the clear.¡±


    ¡°Keep monitoring their signals. We can¡¯t afford to screw up this mission.¡±


    There was no room for rest or jokes. The four individuals were strictly here for business, and their demeanour highlighted that. Moving slowly to not make a sound, the four intruders edged ever so slightly around the outskirts of the Moonreaver Dimension. Naturally, their location was so remote that most guards didn¡¯t even bother patrolling. Yet, they were being as careful as can be.


    ¡°This is the North-West reaches of the Moonreaver Dimension, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! Other than some residential areas, there¡¯s nothing but forest here.¡±


    ¡°Residential areas, huh? Do you know of any True Vampires that we have to be on the lookout for?¡±


    ¡°Negative, sir. Most of the Moonreaver¡¯s strongest fighters live at the heart of the Dimension. Even the hibernation citadels are centred near the centre.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­ I don¡¯t know if that is good or bad news.¡±


    The leader of the reconnaissance team broke into a frown. Their objective was their ancestor¡¯s lost artifact, and there was no way that the Moonreaver House would ce such an important object in the outskirts of their dimension. If their intelligence was correct, their objectivey deep within the heart of the Moonreaver House.


    However, having no significant threats on the outskirts did prove beneficial at the moment. If there was a monster sleeping just a few hundred metres away, there was no chance that they could enter with such ease.


    ¡°How much have we mapped?¡±


    ¡°Except for the central location, we have mapped ny percent of the Moonreaver Dimension, sir! With thisst mission, we should be able to clear the missing parts.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ Speaking of which, this remote location does seem easy to breach. Would this be the best ce for ournding party?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for us to decide,¡± the leader snorted. ¡°Focus on the mission. Any distractions can result in failure.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The four cloaked figures took out their mapping devices and slowly walked around the area. For secrecy purposes, the devices in their hand could only map their immediate surroundings. And if there was even one Moonreaver nearby, their entire n would be foiled. That¡¯s why they took the painstaking task of spending months just to map out one region.


    And now, they were nearly at the finishing line.


    Being true professionals, they stayed true to their craft. Spending every second as carefully as they can. They were on an infiltration mission, and getting discovered was practically a death sentence. Which was why, even though there was no one around, the tension amongst them was exceedingly high.


    ¡°How much longer?¡±


    ¡°¡­ We should pack up for the day. Fully mapping the North-West region will take more than just a night. We cane back tomorrow and-¡­ WATCH OUT!!!¡±


    Just as they were about toplete their mission, the leader shouted at the top of his lungs. All three of his subordinates turned around, only to see a massive chunk of ice hurling right toward them. It was moving at a rapid speed, but it wasn¡¯t a velocity that four experts couldn¡¯t deal with. They scattered disorderly, allowing the ice shard to crash violently on their previous positions.


    ¡®Did we fail the mission?!¡¯ The invaders thought at the same time.


    They snapped their heads in the direction that the attack was shot at them and found something that went beyond their wildest imaginations. Their perfect mission record, the many months they spent fooling the best magicians from the Moonreaver House¡­ was foiled by the young ck-haired Vampire that was floating in the air with a triumphant expression.


    ???


    ¡®There really were intruders!!!¡¯


    I smiled like a teenager who had been given the reins to their parent¡¯s car for the first time. At first, I¡¯d thought that the ripples in Spacetime were nothing more than the Moonreaver Dimension fluctuating as an imperfect construct. However, Lilith had said that the Moonreaver Dimension had stood for over a hundred years, with no signs of any copse. In fact, it was just as stable as our own reality in the regr world.


    And so, if the Moonreaver Dimension was stable, that could only mean one thing.


    There was foul y involved.


    And sure enough¡­<sub></sub>


    ¡®There are four of them¡­ Although they are hidden visually, and their magical signatures are faint, I can vaguely sense their location.¡¯


    Thanks to my control over Spacetime, I could ¡®see¡¯ the camouged silhouettes of the intruders. They were making a significant dent in the fabric of Space that I immediately dialled my wariness to eleven.


    There weren¡¯t many individuals that could make such arge indentation in the fabric of Space. Usually, therger your magic pool, the more dense your imprint was. So far, the most prominent imprints I¡¯d noticed were from Matriarch Innocence and that bastard Sirius Moonreaver. Those were akin to ck holes that seemed to suck every form of life in.


    On the other hand, while these bastards couldn¡¯tpare to those two freaks of nature, their imprints were quite respectable. I would say these four trump Irina and Lilith in terms of pure magic power.


    ¡®Luckily, I told Lisa to get Lilith¡­ And judging from the distance, she would take a few minutes to arrive.¡¯


    I looked over my shoulder and saw Lilith¡¯s estate in the far distance. By my estimations, it should be around twenty to thirty kilometres away. For Lisa to reach, wake Lilith up, inform her of the situation, get her changed and eventually reach my location¡­ Yeah, a few minutes seems about right.


    In the meantime¡­


    ¡°Although it might not be in my ce to ask, what¡¯s your affiliation?¡± I politely asked, contrary to my rough wee gift.


    While they clearly looked like intruders, I could be misunderstanding the situation. Perhaps they were even part of the Moonreaver House and were doing some forest clearing?


    ¡°¡­ How did you notice us?¡±


    The four Vampires removed their weird-looking cloaks, revealing their stern expressions. All four of them were male, roughly between their twenties and thirties. But as it is with every Vampire, their actual age was far beyond their looks. All of them were well-built and tall, and there were even prominent scars on two of them.


    Given that Vampires could heal whatever wounds they had, those were likelybat scars. A mark that was a pride for Vampires with a warrior mentality. They didn¡¯t emit a single ounce of magic power, and yet, I could feel tremendous pressure mounting.


    Hoho? Now that¡¯s a good sign. If they were part of the Moonreaver House, they would instantly try to resolve the misunderstanding. So if they were clearly intruders¡­


    ¡°I have no obligation to answer,¡± I replied while magic power gathered on my right hand. ¡°And if I¡¯m correct¡­ You probably won¡¯t answer any of my questions, right?¡±


    The four intruders remained silent and red at me with eyes that could kill.


    ¡°I thought so¡­¡±


    Now that I had confirmed their identity, it was time toe up with my next course of action. Judging by their overwhelming presence, these four weren¡¯t the small fries I¡¯de up against. They were in a whole other league. Battle-hardened, magically inclined and their thick bloodthirst that I could feel even dozens of metres away.


    They were, by far, the most powerful opponents I¡¯d ever faced; monsters like Sirius and the Matriarch don¡¯t count, given that I didn¡¯t even fight them once.


    The sensible thing to do was to run away. I wasn¡¯t part of the Moonreaver House, and I was most definitely not going to put my neck on the line for no charge. In fact, whatever these four were nning didn¡¯t affect me in the slightest. As long as Lilith and Irina were safe, I don¡¯t care what kind of sabotage urs in the Moonreaver Dimension.


    And so, the intelligent thing to do was to retreat, wait for assistance, and let the Moonreaver House do the cleanup.


    But¡­


    ¡°A chance like this doesn¡¯te often, does it?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see myself, but if I were to look in the mirror, I would most definitely see a maniacal smile. Against these overwhelming odds, where it was one versus four, and I was at a significant disadvantage in terms of magic power, battle experience and drive.


    But that didn¡¯t matter.


    Magic power gathered in my hand as I summoned my Soul Armament out. In a disadvantageous battle, the one who strikes first takes the initiative. Firstly, I sent out a warning shot of numerous thunderbolts to strike the four intruders. There were two reasons why I chose to use lightning first.


    Lightning bolts were exceedingly quick and hard to dodge. This means the intruders would be taken aback and might unwittingly use evasive measures that would reveal their identities. Secondly, I wanted them to think that I was part of the Moonreaver House, given that their speciality involves using lightning.


    And that was a wise first move.


    ¡°He¡¯s part of the Moonreaver Bloodline! We need to silence him!¡±


    While I wasn¡¯t able to identify their movement ability, they did manage to fall into my deception. The four intruders moved at speeds that I could barely follow, leaping around like circus performers and blending into the forest. If not for my spatial recognition abilities, I would unquestionably lose sight of their positions.


    ¡°A Moonreaver that specialises in lightning¡­ This is going to be annoying.¡± The leader spat in annoyance. However, he never once lost focus. ¡°Surround and besiege him from all sides!¡±


    Do you really think that it¡¯s going to be that easy?


    I raised my middle finger and channelled my ability to control space. Almost instantly, I ¡®grabbed¡¯ hold of the four intruders and froze them in space. And while taking advantage of the time they were shocked, I summoned a tremendous lightning bolt to deal with the four.


    Unfortunately¡­


    Bzzzzzzzztt!!!


    The lightning bolt struck violently, breaking into the ground and splitting trees in half. It was powerful enough to send even the most seasoned of Hunters into temporary stasis. But, the four Vampires werepletely unharmed. They regrouped together and stood there without a speck of dirt on their clothes.


    ¡°Telekinesis, huh? We can¡¯t take you lightly, it seems.¡±


    ¡­ Was this the first time?


    Yeah, it was.


    This was the first time I couldn¡¯t stop my opponent for more than a second. They broke free of my spatial control before I¡¯d even noticed. Ever since I¡¯d first awakened my control of Spacetime ability, I¡¯d breezed past opponents simply by locking them in ce. s, as the calibre of my foes improved, I couldn¡¯t rely on such a convenient ability anymore.


    One of the intruders sped up faster than I could react, reappearing behind my back. Three exquisite daggers flew out from his sleeves. They flew haphazardly, bypassing all thews of physics in the process.


    ¡®Telekinesis¡­ They have it as well¡­¡¯


    I¡¯d heard from Variel that once a True Vampire ages and bes powerful enough, they would gain the ability to control objects with just their magic power. That was the reason why Variel wasn¡¯t impressed when he misunderstood that my control over Space was merely Telekinesis.


    ¡®Tsk, they¡¯re a little too fast.¡¯


    With no option to evade, I bent the fabric of Spacetime around me, allowing the flying daggers to warp from my right hand to the left. Unfortunately, the daggers didn¡¯t pierce the hearts of the other intruders and instead returned to their owner.


    ¡°Dimensional magic as well! He must be someone from the main bloodline!¡± The intruders instantly changed their tune. They seemed to have further deepened their misunderstanding, which was quite convenient for me.


    ¡°There¡¯s no other choice then¡­¡±


    Dense magic power enveloped the area as the four intruders¡¯ eyes were dyed a soulless red. A retching feeling of bloodlust overwhelmed my senses, and the world around me started to spin. I smelt blood.


    And not just any blood. A thick, nauseating vour that I could never hope to enjoy.


    I watched as the four intruders cut open a flesh wound, turning their disgusting blood into weapons and auxiliary powers. One created two pistols which seemed capable of firing an infinite amount of bullets. One created a mist of blood that strengthened hispanions while weakening me. One made a two-metre-long scythe with a tip that could pierce diamonds.


    And finally¡­ The leader summoned out a Katana that was dyed the densest blood red I¡¯d ever seen.


    Those weren¡¯t the Blood Arts that Blood Servants used¡­ No, they were a thousand levels above that. Those weapons harboured dense magic power, which Blood Servants couldn¡¯t possibly possess.


    ¡°You guys are¡­¡±


    And that was when I remembered.


    I once asked Variel how the Blood Servants came up with using their own blood as weapons. And that was when the butler told me the horrifying origins of Blood Arts.


    Long before the days of the Ten Guardian Houses, there was only one Noble House. No, it was a Royal House. All Vampires, be it True Vampires or Blood Servants, bowed down to that one lineage. The lineage that used their own blood to suppress and dominate over the Vampiric World.


    They fought primarily by using their inherited blood which had a natural deterrence against all Vampires. Through their brutality and ruthlessness, they¡¯d reaped millions of mortal souls and annihted dozens of Vampire ns under their tyrannical rule.


    They once stood at the apex of the World. Using the power of their blood, they piled bodies by the mountains and bathed in the river of blood that followed.


    They were the inheritors of the Vampire Progenitor and were once the true masters of the World.


    ¡°The Bloodborne House.¡±

 Chapter 54 Intruders In The Realm (2)

    ¡°The Bloodborne House.¡±


    I¡¯d immediately revealed their identity to their faces, and they visibly flinched. However, that surprise didn¡¯tst long as a thick bloodlust that was dense enough to be visible to my eye exploded from their bodies.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t leave him alive!¡±


    The leader spat a hateful order, his voice oozing with intense wrath. The other three intruders leapt high in the air while splitting in three directions, most likely to ambush me from all sides. And once they reached their positions, the one with the two guns attacked first.


    BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!


    Blood bullets raced towards me faster than the speed of sound, giving me just a fraction of a second to react. Using my control over space, I warped the flying pellets of death and rerouted them to the ground. However, as if they¡¯d expected that, the other moved instantly.


    The scythe-wielder rushed to the man creating the bloody mists and drew blood from his supple flesh. At first, I was confused as to why he attacked his ownrade, especially amid battle. But my confusion didn¡¯t take long to turn into unrelenting caution.


    With a swift move, the man swung his massive scythe in a vast arc and aimed for my neck. It was at a speed that I could barely register, and it took abination of my reaction speed, control over space and overall athletic ability to narrowly dodge the attack by a hair¡¯s width. But the attack wasn¡¯t done.


    The blood that dripped from the scythe sprayed forward in an arc, and just when the red fluid almostnded on my body¡­


    BOOM!!!


    The blood exploded in a crimson me. I wasn¡¯t burnt by the fire but near enough to feel its heat. It felt hotter than the surface of the Sun, and the magic power that was being generated gave me a sense of uneasy dread.


    Instinctively, I could tell that my Vampire regenerative factor wouldn¡¯t be able to heal me if I took a strike from the bloodfire that was created.


    I leapt dozens of metres away, resting only when I could see all four of my opponents in front of me. And even then, the caution that I held instantly doubled.


    I could probably die¡­


    This was the first time I¡¯d felt that since turning into a Vampire.


    Death was something that I¡¯d faced before. It was a foe that I refused to submit to, but at the same time, it was something that I was acutely aware of. And so, I knew how close I was to meeting the reaper once again.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡®Bloodfire¡­ The unique ability of the Bloodborne House.¡¯


    I¡¯ve read about it during my study periods in the Everwinter Estate. The Vampiric Society consisted of ten Guardian Houses, and each one of them had a specific role. Some of them were warrior houses that fought Outer Demons, like the Everwinter House. While others yed a more economical position in society, such as the Moonreaver House.


    They kept the bnce of the Vampiric World in check, and each House was just as vital as the next one.


    However, every mafia house had its Fredo.


    The Bloodborne House carried the bloodline of the original Vampire, the progenitor, if you will, of all Vampires. Unlike the other Houses, which used their natural gifts of magic and developed them religiously until they stood at the apex of the magical world, the Bloodborne House solely relied on their innate bloodline to fight.


    And to be fair to them, the bloodline of the original Vampire was a true fighting force. It had the inherent ability to suppress all other Vampires, and it was highly flexible in its usage. Some Bloodborne members could turn their blood into scorching mes rumoured to burn into one¡¯s soul. Others were capable of using blood to generate earthquakes and natural disasters.


    However, after their ancestor had passed away and their blood began to dilute over generations, the Bloodborne House had weakened considerably. Before they were a monolith, no, they were THE monolith of the Vampiric World.


    No one could challenge their authority, and no one dared to speak up against the only Royal House of the Vampires.


    But now, they were barely hanging on to their position as one of the Guardian Houses.


    Nevertheless, that didn¡¯t mean that the Bloodborne House was weak in any measure. There were still a few powerhouses within the House, and their innate ability to suppress other Vampires didn¡¯t just vanish. A wounded dragon was still a dragon.


    And that was clear as day as I felt the Bloodfire warm up my pale, Vampiric face.


    ¡®I guess I can¡¯t hide my abilities anymore!¡¯


    The power of Creation rose within my soul, and I created a dozen tornadoes to disorient my opponents. The four Bloodborne intruders, clearly taken aback that I could use wind magic, regrouped once more and spat violently:


    ¡°Wind magic?! Since when did Moonreaver brats use wind?!¡±


    ¡°Maybe he has the genes of the Skywing House?¡±<sub></sub>


    Specte all you want; I¡¯m not going to tell you! Once more, I summoned dozens of vicious lightning bolts to strike the invaders, hopefully, stopping their sporadic movements. s, they were far too experienced for that. Using the bloody mist as cover, the gun wielder took my nk and shot over a dozen shots in less than a second.


    Not holding back any longer, I created a shield in the shape of a turtle shell. At the same time, I heated it to over a thousand degrees. Almost all of the blood bullets either bounced off the shell or melted instantly,pletely negating the poor bastard¡¯s attack.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The man didn¡¯t breathe a single word, but I could tell that he was stunned just by watching his reaction. Clenching my fist, I ¡®threw¡¯ the turtle shell at him and sent him crashing to the floor. I¡¯d thought it would at least take him out ofmission for a few seconds, giving me an opportunity to deal with hisrades, but that was a little too much to ask.


    The Bloodborne gun wielder leapt out, fresh as can be, and returned back to his leader.


    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s retreat. We¡¯ve made too much of amotion. Even the deaf would have guessed that something is going on.¡±


    A wise move.


    I could already sense Lilith rushing toward me from a distance, and judging from her pace, she should reach within a minute. At the same time, I could sense various presences gathered around her, meaning that she¡¯d brought a sizable force with her.


    No matter how powerful the Bloodborne invaders were, there was no way that they could fight Moonreaver elites in Moonreaver territory. At best, they could only hope for a pyrrhic victory, where they would retreat with either lost souls or serious injuries.


    ¡°Secure the escape route. I¡¯ll deal with this guy.¡±


    Drawing his katana, the leader swung his sword in my direction. Perhaps it was his way of asking for a one-on-one duel, or maybe he wished to divert my attention away from his subordinates. Either way, it got my attention.


    Being the group¡¯s leader, the man had to be an elite amongst elites, especially within the Bloodborne House. I could feel shivers run down my spine just by watching his red-tinted de. It felt like the weight of an entire soul was hidden within that clean crimson katana, and death came with every swing.


    And sure enough¡­


    Schlick!!!


    I heard the whistle of a de brush past the top of my head, and once more, a surging heat permeated my face. The Bloodfire that came out from the de seemed far more powerful than the one the scythe-user threw at me, and that means it was much more deadly. Using my control over Space, I¡¯d barely managed to evade that deadly attack as I¡¯d sent my own body flying downwards.


    That was dangerous¡­


    I wasn¡¯t even able to see him move. The only reason why I¡¯d managed to dodge was due to my heightened instincts. The scythe user had to utilise the blood of hispanion to create the Bloodfire, but the leader himself was capable of doing it all by himself. What a cheat¡­


    The leader shot me a bemused look as if admiring the fact that I could evade his killer move. However, that didn¡¯tst long, as the next time I blinked, a red de was mere inches away from my face.


    ¡®What an insane speed!¡¯


    Or should I say to be expected of a master from the Bloodborne House? His movements far exceeded anything that I was familiar with, and all I could do was react before he beheaded me. By using my control over space, I managed to instinctively move my body away, but unfortunately¡­


    FUCKKK!!!


    The red katana sliced down my shoulder des and immediately cut off my lower right arm. A searing hot pain overwhelmed my senses, bringing suffering with every movement I took. Fortunately, my brain was still high-functioning enough to push the intruder away with my Space magic as I retreated a hundred metres away.


    Bloodfire took over the ce where my right arm was supposed to be, and it relentlessly attempted to spread into my upper shoulder. Fortunately, just because my arm, which held my Soul Armament was severed, it doesn¡¯t mean that I couldn¡¯t continue using magic.


    I called out the Soul Armament onto my left hand and created a sharp water de. With a decisive move, I cut off the flesh that was burning with the Bloodfire and left it there to heal.


    If I were resting in the hospital, I could focus all of my attention on my severed limb, but I didn¡¯t quite have that luxury. My eyes burned with fury as I saw the man with the red katana walk menacingly in my direction.


    ¡°Water as well? You¡¯re no Moonreaver¡­¡±


    The Bloodborne elite seemed to have seen through my bluff and was now contemting his options. Still, a mission was a mission, and leaving me alive would jeopardise it. And so, he rushed forward once more at a speed that I couldn¡¯t follow, hoping to reap my life away once and for all.


    ¡®Tsk! I have no choice!¡¯


    I didn¡¯t want to use this move as it utilised far too much magic power. However, now that I had my back against the wall, it was time to debut it to the world.


    I focused everything that I had on my middle finger, and all of my magic power was unleashed. Space bent all around me, creating an illusory effect as if one were in a mirage. The power unleashed was far beyond my depth, and I could only use it for a few seconds, but that was more than enough to buy time for reinforcements to arrive.


    Noticing that I was making a move, the leader rushed towards my body, hoping to end it before I could cast the spell.


    s, you are far toote¡­


    ¡°Cataclysm!¡±


    Space contorted, and my immediate surroundings turned into an apocalyptic night. Dozens of meteorites that I¡¯d created rushed down as if guided by the Fabric of Space and mmed aggressively down on my opponent, giving him no avenue to escape.


    However, the man was unfazed by my desperate attempt. shing the burning meteors with his blood-tainted sword, he sliced them down into in rocks and burnt them at a temperature higher than the mes that surrounded them.


    Woah¡­ Even that attack wasn¡¯t enough to take him down? What a monster.


    My control over Space started to wane as my magic power was weakened by the second. However, I did make sure that the man wasn¡¯t able to rush toward me by contracting Space tight enough. If he wished to move, he¡¯d risk getting captured by the reinforcements that were about to arrive.


    And he knew that all too well.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Bloodborne reconnaissance team leader gripped his sword handle tightly, so hard that I could see blood dripping down from his palm. He wished to silence me so badly that it literally made him bleed.


    However, he evidently had a rational head. He saw Lilith and herpatriots rushing over, and she would arrive within ten seconds. And given the choices, leaving me alive would be far better than him getting captured.


    And before I could do anything, he sheathed his sword and disappeared with hispanions as if everything that urred was a passing dream.


    ¡°Jin! Are you alright?!¡±


    Almost the next second after the intruders disappeared, I could smell Lilith¡¯s fragrance enveloping my body as her soft touch took over my back. My face, which had been pumped with adrenaline and power, instantly softened as I grabbed onto her hand and reassuringly said:


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Just a little tired.¡±


    ¡°But your arm!¡±


    ¡°Ah, this thing?¡±


    My right arm was still severed from my body, drawing much concern from my beloved Lilith. However, being a Vampire, that detached limb would eventually regrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I¡¯ll recover in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ How dare they! How dare they injure you like this?!¡± I could swear that her body blew up in steam as her words became more and more poisonous.


    ¡°Fuck them! I shall skin their bodies clean and feed them to the dogs! No, dogs are too good for them! I will let them rot in a pile of maggots and make sure they are eaten alive! They will die wishing they were never alive! I will¡­¡±


    The girl went on and on with her rant, burning with a fury I¡¯d never seen from Lilith before.


    Wasn¡¯t she bing more and more like Irina?


    No, it must be my imagination.


    ¡°Calm down, darling¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    It took me fifteen good minutes to calm the girl down. In the end, after spewing some words that I dare not repeat, Lilith finally asked the crucial questions.


    ¡°¡­ Who were they? Were they sent by my brother?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    Perhaps I¡¯d made her too agnostic against her family now. Even though she was in front of dozens of Moonreavers, she was still openly targeting the leader of her House.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s return. I¡¯ll tell you all about itter.¡±

 Chapter 55 Intruders In The Realm (3)

    The Moonreaver Realm. The Lord¡¯s Estate.


    Contrary to the abode of Matriarch Everwinter, who lived in a hut in the middle of nowhere, the resting ce of the Moonreaver Lord was as luxurious as possible. That¡¯s because, unlike the Everwinter House, the Moonreaver House had changed its leader multiple times before. Plus, being an economic powerhouse, there was a need to show off their wealth to give the image of vast riches to their customers and other business partners.


    That was the reason why the Lord¡¯s Estate was far more luxurious than most pces in the real world.


    Thousands of white buildings wereyered with rich gold markings. Statues made with pure sapphire and emeralds lined up perfectly within the throne hall, making it look like a sleeping army was protecting its King. Marbled hallways,vish carpets, detailed taxidermies¡­ The list was endless.


    And at the centre of it all was one man who sat silently on top of a moonstone throne.


    ¡°Are you certain that it was the Bloodborne House?¡±


    Sirius Moonreaver nced down at his subordinate with an imposing figure. His eyes demanded that he wouldn¡¯t ept a single ounce of falsehood, or he would incinerate the poor man reporting the situation.


    ¡°The Bloodborne House tried to be careful, and the elites they¡¯d sent barely registered any magical signatures. It took three whole days for us to collect definitive evidence that Bloodfire was indeed used and to pick up remnants of their blood.¡±


    The Bloodborne House had a distinctive bloodline that couldn¡¯t be hidden no matter how hard they tried.


    ¡°And based on the evidence we¡¯d collected¡­ It should be the Shadowfiend division.¡±


    ¡°The Shadowfiends, huh?¡±


    Sirius Moonreaver spat as he rested his elbow on the Lunar Throne. As someone who bore the name of Sirius, he had once crossed paths with the other elites from the Bloodborne House. The Shadowfiend division was unique, even amongst the other elite troops from the Bloodborne House.<sub>-.</sub>


    They specialised in infiltration, espionage, sabotage, andrgely covert activities. And while their expertisey in keeping their mission under wraps, that didn¡¯t mean they were weak. Far from it, in fact. The Shadowfiend division had some of the Bloodborne House¡¯s best operatives, with one Shadowfiend capable of fighting a hundred Vampires quickly.


    After all, if they were ever caught on a mission, they needed to be strong enough to secure an escape route.


    ¡°They are even sending the Shadowfiends¡­ Are they nning to wage war against us?¡± Sirius rubbed the bridge of his nose and gently went up to his eyebrows. He felt like a surging headache was fast approaching, but s, he could do nothing to stop it. ¡°Do we have the memory video?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are working on securing it.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡±


    The Bloodborne House probably were unaware of it, but every inch of the Moonreaver Realm was under constant surveince. No, to be more specific, being an artificial construct, the Moonreaver Realm was able to store ¡®memories¡¯ of everything that urred within the Nightmare realm. There were certain exceptions, of course. Such as private houses, secured chambers or even hibernation rooms¡­ But for the most part, the Moonreaver Realm had a perpetual CCTV catching everything that ever happened.


    The main reason why the Shadowfiends were able to get away with so many infiltrations was because the Moonreaver House was unaware that they were being targeted. However, now that they knew, gathering evidence was as simple as going through the logs.


    ¡°ording to our findings, it¡¯s highly likely that it was Shadowfiend squad six that was discovered.¡±


    ¡°Squad six¡­ Isn¡¯t it the one helmed by Talon Bloodborne? The Blood Katana?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± Sirius¡¯ subordinate bowed down, not denying his master¡¯s conclusion. ¡°The Young Miss¡¯ guest also confirmed his identity and the identities of those in his squadron.¡±


    ¡°Lilith¡¯s guest? Irina Everwinter was it?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°No, the male guest.¡±


    Sirius started to think, and the impression of the haughty young boy who was getting friendly with Lilith came to mind. And now that he remembered Jin, Sirius somewhat began to recall that they had promised a duel. Somehow it had slipped his mind due to how busy he was, but hearing Jin again piqued his interest.


    ¡°Was he a participant in the battle?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He was the only one on the scene as he sensed a disturbance. He was also the one who held them off while the Young Miss rushed to the scene.¡±


    ¡°Hoh¡­ Has he be that capable?¡±


    The blonde man opened his mouth in genuine surprise. Talon Bloodborne wasn¡¯t a pushover. Being born around the same time as Sirius, Talon had risen up the ranks in a simr fashion as his peers. In fact, Sirius and Talon had crossed des many years ago, when they were still young hundred-year-olds trying to prove their worth.


    So Sirius knew how dangerous Talon was. Particrly the Blood Katana that made his name. People would often see the red de before they saw Talon¡¯s image, and many of his victims were in within seconds. Although they were in different leagues now, Talon could easily defeat many of Sirius¡¯ subordinates.


    And to think that a mere youngster held him back¡­


    ¡°Hmmm, I guess the duel wouldn¡¯t be interesting without a little spice.¡±


    Sirius thought about visiting the young man and potentially test his progress, but he threw that idea into the back of his mind. Currently, there were far more important things to get to.


    ¡°Has there been contact with the Bloodborne House?¡±


    ¡°Negative, sir! They are decisively denying their involvement in the matter.¡±


    ¡°Of course they are¡­¡±


    Which idiot would admit that theymitted a crime? Furthermore, it was a crime that would put the entire Vampire world against them. While Sirius wasn¡¯t one to brag, he knew that the Moonreaver House was far more important in the modern-day than some copsed Royal lineage. If they were to ever wage war, the majority of Vampires would side with the Moonreavers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s gather more ¡®memories¡¯ before exposing them. Speaking of which, why is it taking so long?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡­¡±


    The subordinate froze at his patriarch¡¯s question. His head was bent down, showing subservience by revealing his neck. However, if one looked closely, one would see cold sweat breaking out as his body shivered wildly.


    ¡°¡­ You can speak freely.¡±


    ¡°S-Sir! It seems this isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve been breached!¡±


    ¡°¡­ What did you say?¡±


    If the man wasn¡¯t pissed before, he sure was now. Sirius stood up from the Lunar Throne and sent a booming voice detonating throughout the ornate hall. If not for the well-constructed metals and base, the building might have copsed just from his shout alone. Fuming from ear to ear, he growled:


    ¡°Tell me exactly¡­ How many times?¡±


    ¡°Sir! Our intelligence is working round the clock to pinpoint each and every breach, but¡­¡± The subordinate gulped and braced himself for the worst. ¡°Preliminary findings suggest¡­ It may be more than fifty times.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Contrary to his expectations, Sirius didn¡¯t blow a fuse. His face looked calm, and there wasn¡¯t any raising of his voice. But that, in contrast, made the subordinate fear for his life even more. He didn¡¯t even dare to look Sirius in the eye, as he knew the bubbling anger that was rising to the surface. That silence was all Sirius needed to convey the burning emotions that were hidden within his facade.


    ¡°Haha! The elephant grows toorge and is unable to see its rear¡­ We¡¯ve been far toocent. Just because we have be the most influential Guardian House, that doesn¡¯t mean we are the strongest. The Bloodborne House has really taught us a valuable lesson.¡±


    Sirius acted as if he was reflecting on his actions, but in reality, he was seething with rage from within. Yes, the Moonreaver House had be a monolith. Other than a few Guardian Houses, there was barely anyone who couldpete with their wealth, influence and overall prestige.


    And that¡¯s how they got arrogant.


    They¡¯d thought that no one would manage to crack the code and infiltrate the Moonreaver Dimension. They¡¯d thought that they were invincible so long as they held the monopoly on Nightmare Realms and Warp Gates. They¡¯d thought that no one could possibly defeat them on their ownnd.


    Oh, how they were proven wrong.


    ¡°Prepare for war.¡±


    ¡°W-What?!¡±


    ¡°You heard me,¡± Sirius scoffed andid down the order. ¡°Call back every Moonreaver that we have! Lock down the Moonreaver Realm and deny any requests for teleportation! Double, no triple, the patrols and arm every single Moonreaver! The Bloodborne House willunch an attack in theing days, and we need to be ready for it.¡±


    ¡°I-Is it that drastic?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too naive¡­¡±


    The thousand-year-old Vampire shook his head. Having been part of the Moonreaver special forces, he had been sent to hundreds, if not thousands, of battles. He¡¯d experienced wars like no Moonreaver before him, and he could identify the red gs when he saw them.


    ¡°The Bloodborne House has breached our walls fifty times, yet none of us had realised. What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­ They were gathering intelligence?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! And fifty breaches is more than enough to draw a detailed map of our dimension. They might still sit back and do nothing if they remained unnoticed, but we¡¯vepletely unravelled their ns. Now that we know that our dimension has beenpromised, we have two options. Either fix our vulnerabilities and patch the breaches or abandon this dimension entirely. Now¡­ Would the Bloodborne House sit still and watch as years of preparations go down the drain?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The answer is no! They will now go into a panic! Before we can reinforce our dimension, they wouldunch an all-out assault to hopefully blitz our defences and catch us off guard.¡±


    ¡°But sir, why are the Bloodborne House so determined to antagonise us? Even to the extent of waging a war that would be detrimental to themselves?¡±


    ¡°I have my guesses, but¡­¡±


    Sirius raised his arm, and a crimson light shed from his palm. At that moment, an image of a withered hand that had barely any flesh on it appeared before his eyes.


    ¡°The relic of the past¡­ The arm of the Progenitor. That¡¯s their ultimate goal.¡±

 Chapter 56 Vampire Civil War (1)

    ¡°So the Bloodborne House will attack this dimension?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears as Lilith recounted what she¡¯d heard to me. Although I¡¯ve been a Vampire for just two months now, I knew how rare it was for two Guardian Houses to fight in a direct conflict. If my memory serves me right, thest time two Guardian Houses shed so openly was during the great Lakefall-Terrabound battle, when the two mighty Houses disputed over some territory and decided to have a fair, winner-takes-all, battle.


    But even then, that battle ended with few casualties and was treated more like a sporting event than a bloody war.


    The Vampire Houses were already being persecuted by the Holy Church and the other races that feared them. Thest thing that they needed was a divide within their ranks, breaking down the system they¡¯d spent centuries building.


    ¡°That¡¯s what my brother has deduced.¡± Lilith sighed openly, unsure as to why the Bloodborne House was so hard-headed. ¡°We¡¯ve already denounced the Bloodborne House and sent a strong deration to the Council. The wheels have begun to spin so rapidly that there¡¯s nothing that we can do to stop it.¡±


    ¡°The Bloodborne House¡­ I can see how they¡¯d fallen from grace.¡±


    Only an idiot would decide to fight the Moonreaver House in their own territory. Furthermore, there was no way any of the other Guardian Houses would back the Bloodbornes. They wouldn¡¯t want to waste their precious ess to the Moonreaver¡¯s monopoly over the Nightmare realms and Warp Gates.


    Almost the entire Vampire race lives in the Nightmare realms that the Moonreaver House created. Not only that, the Warp Gates granted safe passage between said realms and allowed the Vampires to stay elusive and hidden from vicious eyes.


    And yet¡­ The Bloodborne House was willing to give that all up. Just to wage war on the Moonreavers.


    ¡°So, when will they attack?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll ask this once, but Jin¡­ Are you thinking of joining the battle?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Of course?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why Lilith asked such an obvious question, so I tilted my head and shot her an inquisitive look.


    ¡°Hah¡­ You¡¯re as reckless as I¡¯d remembered¡­¡± Lilith frowned heavily and gently covered her forehead with her hand. ¡°The war between the Moonreaver and Bloodborne Houses will have nothing to do with you! You¡¯re just a guest, my guest! There¡¯s no need for you to risk your life just for the sake of my House!¡±


    ¡°Who said I¡¯m fighting for the Moonreavers?¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    The blonde goddess jerked her head back as she was confused by my reply. Lilith started to think about how the Moonreaver House had treated me thus far. Shaking, the girl gulped:<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me¡­ You¡¯re going to fight for the Bloodborne House?!¡±


    ¡°No, you silly¡­¡±


    Goodness, how on earth did shee up with that line of thought. No matter how badly Sirius had treated me, there was no way that I would join the Moonreaver¡¯s enemy in spite. I wasn¡¯t THAT petty. Wait, if the Moonreaver House fell, would Lilith be free to leave with me? Hmmm¡­ That was a tempting food for thought, but I had better things to do.


    ¡°Protecting the Moonreaver Dimension is equivalent to protecting your future, is it not? While I would love it if you could leave with me, I can¡¯t provide you with the number of resources and influence that the Moonreaver House can.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s true¡­¡±


    It would take a fool to turn down the Moonreaver name. With it, Lilith¡¯s overall finances, connections with the bigwigs, resources such as books and magic tomes, and training facilities would be secure until the end of time. Or at the very least, until I be influential enough to cover for her.


    Furthermore¡­


    ¡°I want to face Sirius when the Moonreaver House is at the pink of health. Defeating him when the Moonreaver Dimension is destroyed would bepletely meaningless.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Lilith held her chest and let out a massive sigh of relief. She seemed concerned that I would leave her all alone, turning tail when she needed me most. My lord¡­ What a cute critter. Iughed and spun her into my embrace.


    ¡°So don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯ll be with you throughout the war, protecting you.¡±


    ¡°H-Hmph! Who needs you to protect me?! I¡¯m more than capable of taking care of myself!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!!!¡±


    Although Lilith¡¯s words were harsh, the girl started to act coy as she shot me a sheepish gaze. Leaning her back onto my chest, the girl nuzzled her face on my neck and took huge whiffs to seemingly enjoy my scent.


    Only a few weeks had passed since we¡¯d first met, and I started to understand just how deep her love was. Over the past fifteen years, the girl had never once stopped thinking about me. Even when I waspletely unaware of her existence, she spent months, no, years, thinking of a way to cure my fragile body.


    I¡¯de to know of this by stumbling across her study room, which housed mountains upon mountains of books regarding the soul. Lilith¡¯s research had even reached an unfathomable level, with her categorising the best rituals that could potentially heal my broken soul. In fact, the main reason why Irina had the idea to turn me into a True Vampire in the first ce, was due to Lilith¡¯s extensive research.<sub></sub>


    Just by looking at the endless amounts of scribbles and the pungent earthy smell of the room, I could tell how much hard work had gone into this research.


    This woman sacrificed her entire adolescent life to try and heal me. That was possibly the reason why Lilith didn¡¯t have many friends, excluding Irina and the other two that were with us.


    Lilith could have gone off to have a great life; being the heir of the Moonreaver House, she had plenty of potential suitors. She could have enjoyed her teenage years.


    And therefore¡­ It was my turn to return the favour.


    ¡°Hey, Lilith¡­ Have you given any thought about leaving the Moonreaver House with me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Not for good, of course. Just for a few years as we venture out into the unknown¡­¡±


    I started to tell Lilith about my grand n. I wanted to be stronger, so powerful, in fact, that no one could ever hope to threaten me. I didn¡¯t want to lose to any Outer Demon, any human, any obnoxious True Vampire, even the greatest Vampires like Matriarch Innocence or Sirius.


    And most importantly¡­ I never want to feel that close to death ever again. That¡¯s why I needed to train, and if I had my loved ones with me¡­


    ¡°You know that I will follow you anywhere,¡± Lilith coquettishly replied. ¡°I have waited fifteen years for this. Do you think I will let you run away?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, then it¡¯s a promise then!¡± Iughed heartily. ¡°Once this war is over, I¡¯ll kick your brother¡¯s butt in the duel, and we¡¯ll leave the Moonreaver House with Irina. Of course, we will reunite with the other two as well!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lilith¡¯s joyous face quickly turned into a frown of scorn. She peered upwards and looked me in the eye.


    ¡°¡­ Must we get the other three as well?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? The other two hold two pieces of my soul! And Irina is already a member of our family! How can we just ignore them?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ I knew this would happen!¡± Lilith shook her head and spat out with a miffed expression. ¡°You¡¯re going to build a harem, aren¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡­ Was that not the n?


    Wait just a minute! I¡¯d thought that they were all rather friendly with each other! Lisa and Variel once confirmed to me that the four of them were all best of friends! So what¡¯s the problem? Besides, Vampires were rather epting of their rtionships, right? I¡¯d heard that the Matriarch had thousands of consorts, and even Irina¡¯s good-for-nothing brother had three wives!


    ¡°Listen here, you! While polygamy is epted in Vampiric society, all four of us are extremely possessive!¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    ¡°We want to monopolise you, Jin!¡± Lilith dered with a firm conviction. Her gorgeous vale eyes were flickering like the stars in the sky, and her face was as serious as can be.


    ¡°I want to monopolise you, Jin! I don¡¯t want the other girlsing near you! If possible, I would lock you up in the basement and never let the others get a whiff of you! And I¡¯m confident that the rest of them feel the same way! Have you ever wondered why Irina turned you and immediately rushed to get you back to the Everwinter Estate?!¡±


    H-Haha¡­ She had a point.


    I mean, if I were in their shoes, I would feel the same way. If Lilith wanted to get along with three other men besides me¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ll rip their heads out before they can touch her silken, white flesh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times we¡¯d fought in the past because we wished to monopolise you! You might not remember it now, but back in the day, we had to be separated by you whenever we fought! We can¡¯t even count how many times we tried to kill each other!¡±


    N-Now that she¡¯d mentioned it, I did have some memories of Irina and Lilith fighting in the past. However, I¡¯d always thought that it was y-fighting between sisters and that they were never serious. I¡¯d never thought that they would kill each other¡­


    ¡°In fact, if not for the fact that you were injured, I¡¯d bet that the four of us would be at each other¡¯s throat every single day!¡±


    ¡­ Was it that serious?


    Crap, how did those harem protagonists manage then? If there was constant conflict between the four women, does that mean that I have to protect them from themselves? Not Outer Demons or other Vampires?


    ¡°Come on, Lilith¡­ You know I have to get my soul back in shape, right?¡±


    ¡°I know that¡­¡±


    ¡°And the other two hold pieces of my soul!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no way I can abandon Irina, the same way I would never ever leave you alone again!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we should all get together and live peacefully!¡±


    At this point, all I got was pure silence. For the first time ever, Lilith looked at me as if I were a piece of trash. Well¡­ It¡¯s not that I couldn¡¯t understand. If your husband proposed that he should marry three other wives¡­ Yeah, any wife would be angry.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be mad!¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­ Why did I fall in love with such a fool?¡±


    Lilith snorted and promptly left my embrace, likely to find a space to calm her mind. And from the looks of it, the girl was seriously mad¡­


    Hah¡­ As much as I would love to train right now, let¡¯s look through the library again. Maybe I¡¯ll find a book that teaches me how to manage multiple wives¡­


    ???


    The Bloodborne Pce.


    Once the wealthiestnd in the seven continents. Thousands, if not millions, of people, once dreaded the mighty Bloodborne Pce. The Holy Church didn¡¯t dare to tread on thisnd. Other Vampires would have never thought to even step foot on this sacred territory.


    It was once the most ornate and luxurious pce anywhere on the globe. With riches that would make an oil baron cry in jealousy. Gold-ted halls with diamond statues. Rubies were engraved on every pir, and each chamber was outfitted with a red marble hall.


    It was once the holynd of the Vampires, but now¡­


    Much of the riches that decorated the pce was now missing. None of the gold, tinum or diamond statues remained, likely pawned or sold, leaving the hallspletely barren. The pce structure remained, but it just looked like a slightly more expensive storage facility without its decorations.


    That was the state of the once-mighty Bloodborne House.


    Deep in the throne hall, over a thousand Vampires knelt down facing an empty throne. Six red-hooded figures stood at the foot of the staircase leading to the throne and stared at the mighty army with a stare of conviction.


    ¡°My dear brothers and sisters!¡±


    One of the leaders took a step forward, and his booming voice resonated within the vast halls.


    ¡°We have suffered through the years. We were once the masters of the world, and look at us now!¡±


    Another one of the executives made his voice heard.


    ¡°Empty halls and barrennds. Even in our time of need, no onees to our aid!¡±


    The following hooded figure raised his arms wide and cried.


    ¡°And our throneys empty¡­¡±


    Once again, the leader pointed to the well-decorated, ruby throne that remained empty, even after thousands of years.


    ¡°The time hase! War is upon us! Today, we no longer hide in the shadows! We will no longer be suppressed by those weaker bloods! Today, we take back what is rightfully ours!¡±


    At that moment, a three-metre tall mahogany coffin appeared on the throne. Chains of blood sealed the massive casket, as numerous runes drawn with blood wereced all over the floor. Multiple live human bodies were presented, each one of them in a semi-conscious state.


    Red fluids dripped down from the open wounds, and they continued to empower the runes on the coffin. Bit by bit, an uneasy pressure started to form. Every Vampire within the room could feel it. Something was inside the casket, and that something was powerful enough to put fear in their veins.


    ¡°We have one goal in the Moonreaver Dimension! Our ancestor¡¯s severed arm! Those bastards are using our sacred relic, the flesh of our forefather, to power their home! Are you not angry?!¡±


    ¡°HURGH!!! HURGH!!! HURGH!!!¡±


    The army bellowed out inplete rage. They stared so deeply at the coffin that their eyes turned blood red, and their faces werepletely ashen.


    ¡°My brothers and sisters! Today is the day we take back what is rightfully ours! Today¡­¡±


    The leader stepped forward and pointed his sword at the portal that they¡¯d just summoned. It was one of the backdoors the Shadowfiend division had created when they first infiltrated the Moonreaver Dimension, and it was their ticket¡­ to their eventual goal.


    ¡°We wage war.¡±

 Chapter 57 Vampire Civil War (2)

    ¡°Miss! The Bloodborne House has begun their attack!¡±


    Lisa rushed into the private chambers of her mistress and caught the two of us in bed together. While we were still fully clothed and there was nothing but cuddling going on, it did feel like we were caught with our pants down. The butler blinked, not knowing what to do. On the one hand, she didn¡¯t want to ruin her mistress¡¯ happy time, but the situation seemed dire enough to throw any caution out the window.


    ¡°A-Ahem,¡± Lilith coughed as she separated from my embrace. ¡°Give us two minutes; we¡¯lle right out.¡±


    ¡°U-Understood!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but emit a dryugh. There was a reason why I was cuddling on Lilith¡¯s bed rather than training for the duel.


    After talking about our future ns and my ambition to live together with the four women, Lilith¡¯s mood started to turn sour. She wouldn¡¯t be as clingy as before, she didn¡¯t talk to me for a few hours at a time, and she had even asked to sleep in a separate bed.


    And as much as I wanted to train for the duel and possibly the battle that was about toe, I couldn¡¯t just leave our rtionship hanging on a thread.


    I thought long and hard about how I could mend the rtionship. Fortunately, I stumbled across a godly book that was written by a famous Vampire that lived centuries ago called Issei Seraglio. The book was called ¡®How to manage your Harem¡¯, and it was probably the holy scripture I needed the most now.


    Issei Seraglio had a harem of over a thousand women, and he had managed to keep them all happy until the day he died. A thousand women! Imagine that! I already had problems holding onto one, let alone a thousand.


    Therefore, I studied the sacred book far more extensively than any other paper I¡¯d worked on before. And the book¡¯s first verse clearly states that the most important thing to do to keep your women happy is to spend time with them.


    It sounded obvious, I know. But I¡¯ve been training every single day since I¡¯d gotten to the Moonreaver Dimension. Because of that, I¡¯ve neglected my precious development time with Lilith.


    Time can change emotions. So what if we had a good thing going from our childhood? So what if Lilith spent fifteen years yearning for me? All of that can change if I don¡¯t pay her any attention. And if Ibined the ¡®tricks¡¯ that Master Issei taught me¡­


    In the end, I¡¯d spent the past two days nurturing our rtionship. Both physically and emotionally. I¡¯d spent most of the time cuddling with her on the bed, talking about things that interested her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and forcing her face to flush red or her head to spin¡­


    All of these brought Lilith¡¯s love tanks back to where they should have been.


    After straightening out our clothes and making ourselves presentable, the two of us walked out of the room and waited for Lisa to report the situation.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°The Bloodborne House has begun their attack, you said?¡± Lilith brushed her blonde hair as her gaze turned colder by the second.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lisa eximed with an ashen look on her face. ¡°Those bastards had created backdoors in our realm! An army of a thousand True Vampires has infiltrated our Nightmare realm and are currently on the way to the Moonreaver Pce!¡±


    ¡°They sure act fast¡­¡±


    Lilith¡¯s voice turned t and silent; fiery wrath could be heard in her tone. Well, it was to be expected. As much as the Moonreaver House was domineering towards her, it was still the hometown that she¡¯d grown up in. She had a certain degree of attachment to the ce, and having someone invade greatly pissed her off.


    ¡°Should we go and help?¡± I asked in earnest. However, it wasn¡¯t Lilith who answered my question, but rather the young silver-haired butler that hade to report the situation.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve got orders to stay hidden,¡± Lisa continued with her exnation. ¡°Lord Sirius hasmanded the Young Miss to remain in her quarters and not participate in the battle. Furthermore¡­¡±


    Lisa bolted her eyes to the side, and as if on cue, a silver-haired young woman, who looked suspiciously like Lisa herself, emerged from seemingly nowhere. She wore afortable, breathable battlesuit fitted with metallic guards that protected her vitals. To the side of her waist, thereid a beautifully decorated rapier that seemed to be forged by the elven gods themselves. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I could ¡®smell¡¯ her thick Vampiric aroma, I might have misidentified her as an elusive, elven warrior.


    ¡°Young Miss, please remain here. I will protect you to the best of my abilities.¡±


    ¡°Lady Cape! What is an Asterias doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be on the battlefield?!¡±


    ¡°Lord Sirius has determined that the Bloodbornes might attempt to wreak havoc in the realm. And in the chaos, they might take the opportunity to strike at your person. For that reason, my battlefield is by your side.¡±


    ¡°¡­ That overprotective siscon!¡±


    Lilith spat in frustration, and I shared her sentiments. The Asterias were the Moonreaver House¡¯s best fighting force, each one of them standing at the apex of the Vampire world. In fact, Sirius was the leader of that elite unit. For him to send a member of the Asterias out of the main battlefield for his sister¡¯s sake, it waspletely an abuse of power.


    But well, I guess I had to thank that siscon this once. We were in the midst of battle, and no one really knew how things would go. If an ancient Vampire showed up to harm Lilith, there was little to nothing that I could do.


    And as if it were nned¡­<sub></sub>


    BOOOOMMM!!!


    A stunningly loud explosion shook the house, and a wave of magic power disrupted the peace and tranquillity of the Moonreaver Dimension. I stared to the South-East, which was where the heart of the Nightmare realm was.


    ¡°The battle had already begun¡­¡±


    We were hundreds of kilometres away from the central location of the Moonreaver Dimension, yet we could feel that devastating detonation. One could only imagine how powerful the Bloodborne forces were.


    And while I still couldn¡¯t quiteprehend why the Bloodborne House were so dead-set on invading the Moonreaver Dimension, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Hey, Lilith¡­ They said that we can¡¯t leave the premises, but they didn¡¯t say anything about defending against an enemy thates to us, right?¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry about it!¡±


    Lilith knew that I was keen to go into battle once again, and she was worried that I would do something stupid. However, there was no need for me to do anything at all.


    Why?


    Due to the five distinct presences that were rushing toward our location.


    ???


    The Moonreaver Pce. A safe haven for all members of the wealthy Moonreaver House. Due to it being turtled within the Moonreaver Dimension, it wasn¡¯t like the Everwinter Estate that had skirmishes with Outer Demons or other Vampire Houses that lived in the material world.


    It was peaceful.


    It was quite possibly the most peaceful ce in the entire Vampiric world. No Outer Demons, no Church Exorcists, no human Hunters, no Alpha Werewolves¡­ None of their enemies could ever hope to break into the Moonreaver Dimension to disrupt their eternal serenity.


    But s¡­ Today, that tranquillity was broken.


    Fires billowing with intense smoke erupted from many of the structures. Blood and screams could be heard in the vicinity as roars of battle raged on. Magic power wasced on top of the numerous natural disasters and deaths that urred on the ground, making it look like a scene straight from hell.


    But that didn¡¯t matter to the invaders of the realm. Their bloodthirst seemed to triple every time arade fell before their eyes, and the vast majority of them began tounch suicidal attacks. It felt like they had already decided on their graveyard.


    And so, even if they were to perish, they would die surrounded by the blood of their enemies.


    ¡°Ah¡­ What a blissful sight¡­¡±


    Floating high above the Moonreaver Pce, a red-haired woman nced down at the mayhem with a rosyplexion. Even though she was amid the bloodiest Vampiric war in centuries, the woman was dressed in scantily-d clothing. Her curvaceous body was showcased to any who wished to ogle, but there was barely anyone who had the mind to do so.


    After all, they were busy trying to survive this surprise attack that the Bloodborne House hadunched.


    ¡°How many years has it been since I¡¯ve seen such a river of blood? I have to thank those six children for nning this for me!¡±


    ¡°Your words are wasted on us,¡± a voice replied to the sultry woman¡¯s monologue, causing her to look down at her touch-screen watch. At that moment, a hologram of a red-robed figure appeared and respectfully addressed the woman.


    ¡°We are honoured that the Madam was willing toe out of her hibernation to help us in this matter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small issue,¡± the womanughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯ve slept for thousands of years. I¡¯ll just take this as a post-morning workout. Besides¡­¡±


    The red-haired woman looked down at the burning Moonreaver Pce, her eyes growing colder than the winters of the North: ¡°The Moonreaver ancestor was one that was loyal to our House. However, after he died on the battlefield with the Lord, theypletely turned coat. My Lord was a fool to entrust our future with these ingrates!¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right! Does a mere Moonreaver House think that they can usurp us at the top? They have another thinging!¡±


    The red-robed executive was ted to hear the woman¡¯s words. Truth to be told, they were unwilling to awaken this ancient existence just to participate in and lead this special operation. While she was unquestionably one of the final trump cards that the Bloodborne House possessed, the woman was just as unpredictable as she was powerful.


    It was like dropping a nuclear bomb. While it could annihte the enemy, she could also spread her destruction far beyond the targeted scope. Therefore, it was imperative to keep her in line.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve taken the first step, what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Madam, we will need you to keep their leader and elders busy for just an hour at most! Once we¡¯ve located the Progenitor¡¯s arm, we will immediately move to secure it!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just charge in and break everything down? If I go all out, we can even destroy this wretched Nightmare realm.¡±


    ¡°Please, refrain from doing so¡­¡±


    This was the exact situation that the executive feared. If they destroyed the Moonreaver Dimension, the Progenitor¡¯s arm would be gone for good! The executive was wracking his brains on how he could deter the woman from deviating from the n, but fortunately¡­


    ¡°Ah, speak of the devil!¡±


    The woman¡¯s ears perked up as three contrails of starlight arose from the Moonreaver Pce. Sure enough, Sirius Moonreaver hade to meet the woman as nned and along his side were two of his trusted generals. They held their weapons while desperately trying to contain their fury. Blood dripped from the palms of their hands, and not because they were injured, but because they wished to rip their invaders limb from limb.


    ¡°Fifth Consort of the Vampire Progenitor, Guinevere Bloodborne!¡±


    ¡°Oh? You recognise me?¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t?¡± Sirius snorted and red at the woman, not once tempted by her lustful appearance. She might look youthful, but the woman was easily five times Sirius¡¯ age.


    ¡°I¡¯d thought that all of the Consorts had passed on during that battle!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Not all of my sisters died!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Looks like we¡¯ve severely underestimated the Bloodborne House.¡±


    A wounded dragon was still a dragon. If Guinevere wasn¡¯t the only ancient Vampire still within the Bloodborne House, that spelt trouble for the Moonreaver House. While they had their own ancient monsters ready to fight, they didn¡¯t want to risk a full-on battle, especially against the Fifth Consort.


    All of the Progenitor¡¯s Consorts were powerhouses that lived to serve him. For Vampires, the Progenitor¡¯s blood was equivalent to that of a power serum, and just drinking it once could grant mystical powers beyond one¡¯s wildest imagination. Now imagine a woman that had slept by the Progenitor¡¯s side, drinking his blood as and when she desired.


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the Consorts were on par with some of the Guardian House¡¯s most powerful Elders.


    ¡°The Moonreaver House demands the Bloodborne House to cease all aggressive actions immediately!¡±


    ¡°The Bloodborne House rejects!¡± Guinevere immediately answered without even hearing the man¡¯s terms.


    ¡°We¡¯ve spent centuries, nay, millennia, biting our tongues while the Moonreaver House became increasingly prosperous. And instead of helping us like the servants you used to be, you went on and rejected all of our requests. You¡¯ve even used my Lord¡¯s relic to power your stupid home! Don¡¯t you think that the Bloodborne House should get its payment?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    There was no need to keep up the pretences anymore. Since the negotiations had broken down, the only way to decide the war¡­ was with force.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ Aren¡¯t you a little young to face me inbat?¡±


    ¡°You will live to regret those words.¡±


    ¡°Me? Regret? HAHAHA!!! How interesting!¡±


    Guinevere¡¯s body started to glow red as her magic power torrented out from her body. At first blush, it seemed like she¡¯d lost control of herself, but the tempest of magic power continued to grow without hurting her and instead suppressed the enemies that dared to aim at her.


    That torrent of energy sent a dense pressure upon Sirius and the two Elders with him. It felt like they were facing a mountain that couldn¡¯t be moved, even though it wasing from a woman that was less than 1.7 metres in height.


    With a wave of her hand, Guinevere gathered magic energy into her right hand and winked in a flirtatious manner.


    ¡°Boy¡­ Let¡¯s have some fun!!!¡±

 Chapter 58 They Really Came! (1)

    Five auras rushed right towards Lilith¡¯s residence, wholly ignoring the carnage and chaos that was falling all around them. Even without seeing their faces, I could tell that the people that were arriving were far from friendly. Not to mention, judging by the indentations in the fabric of Space, these five enemies were anything but small fries.


    ¡°Looks like we havepany,¡± I remarked casually and almost instantly; the Asterias sent by Sirius bounced into action.


    The silver-haired Vampire knight drew her rapier and gave it a swift swing. As if on call, fifteen figures rushed into the building, each one of them dressed in the same armoured battlesuit as the fiercedy. Evidently, the Asterias didn¡¯te to protect Lilith all alone. She had brought her entire elite squad to back her up.


    Good god, just how overprotective was Sirius? No wonder he stabbed me without any warning the moment he saw me getting close to his sister.


    ¡°Secure the perimeter,¡± Capemanded with a sharp tone. ¡°Protect the Young Miss with everything that you have. Make sure that not a single hair is harmed on her body, else¡­¡±


    There wasn¡¯t any need for the woman to breathe another word. The fifteen True Vampires, who all seemed to have more magic power than me, instantly bowed down and shouted in unison: ¡°We hear and obey!¡±


    Cape nodded in satisfaction before turning to Lilith, who still had her arms wrapped around mine, and said: ¡°Young Miss, please stay here and follow my subordinates¡¯ instructions. Please don¡¯t be afraid! We will keep you safe no matter what!¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Lilith naturally epted Cape¡¯s gracious offer. No matter how angry she was at her brother for being overprotective or harming me for no apparent reason, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to push away an Asterias for her own ego.


    ¡°Lisa,¡± Before the silver-haired woman left to meet her foes, she stopped right before Lilith¡¯s butler and pinched her cheeks. ¡°Look at your thin face! You¡¯ve barely trained since west met!¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Sister Lissandra¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I knew that you¡¯d been cking off, but this is too much! How will you inherit the Cape title in the future?!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    Oh? As expected, these two beautiful silver-haireddies were rted. Well, I kind of expected it just byparing their facial features, but with Vampires, you can never know.


    ¡°A thousand sessions,¡± Cape snorted as the grip on her fingers tightened. ¡°Once this crisis is over, I¡¯ll personally request Lord Sirius to give you a leave of absence so that I can train you personally! Hmph, with your frail body, you¡¯re going to be a liability to the Young Miss!¡±


    ¡°Sis-¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me!¡±


    The Asterias flicked her free hand and reached into her dimensional pocket. It was a speciality move of the Moonreavers where they ced items into a small storage dimension, simr to what gamers would call an item pouch. Funny story, when I first created a pocket dimension, Lilith¡¯s jaw dropped so wide that I was tempted to close it with my own mouth. But I digress.


    ¡°Here, take this armour set. It¡¯ll protect you from harm. Also, don¡¯t be a hero and put your life on the line. If something were to happen, you run away immediately! Do you understand?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡±


    One by one, Cape pulled out a myriad of armour pieces. From a knight¡¯snky helmet to sevenyers of chainmail, steel pauldrons and a hefty chest te. If Lisa were to wear it all, she would be as decked as a knight from medieval times. No, she might be even more armoured than every modern tankbined.


    Ah¡­ I see now¡­


    Sirius Moonreaver wasn¡¯t the only siscon in this Vampire House. Perhaps, it was a personality trait of the Moonreavers to be overly protective of their siblings?


    Unfortunately, my train of thought could only end there as the five presences became more and more prominent. It seems that they would arrive within a minute if nothing blocked their path. Therefore, Cape left her sister, who was flushed with white steam rising out from her crown, and went out to face the enemy.


    ¡°Hey, Lilith. Can I watch the battle?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you nning to go out?¡±


    ¡°Haha, not yet!¡±


    Although it was a tempting offer, I wished to see what the fabled Asterias could do first. If the Moonreaver Dimension survives this cmity, my duel with Sirius Moonreaver would proceed as nned. And while Cape might not be on the same level as the strongest elite in the Moonreaver House, she could serve as a good starting gauge.


    ¡°Hmmm? If you¡¯re not nning to go out, how are you going to watch the battle?¡±


    ¡°Haha, quite simple, actually!¡±


    Magic power flowed into my hand, summoning out my Soul Armament in the process. A radiant rainbow light beamed from the ring on my thumb, and almost instantly, sixteen floating ¡®eyeballs¡¯ were created. I linked the floating eyes together through my soul and sent them flying out from the fortified mansion. Once they were outside, I created threerge televisions and projected all of the images that the eyes saw onto the two screens on the side.


    However, the main screen in the middle was left empty until I saw a clear image of Cape facing the direction of the enemy. Like a producer of a live sporting event, I projected the camera angle I wanted onto the main screen, giving us a full view of everything outside.


    Naturally, Cape frowned when she saw so many eyeballs floating around her, but she quickly realised that I was their maniptor. Seeing that it wouldn¡¯t hinder her battle and could potentially act as a means for Lilith to see the danger first-hand, the Asterias didn¡¯t destroy my makeshift live production and focused all of her attention on the enemies that were about to appear at any moment.


    ¡°¡­ You can even do that with your Creation magic? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Even when I¡¯m in the bathroom¡­¡±


    Lilith gulped and shot me an incredulous look. Haha, even when you¡¯re shocked, you look adorable! A-Ahem, I shouldn¡¯t be distracted now, especially when the enemy is upon us. shing a brilliant smile, I gave the girl a simple wink and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    I ignored how Lilith¡¯s pure white skinpletely turned red and watched as Cape Moonreaver bravely waited for the five distinct auras to reach our location.


    ???


    Cape Moonreaver. One of the seven Asterias of the Moonreaver House. Cape was one of the few elites that grew up with Sirius from a young age. However, just because she was close to the current Lord of the Moonreaver n, it didn¡¯t mean that she became an Asterias through underhanded methods. She won the right to be called ¡®Cape¡¯ far and square.


    When she was Lissandra Moonreaver, the young Vampire fought in countless battles, charging into hopeless fights and somehow making it out alive. Even though she was barely a thousand years old, the wealth of battle experience she umted far surpassed many ancient Vampires. Heck, she might even be more experienced than Sirius, given that he inherited the Lord¡¯s position at such a tender age.


    Furthermore, now that she was Cape Moonreaver, the Vampire knight had one more trump card up her sleeve.


    The Stargazer Rapier.


    Every member of the Asterias inherited a Mythical weapon, one that holds the powers of their predecessors. When a person fights an Asterias, they don¡¯t just fight one person. They fight all of the elite generations of True Vampires that held the Mythical weapon.


    Which was why even though five elite Bloodbornes were staring her down, Cape Moonreaver felt no fear.


    Watching behind the safety of his makeshift live production, Jin instantly recognised four of the Bloodborne members. They were the same Shadowfiend squad that invaded the Moonreaver Dimension a few days back. However, there was one foreign man that stood in front of all of them and based on their humble actions, he was unquestionably above them in the hierarchy.


    ¡°Horatio Bloodborne. To think they sent a member from the Royal Bloodline to kidnap the Young Miss.¡±


    The suave young man smiled in response to Cape¡¯s words. Donned in a rich red and golden garb, the man didn¡¯t seem to be a participant in the war. Rather, it felt like he was a wealthy scion who had juste out for ate-night stroll and just stumbled upon this area. Sweeping his rich ck hair backwards, the man answered with a sweet voice:


    ¡°The current generation¡¯s Moonreaver Lord is infamous for his sisterplex, after all. They knew that he would protect his sister with some heavy firepower. And well, their prediction turned out to be correct.¡±


    Cape frowned as she watched Horatio Bloodborne¡¯s friendly appearance. The man might look like he was in his early twenties, but he was far from a young sprout. Aged over four thousand years old, the ck-haired man was a bona fide direct descendant of the Vampire Progenitor. Or to be more precise, Horatio Bloodborne was the grandson of the Vampire Ancestor himself.


    At this point, even Cape couldn¡¯t help but be confused. It was one thing for the Bloodborne House to initiate a war out of the blue. However, sending the grandson of the Vampire Progenitor to kidnap a mere twenty-five-year-old girl was well beyond the scope of their war.


    Wasn¡¯t their whole aim to capture the lost arm of the Progenitor? Why were they sending such a strong force here then? Yes, Lilith was a valuable asset to the Moonreaver House and was well-established as its future heir. However, to the Bloodborne House, the girl was effectively useless. Unless¡­


    ¡°What is the Bloodborne House¡¯s n exactly?¡±


    ¡°Haha, if we tell you, wouldn¡¯t that just spoil the fun?¡±


    Horatioughed with his impable, porcin face shifting up and down. Such perfection was criminal for a woman, let alone a man. However, that was the miracle that was the blood of the Progenitor. Those that possessed or even drank his blood in the past, were certain to be the peak of human perfection. Furthermore, their powers were enhanced to an iprehensible state, which gave them the ability to suppress ny-nine percent of all True Vampires.


    s, Cape wasn¡¯t part of the ny-nine percent.


    Brandishing her rapier, the female knight pointed its tip at the five enemies. Cape¡¯s face showed no fear, even as the innate power of the Bloodborne House was putting pressure on her body. With a voice as cold as steel, the Asterias issued her only and final warning:


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter what your n is. Leave now, and I might spare your lives.¡±


    Horatio looked down at the haughty knight, who was filled to the brim of confidence. At this point, he couldn¡¯t hold his gentlemanly demeanour any longer. His perfect face turned into a creepy smile, showing all of the whites in his teeth. And with a bloodthirstyugh, the man bit his tongue and said:


    ¡°Cape Moonreaver! Let¡¯s dance, shall we?!¡±

 Chapter 59 They Really Came! (2)

    Cape didn¡¯t answer Horatio¡¯s provocation with words; rather, she let her sword do the talking. She swung her rapier as if it weighed nothing, and a swift gush of wind pressure rushed out from its tip. The five Bloodbornes immediately dispersed, with only Horatio remaining to take on the attack. He raised his left hand, and like the waves on the beach mming against a breakwater, the wind sh turned into nothingness.


    The beautiful man¡¯s clothes weren¡¯t even stained by Cape¡¯s ¡®wee¡¯ attack, and he looked just as pristine as he first came. However, the man¡¯s eyes clearly didn¡¯t show the same steadiness. Horatio muttered under his breath as an order was given out to his subordinates:


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep herpany. Goplete your mission.¡±


    ¡°We hear and obey!¡±


    The Shadowfiends instantly dispersed and rushed past the female knight who stood in their way. Well, at least, that was what they nned to do. Before they could hope to touch our windows, Cape¡¯s body seemed to turn blurry as a tremendous amount of magic power was being emitted. Without any warning, six silhouettes burst forth from the silver-haired maiden¡¯s position, and they all raced to stop the four Shadowfiends.


    Everything happened so fast that I wasn¡¯t able to make out what Cape did at the moment. However, after a few seconds and when the dust began to settle, I could clearly make out the faces of the six new entrants into the battle.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Cape, or should I say, clones of Cape, stood steadfast against the Bloodborne warriors. It was uncanny how simr the clones resembled their creator. They had the same face, same body structure, same voice, same auras, and even the same amount of magic power! From all the books that I¡¯d read, I¡¯d never heard of such a perfect clone technique, let alone see it in action.


    ¡°Mirror Clone,¡± Lilith said decisively. ¡°One of the signature abilities of the Cape Asterias. Using the Stargazer Rapier, they can utilise dimensional magic to create a near-perfect clone of themselves. However¡­¡±


    Lilith continued to look at the many clones that Cape had created as she was unable to hide the awe that sparkled in her eyes.


    ¡°ording to the historical text, the previous Cape could only make up to three clones¡­ To think that she doubled that number¡­¡±


    Evidently, the power of the Asterias system was showing. Each Asterias was bestowed a Mythic Weapon, and each weapon held a record from every single Asterias who wielded it. In theory, that meant that the next generation of Asterias would always surpass the previous ones. And given that Cape was showing off, her ability proved just that.<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Usually, one would think twice when an apex predator was standing in your way. However, the four Shadowfiends were determined toplete their mission. In particr, the familiar Bloodborne who coagted a crimson Blood Katana out of nowhere. He brandished his sword, ready to force his way through even if he had to give his life away. But fortunately for him¡­


    BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!


    The Mirror Clones were targeted by numerous balls of me, which all exploded right in front of their faces. However, beingplete replicas of Cape Moonreaver, they all had the instinct to dodge away from the deadly explosions.


    The original Cape opened her eyes wide and immediately shot a deadly look at the person responsible for stopping her clones. Horatio Bloodborne absorbed her hatred with a refreshing smile as he ced his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Your enemy is me. Leave my juniors alone, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Cape didn¡¯t breathe a word in response. Horatio Bloodborne was a member of the former Vampire Royal Family, and even though the Bloodborne House had lost its status, it didn¡¯t affect his battle power one bit. If anything, the man must have increased hisbat prowess exponentially after the fall of the Bloodborne House.


    And those explosions were proof of his increased abilities.


    ¡°Bloodfire explosions!!!¡±


    I could recognise that distinct red-hue anywhere, particrly since I was targeted by that deadly fire not many days back.<sub></sub>


    There was a reason why the Bloodborne House remainedrgely untouched by all Vampires even though they had fallen from grace. Their innate ability to suppress all Vampires was a troublesome one to deal with. Not only that, many of them could use their blood as weapons, such as creating Blood Katanas or generating their signature Bloodfire.


    All of those powers were weaknesses that most Vampires couldn¡¯t ignore, even if they were thousands of years old and had amplebat experience.


    Cape didn¡¯t mean to underestimate Horatio, but she really didn¡¯t want any of her enemies to step foot into Lilith¡¯s mansion. Protecting the future heir of the Moonreaver House was one thing, but there was one other person she wished to shield from all danger. But before she could get her clones to stop the Shadowfiends once more, Horatio made his move.


    ¡°Are you sure you have the luxury to look away?¡±


    Horatio¡¯s disgustingly beautiful face curled into a vicious smile. He spread his arms wide and from within his sleeves. Thousands of ruby butterflies pped their wings and spread throughout the mansion. Each one of the flying insects fluttered at supersonic rates, making them seem like an army of wasps that was ready to defend their hive.


    ¡°Blood Butterflies¡­ So that¡¯s how you created those explosions.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of my reputation?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ The Prince of Flies.¡±


    ¡°Heh, now that¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard in a long time¡­¡±


    Horatio¡¯s face showed a mix of emotions. Mainly, pride that his reputation still lived on even in the new generation and glee that he could finally bring his beloved butterflies into battle once again.


    ¡°Now, do you think that you can stop the Prince of Flies with half a mind? Or would you still continue with your stubbornness?¡±


    Evidently, the Bloodborne Prince wanted Cape¡¯s full attention. I wasn¡¯t a mind reader, but if I were to guess, he wished tomit to a true one-on-one battle, given that it had been so long since he¡¯d emerged. Or maybe, he was just interested in seeing how powerful the modern Moonreaver Asterias were? I couldn¡¯t tell.


    Either way, he finally got Cape¡¯s undivided attention. She didn¡¯t show her back anymore and never once turned her head to look at the mansion. And then, with a booming voice, shemanded:


    ¡°Luce Sterum! Hear my orders! Defend the house with your lives! Do not let a single intruder anywhere near the Young Miss and Lisa!¡±


    ¡°We hear and obey!!!¡±


    Almost instantly, eight figures emerged from the mansion with their swords unsheathed and their magic power raised. They mmed their feet firmly on the ground in front of the four Shadowfiends and pointed their des right at their heads as if they were ready to slice them off clean without any warning.


    Eight versus four. It was an unfair advantage, but Cape wasn¡¯t going to leave anything to chance. It was only after confirming that the enemies past her were tied down that Cape finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Hoh? You brought back up?¡±


    ¡°An Asterias never travels alone, don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to improvise.¡± Horatio Bloodborne sighed, but his happy smile never left his face. Instead, he nced over at Cape, summoning many more butterflies in the process. ¡°I wanted to take my time and slowly savour my first fight in nine centuries, but I¡¯m on a tight schedule, you see? We can¡¯t let our objective run away that easily.¡±


    ¡°No need to run,¡± Cape snorted. ¡°This ce will be your graveyard.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Overconfidence is a sin, child.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see who is really overconfident!¡±


    Cape sneered at Horatio¡¯s words before finally charging into battle. The six clones stood in a diamond formation all around her, and they each executed a devastating attack. Starlight gathered upon their des, and with a resplendent gush of power, they turned into a deadly beam that destroyed half of the Blood Butterflies flying all about.


    ¡°Hoho, I¡¯m impressed. The Cape two thousand years ago couldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    However, rather than shock, the Bloodborne Prince marvelled at Cape¡¯s attack. He danced in the air as if gravity was a lie, and each step he took sent a ripple in the fabric of space. Blood dripped down from many of the ripples and created even more Blood Butterflies. The speed at which he created those beautiful monstrosities seemingly doubled, and before long, the image of the artificial Blood Moon was covered by a sky of ruby butterflies.


    At this point, even Lilith gulped in fear. We¡¯d seen how one Blood Butterfly could create Bloodfire that even threatened Cape. Now imagine if all of those butterflies were to explode at once¡­


    Fortunately, there was no way our protector would allow for such a thing to happen. Cape pointed her fingers and sent one of her clones to the sky, diving into the tsunami of ruby butterflies. However, before she could take the full wrath of Horatio¡¯s Bloodfire, a strange scene ensued. The world distorted as if a rip in reality had been formed, and the sky full of insects vanished into thin air.


    For the first time since arriving, Horatio¡¯s smile froze. He was still calm, but the expression that the Prince of Flies had was far from steady. Horatio dropped his chin down and saw Cape, who was wearing a triumphant smile.


    ¡°¡­ Your sister¡¯s control over her dimensional magic is insane,¡± Lilith turned to her attendant and remarked with twitching lips. ¡°Even I can¡¯t move that many things away with such ease.¡±


    ¡°What did she do, Lilith?¡±


    ¡°Nothingplicated,¡± the blonde beauty said impassively, but the turmoil in her voice was hardly calm. ¡°She just created a new dimension, used her Mirror Clone as a transfer point, and warped everything within its radius into that dimension.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    The process seemed simple enough, but the execution waspletely off the charts. Just by the awe in Lilith¡¯s voice, I knew that Cape¡¯s feat was technically impossible to pull off. Not only that, Cape didn¡¯t seem to break a sweat when warping over a million butterflies away.


    And this was just one of Sirius¡¯ subordinates? Just how powerful was the man himself?


    I shook my head and pushed those irrelevant thoughts away. The main reason why I wanted to watch Cape¡¯s fight was to learn something. There was no point in getting intimidated. If I wanted to win the duel, I should absorb as much knowledge as I could.


    But before I could divert my attention back to the fight between the two superpowers, one of the eyes I¡¯d created caught sight of a terrifying scene. The four Shadowfiends, who were supposed to be outnumbered and outmatched, were making significant grounds with their march.


    No, the three Shadowfiends were easily suppressed by Cape¡¯s subordinates. Although they were exceedingly powerful, the Luce Sterum squad was equally as strong. The main problem was the man leading the charge.


    Talon Bloodborne. That was the name of the Shadowfiend wielding the Blood Katana. I didn¡¯t know it at the time, but the man was a famous figure amongst the Bloodbornes. Being from the same generation as Sirius, the man could be considered an elite amongst elites. I¡¯d heard that there were a few times where the two had actually crossed swords before.


    And facing such a monster, it made sense that Cape¡¯s troops fell short.


    Even I¡­


    ¡°Lilith¡­ You don¡¯t mind if I join that battle, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you have a death wish?¡±


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t ce myself in danger!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I simply smiled as I pointed my finger to the screen before our eyes. Magic wasn¡¯t limited by distance, and neither was it restricted by whether I had to be physically present or not. As long as I could ¡®see¡¯ my opponent, I could fight them.


    I stared at the man with the Blood Katana, who had easily pushed back his two attackers and was about to reach within ten metres of our mansion¡¯s door. Sneering, I said:


    ¡°I have a score to settle with that asshole.¡±

 Chapter 60 They Really Came! (3)

    Talon Bloodborne. One of the few True Vampires ever selected to lead a Shadowfiend squad, one of the most prestigious and renowned elite forces within the mighty Bloodborne House. Unlike most Bloodbornes, he wasn¡¯t someone from the direct lineage or a descendant from a High Elder. Talon¡¯s parents were low-ranking True Vampires who simply lived to serve the Royal Bloodline.


    However, Talon wasn¡¯t one to leave his life to fate. He worked harder than everyone else, breaking through the barriers of Blood and ultimately climbing to the very top of the Bloodborne House.


    And his results showed.


    Since he¡¯d taken the Shadowfiend squad leader position, Talon had never failed a mission. Even when the entire Bloodborne House was declining, his personal power continued to rise. It didn¡¯t take long for the Elders to realise his sess and propel his meteoric rise to the top. Eventually, Talon was even given the most crucial mission the Bloodborne House had decreed over a thousand years. He was to infiltrate the Moonreaver Dimension.


    In the beginning, his mission went swimmingly well. Over nine-tenths of the Dimension had been mapped, and not a single Moonreaver had even thought that something was amiss. Talon was on track to maintain his perfect record, and should he seed, a promotion was practically written in the books.


    s, at the most critical juncture, he failed.


    No, he didn¡¯t fail. His mission was foiled by an unknown actor. Some random Vampire who wasn¡¯t even part of the Moonreaver House managed to locate his presence and alerted the ignorant Moonreavers of his infiltration. The worst part was that the man was capable of holding his entire squad down, albeit for a few minutes.


    Talon hadn¡¯t faced such humiliation in over a hundred years!


    Because of that one man, the Bloodborne House¡¯s meticulous thousand-year n had to be rushed during the final stages, increasing the chance of failure by a few percentage points.


    Naturally, the elders of the Bloodborne House were livid! But they couldn¡¯t just imprison Talon or punish him too severely, especially since they needed all the manpower they could get. In the end, he was given one chance to redeem himself.


    While the main force of the Bloodborne House would be congregated at the Moonreaver Pce, Talon would lead his team to kidnap Lilith Moonreaver to use as a bargaining chip should their ns go wrong. The elders had even ced Horatio Bloodborne, a true member of the Royal Lineage, to supervise the operation.


    It was Talon¡¯s final chance to climb up the ranks. However, the man had another objective as well. Talon had a personal vendetta against the man who foiled his ns, the man who ruined the Bloodborne House¡¯s thousand years of nning and the man whom he lost to.


    And as Talon watched the meteorites fall upon his body while Space around him contracted, he couldn¡¯t stop his Blood Katana from trembling.<sub>-.</sub>


    Was it fear?


    Of course not!


    Talon was ecstatic. He was thrilled that the one person he sought to meet just happened to be right next to his objective. With an agonising roar, Talon shed his Blood Katana and destroyed all of the meteorites that fell his way. His pale whiteplexion flushed red, and his bloodthirst rose through the roof. And with the happiest face he¡¯d ever put on, Talon smiled at the mansion with yearning eyes.


    ???


    ¡°What a monster¡­¡±


    I sighed heavily while watching the Blood Katana effortlessly dispatch my attacks. Although I¡¯d expected him to be strong, I didn¡¯t think he could brush off my meteors as if they were mere flies. As expected, if I wished to stop him in his tracks, something drastic was needed.


    I raised my thumb, sending a wave of magic power flowing towards the Ring of Creation. Luminescent rainbow light beamed out from the ring as I struggled topose the idea in my mind into reality. The image of a young man started to form right before my eyes. I started from the top of his head and loosely replicated his facial features. At the same time, I ensured that all of the biologicalponents were in ce. Well¡­ Excluding the vulnerable area at the crotch. After all, it didn¡¯t need to have that thing in the battle toe. Before long, a fully moulded clone, one that looked ny-percent simr to me, stood before our eyes.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Did you just copy Cape¡¯s Mirror Clone?¡±


    Lilith cautiously asked, her eyes betraying the shock thaty within her mind.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s far from perfect.¡±


    I sighed in response. Even with my Creation Magic, it would take more than a few minutes topletely replicate one of the Asterias¡¯ core magic. At the moment, I could only create a clone that was ny percent simr to me and at the same time, it couldn¡¯t move independently. If I wished to control this clone, I had to transfer my consciousness into it and even then, I might suffer some bacsh.


    Still, it was better than risking my actual body in battle.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and hold him off. You protect my real body, alright?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me fight him?¡± Lilith protested, her voice going as dark as the deepest dungeons. If she was given the opportunity, the girl would have rushed out into danger, ignoring the fact that the Shadowfiends were actually after her.


    ¡°How can I let you face danger?¡± I smiled in response.


    In a yful manner, I pulled Lilith¡¯s waist close to mine and leaned in for a kiss. My tongue invaded the blonde beauty¡¯s soft lips, and I jokingly bit her lower lip. Evidently, Lilith wasn¡¯t ready for my attack, and she pushed herself away. After enjoying our kiss for ten seconds, of course.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?!¡±


    Haha, she left out the ¡®in front of all these people.¡¯ Lilith wasn¡¯t shy about our kiss at all. What she was apprehensive about were the reactions of her guards and personal attendant.


    I smiled and said nothing. It was one of the holy excerpts from ¡®How to train your harem.¡¯ Whenever in doubt, kiss yourdy. It may not resolve the issue, but it would at least improve her mood.


    ¡°The Shadowfiends are after you, silly. If you go out, we will just be ying into their hands.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay here, okay?¡± I lovingly caressed her head and led her to the sofa. After forcing her to sit down, Iid my head on her soft, plump thighs and indulged in the sweet feeling of Lilith¡¯sp pillow. ¡°Protect my real body. That way, I can fight with no restraints.¡±


    ¡°You sweet talker¡­¡±


    With Lilith now calm and collected, I closed my eyes and entered into a dreamlike trance as my consciousness faded from one ce to another.


    ???


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally appeared¡­¡±


    Talon bared his teeth at the young man who walked out of the mansion. Dressed in a ck button-down shirt and denim jeans, the man didn¡¯t seem like he was ready for battle. Rather, it seemed like he was merely out for a date with his girlfriend. However, Talon didn¡¯t dare underestimate this man for one second.


    That young man was the reason why Talon failed his mission and tarnished his perfect record. Using his weird ability to lock down Space and his array of other magic spells, that man was quite possibly the most dangerous person within the Moonreaver Dimension. Talon didn¡¯t know how deep the man¡¯s arsenal was, but his unpredictability was what made him dangerous.


    Which was why¡­


    Before the man could gather himself, Talonunched a full-speed attack. There was no need for excessive words. As long as he beheaded his enemy, he would win.


    Jin, or to be precise, Jin¡¯s clone, instantly moved his body to the side, all while locking down the Space around him. An immense pressure fell on Talon, forcing his Blood Katana to move waywardly. In the end, the crimson de was unable to meet its target and was deflected to the ground next to Jin.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jin frowned and instantly leapt a dozen metres away. He¡¯d faced the man once and knew the extreme speed that he could get to. If he let his mind wander for just one millisecond, his clone would be sliced in half without a chance to retaliate.


    Therefore, Jin knew that he had to y it smart.


    Raising his arm, the middle ring started to glow with an azure hue. At that moment, the world seemed to lock in on the Shadowfiend¡¯s body. An invisible pressure once again mounted on Talon, slowing him down by a few percentage points. However, being the seasoned veteran that he was, Talon expected to be hindered.


    Dashing faster than the speed of sound, he swung his Blood Katana at Jin¡¯s neck, hoping to decapitate him in one shot. However, the moment his de was about to ignite with Bloodfire, Jin smirked, giving Talon an awkward sense of dread. His instincts were screaming at him to abort the attack, and so, at thest moment, the Shadowfiend leapt back while leaving a deep imprint on the floor.


    ¡®¡­ What was that?¡¯


    Talon gulped while wiping the sweat that fell from his forehead. It had been a long time since he¡¯d ever retracted an attack. Jin smiled sweetly in front of him as if nothing had ever happened. There was no sign of magic being invoked, and neither were there any visible traps. But, deep down, Talon¡¯s instincts were screaming that if he extended his attack, something terrible was bound to happen.


    However, that feeling dissipated just as quickly as it arrived, like an ephemeral me that only flickered once in a thousand moons.


    Seeing that Talon was distracted, Cape¡¯s subordinates once again pounced on this opportunity. Jin knew his ce, and he wasn¡¯t going to fight one-on-one with the thousand-year-old monster just yet. And so, he watched intently as the knights attacked Talon, ready to render his assistance at any moment.


    Agitated, the Shadowfiend leader swung his Blood Katana in a circr arc, creating an oval of Bloodfire which expanded like a doughnut rising. That dispatched the two Luce Sterum with ease. Once again, he red Jin down and contemted his next move.


    ¡®Something¡¯s off¡­ If I approached just now, I was certain my life would be in danger¡­ But I can¡¯t tell what¡­¡¯


    This was a first for Talon. Usually, his danger sense would tick whenever something that could threaten his life presented itself. For instance, if he faced Sirius Stardevourer or if there was an attack filled with the power of the Sun. However, Jin presented to him an unseen danger, one that he couldn¡¯t quiteprehend.


    Jin took advantage of the time when Talon was confused and raised his right arm. Once again, the Ring of Creation shone ever so brightly, and three lightning lion beasts appeared beside the young ck-haired Vampire. Like the Chinese Guardian Lions of mythology, the three yellow beasts roared and struck forward at blinding speeds in an attempt to protect their master.


    Talon was still wary about the feeling he¡¯d got, and so he maintained his distance while shing at the lightning beasts. Each time he struck, the lightning beasts would dissipate momentarily beforeing back again to attack.


    ¡®Whatever, I¡¯ll attack from a distance.¡¯


    Talon raised his Blood Katana up high and swung with all his might. Blood sttered out from his ruby de and ignited instantly, creating a wall of Bloodfire that couldn¡¯t be extinguished. The lightning beasts, being inferior creatures, could only yelp in agony as they were burnt down by the superior magic.


    Then, an awkward dance of the minds urred between Jin and the Shadowfiend leader.


    Jin continually shot magic at Talon, be it in the form of lightning beasts or water dragons. At the same time, Talon shot out wave after wave of Bloodfire, attempting to take out the mysterious youth from afar.


    This dance continued on for a full minute, where neither side showed their trump card and was just sizing each other up. However, in battle, one person had to cave.


    And this time¡­


    Jin won the trade.


    ¡°Bleurgh!!!¡±


    All of a sudden, Talon went on one knee as a mouthful of coagted red blood was ejected from his stomach. His mind started to go hazy, and his world had turned crimson red. With a mind full of shock, he thought:


    ¡®What happened? None of his attacks hit me!¡¯


    Talon was instantly confused. The battle of attrition resulted in a stalemate. No, if anything, Talon was winning the exchanges by shooting down all of Jin¡¯s magic. So why was he the one kneeling on the floor?


    The Shadowfiend leader instantly looked inward, hoping to find some traces of what urred. And almost immediately, he discovered that a foreign substance had entered his bloodstream. And judging from the effects¡­


    ¡®Poison?! Since when?!¡¯


    Talon turned his gaze upwards and saw Jin¡¯s handsome face looking down at him. The eyes that seemed somewhat human quickly turned far redder than the blood that flowed through his veins. And more terrifyingly¡­


    That damned fucking smile.


    Even if he didn¡¯t have poison breaking down his body, Talon would have vomited blood anyway as he saw Jin¡¯s triumphant smile that was stered all over his uncharacteristically handsome face.

 Chapter 61 Bloodborne Vs Moonreaver (1)

    HAHAHA!!! He took the bait!


    I couldn¡¯t control my smile as I watched Talon Bloodborne copse on the floor. His face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. Each time he purged a mouthful of blood, I could hear his heart beating faster and his organs failing. I¡¯d never thought that my n would work so perfectly.


    My gamble worked out perfectly! Even though my Creation Magic was powerful, there were its limitations. For instance, I couldn¡¯t just ¡®create¡¯ a bomb inside of his brain and detonate it remotely. My magic power wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough to overwrite theposition of his body. Therefore, I had to get creative. I could tell he was wary of my ability to stop time, and consequently, he kept his distance while he attacked from afar.


    Using Talon¡¯s apprehension to my advantage, I ¡®changed¡¯ the air around him into a deadly poison that I¡¯ve seen which was harmful even to the regenerative Vampires. Every time Iunched a spell at him, I secretly changed thepounds in the air with my Creation Magic, slowly poisoning him with invisible gas.


    In the end, Talon didn¡¯t even notice that he had inhaled a fatal dosage. He struggled to stay awake as the poison invaded every part of his body, gradually ripping his life away. If everything went well, the man would pass into the afterlife in two or three minutes. However, I didn¡¯t want to leave it to chance.


    I locked the Space that surrounded the Shadowfiend leader and created several sharpened steel swords. Without even giving him a chance to think, I willed the des into the sky, and like an executioner releasing the guillotine, I aimed all of those swords at his neck.


    Vampires could only die once they were decapitated. It didn¡¯t matter if they were a Blood Servant or the direct descendant of the Vampire Progenitor. So long as their heads were severed, their regenerative factor would cease to exist. Which was why I used everything that I had in the tiny space between the tip of his nape to the base of his neck.


    s¡­


    Brvvvvttt!!!


    Before my steel swords could send Talon to the River Styx, his entire body ignited into a ze of ruby me. Smoke escaped from each of his pores as he turned into the incarnation of the me Giant Sutr himself. Burning like a ming torch, the Bloodfire melted the swords before they could do any form of damage, and gave the Shadowfiend leader ayer of protection that I couldn¡¯t prate.


    Fuck! I knew that it couldn¡¯t be that easy! To think that he could engulf himself in pure Bloodfire without harming his body¡­ No, he should be feeling the agony of being burnt alive. However, by burning away all of the toxins in his body, the fabled Bloodborne¡¯s regenerative factor could finally do its work, out-healing the damage that the fire was dealing to him.


    After a full minute of recovery, the man grabbed his knees and started to pant like a marathon runner who had justpleted the feat of his lifetime.<sub>-.</sub>


    He recovered from that? What a fucking monster.


    ¡°You bastard¡­¡±


    Talon raised his face, shooting me a re with bloodshot eyes resembling a terminally-ill patient high on drugs. Grabbing onto his Blood Katana, the Bloodborne elite raised his magic power, reaching a level that I couldn¡¯t reach with my current, young body. The magic power in the air somehow made my skin crawl, and the worst part of it was¡­ Talon¡¯s Bloodfire was fully ignited, and his Blood Katana was wreathed in the ruby me like it was blessed by the Goddess of Fire herself.


    ¡°I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!¡±


    Lost in his rage, Talon unleashed all of his pent-up power. He¡¯d long forgotten about his mission and his duty to the Bloodborne House. All he wanted to do was kill the person who had caused him so much pain.


    Me.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    I immediately used all of the evasive manoeuvres in my arsenal, unwilling to hold a single thing back. Talon was rushing with a sword filled with me, and each time he swung his de, Bloodfire spewed out like a Dragon¡¯s dignified breath. When he was fully sane, his swordsmanship sliced through the air like a tempest and flowed effortlessly like a never-ending river. However, with his mind gone now, the only thing he resembled was a berserker brute who iled his club around.


    s, even with his mind gone, I couldn¡¯t underestimate him. Just one brush with the Bloodfire would be enough to send me into agonising pain and likely cut my connection with this created clone body. And so, I threw everything that I had.


    Locking space up, throwing spells to slow him down, sending boulders weighing a full tonne flying in his direction.


    I tried everything.<sub></sub>


    Even the Luce Sterum joined the fray as they attempted to stop Talon Bloodborne, the Blood Katana, in his tracks. However, he was just too powerful. Neither the Luce Sterum nor my attacks worked. Each attack encroached closer and closer to my body, bringing me a sense of helplessness with his every swing.


    ¡®Tsk, there¡¯s no other choice!!!¡¯


    I clicked my tongue in annoyance. If none of my attacks worked anymore, there was only one trump card that I could rely on. The one I¡¯d been practising ever since I got to the Moonreaver Dimension and began my training.


    All of my remaining magic power flowed into the middle ring of my finger, and almost instantly, an azure light shone brighter than the artificial Blood Moon in the sky. If his mind was clear, Talon would have sensed the immense danger that this attack posed. However, he clearly ignored his instincts and flew right before my eyes.


    Just inches away, I could feel the intense heat of his Bloodfire, and I knew what kind of damage I would suffer if it hit me. However, I didn¡¯t move away. Rather, I chose not to move away. With everything I had, I cast the spell I was innately aware of. The first-ever power that I¡¯d be ustomed to.


    With all of my heart and soul, I shouted:


    ¡°STOP!!!¡±


    And just like that¡­ The world stopped.


    No, the world stopped in my eyes. Time was flowing just fine outside my influence. However, everything that was within my control¡­ stopped. It didn¡¯t matter if it was Talon who was attacking me. Lilith who was protecting me. The Luce Sterum that attempted to stop Talon. Not even the Lord of Flies, the grandson of the Vampire Progenitor, or Cape Moonreaver, the Asterias that was on the same level as Sirius, was immune to my time-stop.


    I looked up and saw Talon¡¯s Blood Katana just a few centimetres away from my face. Unquestionably, if I was just a millisecond toote, his de would have sliced my head in two and quite possibly destroyed my clone in one fell swoop.


    Once again, I couldn¡¯t help but awe at his technical prowess. How long would it take for me to reach his physical level? How much training would I have to endure to attain such ungodly speed?


    I couldn¡¯t tell.


    However, that was inconsequential right now. With time stopped, I could freely move to safety and evenunch an all-out attack on the man before he could even react. s¡­ My magic power was quite insufficient.


    I could only stop time for one second, and that wasn¡¯t enough for me topletely decapitate his head off. The only thing I could do in this position was gather all of my remaining power in my hand and extend it with what little force I had left.


    And that¡¯s what I did.


    Magic power entered my middle finger, turning my entire fist into an azure-golden punch. If any Kung Fu fanatics were watching, they might have misidentified my punch with the mythical Shaolin Fist.


    And with everything I had, I threw the hardest punch in my life, sending a force equivalent to a thousand charging elephants down into one point in the Shadowfiend¡¯s abdomen. Space folded, and my control over time loosened. With all that energy focused, Talon¡¯s stomach could not handle the pressure and was ripped apart by the simple fist.


    Bits of flesh and bone flew out from the man¡¯s back as another mouthful of blood was sent flying in my direction. Talon, who was now unable to control his body, released his grip on the Blood Katana and was immediately pushed back by the force of my punch.


    Like a broken puppet that was fired out of a cannon, Talon mmed violently onto the floor, bouncing dozens of times before sttering into a pool of flesh and blood a full kilometre away. The man¡¯s body twitched, and his magic power started to subside. He showed no signs of recovering, and it was likely that it would stay that way for a while.


    Urgh¡­


    Finally, I can rest.


    ???


    Jin¡¯s little stunt wasn¡¯t just noticed by Lilith and the other spectators who were watching from the safety of the mansion. Horatio and Cape, who were in the midst of their own battle, could clearly feel that something had changed in the world. They were beings close to the origin of magic, and their spatial awareness was probably among the world¡¯s top five hundred. And so, when the fabric of Spacetime was altered¡­ It naturally drew their undivided attention.


    The Lord of Flies stopped his relentless onught on Cape and darted his eyes at the Vampire who dispatched Talon. Although he didn¡¯t witness that attack first-hand, he felt the aftermath of that deadly strike.


    Talon was lying in a pool of his own blood while the boy was clearly in the pink of health despite being a little fatigued. Not only that, with his advanced Vampiric senses, Horatio could tell that the ¡®Jin¡¯ that was before him, was nothing more than a clone or an incarnation.


    He didn¡¯t even use his real body, and he could defeat Talon? One of the rising stars of the Bloodborne House? Now that was something worth his attention.


    ¡®Not only that¡­ What was that oppressive feeling? It felt like¡­¡¯


    Horatio shuddered as he recalled the mysterious phenomenon that urred just a few seconds ago. At that moment, it felt like the entire world was oppressing him. In front of its massive grandeur, Horatio was nothing more than a leaf in the wind. A helpless baby that couldn¡¯t move against its mother.


    That power to dominate and suppress¡­


    The grandson of the Vampire Ancestor had only felt it once before.


    And that was when¡­


    SLINCK!!!


    A beam of starlight flew past Horatio¡¯s distracted face, exploding into a deadly nova once it reached the apex of heaven. Frowning, the Lord of Flies turned to his attacker, who held no sense of timing.


    ¡°Do you really have the luxury to be daydreaming?!¡±


    ¡°Cape¡­ Who was that boy?¡±


    ¡°I am under no obligation to tell you!¡±


    Cape¡¯s seven bodies viciously attacked the Bloodborne Prince, only to be encountered with a flurry of Bloodfire Butterflies that detonated upon contact. Horatio turned into a kaleidoscope of butterflies to escape Cape¡¯s advance, only to recongregate a dozen metres away.


    This time, the Lord of Flies didn¡¯t have his signature disgusting smile. He alternated his eyes between Cape and Jin, trying desperately to map out a connection. Jin didn¡¯t seem like a Moonreaver, and his unique traits didn¡¯t match any of the Noble Houses he knew. So he should be an independent, first-generation Vampire.


    So why was he in the Moonreaver Dimension then? And why was he fighting the Bloodborne House?


    Horatio had so many questions.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Horatio chuckled and raised his arms again. ¡°I can slowly extract my answers once I¡¯m done with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You sure are arrogant!¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve said it before, darling¡­¡±


    Horatio¡¯s body started to turn. Magic power filled his veins as blood broke free from the tears in his body. His fingers turned into deadly ws, and the man¡¯s body doubled in size. His legs turned into horse hooves as goat horns broke free from the top of his head. Like a demon that had ascended from the zing hells, the man¡¯s eyes turned crimson red.


    Once again, his bloodline exuded pressure upon Cape¡¯s body, bringing forth a sense of dread with every move she made. Holding back her sweat, the silver-haired Vampire clenched her rapier tightly and watched as Horatio sneered at her with genuine overconfidence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not arrogant¡­ I¡¯m just stronger than you!!!¡±

 Chapter 62 Bloodborne Vs Moonreaver (2)

    Horatio Bloodborne jumped up in the sky and spread his arms out wide. Almost instantly, the sky above Lilith¡¯s mansion turned into a butterfly garden, with thousands, if not millions, of ruby butterflies pping their translucent wings. In his transformed mode, Horatio possessed an innate suppression ability that was powerful enough to force Cape to subconsciously fall back with bated breath.


    She knew that Horatio was one of the most powerful Vampires alive, but actually feeling his magic power crawl up her skin was a whole different story. Cape gulped cautiously and spread her six clones out, ready to strike at a moment¡¯s notice.


    The Lord of Flies smiled viciously at the Asterias¡¯ caution. He knew that the woman was no pushover, but he didn¡¯t feel a single morsel of fear. It was the contrary, in fact, as he confidently spread his arms out wide as if he was inviting a deadly attack.


    Snapping his fingers, Horatio gathered his magic power and congregated all of his ruby butterflies into one singr point. At the same time, he controlled the blood flowing in his veins to burst out from his body, creating a globe of pure, red fluids that protected him from any harm.


    And with his most controlled expression, he willed the butterflies to descend upon the masses only to use his most powerful ability¡­


    ¡°Die,¡± the man said apathetically.


    And almost instantly¡­


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!


    The entire world turned into an ocean of darkness and me. No, it was turned into a world that was dominated by the deadly Bloodfire that could incinerate an immortal Vampire without any repercussions. Pirs of the ruby fire spread free while tongues of licking mes rushed to any living being that was on the floor. The Luce Sterum, Cape¡¯s elite guards, had to forcibly dig themselves into the ground or rush far away from the impact crater, hoping that not a single me could get to them.


    The peaceful Moonreaver Dimension had turned into an eversting inferno that burned hotter than the deepest parts of the six-hundred and sixty-six hells. Bloodfire spread faster than the driest wildfires and was threatening to destroy Lilith¡¯s mansion and all of its inhabitants with it.<sub>-.</sub>


    Horatio seemingly didn¡¯t care about the mission to capture Lilith alive. All that he wanted to do was to destroy¡­ destroy¡­destroy¡­


    s, Cape didn¡¯t have that luxury.


    Magic power flowed to the mark at the bottom of her neck, distorting the dimension that she called home. Almost instantly, the Bloodfire that threatened to destroy the entire realm had been absorbed by a mysterious force. A vortex, one highly simr to a whirlpool in space, sucked the Bloodfire into a in of nothingness, leaving behind a perfectly healthy Moonreaver Dimension.


    Cape huffed and puffed, all while wiping the sweat off her porcin forehead. She had averted a major crisis and protected Lilith with it. However, the tribtion was far from over.


    ¡°You absorbed all of that into your dimension? Now that¡¯s impressive!¡±


    Horatio pped his hands without a hint of mockery in his eyes. He was genuinely impressed by Cape¡¯s ability. Not many Moonreaver Vampires could transfer his attack away. The radius of his explosion was equivalent to that of a small nuclear bomb, and moving all of that Bloodfire away required a degree of finesse and depth of magic power that most Vampires couldn¡¯t possibly hope to achieve.


    And while Horatio was giving Cape his praise, the woman in question couldn¡¯t reciprocate the love. She red at Horatio with hateful eyes, ready to rip the Bloodborne Prince into pieces.


    And well¡­


    ¡°DIE!!!¡±<sub></sub>


    Cape rushed to the skies, with her six clones following close behind. The seven women gathered together as magic power illuminated the artificial night sky. Starlight brightened the night sky, creating a constetion reminiscent of the big dipper. A gorgeous light beckoned from the heavens as a formation started to surround the Bloodborne Prince, who could notprehend what was happening.


    The silver-haired knight knew that Horatio would be stunned and took this opportunity to capitalise. She pointed the Stargazer Rapier at the Lord of Flies, and almost instantly, all of the ruby butterflies dissipated into the void of the Moonreaver Dimension. The sphere of blood that protected Horatio began to break down as well, showing the most vulnerable side of the fearsome invader.


    And then, Cape yelled:


    ¡°Stargazer!!!¡±


    Unlimited amounts of light beams shot free from the tip of her sword, and the clones soon followed. Like an endless meteor shower, Horatio was showered with eternal falling starlight, and his body was subjected to a torrential wave of suffering.


    Light showers continued to rain down, ignoring whether the man was alive or not. Like a monsoon hurricane, it was relentless in its punishment. It didn¡¯t matter if Horatio could survive this attack or not. Cape¡¯s trump card was raining down light at speeds unheard or unseen before, even to the most seasoned Moonreaver elites.


    Heck, even Cape¡¯s own soldiers couldn¡¯t help but look away as their leader meted out judgement like the Heavenly Emperor that presides over the stars.


    It was only after five full minutes that Cape finally stopped her assault. She almost felt the need to drop her sword after expanding so much magic power and energy, but as the veteran she was, the Asterias gripped the Stargazer Rapier even more tightly. Cape stared at the smoke that she¡¯d created, hoping to even catch a trace of her opponent¡¯s dead body.


    Unfortunately¡­


    ¡°Motherfucker!!!¡±


    With a resonating roar, Horatio burst free from the cloud of smoke, his body riddled with holes and broken pieces. As if it were on a timer, his transformed state started to wane as his regr humanoid form took centre stage. The horse hooves and goat horns had been retracted, and his magic power was still fluctuating.


    However, the man was anything but dead. Far from it, in fact. With his eyes bloodshot and his mouth filled to the brim with his own blood, Horatio seemed to be ready to mount his next attack.


    But there was no way that Cape would give him that freedom.


    Raising her arms, the Asterias called forth a mysterious power that started from the Stargazer Rapier and spread far into the Moonreaver Dimension. Dense magic power covered the sky and suppressed the ground, forcing the Bloodborne Prince to unknowingly take a knee. He supported himself with his right arm, and that moment of weakness gave Cape the opportunity to strike.


    pping her hands together, the silver-haired Moonreaver distorted the space around Horatio. A whirlpool of space attempted to suck Horatio into Cape¡¯s created dimension and hopefully seal him away for the rest of time.


    It was the final trump card that Cape had to y. If she couldn¡¯t beat the man into submission, the next best option was to seal him away forever. And now that he was weakened, it was the perfect opportunity for Cape.


    At least, that was her idea¡­


    Zzzzzzzztttttttt!!!


    Coiled with a gorgeous, ethereal, ruby lightning tendril, Horatio¡¯s right arm smashed into the vortex with vicious fury, breaking apart the dimensional magic that Cape had attempted to cast. Without giving the woman a chance to move, the Bloodborne Prince had secured his protection.


    All with just a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Blood Lightning¡­ You¡¯ve inherited it, huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Horatio didn¡¯t answer Cape¡¯s question, but his haughty expression did all the talking. Blood Lightning was just like Bloodfire. It was an exclusive ability for the Bloodborne House, but unlike Bloodfire, Blood Lightning was exceedingly rare.


    It was, after all, the signature ability of the Vampire Ancestor.


    And if Horatio had inherited it, that meant that the battle was far from over. Cape raised her Stargazer Rapier once more, ready to fight to the death if need be. But fortunately or not, something unexpected urred.


    Numerous res were shot up in the sky, forcing Horatio to split his attention away. He looked up at the sky for a few seconds before finally clicking his tongue.


    ¡°Tch, just when things were getting good¡­ Shadowfiends! We¡¯re retreating!¡±


    The Bloodborne Prince ordered his subordinates with a helpless frown. Evidently, he wished to continue to battle, but ultimately, he was participating in a war. If the order was to retreat, he must retreat.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Cape did nothing to stop the man. If the circumstances were different, perhaps the Asterias would have fought to the death, but Cape¡¯s primary mission was to protect Lilith. If Horatio were to retreat, it was a great development in her mission; thus, she did nothing to stop the man.


    The Shadowfiends instantly leapt back, one of them collecting the motionless body of Talon Bloodborne by slinging him across his back. They all exchanged a few looks, some even taking the time to re at Jin, before finally disappearing into a bloody mist. And before Horatio retreated as well¡­


    ¡°Cape of this generation¡­ You did well to fend me off. I hope we meet again in different circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Cape spat with disgust. After this encounter, it would be hard-pressed for Cape, or any Moonreaver for that matter, to view the Bloodbornes with any form of goodwill.


    ¡°How friendly.¡±


    Horatio chuckled as he didn¡¯t mind Cape¡¯s acrimony. He did, however, take one final second to look around the area. No, to be more precise, he spared one final nce at Jin¡¯s clone, which was quickly dissipating away. The man didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the fading clone.


    Jin was still far weaker than him. His magic power was inferior, and his age seemed young. Logically speaking, the man shouldn¡¯t be much of a threat to the Prince of Flies. And yet¡­ Horatio had an innate feeling that Jin would one day grow into something that could possibly threaten him.


    ¡®What a pity¡­¡¯


    Shaking his head, Horatio left that thought behind as he joined the retreating Shadowfiends. Perhaps in the future, he would live to regret this day. But today was just not his day.

 Chapter 63 Bloodborne Vs Moonreaver (3)

    A few minutes before Horatio and the Shadowfiends retreated from Lilith¡¯s mansion, the skies above the Moonreaver Pce had long turned into an ocean of Bloodfire. Crackles of red lightning bolts shed through the darkened sky, creating a sense of dread that not even Vampires could endure.


    Hundreds of corpsesy all over the floor as a river of blood flowed down with no mercy. It didn¡¯t matter if the bodies were from the Moonreaver or Bloodborne House; every Vampire that died wasn¡¯t going to get a proper burial. Some of them were mangled beyond recognition, while others were left in a pile of charred flesh and bones.


    It was an iprehensible scene, and yet¡­


    None of the leaders spared a second nce at the disfigured, broken warzone.


    ¡°Fifth Consort¡­ Do you surrender?¡±


    Sirius tightened his grip on the Stardevourer as his face got darker by the second. He tried desperately to hide it, but the man¡¯s umted fatigue was getting to him. Pale-faced and with a head full of sweat, Sirius pointed his weapon at the woman who stood silently at a distance.


    The gorgeous Fifth Consort, the woman who had once dominated the Vampire world with her husband and the ancient Vampire that struck fear in so many mortals, was now in a decrepit state. Her sultry clothes were ripped, and herplexion had lost any semnce of vigour. Even though her regenerative ability had cleaned up the wounds and injuries she¡¯d attained, traces of blood and torn flesh could be seen surrounding the seductive woman.


    If one were to get an outside perspective, they would unquestionably think that Sirius and his goons were the bad guys who teamed up against a poor, helpless woman. However, that was hardly the case.


    Guinevere Bloodborne sighed as a defeated smile spread across her face. She looked up to the heavens, and once she saw the artificial Blood Moon, the woman giggled:


    ¡°Heh¡­ I¡¯ve actually lost to some little brats. I wonder what you would say if you were alive?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not toote to surrender, Fifth Consort. We promise you¡¯ll be treated fairly under the Great Vampire Peace Treaty as a prisoner of war.¡±


    ¡°How touching,¡± the Fifth Consortughed. ¡°But do you seriously think you¡¯re in a state to subdue me? Even though I can¡¯t defeat you, I¡¯m confident I could easily escape from here.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius was unable to respond. He knew that the red-haired woman was undeniably correct. Yes, he had managed to weaken the ancient Vampire greatly, and if the battle were to proceed any further, he would be capable ofpletely subduing the woman entirely. s, there was a reason why she was called the Fifth Consort.


    Even though Guinevere had been weakened, she still possessed enough strength to fight to the death. Not to mention, Sirius and his subordinates had expanded a vast amount of their energy to repel the Fifth Consort¡¯s onught. So much so that two of his underlings could not continue the battle.


    If Sirius wanted to capture and detain the Fifth Consort, he would require at least twice the manpower he had right now. However, with the Moonreaver Dimension burning, that was too much to ask for.


    Therefore, all he could do was stare quietly at the woman as she slowly recovered her wounds. However, before the two could continue their deadlock, a magnificent firework burst in the sky, drawing attention from not only the two Vampires but all denizens of the Moonreaver Dimension.


    Guinevere turned her attention skywards, only to let out a distinctive smile moments after. She ced her palm over her eyes, and a slight chuckle emerged from her rosy lips.


    ¡°Haha!!! Looks like my work here is done!¡± The ancient Vampire shook her head andughed. ¡°Young ones, you have provided me with some good entertainment, but our night must end here.¡±


    Guinevere took to the skies as if her previous injuries were a lie. Her backless dress made way for the two demonic wings that sprouted out, bringing forth yet another pressure that suppressed most of the Moonreavers watching. Sirius, unsure of whether he should fight or not, simply frowned and watched as the woman rose higher toward the sky.


    ¡°Little Sirius¡­ We will meet again. And next time, I won¡¯t be the one running away. That I swear to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    And just like that, the Fifth Consort turned into a bloody mist, distorting the dimension and escaping the clutches of the elite Moonreavers. Sirius was tempted to give chase, but his priority wasn¡¯t to detain the Bloodborne House. If they were to retreat from the Moonreaver Dimension, giving his family time to treat the wounded and reconstruct their broken home, Sirius would wee it with open arms.<sub></sub>


    However¡­ Something seemed off.


    ¡°Did they manage to get the ancestor¡¯s arm?¡±


    ¡°No, sir! The vault is well-protected, and there¡¯s no sign of intruders!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius turned his gaze skyward as a deep frown started to form. Thoughtfully, he narrowed his eyes in the direction that Guinevere had escaped and spat:


    ¡°Were we tricked? Wasn¡¯t their objective the ancestor¡¯s arm? Why are they retreating then?¡±


    A million questions emerged in the Moonreaver Lord¡¯s mind. There were many strange aspects when it came to the Bloodborne House¡¯s invasion. In the beginning, Sirius just thought that the Bloodborne House had lost their minds and were desperate to get back the relic of their forefather. Therefore, he had tripled the security on the ancestor¡¯s arm, making it nigh impossible for anyone to steal it.


    But what if it was all a ruse? What if the Bloodborne House¡¯s true intentionsy elsewhere?


    Sirius just couldn¡¯t tell.


    However, what was certain was that they had won this war. They had repelled the bloodthirsty invaders and had dealt them a blow that they could never recover from. Even if the Bloodborne House was once a Royal n and the hegemon of the Vampire world, their strength had been withering down over the years. And now that they had lost almost a thousand men in the Moonreaver Dimension, it would be hard-pressed for the Bloodborne House to retain their status as a Guardian House.


    And not only that, the Moonreaver House would definitely press charges and seek reparations from the Bloodborne House, further crippling their financial stability. It was just the beginning of the end for the once-mighty House.


    ???


    The Bloodborne-Moonreaver War.


    A battle that would be recorded in the annals of Vampire history. While most of the details were kept from the public, this one-day war sent shockwaves through the Vampiric World. The Bloodborne House, one of the Ten Guardian Houses, actually started an unprovoked war with the mighty Moonreaver House.


    They had even managed to infiltrate the Moonreaver Dimension, a feat that had never been aplished. While no one knows what enmity the two Houses had, the shocking event had sent ripples amongst every single Vampire.


    There were some fools that supported the Bloodborne House, thinking that they had the blood of the Progenitor and that they had the right to im back their relic. However, the vast majority of Vampires sided with the Moonreaver House, including most of the Guardian Houses. They imed to be on the side of justice and heavily rebuked the Bloodborne House¡¯s vicious attack, but they were all looking out for their financial interests.


    The Moonreaver House was, after all, too influential. They monopolised Nightmare realms and Warp Gates, making it impossible for any Vampire to rebuke them too much. Unless they wished to risk the possibility of never conducting business with the Moonreaver House again, of course.


    And that influence, in turn, proved helpful when the two Guardian Houses were discussing their peace deal.


    For intruding the Moonreaver Dimension, the Bloodborne House would have their title as a member of the Guardian Houses suspended for a thousand years. Additionally, they would be required to pay for all damages incurred by the Moonreaver House. Loss of life, property destruction, payment for reparations¡­ The list was endless.


    However, there was one thing that the Moonreaver House couldn¡¯t demand. They couldn¡¯t imprison or ask the Bloodborne House to hand over any of their executives who nned the attack and deliver them to justice.


    On paper, the Bloodborne House imed that it was a rogue wing of the n that nned out the vicious attack and that they had punished them severely for that matter. However, no one really believed the Bloodborne House.


    s, none of the Guardian Houses wished to antagonise the Bloodborne House more than they already had. The one-day war proved that the Bloodborne House still had ample manpower within their ranks. Especially since they brought out ancient Vampires such as the Fifth Consort and the Lord of Flies. If they poked the hos¡¯ nest too much, they feared that the Bloodborne House wouldunch one suicidal attack, forever destabilising the Vampire World.


    Still, that didn¡¯t mean the Bloodborne House got off easy. Quite the contrary, in fact. Altogether, the damages the Bloodborne House would have to pay were equivalent to almost a hundred billion dors. It was an unheard-of sum even amongst the long-living Vampires who have umted generations of wealth.


    Surprisingly enough, the Bloodborne House didn¡¯t even bargain or cry for a deduction. They took the hit on the chin and willingly epted all terms. And while the more astute members of the Ten Guardian Houses could smell that something was amiss, they could only keep their opinions to themselves as peace returned to the Vampiric society.


    Well, not everyone was able to find true peace.


    ¡°Are you really confident that you can do it? It¡¯s not toote to call off the duel!¡±


    Lilith pranced up on my chest, gently grabbing my clothes. The tips of her blonde hair fell upon my neck as her phoenix-shaped eyes leaned in closer to mine. At this distance, I could smell her fragrant aroma tickling my nostrils. Jesus, is she getting more beautiful by the day?


    No, no¡­ I should focus.


    ¡°Lilith, you know that I can¡¯t do that. Besides, do you really think your brother would let me off if I call off the duel now?¡±


    ¡°¡­ He¡¯s busy fixing the Moonreaver Dimension, and there are other more important things for him to do. He would at least postpone it if you asked!¡±


    ¡°Now, that would be going against my word, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Two weeks had passed since the Bloodborne House had invaded the Moonreaver Dimension. While the entire Moonreaver House was focused on recovering their losses, I paid most attention to the duel beckoning. And before I knew it, the day had already arrived.


    Tomorrow would be the day where I settle things with Sirius. I would smack that siscon right in the face, and once I got his blessing forcibly, I would bring Lilith out of this wretched ce with Irina.


    ¡°Also, Lilith¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be better to conduct the duel when your brother is distracted? If his attention is divided elsewhere, I would have a much higher chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡± I ced my hand on her peach-like cheeks and gave her a loving caress. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve already told him the time and ce. So there¡¯s no backing out now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already told him?! When and who-¡­?!¡±


    Lilith instantly snapped her head back and red at her lovely attendant. The silver-haired butler quickly averted her eyes, unwilling to show her pitiful face to her mistress.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Don¡¯t me her. I¡¯d only asked her to deliver the message. It¡¯s done, Lilith. I will be proceeding with the duel tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Seriously, why do I even bother?¡± Lilith shook her head and let out a helpless sigh. She sunk her face deeper into my chest, not concealing the vast amount of worry that she had. ¡°So¡­ Where will the duel take ce?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry. I picked the perfect location to win you over from your possessive brother!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Licking my lips, I touched Lilith¡¯s soft head and gently went down to her nape. Smiling, I whispered into her ears, forcing a surge of electricity to flow down her spine:


    ¡°Starfall.¡±

 Chapter 64 Starfall (1)

    Starfall.


    The Holy Grounds of the Moonreaver House. Legend has it after the first Moonreaver was bestowed eternal life by the Vampire Progenitor, he travelled far and wide to discover the best method to trigger his Vampiric Aspect. While he was bestowed extraordinary abilities by the Progenitor, he knew that to survive, he couldn¡¯t just rely on the temperamental being¡¯s power.


    In the beginning, he travelled far and wide. Taking advice from his good friend Innocence Everwinter, he travelled to different environments to bathe in its natural magic.


    The first Moonreaver tried it all. From arctic ice caps to barren deserts. From volcanic ruptures to the deep, blue ocean. Unlike other Vampires that were former elves or humans that possessed a trademark magical affinity, the Moonreaver ancestor was a nk te.


    Even after dozens of years wandering the world, the man wasn¡¯t able to figure out where his true affinityy. In his hopelessness, the man wandered aimlessly for a hundred days and a hundred nights. Without knowing where he was going, the Moonreaver ancestor traversed thousands of miles on foot, emptying his magic reserves in the process.


    And when all hope seemed lost, the first Moonreaver stumbled across the most beautiful ce in the world. It was a ce where the night stars met with the earth¡¯s resplendence. A ce where the sky and kissed. And a ce that would be the founding location of the Moonreaver House.


    Starfall.


    A copsed crater that had been formed by the collision of a falling star upon the peak of a tall mountain. Pieces of the celestial rock broke free when entering the stratosphere and found their resting ce on the mountain, while some rested deep within the mirrorke that was formed after years of rain and snow.


    When the first Moonreaver first came across this ce, he meditated for a thousand days straight, awakening the innate power thaty within. The ability to control dimensions. Almost overnight, the man went from a mere follower of the Vampire Progenitor and was promoted to his right-hand man. Serving as an advisor simr to Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei, the Moonreaver ancestor led the Vampires to an age of prosperity.


    For his troubles, he was granted a noble peerage, bestowed dozens of consorts, and was provided with all the riches andnds he could ever dream of.


    And it all started here, here at Starfall.<sub>-.</sub>


    Upon his death, the Moonreaver ancestor wished for his ashes to be scattered in theke that began it all. And once that precedent was set, almost every Moonreaver since had willed for their bodies to be the same. Almost every Moonreaver that had passed away rested within this concave mountain, including Lilith¡¯s grandmother, whom she held so dear.


    But for the first time in a hundred years, the peace and tranquillity of the Holy Grounds were about to be disrupted.


    ¡°There¡¯s fifteen minutes left until the promised time; where is he?¡±


    I stood next to Lilith while basking in the true moonlight that I¡¯d missed since moving to the Moonreaver Dimension. While the artificial Blood Moon was empowering, nothing was more refreshing than the power that the real Moon could provide.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if he didn¡¯te?¡±


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    The blonde-haired girl pursed her lips with worry written all over her face. Even after reassuring her multiple times, Lilith still couldn¡¯t wash away the innate fear that she had of her brother. Though, I didn¡¯t me her for not trusting me. After all, I knew for a fact that I wasn¡¯t Sirius¡¯ match just yet. However, this duel was something that I couldn¡¯t back out of.


    My happy, debaucherous life with Lilith was on the line!


    ¡°Lord Sirius will be arriving soon.¡±


    Fortunately for me, another voice came to my aid. A silver-haired Vampire, who was donned in a battle suit that had light armour protecting her vitals, stared coldly at me as she said:<sub></sub>


    ¡°Unlike you, Lord Sirius is busy with other matters. He¡¯ll be warping straight from his previous arrangement, so just be patient.¡±


    ¡°Sister Cape¡­¡±


    Cape Moonreaver¡¯s frosty attitude didn¡¯t go unnoticed, drawing ire from the girl who had her hand stered all over my body. Lilith¡¯s phoenix eyes turned toxic, as a searing fire seemed to emerge from their depths. Was it just me, or was Lilith getting more and more protective as the days went by? Well, we can solve that matterter.


    ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth, Lilith. You may not like your brother, but he cares for you deeply. While his methods may be crude, he¡¯s genuinely looking out for your safety.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m no longer a child! I don¡¯t need him breathing down my neck at every single thing I do!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Hah, forget it¡­¡±


    Cape shook her head and didn¡¯t bother to borate. Being part of his team and as someone who had grown up with Sirius, it was evident that the woman would side with Lilith¡¯s brother. s, because of that connection, she couldn¡¯t empathise with Lilith. She didn¡¯t know how invasive Sirius¡¯ meddling could prove to be. And not to mention¡­


    He was seriously impeding our loving rtionship! Perhaps Lilith and I would have crossed the final border if not for his interruption that day. But I digress.


    Speaking of interruptions, I was quite satisfied with theck of them here. Other than Cape, Lisa and a few other Moonreaver guards, there weren¡¯t many spectators around. Not to mention, the entire Holy Grounds werepletely barren of life, with not even a security guard in sight. It was probably due to the reconstruction efforts that the Moonreaver Dimension was undergoing, and theck of advertising on Sirius¡¯ part.


    He must be thinking that this was going to be an easy duel where he would wipe the floor with me within the first few seconds. The fact that he even nned a prior engagement before this was proof of that.


    Hah¡­ I shouldn¡¯t beining. The more distracted he was, the more of a chance I had. Furthermore, my n required him to underestimate me so that I could easily make ambushes.


    As I was reviewing my game n for the once-in-a-lifetime duel, I noticed a certain young woman furrowing her brows. Her vale eyes dted as she stared into the distance, particrly the vastke thaty before us. Even with my mind preupied with Sirius, I couldn¡¯t stop my heart from gravitating toward the lonely figure. I ced my arm over her shoulder and pulled her in deep:


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What made you choose Starfall?¡± Without moving her head or body, Lilith whispered in a voice that only I could hear.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± I brushed my hands up Lilith¡¯s shoulder and pulled her head down to my mouth. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this your favourite ce in the Moonreaver House?¡±


    ¡°¡­ So you do remember.¡±


    ¡°Bits and pieces, yeah.¡±


    The memory of Lilith and me sharing our feelings under the moonlight still resonated within my mind. Lilith didn¡¯t have much of a childhood growing up. Her parents were mostly absent. Her best friends were tutors that taught her magic and only saw her as an asset to groom. And her one true rtive, Sirius, treated her like a precious, brittle jewel and would turn overprotective over her.


    The only time that Lilith truly had some semnce of a family, was her time training with her grandmother on Starfall.


    Unlike the other Vampires in her life, Lilith¡¯s grandmother pampered her and showered the girl with familial love. She bought her sweets, told her bedtime stories, yed games with her, and most importantly¡­ She loved Lilith.


    Amongst all of the adults in her life, Lilith¡¯s grandmother was the only one who told her to pursue her interests. She said that it didn¡¯t matter if she became the Moonreaver heir or not. As long as she could actively pursue her happiness, nothing else mattered.


    Which was why¡­ When her grandmother faded into theherworld, it crushed the young girl.


    Lilith¡¯s only pir in life had crumbled, and she was alone once again. If not for meeting me, perhaps the girl might have gone down a different path, a more self-destructive one.


    So, there was no more monumental ce for Lilith than Starfall. It was the ce where her lonely life took a turn, bringing colour into her colourless life. When her grandmother passed, it started yet another chapter in her book, bringing grief and sadness into a ce filled with love and roses. Later, it had be a shackle that bound the girl to the Moonreaver House.


    All her life, Lilith¡¯s world had revolved around Starfall. From the cradle to adolescence to adulthood.


    Therefore, it was fitting that this would be the location where her life would start anew. And shameful as it was, I remember my past self promising something to her.


    ¡°I think I said something along these lines, right?¡±


    cing my face over hers, I gently nted a kiss on her forehead and said:


    ¡°One day¡­ I¡¯lle to Starfall and pick you up. So just wait patiently for me.¡±


    ¡°Bastard¡­ So you do remember that promise.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I hope I¡¯m not toote.¡±


    ¡°Stupid fool!!!¡±


    Lilith leapt into my arms and returned my kiss a hundred-fold. Perhaps, if not for our exposed location, she might even go further than that. However, that didn¡¯t mean she was stingy with her affection. On the contrary, in fact. Lilith only allowed me to go free the moment she marked my entire face with her saliva.


    ¡°You promised me, Jin¡­ So don¡¯t lose.¡±


    ¡°Heh, so you¡¯ve finally begun to trust your husband?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Who is your wife?! We haven¡¯t even sorted out the problem that is Irina!¡±


    ¡°Haha! You really are possessive! But you¡¯re right; that¡¯s something we can talk about another time.¡±


    While I would have loved to continue ying with the beauty in my arms, there was something more important to do. I stepped out from her embrace and wiped my face clean as a man stepped out from a portal.


    Draped in the most exquisite clothes, the blonde man looked like a divine emperor arriving in the heavenly courts to meet his subjects. Each step he took exuded confidence, and with each movement, he sent out an invisible pressure that mounted on everyone¡¯s shoulders. His arrival sent shivers down everyone¡¯s spines, including his trusted subordinate and his lovely younger sister. And it didn¡¯t help that his vale eyes were staring deep into my soul, as if they wanted to shoot daggers into my body.


    However, I didn¡¯t waver. If I ran away here, I would never be worthy to touch Lilith¡¯s hand ever again. And that was something I couldn¡¯t ept.


    Standing my ground, I stared at my opponent, whose bloodlust seemed to be dialled to eleven after witnessing my intimate moment with his sister. Smiling, I raised my chin andughed with his name at the tip of my tongue.


    ¡°Sirius Moonreaver¡­¡±

 Chapter 65 Starfall (2)

    ¡°Sirius Moonreaver¡­¡±


    The blonde, noble man didn¡¯t answer my call. Brushing his face with his hand, the Lord of the Moonreaver House wiped the despondent expression off his face. Speaking of which, the moment he arrived, I could see that his cheeks were hollowed out, and his eyes seemed somewhat lethargic. And while Vampires were effectively immortal and could heal any injury, they couldn¡¯t hide the mental stress that they sumbed to.


    And looking at Sirius¡¯ condition, I could tell he was in a bad state. It wasn¡¯t horrible by any metric, and on the outside, he looked as healthy as can be. But that slight change in expression was enough for me to deduce his true mental state.


    Perhaps he hadn¡¯t slept since the Bloodborne-Moonreaver war, or perhaps he had been swamped by work and barely had a chance to suck someone¡¯s blood. Or maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­ The stress of his sister not talking to him had gotten to his head. Either way, all of those little factors add up, causing the man to seem like a gaunt patient that could barely keep his mind straight.


    ¡°Jin Valter,¡± the Moonreaver Lord snorted coldly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay away from my sister? You sure have a lot of nerve, acting so intimate with her.¡±


    ¡°What I do with Lilith is none of your business. Especially after today.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ Do you really think that you stand a chance?¡±


    Sirius¡¯ coldugh quickly turned into one with derision. If he were a few centimetres taller, he would have looked down at me as if he were an adult disciplining a child. Tch, that condescending nature of his really pisses me off.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have proposed this duel if I thought I would lose.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I really don¡¯t know where you get your confidence from.¡±


    Sirius shook his head, cing both his hands behind his back. His gaze shot free from my body and nced over my shoulder where Lilith was standing. I followed his line of sight and saw the clearly worried girl. Both her hands were sped together as if she was trying to say a prayer, and her face had turned whiter than the luminescent moon that hung over our heads.


    ¡°¡­ I never got to thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank me?¡±


    I promptly snapped my head back with a raised brow, confused by the goodwill that Sirius was showing me. His gaze quickly switched from locking eyes with Lilith to locking horns with me. With the most neutral expression he¡¯d shown me since we¡¯d first met, the man said:<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°You protected Lilith during the battle. I got the report from Cape. If not for your intervention, Lilith might have been kidnapped by the Shadowfiends.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my duty to protect the women I love.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius¡¯ eyes twitched for a moment, but they quickly reverted back to his calm and collected state. Smiling, he continued:


    ¡°That being said, it¡¯s a fact that you protected her in my stead. For that, I shall give my warmest thanks.¡± Sirius didn¡¯t go as far as to bow, but the sincerity in his eyes conveyed his thoughts. ¡°As a result, I won¡¯t kill you today. However, you will be exiled and banned from forever stepping foot in the Moonreaver Dimension. You will stay far away from Lilith and never bother her for the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s if you win this duel today!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius smiled and said nothing. It was as if he knew the results were set in stone before the duel started. However, now that he had got his word of thanks out of the way, he seemingly lost interest in me and stared right at Lilith.


    ¡°So, shall we begin this ¡®duel¡¯ of yours?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Before we do that, may I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so against Lilith having a rtionship with me?¡±


    In hindsight, I should have asked this question ages ago, but due to our hostile introduction, I never got to calm my mind to ask him. After all, how could I even reason with someone who pierced his arm through my chest the second we¡¯d first met? Still, it was a question that gued me ever since I proposed this duel.<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­ Since you saved my sister once, I¡¯ll indulge your curiosity.¡± Sirius¡¯ voice turned softer as his eyes grew even warmer. ¡°My parents never thought of having another child. They always thought that one was enough and never intended on raising another. Essentially, Lilith was an ident.¡±


    Hoh? So even Vampires suffer from unwanted pregnancies. No, that actually made a lot of sense. From what I¡¯d learnt from Irina, Vampires had extremely low fertility, and some couples couldn¡¯t produce a baby even after a thousand years of trying. This was why protection basically didn¡¯t exist in the Vampire world.


    ¡°And so, when they first got pregnant with Lilith, they wished to abort her.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Now that pissed me off. I¡¯d never met Lilith¡¯s parents, but just thinking that they attempted to kill her¡­ Not only that, they dared to neglect her for all these years¡­ Yeah, let¡¯s give them a p the next time we meet.


    ¡°However, my grandmother was sorely against it. She fought tooth and nail for my sister, even to the point of selling some of her assets to convince my parents to keep Lilith. Such a fool¡­¡±


    Sirius couldn¡¯t contain hisughter as his eyes moved from Lilith to the vastke before us.


    ¡°Just like Lilith, I was close with my grandmother. I was far closer to her than my damned parents. And so, when she passed away, she made me promise to always protect Lilith. To keep her away from harm and to keep her safe for the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°And you determined that I¡¯m unsafe to her?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you know how much she has sacrificed for you?¡±


    Sirius¡¯ vale eyes emitted a frosty aura that could rival that of the Everwinter Matriarch. He stared right at my soul, seemingly ready to burn it down at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Lilith performed a forbidden ritual that ripped out a quarter of her soul when she was just ten years old. Not only that, from then on, she spent years¡­ years! Years of her life devoted to protecting and healing you. And I¡¯m excluding the vast amounts of money she¡¯d spent to ensure your immediate safety.¡±


    ¡­ Lilith did all that? No, Irina also did the same, so it makes sense that the rest of the girls were looking out for me in their own unique way.


    ¡°Lilith is a talented girl, and she has the potential to surpass me in the future. Her Elysian Melody is one of the most coveted Vampiric Aspects anywhere in the world, and her talent for magic far surpasses any Moonreaver. And yet¡­ She wasted so much of her life on you. And you had the audacity to openly flirt with her like nothing ever happened?¡±


    Sirius spat openly, drawing hatred from some spectators who watched us.


    ¡°I was disgusted when I first saw you. I truly was. You were weak and helpless. It was as if you hadn¡¯t trained for a day in your life. Did my precious little sister really throw away half her life to help this weakling? I was truly, truly pissed.¡± Sirius snorted in anger.


    ¡°Lilith is too good for you. You even have that Everwinter brat in the wings. Am I really going to let my sister be a concubine or a second wife? I just can¡¯t allow that. And so¡­¡±


    ¡°You attacked me?¡±


    ¡°Just so.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    It seems that Sirius truly does have a legitimate reason to hate me. Not that it mattered, though. Even if the entire Mooneeaver House was against me, I would still do everything in my power to free Lilith from their clutches.


    ¡°Why the sigh? Did you think that I¡¯m hostile to you just because you¡¯ve stolen my sister¡¯s heart and that I¡¯m overprotective?¡±


    ¡°I was under that impression.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sirius folded his arms andughed. ¡°I still hate your guts.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, you made it better.¡±


    I had to admit, while I hated this man to the core, I couldn¡¯t help but respect him. Ultimately, he was protecting the precious little sister that he loved. s, his methods were far too extreme andpletely wrong.


    ¡°Good, now could you quit stalling for time and begin the duel? You¡¯re only dying the inevitable.¡±


    ¡°Inevitable, you say¡­¡±


    Magic power filled my chest as the familiar five rings graced my fingers. Strength flowed from within my soul, and blood started to pump at a far drastic rate. A burning sensation tingled my eyes, turning them ruby red in the process. I spread my arms out wide, allowing magic power to gush out from the ring on my thumb.


    Almost instantly, three clones appeared around my body, each of them donning the same clothes I did. At the same time, I raised my arms to the sky, using my control over space toplete my final preparations. Thunder roared, and the ground shook as my creation ability moved ording to my game n.


    It was done. I could finally begin the duel I had been preparing for over a month.


    ¡°Impressive, you managed to copy Cape¡¯s mirror clones.¡±


    Oblivious to my prior arrangements, Sirius onlymented on the three clones I¡¯d created. At the same time, I could see the silver-haired Asterias drop her jaw the moment she realised I¡¯d used her magic.


    In the beginning, I was only capable of creating a mindless clone and had to leave my main body vulnerable while my consciousness inhabited the clone. However, after a few days of training, I¡¯d learned how to split my consciousness and even mastered the art of controlling a few clones at once. Though, there were some limitations. For example, these clones weren¡¯t perfect copies but weaker versions that could only use half of my magic power.


    If I had a little more time, I could potentially refine this technique, increasing the number of clones or strengthening them like Cape¡¯s mirror clones. But at the moment, this was the best that I could do.


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯re going to go all out, I shall do the same.¡±


    Sirius raised his right arm, and a vortex appeared within the stars. Magic power flowed violently, creating a thunderstorm equivalent to the most violent hurricanes. And with a flick of his wrist, a lightning bolt struck the space between us, revealing a gorgeous, reaping ive.


    ¡°Stardevourer¡­¡±


    ¡°Hoh? So you¡¯ve heard of it?¡± Sirius looked genuinely surprised. The Asterias weapons were, after all, the Moonreaver House¡¯s trump card. And for an outsider to know of this, it could only mean one thing.


    ¡°Brother?! What are you doing?!¡±


    Lilith was unable to hold back her concern and shouted from her position.


    ¡°Are you going to use the Stardevourer on a junior?! Don¡¯t you have any shame?!¡±


    ¡°Lilith, stand down,¡± Sirius growled, his eyes void of any sibling affection. ¡°I can ignore the fact that you revealed confidential information to someone outside of the Moonreaver House, but if you¡¯re going to interrupt in this duel¡­ I won¡¯t be courteous anymore.¡±


    ¡°Y-you!¡±


    Lilith¡¯s face turned ashen. Her pupils dted and her nails digging into her palm, it seemed like the girl was about to have an aneurysm. If nothing was done, she would likely wage war against the Moonreaver House herself!


    ¡°Lilith, go back.¡±


    ¡°J-Jin! B-But!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± I gave her a tender smile. ¡°Just have faith in me. Didn¡¯t I promise you?¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    If not for the duel, I would have moved my body and embraced Lilith to calm her down. s, I had a bigger fish to fry right now. After reassuring the girl, I turned my body back to Sirius and said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s duel, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 66 Starfall (3)

    Sirius Moonreaver. The Lord of the Moonreaver House. A thousand-year-old Vampire. The inheritor of the Sirius name and the owner of the Stardevourer, a weapon that records every one of its previous users¡¯ abilities.


    That monster was now my opponent and one that I had to defeat. Even though I only needed tond a single hit on the man, it was easier said than done.


    No matter how much I¡¯ve trained and how incredible my power was, it still pales inparison to the centuries of experience and overall fighting prowess that Sirius had umted. And so, for me to have any chance of winning, I had to set the initiative.


    Bzzzztttt!!!


    I raised my hand and channelled magic power to the ring of creation. Coils of lightning wreathed around my finger as they turned into an infinite white snake of electricity. I pointed my hand to the sky and sent the electric power flying. The clouds changed at my sudden movement, turning the moonlit night into one of pure darkness.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    Oddly enough, Sirius didn¡¯t move from his starting position at all. His vale eyes brightened up as his eyebrows were lifted. It was as if he was interested to see what kind of gimmicks I had invented to deal with him.


    That was fortunate¡­


    The more Sirius underestimates me, the higher my chances were. And so, I didn¡¯t bother to answer his question and heightened my magic power to eleven.


    ¡°STRIKE!!!¡±


    The numerous lightning coils congregated into one spot, turning into one singr furious bolt. The lightning bolt grewrger andrger until, eventually, the sky couldn¡¯t hold up its immense power. And like Zeus who struck from Mount Olympus, I mmed my hand down, causing the lightning bolt to strike at top speed. No matter how fast one person was, it was nearly impossible to evade a lightning bolt.


    BOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!


    The ground shook, and the calmke of Starfall rippled out of control. As if a natural disaster had been weed to thend, the whole ce suffered from the aftermath of my first attack. The trees were burnt, and wind speeds forced many off their feet. It was simr to the scene from the first scene of the apocalypse.<sub>-.</sub>


    s¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius walked out from the epicentre of the attack with a head full of hair and his clothes in pristine condition. No, there wasn¡¯t even a single blemish on his wless body. It was as if nothing had ever happened, causing me to doubt my eyes for a second. However, after a little bit of inspection, I could clearly deduce what had happened.


    ¡®There¡¯s a thinyer protecting him¡­ Was that how he defended against my attack?¡¯


    Like a cell membrane, there was an invisibleyer of magic power coated all over the man¡¯s body. It looked simr to how one¡¯s aura would look, just that it held a certain degree of invincibility at a single nce.


    Damn, I was really hoping to catch him off guard with that one. And that invisible protection will prove to be annoying¡­ Well, no matter. I still had many more ns to burn through.


    I willed my clones forward, allowing each one of them to surround the Moonreaver Lord. Since they only possessed half of mybat capabilities, I could only use them to provide utility. One of them created a heavy mist that no one could peer through. Another generated earthen spikes from beneath the man. And finally, thest one summoned out multiple lightning beasts, each one of them thirsty for a little Vampire blood.


    The cherry on top? I created yet another lightning bolt, one just as electrifying as the previous strike.


    If a thunderbolt wasn¡¯t enough to strike him down, siege him on all sides. That was my master n. After all, all I needed to do was just injure him once. As long as I do that, I win. No matter how powerful the man is, no matter how much more experience he had and no matter how tough his protection was¡­ All I needed was one hit to connect.


    ¡°GO!!!¡±


    The clones unleashed the earthen spikes and lightning beasts, all while my thunderbolt roared from the heavens above. All at once, the attacks mmed down in unison, decorating the thick white mist with an endless amount of destructive energy. Once again, it felt like a natural disaster had struck thend, causing shockwaves to reverberate for kilometres on end.


    No mere mortal could possibly survive that attack, especially with the thick mist blinding his vision. s¡­<sub></sub>


    ¡°Intriguing¡­ Your raw power is quite astonishing.¡±


    Rather than turn into a pile of ash, Sirius stoodfortably within the wreckage as if it was just another day in the office. His hair waspletely unruffled, his clothes were as pristine as can be, and finally, there wasn¡¯t even a scratch on his perfect body.


    ¡°I can see how you defeated Talon if you are capable of such power. It¡¯s hard to believe that you¡¯re a newly awakened Vampire.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fuck, this guy is getting on my nerves. Just how strong was hisyer of protection? Just based on pure destructive power alone, that lightning bolt was one of my most potent spells. It looks like I had to switch ns.


    And someone seemed to share my sentiment.


    ¡°I apud your innovation and bravery. Perhaps if you trained for a hundred years, you might be able to pose more of a challenge. But ytime is over¡­¡±


    Sirius swung the Stardevourer in his hands as magical pressure exploded from his body. At that moment, it felt like the heavens had opened up, and a magical deity had unleashed his presence. Against such majesty, most mortals had to kneel and kowtow, let alone pure magical beings such as Vampires.


    I gritted my teeth and instantly initiated my backup n. Magic power filled my veins as the two rings on my hand lit up, one with an azure hue and the other mimicking the colours of the rainbow. Creation and Space bound together, and my awareness was spiked to the highest degree. Because¡­


    I knew what wasing.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    Like a mighty being that was about to step on a bunch of ants, Sirius decided on my defeat and instantlyunched himself into action. My three clones started to cast various spells, hoping to slow him down, but it was too little toote.


    With a swing from the Stardevourer, the dimensions folded, and the space around him contorted. It was as if the man had created his own world, and everything within it was a part of his yground. Unable to resist his influence, my clones broke apart and turned into magical particles.


    And now that he¡¯d dealt with my clones, Sirius turned his attention to the man of the hour.


    Me.


    Whooooooshhhh!!!


    Sirius¡¯ body disappeared from my view, and the hairs on my arm instantly stood up. I had experienced this once before when I was fighting against Talon Bloodborne and his superspeed. Logically speaking, I should improve my reaction speed or overall speed in general if I wished to counter Sirius, but I was hard-pressed on time. Therefore, I came up with a better idea.


    BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!


    Before I knew it, explosions detonated all around me, primarily from my back. I nced over my shoulder and saw Sirius a dozen metres away with a perplexed look on his face. I squinted and instantly used my control over space to teleport far away, creating a buffer distance between the two of us.


    ¡°¡­ What was that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius thought out loud, but I didn¡¯t bother to exin. After all, they were all part of my master n to go against the man. Before the duel started, I had littered the ce with mines underground and in the air. Most of the mines were invisible to the eye and magical sense, something I can thank Lilith for teaching me.


    Those mines were a natural counter for someone moving at supersonic speeds. No matter how fast you moved, even a certain blue hedgehog would be forced to slow down as long as those mines detonated.


    Taking advantage of Sirius¡¯ confusion, Iunched my next attack. Creation magic shot free from my thumb, and yet another white mist rose from theke. I had to blind Sirius if I wanted any chance of winning.


    Once I was out of his view, I could focus onunching the next deadly attack. I reached my hand out to the heavens and called upon the stars with my magic power. The clouds that covered the celestial night were dispersed, revealing the surprise I¡¯d hidden amongst the stars.


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    I saw Sirius in a fully bbergasted state for the first time since appearing. The calm poise that seemed like he was in control of everything had finally shattered, and the familiar deathly pale expression showed.


    And his shock was for good reason.


    ¡°Does he want to destroy Starfall?¡±


    At the side, I could hear Cape and Lisa gasp in horror. Everyone¡¯s eyes were stered on the sky, their faces gaunt and filled with fear. Not for their own safety, but on whether their Holy Grounds would survive my next attack. And what was that said attack?


    Dozens of meteorites bolted down from the heavens, turning the darkness of the night into a bright-lit day. True to its name, I sent flying pieces of rock from the stars falling down upon the Moonreaver Holy Grounds. None of the falling stars wasrge enough to destroy the, and they weren¡¯t powerful enough to deal significant damage to Sirius or any other ancient Vampire. But, if nothing was done, the Moonreaver sacrednd was sure to be damaged.


    It was truly an attack that Sirius couldn¡¯t ignore.


    ¡°Fucking!¡±


    A curse word escaped from his mouth as his body floated up to the sky, untethered by gravity. The Stardevourer in his hand vibrated slightly as a vast amount of magic power was channelled through. Like an immortal facing his ascension tribtion, Sirius roared towards the sky, probably cursing me violently within his mind.


    And with a swing of his ive, the man sent out the most devastating attack I¡¯d ever seen.


    Space tore apart¡­ No, a more apt description would be the dimension was ripped by that single sh. I could see the fabric of Spacetime distort and with a mysterious magical property. Theets I¡¯d summoned could not handle the mysterious power that Sirius had sent, and they all withered away. All of their immense energy had been dispersed, and the rocks had been reduced to nothing but particles.


    Woah¡­ My most destructive spell was countered just like that? Lilith wasn¡¯t kidding when she said that Sirius was on a whole other level. The collective knowledge of every elite Vampire that held the name of Sirius was something I just couldn¡¯tpare to right now.


    That casual sh from the Stardevourer was probably as devastating as a dozen nuclear bombs detonating all at once.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius stared down at me like a God surveying his people. There wasn¡¯t any peace in his vale eyes, and neither was his demeanour as casual as before. If he wasn¡¯t pissed in the beginning, he sure was now.


    Once more, Sirius swung his ive to the side and instantly warped the dimension around him. Evidently, he wasn¡¯t going to give me a chance tounch any more attacks. This time, however, he wasn¡¯t blindly charging in. He had be wise to the mines I¡¯d set up.


    Moving at an ungodly speed, Sirius sent numerous dimensional shes, piercing through what little mines I had left. And when he¡¯d confirmed that everything was clear¡­ Sirius went in for the kill.


    The Stardevourer was now heading towards my neck at blinding speeds. Even though I was trained as a fighter, there was no way that I could match Sirius¡¯ top speed.


    Tch¡­ I guess I have no other choice.


    I closed my eyes and focused all of my attention on the ring on my thumb. Magic power intensified by the nanosecond, and my soul felt invigorated by the overflowing energy that was being channelled. Blood flowed to my eyes, turning those blue suckers red instantly.


    And right before Sirius¡¯ ive could meet my white skin, my mouth moved without me thinking.


    ¡°Genesis.¡±

 Chapter 67 Starfall (4)

    ¡°Genesis.¡±


    A blinding light exploded from my ring of Creation, one bright enough to incapacitate my aggressive attacker. s, just that alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop Sirius¡¯ final blow. And so, the kaleidoscopic rainbow light congregated into a sturdy, unbreakable sphere that covered me from head to toe.


    CLINK!!!


    Sirius¡¯ Stardevourer, which was said to be created with the strongest materials on the, bounced off my barrier, repulsing the man dozens of metres backwards. Clearly stunned by the turn of events, Sirius opened his jaw slightly and gave the Stardevourer a perplexed look. Following that, he instantly switched his gaze toward my created barrier.


    What graced his eyes was the pinnacle of my Creation ability. A totally encased force field in the shape of an impregnable shell. Perfectly symmetrical hexagons were lined together, making the barrier look more like a tortoise shell rather than a perfect marble. However, its power was undeniable. Airtight, rigid and nigh impossible to break, I used my perfected Creation ability to conceive of the best barrier spell I could imagine.


    ¡°Aegis.¡±


    I raised my right hand confidently to show my glowing rainbow ring. This was the trump card I had developed over thest month of training.


    Ever since I¡¯d awakened my Vampire Aspect, I¡¯d noticed something missing from my spells. It was like my powers were always constrained by something, be it the restriction on my soul or some other factor. However, as I drank more of Irina¡¯s and Lilith¡¯s blood and studied more in the libraries provided to me, I soon realised my problem.


    Every True Vampire had discovered the true name of their Vampire Aspect. For Irina, it was the ¡®Winter Sovereign¡¯; for Lilith, it was the ¡®Elysian Melody¡¯. Each one of them could innately figure out what Vampire Aspect they had just by looking into their souls.


    And yet¡­ I knew nothing of what my Vampire Aspect was.


    There was no record of it in the books nor any precedent for this unique Soul Armament that I conjured. And to top it all off, I was unable to innately figure it out due to the other girls¡¯ souls still inhibiting my body.


    But there was a workaround¡­


    Even though I didn¡¯t know the true name of my Vampire Aspect, I knew what my two awakened powers were. I knew what they represented, what powers they potentially could unleash, and most importantly¡­ I knew the best way to use them.


    And so¡­ I decided to name my powers myself.<sub>-.</sub>


    After all, I was the one who took control of my dying life. Why not take control of my nascent, unnamed powers?


    My power of Creation ignored thews of physics and thew of matter conversion. I could create something out of nothing but pure magic power. I didn¡¯t need stone to create brick. I could just conjure it up from thin air.


    Therefore¡­ Such power was aptly named¡­


    Genesis.


    But¡­ Naming the two powers, I currently had came at a cost. A hefty magic power cost, to be exact. While the effects of using Genesis were double aspared to my regr creation spells, spells that were under the effect of Genesis sucked magic power at a rate my young body couldn¡¯t handle. Even now, ¡®Genesis: Aegis¡¯ was draining my energy so fast that I could physically feel my arm getting thinner.


    The moment I used my named spells, I had to end the battle.


    ¡°Creation: Dragonfire.¡±


    Now that I¡¯vemitted, I can¡¯t hold back anymore. My magic power wouldst for a minute at most, and if I wished to win this duel, I had to throw everything I had. And my rainbow ring reflected my decision. An immense amount of magical power erupted from my Soul Armament as a phantom of a Dragon¡¯s head appeared above my body.


    The Dragon phantom opened its mouth like a hungry infant crying for its milk, and in an instant, a ferocious me hotter than the magma of the Earth itself spewed out like a flowing river. The Dragonfire showed its destructive capabilities by breaking the thick rock of Starfall and instantly vaporising any form of liquid that was near it.


    BANG!!! CRRRKKKTT!!! TTSSSTTT!!!


    Pops like firecrackers could be heard, and the destructive nature of the Dragonfire only escted over time. If nothing was done, the mes would engulf the entire Holy Ground and quite possibly melt the whole ce to the ocean.


    And that was not something that Sirius could ever allow.


    The blonde man raised his ancient mythical weapon and swung the ive around like a sword dancer. A torrent of dimensional magic was left in its wake, distorting reality in the process. And before I knew it, Sirius abruptly shed the Stardevourer down, and a portal leading to a different ce was formed.<sub></sub>


    I only had a moment to peer into the portal, but I could see nothing but blue ocean waves crashing onto an abandoned beach. By this time, my Dragonfire had already reached Sirius¡¯ location, but due to his created portal, none of the destructive mes even graced his body.


    All I could do was watch as my attack evaporated the entire beach, leaving nothing but ashy sands and melted fish in its wake.


    ¡°¡­ Who are you?¡±


    Sirius frowned and shot me an interesting look. I would say he was fifty percent shocked, thirty confused, and the remaining was pure disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a young Vampire casting so many powerful spells in sequence. Pulling down meteors, creating a barrier that can reflect the Stardevourer, and now this fire that rivals the destructive powers of the Bloodborne House¡¯s Bloodfire¡­ What in the world are you?¡±


    Tch, now you want to talk?! A bit toote for that, buddy.


    I would love to answer the man¡¯s question, but I must finish the duel before I hit my limit. And so, without giving him any prior warning, I created dozens of sharp shards that wereced with magic. It didn¡¯t matter if they were metal, ice, or just pure stone. I¡¯d even thrown in a silver one for good measure. I raised my hand and switched from my Creation ring to the azure onefortably fitted on my middle finger.


    ¡°Who am I? I believe your sister told you that.¡±


    Iughed and nced over my shoulder. Even though I¡¯m on a time limit, I couldn¡¯t help but look back on the woman who got me in this situation in the first ce. She had her hands covering her mouth as her face betrayed the same look of concern since day one.


    She was the one who preserved my soul the moment it shattered and the girl responsible for giving me a new lease in life. Even now, she was praying for my safety and not for me to win the battle. She was content with me returning to her arms without any injury and couldn¡¯t care less about the result of this duel.


    And most importantly¡­


    ¡°I am the man who will marry your sister.¡±


    ¡°Imperium: Attract!¡±


    Magical power flowed away from my Creation ring, instantly dispersing the Aegis Shield that protected my body. At my current level of expertise, I couldn¡¯t cast two named spells simultaneously. And so, I switched to my Spacetime ring and poured most of my magic power into it.


    Sirius, who had been cautiously watching all this time, suddenly found it impossible to move his own body. No, to be exact, he had fallen under control to my telekic ability. Usually, most True Vampires with arge pool of magic power could break free of my telekic control just by channelling their magic power.


    However, just like Genesis, Imperium was the name I gave my middle ring. Spells cast under the Imperium name were ten times stronger than usual and could even force ancient monsters such as Sirius or Matriarch Innocence to fall under my control.


    s, because of the significant toll on my body, I could either attract or repel them one time, but that was all I needed for this battle.


    I pulled Sirius towards me and sent the sharp shards that were coated with magic flying toward the man. This was my final, all-out attack. All I needed was for one hit tond¡­ Just one hit! And I will win the duel.


    But¡­


    Woooo! Woooo! Woooo!


    All of the shards, which should have pierced his flesh or at least scratched his body, passed through the man like he wasn¡¯t even there. Like a projection or a ghost, he stood menacingly in mid-air as my Imperium spell wore out and thest of my projectiles nted themselves firmly on the ground behind him.


    With a head full of sweat and my facepletely red, I looked at the unbothered blonde man with indignation. It was now that I realised¡­ This was never a winnable duel for me.


    ¡°You can phase through objects?¡±


    ¡°Just so.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ You really yed me for a fool, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I looked up at the starry night sky and couldn¡¯t help butugh. No wonder he was confident that I wouldn¡¯tnd a single hit on his body. If he had the ability to phase through objects, I never stood a chance, to begin with.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d never thought I would use this ability against you. After all, it isn¡¯t my power but the Stardevourer¡¯s. I wanted to beat you with my own personal strength, and yet¡­ You forced me to draw out the power of Sirius.¡±


    Sirius raised his mythical weapon up and cracked a wry smile. Ah, how could I forget? I wasn¡¯t fighting Lilith¡¯s sister; I was up against entire generations of the Moonreaver House¡¯s top fighters. My Genesis and Imperium spells were far from enough to beat five thousand years of collective power.


    ¡­ It really was frustrating.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really impressed me,¡± Sirius said with a dry cough. ¡°Although you¡¯ve lost this battle, you¡¯ve won some of my respect. But you¡¯re too dangerous to leave with my sister. And so, I shall send you on your way.¡±


    The man raised his Stardevourer and coated it in a thickyer of lightning. He pointed the tip of his ive right at my heart and held it in a position where a single thrust was enough to impale my body.


    Even with my superior healing ability, I won¡¯t be able to fight back if my heart was pierced.


    And if he manages to do just that¡­ The duel was over.


    I would lose.


    I would be forced to separate from Lilith and never see her again. I would be known as nothing more than a loser who couldn¡¯t get the girl, even though she did everything in her power for me. And most importantly¡­


    I would break Lilith¡¯s heart.


    No! Wasn¡¯t this why I trained so hard in the first ce? To never feel this helpless again?! How could I lose now? How could I betray the woman who trusted me?


    ¡°ARGHHH!!!¡±


    With what little strength I had left, I let out a primal roar. Magic power that I never knew I had flowed towards my middle finger, channelling everything that I had into my Space ring. My magic power, my soul, my consciousness¡­ Everything was concentrated in that one ring.


    Why?


    Because I had only one card left to y.


    ¡°Imperium: Time Stop!!!¡±


    Stopping time was my final trump card. I didn¡¯t know what I could aplish, given that I couldn¡¯t evennd a hit on Sirius, but I had to give it a try. s, the thousand-year-old True Vampire was moving faster than my time stop could prevent. The sparse magic power I had left was only capable of stopping Sirius for a fraction of a millisecond, making it impossible for me tounch a counterattack.


    And so, in my frenzied state, I could only do one thing.


    ¡°Bleurgh¡­¡±


    My mouth turned red, and my consciousness became hazy. Unknowingly, I looked up at Sirius¡¯ face, which was now only a few centimetres away from mine. His face was calm as if it were just another day at the office. Funnily enough, with his face so close now, I found some sce by admiring the features that highly resembled my beloved Lilith.


    However, I was just distracting myself from the gruesome truth.


    I nced down and saw the Stardevourer firmly attached to my chest. Its de had found its way through my body as blood from my mouth stained its handle.


    There wasn¡¯t any pain, and neither was there any suffering. The world was muted to me as I was sure Lilith was shouting. And yet, I heard nothing. All I could feel were the rapid beats of my heartbeat and the sombre silence of the world.


    I had lost.


    I had clearly, clearly lost.


    And yet¡­


    What is this ecstasy that I¡¯m feeling?

 Chapter 68 Starfall (5)

    ¡®Strange, I was clearly aiming for his heart. Why did it steer off course?¡¯


    Sirius pursed his lips and questioned himself. In the beginning, he had looked down upon this Jin Valter character and saw him as nothing more than a buzzing mosquito that harmed his sister. However, as the month transpired and he¡¯d learnt more about this pest of a man, Sirius gradually changed his opinion.


    Firstly, Jin discovered and chased away the Shadowfiends the first time, notifying the Moonreaver House of the oing Vampire civil war. Next, he managed to defeat Talon Bloodborne, a supposed elite of the Shadowfiends and saved Lilith from certain kidnap. Finally, he heard of Jin¡¯s odd powers of Spacetime and Creation.


    Not to mention, the man was a mere disabled person a few months back.


    Sirius found Jin¡¯s growth extremely strange. That¡¯s why, even though it went against his principles to go all out against a junior, the Moonreaver Lord brought his mythical weapon along. He didn¡¯t want any excuses to lose against Jin, and his decision would prove right.


    While his magic power was still inferior due to his age, the variety and potency of spells were nothing short of spectacr. Even Sirius, someone who was hailed as a genius from a young age, couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Jin¡¯s prodigal capabilities.


    If Jin wasn¡¯t gunning for his sister, Sirius might have been tempted to lure him to the Moonreaver House.


    ¡®Whatever, he won¡¯t be able to recover from this injury anytime soon. It¡¯s my win.¡¯


    Sirius arbitrarily decided the oue of the duel and loosened his grip on the Stardevourer. He knew that he¡¯d won, so there was no longer any need to torture the young man. All that was left to do was to send him away from the Moonreaver Dimension and far away from his sister.


    At least¡­ That was what he¡¯d thought.


    ¡®What?¡¯<sub>-.</sub>


    Rather than fold and fade away into the night, Jin somehow managed to stay conscious. Using his left hand, the bloodied, fallen warrior grabbed hold of the Stardevourer and attempted to wrest control over it from Sirius.


    ¡®Hmph, ignorant fool. You should stop your useless struggle.¡¯


    Sirius didn¡¯t bother to stop Jin¡¯s futile attempt. Mythical weapons like the Stardevourer weren¡¯t just a piece of scrap metal. They were true marvels of creation that possessed their own connate consciousness. While they didn¡¯t have intelligence like living creatures, they had their own innate idiosyncrasies.


    The Stardevourer in particr. Because it had been fed the essence of the Moonreaver House¡¯s best fighters, only those who possessed the Moonreaver bloodline and those who had the potential to surpass its previous owner could wield its power. When Sirius first ¡®inherited,¡¯ the Stardevourer, he had to spend ten years just to make it acknowledge him and ten more to unlock all the abilities thaty within.


    A mere two-month-old Vampire that was just recently a human? Yeah, Jin stood no chance against the will of the Stardevourer.


    And yet¡­


    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯


    The Stardevourer. The mythical weapon forged by the top minds of the Moonreaver House. The symbol of Sirius, the Moonreaver House¡¯s strongest warrior. The infinitely growing weapon and the apex power of the Asterias¡­


    Was shaking violently.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?!¡¯<sub></sub>


    Sirius fell into a state of panic. Never in his life had he seen the Stardevourer behave in this manner. It had always been the indomitable spirit, never bending to any Moonreaver that attempted to conquer it and never yielding to any enemy, even if it were the most powerful Outer Demons humanity had ever faced.


    And yet, the Stardevourer was shaking.


    Due to Sirius¡¯ connection with the mythical weapon, he could feel the innate emotions of the Stardevourer. It wanted to separate itself from Jin as quickly as it could. It was begging Sirius to run away. It was¡­


    Afraid.


    ¡®Why are you behaving this way?¡¯


    Sirius was unable toprehend the current event. He was on the precipice of defeating Jin, so why was the treasured mythical weapon behaving this way? And that¡¯s when Sirius made the first mistake since agreeing to this duel.


    He looked up.


    ¡®¡­ What?¡¯


    Sirius¡¯ gaze shifted from the rapidly vibrating Stardevourer to the bloodied Jin who was supposed to be defeated. However, rather than falling to the floor, Jin¡¯s body stoodpletely upright as one of his hands grabbed hold of the ive, halting its imminent retreat. With strength that he wasn¡¯t supposed to have, Jin locked Sirius in ce, keeping him just inches away from his face.


    The man that should have fallen, was now staring deep into Sirius¡¯ soul. His bloodied body and pale face should have signified his defeat. But Jin was clearly standing. By some mysterious means, Jin was putting on one final stand and held Sirius down.


    But as someone with amplebat experience, Jin¡¯s new lease of physical strength wasn¡¯t enough to hold Sirius for long. If the Moonreaver Lord wanted to, he could break free from Jin¡¯s restraints at any given time.


    And yet¡­ He couldn¡¯t.


    Why?


    ¡®¡­ What¡¯s this?¡¯


    At that moment, the world seemed to freeze in Sirius¡¯ consciousness. Not a single cry from Lilith mattered. Not a single vibration from the Stardevourer mattered. Not a single ray of moonlight mattered. At that moment¡­ Sirius was sucked into a world where his consciousness was independent of his body.


    The Moonreaver Lord was unable to move a muscle in his body. Like a man suspended in Spacetime, Sirius felt like he was watching himself from a third-person view. And the reason why¡­ were Jin¡¯s majestic eyes.


    The pupils that were meant to be obsidian ck had turned royal crimson. Majestic, red rubies that glowed as beautiful as the Blood Moon itself. Heck, Sirius felt like he was staring at two Blood Moons directly. But the man wasn¡¯t in the mood to admire the scenery.


    The moment they locked eyes, Sirius felt his entire world change. All of his power, which he hadplete confidence in, had beenpletely drained away. The scent of purgatory mes tickled his nose as an illusory death rose bloomed before his eyes. Staring into those eyes, Sirius felt like he was watching the universe spin. Before such grandeur, the Moonreaver Lord could only freeze up and stand rooted to the ground.


    And for the first time in centuries, Sirius felt an emotion he¡¯d thought he buried¡­ An emotion that he¡¯d killed when he inherited the Sirius name¡­ An emotion that no leader of a Guardian House should have¡­


    Fear.


    Just like the Stardevourer before him, Sirius felt an iprehensible dread when facing Jin. It was like an ant staring down a mountain, a facing the wrath of a ck hole. Jin¡¯s mysterious power overwhelmed the thousand-year-old Vampire, and his mental capacities were fried in the process.


    Sirius didn¡¯t think to run because he couldn¡¯t think at all. Paralysed by the fear that engulfed his entire being, Sirius could not speak, move or even stop toprehend what was going on. All he could see was Jin¡¯s red-stained lips, breaking into a confident smile.


    ¡°This is payback from before, you fucking siscon!¡±


    With what little strength he had left, Jin sent his fist flying into Sirius¡¯ chest. Unable to cast any spells or move his body, Sirius could only watch in horror as the clenched hand drilled a hole through the central region of his chest, just like he did to Jin many moons before.


    Flesh and bone were sent flying out from the back of the man, all while fresh blood stained the hand that purged through Sirius¡¯ chest. And at that precise moment, Sirius¡¯ broken mind had finally registered what was going on.


    Perhaps it was the pain of an injury he hadn¡¯t suffered in decades. Or maybe it was the fact that Jin¡¯s mysterious intimidation had subsided, giving the Moonreaver Lord a chance to regain control over his body.


    The moment Sirius had regained control over his consciousness, the man abruptly kicked Jin with all of his might with a mixture of fear and anger. Jin, who had already been weakened throughout the battle, was unable to muster any kind of defence. Like a kite that had its string severed, Jin was flung up into the sky, only falling dozens of metres back.


    Fortunately, before Jin¡¯s motionless body could bounce on the floor, Lilith¡¯s hand moved as a simple levitation spell was cast, cushioning the man¡¯s fall. Jin¡¯s face was full of sweat, his injuries had yet to heal, and his body was falling apart from excessive use of magic power. And yet, the man was able to put up a triumphant smile.


    And why wouldn¡¯t he?


    Even though Jin¡¯s body was battered beyond belief. Even though Sirius¡¯ injury would heal within seconds. Sirius¡¯ crimson blood was clearly on his hand. It was undeniable proof that he had won the duel, the impossible duel that everyone thought he would lose.


    And most importantly¡­ He had aplished his mission.


    Grabbing hold of his lover¡¯s hand, Jin dered:


    ¡°L-Lilith¡­ I won! I fucking won!!!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, you did!¡± Unable to hold back her tears, Lilith held tightly onto her battered bloodmate¡¯s hand and nted a kiss on his fingers.


    ¡°I-I promised you, d-didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I promised¡­ t-that I woulde to Starfall to pick you up!¡±


    In his fervour, Jin suppressed the pain and agony he had suffered. Magic fatigue was quickly setting in, and his eyelids felt heavier than ever. The only thing keeping him awake was his desire to see his lover¡¯s eyes as he delivered on his promise.


    ¡°Y-yes! Yes, you did!!!¡± Lilith¡¯s beautiful face broke into a dazzling smile. She held onto Jin¡¯s hands tighter than she would a diamond ring, and she leaned in close to his ears. ¡°You¡¯ve won, and you can collect your prizeter. But now¡­ You should rest.¡±


    Lilith ced her hands above Jin¡¯s eyes, and a soft chant escaped from her lips. With her soothing voice hanging over his body, Jin felt sleepier than ever before. Every muscle in his body rxed and his mind, which was already weaving in between consciousness and dreand, finally caved in.


    ¡°Rest now; leave the rest to me.¡±


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    As his world faded to ck, thest thing that Jin saw¡­


    Was Lilith¡¯s tearful smile.

 Chapter 69 The Second Night (1)

    I woke up with the sound of the shower crackling with a ray of moonshine permeating my skin. The world was spinning, and my head was riddled with bits of permeating pain. And the sound of the showers didn¡¯t help. It felt like a throbbing headache that couldn¡¯t go away, no matter how much I attempted to punch it out.


    Yes, it felt exactly like a hangover.


    Raising my neck up, I supported my back on the bed¡¯s headrest and carefully observed my surroundings. I was lying on a familiar bed, with nothing but my pyjamas bottoms on. My body was slightly ufortable, but there weren¡¯t any signs of injuries, given that I had superhuman regenerative abilities. s, even my regeneration could do nothing about this fucking headache that I was getting.


    I mmed my head with the bottom of my wrist and attempted to recall what happened when I passed out.


    If I remember correctly, I had a duel with Sirius. He kicked my ass and eventually revealed that he could phase through objects. Seriously, what a broken character. Not only was he the strongest Moonreaver on the, but he could phase through attacks. Didn¡¯t that mean I couldn¡¯tnd a single hit on him?


    Urgh, what happened next, though?


    We fought for a while; I used my named spells, which drained all of my magic power until eventually¡­


    Wait a second¡­


    Didn¡¯t I manage to pierce his chest?


    Hold on!!! That wasn¡¯t a dream, was it? I really managed to drill my hand through his body! Jesus, does that mean that I won? Against Sirius Moonreaver? Goodness, what happened next?! Was Sirius going to uphold his promise?! Will I get to live with Lilith in the future?!


    Fuck, what happened?! I just had to pass out at the best time!!!


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to wait long to get my answer. When my mind began to clear, I finally remembered the room that I was in. I had slept in this room since I arrived at the Moonreaver Dimension, and the things I¡¯d done on this bed weren¡¯t allowed to see the light of day. Well, of course, we didn¡¯t go all the way yet, but due to my previous experience with Irina, I¡¯d corrupted Lilith by showing her a move or two.


    The room was still the same. I was dressed in the exact same negligee as before. No, I was dressed a little kinkier. Without my shirt on and without any form of underwear, I was just one pull away from revealing my package.<sub>-.</sub>


    And well, the only person who could possibly dress me this way was just about to show herself.


    Lilith, who had been washing in the shower, emerged with a bathrobe draped over her shoulders and a towel wrapped around her neck. Enticing spring aroma from her silky blonde hair previewed the arrival of Spring, as with each step she took, my face perked up with anticipation.


    Her gorgeous vale eyes blended together with her steamy white neck, making it impossible for me to look away. Although her bathrobe was baggy, it couldn¡¯t hide the immacte contours of her perfect body. Not to mention the white thighs that betrayed the fact that she was wearing nothing underneath.


    And finally¡­ Her neck¡­ Her fucking neck.


    It was perfectly ced in my peripheral vision. My mouth began to salivate, and my teeth were starting to show. I wanted to pierce my fangs into that milky, white nape and suck the life out of this gorgeous woman. But before my primal senses could overwhelm my mental functions, I was disrupted by Lilith disappearing from my vision and leaping into my chest.


    ¡°Jin! You¡¯re awake!¡±


    ¡°Lilith?¡±


    The first thing I noticed was the sweet smell of shampoo. I have been with Lilith for over a month now, and I knew very well what she smelt like. And while she usually smelt great, this addedyer of scent brought something I¡¯d never experienced before. She was most likely wearing a host of products, from makeup to perfume, from shampoo to deodorant. It seemed odd to notice these things when her face was drizzling down tears, but I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    That was how alluring this girl had be.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I smiled as I rubbed the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m good now, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lilith separated her face, showing her tearful smile again. ¡°You¡¯ve recovered perfectly!¡±


    ¡°Haha, how long was I out?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Half a day,¡± Lilith exined with her arms firmly glued to my waist. ¡°You were suffering from ack of magic power, and I didn¡¯t know how long it would take for you to wake up! For you to recover in half a day¡­ Your Vampiric blood must be stronger than we¡¯d expected!¡±


    Hoh? After thoroughly exhausting the tank, I was incapacitated for a few hours? That¡¯s not good. Luckily, nothing happened this time. My guess is that Lilith protected me before that bastard Sirius could do anything to me. But still, this w can¡¯t be overlooked.


    I can¡¯t be fainting every time I exhaust myself! Tsk, I will need to research countermeasurester, but for now¡­


    ¡°You were thinking about training again, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Lilith pouted as she watched my face turn. After being with me for over a month, the girl had learnt all of my tells and had a near-telepathic connection with my thoughts. It was as if she could guess my next move even before I thought of it. Smiling, I desperately changed the subject.


    ¡°O-Of course not! A-Anyway, since I¡¯d passed out, I¡¯m unsure about what happened next. Could you fill me in on the details?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure that I trust you when you say that, but whatever.¡±


    Fortunately, Lilith wasn¡¯t going to press the issue and happily agreed to my request. However, she made sure that we were seated next to each other, her thigh ovepping with myp before she began her recollection.


    Lady¡­ Are you trying to make me pounce on ya?!


    Nheless, I was a dignified man. I wasn¡¯t going to behave in an unseemingly manner. At least¡­ not yet.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what happened after you defeated my brother¡­¡±


    ???


    Moonreaver Dimension. Moonreaver Lord Mansion.


    Many moons had passed since the Moonreaver-Bloodborne war. Although the war onlysted for a single day, the damage done to the Moonreaver Dimension was irreversible. Towering monuments that had stood firm since the dawn of their creation were now in shambles. Dozens of magnificent castles had been burnt violently, leaving nothing but ashes behind. Broken rock littered the Moonreaver Dimension while hundreds of Blood Servants worked around the clock to bring back the grandeur of their demolished home.


    And the Moonreaver Lord¡¯s mansion was no different.


    After the siege from the Fifth Consort and the full-on assault by the Bloodborne elites, half of the mansion had been utterly destroyed. And while the Lunar Throne was still intact, most of the grand hall had been reduced to rubble.


    The Moonreaver Dimension¡¯s destruction was a pain in the ass for the Moonreaver family executives. And the one who was feeling most of the heat was none other than the Moonreaver Lord himself.


    Even though the Bloodborne House had surrendered and willingly agreed to pay reparations, Sirius¡¯ job didn¡¯t get any easier. Day after day, he had to attend meetings, meet with architects to n new buildings, listen to the High Elders nag about his ipetence for letting the Bloodborne House invade¡­ The list of internal affairs that Sirius had to handle was endless.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the leading cause of the Moonreaver Lord¡¯s concern.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius spent his rare day-off brooding on the Lunar Throne. His arms rested on the armrests, and his beautiful whiteplexion had turned ghastly pale. Many of his most trusted subjects were standing right before him, showing visible concern on their faces.


    ¡°My Lord¡­ Shouldn¡¯t you get a change of clothes?¡±


    ¡°Leave me be,¡± Sirius nkly blurted out. ¡°Leave me¡­ be¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Those who didn¡¯t know of the duel could only scratch their heads as to why their Lord was wearing a shirt with a hole in the centre, tantly showing his chest and nipples. However, since Sirius had ordered them to leave the matter alone, they didn¡¯t dare to broach the subject.


    Cape Moonreaver, the woman who knew the true cause of Sirius¡¯ck of reaction, couldn¡¯t help but intervene:


    ¡°Sirius, it¡¯s unsightly. You may not care, but your image is important as the Moonreaver Lord who rules from the Lunar Throne.¡± The female knight snorted. ¡°At least wear a coat over your shirt.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Get a coat.¡±


    Sirius didn¡¯t argue and gestured for a female Blood Servant to fetch something to cover himself with. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but reach towards his bare chest, rubbing it ever so asionally as if he were in disbelief.


    ¡°Sirius, what happened? I know you would have won that duel if you didn¡¯t freeze. It¡¯s not like you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sirius looked down at Cape for a few seconds and received the coat from his Blood Servant with a cold gaze. Shaking his hand, Sirius dismissed all of his subordinates other than Cape, leaving the two of them alone in the Hall of the Lunar Throne.


    ¡°Cape¡­ Has your Stargazer ever felt¡­ fear?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? These tenacious mythic weapons would even stand up to ancient monsters like Matriarch Innocence or the Bloodborne Ancients. Heck, your predecessor used the Stardevourer against a Demon Lord! How could they ever feel fear?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought¡­¡±


    Sirius raised the Stardevourer that had remained silent ever since the duel ended. What he felt wasn¡¯t a hallucination, nor was it an illusion spell cast by Jin to throw him off. At that time, Sirius and the Stardevourer felt the same innate, primal¡­ fear.


    Jin hid something dangerous within him, whether he knew it or not. If he was in control of that ¡®something,¡¯ he might one day grow into the world¡¯s greatest fight. However, if he was unable to bring that monster under his reigns¡­


    ¡°Shit! And I can¡¯t just force Lilith to stop seeing him!¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ Don¡¯t you think that you should stop blocking your sister¡¯s love? I know that you¡¯re a siscon, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it from you!¡±


    Sirius scoffed at Lilith¡¯sck of awareness. The only reason why he¡¯d developed such a strong siscon nature was because he modelled how siblings should behave by observing Cape and Lisa interact. In the end, he developed the same obsessive, overprotective nature that Cape had.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right¡­ Lilith is a grown woman now; I can¡¯t keep sheltering her from the world.¡±


    ¡°Plus, you have to uphold your end of the bargain.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Sirius shook his head and turned around. As much as he hated to admit it, Sirius had lost to Jin fair and square. And now that Lilith had a legitimate cause to leave, there wasn¡¯t anything that Sirius could do to prevent her departure. Yet, the Moonreaver Lord couldn¡¯t help but shake the feeling that something was off with Jin.


    That power that he possessed wasn¡¯t natural. It was something beyond hisprehension, and nobody knows if that dangerous power wouldn¡¯t point its head at Lilith¡¯s naive and feeble body.


    If only Sirius had a way to protect her. Since reconstruction had just begun, there was no way that Sirius could leave his post. And judging from how she firmly went against him after the duel was over, Sirius knew that apanying Lilith physically was unreasonable.


    If only there was someone who was free and shared the same overprotective nature as he did.


    ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Cape felt a shiver run down her spine as her Lord looked at her as if she were a piece of fresh meat. After a thousand years, Cape knew every facial expression of Sirius and knew that something terrible would happen. However, before she could make her grand escape, Sirius¡¯ arm grabbed hold of her cor.


    ¡°Hey, I have a favour to ask of you¡­¡±

 Chapter 70 The Second Night (2)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don¡¯t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    ¡°And that¡¯s what happened after you passed out.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I nodded my head and started to summarise the information that Lilith had given me. Firstly, it wasn¡¯t a hallucination; I actually defeated Sirius in a duel and won Lilith¡¯s freedom. Which came as a huge relief, given that I was on the ropes during thest leg of the battle. I don¡¯t know how, but I managed to grab hold of the Stardevourer andnd one single clean hit onto Sirius¡¯ chest. And while it seemed like Sirius had dropped his guard for some reason, a win¡¯s a win.


    Next, while Sirius was still reluctant to let Lilith out of his sight, he couldn¡¯t go against his own word, particrly since he was the Moonreaver Lord. After a few hours of back and forth, Sirius finally acquiesced and agreed to let the girl go off with me on my journey. However, it seems like a guardian would be assigned to her.


    Honestly, what a siscon. But, I agreed with Sirius¡¯ move. While I was going to protect Lilith with my life, there may be times when I couldn¡¯t be with her. Plus, having an elite Moonreaver by my side wasn¡¯t all that bad. After all, I was still new to High Vampire society. If I had the guardianship of the Moonreaver House, getting into ces and finding out information would be much easier.


    And finally, it seems like the Moonreaver House would provide me with the funds and aid needed for my journey. Well, they weren¡¯t going to fund me per se; they were giving money so that Lilith could livefortably while away from the Moonreaver Dimension. Apparently, they were given a substantial reparation fund from the Bloodborne House and had plenty of cash to spare.


    Good¡­ Now that I had the support from the Moonreaver House, reuniting with thest two girls just became infinitely easier.


    While Lilith and Irina were reluctant to tell me more information about the final two girls, I did my due research. Fortunately, they were treasured daughters from two other Guardian Houses. Visiting them was just a matter of teleporting over using the Warp Gates, which connected the Moonreaver Dimension to their home base.


    Two other Guardian Houses, huh? I hope that they won¡¯t have any more familial problems¡­ If I had to defeat yet another Patriarch or Matriarch, I think I might die of exhaustion.


    But, if that¡¯s what it takes to get those four girls by my side¡­ I¡¯ll do whatever those Guardian Houses throw at me.<sub>-.</sub>


    s, that was future me¡¯s problem. The current me had a more pressing matter to attend to.


    ¡°Lilith,¡± I reached out and grabbed the fragrant girl by the waist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I took so long. Now, we can finally be together.¡±


    Lilith¡¯s vale eyes brightened, and her cherry lips soon blossomed into a smile. Pecking her lips together, she brought her face closer to mine andnded a soft kiss on my lips. At the same time, she repositioned her body so that her waist was firmly rested on mine.


    ¡°My little fool,¡± she whispered into my ears lovingly. ¡°You suffered because of me, and now you¡¯re apologising? What logic is that?¡±


    ¡°My kind of logic,¡± I replied while sliding my hands up her bathrobe. ¡°You¡¯re my lover, aren¡¯t you? I would do everything in my power to keep you in my hands.¡±


    ¡°Asshole¡­ This is the reason why all four of us fell in love with you.¡±


    At this point, Lilith was unable to hold back any longer. She pressed her face into mine, glueing our mouths together. Our two tongues soon found each other, gingerly swirling together as if trying to assert dominance with one another. Lilith¡¯s distinct Spring taste bloomed within my mouth as her saliva mixed with mine, overwhelming my sensory organs altogether.


    Lilith only let me go after two whole minutes of debaucherous oral action. cing both her hands on my shoulders, the ungodly beauty locked her vale eyes with mine and smiled:


    ¡°However¡­ I¡¯m not your lover yet. You have yet to return my soul to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is it going to be tonight?¡±<sub></sub>


    I couldn¡¯t see myself, but I was certain that a lustful smile had crept on my face. Truthfully, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I had been holding back for over a month now. I went from tasting the forbidden fruit of a woman for the first time to staying celibate for a month. Not to mention all of the teases I got whenever I went to suck Lilith¡¯s blood.


    I had every right to feel aroused right now!


    To motivate me to train harder and, more importantly, because of the spies monitoring Lilith, I could not go all the way with Lilith. And in addition, Irina was still hard at work in the Dimensional Domain, trying her hardest toplete her own domain.


    But now that I had won the duel and there weren¡¯t any signs of Sirius¡¯ spies¡­


    It was time.


    ¡°Wait for a moment,¡± Lilith ced her finger on top of my lips, gently pressing me down before I could turn into the perverted monster she was expecting. She ced her hands on my chest and matched our line of sight together. There was a mixture of ecstasy and unease within her eyes, and I could tell she wasn¡¯t in the same lecherous mood that I was.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Don¡¯t do or say anything. Lie there and hear me out for a bit.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Okay?¡±


    ¡°Jin, I love you. I love you more than I¡¯d ever thought I was capable of! I¡¯ve been thinking about you ever since I lost you that day. And truth to be told, while I wished to meet you once again, deep down inside, I was afraid.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You know how they say you shouldn¡¯t meet your heroes as it may end up in disappointment? I was afraid of that phenomenon happening to me. In my heart, you have been ced on a pedestal for so long. I¡¯d always thought that maybe¡­ Just maybe, my fascination with you might prove to be detrimental when we finally meet again. I was afraid that my love for you would be a figment of my imagination, and we wouldn¡¯t have the bond that I yearned for since we separated. And yet¡­¡±


    Lilith looked down at me, her face fully formed with a beautiful smile.


    ¡°Somehow¡­ You managed to surpass my fantasy. You made me love you even more. The image when you challenged my brother despite being weaker. The days of arduous training you suffered just to free me. And¡­ That memory of your face at Starfall¡­ It has all been burned into my mind.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, Lilith¡­ You¡¯re making me blush.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be too happy yet.¡±


    Lilith shut down my eager enthusiasm with a sneering smile. I didn¡¯t know what was hidden within that face, but I could tell that the mood had changed for the worse.


    ¡°I love you¡­ I love you so, so much! But¡­ I can¡¯t ept the fact that I have to share you with three other girls, even if they are my friends!!!¡±


    As they all say, jealousy brings forth the ugliest in all of us. Lilith¡¯s love for me had turned into an obsession. She hated the fact that Irina and the other girls existed and would do everything in her power to seize me for herself.


    ¡°Especially that bitch Irina!!! Fuck, I wanted your first time! I wanted to take all of your firsts! Your first kiss, your first time sucking blood, your first time in bed!!! I wanted all of them! I was the one who used the ritual to save you! So why does she get to reap all the benefits? Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!!!¡±


    The beautiful blonde goddess almost turned into a demon through that epic rant revealing her innermost thoughts. Come to think of it, Irina was much the same. She wanted me for herself so much that she rushed the ritual to turn me into a Vampire and ¡®kidnapped¡¯ me to hide me from the rest of the girls.


    Crap¡­


    Am I going to suffer a real-life boat ending?


    No, no¡­ No matter how obsessive they are, they wouldn¡¯t want to harm me, right? Tch, I¡¯ll need to find the sequel to ¡®How to train your harem¡¯ soon. Else, I might really end up in a boat with just my head.


    ¡°Lilith, calm down¡­¡± I repressed the fear that I was feeling within my heart and gently consoled the raging beauty. I embraced her shoulders and brought my lead hand to stroke her silky head.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re mad, so¡­ How can I make it up to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you ready to uphold that promise?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± I said with confidence. ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t harm the rest of the girls or me, I¡¯ll always do anything you say.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You sweet talker.¡±


    Lilith shook her head and gave a delightful smile.


    ¡°Irina may have taken all of your firsts, but there¡¯s one thing she has yet to im just yet. And I want you to give it to me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Finally, after teasing me for so long, Lilith¡¯s eyes turned into the ones that I wished to see. With our souls connected, I could feel her raging desire and the immense emotions that she hid so perfectly.


    Our hearts and souls were now firmly bonded, which just left one finalponent¡­


    Our bodies.


    Lilith took off her bathrobe, revealing the clothes that hid underneath. A whitece wedding dress that was tighter than a swimsuit. No, to call it a wedding dress would insult the pure tradition of matrimony. Other than the parts hiding herdy bits, the white lingerie waspletely see-through. I could see the distinct curves on her body. Everything from her perfect waistline up to her sultry swan-like neck.


    Good lord¡­ What was this cosy? It may turn me on even more than if she waspletely naked.


    Lilithughed as she saw my gobsmacked reaction. Not only that, she could see something rising beneath her, and with a knowing smile, the girl pulled down my pants and revealed my little brother that hade out to y.


    That thick, veiny rod that hadn¡¯t seen action in a month was now erect beyond belief. I¡¯d never seen it stand so tall since Irina and I shared our first time. And Lilith noticed it as well. Licking her lips, the girl whispered something in my ear that would dial my desire for her up to eleven.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Be my Bloodmate.¡±

 Chapter 71 The Second Night (3)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don¡¯t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    ¡°Jin¡­ Be my Bloodmate.¡±


    Bloodmate? Weren¡¯t Lilith and I already Bloodmates? Did we need to do something special for that to happen? I¡¯d always thought that being a Bloodmate was synonymous with being lovers.


    Seeing my confusion, Lilith didn¡¯t hesitate to enlighten me.


    ¡°Being a Bloodmate is simr to conducting wedding vows in human tradition. We will bind our souls together in a ritual,mitting our rtionship and sealing it with blood.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Another ritual? Won¡¯t that harm your soul?¡±


    Lilith shook her head and replied: ¡°No, the Bloodmate Pact establishes a connection between us, something that we already have. If anything, it might be easier to cast the Bloodmate Pact since you already have a quarter of my soul.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, Vampires separate all the time, and none of them wishes to be bound by an eternal contract that forces them to be together. The Bloodmate Pact is like the marriage contract you¡¯re familiar with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡±


    ¡°But there is one caveat¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    ¡°You see¡­ The Bloodmate Pact was created by the Vampire Progenitor in order to protect his consorts from being chased by any of his subjects. So, when someone enters into a Bloodmate Pact, there will be a distinct marker on their body, showing that this Vampire already belongs to someone else.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°So, like a wedding ring?¡±


    ¡°Exactly like a wedding ring!¡±


    Oh? So that¡¯s how it worked. I didn¡¯t expect to get married so soon, though. Not that I¡¯mining. I looked lustfully at the pure whiteced wedding lingerie that Lilith was wearing, and once again, my lower half did all the thinking.


    ¡°If Lilith knew how to cast the Bloodmate Pact, she would have left a mark on your soul. But from the looks of it, she has yet to do so.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I gave out a knowing smile. ¡°So you want to be my first Bloodmate?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I want to be your only Bloodmate.¡±


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± the blonde girl sighed heavily. ¡°I would be doing a disservice to you since you still harbour the other two¡¯s souls in your body. Also, while I hate Irina for doing what she did, her love for you is pure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    I could feel Lilith¡¯s pain. After all, no one wished to share their loved ones with another person. The only reason why Lilith still stayed with me even though I had three other girls was due to her obsessive love. Without it, the girl might have left me and gone to create a male harem of her own. Not that I¡¯ll allow it, though.


    ¡°So, will you grant me this wish? No, you will grant me this wish! I want to be your first Bloodmate, and that¡¯s final!¡±


    ¡°Haha, quite the assertive type, aren¡¯t you?¡± I chuckled happily and leaned forward to embrace the girl. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mind it. If it makes you happy, you¡¯re free to cast as many Bloodmate Pacts as you want.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°You¡¯ve promised me! There¡¯s no turning back now!¡±


    Lilith¡¯s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm far beyond my wildest imaginations. Her vigour was so high that I¡¯d started to have second thoughts about letting her have my way with me. But still, even if I wanted to go back, the girl was already in the middle of casting her magic.


    Runes of light appeared above her head and underneath my body. They orbited around in a clockwise direction, finally settling down into two magic circles between the both of us. One stuck itself on my chest while the other found its way onto Lilith¡¯s bosom. And before I could say anything, Lilith dove deep into my neck and sank her teeth with a little nibble.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡±


    Due to her sudden action, an audible moan escaped from my teeth. I¡¯d thought that the girl would continue with her feast, but she left my neck just as quickly as she approached it. Numerous drops of blood fell from her fang, but Lilith wasn¡¯t interested in all of them. She chose the thickest, warmest drop and suspended it in the air using the runes that were the bedrock for the ritual.


    As my drop of blood dropped onto the magic circle on my chest, a mysterious red string burst forth from the depths of my soul. It seemed ephemeral, just like a flickering me in the howling winds and at any given moment, it could be ripped to shreds.


    But Lilith wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.


    Using her sharp fangs, the girl sliced open a small wound on her thumb, drawing yet another drop of blood. This time, however, she ced the drop on her own magic circle, creating a new red string much like my own.


    Like two serpents doing a mating dance, the red strings of fate were drawn to each other. Swirling and twirling around in the air, their tips eagerly hoping to meet. There was no aversion, and neither was there any chance of the two being ipatible. It was as if¡­ The two strings were always meant to be together.


    And the moment they touched, a wave of euphoria tackled my mind. My mind, body and soul were all interconnected with Lilith¡¯s, pushing our desires for one another to a limit I¡¯d never experienced before.


    ¡°Jin Valter! Will you take me as your Bloodmate? Will you love me, cherish me, and be with me from this day to the end of your days?¡±


    Before our minds could be overwhelmed with lust, Lilith hurriedly shouted out her nuptial vows. It seemed rather abridged and rushed, but I guess Lilith wanted to get this over with. And well¡­ I wasn¡¯t one to deny my beloved¡¯s request.


    ¡°I do!¡±


    At that moment, the two red strings spun around into a knot, bringing forth yet another wave of thrill. However, the pact was not done yet.


    ¡°Lilith Moonreaver! Will you take me as your Bloodmate? Will you love me, cherish me, and be with me from this day to the end of your days?¡±


    ¡°I do! I do! I DO!!! I will never, ever let you go!¡±


    With our vowspleted, the two red strings merged into one. They created a knot that was nigh unbreakable, connecting our two souls together tighter than ever before. I could feel Lilith¡¯s heartbeat in mine. Her breath, her soul, her desires¡­ Everything was connected by the red string that served as a bridge between our bodies.


    As the heat settled down, the string faded away as if it never existed in the first ce. However, as proof of their existence, two runes that resembled love tattoos could be seen on each of our bodies. Lilith¡¯s one was ced directly above her heart on the milky white breast that was now fully in view. I couldn¡¯t see where mine was located at the moment because my eyes were currently preupied with the two bunnies that popped free in the midst of our ritual, and Lilith noticed.


    Lilith smiled and moved her hands onto her waist. Gingerly, the inexperienced woman pulled down her white panties and revealed the hidden garden that no man had ventured to before. Unlike Irina¡¯s, there was some bush covering her immortal cave. It had been trimmed nicely around the edges like a small floral oasis. And just like an oasis¡­ It was dripping wet.


    Lilith¡¯s distinct fragrance, which was already as alluring as can be, had been amplified once the floodgates were opened. No mere man could resist, let alone me, a pent-up man who had been enduring himself for about a month.


    My rod of lust instantly doubled in size, reaching its maximum length without any stimtion. Lilith looked down, somewhat apprehensively like a virgin would. No, since she really was a virgin, the girl had no clue whether her womanhood could take in such a massive thing. But still, her desire for me burnt down any hesitation that she had.


    Lilith pulled down her wedding dress from underneath her breasts and pulled the hem of her skirt up. And so, while the girl wasn¡¯tpletely naked, all of her essential bits were showing. Not to mention, there was some kink in doing it in a wedding dress. Perhaps, the girl liked to have cosy sex? If that¡¯s the case¡­ Well, I¡¯m a happy man.


    ¡°Jin, we are Bloodmates now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lilith¡­ Yes, we are¡­¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    Lilith dropped her body onto the bed and spread her legs wide. The hue of her cheeks was painted red as she reached down to her bottom lips shyly. And then, while using her white fingers to spread the hole that all men wished to explore, my Bloodmate whispered:


    ¡°Fuck me¡­¡±


    ¡°LILITH!!!¡±


    My reason snapped at that moment. My lower half did all the thinking as I skipped directly to the main dish. But truthfully, there was no need for forey. The Bloodmate Pact had already aroused us beyond belief. Heck, no amount of forey could make me desire another woman so much. The same could be said about Lilith. Her vagina was more lubricated than an oiled engine. If I wanted to go in, it would slide right through.


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±


    My member ripped through Lilith¡¯s hymen as if there wasn¡¯t any restriction there, forcing its way to Lilith¡¯s baby cave. The blonde goddess convulsed twice as if she had climaxed, sending waves of warm fluids onto my penis. And that was when I remembered¡­


    Virgin blood. Lilith¡¯s virgin blood.


    I wanted it.


    I WANTED IT!!!


    Ignoring Lilith¡¯s cry, I pulled out before we could climax together and ced my mouth down at her leaking, peachy womanhood. Viciously, I thrust my tongue into that tiny little hole and sucked every ounce of virgin blood that came from it. Lilith was moaning desperately as if she was trying to contain the pleasure. But s, I was experienced on this front.


    As far as my tongue could reach, I slurped. The mixture of her virgin blood, womanly liquids and overall taste of her fleshpletely took over my senses. I¡¯d always likened Lilith¡¯s blood to that of a Spring meadow with flowers blooming and morning dew rising. But tasting her right from the tap?


    Damn¡­


    There was a somewhat naughty taste to her virgin blood. It was as if all of the sweetest floral nectars in the world were blended into one, and a cup from the Spring of Immortality had been mixed in. Not to mention, Lilith¡¯s own taste was divine. Her insides mped down on my tongue, unwilling to let it go for a moment.


    I didn¡¯t know how long my oral actionsted. I only released my hold on her womanhood after Lilith sshed my face with two more squirts and when I was sure that I had scooped every single drop of her hymen blood.


    ¡°J-Jin¡­ Y-You were awesome¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m d that you liked it.¡±


    ¡°W-Where did you learn that?¡±


    ¡°I had some practice-¡­¡±


    Shit, I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned that! I only noticed the gravity of those words the moment they left my mouth. Lilith was plenty jealous enough, and if I mentioned that I had experience with Lilith here¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As I¡¯d anticipated, Lilith¡¯s soft panting abruptly stopped as her face of extreme pleasure turned quickly. She sat back up and stared right into my soul. With a pout, she asked:


    ¡°Hoh? So you did it with Irina, huh?¡±


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ This is frustrating¡­¡±


    Lilith scratched the back of her head with a little frustration in her eyes. However, that didn¡¯tst long as her next action was to push me squarely onto the bed, riding me on top in a cowgirl position. Without me moving, my manhood automatically found her immortal cave, merging Yin and Yang together in blissful harmony. And while I was desperately trying to contain the pleasure my veiny rod was feeling, the Moonreaver Goddess leaned right next to my ear and whispered:


    ¡°No matter¡­ Tonight, I¡¯ll make you forget all about Irina. Tonight¡­ You are mine.¡±

 Chapter 72 The Second Night (4)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don¡¯t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    ¡°Tonight¡­ You are mine¡­¡±


    Lilith¡¯s wet and sultry breath tickled my ears, making my member twitch in excitement within her petite body. Merging my manhood and her womanhood together, we indulged in each other¡¯s bodies as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The warmth of her insides gently enveloped me as if my member was the most precious baby in the world.


    As if she was afraid of losing me to someone else, Lilith wrapped her legs around mine while her face interlocked our lips together. The sweet aroma of her mouth and the tantalising tightness that my manhood was put under soon turned into a wave of euphoria that I couldn¡¯t resist anymore. And with my pleasure meter maximised, the first load, which I had been holding onto for the longest time, splurted forth within Lilith¡¯s insides.


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±


    Heated liquids dyed my hefty member in a different colour, softening my hardened penis in the process. Moans of enjoyment broke free from both our mouths as Lilith looked down at me, somewhat disappointed.


    ¡°You¡¯re done already? I didn¡¯t expect that you were such a¡­ quickshot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±


    I instantly protested Lilith¡¯s ssification of me. No man wanted to be looked at as ipetent, andsting long in bed was imperative for a man¡¯s pride. But, the fact still remained that I could not resist for a few minutes after insertion.


    ¡°I had been holding back for quite some time, alright? Plus, we had plenty of forey with the Bloodmate Pact.¡±


    ¡°Excuses,¡± Lilith chuckled and ced her index finger on my mouth to silence it. The look on her face looked like she caught her son, who had his hand in the cookie jar. ¡°Did it really feel that good? Was it better than Irina¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Why was everything apetition with this girl? Tsk, I can¡¯t just let her walk all over me like this.


    I pushed Lilith onto the bed with a spin, revealing her half-naked body for my viewing pleasure. The wedding dress was now in tatters, with most of the fabric stretched out beyond repair. However, there was legitimate immorality to seeing a maiden dressed in pure white, spreading her legs for my sexual appetite.<sub>-.</sub>


    Not to mention, that immacte white neck of hers was just bringing saliva to my mouth. I pushed my mouth onto the side of her face, gently making my way down to her lustful, bare shoulders. My tongue gave the milky, soft neck gentle lubrication before my Vampiric teeth sunk in for the kill.


    Lilith¡¯s sweet, crimson blood flowed earnestly into my mouth, filling both my stomach and increasing my sexual desires. Now that we were under the influence of the Bloodmate Pact, Lilith and I sorely desired each other, far more than before. Especially when ites to consuming blood.


    The best way I could describe it was when I sucked Lilith¡¯s blood before; it felt like drinking raw, unprocessed water from a Spring Lake. Now, it felt the same way, but it had been distilled to be even more perfect than it was before.


    And the best part was¡­


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re hard again.¡± Lilith could feel my manhood growing as hard as diamonds within her body, and she looked down in utter surprise. ¡°I¡¯d thought that men needed to rest before they could go again.¡±


    ¡°Not your man,¡± I joked in good fun. ¡°If you want, we can go all night¡­ No, all week long.¡±


    ¡°O-One whole week? T-That¡¯s excessive, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°No, not in the slightest.¡±


    I had been holding back for over a month now. And now that Lilith was officially my Bloodmate, there should be nothing barring our rtionship. Even if Sirius came knocking asking us to separate, our soul bond is nowpletely unbreakable. Not to mention¡­


    I looked down at Lilith¡¯s current state, my eyes sparkling with lust. Lilith was already a one-in-a-million beauty, and her current sensual state only doubled her allure. Strands of blonde hair were spread all about the bedsheets while her ethereal vale eyes seemingly glistened like the stars of the night sky. The petite, small face that fit in my two hands evidently became tighter with the make-up she¡¯d applied in the bathroom before our marriage.


    The two little breasts that popped free from her wedding dress also added to my overall lust. Both of them were inverted before, but after all of that stimtion, they rose from the depressed caves they werefortable with, emerging with a vigorous splendour.


    I ced both my hands on the two buns, perfectly cupping them onto my hands. This beautiful face¡­ This decanter waist¡­ These ungodly breasts¡­


    Yeah, I could keep going all week, alright.<sub></sub>


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault, Lilith.¡±


    ¡°My fault? How?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Y-you!¡±


    Lilith¡¯s face blushed crimson, and her eyes wandered about, desperately avoiding eye contact with me. Jesus, you do know that your cute reactions are what keep me going, right? Lilith likely felt my love¡­ internally. She looked up at my face with an aggrieved expression and whispered:


    ¡°Be gentle, okay?¡±


    ¡°Toote for that!!!¡±


    My male body reacted just as it should, rising up in a wave of lust. With Lilith resting under me, I reached for her two white buns and started to give them a gentle knead. Like a baker massaging his bread, I gave Lilith¡¯s upper body the tender love they so deserved. At the same time, my mouth naturally moved in for a taste.


    Endorphins were released every time our bodies tenderly made love, and our faces had turned flushed from the action. Lilith¡¯s distinct aroma became more pungent by the second, and her womanly fragrance had only amplified my desire to mate.


    However, I took my time while thrusting my waist rather thanmitting to the action. Lilith¡¯s moans echoed within my ears as her voice went higher by the second.


    ¡°F-Faster¡­ M-More¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted me to be gentle?¡±


    ¡°F-Faster!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, alright then.¡±


    I moved my hands up from Lilith¡¯s chest and grabbed the girl by the head. Cupping them together like I was holding a basketball, I held Lilith in ce while my thrusts became more fluid and frantic. The tip of my manhood constantly found the entrance of Lilith¡¯s internal pce as a mountain of pressure held my body in ce.


    ¡°Lilith, open your mouth.¡±


    ¡°A-Ahhh¡­¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t know my intentions, my Bloodmate was obedient this time. Lilith¡¯s small, thin-lipped mouth opened up wide, showing off all of her pearly white teeth. I wasted no time and stuck my tongue down her throat, mixing both of our salivas together in harmony.


    The remnants of Lilith¡¯s blood still lingered in my mouth, and when her holy liquid was added to the mix, my taste buds went overdrive. I licked gluttonously as if not wishing to waste a single drop. All the while, my lower body was rapidly mming into Lilith¡¯s waist.


    The two of us indulged in the lustful activities for god knows how many minutes, or even hours. By the time I came to my senses, my body was drenched in sweat, and I could feel Lilith¡¯s perfect, petite body coloured by her own sweat as well.


    ¡°Lilith¡­ I¡¯ming again.¡±


    ¡°A-ah!!! A-ah!!! A-ah!!!¡±


    Lilith was too absorbed in her own pleasure that she seemingly couldn¡¯t hear my words. Her vale-coloured eyes had zed over, and her sweaty, crimson face betrayed the number of times she¡¯d been brought to heaven and back.


    ¡°This time¡­ I¡¯m going to do it as deep as I can, okay?¡±


    ¡°A-ah!!! A-ah!!! A-ah!!!¡±


    ¡°Here Ie!!!¡±


    My penis mmed into Lilith¡¯s perky vagina, and that massive beast found the entrance to the most private area a woman possessed. With all my might, I gave one final thrust, piercing through the cervix and shooting everything I¡¯d pent up into her uterus.


    Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!


    The swelling on my member contracted, sending surges of white fluids bursting into Lilith¡¯sher region. Unlike the first time I shot, I ensured that my manhood wasfortably ced deep inside Lilith. I didn¡¯t know how long I came, but at the end of it all, I could feel my balls being emptied out.


    Lilith¡¯s body convulsed wildly as well. Her legs twitched above my neck when I let out my load in her deepest parts, and her abdomen shook as if it was shocked that so much fluid was entering it.


    I slowly pulled out my manhood, revealing the puddle of white that I¡¯d left behind. Lilith, who had just been taken to the edge of heaven, was still in a daze, which gave me a little time to think.


    ¡°Lilith¡¯s soul¡­ Has it been returned to her? Oh, it has!¡±


    Just like it did with Irina, the moment I connected with Lilith in mind, body and soul, the one-quarter of her soul that had been inhabiting my body was quickly returned to her. Since I was too engrossed in the action, I couldn¡¯t pinpoint the moment where the soul returned, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    The only thing that was important was the fact that Lilith was now safe.


    ¡°Jin?¡±


    ¡°Lilith! How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Great¡­ Just a little dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s normal!¡± Iughed while I ced my hand on her petite head. ¡°It¡¯s probably your first time feeling this much pleasure, so even if you faint once or twice, it¡¯spletely normal!¡±


    ¡°You sure have a lot of experience¡­¡±


    Lilith sobered up quickly and pouted adorably. Goodness, is she still jealous of Irina? Even now?


    ¡°Lilith, you know that¡­¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± the girl shook her head to reassure me. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t think of other girls when I¡¯m with you, or else I¡¯ll go insane!¡±


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    ¡°And so¡­¡±


    Lilith¡¯s hand reached into the void as she rummaged through her dimensional pocket. After a few seconds, she brought out two unique costumes, one of a maid with cat ears and another of a butler with dog ears. With another flick of her fingers, the two costumes phased away and reappeared on both our bodies.


    I was donned in a fully formal butler attire. A three-piece suit, a well-knotted tie and even white gloves to top it all off. The only difference was the dog ears that protruded from my forehead.


    On the other hand, my lover had put on the most adoringly sexy cat maid uniform anyone had ever seen. Her tight curves were highlighted by the tight fitting of the ck and white Victorian dress and the most enticing thing of all¡­ Were the two white cat ears that emerged from her blonde head.


    Now on all fours, Lilith crawled towards me with yet another lustful look in her eye.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue until I forget all about the other girls.¡±


    Author¡¯s note: Hey, Yunniye here. I want to ask you guys one question. Do you think sex scenes like this are too excessive? Or are these scenes just right? I just wanted to make a quick poll, but I don¡¯t know how to do that here.


    Also, if you¡¯re here, thank you for reading ¡°My Vampire Little Sister!¡± You can support this novel by writing a review, leavingments or voting with power stones. Anything you do is much appreciated!

 Chapter 73 The New Era (1)

    Bloodborne Mansion. Bloodborne Throne Hall.


    The Bloodborne House. They were once a formidable noble Vampire House, with over a hundred thousand followers and millions of people lying under their feet. At the peak of their powers, they were a force that couldpete with the top countries in the world and had once stood toe-to-toe with the Holy Church.


    Ever since the Vampire Progenitor had changed the entire world by creating Vampires of all shapes and sizes, the Bloodborne House had been umting their wealth and influence. There was a point in history when the Bloodborne House was easily the wealthiest family in the world, with their worth rivalling entire countries.


    Gold, diamonds, property¡­ Anything valuable in the world was hoarded in the coffers of the mighty Bloodborne House.


    And yet¡­ The once mighty and opulent Throne Hall with towers of gold and crystal hallways¡­ was nowpletely empty.


    Very little of the Bloodborne¡¯s inherited wealth remained, and with the reparations, they needed to pay to the Moonreaver House, the once affluent House was nowpletely empty. They had no influence, no money, and most importantly, no societal presence in the Vampire World anymore.


    They were just¡­ A fallen House.


    But that was just on the surface¡­


    ¡°Talon Bloodborne, do you admit your sins?¡±


    Standing within the great halls of the Bloodborne House, one red-hooded figure stood menacingly with his hands behind his back. His facial features were obscured by the heavy hood, and his body structure waspletely hidden, but one word from hismanding voice was enough to send shivers down one¡¯s spine. And for the man kneeling right before him, he was desperately trying to hold back blood from spewing out from his mouth.


    ¡°High Elder, I was wrong!¡±


    Talon Bloodborne, the man who led the most elite Shadowfiend squad and the man who was once considered to be a rival of Sirius Moonreaver, was now shivering like a squirrel in front of this in old man. He didn¡¯t even dare to raise his head to address his crimes.


    ¡°We¡¯d given you a simple task. Kidnap the Moonreaverss. It¡¯s one thing to be stopped by an Asterias, but to lose to a mere child¡­ You have disappointed me, Talon.¡±<sub>-.</sub>


    ¡°Please punish me, High Elder!¡±


    ¡°Punish? Oh, we¡¯re far from that now.¡±


    The red-robed figure stepped down from his high chair and gently tapped his feet on the marbled floor. Almost instantly, Talon felt gravity increase tenfold as his knees created cracks on the ground. His head fell with a thud, nearly cracking his skull and bursting his brain free. The pressure didn¡¯t let him go scot-free, with it mounting every given second. Talon tried his best to resist and remain conscious, but there was nothing he could do against the man punishing him.


    ¡°You¡¯d failed your mission one too many times, Talon. I remember vividly telling you that this was yourst chance.¡±


    ¡°I-I a-apologise for¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to apologise for anything,¡± the High Elder scoffed and pointed his finger at the trembling Shadowfiend. Magic power trickled down from his fingers, and the gravity around Talon doubled every single second.


    Talon¡¯s body did well to resist the immense force under which he was ced, but even the mighty thousand-year-old True Vampire could not go against the might of the High Elder. Before long, blood was squeezed out from every hole in Talon¡¯s body. Be it his nostrils, eye sockets, ears, mouth or even the numerous pores on his skin. Shaking desperately, the Shadowfiend mustered all of his strength to raise his head, hoping to get onest plea for his life.


    s, the sentence had already been meted out.


    ¡°May your soul rest in hell.¡±


    The High Elder crushed his fist, and like a balloon squeezed too hard, Talon popped. Flesh and blood flew around the empty hall, staining it in a deep crimson hue. The mighty Talon Bloodborne, one of the most prolific killers of the Bloodborne House, had been killed¡­ just like that.


    ¡°Why did you kill him?¡±


    Horatio Bloodborne, the man in directmand of Talon, finally spoke up when the High Elder¡¯s punishment waspleted. However, it wasn¡¯t due to love or camaraderie that the Lord of Flies spoke.<sub></sub>


    ¡°We are currentlycking manpower. While he failed his mission, he was a valuable asset. We can¡¯t go killing our ownrades when the rest of the world is out to get us.¡±


    The High Elder smiled and rubbed the blood off his red robe.


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s to set an example, Horatio.¡±


    The High Elder didn¡¯t look bothered in the slightest that there was a mangled corpse in front of him and set forth to educate the ignorant Prince. Rubbing his hands, the High Elder gestured once, sending the signal for a few maids to clean the ce up. Only then did he switch his full attention to the man who asked the question.


    ¡°The Bloodborne House is at a crossroads now. Morale is low, and many of our followers and servants are thinking of abandoning us. Killing Talon, while regrettable, is a way to send a message to those who even entertain the thought of jumping ship. Also, it¡¯s a way to show that while we¡¯re still an organisation that doesn¡¯t tolerate failure.¡±


    Horatio thought about it for a while before finally rubbing his head in shame.


    ¡°Argh!!! All these brainiac subtleties are lost on me! Well, since you¡¯re our strategist, I¡¯ll trust your judgement, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you, Horatio.¡±


    The High Elder shed a rare smile, delighted that his nephew was smart enough to do his bidding without any questions. Moving away from Talon¡¯s crushed body, the High Elder invited Horatio to the side and poured him a ss of red wine. Well, it only looked like red wine, but it was actually freshly squeezed virgin blood from one of the many farms the Bloodborne House harvested.


    ¡°How is the Fifth Consort?¡±


    ¡°Not that good,¡± Horatio shook his head and took one sip of the wine. ¡°She lost to Sirius and a bunch of Asterias. It was a shock to her, and she¡¯s been refusing to meet anyone ever since then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± the High Elder sighed. ¡°Who would have thought that Sirius could contest with the Fifth Consort? That was a miscalction on my part.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault. The Moonreaver House wasn¡¯t known for itsbat prowess. So sending the Fifth Consort was the right move as she naturally counters them. No one could expect this generation¡¯s Sirius to be so powerful.¡±


    ¡°Still, it seems like I owe the Fifth Consort an apology. I¡¯ll visit her once we settle the reparations for the Moonreaver House.¡±


    The High Elder casually put the issue at the back of his head and continued to taste the sweet virgin blood that was recently harvested for his gluttonous self.


    ¡°Yeah, speaking of reparations¡­ Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why did you agree to those harsh terms? A hundred billion dors is no small sum, and weck money right now.¡±


    While the Bloodborne-Moonreaver War ended in their defeat, and it was natural for the Moonreaver House to demand reparations, the Bloodborne House didn¡¯t have to agree to that first amount. They could have haggled and possibly reduced the sum by a few billion. But before anyplex negotiations even began, the Bloodborne House had signed the ink to paper, fully agreeing to the terms the Moonreaver House had given them.


    The High Elder looked at his nephew with a cryptic smile before answering the man¡¯s question with yet another one.


    ¡°Horatio¡­ Have you ever yed Chess?¡±


    ¡°Chess? Of course, I have.¡±


    ¡°And how do you win a game of Chess?¡±


    ¡°You capture the enemy¡¯s king, of course.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± the High Elderughed and swirled his goblet of blood around. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re down all your pieces. As long as you take the opponent¡¯s king, you win. Our grand scheme doesn¡¯t rely on external vices like money or influences. What we need to do is aim for the king.¡±


    The High Elder turned around and took out an unappealing stone orb. There was nothing special about the sphere. There weren¡¯t any ostentatious ornaments, and there definitely wasn¡¯t anything valuable about the unassuming ball. However, the High Elder caressed it gently as if it were his own precious baby.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes it is.¡± The High Elder smiled in response to Horatio¡¯s mumbling. ¡°While the whole world believes that we¡¯re looking for the Ancestor¡¯s arm, our true motive was this stone orb. The Moonreavers had it hidden in their old vaults and either forgot or didn¡¯t know its true identity. That¡¯s why they left it in the mortal world rather than safeguarding it in the Moonreaver Dimension. The entire war was just a ruse for us to obtain this orb.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ve finally obtained it!¡±


    At this point, Horatio was unable to contain his excitement. He bounced happily as the High Elder ced the stone orb into a magical ss seal, suspending it in midair. With a maniacal smile on his face, the High Elder shed his own hand, sending down a river of blood onto the unmoving orb.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the unassuming stone to finally change. Cracks emerged on the surface, and the orb began to change within seconds. The ss seal that was protecting the sphere shook violently as if it was containing a magnitude ten earthquake within.


    Magic power, one that felt far more oppressive than any Vampire could ever feel, sent shockwaves through the Throne Hall as the stone orb finally broke free from its shell. Blood from the High Elder stained the insides of the stone orb in a deep crimson hue, which was fitting as it now housed the organ that loved blood the most.


    ¡°The Progenitor¡¯s Heart¡­ Father¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°We finally obtained it.¡±


    The High Elder and Horatio smiled so wide that their lips could touch their ears.


    ¡°We¡¯re now one step closer to Father¡¯s revival!¡± The High Elder couldn¡¯t help but exim. ¡°Once Father is resurrected, the whole world would kneel at our feet! This Guardian House nonsense will cease to exist, and everything will return to how it should be! All Vampires united under one House. The Bloodborne House!!!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Uncle!¡±


    Horatio bowed respectfully,plimenting the High Elder for a job well done. The whole world thought the Bloodborne House was crazy. Waging war against the Moonreaver House only to lose so terribly. However, what they failed to see was the thousands of years his Uncle spent nning this development.


    People thought that the Bloodborne House only wanted the Ancestor¡¯s arm from the Moonreaver House. But in truth, there were over twenty objectives the High Elder had nned for. One of which was obtaining the Ancestor¡¯s arm, and another to kidnap Lilith so that they could control the current Moonreaver Lord.


    And while those two ns failed miserably, the other hidden objectives had been obtained without anyone knowing. The most important one being the Progenitor¡¯s Heart.


    With the numerous sacrifices they harvested under the watchful eye of the Holy Church and the centuries of preparations, the Ancestor¡¯s revival was already ny percentpleted. Who cares about losing a hundred billion or being kicked out of the Guardian Houses?


    As long as the Vampire Ancestor was resurrected, the whole world would have to serve the Bloodborne House once more.


    That was the main reason the Bloodborne House didn¡¯t care about some useless reparations. Wealth, influence, status¡­ They were all insignificant in front of absolute power.


    ¡°Thank you, Horatio. However, the job is not done. We still need to find an appropriate vessel to call Father¡¯s soul from the dead.¡±


    ¡°Ah, speaking of that¡­ I have some news to tell you, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Hoh? What is it?¡±


    The High Elder sealed the Progenitor¡¯s Heart and turned to his beloved nephew. Horatio, being the astute follower that he was, had never let the High Elder down. If he had news to tell him, it was likely worth listening to.


    Delighted that he had gotten the High Elder¡¯s approval, Horatio smiled widely, revealing every single one of his pearly white teeth:


    ¡°You see, I met this boy in the Moonreaver Dimension¡­¡±

 Chapter 74 The New Era (2)

    ¡°Should I enter to pick her up?¡±


    Standing in front of a giant ss pyramid, I shifted my gaze between the gorgeous blonde girl by my side and the locked ck door. At that moment, I felt a tingle within my fingers, and my face froze up. Truthfully, I would rather face a thousand Sirius than prepare for what¡¯s toe.


    ¡°No, she should be arriving anytime soon.¡±


    Lilith answered my question with a beautiful smile. However, her eyes surely weren¡¯t expressing jubtion. Crossing her arms around mine, the girl stuck closer to me than we did in bed, ensuring that no gap could be seen separating our bodies.


    And her actions weren¡¯t without a good reason.


    Over a month had passed since Irina had entered the Dimensional Domain to train with Variel and Luminita. During that one month, several unbelievable things urred within the Moonreaver Dimension. From Sirius attacking out of the blue to the Bloodborne House¡¯s invasion to me training and finally beating Sirius.


    That one month was likely the longest one of my life.


    It might be hard to remember at this point, but the main reason why I was allowed to enter the Moonreaver Dimension in the first ce, was because of Everwinter House¡¯s deal with the Moonreaver House to enable Irina to train in the Dimensional Domain.


    Irina was going to train peacefully within the Dimensional Domain, the mystical creation of the Moonreaver House that allowed Lilith to grow exponentially quicker and develop her own domain, something that most Vampires covet. Fortunately, during the Bloodborne-Moonreaver War, the Bloodborne Housergely ignored the Dimension Domain and focused on the main enemies at hand. Whether it was because they feared the Everwinter House¡¯s wrath or they simply didn¡¯t know Irina was secluded there, I don¡¯t know. But the result was that Irina had more than a month of uninterrupted progress within the Dimensional Domain.


    And due to that, the girl grew at an unheard-of rate.


    From what I understand, Irina hadpleted her training ahead of schedule and was now ready to emerge from the Dimensional Domain.


    Logically, I would be over the moon to see my precious little sister once again. And don¡¯t get me wrong, I really want to see her again. I have been missing her dearly, after all. But with the advancements I¡¯ve made with Lilith¡­ I had to admit, I was afraid to see Irina¡¯s reaction.


    Irina was someone who loved me dearly. In fact, she loved me so much that she kidnapped me to prevent the other three girls from finding me. Irina¡¯s possessive nature was so bad that she¡¯d even fought in a fist fight with Lilith the moment they¡¯d met to keep me away from her. It was abhorrent behaviour in any circumstance, but s, I couldn¡¯t stay angry at the adorabless.


    Lilith was no better. The girl was so consumed with being by my side that she¡¯d almost waged war with the Everwinter House just to bring me back. And after the incident at Starfall, Lilith¡¯s obsession with me only grew until it reached a point where she was only satisfied if we became Bloodmates.


    And even after we consummated our love, Lilith was still insecure. She continuously stuck by my side; if she could, the girl would undoubtedly mark every corner of my body, telling the whole world who I belonged to.<sub>-.</sub>


    With Irina locked within the ss pyramid toplete her training, everything was peaceful for a time. But now that she was about to emerge¡­


    ¡°They¡¯reing out.¡±


    Hearing Lilith¡¯s words, I instantly snapped my head away from the girl and locked in my vision at the tall, menacing door. The seal that had been ced on the ck door slowly unravelled, and the structure rapidly changed. The beaming light emitted from the ss pyramid slowly dimmed out, leaving not a single ounce of magic power remaining. At the same time, the door that locked Irina in had been fully unsealed, revealing three distinct silhouettes.


    I was familiar with the first two that came out. Variel walked out with poise and elegance, much like his usual self. Meanwhile, Luminita was sauntering sideways, her eyes darkening beyond belief. It seems like the maid had quite a hard time within Dimensional Domain, likely due to taking care of Irina and her constant whining.


    But my gaze only remained on their appearances for less than a second. The one that drew my attention, the entity that took my breath away, and the ma that hypnotised my eyes¡­


    Was the woman who stood in between them.


    Over the past month, I¡¯d always thought I could reconstruct Irina¡¯s image in my brain at any moment. But I was sorely mistaken. Now that I¡¯d seen her again, my heart started to pound violently, my face flushed, and my throat chapped.


    Unbelievably, my little sister had be far more beautiful.


    Irina¡¯s long white hair that resembled that of the first snow of Winter flowed elegantly down her back and deep towards her waist. Her mystical, winter-grey eyes glistened with the light of a sereneke untouched by man or nature. Her feminine figure, which had beenpletely filled up, was now even more apparent with her enthralling, skimpy outfit, showing much more of her snowy white skin, which had seemingly be milkier and captivating.


    And most importantly, the aura around her had changed significantly.


    Not to say that she wasn¡¯t alluring before. The only way I could describe it was Irina used to have this childlike demeanour to her movements; no, her overall appearance seemed to hide a hint of adolescent rawness. But now, Irina¡¯s appearance is far more mature. It had been so refined that she looked more like a woman than a girl.


    It was all too¡­ enticing.


    ¡°Brother!!!¡±


    Irina¡¯s eyesnded on me, and her exhration was hard to miss. She shouted my name with pure bliss within her voice as she started to examine me from head to toe. Her adorable little feet shuffled forwards as if wishing to rush to my arms and thoroughly enjoy my scent. But, after taking two steps, her body momentum changed.<sub></sub>


    A myriad of emotions changed within her face. The happy smile Irina once had quickly turned upside-down. First came confusion, then shock, until finally¡­ That smile became a full-on rage face that burnt with the anger of a million volcanoes.


    ¡°LILITH!!!¡±


    Irina¡¯s sweet voice was reced with a banshee¡¯s screech that burst the eardrums of any who dared to listen in. The nails on her fingertips proliferated, and her wail generated a snowstorm equivalent to that of a major blizzard.


    Following the momentum of the cold winds, Irina flew right at Lilith with magic power sending tremors within the area. As if she¡¯d expected this reaction, Lilith raised her hand up and created an invisible wall within the dimensions, blocking any progress my angsty little sister had.


    ¡°LILITH!!! YOU DARE?! YOU DARE?!¡±


    ¡°Irina, calm yourself. You¡¯re embarrassing yourself in front of Jin.¡±


    ¡°HOW DARE YOU DO THAT BEHIND MY BACK?!¡±


    The two shared some cryptic messages, forcing me to create question marks in my mind. However, Irina made the next deadly move before I could ask any questions.


    ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!!!¡±


    The snowy-white girl raised both her hands in the air, and a torrential pressure descended upon the masses. Magic power, an amount I¡¯d never felt before from Irina, turned the grassy patch ofnd into an era of Winter ice and snow. Behind Irina¡¯s back, an image of a fantastical woman made out of snow appeared with a face resembling the Goddess¡¯ Vengeance. Holding her icy sceptre in one hand and a winter globe in the other, an imperial breath escaped from the Goddess¡¯ mouth, generating a blizzard that broke through Lilith¡¯s protection.


    However, Lilith wasn¡¯t taken aback. Instead, she let out a whistle of faint praise and said:


    ¡°Domain, huh? I¡¯d expected it, but seeing it with my own eyes is still a shock. You must be happy. It took me many months to create one, and you perfected yours in just one.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP AND DIE!!!¡±


    ¡°Haha, I can¡¯t do that now, can I? After all, Jin and I are now¡­¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!!!¡±


    Irina¡¯s power overflowed, and thousands of icy weapons appeared overhead. Spears, swords, scimitars¡­ You name it. The girl had reached a mastery over her Winter Sovereign Aspect that controlling every single one of those created weapons was as easy as breathing for her. Crushing her outreached palm into a fist, Irina sent all of those weapons flying, hoping to catch a taste of Lilith¡¯s refreshing blood.


    But before I had to intervene to stop the madness, Lilith snapped her fingers, sending all of the icy weapons into another dimension. Her pure vale eyes soon turned deep crimson, as magic power escted from her petite body. An illusion of a Blood Moon appeared behind her back as space around her distorted.


    Lightning coils crackled as they fell from Lilith¡¯s Blood Moon and struck violently at Irina¡¯s vicinity. However, none damaged the unimpressed girl as mirrors made of ice deflected all lightning bolts away.


    ¡°Come to think of it, we have never decided who was the stronger one, huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, I like that expression. I never really got along with you anyway.¡±


    The two girls stared at each other with looks that could kill a thousand people. With their domains fully deployed and magic power filling the sky, the two entered into a battle that could only be described by theplete destruction of life and creation as we know it.


    ¡°Good evening, Master Jin. Good to see that you¡¯re well.¡±


    However, a certain old man acted as if the apocalyptic battle wasn¡¯t happening and came up to me with a pleasant smile.


    ¡°Variel¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we stop them?¡±


    ¡°Ah, if you want my honest opinion, it would be better if we stayed out of it. The Young Miss has been missing you deeply, and she has looked forward to meeting you. However, her emotions took over once she saw you in that state. Don¡¯t worry; she should go back to normal after she lets off some steam.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s letting off some steam?¡±


    I saw Irina summon a Winter Dragon, which sent out a breath that could freeze an entire forest. At the same time, numerous mysterious runes created distinct white particles that seemed capable of freezing anything, be it eternally burning mes or the Earth¡¯s molten core.


    If that was just blowing off steam¡­ I can¡¯t imagine what it would be like if Irina was fully serious.


    ¡°Wait, you said something about the state that I¡¯m in? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you unaware? You¡¯ve signed a Bloodmate Pact with Miss Lilith, hadn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did. How did you and Irina know that?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, it seems like you¡¯ve been kept in the dark. You do know that the Bloodmate Pact creates a soul bond between two Vampires, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Lilith exined the ritual to me beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but did you know that your scent changes once you form a Bloodmate Pact?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    Now that was news to me. I¡¯d thought that the Bloodmate Pact only created a mark simr to that of a wedding band. I¡¯d never expected that my scent would actually change.


    ¡°It¡¯s a measure that most Vampires use to keep other potential troublemakers from sniffing around their spouses. The Vampire Ancestor was the one who created it to stop his consorts from being pursued by his subordinates. That way, when someone smells the Vampire Ancestor¡¯s essence on his consorts, they will know to back away.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ It had that function?!¡±


    I¡¯d never thought to smell myself, so I didn¡¯t know my scent had changed. s, it was far toote. Irina had smelt Lilith¡¯s essence on me, and she instantly knew that a Bloodmate Pact had been formed. Now I understand why Irina jumped at Lilith instead of into my loving arms.


    ¡°Yes, and since the Young Miss is quite obsessed over you, it may take a while for her anger to quell.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just form a Bloodmate Pact with her as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can! It¡¯s just¡­ She wanted to be your first, you see.¡±


    ¡°This again¡­¡±


    These girls are really making my head spin. I can¡¯t give my firsts to all of them, right?! Now that I think about it, what if the remaining two girls are the same? Jesus, what other firsts do I have left to give?!


    While my head was busy thinking of other ideas, the battle reached its climax. The two girls were now holding a head of sweat while holding onto their domains. Mountains had been destroyed, and forests wholly uprooted. One half of the battlefield had been turned into an arctic wastnd, while the other had be a river of stars with numerous craters on the floor.


    Apparently, they were evenly matched up till this point. But they were about to change all of that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you for touching Brother!!!¡±


    Lilith and Irina shouted at each other as they congregated their magic power for one final attack. All of a sudden, the Moonreaver Dimension began to quake. The sky was trembling in terror, and the ground showed signs of fear. Amazingly enough, the two possessed the power to bend nature to their will.


    Fuck me¡­ Perhaps the reason why I had to train so hard wasn¡¯t to fight other Vampires, Outer Demons and whatnot. It was to survive dealing with the women in my life.


    But still, I can¡¯t just cower back like a coward. They were my lovers, and so¡­ I should be the one who stops them.


    However, just before I could summon out my Soul Armament and join the battle, their domains dissipated away, and the magic power they gathered returned abruptly to their bodies. Unsure of what was going on, the two turned their attention to the skies, only to see a silver-haired knight floating in midair with a cross look on her face.


    With a wave of her finger, two of her clones rushed at Lilith and Irina respectively, detaining and preventing them from fighting anymore.


    ¡°Sister Cape! Unhand me!¡±


    ¡°Nope, I can¡¯t do that, Lilith.¡± Rather than address her in a respectful manner that she should, Cape frowned and sighed: ¡°I¡¯m your guardian now, so it¡¯s my job to stop you from doing anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°Guardian?!¡±


    Ah¡­ I see how that is.


    Looks like my little party just got a tad bit bigger.

 Chapter 75 Leaving the Moonreaver Dimension (1)

    ¡°Chase after them!¡±


    Deep in the middle of a rocky canyon, fifteen silhouettes leapt from rock to rock, chasing over dozens of shadows. However, those shadows weren¡¯t just formless entities, they were horrid monsters in all different shapes and sizes. Some of them were feral versions of apex felines like tigers or lions, while others were oundishly overgrown versions of ostriches and other sturdy flightless birds. But no matter what their features were, they all shared the same, distinct attribute¡­ They all weren¡¯t from this world.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let a single Outer Demon escape! Surround them now!¡±


    The fifteen humanoids continued their wild chase, not willing to leave a single inch for the Outer Demons. Amazingly, once they¡¯d reached an eptable distance, over half of the humanoids started to change rapidly.


    Their muscles expanded and their flesh-coloured skin was soon covered in grey fur. Their human heads extended in an unnatural manner, with their face being pulled straight out, turning into a savage image of a wolf¡¯s snout. Their hands turned into razor-sharp ws and their feet expanded to sasquatch-like proportions.


    ¡°Awoooooo!!!¡±


    Howls that could send chills down anyone¡¯s spine echoed through the canyons, stunning the Outer Demons for a moment as they unconsciously looked backwards. However, that was a brutal mistake. The moment they stopped for just one second, their chasers took advantage and pounced.


    Several of the half-man, half-beasts disappeared from their line of sight as they gushed forward faster than the wind could chase them. With the physical might surpassing that of any living creature on the, the predators sent flying ws through the Outer Demons¡¯ flesh, turning them into nothing more than a meaty paste.


    One after the other, the mythical beings tore their opponents to shreds. Like predators that hunted purely for sport, the half-men didn¡¯t bother to consume their prey. After killing one Outer Demon, they skipped to the next one. And the next one. And the next one. Eventually, the numerous Outer Demons had been reduced by half before the rest of the party even got involved.


    And that wasn¡¯t going to fly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the Werewolves hog the spotlight! We can¡¯t let them im all the credit!¡±


    One of the Vampires blurted out with a reddened face. Being physically inferior, the Vampires were exhausted by the chase and could only watch as their allies got one step ahead of them. However, now that they¡¯d caught up, there was no way they could let the Werewolves do all the work.<sub>-.</sub>


    All of the remaining Vampires rushed out with what remaining energy they had left and started to cast their spells. Fireballs, Earth Spikes, Lightning Strikes¡­


    A myriad of spells was cast, smiting down several of the remaining Outer Demons that were fortunate enough to escape the Werewolves¡¯ onught. And as it stood, the Outer Demons that dared to invade were going to bepletely wiped.


    But before the final Outer Demon could be exterminated¡­


    ¡°SCREEEEE!!!¡±


    ¡°Fucking-¡­!!!¡±


    A pterodactyl-shaped Outer Demon swooped in from the skies with its ws extended and beakpletely open. Being the predator it was, the Outer Demon didn¡¯t go for the physically superior Werewolves that ripped itspatriots into pieces, but rather, it aimed at the weakest link.


    An ignorant True Vampire, who had barely trained his body. Exhausted from all of the running, his senses were dulled significantly and he wasn¡¯t able to sense the danger until it was toote. The pterodactyl swooped in with a vengeance hidden within its furious eyes.


    If it was going to die, it was at least going to take one of its hunters with it.


    But before the Outer Demon could rip the heart out of its opponent¡­ A ck dart bolted faster than the speed of sound, crashing straight at the pterodactyl which sent it flying dozens of metres away.


    As the Outer Demon crashed onto the ground, it wailed out in agony, unsure of what foreign object had changed its trajectory. With a mournful yelp, it looked down at its chest, only to see a magnificent ck ymore protruding out of its body.


    It attempted to move, but the sword had impaled itself deep into the hard rock. And just before it could regain its bearings, a ck ember flickered from the edges of the ymore and it quickly ignited into a zing me which engulfed the Outer Demon whole.<sub></sub>


    The Vampire who was almost maimed by the Outer Demon gulped cautiously as it had almost had his soul reaped. And with bated breath, the man turned in the direction where the ck ymore hade from, hoping to figure out the identity of his saviour.


    And it didn¡¯t take long before the Vampire got his answer.


    Sashaying indifferently as if they weren¡¯t on a battlefield, a young woman that was covered from the neck down in an obsidian and silver battle suit emerged seemingly out of nowhere. The suit possessed high defensive capabilities, even though it was extremely slim-fitting which allowed the user to have a high degree of manoeuvrability and breathable air. Which was greatly needed, given that the woman was exceedingly tall and had extreme curves that would prove hard to restrain in battle.


    As the young woman approached the Vampire, she tapped once under her chin, which forcibly retracted the helmet which covered her face. At that moment, the Vampire that she¡¯d saved unwittingly sucked in his own breath as he marvelled at the perfect features of the female warrior who saved him.


    Her silky ck hair flowed effortlessly down to her shoulders, not extending a centimetre farther. However, that wasn¡¯t a bad thing at all, as they highlighted much of her unlined, sculpted face. Her pointed nose and small mouth seemed uncharacteristic for a rough warrior such as herself, but it only added to her charm. And most importantly¡­


    The woman¡¯s deep agate cat-like eyes.


    They stared deep into her opponent¡¯s souls, enticing any men who dared to peer within them.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Mistress Ysabelle!¡± The Vampire abruptly stood up in attention and saluted the woman. ¡°Thank you for saving my wretched life! I¡¯m deeply honoured that you took the time to save a worthless soul like mine!!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    The woman named Ysabelle frowned slightly and confirmed the safety of her subordinate. Once she realised that there wasn¡¯t any significant injury, she lost all interest in the man and turned away.


    ¡°Rest up. Once we¡¯ve annihted the Outer Demons, we¡¯ll be returning to camp.¡±


    ¡°U-Understood!¡±


    The ck-haired Vampire shook her head before turning to the other soldiers around her. Mainly, the Werewolves that were busy tearing the remnants of the Outer Demons flesh by flesh. Although she was appalled by the sights, the woman still walked up to them and said:


    ¡°Captain, pull back your men.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are your men too tired to continue?¡±


    In contrast to the respectful tone that the Vampires gave her, the Werewolves weren¡¯t as hospitable. They red back at Ysabelle as if they were insulted that a female Vampire was ordering them.


    Ysabelle¡¯s subordinates jumped at the insult and charged forward as if they wanted to make the Werewolf eat his words. However, the female warrior stopped them with an outreached palm and a shake of her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ve eliminated all of the Outer Demons that escaped from our. I¡¯m just informing you about that. However, if your men are willing to chase ghosts in the canyon, feel free to do so. I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Werewolf captain locked eyes with Ysabelle and fell deep in thought. After a while, the half-beast smiled, showing his sharp fangs and spewing out his disgusting, horrendous breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re a feisty one. I can see why our Alpha likes you. Perhaps it might be a matter of time before you join our family.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You stinking beast! How dare you insult our Mistress that way! Do you dare-¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold it!¡±


    Ysabelle stopped her subordinate from continuing any further by raising her hand. However, that didn¡¯t mean she would let that statement hang in the air. The agate pupils that coloured her eyes turned deep red and an obsidian fire wreathed around the poor Werewolf, like a serpent ready tond a killing blow.


    ¡°I have no interest in your Alpha, Captain. I hope you understand that. If not for our alliance, I wouldn¡¯t even spare a single second talking to him.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ Why are you fighting so hard? Don¡¯t worry, our Alpha will be sure to treat you gently.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You sure have a lot of guts for someone whose life is hanging in the bnce.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is my life truly in danger?¡± The Werewolf smiled horridly and ced his snout closer to Ysabelle. ¡°Do you really dare to burn me?¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s frown deepened as her created mes flickered like ephemeral tongues, none of them crossing the finishing line to scorch the Werewolf Captain¡¯s skin. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind at that moment but eventually¡­ Her mind had made its decision.


    ¡°ARGHHH!!!¡±


    The arrogant Werewolf, who had been beaming with confidence just moments before, was now engulfed in pale, white-and-ck fire. Unable to endure the heat, the Werewolf dropped onto the floor and desperately attempted to extinguish the fire.


    ¡°H-HOT!!! IT BURNS!!!¡±


    ¡°Captain!!!¡±


    The other Werewolves immediately rushed to their fallen leader, but they fell short of saving him as the mysterious mes were burning far too quickly. No matter what they did, the Captain was still wreathed in fire and had no chance of escaping.


    ¡°You bitch! Remove the mes at once!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that much won¡¯t kill him.¡±


    Ysabelle snorted and watched impassively as the man burned. Only after a full minute had passed, did the girl finally relent and pull back her created fire. s, the damage had already been done.


    Most of the fur on the Captain¡¯s body had been incinerated, leaving the Werewolf with nothing but scorched skin. Covered with third-degree burns, it would take multiple hospital and magical treatments for him to fully recover.


    But that wasn¡¯t Ysabelle¡¯s problem anymore.


    ¡°Y-You¡­ You dare to attack us?¡±


    ¡°If I were you, I would seriously consider shutting my mouth.¡±


    Ysabelle opened up her palm and created yet another one of those mysterious mes. Seeing that, the numerous Werewolves unconsciously backed away. And then, they chose the wise decision. Rather than deal with the female Vampire that could incinerate them in an instant, they tended to theirrade¡¯s wounds and kept quiet for the rest of the time.


    With peace restored, Ysabelle turned around and sauntered back toward her subordinates. That was when a middle-aged woman emerged from the darkness and started to whisper something into her ears.


    Ysabelle¡¯s face went through a myriad of emotions as the words poured into her ear.


    First, her anger turned into shock. Then, a radiant smile appeared on her lips. Until finally, a mixed grimace could be seen.


    Unknowingly, Ysabelle turned to a random position and gazed far into the distance, as if she was homing in on something that was far, far away. The emotions overwhelmed her and with a poignant cry, she whispered:


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±

 Chapter 76 Leaving the Moonreaver Dimension (2)

    Two weeks had passed since I¡¯d settled the duel with Sirius.


    Per our arrangements, the siscon was going to honour his agreement and allow Lilith to travel on the journey with us. Predictably, Irina wasn¡¯t thrilled with the fact that her number one rival in love was going to join us indefinitely, but my little sister reluctantly acquiesced. Needy as she was, the girl knew the importance of getting my soul whole.


    Plus, with Lilith¡¯s pull over the Moonreaver House, we were able to use the Warp Gates free of charge, allowing us to get to our destinations safely and with rtivefort.


    Funnily enough, after annoying the pair for two whole weeks, they were finally unable to hold back and revealed the identities of the two remaining girls to me.


    Rosalyn Shadowgarden. The oldest one of the four at twenty-six years old. Just like Irina and Lilith, she was an exalted prodigy of a Guardian House. Even without my memories, I was starting to paint a picture of how those four met me in the past. They might have been on a field trip or a training retreat where young, talented Vampires of each Guardian house gathered to boost their rtionships.


    Nevertheless, the pair didn¡¯t want to reveal anything else to me as they didn¡¯t want to give any advantages to their love rivals. But they did reveal that Rosalyn was still in the midst of training as thest time anyone heard anything from her was a full year ago.


    Which leaves the final girl¡­


    ¡°Ysabelle ckburn. Can you tell me anything about her?¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­ Are you asking me to help the enemy?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not going to be your enemy, Irina.¡±


    My face dropped, and the wrinkles on my forehead creased harshly. Ever since my little sister hade out from her training, she had be extremely agnostic towards any other girl in my vicinity. Irina stuck to me like glue sometimes, and there were even days when she harshly berated a maid for just lingering her eyes on me.


    And the main victim of her cat-like snarls was none other than my current Bloodmate.


    Speaking of which, Lilith wasn¡¯t with us right now as she was busy helping the Moonreaver operators determine our next destination¡¯s coordinates. To be honest, the moment Irina left the Dimensional Domain, we could have immediately used the Warp Gate to get to our next destination, but there were some unforeseen circumstances.<sub>.</sub>


    For one, the ckburn House seemed to be in the middle of a mission. Apparently, the Outer Demons in their area had been active recently, and their entire estate was on red alert. Getting permission to warp there took far longer than usual as the Moonreaver House did their best to cut the bureaucratic red tape.


    As for the main reason why we spent two weeks idling around¡­ We were just exhausted.


    I had spent a whole month training for Sirius only to be caught up in a war. And when I finally beat the man, I had to deal with Irina¡¯s wrath for signing a Bloodmate Pact with Lilith. Not to mention the numerous times Irina and Lilith ¡®identally¡¯ got into a tussle.


    Good lord¡­ I need to find the next volume of Lord Issei¡¯s ¡®How to manage your Harem¡¯ immediately. Otherwise, it was only a matter of time before the two ripped each other to shreds.


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­ No, scratch that. Even Lilith and Rosalyn. They¡¯re going to be your sisters, people who we¡¯ll spend the rest of our lives with. Shouldn¡¯t you get along with them?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hard to say.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ At least don¡¯t start a fight, alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    Irina pouted like an adorable little puppy and harrumphed her face in the other direction. Well, I couldn¡¯t just change her mindset overnight. If I wished for harmony in the family, I had to take it one step at a time.


    ¡°So, can you tell me what you know about Ysabelle?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Your memories have yet to return?¡±


    ¡°No, I can piece together some stuff.¡±<sub></sub>


    Ever since I returned Irina and Lilith¡¯s souls, bits and pieces of my memories had gradually returned. Mostly, they were memories I shared with the pair, given that I had just returned their souls, unlocking the seal they ced on me. However, when it came to the other two, I could only partially picture their silhouettes.


    ¡°Ysabelle, she¡­ She¡¯s a warm person.¡±


    That was the only impression I¡¯d got from what little memories I had of her. I didn¡¯t know why, but in the past, I¡¯d felt the mostfortable when I was with Ysabelle. It just pains me that I can¡¯t remember everything.


    ¡°About that¡­ I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Irina finally let out a despondent sigh. ¡°Ysabelle¡­ She¡¯s probably the only one that I¡¯m okay with among the rest.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Just like you¡¯ve said, she¡¯s warm.¡± Irina let out a wry smile. ¡°She treats me as a sister, unlike the other two. Always kind and gentle.¡±


    ¡°Oh? She sounds like a lovely person.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Irina folded her arms around mine and tightened her grip as if she was afraid of losing me. ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t fall in love with her. At the very least, you can¡¯t love her more than me!¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s very selfish of you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m your little sister! I¡¯m allowed to be selfish!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    I ced my hand on her soft, silken white head and tenderly rubbed that familiar head swirl. I might be spoiling Irina a little, but she did just spend a full month training alone. No, she had Variel and Luminita by her side. However, that didn¡¯t excuse the fact that I¡¯d been neglecting her for Lilith. Besides, if I wanted to keep my lovers happy, I had to pay attention to all of their wants and needs.<sub></sub>


    Speaking of which, should I get a present for Ysabelle? ording to Lilith, the ckburn House knows that we¡¯reing, and she¡¯d sent a message to Ysabelle.


    What kind of present would make the girl happy? Would jewellery be enough? Or should I bring some delicacies? Crap, I really know next to nothing about her. That has to change soon¡­


    ¡°Is it time for our departure?¡±


    While I was brooding on how to make a great first impression, I could see the operators around the Warp Gate turn rowdy. Lilith, who had been busy working with her fellow Moonreavers, finally walked over towards us with Cape and Lisa following close behind.


    Like how Variel and Luminita were selected to be Irina¡¯s bodyguard and maidservant, respectively, the current heiress of the Moonreaver House was bringing in assistance. It might be a little overkill to assign one of the Moonreaver House¡¯s most extraordinary agents, a member of the Asterias, to y the role of a mere bodyguard, but Sirius wasn¡¯t ying around when it came to safety.


    Evidently, the Bloodborne attempt on Lilith¡¯s life still haunted the man, and he could only feel safe if there was someone he trusted escorting his precious little sister. As for Cape¡¯s feelings on it, well¡­


    ¡°Lisa, your posture!¡± The silver-haireddy pped Lilith¡¯s maidservant¡¯s back twice, gesturing for her to straighten it up.


    ¡°Sister Lissandra¡­ Stop treating me like that!¡±


    ¡°If you want me to stop treating you like a child, behave like a respectable adult! We¡¯re about to visit the ckburn House, one of our closest allies. I can¡¯t have you dishonouring the family with your poor manners!¡±


    Irina, Lilith and I watched the sibling interaction with a hapless smile.


    Rather than treat this as a guardianship mission, Cape, that siscon, was more interested in spending time with her beloved sister. ording to Lilith, Cape was training Lisa to one day take over her role in the Asterias, but Lisa was still much too immature. And since Cape had always gone on missions, she couldn¡¯t train Lisa, who had been serving Lilith since she was fifteen.


    But with this guardianship mission as an excuse, Cape can finally whip herzy sister into shape.


    ¡°Good to see that the siblings are getting along,¡± I joked in good fun, drawing ire from Lisa¡¯s aggrieved eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Jin.¡± Cape smiled in response. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll make sure to take care of Miss Lilith appropriately. You won¡¯t have to worry about her safety.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Thanks?¡±


    What about my safety? You don¡¯t care, do you? No, it might be more urate to say that the man behind Cape didn¡¯t care about my safety. He was the most likely candidate to smother me in my sleep, after all. Shaking my head, I changed the topic of conversation:


    ¡°Are we going to depart now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in ten more minutes,¡± Lilith responded to my question while beaming. ¡°If you¡¯re not ready yet, I suggest you make preparations.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Truth to be told, there wasn¡¯t much to prepare. All of our luggage had been stored in dimensional pockets, and since we were going through a warp gate, there was no need to prepare for a long journey. Although, there was an incident where Lilith refused to keep Irina¡¯s luggage in her pocket dimension. Fortunately, before the two could erupt once again, I used my Creation magic to create arger pocket dimension that could house all of Irina¡¯s carry-ons.


    I guess the only thing to prepare was my mental state.


    ¡°A penny for your thoughts?¡±


    Lilith walked over, avoiding the hissing Irina, who had locked my right arm in her chest, and whispered in my ear.


    ¡°No, I was just getting a little sentimental.¡±


    ¡°Sentimental?¡±


    ¡°A lot of things had happened here, after all.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t joking. The month that I¡¯d spent in the Moonreaver Dimension was likely the most eventful one in my entire adult life. Yes, the month prior was quite memorable as well, given that I was turned into a Vampire and introduced to Irina. But thus far, this month has been far more action-packed.


    I¡¯d been attacked by Sirius, leading up to a month-long training period that explosively grew my magical capabilities. Then, I was thrust into a war that was utterly none of my business. Fighting against an elite Shadowfiend and defeating him with much difficulty. And finally, I had to duel against one of the strongest Vampires alive, barely beating him through the handicap I was given.


    I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t exhausted.


    But still, everything that I went through¡­ It was all worth it with the two flowers falling into my hands. I watched the two beautiful faces that were moments away from nagging once more and couldn¡¯t control the smile on my face. Grabbing both of them by the shoulders, I dragged my two lovers into my chest and blissfully announced.


    ¡°I¡¯m probably the happiest man alive right now.¡±


    ¡°B-Brother!¡±


    ¡°J-Jin! W-We¡¯re in public!¡±


    Hehe. Both of them are in their mid-twenties, and they still get embarrassed by the funniest things. I resisted the urge to nuzzle my nose against theirs and gazed longingly at the Warp Gate that would soon bring me to the next important person in my life.


    Ysabelle¡­ Rosalyn¡­


    I¡¯ll meet you two soon.

 Chapter 77 Circumstances Of The Blackburn House (1)

    The science behind the teleportation device that the Moonreaver House had created was quite simple. Firstly, two points in the fabric of Space had to be connected together via waypoints. Usually, the waypoints were nothing more than a device that the Moonreaver technicians had installed.


    Next, using stored magic power, the two waypoints would establish a connection, requiring the two operators from either side to be in sync. Funnily enough, Vampires used satellite technology that man had created to establish thismunication line.


    Finally, once the connection had been established and the two points in Space were connected, a spatial wormhole would be created, allowing anyone to pass through.


    It wasn¡¯t aplicated logic, but it was technically impossible to achieve without the Moonreavers¡¯ expertise in dimensional magic. In fact, the Moonreaver House¡¯s primary ie source was from the maintenance and instation of their Warp Gates, which was by far the best method of transport.


    Utilising the Warp Gate was as simple as walking through it.


    This was why travelling to the ckburn House was extremely uneventful. Stepping through the portal that the Moonreaver House had created, we instantly arrived at our destination. The first thing that greeted our party wasn¡¯t the sweet smile of my future lover or a grand wee party but the odd sight of operators scurrying around like rats.


    The ckburn House¡¯s Warp Gate wasn¡¯t as picturesque as the Moonreaver House¡¯s as it was nothing more than arge auditorium. Countless men and women dressed in an array of clothes were moving about, adding to the hustle and bustle.


    However, no matter how many people surrounded us, none of them paid attention to our odd party. There were a few looks here and there, but they were just curious nces, directed mainly at the two beautiful flowers that took each one of my hands. But no matter how enamoured they were, they quickly returned back to their busy schedules, rushing around like a packed train station during peak hour.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked innocently.


    ¡°The ckburn House is currently in the middle of an operation, so there¡¯s more movement here,¡± Cape answered my question while observing the rush. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that there¡¯s an Outer Demon attack somewhere, and they require the use of the Warp Gates.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    After listening to Cape¡¯s exnation, I zoned in on the surroundings. As she said, most of the people around us were soldiers or operators supporting said soldiers. Oddly enough, based on the scent that they were putting out, only half of the people here were Vampires.


    While there were plenty of True Vampires and Blood Servants around, arge majority of those present were humans as well. Not to mention, some entities were giving off a foreign smell that was neither human nor Vampire. In fact, I couldn¡¯t sense an ounce of magic power from their bodies. However, based on their poise and how well they conducted themselves, I could tell they weren¡¯t just magicless nobodies.


    Lilith saw my perplexed reaction and promptly exined: ¡°Those people are Werewolves.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Werewolves? Since when did Vampires and Werewolves get along?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± Lilith exined with a sly grin. ¡°Although our two races are considered creatures of the night, we don¡¯t get along at all. Throughout our long existence, there have been countless wars between our two races. In fact, during the dark ages, the Werewolves stood with the Holy Church to prosecute the Vampires.¡±


    The blonde woman continued her exnation, her voice unable to disguise the disgust she felt for the foreign race.


    ¡°While in modern times our rtionship has improved significantly, we won¡¯t reach racial harmony anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? If that¡¯s the case, why are there so many Werewolves here?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ The circumstances of the ckburn House are special¡­¡±


    Lilith sighed and examined the uneasy peace in the auditorium. While it looked like peace was thew of thend, there were some suspicious undercurrents, mainly from the Vampires and Werewolves. Some of them red at each other, but neither was willing to make the first move. While some Werewolves groaned at the sight of the Vampires and vice versa.


    ¡°What do you know about the ckburn House, Jin?¡±


    ¡°All I know is that they are part of the Ten Guardian Houses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Lilith nodded in response. ¡°However, even amongst the Ten Guardian Houses, they are unique. Unlike the Everwinter House that istes itself or my Moonreaver House that works on themercial side of things, the ckburn House is the closest thing the Vampire race has to a working army.¡±


    ¡°An army?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re basically the only House that focuses on churning out the strongest warriors. Essentially, they are the War House of the Vampire race.¡±


    A War House? What on earth was that? Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to wait long for Lilith to answer my doubts.<sub></sub>


    ¡°The ckburn House is thergest family House amongst all of the Ten Guardian Houses. And it¡¯s not because they reproduce quickly, but rather they ept every Vampire into their ranks. So long as they are willing to fight in the numerous battles that the ckburn House participates in, of course.¡±


    ¡°Do they really participate in that many fights?¡±


    ¡°Of course! You name the war; the ckburn House possibly had a hand in it. Be it against Outer Demons, Werewolves, Humans, Elves¡­ They fight against anything that poses a threat to the Vampire race. If the Ten Guardian Houses are the shield that protects the Vampires, the ckburn House is the sword that strikes our foes.¡±


    Hoh? So this noble House was this important, huh? But that doesn¡¯t exin why there are so many Werewolves and Humans here.


    ¡°You must be wondering why there are other races here then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°I can answer that.¡±


    Before Lilith could continue with herprehensive exnation, a croaky voice broke into our conversation. A middle-aged man walked forth with a pleasant smile on his face, all while keeping eye contact with our group. He was dressed in a simr butler suit that Variel wore, just that his was a little less luxurious. Nheless, from the way that he conducts himself, I could tell that this Vampire was not just a face in the crowd.


    He rubbed his hands together and weed us with the warmest smile I¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Greetings, Mistress Lilith, Esteemed Cape and Miss Lisa of the Moonreaver House. Mistress Irina, Honoured Variel Caramitru and Miss Luminita of the Everwinter House. Also, you must be Master Jin Valter. Nice to finally meet all of you!¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you?¡±


    The man urately identified all of us as if he had been given an answer key beforehand. While I was surprised that he actually knew who I was and didn¡¯t just address Lilith or Irina, I had a better question to ask.


    ¡°My name is Julien, a servant of Mistress Ysabelle. She has sent me to bring you to your rooms and to help amodate your stay. Please, treat me as you would a normal servant.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­ Where¡¯s Ysabelle?¡±


    Before I could ask my burning question, Lilith cut the queue and asked it for me.


    ¡°Mistress Ysabelle is currently out on a mission and is unable toe today. She wants me to inform you that she heavily regrets not being able to pick you up and will be looking forward to the day when she finally meets you.¡±


    ¡°Is that why there¡¯s so many Werewolves and Humans here?¡±


    ¡°How astute,¡± Julien praised me with a p. ¡°The ckburn House is currently allying with the Warw Tribe and Hunters from the region tobat the Outer Demon threat. Mistress Ysabelle is currently busy with an expedition up north to deal with the recent outbreak.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ If she¡¯s busy, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    I can¡¯t say that I was thrilled by the news. Meeting Ysabelle was the sole reason why I came to the ckburn House in the first ce. But s, if the girl wasn¡¯t here, all I could do was wait patiently for her arrival.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Unbeknownst to me, Lilith and Irina were making some funny faces. However, I was hyper-focused on Ysabelle¡¯s issue that I missed it entirely.


    ¡°Please tell her I¡¯m avable if she needs any help.¡±


    ¡°I will deliver your concern, Master Jin.¡± Julien bowed respectfully to us with the same unbroken smile. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t mind, let me show you to your rooms.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the best first day that I¡¯d envisioned, but it was only a matter of time before I would meet Ysabelle once more. In the meantime, I should ask around and figure out what problem was guing the ckburns. Chances are, I was going to be dragged into it anyway.


    a?¨Ca?¨Ca?¨C


    Deep in thebyrinth that was the ckburn Estate, a young, ck-haired woman sat silently within her chambers, her eyes moving back and forth from the dozens of reports on her table. While sipping on a goblet of red wine, a knock on her door broke the girl¡¯s concentration. After receiving confirmation, a middle-aged man calmly trotted into the room and gave the young woman a firm bow.


    ¡°Oh, Julien. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Mistress Ysabelle, your guests from the Moonreaver and Everwinter Houses have arrived. They will be staying at the guest vi for the foreseeable future.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Julien.¡±


    Ysabelle received her butler¡¯s notification with a gentle wave of her hand. However, the girl didn¡¯t move out of her seat to rush out of her chambers. Instead, she focused on reading the reports that wereid out on her table.


    Seeing that the girl wasn¡¯t going to move, Julien took the liberty of changing her empty cup before saying:


    ¡°¡­ Are you not going to meet them?¡±


    ¡°Not yet; I¡¯m busy.¡± Ysabelle frowned before looking up at her servant. ¡°Did you tell them that I was here?¡±


    ¡°No, certainly not. I followed your instructions word for word.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s firm gaze softened as she reverted her eyes to the reports she had on hand. As a professional, Julien didn¡¯t dare to go against his Mistress¡¯ words. Though, that didn¡¯t stop him from yfully adding somements.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯d almost forgotten. Master Jin wanted me to deliver a message.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s ears perked up, but her short ck hair quickly hid that snappy reaction. The young Vampire tried her best to look as aloof as possible, but she could not hide it from someone who had interacted with her for twenty-odd years.


    ¡°Master Jin said that if you need his help, he¡¯ll run to you in a heartbeat. He said he¡¯ll go through hell just to be by your side and-¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can stop lying now,¡± Ysabelle sighed, not knowing why she got her hopes up. ¡°If you¡¯re done teasing me, you can go now. I¡¯m swamped.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I might be exaggerating, but Master Jin really did say that he was avable if you needed him.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Ysabelle swivelled her chair around, hiding her face from Julien¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Do you have any messages for him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ysabelle¡¯s toneless voice replied. ¡°Just tell them that I¡¯m busy and I won¡¯t be able to meet them for now.¡±


    ¡°I hear and obey!¡±


    Julien actually had many other things to say, but he swallowed his words for now. After all, he was just a mere servant. It wasn¡¯t wise for him to make any decisions for his Mistress.


    Once the pesky butler had retreated from the room, Ysabelle brought her fingers onto the bridge of her nose and started to rub it.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Oh, Jin¡­ You really have a knack for choosing the worst possible times.¡±

 Chapter 78 Circumstances Of The Blackburn House (2)

    ¡°Jin? Jin? Where are you?¡±


    Deep in the middle of a meadow, where the rocks were as big as elephants, and the grass was greener than jade, a young girl wandered through the vastnd, not knowing which direction to head. The ck-haired girl¡¯s perky face turned cold and pale as the gravity of the situation began to sink in, causing her voice to screech frantically.


    ¡°Irina?! Lilith?! Rosa?! Can anyone hear me?!¡±


    Once again, the girl cried helplessly, hoping for some form of assistance toe. However, no matter how much she yelled and how much she cried, there was no one around. Trapped in the wilderness, the young girl¡¯s voice could only echo around, scaring the numerous gerbils and birds that called this ce home.


    Eventually, the girl¡¯s voice got hoarse, and she cried: ¡°I-I¡­ shouldn¡¯t have wandered too far¡­¡±


    The girl fell to her knees, dirtying her pretty ck dress with mould and soil. Barefoot and only donned in oneyer of clothes, to call her underdressed for the wilderness would be an understatement. If night fell before she could get to safety, the young girl could fall prey to the elements.


    Unknowingly, a cryptic fear enveloped her heart. Her face fell, and her eyes started to feel heavy. Before long, the girl¡¯s emotions got the better of her, andrge crystalline teardrops dripped down her porcin clear face.


    ¡°N-No¡­ I shouldn¡¯t cry! I¡¯m a ckburn! I have to be brave!¡±


    But before the waterworks went into overdrive, the young girl forcibly pushed down her emotions. She pounded her chest and rubbed her face clean. Shuffling her adorable little feet, the young girl began her hike through the meadow, hoping to find someone that could guide her home.


    However, a minute passed. Two minutes. Fifteen. An hour.


    Eventually, over two hours had passed since the girl was first stranded. Her silken white bare feet turned red from the blisters, and her pristine face started to show signs of degradation. Large specks of dirt could be seen on her forehead as her pretty little dress had be drenched with sweat and dew.


    Unable to bear the walking any longer, the girl found a nice resting spot in a sheltered grotto. Laying on her back, the ck-haired girl spread her four limbs like a starfish to rest her fatigued legs.


    ¡°So tired¡­¡±<sub>.</sub>


    The girl heaved heavily as she peered out at the falling sun. The temperature quickly turned cold as the light from the heavens dimmed significantly. Judging from her situation, it was highly likely that she would spend the night outside, something she had been trained on before. However, as a young girl that had barely hit puberty, living in the wilderness alone was a high hurdle to cross.


    But s, the darkness of the wild at night wasn¡¯t the first thing that she had to contend with.


    Since the girl was so tired, she didn¡¯t notice the serpentine eyes peering from the grotto¡¯s misty corner. Hissing noises, ones that turned more and more aggravated by the second, broke the silence of the cave. The girl abruptly snapped her head back, only to see dozens of wild snakes slithering in her direction.


    ¡°ARGHHHHH!!!¡±


    A screeching scream reverberated through the entire grotto, stunning the snakes for a brief second. However, they quickly recovered, and their yellow eyes soon zoned in on the intruder of their den. Many bared their fangs as their speed grew faster, as with each passing second, they inched closer to the frightened girl.


    ¡°NOOOOO!!!! GO AWAYYY!!!¡±


    The girl waved her hands, and a pale fire exploded in the centre of the snakes, instantly vaporising one of them while injuring a number more. However, rather than slow their advance, the snakes took it as an attack on their nest, and they doubled down on their intruder.


    ¡°NOOOO!!!¡±


    Once more, the girl frantically cast her spells, but she was too afraid to face the snakes, causing much of her fire to miss the mark. The snakes, while fearful of the foreign threat that had entered their home, moved even quicker to eliminate their target.


    And it won¡¯t be long before one of their sharp, poisonous fangs came in contact with the young girl¡¯s tender flesh.


    ¡°No! No! NOOOO!!!¡±


    Whoossshhhh!!!<sub></sub>


    Before any snakes could inject their venom into the girl, a blustery gale swooshed from outside the grotto, forcing every one of the snakes to fly wildly in the opposite direction. At the same time, a mini-whirlwind formed, congregating the pale mes that were flickering on the floor. In an instant, all of the snakes that threatened the girl¡¯s life had been burnt into a crisp, turning into pure ck charcoal.


    ¡°Ysabelle! Are you alright?!¡±


    A young ck-haired boy flew into the cave and immediately found his ce next to the sobbing girl. Ysabelle, who had just had her heart scared beyond belief, finally opened her eyes at the familiar voice. Once she¡¯d realised who saved her, the girl flung her body into the boy¡¯s arms, openly weeping in the process.


    ¡°JIN!!! Where were you?! I was so afraid!!!¡±


    ¡°There, there¡­ It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    Jin gently tapped on Ysabelle¡¯s back, rubbing her from the neck down. Ysabelle continued to cry, her body shaking from the exhaustion and fear, while her eyes and throat turned sore from all of the crying she did. It was only after ten good minutes that the girl managed to calm down and meet her saviour¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°We were searching high and low for you, Ysabelle. And when I heard your screams, I rushed here immediately.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how,¡± Ysabelle nodded in thought while her nose was still sniffling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you. I didn¡¯t mean to stray so far away. I just-¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Jin ced his index finger on Ysabelle¡¯s mouth and silenced her. Once she calmed down a little, the young boy rubbed her cheeks, smiling as he observed her every feature. Her soft, vibrant ck hair. Her pointed nose resembled an eagle¡¯s beak. Her agate-coloured anime-like eyes that sparkled so brilliantly when she stared unblinkingly.


    And most importantly¡­<sub></sub>


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I promise you that I¡¯ll be your knight in shining armour? To run to you whenever you need me?¡±


    ¡°You did¡­¡±


    ¡°See? So don¡¯t worry about it. Even if you were in the pits of hell, I¡¯lle and rescue you.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Really!¡±


    The moment Ysabelle heard Jin¡¯s masterful sweet talk, her dirtied face blossomed into a gorgeous smile, revealing the two indented dimples that hid under her cheeks.


    ¡°There they are,¡± Jin chuckled and tenderly wiped Ysabelle¡¯s face. ¡°There you go, all pretty again.¡±


    ¡°Hehe~¡±


    Blushing with happiness, Ysabelle beamed from ear to ear. She attempted to get to her feet, but due to her nervousness, her umted fatigue, or likely abination of both, Ysabelle wobbled from her knees, almost falling down again. Fortunately, Jin reached out at the exact moment she stumbled, bringing the girl into his arms smoothly.


    ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that way,¡± Jin shook his head and adjusted Ysabelle¡¯s body ordingly. The young boy offered his back, squatting down in front of the girl.


    ¡°Climb on me.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh? B-But I¡¯m heavy.¡±


    ¡°Which knightins about his princess¡¯ weight? Just jump on; we¡¯ll get to safety quicker this way as well.¡± Jin urged the girl.


    ¡°I-If you insist¡­¡±


    While Ysabelle was genuinely concerned, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a gentle warmth creeping from the bottom of her heart. As she climbed on top of Jin¡¯s back, the young girl found a spot underneath his ear and softlynded her lips on his cheek.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your reward for saving me, my knight.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I live to serve. Princess.¡±


    ???


    ¡­ Another memory?


    As I emerged from the bed, the vivid imagery of my dream lingered in my brain. Just like how it was with Irina and Lilith, the memories I shared with Ysabelle resurfaced. Now that I think about it, these memories were sealed in the first ce because their souls were residing in my body.


    If the seals that glued their souls to mine loosened up, those memories that had been buried would return as well. And there was only one reason why the seal would loosen¡­


    Ysabelle¡­ She should be nearby.


    Being part of Ysabelle, the quarter of a soul residing in me naturally gravitates towards her, hoping to one day reunite with its rightful owner. And the fact that my memories were returning could only mean that she was close by.


    If that¡¯s the case¡­ Why didn¡¯t shee meet me?


    It had been three days since we¡¯d arrived in the ckburn House. While the staff in the guest vi had been more than weing, there was nothing much to do here. The entire House was working on the numerous Outer Demon activities that had been exponentially ramping up, and the person that I¡¯d wanted to meet the most, well, I was told she was on one of those said missions.


    And yet¡­ I can clearly feel her presence around.


    Every time I asked Julien, Ysabelle¡¯s butler, about her situation, he would simply smile and tell me the same words repeatedly.


    ¡®Mistress Ysabelle is busy.¡¯


    But was she really?


    Now, a seed of doubt had been injected into my mind. From my memory and the ounts Irina and Lilith shared, Ysabelle and I should have a good rtionship. So, at least emotionally speaking, there should be no reason for her to avoid me.


    Unless¡­ Was she jealous that I reunited with Irina and Lilith first? Or did she dislike the fact that I had already signed a Bloodmate Pact with Lilith?


    Or¡­ Are there any extenuating circumstances for her reluctance to meet me?


    I wouldn¡¯t know.


    But, even if she didn¡¯t want to meet me¡­ I wanted to meet her. I had to meet her. But Julien and the other ckburns wouldn¡¯t divulge anything to me.


    Looks like¡­ I have to take matters into my own hands.

 Chapter 79 Circumstances Of The Blackburn House (3)

    The ckburn Estate was quite different from the Everwinter Estate and the Moonreaver Dimension that I¡¯d visited. The Everwinter Estate was a mansion built in the middle of a Winter Wondend, and the Moonreaver Dimension was a ce that was crafted entirely through magic, a perfect Nightmare Realm where all Vampires could thrive.


    The ckburn Estate, on the other hand, was much different. It had functional roads, houses, suburbs¡­ It even had a centralised city area. Rather than a family residence, it looked much more like a small town.


    As beings of the night, the town wasn¡¯tpletely in the open. Most of the important infrastructure had been hidden underground, both for protection andfort purposes. Also, since it was a Vampire settlement, they were far away from any human civilization, ced right in the middle of a vast canyon. And due to the rugged terrain, it was near impossible for any nes ornd vehicles to enter or leave the ckburn Estate.


    The only way to enter this remote area was through the Warp Gates that the Moonreaver House provides or by walking in on foot.


    But surprisingly enough, even though the ckburn House was extremely remote, the facilities that they provided were top-notch. The guest vi that we were staying in contained everything that one could ask for, even a mock training room to hone one¡¯s magic skills.


    However, I wasn¡¯t the one using this training room this time. Rather, it was Cape who had booked it to torture¡­ Ahem, train herzy little sister, Lisa. Lilith was present as well, but she was just reading a book. Well, her eyes were clearly stered on the paperback, but for some reason, I could feel her gaze stuck on my body, and for good reason.


    Seated on afortable sofa that I¡¯d created, I had one of my hands stroking Irina¡¯s silky white hair while she leaned happily on myp. Each time my fingers ran down her neck, the girl let out a blissful purr while the warmth of her satisfied breath tickled my hands.


    If I were just a guest, I would have nothing toin about. A beauty on myp as we rested for an indefinite amount of time without a care in the world. Most men would kill to be in my position. s, I had an objective that had yet to be fulfilled.


    ¡°It has been five days! Is Ysabelle even going toe?¡± Irina pouted angrily while shuffling her head on myp.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you happy that she wouldn¡¯t meet Jin?¡± Lilith interjected while resisting the urge to pull the girl off my body.


    In the beginning, the pair continuously fought over who should be the one who could cuddle and stay by my side. Irinained that she hadn¡¯t seen me in over a month and she deserved to be with me twenty-four seven. Lilith, on the other hand, argued that she had recently be my Bloodmate, and as the one who knew about rituals the best, she could tend to my soul should any issuee up.


    And sadly, my idea to share the love between the three of us was quickly shot down by both their vicious stares.


    In conclusion, the pair decided toe up with apromise. They would alternate the days they spent in my bedroom and the time we spent outside. And since Lilith had her turn yesterday, Irina had turned far clingier than usual. Especially since Lilith was in the room with us as we discussed Ysabelle¡¯s matter.<sub>.</sub>


    It might take a long time before the two of them would start to get along.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m happy that Ysabelle hasn¡¯te into the picture yet. After all, with you around, it¡¯s already a crowd. I don¡¯t need another pest flying around Brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You really want to go down that road?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! We haven¡¯t settled our battle! There¡¯s no telling who is stronger!¡±


    The two girls locked eyes with gritted teeth. Although magic wasn¡¯t used, a faint pressure descended upon the chamber that we were in, winding up the tension so tight that you could cut it with a knife. And so, to prevent the girls from causing any property damage, I immediately intervened:


    ¡°Girls, rx. If you keep arguing, nothing will get done.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Perhaps it was the sternness in my voice, but the pair instantly stopped their quibbling. They were currently in a war for my affection, and they didn¡¯t want to do anything to screw that up. And while it sounded chauvinistic to say, I had to man up sometimes and put my foot down. Otherwise, the girls would keep stepping over me, making me just a spectator in our twisted rtionship.


    ¡°Miss Cape, do you have any information about the happenings of the ckburn House?¡±


    At my words, the silver-haired knight stopped her barbarous training session and pierced the Stargazer on the ground. Wiping her sweat off, she replied: ¡°Nothing. The ckburn House has been tight-lipped, even to the Moonreaver House.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s worrying¡­¡± Lilith frowned and rubbed her chin. Her adorable nose twitched a little as she started to fall deep into thought. ¡°Judging from the number of troops involved, there seems to be a big operation. Plus, they had asked for help from the Werewolves instead of bringing it to the Council. It shouldn¡¯t be just a simple outbreak like they said.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Have the ckburns and the Werewolves always been this close?¡±


    ¡°For strategic purposes, the ckburn House and Warw Tribe have some diplomatic rtions. They do, after all, help each other to guard a Gate. And not just any Gate, a Gate that a Demon Lord hade out from before.¡±


    Outer Demons invaded our world primarily from the prominent Gates that ripped open the fabric of Spacetime, connecting our two worlds together. On record, there were twenty-seven major Gates, each one serving as a portal for the dangerous Outer Demons to pass through.


    The Everwinter House guarded one of those Gates, and due to the Winter Graveyard and their advantage in sub-zero climates, the Everwinter House was the sole entity that possessed the capability to do that.


    The vast majority of the twenty-seven major Gates were protected by the collective power of multiple races. The one that the ckburn House was guarding was one such Gate.


    The ckburn House, the Warw Tribe, Hunters from the neighbouring country¡­ Even Exorcists from the Holy Church. They all allied together to protect the world from the Outer Demons. And if it were a Gate that a Demon Lord had once exited from before¡­ Well, let¡¯s say even the most egregious of sins could be forgiven.


    ¡°I see¡­ Truth to be told, I have done some digging.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But you didn¡¯t go anywhere?¡±


    Lilith looked a little stunned by my statement. She had spent thest few days by my side, and even when Irina had her turn, she had been observing my every action. That¡¯s how she knew I didn¡¯t take a step outside of this vi.


    ¡°Heh, so you didn¡¯t notice.¡± Irina let out a triumphant smile as if she had finally taken a big win over her adversary. ¡°Brother has been using his clone to sneak out for the past two days.¡±


    ¡°You did that?!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I waved my hand and using my Creation magic, I moulded a man into existence. However, unlike the clones I created in the past, this man had a wizened, middle-aged appearance. If he didn¡¯t do anything to attract attention, he would simply be just another face in the crowd.<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve changed your clone¡¯s appearance?¡±


    ¡°Just a little,¡± I replied to Lilith¡¯s question with a smile. ¡°The ckburn House knows what I look like, so creating a clone that looks like a whole other person to collect information would make more sense.¡±


    ¡°And you used this clone to sneak around?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not that crass. Unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, I don¡¯t want to aggravate the ckburn House. I just let this clone wander around public ces, eavesdropping on conversations from everyone ites in contact with.¡±


    ¡°How would that help?¡±


    ¡°You underestimate how talkative people can be, Lilith. People on the field would often brag about how many Outer Demons they have in while people living in the ckburn Estate would spread rumours about anything. While on its own, they might be mundane information, if we have enough data points, we can paint a rough picture about what¡¯s going on here.¡±


    The two girls fell silent at my exnation. Logically speaking, the best way to get information is to directly ask the ckburn House what they were doing. However, none of them wanted to meet me, and Ysabelle¡¯s butler kept up the lie that his master wasn¡¯t near. And myrades weren¡¯t going to help either, given that their interests were to keep Ysabelle as far from me as possible.


    Otherwise, why would I take such a long-winded route to gain information?


    ¡°Sometimes, I¡¯m terrified by how your brain works, Jin.¡±


    ¡°You could be a master spy, Brother.¡±


    ¡°Really? I feel that it¡¯s justmon sense.¡± I brushed aside Irina and Lilith¡¯s faces of awe and started projecting a video in mid-air. Although I¡¯ve thoroughly reviewed the data, it was still good to get a second opinion. ¡°These are some of the highlights that the clone has recorded.¡±


    The first memory I yed was that of two doctors on their smoke break. They were discussing the severity of their patient¡¯s injuries. One of them even described in great detail how difficult it was to treat a Werewolf with several broken bones. The most crucial detail, however, was the doctor¡¯s ounts of what Outer Demons had appeared.


    Following that was a conversation between a pack of Werewolves. Most of them were drunk, causing them to swear about Vampires, drawing ire from Lilith and Irina. Even Cape couldn¡¯t hide her disgusted look after watching those boorish Werewolves. However, in their drunken stupor, they divulged the total number of Werewolves the Warw Tribe had sent, and even their ns to add reinforcements.


    ¡°That many?! Is the ckburn House trying to start a war?!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Irina or Lilith who screamed out loud, but the seasoned veteran Cape Moonreaver. She knew that the situation was dire, but she never thought that the ckburn House would request so many Werewolves to help. Even Variel, who had always worn a smile ofplete professionalism, couldn¡¯t help but frown at that drastic number.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the worst part.¡±


    At this point, I yed thest memory that I wanted to show. It was between two ckburn Vampires who operated the Warp Gates.


    ¡°Yet another batch of Werewolves have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, how many hundreds have arrived?¡±


    ¡°Too many¡­ To allow this many Werewolves to enter our home¡­ Has the General lost his mind?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped; we need the Werewolves¡¯ strong physical powers to deal with the Outer Demons. The ones that appeared this time are much more troublesome than before.¡±


    ¡°Because of their resistance to magic, right?¡±


    And thereinid our answer. The reason why so many Werewolves wereing and why the ckburn House has yet to ask for any help from other Guardian Houses. The Outer Demons they faced couldn¡¯t be defeated by magic, making it difficult for Vampires to fight them. While the ckburn House could always rely on their Blood Servants, getting the more physically dominant Werewolves to fight their battles would be better.


    Yet, the conversation wasn¡¯t done¡­


    ¡°Then, have you heard of that rumour?¡±


    ¡°What rumour?¡±


    ¡°You know the one where the Warw¡¯s Alpha has taken an interest in our youngdy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that one. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard that the main reason why the Warw Tribe has sent so many Werewolves to help us is because of the Alpha¡¯s desire to chase Mistress Ysabelle. The Werewolves are apparently getting rowdy as they believe a marriage proposal ising.¡±


    ¡°What?! Has the General epted their terms?!¡±


    ¡°Of course not! There hasn¡¯t been a formal proposal yet. And the General doesn¡¯t want to aggravate the Werewolves due to our current predicament. Either way, there¡¯s no way the General would sell his only daughter to the barbaric Werewolves¡­ right?¡±


    At that point, the memory ended, and silence fell on all who witnessed it.


    Needless to say, Irina and Lilith were speechless, unaware of what was the best reaction to have. Their subordinates were as dumbfounded as they were, but it was mostly from disgust as matrimony between a Werewolf and Vampire was highly irregr, even with the long history between them.


    As for me¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find Ysabelle.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to stay quiet as some smelly old wolf dares to lust over Ysabelle. Even if Ysabelle had fallen out of love with me or if she was unhappy with howte I¡¯de for her¡­ There was no way I would let her marry someone else entirely.

 Chapter 80 Jerome Warclaw (1)

    Contrary to Jin¡¯s spections, Ysabelle was currently on a mission. Right after the group had made their presence known in the ckburn Estate, yet another code red was called, and Ysabelle had to rush to the battlefield with little time to prepare. It was likely the fifth time this month that she¡¯d been abruptly called out, and despite her fatigue, the girl still answered the call.


    It was the duty of someone from the direct bloodline of the ckburn House to maintain order and lead the masses in times of crisis. And even though Ysabelle wasn¡¯t in line for the throne, her obligation to the Vampire n was there.


    Such was the Noblesse Oblige of those who were privileged.


    ¡°How are they faring?¡±


    While seated on the helicopter that rushed through the narrow and impassable canyon, Ysabelle turned to her subordinate, who was reading information from a touch screen. Like most military operations, an intelligence headquarters ryed information to all the agents on the ground.


    From the location, their heart rates, themunications on the ground¡­ Everything was being processed by the headquarters and fed back to Ysabelle and her team. Ysabelle peered curiously at the screen, seeing images of numerous agents and their locations on the digital map. Unfortunately, there were a few agents with crosses above their pictures, which signalled the situation was dire.


    ¡°Barely holding up,¡± her subordinate replied in a flurry. ¡°We are still five minutes away! I don¡¯t think  that they canst that long!¡±


    ¡°No matter, send their coordinates to my watch. I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    Ysabelle tapped on her tactical smartwatch and double-checked that its functions were entirely online. Once she verified that the coordinates had been sent, the girl unbuckled her safety belt and signalled to the pilot with two fingers up. Slowly, the helicopter came to a halt and hovered in mid-air, all while the back door of the flying craft lowered.


    And before the door had even extended out¡­


    Ysabelle jumped.


    No parachute, no spotter, norades to help or assist her.


    The girl, fully aware of the dangers it presented, took a leap of faith and started to free fall from the sky. They weren¡¯t too high up, but it was high enough for Ysabelle to easily reach terminal velocity. The high winds zoomed past her face, forcing all of her luscious ck hair to stand. But that didn¡¯t bother Ysabelle one bit.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the girl to see the rocky canyon rushing to her face as the girl somersaulted in mid-air and extended her legs downwards. And with a loud thud, Ysabelle¡¯s feet crashed onto the rocky surface, triggering a mini-earthquake. However, the desired scene of her being squashed by the fall didn¡¯t happen. In fact, it was the ground that had been broken apart by Ysabelle¡¯s violent superhero entrance.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Ny-four degrees northwest!¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s subordinate¡¯s voice rang from her earpiece,pletely unworried about her leader¡¯s well-being. And as if to prove her point, Ysabelle lowered her knees into a frog-like position before leaping forward like a spring that had been released. The ground beneath her shook violently, and the world from her perspective changed.


    BOOM!!!


    Ysabelle¡¯s body turned into a blur as she passed the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom behind her back. That momentum only increased as she rushed without looking backwards.


    If it were any regr human, nay, any typical Vampire, their bodies wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the extreme speeds that Ysabelle was moving at. The G-forces alone would rip their organs out from their bodies, leaving the Vampires in apletely broken state.


    However, the ckburn bloodline was special.


    If the Everwinter House¡¯s speciality was fighting in subzero conditions, and if the Moonreaver House¡¯s attribute was theplete domination of Dimensional Magic, the ckburn House was a n specialising in extreme, physicalbat.


    As the only War House in the Vampire Council, the ckburn House had been bred for generations to possess superhuman bodies that could match the physically superior Werewolves. Leaving aside their signature Ghostme, the ckburn House were a n of warriors who had trained in every single aspect ofbat.


    Be it hand-to-hand, swordsmanship, or even pure brute physical training, the ckburn House trumps any other Vampiric Household. This was the reason why they were the only House capable of going toe-to-toe with the Vampires¡¯ mortal enemies, the Werewolves.


    In fact, just from their physical attributes alone, the ckburn House equals many of the top Werewolf Tribes.


    ¡°I see them!¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ysabelle to find her targets. A number of Vampires were surrounded by dozens of Outer Demons of all shapes and sizes. The Vampires were severely outnumbered, and many of them had reached a point ofplete exhaustion. The wounded and incapacitatedy senselessly on the ground as if they were waiting for their inevitable demise. At the same time, their allies did their best to push the relentless Outer Demons away.<sub></sub>


    ?[0)??? s, they had been on the field for hours now. What little stamina they had was reserved for just remaining conscious. But, even that proved to be an uphill battle.


    And just when all hope seemed to be lost¡­


    ¡°HIYAAA!!!¡±


    Ysabelle swung herrge ck ymore down, generating a shockwave that blew away all of the Outer Demons. With two gentle skips, the female Amazonian crashed right in front of the Vampires she sought to save, bringing hope to their forsaken eyes.


    ¡°Miss Ysabelle!!!¡± They shouted in unison.


    The ck-haired girl nodded back in response and subconsciously counted the survivors.


    ¡®Seven¡­ The files said that there should be twenty. Tch! How annoying!¡¯


    Ysabelle held back the urge to spit and barked her next orders at the leader: ¡°Secure the survivors. Help should be five minutes away. Leave the Outer Demons to me!¡±


    If she had more time, perhaps Ysabelle could have given finer details. But s, her opponents weren¡¯t one to wait around while she helped her allies. The shockwave that Ysabelle had sent only pushed back the Outer Demons for a moment. Once they regained their senses, they again started to bare their fangs and encircled their new prey.


    With the survivors at the back of her mind, the young warrior could now focus all of her attention on the Outer Demons at hand.


    ¡®Twenty Arkudols, fifteen Ornoths, seventeen Astrons, nine Doggons and eight Okarins¡­ I can see how our forces were defeated.¡¯


    Ysabelle made a mental note of all the Outer Demons she faced. Most of the Outer Demons were high-level monsters, each one capable of taking down an average C-Ranked Hunter. The Doggons, in particr, were Outer Demons that hunted A-Ranked Hunters for sport. However, it wasn¡¯t the vicious Doggons that Ysabelle was most wary about¡­


    ¡®Eight Okarins¡­ Aren¡¯t they intensifying their attacks? The Outer Demons would never send so many Okarins before.¡¯<sub></sub>


    Little was known about the enigmatic Outer Demons. While the vast majority of Outer Demons were mindless beasts that attacked for the sake of feasting, there were several intelligent Outer Demons amongst the higher ranks. And the Okarins were definitely among those select groups of sentient Demons.


    Even though they possessed lizardmen properties, the Okarins seemed more humanoid than Mark Zukerberg. Their scaly skin and rugged frame made them look terrifying from behind, but their faces hinted at signs of humanity, especially from their big, beady eyes. And it didn¡¯t help that they spoke to each other with groans and grunts, showing that they were capable of intelligent speech.


    However, it wasn¡¯t linguistic capabilities that made Ysabelle cautious¡­ But the anti-magic field that the Okarins unconsciously emitted.


    ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for these Outer Demons, why would we have to rely on external help?!¡¯


    Once more, Ysabelle spat internally. True Vampires were beings that were closest to magic. No human, elf, or other living creature on Earth coulde close to an average Vampire¡¯s mastery over magic. s, that strength also proved to be a significant weakness.


    Against opponents that could nullify their magic, Vampires could only turn into immortal punching bags. And if their heads were severed¡­ Well, their immortal bodies would cease to exist.


    ¡®I¡¯ll deal with those Okarins first!¡¯


    Ysabelle moved her body first, intending to take the initiative in battle. She disappeared from the Outer Demons¡¯ sights and reappeared in the middle of the pack, right smack between two Okarins. Before they could even register that their attacker had arrived, Ysabelle swung her massive de, cleaving the two lizardmen in two.


    ¡®Two down! Six to go!¡¯


    The female Amazonian leapt into the air, dodging the attacks that came from the other Outer Demons around. She moved like an acrobat, somersaulting and splitting her legs apart in mid-air, all to get a flexible momentum that resembled a war dance.


    Many of the Outer Demons attempted to draw blood from her tender flesh, but Ysabelle easily evaded those attacks. Using her ck ymore as a support, she brushed past the insignificant enemies andnded squarely in front of three more Okarins. And like a batter hitting a home run, she swung with all her might, decapitating the three foes in one go.


    ¡®Three more left!¡¯


    Ysabelle leapt back, immediately scanning the area for thest three lizardmen. Unfortunately, this time, the Outer Demons got wise to her antics. The three Okarins split in different directions, each onemanding a unit of Outer Demons to protect them. From experience, they knew that Vampires had low stamina and couldn¡¯t survive a drawn-out battle without magic. Therefore, they thought that if they could slowly chip down Ysabelle¡¯s defences, they could emerge from the battle victorious.


    s, Ysabelle wasn¡¯t any mere Vampire.


    With all of her strength, Ysabelle stomped the ground in a fury, causing a spastic seizure to run up the spines of all the Outer Demons around her. Disoriented by the sudden earthquake, the Outer Demons lost their bnce, and some had even fallen face first onto the floor.


    Brandishing her weapon, Ysabelle flew straight at an Okarin that had fallen, stabbing its heart before it could even open its mouth in agony. Not willing to waste a single second more, she brushed past all of the insignificant Outer Demons, finding herst two remaining prey utterly defenceless.


    And with two swings of her sword¡­


    Schlick! Schlick!


    Two lizardmen¡¯s heads rolled on the floor like a football, their eyes still wide as they couldn¡¯t register what had happened.


    In a mere minute, the eight Okarins had been annihted. And with their deaths, the anti-magic field hindering the Vampires had dissipated into nothingness. Ysabelle took a deep breath, enjoying the freedom of sensing her magic once more. Her pure agate eyes then turned their attention to the remaining unresponsive Outer Demons, who had been frozen still and unaware of what hit them.


    With their leaders gone, they had reverted back to their mindless beasts. And their deep primal instinct was screaming at them¡­ Screaming at them to run.


    ¡°As if I¡¯ll let you!¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s cold and detached eyes burned with a righteous fury. Magic power filled her veins, intoxicating the woman in the illusion of power and grandeur. At that moment, Ysabelle felt like she was invincible. Like the apex predator looking down at the bottom of the food chain, Ysabelle scoffed at the measly peasants that dared to challenge her sovereignty.


    And with a movement of her hand¡­ The canyon had turned into a wall of mes.


    Pale, ck-and-white mes erupted from Ysabelle¡¯s body, engulfing all of the remaining Outer Demons instantly. The beasts yelped and cried, all of them desperately trying their best to survive the zing inferno that burnt their flesh and bones and their souls. s, there was no respite. How could there be?


    Ysabelle didn¡¯t even think twice before intensifying her signature power.


    The ckburn House didn¡¯t get their name from their affinity to fire magic, and neither did it get it from their inherited ck hair. The ckburn House got its name from their innate ability to create a unique fire called Ghostme.


    On the surface, Ghostme looks like a novelty fire with special ck and white effects. However, that was far from the truth. Ghostme possessed destructive capabilities exceeding any magic that Vampires had ever created. It burns not only in the physical realm but one¡¯s soul as well.


    Not only that, Ghostme was impossible to extinguish using traditional means. As long as the user constantly channels magic power to it, the ck and white fire would burn indefinitely, creating an endless loop of destruction until the target waspletely incinerated from existence.


    Even beings such as Werewolves, who had naturally high resistances to magic, could not escape the wrath of a fully-powered Ghostme.


    And so, with nowhere to run, the Outer Demons could only ept their fate as the ck-and-white embers trimmed down their essences, leaving nothing but ashes in their ce.


    Ysabelle didn¡¯t take any joy in killing over seventy Outer Demons, as if it was nothing more than lifting a finger for her. She nced back at the survivors, once again affirming the numbers. Ysabelle¡¯s grim face turned a little contrite, not knowing how to feel about the numerous losses her ckburn House had faced.


    Yes, they had the numbers to match a nation¡¯s active military, but losses of this magnitude were piling up day by day. No matter how deep their reserves were, losing this many soldiers¡­ These many lives¡­ It hurts her youthful soul.


    Which was why¡­


    ¡°How long are you going to keep watching?¡±


    Ysabelle scowled at a lone tree nearby, her eyes burning with indignant rage. She threw her massive ymore with one hand, sending it flying like a dart towards the helpless tree. Before her sword could tear the innocent sapling apart, a shadow gushed like the wind, taking the form of a beautiful blonde man right before Ysabelle.


    The man was about two metres tall, half a head taller than Ysabelle, standing at a whopping 1.85 metres. His pale green eyes resembled that of the emeralds of old, polished to the nth degree. Towering with a bulky build, his dense muscles spilt out from his undersized tee, revealing all the perfect curves a man should have.


    And with the smile of a fuckboy, he greeted the woman covered in blood and grime as if she were a queen ready to be serviced.


    ¡°Good afternoon, my lovely Ysabelle!¡±


    ¡°Jerome Warw¡­¡±

 Chapter 81 Jerome Warclaw (2)

    Jerome Warw.


    The well-built man standing about two metres tall. Tethered with muscles that had veins popping out, the man stood valiantly like an immovable mountain. His chiselled face and deep emerald eyes were the envy of all men of nordic descent. Sharp nose, raised cheeks, prominent mouth¡­ If there ever was an ubermensch, Jerome would be the living embodiment of it.


    However, the man wasn¡¯t just a piece of meat that would make cougars drool¡­ The man also went by many names. The Wolf of the West. The Golden w. The Tempest Fang¡­


    Numerous epithets were tagged to his name. But there was one moniker that everyone knew him by.


    The Warw¡¯s Alpha.


    Aged forty-two, Jerome first came to prominence in early youth. He was a prodigy in martial arts, wiping the floor with anyone his age who dared to step in the ring with him. By the time he was fifteen, no youngsters in the Warw Tribe could contend with his immense talent and physique, let alone the innate bloodline he inherited from his father.


    When he was thirty, the man had alreadypleted hundreds of missions, ripping apart thousands of Outer Demons with his own hands. And by the time he was thirty-five, Jerome challenged his father for the throne. It was practically unheard of, a Werewolf who was merely thirty-five aiming for the top dog. Everyone thought it was too soon, and Jerome was far too arrogant.


    But once again, the man surpassed everyone¡¯s expectations. In a one-sided blowout, Jerome trashed his father inbat, stealing the Alpha position and cementing his legacy as the Warw Tribe¡¯s number one talent.


    The Prime Werewolf got everything he wanted in life. Fame, money, recognition¡­ But the moment he reached the apex of his life, Jerome¡¯s focus turned elsewhere. The only vice that he had abstained from in his pursuit of greatness.


    Women.


    In the beginning, women threw themselves at the illustrious Werewolf, especially those from the Warw Tribe. Female Werewolves valued strength and might over superficial things like money and appearance. And since Jerome possessed all of those attributes, the women just lined at his door without him doing anything.


    Jerome relished the fact that he was able to bed any woman he pleased. Indulging in his newfound hobby, the man possibly slept with every young female in his tribe, impregnating several of them.<sub>.</sub>


    But just as he did before, Jerome got bored. He found that the women he was with were too easy to get. All he needed to do was whistle once, and a dozen girls would be delivered to his doorstep.


    And so, the man changed his taste in targets. Graduating from beautiful young chicks, Jerome moved on to women who were ¡®forbidden¡¯ in the tribe. He started with married women and continued up the hierarchy, bedding his Elder¡¯s trophy wife. And when that proved too easy, Jerome looked outwards and seduced women from other tribes.


    Other races weren¡¯t spared as well. The Warw¡¯s Alpha had flings with multiple humans, usually A or S-Ranked Hunters, as he felt they were only worth the challenge. And once he found those women too easy, Jerome had his eye on the most coveted prize of all¡­


    A virgin Vampire.


    And not just any virgin Vampire, but one of high lineage. A Vampire that loathes Werewolves and would never in a million years mate with one. A Vampire that was feisty and powerful, so much so that she could give him a challenge in bed.


    So imagine his surprise when Jerome discovered that such a vampire existed. And to top it off, she was a beauty beyond words.


    For the wild Werewolf, getting Ysabelle¡¯s favour was akin to putting the cherry on top of his prime achievements. She was a prize that Jerome must have; nay, he would do everything in his power to obtain.


    ¡°What a coincidence; I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here, Ysabelle!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit, Warw.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so cold,¡± As if he were ignorant of Ysabelle¡¯s acrimony, Jerome smiled peacefully as he took giant steps in her direction. ¡°Please, just call me Jerome.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What are you doing here?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m here because I¡¯ve received the SOS. Didn¡¯t youe for that exact same reason? I came to help.¡±


    ¡°Help? Is standing behind a tree like a scared puppy called helping?¡±


    ¡°Kekeke, I only arrived after you started your massacre. And since you were doing so well, I didn¡¯t have the heart to interrupt you.¡±


    Jerome¡¯s words had one truth and lie, the lie being the former. Jerome actually arrived five minutes before Ysabelle¡¯s heroic entrance, and he disguised his presence immediately. His intentions were to allow Ysabelle to face the Outer Demons and hopefully save her should shee under any danger. After all, no woman could resist the tale of a shining knighting to save the damsel in distress.


    Unfortunately, Ysabelle didn¡¯t need any help. She¡¯d wiped the floor with her opponents within minutes and had even urately pinpointed Jerome¡¯s location. In fact, she impressed Jerome so much that he simply stood still and watched Ysabelle¡¯s fight with total admiration.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to help, then make yourself scarce. The ckburn House is far too busy to deal with your shenanigans.¡±


    Ysabelle wasn¡¯t biting the bait. She coolly moved her eyes away, wholly detached from the blonde Adonis. In her experience, talking to the man would only waste time. Although she was infuriated by his actions, Ysabelle didn¡¯t have any evidence. At this juncture, it was best to ignore the man and go on living her own life.


    s, Jerome wasn¡¯t too keen on letting Ysabelle leave so quickly.


    ¡°Ysabelle, why the rush?¡±


    Using some swift footwork, the blonde man zoomed past Ysabelle¡¯s body and found his way in front of thess. Making sure that they were locking eyes, Jerome brought his face closer until the point where they could smell each other¡¯s breaths. Naturally, Ysabelle flinched and doubled the distance with a step back.


    ¡°Warw¡­ I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t do that again. Or else¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Or else what? You¡¯ll hit me? Too bad for you, I¡¯m into that kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Pervert.¡±


    Ysabelle shook her head and once again attempted to side-step the man. She found it a mystery that so many women fell for his trap, even though the man was as smooth as gravel. s, that was the allure of an Alpha Werewolf. Even the most intelligent of women would fall prey to a muscr, handsome man.


    The ck-haired Vampire scoffed in anger, revealing her back as she rushed to reunite with herrades and escape this dastardly conversation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need our help?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ysabelle turned her head back, catching sight of the blonde man putting on a haughty attitude. Her agate eyes twitched as the Werewolf puffed out his chest and proudly dered:


    ¡°There are over a dozen missions, three of which have sent SOS signals. The situation out there has turned dire, and your side has been suffering the most. And while the Warw Tribe has sent reinforcements¡­ It would be a shame if something happened to that, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    It took a moment for Ysabelle to register what had happened. She knew that Jerome was interested in her, and that was one of the reasons why the Warw Tribe had provided this many men. All of her family members had the same thought. While they disliked Jerome, they couldn¡¯t deny that the Warw Tribe¡¯s assistance was imperative to weathering this disaster. Therefore, as much as she hated the Alpha¡¯s advancements, Ysabelle could only bite the bullet for now.


    But this was the first time that Jerome had turned this brazen.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. It doesn¡¯t hurt to get a cup of coffee.¡±


    There were thousands of facts that Ysabelle could retort with. For one, the Warw Tribe were bound with the duty to fight Outer Demons, especially those that escaped from the Gate that they jointly protected. They also relied on the ckburn House for much of their trade, finance and even protection. In fact, the ckburn House was paying a hefty sum for their services this time round.


    And finally, the Warw Tribe wasn¡¯t the only option that the ckburn House had. There were other Werewolf Tribes, assistance from humans or elves, and if it came to theirst resort¡­ The ckburn House would trouble the Vampire Council to send in ancient monsters such as Matriarch Everwinter.


    However, Ysabelle didn¡¯t say any of those reasons. She finally had enough of this bastard¡¯s bullshit. With the most deadpan re she had ever given in her life, Ysabelle spat:


    ¡°I would rather die by a thousand cuts than spend one more second with you.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, that stung.¡± Jerome smiled wildly as if he was used to these kinds of rejections. ¡°But that¡¯s what I like about you. You put up some fight. It won¡¯t be fun any other way.¡±


    Beaming from ear to ear, Jerome attempted to grab Ysabelle by the hand. His intention was to give a gentleman¡¯s kiss and, in some twisted way, get Ysabelle to constantly think of him. They do say that there¡¯s a fine line between love and hate. If he could always be on Ysabelle¡¯s mind, perhaps those feelings would one day blossom into a love that could flourish.


    But even before Ysabelle had the chance to push him away, something marvellous urred.


    ¡°Imperium: Push!¡±


    Jerome Warw, the man who was said to be the strongest Werewolf in the entire Warw Tribe, suddenly found it impossible to control his body. A mysterious force dragged his hands away from Ysabelle, suspending his entire body in mid-air.


    Jerome attempted to escape, but the force that was restraining him was far too powerful. It felt Space itself had decided to mess with him, contorting him in one ce and restricting all forms of movement. And before the man could evenprehend that Telekinesis had been cast on him, Jerome¡¯s body was flung into the sky, like a catapult firing a projectile.


    In mere milliseconds, Jerome passed the sound barrier and sted off like a rocket flying to Mars. Since Werewolves couldn¡¯t fly, the only thing that he could do was zoom through the skies helplessly until hended t in another country.


    But that was not Ysabelle¡¯s problem.


    Why?


    Because of the man who reced Jerome¡¯s spot bynding from god knows where.


    Draped over his broad andnky shoulders was a luxurious cashmere coat that covered all parts of his burgundy three-piece suit. Standing at 1.99 metres tall, the man was easily half a head above Ysabelle. His short ck hair was groomed in a glossy fashion, giving his gorgeous blue eyes a chance to shine.


    With his back straightened and his posture impable, the man exuded a charisma only reserved for the noblest of men. While he wasn¡¯t at the level of Jerome, the man was loaded with muscles, so much so that his suit couldn¡¯t hide the outline of his domineering frame.


    Yet, at the same time¡­ The man¡¯s atmosphere was exceedingly gentle.


    Compared to Jerome, the man was a tad less handsome. He didn¡¯t have the same muscr frame that made all women salivate, and he didn¡¯t possess the ¡®dangerous¡¯ look that appealed to most women.


    And yet¡­ When Ysabelle saw him for the first time¡­


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    No, to be more exact, her soul couldn¡¯t help but gravitate towards the neer. They had interacted multiple times in the past, and in more recent years, she had observed him through pictures and videos. And so, she was naturally aware of who this man was.


    But seeing the real thing was a whole different matter.


    At that moment, the warrior Amazonian that took down seventy Outer Demons disappeared. The indomitable woman that rejected Jerome, the Warw Tribe¡¯s Alpha, vanished. All that remained was a shy little girl who couldn¡¯t stop the redness from dyeing her cheeks.


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±

 Chapter 82 The True Terror (1)

    It has been six days since we first arrived at the ckburn House, and while the hosts were nothing but weing, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that they were purposely hiding Ysabelle from me. Whether it was her own decision or the family¡¯s, I didn¡¯t know. However, I wasn¡¯t going to simply wait around to find out.


    Especially since we¡¯ve heard the stories about the Warw Tribe¡¯s Alpha. From the stories I¡¯d gathered through eavesdropping, the Warw¡¯s Alpha was a famous figure and a man who could provide Ysabelle with everything I could and more. Needless to say, just him taking an interest in Ysabelle was enough to draw my animosity.


    Now, I knew that it was unreasonable to expect Ysabelle not to have any love interests. After all, we had been separated for fifteen years, and I¡¯dpletely forgotten about her until recently.


    And yet, emotionally, I couldn¡¯t ept that a girl that shared her soul with me would be taken by another man. Call me immature, but I wanted to at least meet Ysabelle face-to-face first to plead my case.


    I wanted to cultivate our lost feelings, spend time with her, and confirm both of our emotions.


    And after all that, if she still decides to go with another man¡­ I could only respect her choice.


    But! I won¡¯t let ite to that. I will ensure that Ysabelle realises that I could do everything the Warw Alpha could and better! I will fight till the veryst moment, not giving her an excuse topletely write me off. But first¡­ I had to find the girl.


    My journey first began after realising that just like how Lilith was able to pinpoint my coordinates by locating her soul, I could use Ysabelle¡¯s soul inside me to act as apass to find her. It took some getting used to, but eventually, I managed to estimate the rough distance that the girl had disappeared.


    Following that, I found an excuse to leave the ckburn House by saying I wished to help in the extermination of the Outer Demons. And while Julien, Ysabelle¡¯s personal servant, was reluctant, I convinced him through pure brute force.


    Though there was one hup. My two precious lovers were adamant about following me, even though it had nothing to do with them. Apparently, they were afraid of Ysabelle stealing me away from them, which sounded ludicrous at first blush. They were, after all, the women I was closest to. Even if Ysabelle came into my life, I wouldn¡¯t just abandon them.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t say no to those stunningly gorgeousdies, especially when they looked at me with pure, beady eyes.


    And so, our expedition to Ysabelle began without much hindrance. I yed with the idea of using the ckburn House¡¯s Warp Gates, but it just seemed to be too much work. And there was no telling if Julien would actually teleport me to Ysabelle¡¯s location.


    Fortunately, I happened to be an expert in space magic. Gathering my group together, I teleported all of us in the rough direction where Ysabelle was located, moving one or two kilometres at a time.<sub>.</sub>


    Initially, my attraction to Ysabelle¡¯s soul was exceedingly faint, showing how great the distance was between us. But as we blinked past the great canyons that surrounded the ckburn House, I could feel a mysterious force calling me northeast. It was like a maic pull, and it only got stronger the closer I got.


    Now, I had no doubt that I had found my target.


    Yet, as we inched kilometre by kilometre¡­ A different feeling emerged from the depths of my soul. It was foreign and all too different from what I usually felt. The aching pain of grief as if I had lost someone¡­ Remorse that I could have done better¡­ And annoyance at an enemy I couldn¡¯t see.


    Those weren¡¯t my emotions¡­ I could¡­


    I could feel another person¡¯s emotions.


    And there was no debate on who that person was.


    Once I reached within ten kilometres, I could feel Ysabelle¡¯s soul calling out to me. Like a siren that beckons sailors to its loft, Ysabelle¡¯s intense emotions were being transmitted to my subconscious mind. I didn¡¯t know what was happening, but one thing was certain.


    Ysabelle needed help, and she needed it urgently.


    I teleported straight away without even knowing it, forgetting to bring mypanions with me. My mind was upied with saving Ysabelle, fearing that someone had brought her harm. And true to my guess¡­


    The moment I teleported to my destination, the first thing that caught my eye was an enchanting young woman who stood about 1.85 metres tall. She was quite likely the tallest woman I¡¯d met personally, but that didn¡¯t mean I was put off by it. In fact, I was rather attracted to the womanly curves that came with her long legs and rangy build.


    Her short ck hair reached the base of her shoulders and didn¡¯t go an inch further. It was something different than what I was used to, with Irina and Lilith having long hair, yet it provided a refreshing allure that I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from. Her agate eyes shone brilliantly with a majesty reserved only for a warrior queen, and her steadfast nature really spoke for itself with her choice of battle equipment.


    And the most eye-catching feature of all¡­ The woman had a devilish figure that would make Wonder Woman grimace with envy. Logically speaking, the taller a person went, the less likely they were to have a proportional figure. Yet, that Amazonian bombshell broke that same rule.<sub></sub>


    Her long legs, decanter waist, thick hips and ample bosom were the stuff of fantasy. Not a single human woman on the could look as sexy as her, not even if they tried with surgery.


    But it didn¡¯t matter if she was the sexiest woman on the or the ugliest grinch humanity could give birth to. My soul was drawn to her like a moth to fire. I didn¡¯t need anyone to confirm it for me.


    The woman down there was Ysabelle, no question about it.


    And she needed my help.


    A gaudy man attempted to grab hold of her hand as much as she rejected his advances. Almost instantly, my overprotective nature erupted into being. I didn¡¯t even know the guy, but I cast my most powerful Spatial spell and sent the man flying into another dimension. I didn¡¯t even bother to control my strength and didn¡¯t care if he lived or died.


    The only thing I wanted to do was to protect Ysabelle from the bastard that dared to make her feel that way.


    I could see Ysabelle¡¯s face turn from annoyance to outright shock. Befuddled by what had happened, the woman looked around nervously, thinking that an enemy was near.


    Goodness, how adorable¡­ Why are all of my lovers this cute?


    No, no. I should focus. They say that first impressions matter, so I should make sure that Ysabelle sees me as a reliable person. I puffed out my chest and did a cursory check on my appearance. While I didn¡¯t have a mirror, I could dust off some dirt from my suit and tidy my hair a little.


    Once I was done, I released my suspended body and descended down upon the bbergasted girl. She locked her eyes on my appearance, and at that moment, I saw recognition sh by her pupils.


    That was all the confirmation I needed that Ysabelle knew who I was. And judging by the fact that there was no repulsion and the fact that she hadn¡¯t screamed out yet¡­ I could guess that she didn¡¯t hate me.


    If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t she meet me sooner? Was she really just that busy? Am I overthinking it and acting like a douche for barging on her mission unannounced?<sub></sub>


    Numerous questions flowed into my mind, but Ipletely suppressed them. I wasn¡¯t going to let somest-minute thoughts ruin my reunion with Ysabelle.


    I took one deep breath in and called out: ¡°Ysabelle¡­¡±


    The ck-haired beauty was startled by my sudden voice. Her tough exterior melted away, and her face started to turn crimson. I could hear her heart skip a beat as she unconsciously fidgeted in ce.


    Wait, did I intimidate her? Or was she behaving this way because she was shy? I really could tell. And as I was about to dig deep into her soul to figure out her emotions, the girl¡¯s sheepish voice caught my ear.


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    Like a refreshing Summer breeze from the ocean, Ysabelle¡¯s soft voice sted my senses away. Almost instantly, I could feel myself drawing closer to the young ck-haired beauty, with the impulse to pull her into my embrace.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d felt this way. When I met Irina and Lilith for the first time, my emotions were in disarray, and my hormones took over. No, to be more exact, my soul did the decision-making.


    ¡°Jin, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You weren¡¯ting to see me, so I came to see you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m here anyway.¡±


    True to my expectations, Ysabelle was avoiding me. Although I didn¡¯t know why I could tell from her reactions, it wasn¡¯t due to an absurd hatred for me. Her fidgeting body betrayed the tough pretence she was trying to portray, making it quite adorable to watch. But she couldn¡¯t back down now. Still trying her best to keep up the facade, Ysabelle turned her back to me and said:


    ¡°Coming here was a mistake, Jin. Please return to the vi.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is there something bothering you? If there is, you can tell me. I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong. I¡¯m actually quite busy right now, so if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle!¡±


    I didn¡¯t travel all the way here just to be turned back with the same excuse. Teleporting in front of the girl, I gently cupped her wrists to hold her in ce. If Ysabelle was appalled by my actions, I would have immediately let go. After all, I didn¡¯t want to be a creep who detained women against their will.


    However, there were no signs of rejection on Ysabelle¡¯s face,pletely unlike the time the gaudy man attempted to touch her. Instead, I could feel her pulse beating faster, and her heart was almost leaping out from her chest. If she wanted to, she could pull her hand away and break free from my weak grip, but she simply stayed in ce.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°No, it is¡­ Didn¡¯t I promise you that I¡¯ll be your knight in shining armour? To run to you whenever you need me?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You remembered?!¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s face clearly wavered at my statement. Regrettably, I had only recalled that promise due to my recent dream. Nevertheless, now that it is ingrained in my memory, I¡¯llmit to never forgetting it. And Ysabelle could feel the weight of my emotions clearly.


    The woman bit the bottom of her lip, clearly unaware that she was wearing her heart on her sleeve. Like a cornered chicken, Ysabelle couldn¡¯t keep her eyes on me. She desperately sought help from elsewhere, knowing that she could not hold back her secret anymore.


    Perhaps¡­ If I just gave her one more push, it would be enough for her to spill the beans.


    s, that scenario wouldn¡¯te to pass.


    ¡°Mistress Ysabelle! It¡¯s an emergency! There¡¯s another SOS signal fifteen kilometres west of your location! I¡¯m sending the coordinates now!¡±


    ¡°A-Ah?! I-I understand! I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s watch started to beep, and a woman operator¡¯s voice sounded out. Twisting her wrist, Ysabelle broke free from my gentle grip with a somewhat regrettable expression lingering in her agate eyes. Still, the ckburn House¡¯s Princess immediately returned to her work mode and tapped on her watch to release a holographic image of a map and the SOS beacon.


    ¡°Jin, please return to the vi. We¡¯ll talk once I get back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡±


    ¡°Jin! This isn¡¯t a game! It¡¯s going to be dangerous!¡±


    ¡°All the more reason I should follow.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to wait around while Ysabelle dived into danger headfirst. From my perspective, the quicker we solved her predicament, the faster we could get out of this emotional deadlock we were stuck in.


    ¡°Ysabelle, you may not know it, but I¡¯m decently strong. I am more than capable of protecting you now. So, you can trust me with your back. I swear that I won¡¯t be a liability.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Suit yourself.¡±


    Luckily, my pleas didn¡¯t go unheard. Sighing while mentally grabbing her head, Ysabelle turned her back around and moved straight for the SOS signal.


    Alright¡­ Let¡¯s get this over with, shall we?

 Chapter 83 The True Terror (2)

    ¡°Jin! If you ever do that again, I¡¯ll tie you up in a bed! You hear me?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Brother! How can you just leave us alone like that?! What if an Outer Demones and hurts us?! Can you put that on your conscience?!¡±


    I listened to my two lovers¡¯ints with a wry smile on my face. Well, it was my fault for leaving them in the middle of nowhere and rushing straight to Ysabelle in the first ce. Therefore, no matter how much theyined, I could only smile and nod. But seriously, you two¡­


    Tying me up on the bed is too much, isn¡¯t it? Plus, barely any Outer Demons could beat you now, given that you¡¯ve mastered your domains. Either way, I simply shook my head regrettably and allowed the two girls to scold me endlessly. Though, my eyes were still stered on the ck-haired girl who was busy talking to her subordinates.


    After settling her business, Ysabelle looked back at the three of us squabbling, only to reveal a wry smile. She walked cautiously toward us and spoke apathetically:


    ¡°Lilith, Irina¡­ It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle.¡±


    My younger sister and Bloodmate nodded in response, acknowledging her presence with a wince. For some reason, the pair were exceedingly cautious of Ysabelle and treated her as one of their top enemies to eliminate. And truth to be told, that confused me greatly. From my memories and simply talking to the girl, I knew that Ysabelle was as harmless as a fly. And yet, Irina and Lilith, the two vixens who were as ipatible as oil and water, found unity when it came to dealing with Ysabelle.


    ¡°Although I would love to chat and catch up, we¡¯re in the midst of an emergency. While I don¡¯t expect you to help us, please ensure that Jin is safe.¡±


    ¡°¡­ We¡¯ll do that even without you asking.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    After saying her piece, Ysabelle let out a smileced with emotions that I couldn¡¯t read. Still, her gaze lingered on us for a few seconds before she finally turned her body away and straight towards the direction where help was needed. As her body flew far away, I looked over my shoulder and said:


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help Ysabelle deal with her problems. You guys don¡¯t have toe if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! And leave you alone with Ysabelle?! No way!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sticking with you, Brother! And that¡¯s final!¡±


    ¡°Haha, alright¡­¡±


    As much as I wished to delve into the secrets the two shared, there was a more pressing issue at hand. Using my teleport skill, I warped our group closer to Ysabelle and kept up with her immense speed. Initially, I offered to teleport Ysabelle as well, but she refused because she wouldn¡¯t be used to the spell.


    Though, even the blind could tell that it was an excuse. Even after reuniting, Ysabelle still avoided me like the gue. I¡¯m sure there were some circumstances for her actions, but we simply didn¡¯t have time to address them. Though, there was some respite for our dyed conversation.<sub>.</sub>


    I was able to witness Ysabelle in action for the very first time!


    Irina and Lilith were both Vampires, through and through, meaning that they only used magic and barely trained their physical attributes. I would reckon that Irina would be a reclusive mage in RPG terms, while Lilith was a hardcore schr who studied the arcane arts.


    Ysabelle, on the other hand, went on a whole different path. Her thigh muscles were so thick that they could easily be mistaken for a tree trunk, and her well-proportioned body showed signs of powerful muscles that could only be obtained through intense training. If we were ying an RPG, Ysabelle would either be the indomitable warrior or the valiant pdin knight that served as the anchor point of the party.


    ¡­ And as much as I would hate to admit it, it seems like Ysabelle¡¯s physical prowess were far above my level. Her running speed alone made me dizzy, and she didn¡¯t even break a sweat each time she leapt a hundred metres per step.


    And with that kind of speed, it only took her two minutes before Ysabelle found her targets.


    A bunch of ckburn Vampires were being cornered by a variety of Outer Demons, many of which were emitting this strange aura. Just by looking at them, I felt a repugnant force churn within my stomach, and my face turned green from disgust. And all of a sudden, I felt my magic power diminish, or rather¡­ My magic wasn¡¯t going to activate.


    ¡°Okarins! No wonder the ckburn House is having trouble!¡±


    Cape Moonreaver, who served as Lilith¡¯s bodyguard, widened her eyes as she pointed at the lizard-like Outer Demons.


    ¡°Okarins? What are those?¡±


    Cape frowned as she reached for her sword: ¡°Outer Demons that possess anti-magic capabilities. They produce a field that can negate all magic spells and weaken magical users. They are only found in the major Gate that the ckburns help guard. That¡¯s one of the reasons why members of the ckburn House train their bodies on top of their magic.¡±


    Oh, that makes sense. True Vampires are beings that are closest to magic. So, rather than train their physical flesh to the absolute apex, they tend to lean towards the magical side of battle. It was rare to find a Vampire House that teaches its members exclusively in physicalbat, especially amongst the Guardian Houses.


    But the ckburn House had to adapt to survive. Especially since they normally fought against Werewolves, who were known to have excellent magic resistance.


    ¡°Ho? They can negate magic? I wonder what principle allows that?¡± Ever the schr, Lilith instantly got to thinking.


    ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just freeze them with my domain if they get too close.¡± Irinapletely ignored Cape¡¯s words andzily ced her hands behind her head.


    Even amid battle, these two girls were as carefree as can be. Well, they did have experts guarding them, but I doubt that was the main reason for their leisure. The main reason why they were so nonchnt about this whole battlefield was simply just¡­


    They were strong.


    Too strong, actually. Compared to the weak ckburn Vampires that struggled to deal with the Outer Demons, Irina and Lilith were many levels beyond. If they wished to, I¡¯m confident that they could annihte all the Outer Demons present, bypassing the anti-magic Okarins altogether. And I wasn¡¯t just spewing nonsense out of my mouth.<sub></sub>


    Irina, who was irritated that the battle might reach us, raised her hand and unleashed a mystical force from the depths of her soul. It felt like the world had bowed at her feet at that moment. A Winter Wondend descended, covering the rocky canyon with ayer of deep frost.


    The anti-magic Okarins let out a puzzled cry, unable toprehend why their powers could not work against the enemy. But the logic was quite simple, actually.


    If the Okarins could create an anti-magic field, all one needed to do was to turn the entire battlefield into their territory. To leave not a stone unturned and no leaf unounted for. Domain overwrites domain, and in this case, Irina simply had the stronger domain.


    And as the Sovereign of the Winter Wondend, Irina could now do as she pleased. Crushing her fingers, humongous ice shards measuring over ten metres long fell violently on every single Okarin, turning them into nothing but meat paste.


    Goodness, gracious¡­ Has Irina be even stronger? It has only been a few weeks since she emerged from the Dimensional Domain, right? Plus, she hadn¡¯t been training all day. I should know since I was constantly by her side.


    Yet, she could still improve? Really, sometimes I wonder who really is the genius here.


    And speaking of strong, there was one more girl who deserved to walk alongside the two geniuses that stood by my side.


    ¡°Thanks, Irina! I¡¯ll handle it from here!¡±


    Brandishing her ck ymore, Ysabelle leapt at the remaining few dozen Outer Demons,nding with a violent superherond. And what transpired after¡­ Could only be described as a one-sided massacre.


    Each time Ysabelle swung her massive de, at least one Outer Demon would be cleaved cleanly in half. Laced with her mysterious Ghostme, the ckburn Princess danced through the foreign menaces withplete ease, breezing through them as if they weren¡¯t even there. However, Ysabelle wasn¡¯t just performing a War Dance; each movement she made was well-calcted, with each muscle contraction being a prelude for her next decisive swing.


    Bit by bit, the Outer Demons withered down.


    Burns, cuts, hacks¡­


    It didn¡¯t matter when the War Princess took the field. Mesmerising everyone with her beautiful dance, Ysabelle annihted the Outer Demons without any mercy. Blood sttered all over her tightly fitted battle suit, but that didn¡¯t dull her allure one bit.


    It felt like I was watching the descent of an Amazonian Goddess, nay, Lady Athena herself.


    And unwittingly, I had be spellbound by Ysabelle.


    ¡°T-Thank you, Mistress Ysabelle! T-Thank for saving us!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Ysabelle smiled as she helped one of herrades to her feet. ¡°Although, you shouldn¡¯t just thank me. My friend Irina helped tremendously as well.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t help you because I wanted to, Ysabelle.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t have to be shy!¡±


    Still covered in blood, Ysabelle came over and patted Irina on the back. Irina grimaced and waved the woman off, but Ysabelle didn¡¯t mind it. Her sisterly smile showed glimpses of the ck-haired beauty¡¯s true self, something that she had been hiding from me ever since we reunited.


    As expected, something is going on here. If she was friendly with Irina and Lilith, yet she keeps avoiding me¡­ There is something bothering Ysabelle that she isn¡¯t sharing.


    Fortunately, now that we¡¯ve saved herrades, I could finally get to the bottom of this mysterious puzzle.


    ¡°Ysab-¡­¡±


    However, before I could even make eye contact with the woman, the ground started to shake violently. The earth beneath us cracked, creating a rupture beyond anything that I¡¯d seen before. It felt as if the entire tectonic te had flipped on its side, creating a world-ending natural disaster that erupted from the¡¯s core.


    I didn¡¯t know what was happening, but there was one thing for certain¡­


    Something dangerous wasing.


    Instinctively, I grabbed hold of Irina and Lilith, instantly teleporting them a dozen kilometres away. Reaching a tall mountain, I ced the both of them down and cautiously observed the surroundings.


    The ground was still shaking, but at least it wasn¡¯t as bad as before. Still, in my anxiousness, I¡¯d left the rest behind, including Ysabelle, and there was no way I would leave them there.


    ¡°Stay here! I¡¯ll go get the rest!¡±


    ¡°Brother! Be careful!¡±


    ¡°Jin, let me help! I can use my dimensional shift as well!¡±


    ¡°No, I need you to stay here and review what¡¯s going on!¡±


    While Lilith¡¯s dimensional shift was useful, it wasn¡¯t as potent as my teleport that came from my control over the fabric of Space. At most, she could warp one or two kilometres at best, and to get to safety, it would take her multiple jumps. Additionally, I believed that Lilith had a bigger role to y, given that she had far more knowledge than I did.


    Perhaps she could identify what was causing this disastrous earthquake when I returned with the rest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for a reply and instantly teleported back, where our party and Ysabelle were waiting. I grabbed onto Ysabelle, Variel and Cape, intending to teleport them straight away, but Ysabelle stopped me.


    ¡°Wait! Teleport the injured first!¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Please, Jin! They can¡¯t move on their own! We need to help them!¡±


    Looking at Ysabelle¡¯s tearful face, my heart turned soft. Logically speaking, I should only teleport those that I knew, especially since it was an emergency. But Ysabelle¡¯s eyes were pushing me in the other direction. I turned to Variel and Cape, and even without me saying a word, both of them nodded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to teleport us; we¡¯ll find our way to Miss Irina and Miss Lilith.¡±


    Ever the cool cucumber Variel nodded in response. Cape scowled, but she didn¡¯t let her dissent be known. Rather, she leapt into the air and urately flew south, the exact location where I¡¯d teleported the two girls to.


    Did they have some homing senses or something? Either way, since those two were gone, I would have an easier time teleporting the rest.


    ¡°How many people can you teleport at once?¡±


    ¡°Given the distance that we have to travel¡­ Five per trip.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Start with these five, please!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Why aren¡¯t you included in them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until the veryst person is saved!¡±


    ¡°Y-You! Hah¡­ Fine!¡±


    I wanted to quibble, but there was simply no time. The more time I wasted arguing, the higher the risks were. And so, I acquiesced to Ysabelle¡¯s unreasonable request and instantly teleported herrades in batches.


    ¡°Thank you fo-¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, shut it!¡±


    I interrupted one of the ckburn Vampires who were trying to thank me and teleported back. There was no way I would waste any time socialising when Ysabelle was still in the danger zone.


    Unknowingly, I rushed my teleports, leaving no time to rest or think. I just wanted to get the job over and done with so that I could finally talk to Ysabelle alone. And so, before I knew it, all of the batches had been cleared, leaving only the most important person behind.


    And in my single-minded desire toplete the task, I waste to notice the extreme abnormality thaty before Ysabelle and me.


    ¡°Ysabelle! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­ That¡¯s impossible! How is it here?!¡±


    Shaken up beyond words, Ysabelle fell down while her entire brave facade broke down. Trembling like a leaf, the girl turned into a scared rabbit that only wished to escape down its burrow.


    Before I could grab the girl, however, a mysterious pressure forced me to my knees. Not knowing what was going on, I raised my head up in defiance and then¡­


    What stood before me was a yellow moon. No, it just looked like a moon since it was easily over three kilometres in diameter. The yellow ball was neither a celestial body nor aet that came from outer space. It was¡­


    An Outer Demon¡¯s eye.


    Just one eye.


    And when it raised its body, I couldn¡¯t help but freeze up. It looked like an amalgamation of mountains mushed together to make a humongous Outer Demon, one that was easily bigger than the entire ckburn Estate! With a rigid shell that seemed to deflect anything and everything, and scaly arms that were thicker than the bases of the pyramids the Outer Demon looked simr to a ginormous turtle.


    And once it bravely showed its entire body, it stared down at me like I was nothing more than an ant it could step on. No, based on its size, I was an ant that could be easily trampled.


    At that moment, I felt the weakest I¡¯ve ever been in months. Even facing Matriarch Everwinter and Sirius Moonreaver didn¡¯t bring me this much fear. The only time I¡¯d felt so small was during my battle with death in the hospital. Which meant only one thing¡­


    This Outer Demon was stronger than two of the world¡¯s mightiest Vampires¡­bined.


    At that moment, I finally knew what true terror was like. And it had a name.


    ¡°Eyghon¡­¡±

 Chapter 84 Eyghon, Fortress of the Earth (1)

    ¡°Eyghon?! Why has it appeared?!¡±


    At that moment, it wasn¡¯t just Jin and Ysabelle who felt fear coursing through their veins. Even Cape Moonreaver, the mighty Asterias that served as the spear of the Moonreaver House, couldn¡¯t help but grimace. Her shock was so extreme that she had forgotten her duty as a bodyguard,pletely ignoring the blonde-haired girl she was supposed to protect by not bringing her to safety immediately.


    But Lilith didn¡¯t mind. Rather, her eyes bulged out in fear as she added:


    ¡°Eyghon?! Is that Outer Demon really Eyghon?! The Demon Lord?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it!!!¡±


    Cape yelled, not bothering in the slightest to hide her anxiety.


    Very little is known about the Outer Demons. Why did they decide to invade the? How did they manage to create ruptures in Spacetime to connect the two worlds together? And why haven¡¯t theyunched a full-on attack to destroy humanity?


    Their motives, biology and hierarchy structure were shrouded inplete mystery, creating an unsolvable enigma that researchers had been working on for centuries.


    But there was one thing for sure¡­


    Amongst the Outer Demons, there were outliers that surpassed anything the could muster up. No single Human, Werewolf, Vampire, Elf, or any other sentient creature, could stand toe-to-toe with Outer Demons of this ss.


    Not ancient monsters like Matriarch Everwinter or the High Elders of each Guardian House. Not the top S-ss Hunters that bore the prestige of humanity¡¯s mightiest defenders. Not the Alpha Werewolves that stood at the apex of their food chain¡­<sub>.</sub>


    None of the¡¯s strongest forces could contend with the highest ss of Outer Demons ssifiable¡­


    The Demon Lords.


    Although there might be more, currently, humanity has only identified three of them.


    Cthulhu, Matron of the Seas. An archaic monster that possessed power far beyond any sea creature in existence. Commanding legions of tentacle spawn, the ancient beast ruled the oceans, with many ounts recounting that just by peering into its infinitely chaotic eyes, one would turn insane.


    First appearing in the Gate guarded by the Everwinter House, Cthulhu had be a tale of legend, and whenever the threat of it resurged, the entire world woulde to a standstill to help the Everwinter House.


    Baishe, Serpent of the Skies. The only Demon Lord on record with the ability to fly. Just like Cthulhu, it always appears with an army of Outer Demons. But as the monarch of the sky, it travels with a near infinite amount of flying beasts,pletely decimating any air force the could conjure up.


    Fortunately, Baishe has only appeared once in history, but it took thebined efforts of every single race to finally subdue and push it back. It was humanity¡¯s hardest victory, and the only time every single living being on Earth banded together to defeat themon enemy.


    But there was one more Demon Lord,uded as the most impervious and mysterious Outer Demon that had ever appeared on the.


    Eyghon, Fortress of the Earth


    Eyghon was an Outer Demon the size of an entire mountain range. From afar, the Demon Lord looked like an oversized turtle, but that was hardly just that. It possessed an impregnable defence, with its thick skin and sturdy hide. Not only that, the shell on its back was made of a foreign material that was tougher than diamonds, making it impossible to crack. But the most annoying part of the Eyghon wasn¡¯t its absurd defences¡­ But its ability to negate all magic regardless of its caster.<sub></sub>


    To True Vampires, who primarily relied on their overwhelming magic power, Eyghon was their natural enemy. Even ancient monsters who survived dozens of bloody wars or elites that had been forged through trial by fire¡­ Could only run away whenever they were faced with the mystical beast that was Eyghon.


    That was the reason why Okarins, the lizardmen-like Outer Demons that caused the ckburn House so much trouble, possessed anti-magic capabilities. They were spawns of Eyghon and monsters that served at its pleasure.


    ¡°Let¡¯s run away! We don¡¯t stand a chance against a monster like that!¡± Cape¡¯s mind finally recovered from the shock, and she grabbed onto Lilith, fully intending to abandon everyone present to fulfil her bodyguard duties.


    Variel nodded with a grim expression as well, grabbing onto Irina without her even noticing.


    ¡°Wait! What about Jin?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Brother! He¡¯s still not here!¡±


    Although Jin had teleported all of the injured ckburns, he had yet to return with the one he wanted to save the most. As for the reason for their absence¡­


    ???


    ¡°E-Eyghon?! N-No way!!! Why is it here?!¡±


    Ysabelle stammered and winced, not able to form a word coherently. Ovee with fear, she felt the world turn on its head and could notprehend the situation. The immense size of the Outer Demon was one thing, but the moment the monster appeared, it seemed like all magic had been ripped from her very being.<sub></sub>


    And I felt much the same.


    The moment that monster appeared, I felt my magic power being cut off. Fear overwhelmed my heart, paralysing me from the neck down. I felt my pupils dte as sweat dripped down my face.


    However, it didn¡¯t take long for me toe to my senses. I pped my face once and suppressed the fear with all I had. Following that, I ran straight to Ysabelle and grabbed her by the arm.


    ¡°Ysabelle! We have to go!!!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if my voice could reach her now or not, but I had to try. For some reason, my magic power was being sealed, and my teleportation spells wouldn¡¯t activate. Therefore, if we wanted to have any chance to survive, we had to run immediately. At least when this Outer Demon was still unprepared and ignorant of where we were.


    ¡°Jin! Why did youe here?!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    However, contrary to my expectations, Ysabelle yelled at me with tears running down her gorgeously-coloured agate eyes. A flurry of emotions was painted on her face,pletely unlike the time when she appeared as an indomitable warrior that cut down Outer Demons by the thousands.


    ¡°Why did youe?! Why did youe?! WHY DID YOU COME?!¡±


    ¡°Y-Ysabelle? W-What¡¯s the matter?!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee to find me! Why did youe to find me?! You could have lived your life happily with the rest, and I would have been happy! Why did youe?!¡±


    Ysabelle fell onto her knees as if she had given up all hope. She stared straight at the humongous Outer Demon that appeared, her face broken beyond belief. And with a helpless whimper, she said:


    ¡°History is going to repeat itself¡­¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s words reverberated within my mind, echoing into the deepest parts of my soul. At that moment, a fragmented memory resurfaced. An image of a crying girl who was bawling her eyes out till they were red and dry. She knelt down on the ground with her arms by her side, and her back bent backwards as if all hope had been ripped away from the universe.


    And lying motionless in front of her¡­ was a boy¡¯s mangled body.


    A boy that looked no older than ten years old and whose eyes had been void of light.


    ¡°¡­ What was that?¡±


    The memory faded away just as quickly as it resurfaced. Possibly due to the urgency of the situation, I had suppressed it unconsciously. As much as I would love to reminisce about it, I had to save Ysabelle now, or it would be toote.


    ¡°Ysabelle! Enough moping around! We have to leave!!!¡±


    This time, I didn¡¯t wait for her permission. I grabbed the girl in a princess carry and instantly jumped in the opposite direction. I didn¡¯t know why, but the Outer Demon was still not attacking us, as if it had been awakening from its slumber and was still groggy.


    Fortunately, that yed in our favour. Although I couldn¡¯t use magic right now, my physical attributes were still top-tier. It wasn¡¯t at the level of Ysabelle or the average Werewolf, but I was capable of matching a B-Ranked Hunter easily.


    Which was why I could lift Ysabelle as easily as one held a feather. Leaping from rock to rock, I made great grounds in separating the distance between the ginormous Outer Demon and us. However, just as I saw a glimmer of hope that we could survive this ordeal¡­


    The slumbering giant¡­ woke up.


    ¡°ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!¡±


    A soundwave as powerful as an atomic bomb detonating ruptured my eardrums and sent my body tumbling down to the ground. However, the earth wasn¡¯t a safe ce either. The moment my feet touched the ground, I felt tremors that sent vibrations up my femur and all the way to my spine. The world shook from my point of view, and the ground suspiciously started to copse.


    Without my magic or ability to walk, I could only gasp in shock as the Outer Demon, who had been dormant until now, had singled its eyes on our position.


    The world froze as my eyes met with that outrageous beast. I could feel its fury and its overwhelming emotions bursting forth as it let out yet another world-ending cry.


    Before I could even muster up the courage to run away¡­ The Outer Demon opened up its mouth and lunged straight at our bodies.


    It didn¡¯t move at sound-breaking speeds, but the Outer Demon easily caught up to our position due to its size. Its lower jaw crushed the ground as if it were nothing more than cake and its upper jaw covered the heavens like an overcast sky. And before I knew it¡­


    The world turned ck.

 Chapter 85 Eyghon, Fortress of the Earth (2)

    ¡°Eyghon has appeared!!!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Jin andpany that noticed the tremendous change in the environment. The moment Eyghon mysteriously appeared, the entire ckburn headquarters broke into a frenzy. Hundreds of operators rushed to their positions as thousands lined up in front of the Warp Gates, waiting to be teleported.


    For the first time in over a thousand years, the entire ckburn House had been deployed. High Elders that had been slumbering for centuries were abruptly woken up for this emergency. Anyone with connections called their friends and formerrades, hoping to add one more fighter into the equation.


    It didn¡¯t matter if they were a Vampire, Werewolf or Human¡­ Everyone in the ckburn House had focused all of their attention on the threat looming over their necks.


    And that includes the person standing at the very top.


    ¡°Report!¡±


    The ckburn House acted exceedingly simr to that of a well-oiled military. They had barracks for soldiers to sleep in and traditional ranks that each member could obtain. Incidentally, since Ysabelle was one of the most talented individuals from the main branch, she had been fast-tracked to the position of Major, even though she was barely a quarter of a century old.


    But that position was primarily ceremonial, and she didn¡¯tmand a battalion like most Majors. However, unlike that discount major, the man standing at the top was the bona fide General of the entire Army. The most powerful man in the ckburn House and the only person capable of calling himself the unadulterated Lord that ruled over the mighty Vampire House.


    ¡°General Enzo!¡±


    One of the officers beamed at the entrance of their leader. Standing at over 2.3 metres tall, Enzo ckburn towered over most people and was considered extremely tall even by Vampire standards. His massive frame was loaded with dense muscle, making him look more like a bodybuilder than a General who sat inmand post all day. With a well-defined jawline plus a rough exterior that few could replicate, the man didn¡¯t seem like the average Vampire, who barely lifted a day in their life.


    If anything, the man looked more like a Werewolf than a Vampire.


    ¡°An earthquake had been detected, and after observing the location with satellite imagery, we can confirm that Eyghon had made its appearance!¡±


    ¡°Tch, did our countermeasures fail? There weren¡¯t any signs that it had passed the Gate!¡±


    Enzo clicked his tongue and desperately frowned. Falling onto hismand chair, he started to y with the data on his holographic screen, pulling out top secret records that no one other than he could see.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°We defeated every outbreak¡­ We hired the Warw Tribe and solicited the help of the humans¡­ And we made sure to calcte everything to the slimmest margins! So what went wrong?! How did Eyghon still manage to slip through our radar?!¡±


    The ckburn General¡¯s frustration wasn¡¯t unwarranted.


    Eyghon waspletely unlike the other two Demon Lords that humanity had encountered. Inplete disregard to its size, the massive turtle-like Demon Lord was perhaps the most elusive Outer Demon of the three. It could hide in in sight, disappearing from its original location and reappearing thousands of kilometres away.


    It had an impregnable defence, and yet, it never behaved aggressively like Baishe, who flew from country to country, burning everything with its draconic breath. Neither did it act like Cthulhu, who killed its enemies to feed its spawn.


    Eyghon was aplete enigma. Whenever it appeared, it would stay in ce for a few hours, allowing its spawn to deal with any attackers who dared to disrupt its slumber. Plus, it didn¡¯t help that Eyghon had a magic cancelling field capable of halting the assault of numerous magical beings.


    And if it got too chaotic, Eyghon would simply disappear without a trace.


    All these factorsbined made Eyghon the most cryptic and difficult Outer Demon to deal with. Most of the time, the ckburn House was able to prevent its descent into the mortal world simply through breaking the possible methods of entry it had. From killing off its spawn to monitoring the Major Gate twenty-four-seven.


    And for the most part, it worked just fine. The thousand years of tranquillity was evidence of that fact. Yet, Eyghon had mysteriously been able to intrude into the, surpassing the calctions and expectations of all the experts that the ckburn House had brought together.


    ¡°We have no other choice then¡­ Call an emergency meeting with the Guardian Houses! Also, send a message to the United Nations and request them to send help! And¡­ send an SOS signal to the Holy Church.¡±


    It took Enzo all of his effort to push those final words through his gritted teeth.


    The Holy Church was the bane of the Vampire race. Ever since the First Vampire walked the Earth, the Holy Church had been hunting them. It was only after the arrival of amon enemy, the Outer Demons, that the prosecution stopped. However, the wounds of millennia couldn¡¯t be washed away through one simple ceasefire.


    Till this very day, there is still tension between the Holy Church and Vampires. And the General also had his own reasons to hate the Church. But s, the threat of a Demon Lord was far too great. They needed all the help that they could get, including the powerful exorcists the Holy Church possessed.


    It would require the collective effort of the entire world to push back, let alone eliminate a full Demon Lord. Not to mention, this was Eyghon, the most mysterious of the three Demon Lords on record. In fact, the main reason the World Congress was formed in the first ce was to bring together every living being on the to fight the threat of the Outer Demons and Demon Lord.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Reporting to the General!¡±


    ¡°What is it?!¡±


    Enzo growled back, already annoyed by the fact that he had to grovel down and ask for help from the Holy Church. However, the following words out of his subordinate¡¯s mouth changed his face entirely.


    ¡°About the location that Eyghon has appeared at¡­ It seems that Mistress Ysabelle was present.¡±


    ¡°What?! Why was Ysabelle there?!¡±


    ?[0??]? ¡°S-She was responding to an SOS call, my Lord!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Ignoring his so-called dignified persona, the massive man cursed out loud. ¡°Where is she now?!¡±


    ¡°W-We don¡¯t know, sire! Contact had been cut off, and we haven¡¯t heard from her since!¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Why was Ysabelle there?!¡±


    A deep frown painted Enzo¡¯s face as he hung his head down. As a loving father, he naturally knew his daughter¡¯s personality. She was one to take her duties as a member of the House seriously and would never abandon a subordinate who needed her help. Even if it meant putting herself in harm¡¯s way.


    That was the Noblesse Oblige that members of the ckburn House were raised on.


    But still¡­ As a father, all he wished to do was abandon his post and rush down to find his daughter. s, he was the head of the ckburn House as well. He was responsible for the tens of thousands of lives under hismand, and he couldn¡¯t risk all of their lives because of his own familial ties.


    Therefore¡­<sub></sub>


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Yoel! Colonel Yannis!¡±


    ¡°Present!¡±


    Two young men, who seemingly looked like they were in their thirties, stepped forward and clicked their boots together. They saluted the General and awaited his next orders.


    ¡°Ysabelle has gone missing, and I¡¯m currently too preupied to go. So, the responsibility of saving her will fall on you two.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me down. Bring back your sister in one piece, or I¡¯ll rip you two into pieces, got it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, father.¡±


    Enzo¡¯s two sons sighed helplessly at their father¡¯s tant favouritism. However, neither of themined as they had gotten used to Enzo doting on his only and youngest daughter. s, they weren¡¯t going toin. After all¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to bring Ysabelle back safe and sound, Father!¡±


    Enzo wasn¡¯t the only one who doted on the family¡¯s youngest member.


    ???


    Darkness. That was the first thing that engulfed my senses. As my shock subsided and my other senses came online, I started toprehend the situation that I was in. The world had turned damp, and the heat within this foreignnd had be ever so humid. Shrouded inplete darkness, I couldn¡¯t rely on my eyesight to navigate around.


    However, the moment I activated my sense of smell, a putrid odour overcame my nose, forcing me to scrunch up in agony.


    Combining the fact that the environment that I was in hadpletely changed, there was only one probable reason for this current predicament of mine¡­


    I see¡­ So that Outer Demon had swallowed me.


    In my fear, I couldn¡¯t react to that Outer Demon¡¯s attack and could only hold onto Ysabelle while it charged forward with its mouth open. Speaking of the ck-haired girl¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I felt a warm entity squirm in my embrace, moaning and groaning as she awoke. Possibly due to the fear that overcame her, Ysabelle had passed out for a few minutes there. If not for my tight bear hug, the two of us might have been separated the moment this Outer Demon swallowed us.


    ¡°J-Jin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°W-Why? W-Why did youe?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still obsessed about that?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Even during an emergency such as this, Ysabelle¡¯s priority was about my arrival in the ckburn House. And while I would love to discuss everything at length with her, there was a more pressing issue to handle.


    ¡°Ysabelle, we¡¯ve been swallowed by the Outer Demon.¡±


    ¡°W-What?! S-So, are we dead?! A-Am I having hallucinations right now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you silly, youss¡­¡±


    I sighed and chalked Ysabelle¡¯s odd reaction to her recovering from shock. Fortunately, after checking myself for a bit, I found out something incredible. My magic power that had been sealed before was finally freed from that mysterious force, allowing me to summon out my Soul Armament and cast the spells that I needed once more.


    With my Creation magic, I summoned a wisp of light that illuminated the entire area, allowing us to see what exactly we were dealing with.


    ¡°T-This is¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re probably still in the esophagus of the beast.¡±


    Although I didn¡¯t know what the biology of this Outer Demon looked like, I vaguely guessed our position based on human biology. Surrounding us was a muscr tunnel with thick, viscous liquidsced on every side. There weren¡¯t any teeth around, so it couldn¡¯t be the mouth and judging by how perfectly centred the tunnel was, it should be the tube that led to the stomach.


    Wait a second, I could use magic, right?


    That means¡­


    ¡°Genesis: Dragon Breath!!!¡±


    Channelling my magic power to my thumb ring, I sent out a st wave of fire that would melt even the toughest of metals down. The intense mes collided violently with the inner linings of the muscr walls, but they didn¡¯t pierce through it in the slightest. Rather, before it could do any damage, the magic faded away entirely, just like it did when faced with an anti-magic field.


    ¡°So we can still use magic here, but the insides of its body still possess some anti-magic properties, huh? Tsk, now this is a problem¡­¡±


    I knew that things wouldn¡¯t be that easy. But still, the fact that I could still use magic was a big plus. Almost instantly, I warped space around us, preventing any more mucus from dripping down on us as well as any stomach fluids from corroding our bodies.


    After confirming that we wouldn¡¯t be digested chunks of meat, I heaved a deep sigh of relief.


    Well, that¡¯s all the damage mitigation I could do for now. I could find methods to escape from this disgusting hellhole at ater time. The most important thing for me now is¡­


    ¡°Ysabelle, let¡¯s talk¡­¡±

 Chapter 86 Eyghon, Fortress of the Earth (3)

    ¡°Ysabelle, let¡¯s talk¡­¡±


    The ck-haired beauty before my eyes visibly flinched as we finally got the opportunity to talk one-on-one for the first time. As much as I would like to reminisce on the past and ask why she had avoided me for so long, we were currently in a crisis. At any moment, this Outer Demon might digest us, and even if we managed to survive his stomach acid, there was a chance that it would warp back to its own, leaving us with no way to get back home.


    Therefore, before we could proceed any further, I needed to figure out what Ysabelle knew.


    ¡°Do you know anything about this Outer Demon, Ysabelle?¡±


    The Amazonian goddess peered at my face, holding back the blush that coloured her cheeks. It seems like she was holding back some emotions as well, given that we were in this dire circumstance.


    ¡°¡­ Its name is Eyghon.¡±


    ¡°Eyghon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s one of the Demon Lords,¡± Ysabelle exined sinctly. ¡°The ckburn House realised through the help of advanced analytics that there was a chance of its resurgence, and we moved desperately to stop that.¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s why this Outer Demon felt so powerful¡­ It was a Demon Lord, on the same level as Cthulhu, the monster that the entire Everwinter House almost died to.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you hired Werewolves and Hunters?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Hearing me mention the Werewolves made Ysabelle freeze for a few seconds. However, she promptly continued with her exnation: ¡°ording to our data, as long as we eliminate the Okarins from making ground, we could potentially stop Eyghon¡¯s descent. And it actually worked for a few weeks now. The Outer Demons that invaded had been drastically decreasing, and there was a real chance that Eyghon would have been stopped. But, who would have guessed¡­¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s face turned into a regrettable frown as she bit down hard on her bottom lip.


    ¡°Eyghon, Fortress of the Earth. The Demon Lord that the ckburn House had been tasked with defeating. Its anti-magic powers make it difficult for Vampires from the other Houses to deal with, and so, we are the only ones capable of facing it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ The anti-magic ability is a pain¡­¡±<sub>.</sub>


    Just to confirm, I sent out yet another Dragon¡¯s Breath onto the fleshy wall, but it dissipated into nothingness yet again. I¡¯d even tried to create a long spear and elerated it in hopes of piercing the meaty gullet, but the thick muscr linings were far too robust. No magic or physical attacks that I could muster could destroy the monstrous esophagus, leaving uspletely helpless.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how we could escape?¡±


    ¡°No, I have nothing.¡± Contrary to my expectations, the ckburn Princess waspletely clueless about how we could escape from this ordeal. ¡°Eyghon has only appeared a few times in history, and we never got much data from it. But there¡¯s something that was always certain¡­¡±


    Ysabelle looked up in my eyes, her agate pupils turning misty in the process:


    ¡°Those who have been eaten by the Demon Lord¡­ Nevere back.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s a shame¡­¡±


    That wasn¡¯t good news¡­ Although, I could see why no one could return if the inside of this Outer Demon was this treacherous. I could not damage it using magic, and physical attacks would just bounce off. Still, I wasn¡¯t one to give in to my fate.


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­ I need you to tell me all the information you have about Eyghon.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What do you want to know?¡±


    I looked down at the ck-haired beauty, who had somewhat recovered from her shell-shocked state. Although I could sense a tinge of nervousness from the tremors in her voice, I knew that her warrior¡¯s mentality had returned wholly. With a deep breath, I replied:


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    ???


    ¡°BROTHER!!! BROTHER!!! FUCK THAT DEMON!!! LET ME FREEZE IT TO DEATH!!!¡±


    While Jin and Ysabelle were busy nning their next move within the jaws of the beast, the two Vampire scions on the outside weren¡¯t as peaceful. Particrly the white-haired girl who longed to rescue her brother from the monster that dared to eat him.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Calm down, Miss Irina! That¡¯s a Demon Lord we¡¯re up against! We can¡¯t risk your safety!¡±


    Variel attempted to calm his master down, but it only served to fan the mes in her heart. Ever since she conducted the ritual to turn Jin into a Vampire, the girl had never seen Jine to any harm. When Jin was fighting against the Bloodborne House and Sirius Moonreaver in particr, the girl was still in retreat, training toplete her own Domain magic.


    If Irina was present during those times, it was almost inevitable that she would freeze the world down, and any who dared to harm Jin in the process. And so, seeing the man she lovede into harm¡¯s way struck a nerve within the young Vampire, and she was ready to charge into battle, regardless of whether her opponent was a Demon Lord or an ancient Vampire.


    ¡°Calm down?! You¡¯re asking me to calm down, Variel?! Brother was swallowed by that monster! We need to save him right now!¡±


    ¡°Miss Irina, that¡¯s Eyghon! The Demon Lord! We can¡¯t do anything to help them for now! We should regroup and get some help, maybe call the Matriar-¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯ll be toote! Can you be responsible if Brother dies?! No?! Then, don¡¯t stop me!¡±


    Irina was ready to fly into the sky and send down a blistering blizzard upon the filthy Outer Demon. However, the one who would stop her wasn¡¯t the bodyguard that the Everwinter House had ced on her, but the woman she called her rival.


    ¡°Irina, stay your hand. Your magic won¡¯t do anything to Eyghon anyway. The only thing that you would do is aggravate the Demon Lord. If it feels threatened and escapes, can you take responsibility?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fortunately, her raging emotions hadn¡¯t overtaken Irina¡¯s brain just yet. Lilith¡¯s logic prevailed, and the young woman lowered her fists while staring menacingly at the ugly turtle.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I can¡¯t let that monster escape with Brother in its mouth.¡± Irina nodded her head, but the frustration was clearly evident in her reddened face. Not only that, her nails dug deep into the bottom of her palms, creating an ever-flowing river of blood. ¡°Thank you for stopping me.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡±


    ¡°How are you so calm, Lilith?¡±


    Irina wasn¡¯t pulling her leg when she asked that question. She was genuinely curious at how Lilith, a woman who loved Jin equally as much as her, had managed to stay rational in this situation. However, contrary to her beliefs, the blonde Vampire turned her eye sockets towards her, revealing that her pupils had been dyed deep crimson.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Calm? Do I look calm?¡±


    Lilith¡¯s words were soft, but the conviction within them wasn¡¯t. If one were to look closely, one would see her petite body trembling as her nails grew even sharper. The fangs that were tightly tucked into her cherry lips started to show, and her magic power was steadily rising.


    ¡°Just like you, I want to rip Eyghon¡¯s mouth out and save Jin right this instant! However, we have to stay level-headed. Else, we might risk losing Jin forever.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore¡­ Can¡¯t you feel it?¡±


    Lilith¡¯s words lessened Irina¡¯s anger to a degree as curiosity filled her mind. She thought for a moment before finally realising what Lilith meant. Closing her eyes, she peered deep into her soul. It took a while, but soon a soft pulsation could be felt thumping at her innermost regions. It was gentle and ever-so tender. Simr to the way a certain lover in her life would treat her.


    It was as if that connection reassured her that everything was going to be alright and that he would be in her arms again soon.


    ¡°Jin is still alive,¡± Lilith smiled. ¡°And he¡¯s telling us not to worry.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    Even though he had returned their souls back to them, Jin still possessed a deep connection with the two girls. Although it wasn¡¯t as strong as letting him know his location at all times, he could at least prove to them that he was still alive, irrespective of whether he was in an anti-magic zone or not.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Brother is still alive!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Of course, he is. Jin won¡¯t die so easily. Maybe you didn¡¯t notice since you¡¯re not his Bloodmate.¡±


    ¡°Hargh?!¡±


    Irina snapped back at Lilith¡¯s insult. While Irina and Jin hadn¡¯t partaken in the Bloodmate Pact, the pair were essentially married in body and soul already. In fact, the only reason Irina hadn¡¯t forced Jin to initiate the Bloodmate Pact was due to Lilith¡¯s interference.


    ¡°When Brother returns, I¡¯ll make sure we sign the Bloodmate Pact immediately!¡±


    ¡°Hoh? You sure have guts, telling that to me¡­ Jin¡¯s ONLY Bloodmate!¡±


    ¡°Fucking!¡±


    Like fire and ice, the twopletely didn¡¯t gel well together. It took everything in their power not to start yet another duel with the rights to Jin¡¯s bed on the line yet again. Usually, Irina wouldn¡¯t take such an insult lying down. However, they simply didn¡¯t have such luxury now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with youter! Let¡¯s make a n on how we can rescue Brother now! We don¡¯t know when this Outer Demon would run away!¡±


    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    However,pletely unlike Irina¡¯s urgency, Lilith waved her hands and walked forward to the corner of the mountain.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should read more books¡­¡±


    Lilith shook her head and buried the urge to tease Irina once more. After all, even though Irina was a genius that could master a domain in a mere month when she took years, the girl was utterly uninterested in anything that wasn¡¯t Jin-rted. If you asked her what the Pythagoras theorem was, she would draw question marks, but if you asked her what Jin ate for lunch ten years ago, she would reply in great detail.


    As much as Lilith hated to admit it, no other person knew Jin more than his precious little sister. One could say that Irina was a Jin historian if that could be an upation.


    ¡°You see¡­ Eyghon has a pattern¡­¡±


    ???


    ¡°Whenever Eyghon appears, he stays in the same spot for three days?¡±


    Ysabelle started to exin everything she knew about the Demon Lord based on the records she¡¯d obtained from the ckburn House. I listened intently and did my best to digest as much information as possible. But regrettably, there was very little information about Eyghon¡¯s weaknesses. However, there was one crucial detail that I couldn¡¯t miss.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ysabelle nodded at my confirmation. ¡°We don¡¯t know why, but every time Eyghon appears, it will stay in the same ce like a soulless mountain. And unless someone provokes it, it won¡¯t move for three days, or seventy-two hours to be exact.¡±


    ¡°Why so specific?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡±


    The ck-haired beauty solemnly shook her head. ¡°All we know is whenever the Demon Lord appears, its minions would wreak havoc while it rests. There are a few theories on why it does this, but none have been proven to be conclusive.¡±


    ¡°How troublesome¡­¡±


    That means there wasn¡¯t any information that we could use to exploit the monster. However, that didn¡¯t mean that hope was lost. If what Ysabelle said was right, we still had over seventy hours to figure out a way out. At least we could be certain that we wouldn¡¯t be dragged back into the Outer Demon¡¯s for now.


    ¡°¡­ The way I see it, we have two options.¡±


    ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°One, we climb up the tube and seek refuge in Eyghon¡¯s mouth. If it opens its mouth for whatever reason, we can attempt to escape.¡±


    This was the safest option. We could stay safe from the stomach acid, and with my Creation magic, I could ensure that we could live at a certain level offort. However, since we had to wait for Eyghon to open its mouth, we would be basically praying for a miracle to happen. If the Demon Lord doesn¡¯t open its mouth during the next seventy-two hours¡­ Simply put, we were fucked.


    Ysabelle wasn¡¯t an ignorant fool, and she could easily pinpoint the issues. If we chose that option, we would leave our lives to fate. Plus, there was no guarantee that we could escape even if Eyghon opened its mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the next option?¡±


    Knowing Ysabelle would ask that, I smiled teasingly and pointed my finger downwards into the fleshy tunnel. And once she guessed my intentions, the adorable Amazonian widened her eyes inplete shock.


    ¡°We dive into the belly of the beast.¡±

 Chapter 87 The Living Dungeon (1)

    We dive into the belly of the beast.


    That was my second suggestion to Ysabelle. Logically speaking, we had two options. Either we wait for luck to strike, or we decide our own fate by diving deeper into Eyghon. Judging from how we were able to use magic within the Demon Lord, there was a high chance that we could damage him from his insides.


    If we waited inside Eyghon¡¯s mouth, we might be waiting for an oue that might nevere. However, if we found the Demon Lord¡¯s weak point, we could exploit that and create our own opening, giving us a definite method of escaping.


    Ysabelle concurred with my idea as well. After all, no one wanted to be a sitting duck. It did possess a higher amount of risk, but that was a chance we were willing to take.


    Enter into Eyghon¡¯s stomach, find a weak point, and potentially breakthrough by exploiting said weakness.


    At least¡­ That was what the n should be¡­


    ¡°W-What on earth?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A sharp exmation escaped from the dainty, cherry lips of the gorgeous ck-haired beauty as her eyes widened in tandem. I was in a simr state as well. After all, as we descended deeper down the fleshy tunnel, I was expecting yet another wall of flesh that wasced with corrosive acid that could melt the average human down in seconds. Yet, what greeted us wasn¡¯t the organ that all living creatures should have¡­


    But deste ruins that had been reimed by mother nature.


    Traces of what used to be a civilisation could be seen with broken pirs and shattered pieces of marbleid all upon the rocky terrain. Sparse forestry grew from the gaps of the abandoned ruins, making it look like a relic from an ancient dynasty that had fallen millions of years ago.


    ¡°This¡­ This is the inside of Eyghon?¡± I muttered unknowingly. ¡°Are we under some sort of illusion spell?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the insides of a living creature! Fearing that we hade under some sort of spell, I inspected myself time and time again, and yet¡­ My eyes weren¡¯t deceiving me. Besides, there were no traces of magic here, given the anti-magic properties that the walls possessed. And given that Ysabelle was looking at the exact same thing, I doubt that we were both hallucinating.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Eyghon¡­ Wasn¡¯t an Outer Demon?¡±


    ¡°It seems so¡­¡±


    Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. However, whaty before us was practically impossible, so what was the truth?


    ¡°It seems¡­ That Eyghon was never a living creature in the first ce. No, to be more precise¡­ Eyghon is a living dungeon.¡±


    An artificial creature, one that was designed to capture anything it eats and store them within this holding area. That was the best theory I coulde up with. Perhaps it was a prison that was crafted to seal magicians within it, and since no Human or Werewolf was physically strong enough to break through its defences, it was the perfect jail.


    But if that¡¯s the case¡­


    ¡°The Outer Demons¡­ May not be as unsophisticated as we¡¯d initially thought.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Ysabelle agreed while nodding her perfectly crafted head. ¡°Creating such a monster, no, machine¡­ Their technology far surpasses anything humans can create.¡±


    ¡°A machine, huh?¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s words carried multiple implications. For one, humanity had always believed that the Outer Demons were mindless beings that invaded ournds just for food. However, if there truly was a higher intelligence at y, that would change the way we looked at Outer Demons entirely.


    What if¡­


    What if the Outer Demons sent over were just scouting minions meant to test humanity¡¯s strength? What if the beings behind the Outer Demons had a higher purpose that we were unable toprehend? And most importantly¡­ Why were they doing this?<sub></sub>


    These were all questions that humanity needed to solve. s, that was at the bottom of my priorities right now.


    ¡°If Eyghon was a machine, we might have a chance of escaping.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Every machine has a core, Ysabelle.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if this living dungeon was created by a higher intelligence or not. If it¡¯s anything like aputer, there must be a power-off switch somewhere. ¡°A battery or a power outlet. If we can find that and destroy it, we might even be able to destroy this Demon Lord once and for all.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Of course, destroying Eyghon might be a little too optimistic. Maybe if we could find the core, we could disrupt the Demon Lord enough to jam the anti-magic fields or even find an escape route. Naturally, this was all theoretical, but it was worth a shot.


    And just when we were about to take another step towards our freedom, a thunderous roar echoed throughout the massive interior of the Demon Lord, shaking the ground and knocking us off our feet.


    The ruins thaty before us began to break apart as they slowly conjoined together telekically, gradually taking the shape of an ivory dragon. At the same time, numerous Outer Demons emerged from the hidden crevices in the arena, all of them simr to the minions that usually surrounded the mighty Eyghon.


    ¡°It really is one thing after another, huh?¡±


    Ysabelle immediately went into battle mode as she summoned out her obsidian de, swinging it around wildly as she stepped in front of me. She was probably thinking of dealing with these enemies all on her own and keeping me out of harm¡¯s way.


    Well¡­ I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.


    ¡°Jin?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Let me deal with them.¡±


    I pushed Ysabelle back and raised up my dominant arm. Without magic, I was nothing more than a meat shield that could regenerate infinitely. However, now that I am able to use my magic¡­ There was no way some feeble Outer Demons would harm Ysabelle under my watch.


    In just a split second, my magic power was channelled to my Vampire Aspect, summoning out my Soul Armament instantly. The ring of my thumb glowed in a beautiful rainbow hue as more magic power was being emitted out by the millisecond.


    From cast to spell¡­ It barely took one second. That was how efficient I¡¯d gotten over the months I¡¯d spent training. And that was fortunate as the enemies seemed to be gearing up for something big.


    ¡°Genesis: Cataclysm.¡±


    Using the most powerful named spell I could conjure, I sent out a shockwave of magic power, creating a deadly tempest that whirled with tornadoes going at mountain-tearing speeds and lightning bolts that brought forth the wrath of Zeus himself.


    As if I¡¯d called upon the apocalypse, the world within Eyghon changed, breaking down the enemies all at once. The bodies of the Outer Demons were ripped by the howling winds while pirs of lightning continuously struck with impunity, charring anything that it came in contact with.


    ¡°J-Jin¡­ Y-you¡­¡±


    Ysabelle shot me a wary look as if she had been hit in the face with a rock. Her mouth was hanging, and her agate eyes, shing.


    Ah,e to think of it, Ysabelle had never seen me fight before. And thest time she checked, I was nothing more than a cripple who couldn¡¯t get out of bed without the nurse¡¯s help. So it was natural for her to have this odd reaction.


    ¡°Are you shocked?¡± Iughed out loud. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I could protect you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A faint blush coloured her rosy cheeks, and her elegant neck began to redden. Coupled with the sweat that dripped down from her face, I dare im that no Vampire could resist such a sultry sight. My fangs were about to protrude out, hopefully to im a bite of the beauty¡¯s sweet blood, but s¡­


    ¡°AWOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR!!!¡±


    The Dragon that was formed from the ruins burst forth from the rubble, revealing the pristine ivory hue that dazzled the masses. Compared to the weak Outer Demons that perished in the Cataclysm spell, the Dragon waspletely unharmed.


    Once it imed the sky for itself, the mysterious monster sent out dozens of white shards that easily pierced the ground surrounding Ysabelle and me, narrowly missing out on ripping our flesh. And before I couldprehend the Dragon¡¯s intentions, I felt my magic power receding back into the inner reaches of my soul,pletely sealed off from emerging once again.


    ¡°Tsk, anti-magic again!¡± I spat in annoyance.


    I¡¯d spent most of my time as a Vampire honing my magic. I¡¯d reached a level where I could stand toe-to-toe with a top Shadowfiend from the Bloodborne House and even won a duel against the mighty Sirius Moonreaver. It was a feat that I could take confidence in, but now that my magic was sealed¡­


    Argh! I should have trained my physical body more!


    Well, it¡¯s a little toote for regrets now! I steeled myself and prepared to fight against the Dragon in close-rangedbat. Perhaps if I could remove those shards from the ground, I could regain my ability to use magic.


    Such thoughts flowed through my mind as I attempted to make a cohesive n to defeat the enemy before it could kill me.


    However, I didn¡¯t need to do any of that. Why?


    ¡°Hiyaaa!!!¡±


    Ignoring my mental turmoil, a ck sh bolted past my elbow and gushed right at the massive artificial Dragon. The ck-haired dancer waltzed past the ivory shards like a figure skater floating on ice, finally making her way to the monstrosity that dominated the skies.


    Initially, the Dragon attempted to float even higher to prevent the Amazonian warrior from ever approaching it. But Ysabelle didn¡¯t care about height. Leaping up like a rocket breaking through the stratosphere, Ysabelle found her way above the Dragon¡¯s head. With her trusted ck ymore in her hand, she carried the momentum forward and swung down with every fibre of her physical prowess behind that one sword.


    Like aet crashing onto the Earth, the Dragon broke the floor with itsnding, groaning out in pure agony as most of its motor functions had been impaired. Wobbling around like it was tipsy, the Dragon was in no shape to attack and was, by all means¡­ concussed.


    And Ysabelle wasn¡¯t going to let it recover.


    Moving at a speed my eyes couldn¡¯t follow, Ysabelle showed exquisite footwork as she flickered past all of the Dragon¡¯s wayward movement. The Dragon attempted to defend itself, but Ysabelle was too agile. No matter what it did, the ck-haired Amazonian would find a way to evade by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    Once she got close enough, Ysabelle sent numerous cuts with her heavy swings, breaking apart the tough exterior of the anti-magic Dragon. After two dozen shes, its ivory chest was unable to handle the pressure, and it finally caved in, revealing an indigo core within.


    ¡°Die!!!¡±


    Ysabelle yelled out with a sparkle in her eye.


    One simple thrust.


    That was it.


    One thrust and the Dragon¡¯s ferocious eyes lost all of their colours. The bindings that glued the monster together broke apart, turning the Draconic Demon back into the ivory ruins that were littered all over this inner world. However, my attention wasn¡¯t on the fallen victim but on the victor that walked back toward me.


    Her confident expression as she walked away from the crumbling Dragon. The beads of sweat that fell off her hair as she brushed it. And finally, the way she swung her massive ymore onto her back like a berserker Viking who had just torn down a citadel with her own hands.


    Oh god¡­


    I think I fell in love.

 Chapter 88 The Living Dungeon (2)

    After defeating the flying Dragon, the anti-magic field that suppressed my powers faded away, giving me free rein to cast any spell I wished once again. Clenching my fists, I used my telekic ability to clean up the area, allowing us to fully observe the broken location we were transported to.


    If I didn¡¯t have the memory of being swallowed by the Demon Lord, I would have misunderstood that I had entered into another dimension. An artificial sky covered the ceiling, the fresh scents of a jungle with broken pieces of rubble, and finally, the feeling that I was currently in nature and not in the belly of a beast.


    It was nothing short of surreal.


    ¡°Amazing¡­ I wonder how the world would react once they discover that Eyghon is actually an artificial being.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the masterful creation. Perhaps if I could uncover the secrets of how this monster was created, maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­ I could recreate a Demon Lord all by myself.


    s, that was a story for another day. Right now, it was more pressing to find clues on how we could escape this hellhole.


    ¡°¡­ How stupid,¡± Ysabelle spat out with a tinge of fire within her eyes. ¡°All this time, we¡¯ve actually been fighting a robot. What on earth are those Outer Demons thinking?¡±


    ¡°I concur.¡±


    Robot, huh? That sure was an apt way to describe Eyghon. Based on all of the information I¡¯d gathered so far, this ¡®Demon Lord¡¯ was a reconnaissance unit and a tank that brought death and destruction to whatever it touched.


    It appears periodically, surprising everyone who was close to the Major Gate. It stayed still for three days, not doing anything while its minions wreaked havoc on the world. And finally, it didn¡¯t seem to have a soul of its own.


    The other two Demon Lords, Cthulhu and Baishe, behaved as physical beings. They feasted on human flesh and moved in a calcted, yet, predictable manner. If anything, the two Demon Lords were closer to human intelligence than their counterparts.


    Eyghon, on the other hand, waspletely mysterious. It moved in ways that no one could predict, sometimes even baffling researchers whose sole purpose in life was to predict its movements.


    However, if Eyghon was a mere machine that followed orders, everything made sense. The Outer Demon would appear in a systematic approach, possibly observing the world as it stayed in ce. Perhaps it was creating a detailed map for future invasions? Or maybe it was searching for something within our?<sub></sub>


    No one could tell for sure.


    ¡°Jin, what should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    I raised my brow at Ysabelle¡¯s question. Due to the fact that she was high on adrenaline after thest battle, the girl could finally look me in the eye without averting her gaze.


    ¡°We¡¯ve defeated these monsters, but I doubt that reinforcements won¡¯t arrive. If my guess is correct¡­¡±


    ¡°You think that Eyghon stores all of the Outer Demons that appear within its belly, right?¡±


    ¡°R-Right! H-How did you guess?¡±


    ¡°Quite simple, actually.¡±


    No one knew how the Outer Demons managed to sneak past the Gate when it was guarded by the joint alliance of Vampires, Werewolves and Humans. Just like it was in the Everwinter House, the Gate was being observed twenty-four-seven, with elites matching that of A-Rank Hunters stationed there at all times.


    Under such tight surveince, it was near impossible for the Outer Demons to invade without the world knowing. And yet, Eyghon and its goons managed to skip through all of those defences unhindered.


    It was as if¡­ They were smuggled through the Gates.


    ¡°If Eyghon had the Outer Demons living here all this time, it would exin how they could evade the ckburn¡¯s House surveince. Fortunately for us, the numbers seem to have diminished greatly. The bigger question was¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°How did Eyghon appear here unnoticed?¡±


    Ysabelle finished my sentence for me as if she¡¯d read my mind. Hearing her so confident and thoughtful brought a warm smile to my face. Surprisingly, the girl and I were on simr wavelengths. No, why should I be surprised? Ysabelle was one of the girls that shared her soul with me. It madeplete sense that we thought in the same manner.


    Even if Eyghon had smuggled its minions in its stomach, most of them had been sent out to cause disturbances during the past few weeks. Judging by how empty Eyghon¡¯s inner world was, it was fair to conclude that there weren¡¯t many Outer Demons left here.


    ¡°The technology that created Eyghon is something beyond human capabilities. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they figured out a method to transfer it over without us realising it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you saying that the Outer Demons cane to our without using the Gates?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not outside the realm of possibility.¡±


    Urgh, the more I thought about it, the more my head hurts. If the Outer Demons really were that advanced, they could have wiped out our existence ages ago. Why would they have the need to send a massive machine like Eyghon to act like a reconnaissance unit?


    Hargh¡­ There¡¯s only one way to find out.


    ¡°Ysabelle, let¡¯s explore this ce. We won¡¯t be able to do anything else, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I share the same opinion.¡±


    Fortunately, just as I was about to send yet another wave of magic power to scan the area, a change urred within the massive inner world. The grounds shook violently as the ruined buildings were cast aside. A massive fissure cracked within the centre of the world, revealing a broken stairwell into a dark chamber. I couldn¡¯t peer deep within it, but my senses tingled wildly.


    At the centre of the chamber¡­ Would be our key to escaping this hellhole.<sub></sub>


    ???


    While Jin and Ysabelle were busy uncovering the secrets of the robot Demon Lord, the outside world had fallen into a state ofplete panic. A Demon Lord sighting was a cause for the entire world to stop and focus all of its attention on dealing with the foreign threat. It didn¡¯t matter if they were Vampires, Werewolves, Humans, Elves or even the elusive Merfolk.


    Every sentient being on the was unified when facing themon enemy.


    And nowhere was it most prevalent when looking at the response to the ckburn House¡¯s call for arms.


    The Ten Guardian Houses, including the banished Bloodborne House, all sent a force of elites within the first five hours. The Everwinter and Moonreaver House were the most active of them all, sending many of their ancient existences to assist in the battle against the mighty Demon Lord.


    The Werewolves didn¡¯t hold back either. Although there wasn¡¯t a single entity ruling over all the tribes, the Werewolves sent all of their Alphas to the ckburn House in just half a day. The reason for their haste was due to the promise they¡¯d made to the World Alliance. The Werewolves were the best force to deal with Eyghon, who could neutralise all forms of magic. And in the battle ahead, the Werewolves were going to take the spotlight with their immense physical strength and high resistance to magic.


    The Elves and the Merfolk abstained from sending too big of a force as they weren¡¯t designed to fight in the region where Eyghon had appeared. Elves were spiritual creatures who thrived where the spirits lived, while the Merfolk werepletely useless out of water. Put them in a barren canyon where there was void of trees or any water bodies, and it became apparent why the two races didn¡¯t fulfil their obligations to the highest degree.


    However, they did send two contingents of healers and supportive personnel. Therefore, none of those present med the two races that much.


    As for the Humans¡­ Well, they sent the biggest force the world had ever seen.


    One million B-ranked Hunters, a hundred thousand A-ranked Hunters, and over a thousand S-ranked Hunters were currently being rushed over from Warp Gates and private nes. Not to mention, the Holy Church was sending their top Exorcists, ones that could easily rival S-ranked Hunters and ancient Vampires. Rumour has it that the Pope had ordered ny-nine bishops to join the expedition as well, and if the situation had turned dire, they were allowed to use the Holy Church¡¯s trump card.


    That alone was enough to show how serious the entire world had treated Eyghon¡¯s descent into the mortal realm.


    Such arge unified force was practically unheard of in modern times, but the Demon Lord¡¯s appearance warranted it.


    In just half a day, the ckburn Estate exploded in poption, garnering the greatest force the world has ever seen. And they were all staring at the motionless fortress that stood imposingly over the entire region.


    ¡°So that¡¯s Eyghon¡­ I¡¯d never thought that I would get to see it in person.¡±


    An old, wizened man folded his arms together and furrowed his brows. Standing on top of a distant mountain, he cautiously inspected everything that he could about that massive Demon Lord, looking out for weak points and potential methods of defeating it.


    ¡°Have you never fought against a Demon Lord, Professor Cain?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I know that I look old, but I¡¯m not that old! Thest time Eyghon appeared was centuries ago!¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry, it¡¯s just since you¡¯re an S-ranked Hunter; I¡¯d thought that you¡¯ve fought them before.¡±


    The young man that apanied the man quickly apologised while biting his lip. Just as the student had mentioned, the Professor was an S-ranked Hunter, one of the few elites that mankind had to offer. Although he had long retired from that life and had dedicated his retirement to studying the arcane, he was still a valuable asset that the world required, especially during this crisis where no one knew if the Demon Lord would wipe out a continent or not.


    Besides, even if his old body wasn¡¯t agreeable, his academic mind and pursuit of the unknown drove him to pick up his wand once more.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯d stepped foot on the battlefield anyway!¡±


    ¡°A-Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°More in shock, really.¡±


    Professor Cain smiled as he observed his surroundings once more. This time, he averted his analytical gaze from the Demon Lord and looked closely at the various men surrounding him.


    As a human who lived in a rtively peaceful area, the Professor rarely got to see the other races nowadays. Especially the Vampires, who had stayed hidden from the prying eyes of humans. So, seeing this many Vampires gathered in one ce got the old man¡¯s heart pounding.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to call the Holy Church either.¡±


    The Professor turned sideways and saw several men wearing white, priestly robes. While on the outside, they looked cordial, none of the Holy Men even thought to mingle with the Vampires around. In fact, one could see the odd hostile gaze from both sides.


    It wasn¡¯t a secret that the Holy Church and Vampires hated one another. It began long before the Crusades, and the enmity continues to this day. If not for the threat of the Outer Demons, neither side would have stopped their hostilities.


    The threat of amon enemy sure was miraculous.


    ¡°They¡¯d even sent that guy¡­¡±


    Professor Cain¡¯s stare locked in on a tall, muscr man with ck hair and silver eyes. That Exorcist¡¯s fame was so widespread that even a retired Hunter like himself could recognise that dreadful man.


    ¡°To think that the Vampires are willing to invite some of their greatest enemies to their home. I think the world is going to end today.¡±


    ¡°That shows how dangerous the Demon Lord really is, right? To make the Vampires swallow their pride and ask for the Holy Church¡¯s assistance.¡±


    Professor Cain looked down at the young man he took as his protege and waved him off in a jestful manner. However, that simple statement got the Professor¡¯s mind churning as he recalled a scene many moons back.


    ¡®To let the elusive Vampires move, huh? If only I had that power, I could have convinced them to treat Jin. Speaking of which, I wonder what he¡¯s doing now?¡¯

 Chapter 89 The Living Dungeon (3)

    ¡°What is this ce?¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s mouth trembled in a mixture of disbelief and fear as she stood aghast at the sight before her eyes. Well, I wasn¡¯t in too good of a state either.


    After we¡¯d defeated the Outer Demons and the weird Dragon, the ground beneath our feet split in two, opening up a path for us to traverse. The passageway was narrow and dark, and like an enthralling consort inviting us in, the depths of the path beckoned to us.


    However, that dark passageway reeked of traps and unknown dangers, making it far too risky for us to explore alone. Fortunately, we had a method of scouting the area. Using my clone, I scouted the insides of the passageway one step at a time, ensuring that everything was safe for our journey down.


    And while my clone was performing its reconnaissance work, I disyed everything it saw on a holographic screen of my creation.


    Bit by bit, the clone travelled through the long hallway that was decorated with hieroglyphics that neither Ysabelle nor I could understand. However, these weren¡¯t drawings carved by some ancient civilisation. The hieroglyphics started to glow with a pale blue colour every time my clone passed through them, giving just enough light for me to see through to darkness.


    And that¡¯s when my clone finally saw it.


    A massive door nearly twenty metres high. It was made with a mysterious metallic alloy thatbined the lustrous hue of gold, the richness of jade and the magnificence of onyx. Decorating the huge and heavy door were numerous ornate carvings, each one more intricate than the next.


    Once again, there were odd hieroglyphics, simr to those thatyered the walls of the corridor. However, this time, there were more human-like carvings. For one, there was an image of a tree with a young maiden tending to its every need. Next, there was a depiction of a bloody battlefield, with thousands of men bleeding from their decapitated necks, creating a river of endless dread and suffering. And finally, at the very top of the heavy gates,id a sanctified man wearing a golden halo around his head.


    This wasn¡¯t the work of an Outer Demon¡­


    It was as if¡­


    ¡°A human made this?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I doubt so?¡±


    One could see the resemnce between this carved door and a piece of art from the renaissance era. No, given how it was depicted, perhaps mediaeval times? But how could a piece of work from human civilization reach a ce where no man had tread before? Even if there were humans kidnapped from our, they wouldn¡¯t be able to carve such a brilliant image.


    Everything was so realistic, as if it had beenser carved into the door, making it near impossible for a human hand to replicate. And yet¡­


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just the Outer Demons ying a prank on us? Or maybe the images aren¡¯t real, and we are looking at illusions? We can¡¯t rule out any possibility just yet.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°R-Right!¡±


    ¡°Let me try and open the gates.¡±


    I controlled my clone to push the excessive door open with every bit of strength that it got. However, contrary to my expectations, I didn¡¯t need to use force at all. Rather, it absorbed almost all of the magic power within my clone, lighting up all of the hieroglyphics in a brilliant symphony of gold, jade and onyx.


    With magic power supplied to them, the gears that controlled the locks on the door rapidly clicked. Dust fell from every bit of the massive gate, shaking the earth as the heavy doors split open like Heaven¡¯s Gate weing the angels home.


    ¡°It¡¯s open¡­¡±


    Like the parting of the Red Sea, the massive gates swung inwards, revealing the shocking contents thaty within. The ground was made out of baster white jade, making it look more like a ski rink than regr flooring. No, it seems to be made out of angel feathers and exquisite white linen rather than hard rock.


    The ceiling of the chamber was theplete opposite, however. Dyed in an astral ck sky, the numerous flickers of the stars imprinted within the ceiling made the room seem like a copy of the starry night that all astrologers would love to study.


    The chamber of ck and white each created one half of a dichotomy. A Yin-Yang harmony that was rarely seen in modern architecture, no, architecture as a whole in general. There was nothing more magnificent in the world that couldpare with the chamber¡¯s grandeur.


    And the cherry on top of it all¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s the core, right?¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s words snapped my mind back into reality as I finally observed the floating object in the middle of the chamber. Inplete defiance of gravity, a massive artificial heart floated solemnly in the middle of the two walls.


    It was the size of ten elephantsbined, with a wild buzzing sound resonating out from its nucleus. And oddly enough, it was shaped just like a human heart and mimicked the beating that we all enjoy within our chests. But unlike the crimson red that a human heart was coloured, it possessed a metallic silver, bearing a striking resemnce to an Iron Heart.


    Each time it beats, a pulse is sent out. When it beats in rhythm, it creates a calming symphony, one that people could listen to as they fell soundly asleep. Even just by observing the beating heart using my clone, I could feel my bodying to peace.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the core¡­ If we destroy it, we will be able to leave this ce.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, though¡­ It looks so beautiful.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°Yeah, it sure is.¡±


    I concurred with Ysabelle¡¯s thoughts. Eyghon was a machine, but the core that made it move was oddly human. If it had been given sentience by its creators, perhaps we would havebelled it as a living organism after all. s, that artificial Demon Lord was the one who swallowed Ysabelle and me. I couldn¡¯t let it live just because it had a nice-looking heart.


    ¡°Let me try!¡±


    I moved my clone into the chambers, hoping to get closer to the heart so that I could destroy it with my magic, but before my clone could even step foot within it¡­


    Bzzztttt¡­


    The feed was cut off.


    Suffering a little bacsh from the sudden termination, a sharp pain resonated within my head, forcing me to ce one palm on my temples.


    ¡°Jin! What happened?! Are you alright?!¡±


    Ysabelle hurried to my side, not bothering to hide the worry in her eyes. She held my hand tightly and supported me before I could fall to one knee. That one movement eased the pain within my mind, drawing out a tender smile from my lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± I shook my head and reassured the concerned woman. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong¡­ There should be an anti-magic field within the chamber. My clone dissipated the moment it tried to step foot in it.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, so that¡¯s what happened!¡±


    ¡°Haha, I was negligent. Eyghon¡¯s special ability is magic cancetion. Of course it would protect its core with that as well.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s going to be a problem, no?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    All of my power came from my high magical capabilities. Perhaps if I hadn¡¯t been injured, I would have trained my martial arts to a level where I could at least rival Ysabelle, but that was all mute now. Without my magical power, I was a little more than a meat shield.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Let me try my hand at it.¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle! That¡¯s too dangerous! We don¡¯t know what the core is capable of doing. You¡¯re only putting yourself in danger if you attack it recklessly.¡±


    Everything I said waspletely logical. We were in a foreignnd, and the mysterious chamber was quite possibly the most dangerous part of this ce. It did, after all, house the most important piece of Eyghon.


    If I lost a clone, I would only have to suffer a ten-second headache. However, if Ysabelle were to roam down and use her physical body to strike¡­


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not going to let you suffer anymore.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    Taking advantage of my confusion, Ysabelle shot me the most broken expression I¡¯d ever seen in my life. Her agate-coloured eyes were shining with the sparkle of a million rubies, and her tender touch stroked my cheek. Leaning closer to my face, I felt her warm breath tickle my lips as my nose became overwhelmed with her summer fragrance.


    But before I could close my eyes in expectation of a kiss¡­


    ¡°Goodbye¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ysabelle pushed my body back with all her might, sending me flying a kilometre away straight away. There wasn¡¯t any killing intent, so I couldn¡¯t see the moveing. Not only that, while the force she generated was enough to fracture my ribs, they weren¡¯t injuries that a Vampire couldn¡¯t regenerate from.


    In just one second, I flew a full kilometre back. My mind was slow to react due to the circumstances, but once I realised my plight, I instantly stopped my body in midair.


    pa?,??-,c<o>m I snapped my head back to the pit¡¯s opening, only to see Ysabelle¡¯s body blur as she disappeared into the dark passage. Even without thinking, I could decipher the woman¡¯s master n.</o>


    ¡°YSABELLE!!!¡±


    Using my control over Spacetime, I warped myself back in position, enabling me to see the Amazonian wielding her great ymore as she passed through the mystical doors without a second thought.


    With my heart almost exploding out of my mouth, I rapidly followed in her footsteps and warped myself down into the chamber. However, since there was an anti-magic field active, I could only teleport until the very edge of the gates.


    But that was enough for me to see Ysabelle rushing at the massive heart with her de overhead. The valiant battle angel ignored the limits ced on her and ced all of her might on that one soaring attack. With everything she had, the girl swung with a tailwind that could rival most hurricanes, creating an epic sh that could only be described as a cmity.


    If Ysabelle were to use that might on a mountain, she would have cleaved it in half. If she were to swing it against an army, the army would copse the very next second. That was how powerful Ysabelle¡¯s sword was at that moment.


    But¡­


    Clink!


    Like a cat scratching metal, Ysabelle¡¯s sword didn¡¯t even leave a mark on the massive heart. The recoil of her strike, however, pushed her back dozens of metres, mming the girl right into the white jade floor.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    Undeterred, Ysabelle attempted tond another strike. And another. And another. And another¡­


    Eventually, after a hundred swings of her sword, the Iron Heart remained unscathed. It was as if it was just as immune to physical attacks, as it was magical. Unable to ept that fact, Ysabelle roared once more and attempted to continue her onught.


    Blood dripped down from her blistered hands as she hardened her grip too much during the attacks. Heavy beads of sweat fell from every pore of her body, and her face was getting paler by the second. Evidently, the physical and mental toll was too much for her to bear at the moment. If nothing was done, she would likely keep swinging her sword until either the Iron Heart or she died.


    Therefore¡­


    ¡°Stop it, Ysabelle! You¡¯re only going to hurt yourself!¡±


    I mmed my feet down on the ground, pouncing into the anti-magic chamber despite knowing how defenceless I was going to be. But I didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. Even if there was a trap, even if this was the most stupid decision I could make¡­


    I won¡¯t let Ysabelle hurt herself.


    Embracing the woman from the back, I held her in ce despite her tearful jerks. She struggled for a moment, and it felt like I was a child attempting to restrain a bear. Ysabelle¡¯s physical strength was multiple times my own, after all. If she truly wished to, she could peel my body limb from limb to set herself free.


    But the woman didn¡¯t do that.


    Ysabelle stopped her fruitless attempts and, with a soft yelp, fell to her knees with her sword helplessly falling to the ground.


    I was wrong.


    I¡¯d thought that the most pressing matter I had to solve was escaping Eyghon as soon as I could. But that was the lowest of my priorities now.


    The most important thing that I had to do¡­


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ Why did you find me? You could have lived your life peacefully! You could have spent the rest of your days with Irina, Lilith and Rosa happily! But because you came for a jinx like me¡­ Your life is in danger once again!¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­¡±


    Jinx? Lived my life happily? I shouldn¡¯t have found her?


    I didn¡¯t understand what was going on. But, I wasn¡¯t one to let a woman cry all alone. I pulled the girl into my arms, wrapping her toned shoulders between my wrists and chest. With one hand raised to her head and the other caressing her cheeks, I gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and whispered:


    ¡°It¡¯s all okay now¡­ Don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­ Uyahhhhh!!!¡±


    In this decrepit wastnd filled with nothingness, all that remained was a girl¡¯s mournful wail.

 Chapter 90 Ysabelle Blackburn (1)

    p Twenty minutes had passed since Ysabelle began weeping in my arms. Nothing had changed within the depths of the chamber. Neither the Iron Heart nor the vast ceiling that drew a nket of stars. My magic power was sealed, leaving me with nothing but my physical body. However, I was in no hurry to escape.</anda>


    I stroked the back of the beauty, doing whatever I could to soothe her sobs. As her tears dried up and her shoulders stopped shaking, I raised my chin from her forehead and raised her eyes to meet mine.


    ¡°Have you settled down?¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    Gone were the valiant eyes of the Amazonian. The indomitable warrior that wouldn¡¯t flinch against an army of Outer Demons had turned into a tame kitten. Ysabelle nudged her head against my chest and let out an adorable purr.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I got your shirt wet.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you worry about the weirdest things.¡±


    I chuckled while shaking my head. I didn¡¯t care about a mere suit or two. If I could ease Ysabelle¡¯s tears, I wouldn¡¯t mind sacrificing my entire wardrobe. Laughing with an impish smile, I asked:


    ¡°How about you repay me the cost of the shirt with a kiss then?¡±


    ¡°J-Jin! What are you saying at a time like this?!¡±


    Ysabelle furrowed her brows and bowed her head down with blushing cheeks. Surprisingly, this girl was weak to teasing, just like Irina and Lilith. Though, it seems like Ysabelle was far more innocent. She waspletely unable to meet my gaze and tilted her head away. However, there were no signs of her leaving my embrace. Rather, her body was stillfortably rested on me, with her chest glued to my own.


    ¡°Hehe, have you calmed down?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m better now.¡± Ysabelle sighed and took one deep breath in. She attempted to get off myp, but my arms were faster. Tightening my grip over her shoulders, I forced the girl to stay.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°J-Jin?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk in this position.¡±


    ¡°W-Wouldn¡¯t it be better if¡­¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to budge on this. Ysabelle was currently feeling torn from her emotions. Although I didn¡¯t know what was going on with her internally, I wasn¡¯t going to let her face her sadness herself. Putting more strength into my arms, I made sure that Ysabelle wasn¡¯t going to escape my clutches anytime soon. Only then did she finally relent and sighed:


    ¡°You¡¯re quite forceful, you know that Jin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that on asion,¡± I recalled the time Lilith mentioned my obsessiveness during our sweet pillow talk. s, I just couldn¡¯t help it. I wanted my women to be happy, and if it meant using a little force, I was all for it.


    ¡°And since I¡¯m being forceful, would you mind sharing your troubles with me, Ysabelle?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The ck-haired beauty¡¯s eyes turned sad once more as a forlorn expression overtook her bright, cheerful smile. She closed her eyes and took one deep breath in as if she were reflecting on everything that had happened in her life thus far. And after ten full seconds, the girl finally made up her mind.


    ¡°Jin¡­ How much do you remember about the past? Our past?¡± Ysabelle shot me a question first while her palms tightened into a fist on myp.


    ¡°Truthfully¡­ I can¡¯t remember much. Because I had returned Irina and Lilith¡¯s souls, I unlocked most of the memories I shared with them. I vaguely remember bits and pieces of our interactions, and I remember the great rtionship we shared.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you remember how we met?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    I shook my head in sombre regret. It seemed unthinkable that I couldn¡¯t remember how I met the four girls. They were the love of my life, after all. If not for the nasty injury I¡¯d gotten, I would have burned every memory I had of them into my mind.


    ¡°Even until now? Did Irina and Lilith not tell you?¡±


    ¡°No, they haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What on earth are they thinking?¡±


    Ysabelle spat hatefully and stared into the distance as if trying to burn a hole through the girls who hid the truth from me. The reason they gave me was they feared that remembering my memories would cause irreversible damage to my soul. However, I could read between the lines.


    The true reason why Irina and Lilith kept the past from me was because they didn¡¯t want to give their rivals apetitive edge. Whenever I asked them about Ysabelle or Rosalyn, they would always change the subject or give me a long-winded non-answer.


    While I found their possessiveness and jealousy adorable, I also wanted to learn more about the other two girls. After all, I was nning to make them all into my bloodmates. It wouldn¡¯t do well if a husband knew nothing about his wives, right?


    ¡°I guess I will have to start from the beginning¡­¡±


    Ysabelle turned her head down and murmured softly. Sheid her head against my chest as her eyes zed over when the memories returned to her.


    ¡°Fifteen years ago, there was a meeting between the Guardian Houses. It was a routine meeting where the ten Guardian Houses came together to discuss matters regarding the Vampire race. Although it was an important meeting, nothing special came out of it.¡±


    Ah, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s something like a routine partner¡¯s meeting to discuss the fiscal year and the ns thepany had going forward.


    ¡°However, during that meeting, the four most influential Houses realised one thing. They all had prodigal daughters amid their ranks. Four daughters that would one day grow to be pirs that would lead the Vampire race and perhaps usher in a greater generation and a new dawn for all Vampires.¡±


    The four most influential Guardian Houses, huh? It should be the Everwinter, Moonreaver, ckburn and Shadowgarden Houses.


    Based on what Lilith had told me, the Everwinter House was the sovereign of the North, an untouchable force that no military would ever hold a candle to. The Moonreaver House monopolised Warp Gates and Nightmare realms, making them the most prosperous Vampire House in history. The ckburn House was the sword of the Vampire race, fighting anything that dared to threaten its hegemony. And finally, the Shadowgarden House specialised in espionage and obtaining information, surpassing any intelligence agency the world had ever seen.


    These four Houses were collectively known as the Vampire race¡¯s pirs.


    Yes, the other six Guardian Houses were important as well, and they were each as powerful as an individual small country. But, they paled inparison to the four great Houses.


    ¡°And once the four Houses realised that, they decided to form an alliance. They would gather these four young talents together and ce them in a training camp for three months. Well, I say training camp, but the real reason why they ced us together was because they needed us to form sisterly bonds.¡±


    As expected, the four Houses brought Irina, Lilith, Ysabelle and Rosalyn together for a good reason.


    For an alliance to stick, the four future talents must be friendly with one another, and the best way to nurture a rtionship is to start young.


    ¡°They brought us to an isted location in the human world, far from the politics of Vampire society and a ce where we wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. A vi in a meadow overlooking a beautifulke. Truth be told, it was more like a vacation than a training camp.¡±


    I could imagine that. Four young girls that were around the age of ten gathered together to spend three months alone in a vi. It sounded more like a school trip we would all attend in primary school.


    ¡°We had supervision, yes. But for the most part, the four of us could do as we pleased.¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she recalled the early days of her vacation. However, after a brief moment of jubnce, the young girl¡¯s face turned grim as a shadow was cast over her eyes.


    ¡°There was one problem, though¡­ The four Houses sent out the four of us, thinking that we were of simr talents. However, that was farther from the truth.¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s face turned darker by the second.


    ¡°Irina possessed the Winter Sovereign Aspect, the same aspect as Matriarch Innocence, and she was the next hope of the Everwinter House. Lilith was a generational genius, one that could surpass all the Moonreavers that came before her. And Rosa¡­ Rosa was a special talent whose potential far outmatched all three of us. As for me¡­¡±


    Ysabelle bit on the bottom of her lip, sending a trickle of blood down her mouth.


    ¡°I was just the daughter of General Enzo, the current leader of the ckburn House. I didn¡¯t awaken a special aspect, and I¡¯m not very smart. I was inferior in every way. I was just there¡­ To make connections with the other three.¡±


    The ck-haired beauty self-deprecated herself as if she was the worst thing to ever happen to the Vampire race. I had half a heart to stop her right there, but the girl silenced me with her next words.


    ¡°I was the weakest amongst the four, I didn¡¯t have the brains, and I sure wasn¡¯t as beautiful as any of them. They were the shining jewels of their Houses while I was nothing more than a crybaby. I couldn¡¯t fight and was weak. Even my father didn¡¯t bother to train me much.¡±


    Ysabelle¡­


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a ce amongst the four. I was just a filler, a mere ceholder for my family to gain influence within the next generation of geniuses. I was nothing more than a stupid girl who wept in her bed all night. Until¡­¡±


    Ysabelle finally raised her head up, joining our line of sight together. The rich fragrance of a summertime beach permeated from her sweatyplexion, forcing me to bring my face closer to hers. But before I could go any further, the girl broke out with the most beautiful smile I¡¯d ever seen from her as she said.


    ¡°I met you, Jin.¡±

 Chapter 91 Ysabelle Blackburn (2)

    [Author¡¯s Note: I¡¯ve received manyints about how Irina addresses Jin, and after thinking about it, I decided to change how she calls him. Going forward, Irina will call Jin ¡®Lord Brother¡¯ instead of ¡®Brother¡¯, so it sounds a little better. Thank you for your consideration!]


    ¡°Irina met you first,¡± Ysabelle smiled in contentment as she recounted the day she met me. ¡°You found her when we were roaming the meadow, and somehow, you managed to win her heart. I don¡¯t know the details, but Irina started calling you Lord Brother when she returned.¡±


    Yeah, that part I remember.


    Back then, my parents weren¡¯t usually home as they had full-time jobs as Hunters. Therefore, I¡¯d spent most of my childhood in the countryside with my grandparents, which turned out ideal for me anyway, as I could find a remote ce to hone my magical skills.


    During one of those routine trips, I stumbled across a young girl who seemed lost. Naturally, that girl didn¡¯t need my help and would eventually find her way back, but my chauvinistic self back then wouldn¡¯t leave her alone.


    ¡°The three of us were curious. How could a mere human boy charm the Princess of the Everwinter House? And so, we had Irina introduce you. She happily obliged as she wanted to show off her precious Lord Brother to her new friends.¡±


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, Irina should have been eight-years-old back then. Any eight-year-old would be happy to show off their precious sibling, even if they weren¡¯t blood-rted.


    ¡°When we were first introduced to you¡­ We were stunned.¡±


    ¡°Stunned? How so?¡±


    ¡°By how charming you were.¡±


    Ysabelle giggled while reminiscing about the past. She looked straight at my face as if trying to pick out the features that stood out the most and whispered:


    ¡°You were handsome, so handsome back then. Not only that, you walked with confidence beyond your years, elevating your charm to beyond a ten-year-old. You were kind and gentle, yet at the same time, funny and smart. Before we even realised it, you had joined our group of four and had even be the centrepiece of our rtionship.¡±


    Yes¡­ That did happen.


    Irina had brought me to meet the other three. We were all children around the same age, and our personalities had little to no shes. In less than two weeks, we had be as close as siblings; in fact, Irina had proimed herself as my own sister.


    ¡°Irina was obsessed with you. She wanted you to be with her, even if it meant crying all night for it. And you, being the kind soul that you were, obliged her selfishness. However, Irina wasn¡¯t the only girl you charmed.¡±


    Ysabelle let out a heavenly smile, her cheekbones rising and her agate eyes sparkling. Heat permeated from my cheeks as my heart gravitated towards that alluring young woman. She possessed the face of a warrior, an Amazonian that could split limbs and sever heads without a moment¡¯s thought.


    And yet¡­ Ysabelle possessed a gentleness that no woman couldpare to.


    ¡°Lilith was the next to fall. The two of you were geniuses, after all. Whenever Lilith was with us, I felt like she was holding back her knowledge. She would talk like a child when all she wanted to do was talk about thetest research paper. None of us could match her intellect, and it showed¡­ That is, until you showed up.¡±


    ¡°You would talk for hours about magical science and other things that I know nothing about. Whenever you left the vi, I could see her longing gaze, yearning for your intellectualpany. If you came earlier the next day, Lilith would try to monopolise you by asking questions we knew nothing about. One day, Irina got so pissed off by Lilith¡¯s incessant hogging that she challenged her to a duel.¡±


    Ysabelle started tough gingerly like a maiden giggling at the foolishness of her past.


    ¡°As for me¡­ Jin, I think I fell for you at first sight.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Did I just receive a confession? How was I supposed to react to that?


    ¡°Your chivalry, your desire to protect us even though we had no rtion with you, and even your overwhelming talent and power¡­ Jin, you were like a knight that jumped out from a fairy tale.¡±


    ¡°A knight, huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! A knight!¡±


    Ysabelle nearly jumped in response to my reply. Stars brightened within her eyes, and her pale white face grew animated. A red tinge permeated out from her cheeks, not from embarrassment but pure excitement.


    ¡°You were more powerful than all of us, even though we were around the same age. Not only that, you were so dependable, despite being a child. It was as if¡­ the gods had sent you to us to protect us from the dangers of the world. You were¡­ Our knight, no¡­ my knight.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Were you romanticising me back then?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I was.¡±


    The ck-haired beauty didn¡¯t deny my im. Rather, she seemed convinced of it.


    ¡°All my life, I was the only daughter in the family. There weren¡¯t any expectations for me. No one cared if I became a ckburn worthy of fighting on the frontlines or a spoiled heiress whose sole purpose in life was to spend money.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t a genius like Lilith, and neither did I have the brains of Lilith. I wasn¡¯t powerful like Rosa, either. All my life, I felt useless and like nobody. A driftwood in the ocean, moving where the waves dictate and never once deciding for itself. I had no direction. No purpose. I was just a girl sent by the ckburn House to make connections with the other three geniuses.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I see¡­ Ysabelle had a severe case of inferiorityplex growing up. That actually makes sense now, thinking back. Ysabelle was by no means inferior to the others, but when it came to individual strengths, Irina and Lilith towered over most geniuses their age.


    If Ysabelle was a prodigy, then Irina and Lilith were generational talents. Geniuses that came once every thousand years. Comparatively speaking, Ysabelle would feel inferior.


    Also, from what I understood¡­


    The girlcked the direction or a drive, so to speak.


    I wished to advance my magical knowledge and one day be the strongest being in existence. Lilith wanted to forge a new path in magic, bing a researcher who pioneers new magic. And Irina¡­ Let¡¯s just say she had a single-minded obsession with a certain individual.


    ¡°Hey, Jin¡­ Do you remember what you said to me?¡±


    ¡°I apologise¡­¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be.¡± Ysabelleughed it off. However, there wasn¡¯t any joy within those raised, pink lips. ¡°You said to me something that had changed my course in life¡­¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    Ysabelle raised her hand, inching it closer and closer to my face. Our eyes melted together, and our hearts merged as one. At that moment, a shing vision flickered within my mind. A young girl crying and a young boy stroking her head to console her. And at the same time as Ysabelle¡¯s voice echoed out, I could hear the young boy¡¯s calm and confident speech resonating with her.


    ¡°Talent doesn¡¯t mean anything¡­ If one doesn¡¯t work hard.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That¡¯s right¡­ I did say that to her.


    ¡°Even though you were the most talented person on the, Jin¡­ You never skipped a day of practice. During your times of leisure, you spent it reading magical textbooks. Whenever you needed to train, you ran until your legs gave out. During magic lessons, you kept trying to cast difficult spells, even if it meant staying up till daybreak¡­ Your dedication and desire to keep going¡­ It moved me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You told me that it was fine to not know what you want to be, but once you do, you must do everything in your power to im that right.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And if I were to never find that thing and remain a mere Princess for the rest of my life¡­¡± Ysabelle¡¯s hands finally connected with my cheeks, her eyes never once leaving mine.


    ¡°You would be my knight in shining armour, always there to protect me should I need it.¡±


    Fuck¡­ Was I such a cringe child? The more Ysabelle talked about my past, the more I felt like digging a hole for myself. Unfortunately, the girl noticed my apprehension and let out a cheerful giggle. She moved her body to one side, and I responded, thinking that she wished to dive deeper into my chest. However, contrary to my expectations, the girl moved further away from me.


    ¡°Your words moved me, and I realised that I had to change. I couldn¡¯t just be the crybaby who felt sorry for herself. I had to be stronger for my own sake. And so, when I started to practise with my sword¡­ You were the one who taught me.¡±


    Hoh? I was Ysabelle¡¯s first teacher? Now that¡¯s surprising. The young crybaby who couldn¡¯t even stand confidently amongst her friends had turned into a War Goddess beyond anyone¡¯s imagination.


    And to think that her journey started with me¡­


    ¡°Those days¡­ Were the happiest days of my life. I was a lostmb and a mere political pawn for my House. But when you came into my life, Jin¡­ I was set on the journey of a fighter. I had something to work towards now. Something to grow my confidence in.¡±


    Haha, I could tell.


    On the outside, Ysabelle had morphed into a beautiful Amazonian Goddess. She danced with an ease, rivalling that of the best sword fighters. She possessed a physical body that even the Gods would be envious of. And her ability within the ckburn House was unparalleled in her generation.


    Ysabelle hadpletely turned into an entirely different being, contrary to the little girl who cried for help.


    But at the same time¡­ The Ysabelle of the past was still within her.


    She was kind and gentle, much like a Saint of the Holy Church. She wept for her people and fought valiantly to drive off the Outer Beasts. In fact, just a few minutes ago, Ysabelle was ready to sacrifice her life to save mine.


    The noblest soul I¡¯ve ever met.


    Ah, how could I forget?


    What moved and attracted me in the past was Ysabelle¡¯s silent power. She held such suffering within her heart, and yet she remained strong. Even though she was the second youngest among the four, she always served their interests like a selfless elder sister. She never onceined about the hard work she got, ploughing through the hardships even though she wasn¡¯t as gifted as the rest. And finally, the sight of her trying her absolute best every morning when we trained.


    Those were the attributes that made me attracted to Ysabelle, this lovable Vampire that was holier than the Priests of the Church.


    Ysabelle longed for a knight so much that she had be one.


    ¡°Those days were the happiest of my life. I¡¯m sure it was the same for the other three too. And yet, I had to ruin it.¡±


    ¡°Ruin it?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Ysabelle was now on the verge of leaving myp. If not for my tender embrace, I was certain that she would have leapt out by now. Her legs were shaking, and her head swaying. The colour on herplexion disappeared, and so did the lustre of her eyes. Her distinct heartbeat pounded at a higher frequency while cold sweat broke free from her crystal clear forehead.


    And when she was unable to take it no more, Ysabelle took a deep breath in before unleashing a ruined voice:


    ¡°Jin¡­ The Outer Demon that attacked you. The one who ruined your future and forced us to separate from you¡­ I was the one who brought it.¡±

 Chapter 92 Ysabelle Blackburn (3)

    ¡°I was the one who brought that Outer Demon.¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s voice wavered as her body failed to listen to her demands. Trembling like a scorched leaf in the summer, the young girl¡¯s body temperature rose while the pure agate eyes turned mistier by the second.


    ¡°I was the one who caused your injury, Jin. I was the one who made you lose fifteen years of your life! I-I was the one-¡­¡±


    Tears broke free from the young woman¡¯s face. Hups shook her dainty little shoulders while the ferocity of the War Goddess was nowhere to be found. Whatid before me wasn¡¯t an indomitable warrior but a young girl with broken emotions. Ysabelle attempted to stop her sobs, but the more she tried, the more the tears fell.


    Before long, the girl had turned into a broken little girl who sobbed endlessly on myp.


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­ Calm down¡­¡±


    I ced my left hand on her waist while my right stroked her head. I pulled the girl closer to my chest, unwilling to give her an inch to leave. My hands gingerly traced down the middle line of her crown and gently caressed the base of her nape. In the same stroking motion, I continued to soothe the crying girl, all while cing soft kisses on her pale, white forehead.


    ¡°Calm down, Ysabelle¡­¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for me, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Ysabelle¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what happened in the past, and neither could I remember. But, I couldn¡¯t have a clear conversation with Ysabelle if she wasn¡¯t calm. Sobbing and heaving, the girl was in no condition to have a reasonable discussion with me. So, I did my best to soothe the ck-haired beauty, even if it meant spending a dozen minutes just embracing her.


    ¡°Have you calmed down?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind it at all.¡± Other than tender love, I ensured my face was free of any other emotion. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, Ysabelle.¡±


    ¡°How could I not?!¡± The girl yelled while raising her reddened face from my chest. ¡°If not for me, you wouldn¡¯t have taken that injury! If you didn¡¯t meet me, you wouldn¡¯t have suffered all those fifteen years! You wouldn¡¯t have been ridiculed by your ssmates! You wouldn¡¯t have spent so many years in the hospital! You would have aplished your dreams to be a Hunter! It¡¯s all my fault!¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­¡±


    ¡°All my life, I had been the bringer of bad luck¡­¡±


    Ysabelle tightened her grip on my clothes as her face broke into a decrepit little smile. Her nose was red from all the snot that was discharged, and her body was shaking wildly as if she were afraid of something.


    ¡°The day I was born, the ckburn House suffered a defeat against the Outer Demons, killing twenty-six of our finest Vampires. That was the beginning of my omen. When I was three, my brother lost an arm while fighting against an Outer Demon because he was protecting me. When I was six and first training my Vampire Aspect, I burnt down my vi and all the precious valuables within it. When I was seven, I broke a ckburn House relic¡­¡±


    Ysabelle continued to list down the instances of bad luck that urred in her life. Honestly, most of them were just incidents of happenstance, which couldn¡¯t be med on a young girl her age. Even burning and breaking things could be the fault of poor parental supervision.


    But I could see why the young beauty felt that it was all her fault.


    ¡°All my life, I have been a jinx. Misfortune follows me everywhere, and I cause hurt to those who care about me.¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle, that¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°But it is!!!¡±


    The girl yelled out at the top of her lungs, broken and torn by the years of self-suffering she¡¯d inflicted upon herself.


    ¡°Fifteen years ago¡­ I was the one who didn¡¯t listen to you. I insisted on going into the cave to train. Because of that, Jin, you¡­¡±


    Once again, Ysabelle turned distraught. Her body was shaking, and her face was filled with despair. She held onto my hand, fearing that I would let her go and, quite possibly, abandon her once and for all.


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­ Just slow down,¡± I whispered softly. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t leave you, so rest assured. I won¡¯t leave you.¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    Ysabelle closed her eyes and took one deep breath in. The pressure that was weighing on her gradually faded away, and with that, she unveiled the truth.


    ¡°Fifteen years ago, we were spending all of our time together. The five of us. You came every morning from your home and left when it waste at night. We were all happy that you spent the effort; we truly were. But, all of us wanted more. Irina wished to y with you. Lilith wanted to study with you. Rosa, as always, silently stayed by your side. As for me¡­ I wanted you to continue training me.¡±


    I could imagine that. A young Ysabelle who had just found her purpose in life. If she wanted to go down the path of a knight, she would want my guidance.


    ¡°And so, we spent every morning training. We would wake up earlier than the rest and spend the waking hours before dawn swinging swords and runningps. It was tiring, but you were always there to catch me when I fell.¡±


    Wow¡­ I must say, the younger me was quite a stud. If I ever invented a time machine, I would go back in time and give him a big thumbs up.


    ¡°I loved the days we¡¯d spent together. I never wanted it to end.¡± Ysabelle¡¯s face rxed, revealing a bitter and defeated smile.


    ¡°But it all changed that fateful day¡­ It was a blistering, hot morning. There wasn¡¯t a cloud in sight in the sky, and the Sun was radiating all of its heat. It was hotter than anything I¡¯d felt before, and so after our morning workout, I brought you to a cave to rest.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound too bad. Vampires were creatures of the night, and their peak performances came during the times when a Blood Moon hung over the sky. The four Vampires probably gave me a concession by working in the morning rather than the night, so Ysabelle being weak to the ring hot Sun made a tonne of sense.


    ¡°I¡¯d thought that if we were isted, maybe I could have an additional hour or two with you. I was so young and selfish back then¡­¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s voice contained a tinge of self-remorse. No, she was probably overwhelmed by that decision and had carried that regret ever since.


    ¡°Is that when¡­ The Outer Demon attacked me?¡±


    I broke my silence with a sombre question. No, at this point, it was a rhetorical question. I knew what the answer was.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The ck-haired beauty¡¯s entire being had turned deste as her voice resonated with the emptiness of a fallen civilisation.


    ¡°When we realised that we had entered a devil¡¯s den, you immediately stood in front of me. Like a true knight in shining armour, you protected me. You forced me out of the cave and sent me to safety, all while you stood behind to face the Outer Demon.¡±


    Ysabelle tightened her fights so much that the fabric of her clothes began to rip and blood streamed down her blistered palms.


    ¡°I begged to help you, but you shouted back at me. You said that I would only weigh you down. You said the best way I could help was to get reinforcements. And you said¡­ That you were going to be my guardian knight, even if it meant your death.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And so¡­ I ran and ran¡­ I ran all the way back to the house, even though I wanted to stay by your side. I went to get the other three, who were still fast asleep and rushed back to save you. I thought¡­ You were my knight, after all. There¡¯s no way that you would suffer. Even if you couldn¡¯t win against the Outer Demon, you could at least run away¡­ That¡¯s what I told myself over and over. But¡­¡±


    Ysabelle now looked like a broken woman. A widow that had lost both her husband and child to the gue. An emperor that had to watch his empire burn to the ground. The helplessness in her eyes¡­ It was something that I couldn¡¯t unsee.


    ¡°When we returned¡­ You were lying in a puddle of your own blood. Y-Your soul had been injured, and your body was just one push away from breaking apart. I-I couldn¡¯t bear the sight¡­ I just¡­¡±


    The girl turned her head away and gulped down the tears that were rising up from her throat.


    ¡°You killed the Outer Demon¡­ At the expense of your own life. When I arrived, you didn¡¯t me me for what I did. You didn¡¯t ask for someone to treat you. You just¡­ smiled.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ That bloodced smile of yours¡­ Is something that I will never forget. Lying in a puddle of your own blood, battered and blue, unable to lift a single finger¡­ You turned to me and asked¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I continued Ysabelle¡¯s sentence unknowingly.


    I remember now¡­ The memories that had been locked were slowly resurfacing. Yes, that¡¯s what happened. I was so concerned for Ysabelle¡¯s life that I chased her away and faced that monstrosity alone. I didn¡¯t escape because I feared that it would chase after her if I did. And so, even when I was beaten down over and over¡­


    I persisted.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what you said.¡± Ysabelle smiled. ¡°I¡­ I was the one who led you to the Outer Demon. I was the one who ran away to safety. And yet, you asked me if I was okay¡­ I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and cried my soul out. If it wasn¡¯t for Lilith and her smarts¡­ We would have lost you that day.¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­¡±


    ¡°From then on, I made an oath. Just like how you protected me, I will protect you. I trained harder than before. I mastered the ckburn¡¯s Ghostme and became the best martial artist in my generation. I worked all day to eliminate as many Outer Demons as I could, just to make sure one doesn¡¯t hide in a cave to harm you again. But¡­ I didn¡¯t want to see you. I wanted to protect you from the shadows, even if it meant going my entire life living unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°Because you thought you were a jinx?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The ck-haired beauty remained silent. She bit the bottom of her lips and scratched the bottom of her nails. Skin started to tear, but they quickly healed, never tarnishing the silky white hands that Ysabelle possessed.


    ¡°Every time someone gets close to me, bad things happen. Jin, I couldn¡¯t lose you¡­ Not again. Even now, you came to find me and you were swallowed by Eyghon! If it wasn¡¯t for me, you¡­¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s pure white hands were dyed red. Not from the heat rising from her emotions but from the injuries she self-inflicted on herself.


    I see now¡­


    I finally understand why Ysabelle had been avoiding me since I arrived. I now understood what kind of character she was.


    Ysabelle was a noble soul. She hated the fact that others had to suffer because of her. She would rather hurt herself with a million cuts than let a single injury fall on her loved ones. If she failed to save someone, Ysabelle would me it all on herself, unwilling to split the burden.


    Sacrifice.


    Ysabelle will willingly sacrifice herself if the situation calls for it. A prime example would be what happened before. She tossed me aside and flung herself into the unknown dark chamber, even attacking the Iron Heart without thinking about the repercussions.


    That was the kind of girl Ysabelle ckburn was. A woman who could do anything for the person she loved, even if it meant never meeting me ever again. As long as I was safe and sound, Ysabelle would be content.


    But I wasn¡¯t content with that.


    ¡°Ysabelle, you sure are a fool.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    Not waiting for her response, I forcibly took her lips and pushed her onto the baster white jade floor.


    The Amazonian beauty struggled for a bit, her hands turning into fists as they pounded against my chest and her legs iling about under my bottom as if trying to swat me away. However, there wasn¡¯t any significant force to push me away.


    Ysabelle¡¯s strength far towered over my own. If she genuinely hated it, she would have sent me flying to another. And the fact that she was still under me, was proof that she didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of aversion for my touch.


    And thus, I indulged in the feast before my eyes.


    Ysabelle¡¯s beguiling, ivory-white teeth were covered by my tongue, which had started to bleed from the girl¡¯s clumsy kiss. While she was taken aback by my forwardness, Ysabelle naturally blended in with my kiss by moving her tongue on her own. However, it seemed to be her first time doing such a thing as her Vampiric fangs cut the tip of my tongue, drawing blood that filled both our mouths.


    My hands rose from her waist and covered her head. Both of them. I grabbed the back of her hair and pressed her face deeper into mine. I didn¡¯t want to give her a chance to breathe or think. My lips forced their way onto hers like an electroma, never once splitting away.


    And it was only after I had my fill that I finally separated from the young beauty.


    ¡°J-Jin¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool, Ysabelle. Do you think that I would be happy if you stayed away? Have you ever once thought of my feelings?¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­ If I stay with you, you will be cursed¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I hollered out. ¡°I¡¯ll never think of you as a jinx, Ysabelle. Rather, you¡¯re a blessing. A fairy that fulfils my dreams and heals my soul.¡±


    ¡°J-Jin¡­¡±


    ¡°And even if you were a jinx,¡± I scoffed with a hearty smile. ¡°I will never split from you ever again. I will break down any danger that mighte, and kill anyone who dares to give you bad luck. Even if it was God himself.¡±


    ¡°Jin, you¡­¡±


    Slowly but surely, Ysabelle¡¯s smile turned from one of despondence to one of hope and love. She had suffered all these years alone and had med herself for all the bad happenings in my life.


    Not anymore.


    ¡°Ysabelle. I ask you here and now¡­ Be my woman.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if every Demon Lord in the world, every Vampire in the world, or every Human in the world is against your side. I don¡¯t even care if the world has condemned you to a lifetime of bad luck! All I want¡­ Is to stand by your side¡­ as your knight and lover.¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t worry about being a jinx or unattractive or whatever fucking deranged fantasy you have about yourself. I want you, Ysabelle.¡±


    ¡°Y-You!¡±


    Ysabelle averted her eyes away from my forceful gaze and trembled like a little deer caught by a lion. Goodness¡­ The gap between her indomitable War Goddess face and her current anxious one truly showed the dichotomy Ysabelle possessed.


    On the one hand, Ysabelle was a warrior who bathed in her enemies¡¯ blood, ying them without a moment¡¯s remorse.


    On the other, she was a kind, docile soul. One that remained shy when she was under her man.


    Like the ck and white of this chamber, my lover possessed two sides of the coin¡­ And I loved both of them.


    ¡°¡­ If you would have me.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I would want nothing more.¡±

 Chapter 93 The Third Night (1)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don¡¯t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    ¡°¡­ If you would have me.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I would want nothing more.¡±


    My face broke into a wide smile. The moment Ysabelle epted me, my entire being felt liberated, as if the weight of the entire world had been lifted off my shoulders. All this time, I feared that she hated me and didn¡¯t want to have a rtionship with me. And while I would have respected her opinion, my heart would have been forced to take the bitter pill.


    Now that I think about it, my possessiveness over my girls was nothing short of spectacr. I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone touch or harm any of them, even if it meant the destruction of my soul.


    I hated to think that Ysabelle would jump into the arms of another man. I loathed the feeling that one of my girls disliked me. And most importantly¡­ I wanted both of us to bond in marital bliss.


    And now that I had her approval¡­


    ¡°Ysabelle, may I?¡±


    There was no need for boration. Ysabelle saw the feastful desire in my eyes and the mes of lust thatid dormant in every man. The pearly whiteplexion of hers was dyed vermillion as a result, and she twisted her head to the left. Raising her chin, the ck-haired beauty released the tight buttons of her battle suit, unveiling the heart-line of a womanly body.


    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    Shyly, Ysabelle gave her consent.


    A knot appeared at the bottom of my chest, and my face quickly turned red with excitement. Unconsciously, my tongue wet the corners of my lips, and saliva started to fill my mouth.


    Once more, I stared at the perfect specimen underneath my arms.


    Ysabelle was a talldy, easily standing at 1.85 metres. She was the biggest woman I¡¯d ever held in my arms, yet she felt as light as a feather. Her ck hair was short but not too short to be mistaken for a man. It reached the base of her neck, barely touching the shoulder des that were both sharp and sculpted.


    With her battle suit loosened, I could thoroughly examine the feminine curves that defined the ck-haired beauty. Ysabelle was in the pink of health, more so than any female Vampire I¡¯d ever met. There was barely any fat on her oyster-white flesh, which made her hourss figure a delight to watch. I couldn¡¯t see it just yet, but I could tell that there were defined abs just from looking down on her loose battle suit.


    And to top it all off, her womanly bosom was thergest I¡¯d ever seen. Yet, they didn¡¯t sag in the slightest, and rather, they were perky and fresh, like a peach.


    Supermodel, no, Ysabelle would easily stand at the apex of all models on the.


    But I wasn¡¯t one to focus on a woman¡¯s body alone.


    When Ysabelle unbuckled her shirt, a strong wisp of feminine pheromones filled the air. It was inviting and intoxicating, an aroma I would never forget. The released heat warmed my pale skin, turning my cold Vampire blood into a boiling pot of aphrodisiac.


    Ysabelle noticed my raging emotions and blinked her nebulous, agate eyes like an adorable hamster watching its owner. Her impable, ochrousplexion had turned redder by the second as she imagined the things that I was about to do to her. Her gaze contained both embarrassment and hope¡­ Hope that I will be faithful to my desires and eat her up.


    Don¡¯t worry about that, my kitten. I will be eating you up soon. But first¡­


    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡±


    Ysabelle let out a sultry moan that echoed through the tall, empty chambers. It probably wasn¡¯t such a good idea, doing this when we were inside Eyghon¡¯s stomach, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself anymore. And I doubt Ysabelle would have the mind to stop as well.


    And so, I lunged my face down at the unveiled neck, piercing my Vampiric fangs deep into the white flesh of Ysabelle. Red liquids escaped from the young girl¡¯s body and gushed into my hungry mouth.


    Ah¡­ It¡¯s been a while since I felt this while drinking blood.


    A fresh taste. A refreshing taste. And a taste that burns my heart.


    Ysabelle¡¯s blood tasted savoury, like a red-hot chilli that was basking in the Summer Sun. The heat from her blood burned just as fiery as her spirit, giving it a spicy yet refreshing sensation. The world within my taste buds changed as my teeth sunk deeper into her flesh. The aromatic blood felt like a mixture of a thousand spices, giving it the acidity of fruit, the intense vours of peppers and the distinct sizzling aftertaste of a carbonated drink.


    Altogether, it created a unique vour profile that I doubt I could describe with words.


    It was just¡­ Delicious.


    That blood flowed deep down my throat and entered my stomach effortlessly. It flowed smoother than satin and continuously fueled my hunger and desire for the woman.


    At the same time, I felt Ysabelle¡¯s fangs pierce through my shoulders, doubling the intense emotions coursing through our veins. Pheromones rose in the air as my musky scent and her delectable fragrance mixed together. Our bodies were locked in a dance as I pressed myself deeper into her chest and crotch while she did much the same.


    Before long, I couldn¡¯t endure it anymore.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡±


    I released my fangs from Ysabelle¡¯s shoulders, leaving behind two small holes. As I raised my face up, I could hear Ysabelle¡¯s soft gasp like one would after drinking a refreshing beverage.


    Regret? No, there was reluctance within her glorious agate eyes. She desired me to stay for more; she wanted me to suck her blood dry; she wanted us to remain coiled together like two anacondas.


    Good god, aren¡¯t you an adorable one?


    Don¡¯t worry; we¡¯ll have plenty of time to suck each other dry soon. But now¡­


    ¡°Ysabelle, I¡¯m taking off your clothes.¡±


    ¡°H-huh? W-Wait?!¡±


    In a daze, the ck-haired beauty was slow to react. My fingers grew into ws as they sliced open the tight battle suit, revealing everything from her breasts down. Just as I¡¯d imagined, Ysabelle had toned abs, one that would make fitness instructors cry in shame.


    As my eyes naughtily traced down her stomach and belly button, I saw the cutest little ck bush. It was exceedingly small, as if Ysabelle was an adolescent girl who had just reached puberty. Herher region was protected by that ck bush which was no more than three centimetres long.


    Thinking about it, as someone who trained excessively, Ysabelle needed to ensure that the hair on her crotch wouldn¡¯t affect her, and therefore, she did the bare minimum to groom herself. But still, it was an allure that I couldn¡¯t resist.


    ¡°I¡¯m diving in.¡±


    ¡°D-Dive? W-What do you mean? H-Hey, Jin!¡±


    My head fell faster than the speed of light, silencing Ysabelle¡¯s question with my actions. My lips were happily ced on her lower lips, instantly tasting the forbidden fruit that no one had yet to touch. My tongue spiralled into the tight opening, entering the secret garden of every man¡¯s dreams.


    ¡°J-Jin! W-Wait! I-It¡¯s dirty there!¡±


    Caught between pleasure and embarrassment, Ysabelle tried to push my head away from her most sacred region. s, even if you had the strength of a million elephants, I wasn¡¯t going to separate from you.


    ¡°Nothing here is dirty, Ysabelle.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­ I¡¯ve been out all day, and I didn¡¯t shower¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, you worry about the weirdest things.¡±


    Yes, a pungent aroma came out from the deepest parts of her crotch. But that didn¡¯t deter me in the slightest. Instead, it added to the maic allure of that tiny little garden.


    Like a thirsty beast, I slurped greedily with my tongue, forcing Ysabelle to let out moans she never thought she was capable of. Since I had experience with this, I knew which buttons to press and what not to do. When to use more force and when to give gentle bites.


    But for some reason¡­ When I saw Ysabelle¡¯s meek demeanour¡­ My sadistic side took over.


    Pushing rougher than I would normally do, my tongue pierced through the hymen of the twenty-four-year-old girl, and a gush of the densest virgin blood in the world burst into my mouth.


    Intoxicated, I was run over by the lustful beast thatid dormant within all men and greatly relished in the taste. If Ysabelle¡¯s normal blood was like a magic Summer chilli, her hymen blood was dozens of chillies thrown into a hot pot that was mixed with a million ingredients and stewed for twenty-four hours.


    It was something I¡¯d never tasted before, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single drop.


    Ten minutes had passed since I started giving Ysabelle a head, and my lower half could not take it anymore. A rising dragon bulged out from my pants, creating a tent without me even pitching it. It was getting tight, and my posture changed to amodate the lecherous creature.


    And Ysabelle noticed it too.


    ¡°J-Jin, does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± I shook my head to ease her fears. ¡°But it is a little ufortable.¡± And without waiting for her response, I unzipped my pants, releasing the monster I¡¯d been hiding.


    Ysabelle gulped as she watched that magnificent creature continue to elongate in size, clearly unsure of what to do in such a situation. Her hands twitched as if wanting to move to touch the beast, but she hesitated. Clearly, she was too shy to partake in this debaucherous activity.


    Huehue, don¡¯t worry, child¡­ You will be an expert in it soon.

 Chapter 94 The Third Night (2)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don¡¯t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    Jin¡­ Oh, my dear Jin¡­


    Even after fifteen years, you haven¡¯t changed one bit. You were just as gant as the day we¡¯d met. You had retained your overwhelming good looks and became even more charming with every passing year. Especially after you¡¯d finally turned into a Vampire as we¡¯d nned.


    You are powerful and dependable, yet you possess a sensitive side that would make any girl swoon. You had a heart of gold and love for me that felt heavier than the entire ocean weighing on me.


    You were¡­ My unadulterated guardian knight.


    Time hasn¡¯t changed you one bit.


    But I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    You were my Jin, after all.


    All these years, I could only watch you from afar. I knew that I was a jinx, a harbinger of bad luck. And I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that. The other girls, especially Irina and Lilith, always sought to prevent us from meeting again. And I couldn¡¯t me them.


    I was the one who caused your injuries fifteen years back. I was the one who made you suffer all those years. I was the one¡­ who made you forget all of us.


    Did you know? Whenever I saw you suffer on the hospital bed, whenever I saw you getting bullied for being weaker, and whenever I saw you cry alone¡­ My heart felt like it was being pierced by a billion burning needles.


    I would have given anything to take your ce. I didn¡¯t want to see you suffer any longer.


    But even when you¡¯ve dived down to your deepest point, even when the whole world had seemingly given up on you, Jin¡­


    You persisted.


    You never once gave up on yourself. You took the adversity on the chin and persisted onwards. So what if you couldn¡¯t use magic or train martial arts as you did before? You became one of, if not the best magical researcher on the.


    You were a shining beacon of light. The epitome of hard work beating talent. Even when you were crippled and unable to move a single muscle, you continued working hard. You continued on your path to greatness against all the odds.


    Compared to you¡­ I truly wascking.


    But, I finally knew what I had to do.


    I wasn¡¯t as beautiful as the other three. I didn¡¯t have the talent that they had. I didn¡¯t have the brains that they had. And I wasn¡¯t ever going to be as influential as they would be. But, I did have my effort.


    I trained tirelessly every day, putting in the hours no matter how tired, scared or emotional I was. I didn¡¯t let anything be my excuse, and no matter if it rained or shined, I would work every single day just as you¡¯d taught me.


    And as expected, my effort didn¡¯t betray me.


    Over the years, I¡¯d be the best martial artist in my generation, and my control over the ckburn¡¯s House Ghostme had reached near perfection. And for the first time, I heard something that no one had ever said to me before.


    Potential.


    All of my peers and teachers said that I had infinite potential and could one day turn into a general who could lead the ckburn House to greater heights. They all imed that I had immense talent and I was a generational prodigy.


    But I knew the truth.


    It was your words that made me who I am, Jin.


    Without you, I would have remained the same crybaby who would never stop feeling sorry for herself. I would have stayed in the shadows of Irina, Lilith and Rosa, and my name would have been lost to history.


    You were the one who changed me. The one who guided me. The one¡­ who protected me.


    Therefore, I was going to do the same.


    As much as it hurts my heart, I couldn¡¯t stand by your side. I knew how much of a jinx I was. I knew that if I remained with you, you might suffer the same fate as you did fifteen years before.


    But¡­ Please pardon my selfishness just once.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave your life altogether. Even if it was just a glimpse of you¡­ I wanted it.


    And so, I swore an oath to protect you from the shadows. Just like you did with me, I will ensure that no harm will ever fall upon you. I will be the one who makes the sacrifice this time, as I use my honed skills to kill any threat that might fall upon you.


    That was my earnest wish.


    As long as I could see you smile¡­ I would be content.


    Yet¡­


    You disagreed with my selfishness. You didn¡¯t want me to stay by the sidelines. You¡­ didn¡¯t want me to hide in the shadows.


    In this isted chamber where no one could see us, you asked me to be your woman.


    That¡¯s just¡­ unfair, Jin.


    No woman on the can resist your charm! And when I saw your earnest eyes filled with love and lust, I couldn¡¯t say no. My heart was beating faster than ever before, and my blood sent tingling sensations throughout my body.


    When you mounted me, my breath choked in abination of bliss and excitement. Your thick,rge arms grabbed onto my head as you stered your face into mine. I¡¯d never kissed anyone before, so I¡¯d let you take the lead.


    Electricity pulsed through all of my veins each time your tongue invaded my mouth. Even when I was suffering and out of breath, my desire for you never waned. No, it was strengthened each time I felt you inside me.


    Clearly, I was suffering to breathe, and yet¡­ I was ecstatic.


    This was a new feeling for me. I¡¯d never thought that being so vulnerable in front of the man I loved brought so much fulfilment.


    Was I a masochist? I don¡¯t know. No, it didn¡¯t matter. If Jin wanted to rough me up, I would dly oblige. If he wanted to use all of his strength to choke me, push me down, treat me like a ragdoll or a toy¡­ I would be more than happy.


    But he didn¡¯t do that. He tenderly went down on me like a gentleman, giving love to my lower lip with his tongue. The pleasure that came from his sensual actions was divine, as sensations I¡¯d never imagined possible overtook my nervous system.


    I felt happy. Happiness that Jin desired me so much and was willing to go this far to pleasure me. I was happy that he reciprocated my love and opened a new door in our rtionship.


    I was sad. Sad that I¡¯d kept him at arm¡¯s length for this long, denying him the opportunity to make love to me. If I¡¯d known that such pleasure had existed, I wouldn¡¯t have sworn to live in the shadows.


    I¡¯d also felt¡­ jealous. Jin had to learn these skills from somewhere. Although I might have distanced myself from him, that didn¡¯t mean I was clueless about everything. I knew he¡¯d spent the past few months with Irina and Lilith. And given how those two felt about him¡­ There was no way they would let him remain celibate.


    But that was fine¡­


    They weren¡¯t here, were they?


    Right now¡­ I monopolised Jin. I was the one he was making love to. I am the person he¡¯s lusting for.


    I greedily sucked on his blood, almost knocking out my conscious mind. Jin¡¯s blood was exquisite, packed with a dense vour I¡¯d never tasted before. It felt like a soup thatbined all of the world¡¯s best ingredients and was stewed and fermented for decades. The taste of Jin¡¯s blood itself was enough to excite my womanly desires, but I just had to examine the fine specimen that had mounted me.


    Jin¡¯s body had be toned like a Greek God, with muscles that seemed to be carved out of pure marble. I¡¯d seen plenty of muscr men in my capacity as a Major of the ckburn House, and many had much bigger muscles. However, Jin¡¯s body had a perfect bnce.


    After turning into a Vampire, Jin had grown to 1.99 metres tall, which was easily half a head taller than me. And his height wasn¡¯t the only thing that changed. His facial features, which had been sickly and gaunt, were now crafted in perfect symmetry. With cheekbones that could cut steel and hollowed cheeks that made his face seem like a valley, Jin¡¯s face was now beyond that of the golden ratio.


    It didn¡¯t help that his blue eyes glistened with the mour of the alpine sky, sparkling under the well-groomed short ck hair thatpleted his dreamy look.


    I couldn¡¯t bear it!


    Jin had grown to be the man of my dreams! Isn¡¯t this just in unfair?! The resolve I¡¯d built up for fifteen years just evaporated with one look. I was not fit to be a knight¡­ I¡¯m better suited to be¡­


    His woman.


    When Jin unveiled his member, my throat instantly gulped. It was huge, veiny and meaty, unlike the images I¡¯d seen on the inte. A pungent smell of lust burst forth into my nostrils, and as if an innate desire was speaking to me, I unconsciously widened my legs.


    Was the male reproductive organ supposed to be that alluring? The woman in me couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off it, and I¡¯d even moved to touch that monstrosity.


    How great would it be to stuff that down my throat? If Jin treated me like his possession and choked me with that mighty rod¡­ Oh my god! What bliss!!!


    But Jin didn¡¯t treat me as roughly as I¡¯d imagined. Instead, he gently ced his member at the entrance of my wet, slimy cave and held my head with both his hands.


    ¡°Ysabelle, may I?¡±


    Ah¡­ You don¡¯t have to ask for permission. Just do me as you please. I wanted to be ravaged by the lustful demon that was Jin Valter. I wanted to lie underneath your arms as you continuously pounded into my secret ce. I wanted you¡­ to fuck me.


    Jin smiled happily at my response. And without waiting anymore, that massive dragon roared into my cave and arrogantly made it into its home.


    ¡°A-Ah! Ah! AAAHHH!!!¡±


    Jin mercilessly pounded into my crotch, sending shockwaves of pleasure with every thrust. They said that a woman¡¯s first time would be painful, but I didn¡¯t feel that. Maybe there was pain, and maybe there wasn¡¯t¡­


    The only thing I could feel was the endless pleasure that Jin was subjecting me to.


    He grabbed my head tightly as if he were trying to hold me in ce. At the same time, his mouth alternated between ravaging my mouth and biting on my neck for blood.


    I didn¡¯t want to be the only one on the receiving end, so I clumsily followed his lead. I might have scratched his tongue a little, but the suave Adonis didn¡¯t care. He alternated between my lips and neck, sending more electric shocks down my spine.


    And this whole time, Jin¡¯s member never once stopped pounding into me.


    I felt his warm, sturdy arms roam down to my breasts, and they earnestly kneaded them like a tofu bun. He pinched my nipples, rubbed my underboob, and roamed all over my body.


    All my life, I had never allowed any man to do as he pleased with my body. It was expected of me, given that I was a nobledy of the ckburn House. However, I did nothing to stop Jin¡¯s lust. In fact, I facilitated it by holding onto his hands, urging him to be rougher.


    Jin was a gentleman, and he didn¡¯t want to do anything to hurt me. His gentle movements were a testament to that fact.


    But I didn¡¯t want to be treated gently¡­


    Rougher! Rougher! Rougher!!!


    You can do me as you please, Jin!


    How long has it been? Ten, twenty, thirty minutes? I couldn¡¯t tell. The thick scent of love fluids overwhelmed my senses, temporarily waking me up from my lustful stupor. I nced down at the scene of the action and saw Jin¡¯s manhoodpletely drenched in my female juices.


    The thick rod had expanded even more than before. I didn¡¯t even have the mind toprehend how such an enormous thing could enter my body to give me pleasure, as the first thing I noticed was how thick the meaty member had be. Its veins were now as prominent as rivers, and its intense aroma had tripled over the session.


    ¡°Ysabelle, I¡¯m about to-¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes!!!¡± I locked my iling legs around Jin¡¯s waist and allowed my womanly instincts to take over. ¡°Let it out! Let it all out in me!!!¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡±


    Jin unleashed his sinful fluids into my deepest ce with his final thrust.


    It felt so warm¡­ My insides were now filled with Jin¡¯s love. Even though it was meant to be dirty, my uterus greedily absorbed everything, unwilling to let a single drop escape. My body convulsed wildly in response, and my lower half raised itself to bind with Jin. It was as if¡­ My body wanted to im Jin for its own.


    Was this the happiness of a woman?


    Jin held onto my head with both his hands, squeezing it like a watermelon as his fluids continued to splurt within me. Our mouths separated for one second, something that was rare during our bonding, giving me a chance to see Jin¡¯s face of pleasure.


    Jin¡¯s eyes were zed over, and his mouth hung wide open. His hard body had be soft as all his tensed muscles rxed, making his handsome face into a sinful one.


    That kind of expression was only possible if one had reached the apex of pleasure.


    ¡°Jin, was it good?¡±


    ¡°My god, Ysabelle¡­ You were amazing. I could do you a million more times.¡±


    ¡°Really?! I¡¯m d!¡±


    Hehe, so Jin liked it! That¡¯s a relief! And if he liked it so much¡­ We can do it more, right?


    I moved my body up, unleashing Jin¡¯s manhood from my feminine grip. A thick, viscous, white liquid dripped down my thighs at that moment, and I instantly moved to scoop it up. Jesus, Jin really unloaded a lot of it in me, and the insides of my body couldn¡¯t contain it all. But I wasn¡¯t going to let it go to waste.


    Scooping up the remnants of our love, I coated my hands with the white liquid and dripped the rest into my mouth. Like licking melted candy from my hands, I ensured that none of Jin¡¯s precious liquid would be wasted.


    Jin watched my actions with a shine in his eyes, and the rod that had simmered down for a moment had be erect once again. Unconsciously, my tongue licked thest bits of cum from my hands, and I stared down at the massive rod like a tiger eyeing its prey.


    Oh dear, I have be a naughty girl¡­


    And it¡¯s all your fault¡­


    My horny knight.

 Chapter 95 The Circumstances Outside (1)

    While Jin and Ysabelle were enjoying their alone time together in the stomach of Eyghon, the world outside wasn¡¯t as blissful.


    ¡°You turds! You had one job! One job!!! To secure your sister! How the hell did you fail so miserably?!¡±


    One burly, middle-aged man could be seen shouting his lungs out at two younger men. They all had rich obsidian hair, making it hard for anyone to distinguish them based on their hair colour. Not to mention, they were all stacked with veiny, red muscles, all jammed in a body that was easily two metres in height.


    However, despite their simrities, there was no question about who was in charge and who was subservient.


    ¡°F-Father, by the time we arrived, Y-Ysabelle had been¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it! Don¡¯t you dare say it!¡±


    General Enzo mmed his fist down on the table, mming the sturdy desk into smithereens and sending splinters of wood flying all over the encampment. Fortunately, Vampires weren¡¯t vulnerable to a wooden stake like in the legends. Otherwise, the man would have inadvertently killed his sons right there and then.


    ¡°Yoel! Have you confirmed your sister¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­¡±


    ¡°Yannis! Did you see Ysabelle¡¯s corpse with your own eyes?!¡±


    ¡°N-No, sir!¡±


    ¡°Then, Ysabelle isn¡¯t dead!¡± The ckburn family head yelled out with a fiery tone. ¡°That fucking Eyghon is the size of a mountain range! Even if Ysabelle was swallowed by the beast, it would take time before she reaches its stomach! We still have a chance to save her!¡±


    ¡°Of course!!!¡±


    Yoel and Yannis both bowed with hope gleaming in their eyes. Just like their father, they didn¡¯t wish to see their precious little sister pass on. However, they just had a more pragmatic view of the situation. General Enzo, while capable at his job, had been blinded by the love for his only daughter.


    ¡°Listen here, you punks. When we cut open Eyghon¡¯s stomach, the two of you will be the first to dive in and rescue Ysabelle! I don¡¯t care if you twoe back without a limb, an organ or even your heads. Bring back my daughter, do you understand!!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!!!¡±


    The colonel and lieutenant colonel clicked their boots together and gave the man a firm salute. They knew their position in the family and dly obliged. Unfortunately, both their livesbined didn¡¯tpare to a hair on Ysabelle¡¯s head.


    Watching his two foolish sons disappear into the dark of night, General Enzo fell back on his chair and rubbed the temples of his forehead. Over the past few months, the man had been hit with event after event.


    Eyghon¡¯s appearance, the deaths of multiple ckburn Vampires, dealing with the Werewolves, asking for help from the Holy Church, and now¡­ The disappearance of his one and only daughter?


    As much as the General was a tough cookie, he had finally reached his tipping point. The stress that had been mounted on him pressured him so much that he didn¡¯t notice the two individuals who had walked into his private camp.


    ¡°What a nice posture you have there, Enzo. I wonder if it helps to keep your muscles from sagging.¡± A cool, sonorous voice echoed, drawing the man¡¯s eyes from the roof of his tent to the entrance.


    An ethereal-like woman with snowy white hair that reached all the way to the floor sauntered into his private abode as if she owned the ce. With each step she took, an illusory mist followed, bringing a mysterious air to the gorgeousdy. However, Enzo wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest. Rather, with a snort, he growled:


    ¡°Innocence¡­ You finally came, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, is this how the ckburn House wees its guests? I even took time off my busy schedule to travel all this way.¡±


    ¡°What schedule? Do you mean fucking your nine-hundred and ny-nine consorts? Don¡¯t make meugh, Innocence. I know you¡¯ve washed your hands off the Everwinter House.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you really want to, you could be number one thousand, you know? It¡¯s about time I added a ckburn into my collection.¡±


    Matriarch Innocence smiled in a jestful manner as she took a seat before the lethargic ckburn Head. General Enzo was toozy to call her out on her behaviour and simply scoffed:


    ¡°Spare me from that; I would burn in hell for eternity than spend a night with you.¡±


    While General Enzo¡¯s words were poison, he still treated the ancient Vampire with due respect by pouring her a goblet of the ckburn House¡¯s finest virgin blood. He then turned to look at his other visitor as if asking if the man wanted the same.


    ¡°Lord Sirius, have a seat. We may be in the middle of an uing battle, but the ckburn House never treats its guests poorly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer.¡±


    Sirius Moonreaver smiled as he took the other chair before General Enzo. However, unlike Matriarch Innocence, the Lord of the Moonreaver House wasn¡¯t at such ease. Comparatively speaking, he was at least two thousand years younger than the other two Vampires in the room. And while age doesn¡¯t necessarily mean strength, the two ancient Vampires had legendary track records.


    General Enzo had been leading the ckburn House for nearly two thousand years and was widely considered the strongest Vampire when it came to closebat. As for Matriarch Innocence¡­ There was no need to even discuss her credentials. An ancient being that had been walking since the dawn of the Vampire race, it¡¯s a miracle that she hadn¡¯t passed away during one of the many wars she was a part of.


    Matriarch Innocence. General Enzo. Lord Sirius.


    On the surface, these three were on the same level and led the Vampire race with equal standing. In truth, Sirius was a level behind the two mighty monsters.


    ¡°My apologies, Lord Sirius.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Our ckburn House couldn¡¯t assist you during your war against the Bloodbourne. As you can see, we were rather preupied with the threat of Eyghon. Also, a war against the Bloodbournes¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Sirius¡¯ face broke into a broken grin. ¡°There¡¯s no need for your apologies, General Enzo. We fully understand the situation. Besides, if our Moonreaver House couldn¡¯t defend against the Bloodbourne House¡¯s tant aggression, we don¡¯t deserve to be amongst the four pirs.¡±


    ¡°Haha, then we¡¯ll wash down our apology with this cup!¡±


    General Enzo raised a toast to the young leader. All these were just courtesy conversations which essentially had no influence on the greater picture. However, as leaders of two great Guardian Houses, Enzo and Sirius had to put up with pretences.


    On the other hand, Matriarch Innocence had washed her hands clean of politics. The only reason she was present was to act as a weapon against Eyghon and a deterrent against those who might wish to target the Vampire race. That¡¯s why she had a more se attitude while speaking with her age-old friend.


    ¡°Speaking of the four pirs¡­ Enzo, where¡¯s Veralyn? I heard the representatives of the other Houses have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Veralyn? She¡¯s noting.¡±


    ¡°What?! I had to travel all the way from the north, and you¡¯re telling me that she gets a pass? Does she think that the Shadowgarden House is above this task?¡±


    Matriarch Innocence feigned an exasperated look and scolded herpatriot who wasn¡¯t present. Sirius mentally retorted that the Matriarch had taken his Warp Gate over; therefore, her travel was practically instantaneous, but he didn¡¯t dare breathe those words. Who knows if that temperamental ancient Vampire would bare her fangs at him next?


    ¡°The Shadowgarden House has sent assistance in the form of rations and intelligence. They¡¯d even sent some of their best Blood Servants to help boost our numbers. So quit yourining. You know the Shadowgarden House isn¡¯t cut out for this kind of work.¡±


    ¡°Tch, you¡¯re no fun.¡±


    If the Everwinter and ckburn House had military might, and the Moonreaver House had copious amounts of wealth, then the Shadowgarden House was the intelligence branch of the Vampire race. They had spies everywhere and had basically every corner of the globe uncovered.


    Be it the Holy Church, Werewolf Tribes, Human Cities, Elven forest¡­ There¡¯s no information that the Shadowgarden House couldn¡¯t obtain.


    Plus, they alsomanded the world¡¯s most dangerous assassin troupe. If they wanted a man gone on Friday night, he wouldn¡¯t live to see the evening. It didn¡¯t matter if you were the Pope, an S-Ranked Hunter or an Alpha Werewolf. If the Shadowgarden House deems that you are too dangerous to the Vampire race, your head will roll the next hour.


    They were deadly and effective assassins, yes. But against a Demon Lord like Eyghon¡­


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Matriarch Innocence swirled the blood in her goblet, seemingly losing interest in the subject. ¡°By the way, I heard an interesting rumour on the way here. Apparently, your daughter has been swallowed by Eyghon?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Careful now, Innocence. Your next words might be yourst.¡±


    ¡°Haha, how scary! I see that your fondness for your daughter hasn¡¯t subsided.¡± The white-haired Vampire chuckled and took one sip of her delectable drink. ¡°But that¡¯s not why I brought that matter up. Apparently, she was swallowed with someone I know.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    ¡°Jin Valter,¡± the Matriarch dered, drawing twitches from both Sirius and Enzo. ¡°He¡¯s the paramour my granddaughter is infatuated with.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that boy¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you know of him?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my daughter has never stopped speaking about him.¡± General Enzo let out a helpless sigh for the first time in the conversation.


    ¡°To tell the truth, I have mixed feelings about that brat. He protected Ysabelle, but at the same time, he took a quarter of her soul. He inspired Ysabelle to train hard and be the female warrior she is now, but he also became her object of infatuation. So I don¡¯t know whether to thank him or plummet him to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Haha, if you do so, I¡¯m sure my granddaughter would freeze you to death.¡± Matriarch Innocence smiled brilliantly, revealing herplete set of pearly white teeth. ¡°I swear, that boy must have been an incubus in his past life! Else, how would he have seduced four of our prized daughters?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    General Enzo and Lord Sirius didn¡¯t speak, but their eyes did all the talking. Likewise, they believed in Matriarch Innocence¡¯s conjecture.


    ¡°My granddaughter has even asked me to charge into Eyghon myself. They say that girls are like spilt water; they forget all about their maiden home once they are married. Tch, what a useless granddaughter I have.¡±


    The two males in the room wished to retort: ¡®Aren¡¯t you a woman as well?¡¯ But they wisely chose against it. Moving over the Matriarch¡¯s misogynistic words, Sirius spoke after two coughs:


    ¡°If that boy is with your daughter, then she might have a chance of leaving Eyghon alive, General Enzo.¡±


    ¡°Hoh? What makes you say that?¡± Intrigued, the bulky man urged Sirius to continue.


    ¡°Oh, I heard a rumour that you¡¯d lost to that brat, didn¡¯t you? In a formal duel, no less.¡±


    ¡°What?! Is that true?¡±


    Sirius scowled at the Matriarch¡¯s terse statement. However, he couldn¡¯t give the right words to retort. After all, the only reason those words cut him so deep was because they were true.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sirius sighed. ¡°It was a restricted duel where he would win if hended one hit on me, but still¡­ He won fair and square.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t he just be a Vampire this Winter?¡± Gobsmacked, General Enzo gulped down his goblet of wine unknowingly. ¡°To defeat you, when he¡¯s less than half a year old¡­ It¡¯s practically a miracle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it really is¡­¡±


    Sirius couldn¡¯t agree more. Jin¡¯s growth was nothing short of unprecedented in history. It didn¡¯t matter if they were True Vampires that stood at the apex of the food chain; there was practically no one who could reach Jin¡¯s level in that short period of time.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ Perhaps that boy might pull off yet another miracle.¡±

 Chapter 96 The Circumstances Outside (2)

    Jerome Warw.


    The Alpha of the Warw Tribe. The Wolf of the West. The Golden w. The Tempest Fang¡­ There were innumerable epithets attached to his name. A tall and macho Werewolf who stood at the apex of his tribe.


    A winner of a thousand battles, and the champion of his tribe, it wasn¡¯t a stretch to call him the most imposing Werewolf of his generation. And being one of the world¡¯s most dominant Werewolves, he was naturally invited tobat the Demon Lord that had invaded the realm.


    Not that he was anywhere near the vicinity when Eyghon arrived.


    ¡°That motherfucker! He just sent me flying to another country!¡±


    No longer in his prim and proper attire, the suave Ubermensch walked dizzily out of the ckburn House¡¯s encampment. His hair was in a total mess, with remnants of leaves and twigs stuck within his head. Spitting on the floor, Jerome cursed out in pure anger:


    ¡°Who the fuck was that guy anyway?! He just attacked me without talking! Fuck! If not for this emergency, I would have forced the Vampires to drag him to my feet!¡±


    The calm andposed facade that Jerome always wore evaporated, leaving behind his dirty Werewolf self. Jerome had never been humiliated like this before, especially since the day he ascended to the top of the Warw Tribe. Every man he¡¯d met would cower at his feet or at least keep the pretence of subordination.


    Even the Vampires, who had been openly hostile to him in the past, had to treat him with respect.


    And yet, a random ck-haired Vampire came out of nowhere when Jerome was trying to seduce Ysabelle and sent him flying to the neighbouring country a thousand miles away.


    Since the Werewolf couldn¡¯t fly, he had to run back on foot, which took him a good few hours. However, when he returned, Jerome discovered that Eyghon had appeared, and the entire World had allied to battle the threat.


    While being the Warw Tribe¡¯s Alpha was a big deal, it was nothingpared to the various big shots gathering at this very moment. Heads of state, bishops from the Holy Church, S-Ranked Hunters that had the power to stand toe-to-toe with him¡­ The list of powerful entities was endless.


    Before, when the ckburn House only needed to attend to the Warw Tribe and a few other Hunters, Jerome was practically a VIP. The head of the ckburn House would wee him personally, and he would always have a Vampire on standby to amodate his request.


    But the situation has now changed. At best, Jerome would be called upon to a meeting once, and then, he would return to being an afterthought.


    That change didn¡¯t sit well with the proud Werewolf; to top it off, he had just been thrown a thousand miles into the air by some random Vampire. To call his mood irritated would be an understatement.


    To cool his mind, Jerome decided to take a walk outside of the encampment. In the middle of the night, when the winds were cool and the full moon hanging, it was the perfect peace a Werewolf could ask for. However, when he was about five kilometres deep into the woods, his superhuman senses picked up something amusing¡­


    ¡°Ah! Ah! More! Faster! Harder!¡±


    Hidden in the trees, two humans were bonding vigorously with their pants down. The woman had both her hands grasping a tree trunk as she bent her body into an inverted L-shape. The man was pounding into her butt hard, making slippery noises that weren¡¯t fit for the peace of the night. Yet, Jerome wasn¡¯t insulted. Rather, his eyes and nose twitched happily while a smile crept up his face.


    ¡°Hoh? They are probably having sex thinking that it would be theirst time.¡±


    In times of war, it wasmon for men and women to bond as they never knew if they would survive the next day. And while there wasn¡¯t a war to be fought, facing Eyghon was arguably much more dangerous. No one knew if they would make it past tomorrow, and therefore¡­


    ¡°Should I join the party? Hehe, they must be a couple, right? I wonder how it would feel to cuckold a guy before his day of death?¡±


    Jerome thought back on his many exploits in the past. Women threw themselves at him even if they had husbands or boyfriends back home. That was the allure of a suave, rich and powerful man. Not to mention, Jerome¡¯s superior physique did serve as a turn-on for many women.


    Ysabelle was a special case where she didn¡¯t spare him a second nce, even after Jerome went all out to pursue her. He¡¯d even abstained from sleeping with women for a month before arriving here, just to show that he was squeaky clean.


    And since it had been a while since hisst time, Jerome was yearning for some sugar.


    ¡°No, this is not the right time and ce for that¡­¡±


    The horny Werewolf thought about it for a moment and decided not to disturb the couple¡¯s fun. Right now, there were plenty of mighty figures around, particrly those hostile to Werewolves. If these humans made a scene and escted the issue, Jerome¡¯s nefarious deed would easily reach the ears of someone more powerful than him.


    And if the clergy members of the Holy Church heard about it¡­ Jerome might be exorcised right then and there.


    ¡°It¡¯s regrettable, but I¡¯ll have to find some random chick.¡±


    With his charm and expertise, Jerome wouldn¡¯t have an issue finding a girl to sleep with tonight. There was no need to risk it all on some perverted fantasy of stealing another man¡¯s girl.


    Fortunately for him, his keen sense of smell picked up two female scents just two kilometres east of his location. Ignoring the debaucherous couple, Jerome wandered past the woods, passing all the encampment lights until he finally reached the ce in question.


    ¡°Hoho¡­ Jackpot!¡±


    The Alpha Werewolf licked his lips as he saw the two figures talking on the nearby cliff. The full white moon shone down on the two beauties, giving them a divine, ethereal glow. One of them had beautiful white hair, reminiscent of the first snow of Winter. The other had stunningly blonde hair that shimmered as brightly as the morning Sun.


    Put the two together, and a portrait could be envisioned.


    The Lunar Goddess whose white hair practically divined theing of Winter.


    The Sr Goddess, whose blonde hair glowed brilliantly even under the carpet of darkness.


    Two transcendent women stood side-by-side, alone with no one to guard them. Not to mention, their appearances were far beyond the average supermodel; heck, even humanity¡¯s greatest beauties couldn¡¯tpare with their lustrous look.


    Other than the Elves, only one race in the world could possess such otherworldly beauties.


    ¡°Two Vampires! And they must be Highborn! Haha, even if I don¡¯t get Ysabelle, I can settle my urges with these two!¡±


    Jerome practically forgot about the ckburn Princess at that very moment. If he could get his hands on those two Vampires, maybe even at the same time¡­ Just the thought of it made the Werewolf¡¯s lower half stand.


    Wiping off his perverted smile, Jerome dusted off his coat and straightened his posture. After ensuring that he looked as presentable as possible, the apex predator confidently strode towards the two girls, who had just realised they hadpany.


    ¡°Ladies, what are you doing this far from camp on this fine night? Are you perhaps-¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay away, Werewolf. We¡¯re not in the mood for your antics.¡±


    The blonde beauty coldly cut off Jerome¡¯s opening line. Jerome¡¯s eyebrows twitched, not knowing how to react to such an icy response. However, the man wasn¡¯t a yer for nothing. He¡¯d experienced countless rejections before and learned the tools to turn a ¡®no¡¯ into a ¡®yes¡¯.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re interesting! All I want to do is spend some time talking under this beautiful moonlight we have tonight. I hope I¡¯m not imposing.¡±


    ¡°You are, so leave.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be that way,¡± Jeromeughed, but inwardly, he cursed the blonde woman off. ¡®Just you wait¡­ Once you¡¯re under me, I won¡¯t stop even if you beg.¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯re on the verge of a great battle, and I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing myst minutes on the with the greatest beauties in the world.¡±


    ¡°I warned you.¡±


    It seems like the two women had their patience worn thin. They raised their hands in unison without bothering to talk to the man anymore. Magic power started to rush out from their bodies, and two domains formed.


    One created an illusion of the frozen hells of Nifelheim with cold Winter winds that froze anything it touched and spectacr white snow with the power to break bones and bury bodies.


    The other was an illusion of a full Blood Moon, as a tempest of thunder and lightning swirled underneath the blonde woman¡¯s feet. Dimensional barriers were irrelevant in front of this domain as reality seemingly trembled at the woman¡¯s mere stare.


    Unaware of what he had gotten into, Jerome finally realised the gravity of the situation. These women were like the man who had sent him flying half a day ago. They didn¡¯t care about the consequences; they didn¡¯t care about having a conversation¡­ All they wished to do was to get rid of the nuisance in front of them.


    ¡®Crazy Vampire motherfuckers!¡¯


    Jerome cursed wildly in his mind and attempted to resist the two girls¡¯ merciless onught. s, the Werewolf was caught unprepared since he was thinking with his lower half. Before he could muster up any resistance, the two Vampires hadpleted their spells.


    The white-haired Vampire struck first. Ice crept up on the handsome man¡¯s skin, and they spread faster than a virus infecting a ssroom of children. Even as a Werewolf with high resistance to magic, Jerome couldn¡¯t avoid the fate of turning into an ice sculpture.


    Following that, the blonde Vampire folded dimensions together, turning the stationary ice statue into a levitating one. Not only that, with her expert control over the dimensions, Jerome¡¯s body was suddenly transported away in an instant.


    And now, just like before, the lustful Werewolf had to make the long journey back to the ckburn Estate on foot¡­


    ???


    ¡°Don¡¯te back, you fucking Werewolf.¡±


    Lilith scowled in disgust as she threw a flurry of insults at the stupid man who attempted to pick them up. Not that he would hear those insults with his body flung through the dimensions and into another country.


    ¡°Where did you send him?¡±


    ¡°The neighbouring country,¡± Lilith responded to Irina¡¯s question with a frown. ¡°I wished to send him farther away, but surprisingly, he had some kind of resistance to my magic.¡±


    ¡°I felt the same¡­ I wanted to freeze his organs and blood vessels, but I could only touch the surface. For him to have such a high resistance to our magic¡­ Do you think that he¡¯s an Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ You¡¯re right.¡±


    They had disposed of their annoyance, and that was the only thing that mattered. No, there was one other thing that had been bothering the beautiful pair for half a day now.


    ¡°It¡¯s been twelve hours!!!¡±


    With Jerome gone, Irina and Lilith could finally resume their conversation. They stared into the distance, where Eyghon was still lying motionless like a sleeping turtle, and their eyes began to turn crimson.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we attack Eyghon now?! We don¡¯t have much time left before that monster disappears!¡±


    ¡°Rx, Irina¡­ We can¡¯t rush these things. The coalition¡¯s forces had just barely arrived.¡±


    ¡°How can I rx?! Lord Brother is being eaten!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but can¡¯t you feel his soul resonating with yours?¡± Lilith calmly exined while touching her heart. ¡°The fact that his presence in us is beating stronger proves that he¡¯s still alive!¡±


    ¡°¡­ How can you be so smart and dumb at the same time? Of course, I know that Lord Brother is still alive! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    Irina sighed heavily while tracing her fingers on her forehead: ¡°Listen here! Lord Brother¡¯s soul has been growing stronger ever since he entered Eyghon. And there¡¯s no way for one¡¯s soul to be stronger normally. So, how is Lord Brother¡¯s soul exponentially growing then?¡±


    Finally, a light bulb lit in Lilith¡¯s mind. Jin¡¯s soul had been fractured, and to prevent their beloved lover from entering the afterlife, Lilith conducted a ritual to bind a quarter of their souls into Jin just to mend it back together.


    Usually, there was no way to grow a soul. It just went against the logic of magic to do so. Therefore, the only way that Jin¡¯s soul could be stronger¡­ was when the bindings ced on him had finally been released.


    Just like the time Irina and Lilith did so¡­


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­ That thieving cat! She¡¯s eating Jin as we speak!!!¡±

 Chapter 97 The Tides Have Changed (1)

    Cold¡­


    That was the first feeling I had when my consciousness returned. An icy chill covered my entire back, making itpletely sore. My vision was blurry, but my other senses were gradually returning. When my eyes finally cleared, the familiar ck starry ceiling came to view with the signature white jade floor surrounding me. And most strikingly, the Iron Heart that never stopped beating since we¡¯d arrived.


    It was then that when I realised where I was.


    I was within the deepest chamber of Eyghon, the artificial Demon Lord sent here by the Outer Demons to conduct reconnaissance on our.


    And I was currently sleeping on the cold, jade floor,pletely forgetting the precarious situation I hadnded myself into. Furthermore, it didn¡¯t help that I was butt-naked, with no clothes to warm my Vampiric body.


    Well, to say that I was utterly frozen would be a lie. Afortable warmth permeated from my side, drawing my face to my right side. My right arm had been hammered down by a blood-stopping weight, making me lose the feeling in my fingers temporarily. However, I wasn¡¯t perturbed by the disturbance.


    Why?


    Because of the Goddess that snoozed happily by my side.


    Ysabelle was still firmly in the Garden of Hypnos, her breath turning into adorable snores. Even though she was sleeping, the beauty possessed a trace of grace and mour that couldn¡¯t be replicated through ordinary means. Ysabelle never once moved in her sleep, remaining at the same ce she was when we both shut our eyes.


    No, judging by how close she was, Ysabelle must have snuggled closer when I was asleep. Our bodies were practically merged together, with her naked hips ovepping with mine and her right arm crossed onto my left shoulder.


    Good grief¡­ I¡¯ve raised yet another clingy lover.


    I looked down at her naked body, only to see the aftermath of our vigorous bonding session. White fluids dripped down from her sacred garden, and small pieces of my pubic hair remained on her lovely little bush.


    But despite having so many foreign substances within her, Ysabelle¡¯s sleeping face was one of pure satisfaction. Yes, her hair was messy, and her body stunk of sweat and sex, but her vibe was one ofplete rxation.


    ¡°Mmmnnn,¡± Ysabelle¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as she sensed my piercing gaze. Moaning slightly, the maturedy turned her head up from my armpits as her consciousness returned.


    ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead.¡±


    ¡°Morning¡­¡±


    Still groggy, Ysabelle answered while rubbing her eyes. Like a child forced to wake up from school, the ck-haired beauty yawned and was tempted to close her eyes once more. However, they immediately snapped open once she remembered everything that happenedst night.


    ¡°C-Crap! H-How long have we been asleep?!¡±


    In a fit of panic, Ysabelle leapt onto her feet and opened her eyes wide. Unbeknownst to her, Ysabelle¡¯s sudden action made that white liquid fall down from her crotch even faster, turning the afterglow of a young woman in her prime into a face of pure shame.


    ¡°S-Sorry! W-Where are my clothes?¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    Ysabelle followed my index finger and found her dirtied battle suitid upon my own clothes. She moved to cover herself immediately, but I stopped the eager girl right in her tracks.


    ¡°Hold on, those are dirty.¡±


    ¡°S-Still, they are the only clothes we have!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    I held onto Ysabelle¡¯s hand and gingerly guided her out of this chamber. It was easy to forget since it felt like a century ago, but we were currently in the heart of Eyghon, the Demon Lord who neutralises magic power. When we were in the anti-magic chamber, I could not use my Creation Magic or any magic for that matter.


    Fortunately, the exit hadn¡¯t been sealed, and we could leave whenever we wanted. Once we reached a safe spot, I gave Ysabelle¡¯s birthday suit one final look before regrettably casting my spell.


    Like a Princess in an animated movie, Ysabelle¡¯s naked body was wreathed in magic particles as a ck cloth found its way onto her pale white skin. To begin with, I cleaned her body thoroughly with magic, even the ufortable white stuff forced into herher regions. Then, I gave her basic underwear to cover herself while the dress was being made for her.


    It was a simple ck re dress with a heart-shaped neckline. I wasn¡¯t a designer, so I didn¡¯t make any borate fittings or embroideries to the modest dress and yet¡­ My jaw dropped when I saw Ysabelle wearing it for the first time.


    There was only one word to describe the elegant beauty standing before me.


    Stunning.


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just don¡¯t understand how a woman can be this dazzling. I must be hallucinating or something.¡±


    ¡°G-Goodness, Jin! Now¡¯s not the time to be sweet-talking me!¡±


    Ysabelle was right. I shouldn¡¯t be admiring my lover¡¯s beauty. Due to our little tryst, we had wasted precious time, time that could have been spent on figuring a way out of this prison. I don¡¯t know how long we had been going at it or even how long we¡¯d slept, and there¡¯s no telling how much time we had left.


    But still¡­ I stole two more nces at Ysabelle¡¯s perfectly toned body in pure, sinful lust.


    s, my eyes were noted with rtive ease, causing Ysabelle to pout with her cherry pink lips: ¡°Jin, that¡¯s enough, okay?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I won¡¯t ever get bored from looking at you.¡±


    As I finished my teasing, I casually created a three-piece suit to cover my naked ass and walked over to the entrance of the chamber.


    ¡°Y-You! How are you so calm?!¡± Exasperated, Ysabelle stomped her foot on the ground, causing a small quake that knocked me off my feet. ¡°We don¡¯t even know if the deadline is up! What if Eyghon has returned to his world and we¡¯re still stuck here?!¡±


    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. We¡¯re still on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How can you be so sure?¡±


    ¡°I can still feel my connection to Irina and Lilith.¡±


    Due to Lilith¡¯s forbidden ritual to save my soul, an undeniable connection had formed between the four girls and me, whether it was a blessing or a curse. Irina was the first of the four toe into my life, while Lilith had strengthened our connection with the Bloodmate Pact. And while I was unable to pinpoint their exact location, I could feel if their presence was near or not.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be jealous!¡± My lips curved into a smile the moment I saw Ysabelle¡¯s face drop. Grabbing her shoulders, I pulled her close and eximed: ¡°We have the same connection! If you look into your soul, I bet you can see it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s body jolted back, and her darkened face brightened up. If she had a dog tail, I was confident it would wag endlessly.


    Seriously¡­ Just how adorable can this girl get?


    However, Ysabelle¡¯s sunny expressions didn¡¯tst long. She looked back at the chamber where we came from and let out a heavy sigh:


    ¡°But¡­ Even if we¡¯re still on the, there¡¯s no way to escape. We tried using magic, physical attacks¡­ Everything! But the Iron Heart wouldn¡¯t budge. Are we destined to stay here forever?¡±


    ¡°Haha, while that sounds tempting¡­ My business with this isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    Living with Ysabelle in this isted ce brought a sense of novelty. We could be like the next generation of Adam and Eve, popting hundreds, if not thousands, of children until the end of the universe. But I scratched that idea from my idea instantly.


    There was no way I was going to leave Irina and Lilith behind. Not to mention, I had yet to meet Rosalyn, and my goal of bing the strongest being in the world was still unrealised.


    Therefore¡­ It was time to get out of this hellhole.


    ¡°Jin?¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle, stand back for a moment, please. I want to test something.¡±


    I was still outside the influence of the anti-magic chamber, which gave me the liberty to summon out my trusted Soul Armament. Five rings appeared on each of my right-hand fingers, with chains connected at the base of my wrist where a glorious silver bracelety waiting.


    Like always, the gems on my middle and thumb finger lit up. The middle ring represents my power over Spacetime, while my thumb ring represents the power of Creation. They were both valuable powers but useless against the battle with Eyghon.


    There was, however, one single change¡­


    The ring on my index finger.


    It had been dormant ever since I¡¯d awakened my Vampire Aspect. Just like my fourth finger and pinky, the gem on my index finger had been dulled with not an ounce of magic power flowing through it.


    That changes today.


    Glowing with a transcendent, crimson hue, the light the gem emitted turned into an illusory crimson me. Wreathed by that mysterious power, my index finger was engulfed by a me that produced no heat, yet¡­ It possessed a dangerous aura that could strike fear in even the most powerful beings who ever lived.


    Which was why¡­


    ¡°Wait, Jin! You can¡¯t use magic in the chamber!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to exin the details to my confused lover. There was plenty of time to do so once we escaped from the Demon Lord¡¯s stomach. I braced myself by taking a deep breath and continued channelling my magic power through my newly awakened ring. And then¡­


    ¡°N-No way¡­¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s amazed voice sounded out behind me for a good reason. The anti-magic field, which should have denied all and any forms of magic, had been conquered. Magic power continued to flow out of my body, affecting reality even without me thinking.


    Yes! I was right!


    My newly awakened power really could be utilised in this manner!


    And if that¡¯s the case¡­


    ¡°Ysabelle! Come here and stand by my side!¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    ¡°Hurry! We¡¯re getting out of this ce right now!¡±


    Now that I have proven my hypothesis, there is no longer a need to dilly-dally here. It was time¡­ for my third ability to shine.

 Chapter 98 The Tides Have Changed (2)

    ¡°Hurry! We¡¯re getting out of this ce right now!¡±


    I grabbed Ysabelle by the waist and pulled her in close. An adorable yelp cried out beside my ear, tempting me to break my concentration and gaze into the ck-haired beauty¡¯s ethereal, agate eyes.


    Fortunately, I was able to keep my lust in check this time as I focused on the task at hand. I had solved the anti-magic field puzzle, but that didn¡¯t mean Eyghon wouldn¡¯t counter with its own attack. In fact, as we stood right in front of the Iron Heart, I could sense the artificial Demon Lord going through some changes.


    The consistent beats of the metallic structure increased in frequency, like a real heart in the midst of peril. The white jade floor began to shake violently with a vigour simr to that of a magnitude ten earthquake. Vibrations that could break bone shivered up our spines as the chamber doors mmed shut.


    Suddenly, I felt light-headed as my ears started to hear a high-pitched buzzing sound. Unconsciously, I covered one of my ears with my left hand, only to feel a familiar red liquid doused with a nice dose of sweat.


    ¡°J-Jin!¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s words were soft, even though she was shouting by my side. My sense of hearing had beenpromised, and that was just through Eyghon¡¯s roar. It took everything I had to keep my mind on track and not copse onto the floor.


    Eyghon¡­ It was fighting back.


    It sensed that something could threaten it¡­ How fucking astute of a robot. Whoever designed its artificial intelligence must have been a work of art.


    ¡°Ysabelle, on my signal! Take my body and jump!¡±


    ¡°S-Signal? W-What signal?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know!¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time to exin. Since Eyghon had noticed I could break through its anti-magic field, it would do everything in its power to stop me before I could do any more damage to the being. And just as I was distracted by the girl in my arms, numerous ancient structures descended from the countless stars on the ceiling.


    Some of them were in the shape of mythical beasts such as Dragons, Phoenixes and Qilins. Others were humanoid structures with the majesty of a master that had reached the peak of their weapon mastery.


    They all seemed exceedingly powerful and likely possessed anti-magic fields as well. But¡­


    ¡°Break!¡±


    Magic power channelled through my index finger, feeding the embers of the illusory me on my ring. Veins started to pop throughout my extended arm as I felt a heavy strain weigh on my shoulders. The crimson ze burned with the intensity of a wildfire, doubling in size until it eventually engulfed my entire fist.


    Tch, this new magic sure is cost-intensive. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long for the spell to bepleted.


    A seed of crimson light rose to the starry light ceiling from my ring, and a small ripple in the fabric of space curled out. Crimson lights rained down likentern embers on the full moon festival, sprinkling the artificial monsters with fairy-like dust.


    And as if they were puppets whose strings got cut¡­ Eyghon¡¯s spawns fell.


    ¡°W-What?! What was that magic?!¡±


    Fascinated by my attack, Ysabelle dropped her jaw down and stared right at my index finger. It¡¯s a shame that I didn¡¯t carry a camera around¡­ I could have taken some interesting pictures to show to our children. But it wasn¡¯t the time to be ying around.


    While the spell was effective, my magic reserves weren¡¯t infinite, and unfortunately for me, Eyghon¡¯s magic reserves were.


    The moment I destroyed its spawns, the starry lights on the ceiling glistened once more, creating a gctic atmosphere within the boundaries of this confined space.


    Eyghon was preparing to produce more monsters to get in our way. It seemed my little stunt had awakened the slumbering beast, and it was about to purge the dirt that had infiltrated its system. If nothing was done, Ysabelle¡¯s tender flesh would be ravaged by the monster, leaving nothing but blood and bones behind.


    Foolish Demon¡­ I won¡¯t let ite to that.


    ¡°Ysabelle! Ready yourself!¡± I barked my final order at the confused youngdy and concentrated all of my attention on forming the final spell I would cast.


    Only one of my powers awakened when I¡¯d first obtained my Vampire Aspect. The control over Spacetime. Using it, I could control everything in my vicinity and, to a certain extent, stop time for a brief moment.


    After bonding and drinking Lilith¡¯s blood, I¡¯d awakened the power of Creation. Using it, I could create anything that I wanted. The only limitation that it had was that I couldn¡¯t create life. However, even with that limitation, I could generate virtually any spell that humanity could imagine and more.


    And finally, now that I had returned Ysabelle¡¯s soul¡­


    My third seal had been lifted.


    The moment my third ring came alive, I instinctively knew what power slept within it. It was a ring of dominance that brought everything in the universe to its knees, a power¡­ That could challenge the hegemony of God himself.


    Everything¡­ Everything wasid beneath my feet.


    Rocks¡­ Jades¡­ Trees¡­ Flesh¡­


    Blood.


    There was a reason why the anti-magic field had disappeared with the awakening of my third ring. Everything was mine to toy with. Everything under creation was vulnerable to my attacks. Everything¡­


    Was mine to destroy.


    ¡°ARGHHH!!!¡±


    I yelled.


    Not because of the searing heat that pulsed through my veins. Not because of the unfathomable amount of magic power my spell was draining. But from anticipation.


    The third ring radiated a majestic, illusory crimson me that grewrge enough to engulf my entire body. At that moment, everything I had in my reserves was drained, and it was highly likely that I would faint immediately after this spell was cast. However, I didn¡¯t care one bit.


    This was the undisputed, most powerful, dominant, and ultimate spell I could cast.


    My aspect of Spacetime was given the name Imperium.


    My aspect of Creation was given the name Genesis.


    Therefore¡­ For my third ability, I shall give it a fitting name.


    My aspect of Destruction¡­ Interitus. Was now engraved onto my soul.


    All of my magic power was poured into the crimson ring. Like an infinite coil of energy being charged up, the ephemeral crimson fire burned brighter until its radiance outweighed anything in this chamber. Sensing the threat, the Iron Heart of Eyghon beat faster with every passing second as it rushed to get its spawns to protect it.


    Hah¡­ It¡¯s funny how even an artificial organism like Eyghon could feel fear. But s, you are toote, Demon Lord.


    My spell has beenpleted. My soul has been prepped. And¡­ My third aspect has been itching to announce itself into the world. Therefore, without wasting even a millisecond, I pointed my index finger at the Iron Heart and, with the brightest smile¡­ unleashed my ultimate spell.


    ¡°Interitus: Beam!¡±


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!


    A gigantic redser, one that was almost the size of the Iron Heart itself, burst forth from my finger at the speed of light. The beam disintegrated anything in its path by concentrating the power of destruction into a singr point. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a humble little ant or a Demon Lord¡¯s heart. Everything the beam touched¡­ would be destroyed.


    And sure enough¡­


    The beam pierced through the Iron Heart like a hot pole moving through butter. Virtually no resistance was mounted from Eyghon as its essence was melting away. Even the indomitable shell that was impervious to any magic or physical attacks was now being disintegrated by that very beam of mine.


    The crimson light continued on and on, seemingly into infinity. It felt like I was watching a belovedic book, where the hero charged up his attack tond the final blow on the enemy. However, to be the one actually experiencing it felt surreal. And to start it off¡­ They never showed how draining that attack could be.


    With my magic power spent, I lost all strength in my index finger. I copsed onto the floor right after my finger turned limp.


    The first thing I¡¯d noticed from my vantage point were the cracks that had appeared throughout the once unbreakable chamber. Pieces of debris were falling like a Summer deluge while the ground beneath my back had started to rumble.


    Strength had entirely left my body, and I could barely keep my eyes open. However, I still willed myself to turn towards the Iron Heart to confirm the aftermath of my spell. And sure enough¡­


    A gaping hole had appeared within the monstrous structure, turning the artificial organ back into spare parts. But most importantly of all, the hard surface of Eyghon, the Demon Lord that everyone had imed to be impregnable¡­ Had finally been destroyed.


    A path outside had been created.


    The Sun, which I hadn¡¯t seen in so long, was now rudely shining onto my face. As a Vampire, I¡¯d never thought I would see the day I would be ecstatic to see the Sun. However, I couldn¡¯t savour that joy for too long.


    My consciousness was quickly fading away. Everything on my body was heavy. The world was spinning around me, and my exhaustion had reached its peak. I doubt I could even walk with my own two feet after spending all of my magic power on that ultimate spell.


    But fortunately for me, I didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°Jin, you did well. Leave the rest to me!¡±


    Ysabelle, who should have been stumped by everything that had happened, hooked the bottom of my knees with one hand and supported my back with the other. Leaping from tform to tform, the Amazonian beauty dodged the falling rocks from Eyghon¡¯s corpse and rushed right towards the exit I¡¯d created.


    Illuminated by the radiant sunlight, the ck-haired beauty looked exceedingly stunning, as if she were a Prince bathed with valour. No, what am I talking about? Ysabelle wasn¡¯t a Prince¡­


    She was my Princess.


    My one and only Princess Charming.


    And as my world faded to ck¡­ There was only one thing that I could think of¡­


    ¡°How beautiful¡­¡±

 Chapter 99 The Tides Have Changed (3)

    Five minutes before Jin and Ysabelle¡¯s grand escape¡­


    The coalition against Eyghon was parked outside the mighty beast, staring down the Demon Lord with blood within their eyes. Twenty-four hours had passed since Eyghon¡¯s appearance, and the elites of the world wasted no time in gathering.


    Whenever the Demon Lord would appear, he would stay at the same spot for three full days. And while no one knew why it remained stationary, one thing was for certain. Every time it appeared, it brought death and destruction with its seemingly infinite number of spawns. And when the dust settled, Eyghon would disappear like a nightmare that haunted humanity.


    The main reason why the numerous races of the world put aside their petty differences was precisely because of this insufferable threat. Outer Demons and Demon Lords were a gue that infested the, and a Demon Lord like Eyghon could be the next cause of the next mass extinction.


    Which was why¡­


    ¡°One million hunters. A hundred thousand Werewolves. Fifty thousand Vampires. And ten thousand Exorcists¡­ Has there ever been arger army?¡±


    Lilith muttered with undisguised awe, unsure of what to make of the sight before her eyes. Thousands of men and women were gathered together in a vast mountain range, many of them seasoned fighters and magicians. From her position, it seemed like she was watching an ocean of ants march together in unison.


    It was one thing to gather a bunch of soldiers with limited capabilities together, but every single one of the ¡®ants¡¯ she saw, were at least B-ranked Hunters, elites who had the ability to kill multiple Outer Demons with their own hands.


    While there might have been bigger armies in the past, the force that she was witnessing was far superior. Not to mention, behind that million-strong army, there were numerous monsters ready to support them.


    From ancient Vampires like Matriarch Innocence to S-ranked Hunters, Alpha Werewolves and even Archbishops from the Holy Church. Individually, they had the power to take on legions of Outer Demons, and if they joined their forces¡­ They could likely annihte the Demon Lord that invaded the.


    Though, it was just that¡­ A likelihood.


    ¡°Not to my recollection,¡± Cape replied to her young mistress with the same amazed eyes. ¡°We¡¯re witnessing history right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really keen on being part of it though,¡± Lilith scoffed with a huff and looked to her side.


    Irina, the silent beauty, didn¡¯t even spare the army a second nce. She was angrily staring at the exceedinglyrge Demon Lord, her teeth ttering and her eyes bloodshot. If it wasn¡¯t for Lilith stopping her numerous times, the white-haired Venus would have rushed into Eyghon¡¯s mouth and ripped her beloved brother out of its mouth.


    Neither Irina nor Lilith wished to be a part of this war. As long as Jin was alright, they could care less if the alliance killed Eyghon or not. Unfortunately, since the man had been swallowed whole by the bloody Demon Lord, the pair were forced to participate in this dreadful activity.


    ¡°Have themanders issued the n?¡±


    ¡°No, they should be notifying us soon.¡±


    Roughly forty-eight hours were left before Eyghon¡¯s time on the was up. In that forty-eight hours, an unfathomable amount of damage could be done by the Demon Lord and its spawns, which was why the alliance had spared no expense in elerating the coalition.


    While defeating Eyghon might be a stretch, they could at least mitigate the damage. However, for Irina and Lilith, just waiting for the Demon Lord to run away wasn¡¯t eptable. They needed to rescue Jin from Eyghon¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can¡¯t see General Enzo abandoning his only daughter. He¡¯ll most likely order a raid to at least damage Eyghon.¡±


    ¡°Just damaging it won¡¯t be enough¡­ We¡¯ll need to find a way to enter the monster and rescue Jin and Ysabelle.¡±


    Lilith frowned as she gave the only solution she coulde up with. The past twenty-four hours had been brutal on the youngdy as she barely slept a wink. She was weighed down with concern over Jin¡¯s safety, plus she was busy studying whatever little records humanity had of Eyghon.


    Lilith worried day and night, struggling to find the best solution to bring her bloodmate back safe and sound. s, the Fortress of the Earth was far too mysterious. With its ability to negate all magic and immunity to all physical attacks, breaking the Demon Lord¡¯s defences was nigh impossible, let alone killing it.


    If they wished to rescue Jin and Ysabelle¡­ They could only enter into the belly of the beast.


    ¡°¡­ I doubt Lord Sirius would agree to that n.¡±


    ¡°Of course, he won¡¯t; he would rather see Jin die.¡±


    Lilith snapped back sharply. Ever since Jin and Sirius duelled, the blonde beauty didn¡¯t have a good impression of her brother. Especially since Sirius nearly mortally wounded Jin.


    ¡°Irina.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The Winter Goddess turned with a frosty look in her eyes, sending shivers down Lilith¡¯s spine. She had been quiet all this time and her first words were just as frosty as her expression. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Lilith continued:


    ¡°Can we count on the Everwinter House for support?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Irina shook her head emphatically. ¡°My stupid grandmother doesn¡¯t care about my Lord Brother. There¡¯s no universe where she¡¯ll sacrifice Everwinter lives for him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame¡­ I guess we can only count on the ckburn House.¡±


    This was the one time Lilith found it fortunate that Ysabelle was swallowed with Jin. General Enzo¡¯s fondness for his only daughter was well known in Vampire Society, and he¡¯ll likely do everything in his power to get her back. Even if it meant diving into the belly of the beast.


    ¡°Can we organise a meeting with the General?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say¡­¡±


    Cape scratched the bottom of her chin while giving out a soft reply. As Lilith¡¯s bodyguard, she didn¡¯t wish to subject the girl to any danger. In addition, she didn¡¯t have any fondness for Jin or the ckburn girl that was swallowed with him. If Lilith went into Eyghon, Cape had to follow her. And no matter how dedicated she was to her duty, Cape wouldn¡¯t want to throw her life away for someone she didn¡¯t even like.


    ¡°Please send word to him. This is an order.¡±


    Sensing her guard¡¯s reluctance, Lilith made sure to give a firm order. And while Cape would curse under her breath, the faithful bodyguard could only nod her head and bow.


    s, before she could even take one step away.


    ARRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!


    The ground started to shake. A deafening, low-pitched cry could be heard, sending heavy shockwaves through the air and creating vibrations that could shatter an average human¡¯s bones. Many of the elites present fell to the floor, and their heads started to hurt badly. Fissures cracked the rocky terrain, while the resonance of the roar could be heard from the next continent.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Lilith cried out in pure shock. Both her hands were cupped on her ears as tears began pouring out from her shivering vale eyes. It took everything that she had to raise her chin up and what she saw next¡­ shook her to the core.


    Eyghon, the Demon Lord that was supposed to be slumbering and dormant¡­ Was now wide awake. With its mouth opened to itsrgest possible state, Eyghon let out a soul-ttering cry, one that betrayed a semnce of emotion within.


    It was confused, unwilling, and¡­ afraid.


    For some reason, the mighty Demon Lord, the monster that united the and brought every single race together. A Demon that came from another dimension and was a monstrosity that was immune to both magical and physical attacks. A nightmarish alien whose size was equivalent to a mountain range and whose every step sent earthquakes throughout the continent.


    That monster¡­


    Was scared.


    BRRRRRRRR!!!


    ¡°What now?!¡±


    Lilith turned over her shoulder at the deep rumbling that resonated all around her. And to herplete dismay, Outer Demons of all shapes and sizes were rushing towards Eyghon, like baby pups returning to their mother. Thousands, if not millions of Outer Demons were frantically running back to the Demon Lord, contrary to their usual modus operandi of scattering around to deal as much damage as possible.


    The coalition forces were clearly taken aback by the sudden movements of the Outer Demons. Caught unprepared, many gaped in shock as thousands of the beasts flew over their heads. However, the generals and seasoned hunters weren¡¯t going to let that happen for long.


    ¡°Everyone to your positions! Annihte every single one of them!¡±


    The elites were quickly put to work as every singlemander barked out their orders. They were here to hunt Outer Demons anyway, starting the battle an hour or two earlier didn¡¯t prove to be much of a problem.


    Warriors held back the frantic monsters as magicians cast their supportive or destructive spells. Werewolves used their ws to rip the Outer Demons apart while Vampires used magic to burn them alive. And amid all of the chaos, Priests healed the wounded while Exorcists provided auxiliary support.


    It was a symphony of bloodshed and the victims were none other than Eyghon¡¯s spawns.


    For some odd reason, the Outer Demons were desperate to get back to the Demon Lord, making their movements predictable and therefore, giving them a huge target on their backs.


    Lilith couldn¡¯tprehend what she was watching.


    To call it a battle would be a stretch. It was a one-sided massacre. Hundreds of Outer Demons fell by the second with many failing to even reach a kilometre of the mighty Eyghon. Corpses piled on each other, forcing the attackers to stand on them to manoeuvre through the battlefield.


    It was a mindless ughter, and it all happened so suddenly.


    As for the cause of this all¡­


    ARRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!


    Eyghon continued its endless cry as if it was wailing out in pain. It opened its mouth, swallowing as many Outer Demons as it could like a blue whale feeding on krill. Yet, no matter how much it ate and swallowed, it was never enough. The Demon Lord willed for more Outer Demons to return, hurrying them with each and every cry.


    In mere minutes, the entire mountain range was filled with an endless supply of Outer Demons, outnumbering the coalition forces ten to one.


    Arkudols, Ornoths, Astrons, Doggons, Okarins¡­


    The list of dangerous Outer Demons was endless. Many of them possessed anti-magic fields while a huge majority had high defences against physical attacks.


    If they were organised and were willing to fight to the death against the coalition forces¡­ The would have lost at least half of its most elite fighters today. But fortunately for the alliance, the Outer Demons didn¡¯t seem keen on fighting the war. They only wished to return to their master.


    As for why that was so¡­ It was anyone¡¯s guess.


    ¡°Lilith! This is our chance!¡±


    ¡°Chance?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Irina pointed her index finger eagerly at the Demon Lord¡¯s wide-opened mouth. ¡°We can rush into Eyghon alongside the Outer Demons and save Lord Brother that way!¡±


    ¡°Y-You have a point¡­¡±


    Ideally, Lilith would like to conjure up a detailed n. How to get into Eyghon? How much time did they have inside? What was the best method to escape? How will they find Jin in thebyrinth that was Eyghon¡¯s stomach?


    The number of factors to calcte was innumerable. However¡­


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right! An opportunity like this doesn¡¯te so easily! Although we don¡¯t know what¡¯s causing Eyghon¡¯s distress, we can use this chance to rescue Jin!¡±


    At this point, Lilith¡¯s rational mind had thrown caution into the wind. They now had a clear opportunity to save Jin, and if they dilly-dallied for much longer, that window of opportunity could close. Therefore, against every fibre of her being, Lilith made the decision to run into the jaws of the beast to save her bloodmate.


    But before she could move¡­


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!


    A pir of crimson light shot out of Eyghon¡¯s shell. The dense magicser shot through the heavens, piercing the clouds and sending an unbearable sense of dread down every Outer Demon¡¯s spines. No, even the regr spectators were blinded by that spectacr red tower.


    They felt emascted¡­ Powerless¡­ And most shockingly of all¡­ Fearful of that odd pir of light.


    It didn¡¯t matter if they were a B-ranked Hunter or an ancient Vampire. That crimsonser was something otherworldly, something majestic, something¡­ hegemonic.


    And Eyghon¡­ The indomitable Demon Lord¡­ Closed its eyes for one final time as its entire body copsed onto the mountain floor.


    Shock and fear.


    Those were the two emotions that remained on everyone¡¯s minds.


    What happened to Eyghon? Why did it copse? What was that strange and powerful red beam?


    Endless amounts of questions arose in everyone¡¯s minds and few could even begin toprehend what had happened. However, there was one person present that saw the unthinkable. She never once let her eyes off of Eyghon, as she desperately tried to sense her precious elder brother.


    Therefore, she was the only one to see what followed the red pir of light.


    Irina¡¯s eyes turned cold as she saw a young woman carrying a man in a princess carry. Flying out of the hole in Eyghon¡¯s shell, the woman tenderly held the man as if he was her most prized possession and her eyes betrayed the deep emotions she had for him.


    It was truly like a scene ripped out from a fairy tale.


    Unable to hold back her annoyance, Irina spat with a cold voice:


    ¡°Show off¡­¡±

 Chapter 100 The Tides Have Changed (4)

    The Demon Realm.


    A ce filled with mystery and intrigue. Ever since the Gates connecting the twos had been established, humanity had often wondered what kind of hellishndscape the Outer Demon¡¯s home was.


    Did it burn like the ming embers of Muspelheim¡¯s volcanoes? Was it an oceanic bed with millions of undiscovered creatures? Or was life there silicon-based and something beyond humanity¡¯s imagination?


    Researchers had often questioned the Demon Realm, with many attempting to invade it, just like how the Outer Demons did with the blue marble.


    However, no matter how many times thebined forces of the had attempted to, they couldn¡¯tprehend the mysterious Gates and how the Outer Demons seemed to traverse it. It was as if they ced a one-way restriction, and an invisible barrier resisted anything from going against that rule.


    Therefore, to their chagrin, researchers all around the world could only cover up their shame and surrender to the enigmatic intricacies of the Gates, leaving one to wonder¡­


    What was the Demon Realm really like?


    s, reality is often not as beautiful as one¡¯s imagination.


    The Demon Realm wasn¡¯t an eternal hell that possessed mes no mortal could survive. And neither was it a foreign existence with unbreathable air or iprehensible lifeforms.


    The Demon Realm¡­ was just like Earth.


    It had mountains, trees, oceans, skies¡­ It had everything humanity had, so much so that one would think they were the same. The only stark difference was the three moons that orbited around it.


    At the highest peak of the Demon Realm, where the three moons met in the sky, thereid a simple throne. One that was made out of nothing but rubble and bark. It didn¡¯t have any fancy jewels, and neither did it possess any ornate metals. All that it was¡­


    Was an empty throne that no one dared to defy.


    BOOOOOMMMM!!!


    Thunder roared violently as lightning tendrils coiled around the solitary mountain. At the same time, the oceans started to rise with a dark menacing shadow arising from the depths. The winds howled with an incessant chill, bringing forth waves of destruction and tremoring fissures. It was akin to a hurricane triggering a tsunami and earthquake all at once.


    The clouds parted, and the oceans split, revealing the two figures that were powerful enough to bring any ancient Vampire, S-ranked Hunter or Alpha Werewolves to their knees.


    A silver serpent fell from the stratosphere like an Immortal descending upon the masses, coiling around with lightning wreathed all around it. Hooked teeth protruded from its draconic, scaly mouth as golden whiskers floated about, seemingly immune to gravity. Levitating in mid-air, the Serpent of the Skies nced down at the mountain with its dreadful, yellow eyes before falling to a level beneath the empty throne.


    Not to be outdone by the wingless Dragon, a horrid creature sent tsunamis crashing as it extended its head from the ocean. Grey octopus tentacles fell from its alien-like face while its disturbing-coloured scales covered the monstrosity from head to toe. Two devil wings spread out wide, covering the mountain from both sides and drastically increasing the Demon¡¯s size. Just like the flying Dragon, it too nced at the empty throne with its white, unblinking eyes before falling back in line patiently.


    While the two massive Demons were toorge to stand at the foot of the throne, the other two figures that appeared didn¡¯t have that limitation.


    A blob of ck matter plopped onto the ground and turned into the shape of a cloaked humanoid. However, there was no flesh or bone. When it walked, it left no steps. When it moved, it could simply phase through walls and floors. It was nothing more than an incorporeal entity, and yet¡­


    Just its appearance sent shivers down the two Demon Lord¡¯s spines. However, neither the Dragon nor the monstrosity could focus on the ck-cloaked humanoid for much longer.


    Why?


    Bzzzzzztttt!!!


    A tear in the fabric of Spacetime urred right before their very eyes. A portal, no, a Gate, formed at the foot of the empty throne. If any of the researchers studying the Outer Demons were present, they would remark how awfully simr that Gate looked to all the major Gates that appeared all throughout the world.


    The Gate continued to sizzle for three seconds before it finally stabilised. And once it did¡­ A white figure emerged from the emptiness of Space.


    A veiled, female human. At least, that was the impression the Demon Lord was giving. It stood over three metres tall, with its entire body covered in white silk. And what little skin it showed was dyedpletely porcin white, making even albinos look dark. Each step it took sent ripples through Spacetime like a rock tapping on ake¡¯s surface. It had its facepletely covered, but if one looked close enough, they could see a blindfold wrapped around its head and blocking both her eyes.


    Although the Demon looked human, its innards were nothing short of inhuman.


    The throne remained empty throughout the deities¡¯ arrival and remained so when the feminine shape started to speak.


    ¡°I apologise for calling all of you here on such short notice. We¡¯re facing an emergency.¡±


    An ethereal yet human-like voice sounded out from the highest peaks, making it look like the three moons themselves were talking.


    ¡°Goddess, where¡¯s the Sovereign?¡±


    ¡°The Demon Sovereign is busy. I¡¯ll be leading the meeting today.¡±


    The white humanoid answered the Dragon¡¯s question promptly. Within the congregation of Demon Lords, there was no conflict of alliances. They all served the Demon Sovereign, and their fates were tied together. There was no need for them to beat around the bush. Therefore¡­


    ¡°Eyghon has fallen.¡±


    The Goddess delivered the news as sinctly as possible. The crowd received the information with mixed reactions, mainly through disbelief and, ultimately, anxiousness.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Cthulhu asked with a slight tremor in its voice. Not because it felt emotional of another Demon Lord¡¯s death, but the implications its death meant.


    ¡°Yes, my connection with Eyghon has been severed. Given its unique characteristics¡­ There¡¯s no other way to interpret it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    The four Demon Lords stood silently for a full minute to gather their thoughts. It wasn¡¯t that they were unprepared for this day. It was just¡­ They didn¡¯t expect it toe this soon.


    ¡°If Eyghon is dead¡­ Does that mean ¡®he¡¯ has been born?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Why not?! Didn¡¯t you divine everything up till this point?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t raise your voice, Baishe¡­ It¡¯s unsightly.¡±


    ¡°Grrrr!!!¡±


    The Dragon¡¯s deep and hallowed growl reverberated through the massive mountain, making it sound louder than the thunderbolts that followed it around. It was only after the ck cloaked figure¡¯s warning did Baishe finally calm down to reassess the situation.


    ¡°Goddess, why can¡¯t you divine that information?¡±


    Contrary to Baishe¡¯s brashness, Cthulhu had a little more tact. The Demon Lord respectfully allowed the female Demon to gather her thoughts before asking the crucial question.


    ¡°My power of foresight might be powerful, but it isn¡¯t omnipotent. Especially when ites to matters regarding ¡®him¡¯. If I wish to pry for his information, I will have to give up the remainder of my lifespan. And while I am more than happy to die for our cause, we will need my power in our battle against ¡®him¡¯.¡±


    The two ginormous Demon Lords fell silent.


    The Goddess was a faithful servant of the Demon Sovereign and, most importantly, the entity that served the Demon Realm the most. Her loyalty was never one to question. Throughout their lifetimes, Cthulhu and Baishe had received innumerable benefits from the veiled Demon, and most importantly, she was the Demon Lord responsible for the n to save their race.


    The Gates that connected the two worlds¡­ The calcted n to scout humanity¡¯s forces with weaker Demons¡­ And the final n to eliminate their biggest threat.


    They were all devised by Demonkinds¡¯ second-inmand.


    Uriel, the Goddess of Destiny.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Contrary to his heinous image, Cthulhu asked an insightful question. ¡°Eyghon¡¯s purpose was to survey the foreign and seek out any potential threats. Now that it is dead, we¡¯ve lost our most valuable asset.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we did lose a lot when Eyghon fell.¡± The Goddess didn¡¯t bother to refute Cthulhu¡¯s ims. ¡°But we¡¯ve also gained much from its demise.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Eyghon was designed to be impervious to magical and physical attacks. The most perfect counter to the residents of the foreign world. And throughout the years, it has gathered valuable data.¡±


    The artificial Demon Lord had proved to be the Demon Realm¡¯s greatest asset. It was a scout and, at the same time, a tank. It mapped out the that the Demons wished to invade, and most importantly, it recorded the progress of humanity¡¯s strength. Now, the forces of the Demon Realm knew exactly how powerful their enemies were.


    In the past, the Demons were unable to fully invade and exterminate every single lifeform that stood in their way due to the immense resistance in the fabric of Spacetime. They couldn¡¯t fullymit their armies to conquer Earth, and neither could they send entities that were too powerful through.


    That¡¯s why even though the Gates had appeared throughout the years, the Demon Realm never sent their three most powerful Demon Lords, while Cthulhu, Baishe and Eyghon could only appear at sporadic intervals.


    As a consequence, the Demon Realm had been biding their time. Masterminded by their eternal Goddess, the Demons continued gathering information on the they wished to conquer, especially on the biggest threat to their existence.


    And Eyghon spearheaded that charge. But, now that it is dead¡­


    ¡°Baishe, Cthulhu. We¡¯ll be sending you two there soon.¡± The Goddess gave themand. ¡°I¡¯ll be designating you to different parts of the globe. You¡¯ll be joined by an army of your choosing. Bring at least a hundred thousand. You are free to do as you please when you are deployed and can kill whoever resists you. But remember¡­ You¡¯re not going there on a ughter mission.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What then?¡±


    The Goddess¡¯ face was blocked by her white veil, making it impossible for anyone to make out her expression. However, the shiver in her body and the ck blood that dripped down her face revealed all that one needed to know.


    She was afraid¡­ excited¡­ and even¡­ uncertain.


    She had been preparing her entire life for this very moment. Everything she did thus far was for Demonkinds¡¯ future and the one goal she had ever since she awakened her powers.


    ¡°Find any traces of ¡®him¡¯, and once you do¡­ Kill him.¡±

 Chapter 101 Their Respective Reactions (1)

    Eyghon.


    The Fortress of the Earth. The Demon Lord reigning high above every single Outer Demon that threatens the. A monster that measured over ten kilometres in size, easily equalling the mountain range surrounding it. A pir of power far beyond anyone¡¯sprehension of what an Outer Demon should look like.


    Throughout the long war against the Outer Demons, humanity struggled against the Demon Lords. Especially against an oddity such as Eyghon.


    It was utterly immune to magic. It had skin tougher than diamonds. It was massive in its frame and impervious to any external attack.


    Even the ckburn House, the one Vampire n with the most experience dealing with Eyghon, fell short in dealing with the enigmatic Demon Lord.


    It was a pir of the Demon Lord¡¯s invasion and a symbol for all of humanity that there were mountains that couldn¡¯t be conquered. A powerful foe that no single S-ranked Hunter, Archbishop, ancient Vampire, Alpha Werewolf, High Elf or any other race could measure up to.


    Until¡­


    ¡°¡­ Are you kidding me?¡±


    In the deepest recesses of the ckburn Estate, three figures sat equidistant from each other at a round table. The biggest of the bunch was easily over two metres tall and was a fiend that towered over most men. Yet, at that very moment, the massive Vampire was slouched on the table with his hand rubbing his forehead.


    ¡°Eyghon was a machine all this time? And a boy less than thirty years old beat it? What kind of alternate universe have I been flung into?¡±


    General Enzo took some time to gather his thoughts regarding the aftermath of Eyghon¡¯s demise. The world had bonded together to bring forth the greatest army in history. It was supposed to be a triumph for the as every significant race put aside their differences as they participated in the final battle for the fate of the world.


    And yet¡­ The promised battle never urred.


    Just one Vampire, no, one young boy¡­ Managed to disintegrate Eyghon¡¯s heart into dust and utterly destroy the Demon Lord from the inside.


    It was practically unheard of. A single being taking down a Demon Lord. And that person was a young man who was barely twenty-five.


    ¡°He¡¯s only been a Vampire for over half a year¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even worse, isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    General Enzo mmed his fist on the desk as he heard Matriarch Innocence¡¯s mutter. It was unfathomable to think that Eyghon, the mighty being that terrorised the ckburn House for centuries, was defeated by a young boy who had just awakened his powers. However, he couldn¡¯t deny the facts.


    Ysabelle, his precious daughter, was the most reliable witness around. Plus, her ount of everything matches the description of Eyghon¡¯s corpse. While the Iron Heart and the chamber that ity in were utterly destroyed, the scars of the battlefield, the vast inner world of Eyghon¡¯s stomach, and the decimated structures and Demons all matched Ysabelle¡¯s report.


    ¡°To think that the inexplicable beam was shot from that boy¡¯s Soul Armament¡­ Sirius, you fought him. What on earth was that?¡±


    Thest person seated at the table folded his arms and let out a deep frown. While Matriarch Innocence and General Enzo weren¡¯t paying attention then, Sirius saw that crimson pir of light with all its grandeur.


    It was a concentrated beam of magic that he¡¯d never seen in his life. It possessed an iprehensible aspect of destruction in its power, making Sirius feel like he was nothing but an ant before an elephant. The power was tremendous, and its destructive capability was second to none.


    Sirius reflected, thinking if he had any methods of defending against that dreadful beam. However, the more he thought about it, the more the mighty Lord Sirius felt dejected. If he had the time, Sirius was confident that he could evade or prevent the attack from beingunched. But the moment it touched his flesh¡­


    Just the thought of it sent shivers down the Moonreaver Lord¡¯s spine. And if Jin had mastered that attack during the duel, they had¡­ Sirius might not be here talking today.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen it before. He never used it once during our battle.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s something he¡¯d recently acquired¡­ Innocence, do you have any clue?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s his Vampire Aspect.¡±


    The Matriarch showed a rare face of defeat as she folded her legs together and nced to the side.


    ¡°I have someone stationed by his side, so he reports everything about him to me.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think that you were a stalker?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention. I only wished to protect my heir, so I learned about his abilities.¡±


    Variel had been a faithful bodyguard and servant to Irina, but s¡­ His true allegiance lies with the woman who raised him. Throughout Jin¡¯s travels, the aged butler had been reporting everything about Irina to the Matriarch, including Jin¡¯s growth as a Vampire. Naturally, she would be in the know about the man¡¯s unique Vampire Aspect and the special abilities that came with it.


    ¡°That boy toy¡­ No, that would be rude for me to say that now¡­ Jin Valter, that brat, his  Vampire Aspect is special.¡±


    ¡°Hoh? How so?¡±


    ¡°When he¡¯d first awakened his Vampire Aspect, it materialised into five rings, only one of which was activated. That ring gave him the power to control Spacetime, an utterly ridiculous ability if you would ask me.¡±


    ¡°Power over Spacetime?! And that¡¯s his first ability? Any Vampire would kill for that to be their Vampire Aspect.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Matriarch nodded her head in agreement. The ancient Vampire wouldn¡¯t admit it, but even she was slightly jealous of Jin¡¯s control over Spacetime. ¡°But that was just the beginning. After he¡¯d met with the Moonreaverss, he awakened his second ring, which gave him the power of Creation.¡±


    ¡°Creation?!¡±


    General Enzo shot Sirius an inquisitive look, to which the silver-haired man could only nod in bitter resentment.


    ¡°Yes, he used that ability quite liberally during our duel. I¡¯d thought he would never run out of magic.¡±


    ¡°Spacetime¡­ Creation¡­ These two abilities are already unbelievable powers. And the catalyst for each one was one of the four girls he bonded with in the past.¡±


    Enzo wasn¡¯t a clueless fool. He knew what had happened in the past, particrly since it pertained to his precious daughter. The four girls had shared their souls with Jin to protect his life, and now that he was returning them one by one¡­ Jin¡¯stent talents were slowly being unveiled.


    ¡°So after meeting Ysabelle, you¡¯re telling me he awakened his third ability?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    At this point, even the Matriarch couldn¡¯t hide the incredulous look on her face. She recalled her conversation with Variel as he reported everything he¡¯d heard from Irina. The ancient Vampire was lost for words for the first time in her life.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Destruction.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence fell in the conference room.


    Spacetime¡­ Creation¡­ And now Destruction¡­


    There has never been a Vampire Aspect that blended the three abilities together. It was rare to find even one that incorporated one of those deadly powers, and Jin now had three. Not to mention, judging from the number of rings he possessed, Jin likely could awaken two more.


    It wasn¡¯t a stretch to call his Vampire Aspect the strongest since the Vampire Progenitor.


    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t he the strongest Vampire in the world already?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still not there yet,¡± Sirius scoffed, but the shiver in his voice couldn¡¯t hide his anxiety. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have battle experience, and his magic reserves are still as juvenile as any other Vampire his age.¡±


    All of Sirius¡¯ criticisms were legitimate. Jin¡¯s main weakness right now was his shallow magic pool. Just one or two of his biggest spells and the man would enter into a day-longa, which was a small price to pay given how powerful his spells were. And the only way to solve that issue was to grow his magic reserves, which took time and experience.


    ¡°But¡­ Once he gets older¡­ It¡¯s highly likely that we¡¯re seeing the seconding of the Progenitor.¡±


    Sirius¡¯ eyes zed over as he thought of the boy he once stuck his hand through. He¡¯d underestimated Jin, thinking he was just a yboy trying to peek up his sister¡¯s skirt. Who knew the boy he attacked would be a tiger in the making?


    ¡°A Vampire that will be as strong as Drac, huh? I don¡¯t know if we should be excited or wary of that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too young to understand, Sirius. After all, you weren¡¯t born during Drac¡¯s era.¡± Matriarch Innocence raised her neck and stared at the ceiling. ¡°Drac was our ace in the hole, the protector of the Vampire race and the most powerful creature on the. Because of his twisted power, the Vampire race was able to survive through its infancy and grow to the powerhouse that it is now. s¡­¡±


    ¡°Power corrupted him.¡±


    General Enzo picked off where the Matriarch left off and sighed: ¡°He was our main defender, and at the same time, he was our oppressor. Because he had so much power, no Vampire could defy him. He even held a leash on our blood, making it impossible for us to rebel against him. With that unchecked power, he became the tyrant of the Vampire race.¡±


    ¡°The Bloodborne House¡¯s arrogance came from their ancestor. They remember the yesteryears when they dominated the world and sought to return their House to its rightful ce. So you can imagine how twisted Drac really was.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Drac Bloodborne. The First Vampire, the Vampire Progenitor, and the strongest being in history.


    There weren¡¯t many alive who remembered his reign. However, the few who did could barely hold themselves together every time they recalled the nigh-invincible monster. Fortunately, he passed away during the first Outer Demon War, shattering the old hierarchy and giving birth to a new age for the Vampires.


    And if Jin was the seconding of the Progenitor¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to guide my son-inw onto the right path, then!¡±


    General Enzo burst out in a peal ofughter, drawing shocked expressions from the two other Vampires.


    ¡°Your son-inw?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The ckburn House¡¯s patriarch roared out with smiles. ¡°Ysabelle and him are all lovey-dovey since they returned from Eyghon¡¯s stomach. And from what I hear, Jin intends to make my daughter his wife one day. If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t Jin my son-inw?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­ Shameless!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be shameless about?¡±


    General Enzo let out a knowing smile as he showed a sign of taking the moral high ground. He knew Matriarch Innocence and Lord Sirius had been at odds with Jin since the beginning. And given the circumstances, it was hard to believe that Jin would forgive them so easily.


    But the ckburn House was a different case. They didn¡¯t deny Jin any hospitality, and neither did they ask to separate Ysabelle from him. If anything, the ckburn House had provided Jin with the most hospitality thus far. Not to mention, Ysabelle truly loved Jin, and General Enzo was happy to support his daughter¡¯s love. And if they could tie a future Progenitor-ss Vampire with marriage¡­


    It truly was a win-win-win situation for the ckburn House.


    ¡°Excuse me, I must meet my son-inw and give him my well wishes. You two carry on with your discussions.¡±


    With an impish smile, General Enzo escaped from the scene of carnage with a victor¡¯s smile.

 Chapter 102 Their Respective Reactions (2)

    [Okay, so the masses have spoken. Irina will call Jin ¡®Brother¡¯ now, and this is final. Thank you all for your input, and please enjoy the chapter!]


    Bloodborne Mansion. Bloodborne Throne Hall.


    Just like the other major families of the Vampire Race, the Bloodborne House had sent forces in the battle against Eyghon. Although there was bad blood between them and the Moonreaver House, the Demon Lord¡¯s existential crisis was too much for the Bloodborne House to ignore.


    Therefore, just like the other Guardian Houses, the Bloodborne House sent a contingent of a hundred elite Vampires, including the prodigal Prince of Flies, Horatio Bloodborne.


    One might question their intentions, sending the person who led the raid into the Moonreaver Dimension to the ckburn House, but as the old adage goes¡­ Beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers.


    The ckburn House had already lowered their heads to the bastards from the Holy Church. Bringing the emunicated Bloodborne House into the fold wouldn¡¯t be the most drastic of their decisions.


    But s, all of that hoo-hah was for nought. Even though they had gathered the most powerful army to date, Eyghon had toppled without any of their assistance. A million-strong army, with thousands of beings equally as strong as ancient Vampires¡­


    And yet, they were all outperformed by one young, upstart boy¡­


    ¡°Have you seen the footage?¡±


    Horatio Bloodborne bowed his head solemnly at the figure seated on the high chair within the vast halls of flowing blood and crimson marble. The red-hooded figure rested his hand on the armrest with a withdrawn demeanour. However, his eye movements betrayed the anxiety and confusion that hid within.


    ¡°Yes, I saw it. You did well to record it.¡±


    ¡°I did my best,¡± Horatio smiled at the unadulterated praise.


    Not many had recorded the red pir of light that extended from Eyghon¡¯s shell as they were mostly distracted with other things. Horatio, on the other hand, captured the video purely through coincidence. Per his orders, the Bloodborne Prince was on a secret mission. Yes, he was going to help in the battle against Eyghon, but at the same time, he was there to record his enemies.


    It didn¡¯t matter if they were members from the Guardian Houses, Exorcists from the Holy Church, Alpha Werewolves or even S-ranked Hunters. The Bloodborne House would have to deal with those flies one day when they ascended back to their rightful ce.


    While hical, Horatio¡¯s voyeur ways gave the Bloodborne House an unexpected benefit that no other entity in the world had.


    A clear video of Jin¡¯s attack.


    ¡°So? What do you think?¡± Horatio asked the High Elder with a sombre voice. ¡°Are my suspicions right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t be sure.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ There¡¯s no other exnation! A Vampire with that much power is practically unheard of! Especially at such a young age! Plus that crimson pir¡­ It reminds me of grandfather¡¯s power.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean¡­¡±


    The High Elder rewound the video time and time again as if he were trying to burn the memory of that attack into his mind. He¡¯d seen a simr attack once. Back in the glory days of the Vampire race. Back when the world was under the feet of the Bloodborne House. Back when¡­ The Vampire Progenitor was alive.


    ¡°Father, no, the ancestor¡¯s power is simr to that boy¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s so simr that it¡¯s eerie.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Do you think grandfather has reincarnated into that child?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The High Elder kept silent.


    The Vampire Progenitor had died; there was no question about that. He was present the day his father passed into theherworld and had personally conducted the ancestor¡¯s funeral. However, the Vampire Progenitor was a man of mysterious powers.


    He was the one who created the Vampire race out of nothing. He was the being closest to magic and had obtained immortality beyond any living creature¡¯s wildest imaginations. He was the strongest creature in history, and there wasn¡¯t even a close second.


    So¡­ It wasn¡¯t a stretch to think the Vampire Progenitor invented reincarnation, just as he did with the Vampire race.


    ¡°A power of domination and control¡­ While that boy¡¯s power seems different from father¡¯s, it¡¯s much the same. If he really is father¡¯s reincarnation¡­ This throws a wedge in our ns.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Should we call off the ritual?¡± Horatio asked with a tinge of caution within his voice. The Bloodborne House had been preparing for the Progenitor¡¯s resurrection since the day he died. Seeing all that effort get washed down the drain would pain his heart.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve been preparing for so long now. Especially since we¡¯d just obtained the vessel, we needed toplete the ritual. We¡¯ve made too many sacrifices to stop now. But, if father¡¯s soul truly resides in his body¡­¡±


    The High Elder started to think, and after a while, he gave the firm order.


    ¡°Let¡¯s capture him. If he is father¡¯s reincarnation, great. We can skip the ritual and awaken his memories. But if he isn¡¯t¡­ Well, he¡¯ll be a great first meal for our hungry Monarch.¡±


    The red-hooded figure waved his hands and barked out his drastic intentions. Needless to say, neither Horatio nor any of the other Bloodbornes, for that matter, could deny the High Elder¡¯s decision.


    But unbeknownst to them, a potted nt within the massive halls started to sway mysteriously. Though, itsted for a fraction of a second before anyone could find out.


    ???


    The Holy Lands. The Papal States. The Archbasilica.


    The Holy Church. The base of the oldest religion of mankind and thergest faith the world has ever seen. Believers of this faith pray to the one God, the almighty being that created the Heavens and the Earth. They draw their strength from their God. Their beliefs from their God. And most importantly¡­ Their magic from their God.


    Believers that had been consecrated by their Lord are called on to serve the Holy Church, in whichever shape it may take them.


    Some be Priests that would spread the word of their beloved God. The vast majority work privately to help their respectivemunities. While a select few of them¡­ Use their Holy magic in a more direct andbative manner.


    The Exorcists.


    The elitebat forces of the Holy Church. They train their magic not to benefit their peers but to hunt down Demons that may threaten their brethren. In the old days, it would be hunting down Vampires and Werewolves or any sentient creature that wasn¡¯t part of the Lord¡¯s design.


    However, in modern times, the Exorcists¡¯ expertise had turned to the Outer Demons that invaded the. While many Hunters had emerged topete with the Exorcists and their deadly skills, the Holy Church still retains a sizable force of elites.


    And the man standing at the top of the food chain was¡­


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you saw, Father Armoth?¡±


    An old, jaded man stood in an ornate garden surrounded by man-made structures from the Renaissance Era. Tall bushes that seemingly turned into maze walls and avish water fountain with sculptures of deceased Saints weeping at the side. Plus, it didn¡¯t help that the old man was donned in a white and gold cassock with a wooden rosary on his neck, making him feel like he was ripped from the middle ages.


    One might think they had reversed back in time if they stood in this gorgeous garden.


    However, the man standing next to the Pope didn¡¯t falter. He bowed his head in silence and affirmed his words:


    ¡°Yes, your holiness. All of us were present when the Vampireunched his skill. He killed Eyghon with a unique technique before we even got a chance to do anything. It was something I¡¯d never seen before.¡±


    ¡°¡­ God help us all.¡±


    The Pope took a deep breath and turned to the night sky with a pained expression. Given the news, the head of the Holy Church should be delighted to learn about Eyghon¡¯s demise. s, with one Demon Lord¡¯s death came another¡¯s birth.


    ¡°A Vampire that can kill Eyghon¡­ Is he an ancient Vampire that we never heard about?¡±


    ¡°No, your holiness. From our intelligence, it seems like the Vampire was a little older than twenty-five.¡±


    ¡°A twenty-five-year-old did that?!¡± This time, even the seasoned Pope couldn¡¯t hold hisposure. With a yelp, he snapped his head back to the tall, silver-haired Exorcist and asked: ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s the reincarnation of the Progenitor?!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure¡­¡±


    Jin¡¯s masterful disy of power had made others suspect his true identity. And who could me them? Destroying a Demon Lord was something no one had done before. Even the Vampire Progenitor at his prime could not fully defeat the Demon Lords that invaded thend, let alone destroy them.


    The magnitude of Jin¡¯s disy was felt not just in Vampire Society but far beyond that. The Holy Church, the Werewolf Tribes¡­ Every living organisation on the was talking about Jin now.


    ¡°Yet another Drac, huh? Yes¡­ We can¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    ¡°Shall we deal with him?¡±


    ¡°Do you have the confidence?¡±


    ¡°To bepletely honest¡­ We don¡¯t know enough about the boy yet. But from what little intelligence we have, it seems like he¡¯s still green when ites to battle. Right now, with the information we have, I¡¯m only thirty percent confident of eliminating the target.¡±


    ¡°What if we gather enough information?¡±


    ¡°A hundred percent, your holiness.¡±


    Father Armoth didn¡¯t get his decorated status through pure brute strength. And while that yed a significant factor, the real reason why the Exorcist ascended to his position today was due to his immense resourcefulness. He knew when he was outmatched and the best ways he could utilise his assets.


    The beam of crimson light still frightened the seasoned Exorcist to this very day. If he was hit by that deadly attack¡­ Even his bones wouldn¡¯t survive the carnage.


    But that didn¡¯t deter the man one bit. Father Armoth was confident that if he was given the information and tools, he could exterminate anyone from this. It didn¡¯t matter if it was an ancient Vampire or a rookie who had obtained God¡¯s power.


    If the person was flesh and blood, he could be eliminated.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    The Pope closed his eyes in silent contemtion. But it didn¡¯t take long before he barked out his order.


    ¡°Father Amorth, from now on, your number one priority is exorcising that Vampire. I shall relieve you of your other duties. Take as much help as you need. I wish you the best of luck, and may God bless you in your endeavours.¡±


    ¡°I ept this exorcism!!!¡±


    Kneeling down to the Pope, the silver-haired Exorcist bellowed out his eptance with a renewed vigour.


    The two never once thought of seeing Jin as an asset to humanity or thanked him for destroying a Demon Lord for the betterment of the. And as a consequence, the tree that stood nearest to them started to weep out leaves profusely¡­


    Like the firsting of Autumn.

 Chapter 103 Their Respective Reactions (3)

    While the whole world was busy talking about Jin and the incredible feat he¡¯d pulled off, the person in question wasid out on his bed, exhausted beyond any measure.


    His exhaustion wasn¡¯t due to the immense magic spell he¡¯d cast to destroy Eyghon. That fatigue disappeared after a day of rest. The actual reason for Jin¡¯s weariness was the numerous meetings he¡¯d been forced to participate in.


    Overnight, Jin Valter had gone from a rtive unknown in Vampire Society to a household name.


    Firstly, he was called by the highest members of the coalition to give aplete ount of what happened within Eyghon. Next, he was forced to re-enter the fallen artificial Demon Lord to show where the Iron Heart was and exin the magic he used to disintegrate it into dust. Then, he had several meetings with the other Heads of the Vampire Guardian Houses. Not to mention, members from the other races wished to meet Jin personally too.


    Eventually, Jin spent three days after Eyghon¡¯s demise on his feet, talking to hundreds, if not thousands of people. Physically, he was fine, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about his mental state.


    ¡°Fucking hell! How many times must I repeat the same story repeatedly?!¡±


    The ck-haired Vampire kicked his feet in the air and flung his head back on the pillow. He had justpleted his third day of meetings, and the man couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. Facing those conniving political snakes was far more difficult than killing Eyghon.


    All Jin wanted to do was to give them all the finger and send them back to where they came from. s, he was raised with some morsel ofmon sense, and it didn¡¯t feel right to send those curious eyes flying just because he was annoyed with them. Plus, he didn¡¯t want to embarrass either of his three lovers just yet. Thus, he endured the meddlesome mob and continued answering questions.


    ¡°You did well, Jin.¡±


    Ysabelle gingerly moved onto the bed with a hot towel and sat by the tired man¡¯s side. While helping Jin remove his vest, the ck-haired girl wiped the sweat off his face and down his meaty neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be irritated; most of the coalition have left. And everyone¡¯s attention is now focused on Eyghon¡¯s corpse and how to distribute it. You¡¯ll just have to endure for a day or two more.¡±


    ¡°I sure hope so¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell my father to block any unnecessary meetings. He did seem to take a liking to you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll agree.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do that for me, please.¡±


    Ysabelle gave a tender smile in response to Jin¡¯s tired response. Brushing her fingers through his rich ck hair, the young maidenughed in pure bliss, enjoying every passing second she spent with him.


    Over the past few days, Jin¡¯s rtionship with the ckburn House had been improving tremendously. One reason for that surge in bonding was General Enzo¡¯s increased warmth toward the youngd.


    Since Jin wasn¡¯t part of any great Vampire House, it was easy for people to reach out to him without fear of any repercussions. In fact, Jin was supposed to have thousands more meetings, and they were all elite members of the coalition. However, the ckburn House blocked all those immediately, fearing Jin might get overloaded.


    In addition, the ckburn House had provided the young man with a luxurious apartment within the Estate. One that was only reserved for their most important guests. Not to mention, there were over a dozen servants at his beck and call.


    This was all done to appease Jin and to sway the young upstart towards the ckburn House.


    Jin didn¡¯t know it yet, but General Enzo had started an initiative to be Jin¡¯s primary sponsor. From his conversations with his daughter, the ckburn Head had gotten a rough idea of the new talent¡¯s personality.


    Jin wasn¡¯t one to serve under another person, and neither would he be controble, given his new elevated status and immense power. And there were the four girls that were linked to him. All of them were prominent daughters of the four greatest Vampire Houses. It didn¡¯t make sense to tie him down to just one.


    Therefore, with General Enzo¡¯s backing, the road has been paved for Jin to create his own Vampire House.


    But of course, that was something for future Jin to worry about. Right now, he had his own situation to handle.


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­ What are you doing?!¡±


    Hearing that Jin had returned, Irina rushed to the room where he stayed, hoping to be the man¡¯sfort. However, the moment she stepped foot in the room, she saw her most hated rival wiping Jin down like a faithful wife.


    ¡°Yeah, what are you doing, Ysabelle? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m Jin¡¯s bloodmate? That job should be left to me.¡±


    Lilith, who had just entered the room, also had a simr intention. Seeing Ysabelle and Jin on the bed together brought a chill up her spine, and she red withplete annoyance at the ck-haired woman¡¯s openness.


    Ysabelle didn¡¯t need to tell them what happened inside Eyghon. The two astute individuals could tell that Jin and Ysabelle had done the deed. Ignoring the apparent fact that Jin had gained his third ability, the pair reeked of each other¡¯s scent. Plus, they behaved like an elderly couple that had been together their entire lives.


    Even the blind could tell that those two were a couple now.


    ¡°Irina¡­ Lilith¡­ You¡¯re here.¡±


    Ysabelle looked at the pair with mixed feelings in her eyes. If it was before, the girl would have acquiesced her position and allowed the pair to take over. After all, Ysabelle truly believed that she was a jinx, and if she became close with Jin, the love of her life would inevitably suffer.


    However, Ysabelle was a changed woman.


    She had tasted Jin¡¯s forbidden fruit. She had felt his love for her. And, with the ckburn House¡¯s willingness to take Jin as a son-inw, she had the financial and emotional high ground.


    Ysabelle wasn¡¯t going to let go of her rightful ce by Jin¡¯s side.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but unlike your Houses, my ckburn House is the only one willing to take Jin as their son-inw. That means the two of us are practically engaged. As his LAWFUL wife, I have the right tofort my husband when he¡¯s tired.¡±


    ¡°Y-You!¡±


    Irina was unable to form words after hearing Ysabelle¡¯s deration. This wasn¡¯t the Ysabelle she knew! That meek and mellow girl who always kept her distance from Jin was gone, and she was now reced by an apex predator who goes straight for her prey.


    ¡°Shit¡­ I was afraid that this day woulde.¡± A vein popped in Lilith¡¯s forehead as she stared down her new rival.


    ¡°What day?¡±


    ¡°The day that you would be serious.¡±


    At that response, even Ysabelle turned stumped. Baffled by Lilith¡¯s confidence, she asked: ¡°Wait, you expected this? Didn¡¯t you two hate me?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why would we hate you?¡± Irina shot back at Ysabelle¡¯s question with a question of her own. ¡°We never once hated you. Else, we would have kicked you out of Brother¡¯s observation rights over the years.¡±


    ¡°I-I mean, I¡¯d thought you were cold to me because you thought I was a jinx¡­ Especially to Jin.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? We never once thought of you as a jinx.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?!¡± Ysabelle dropped her jaw at Irina¡¯s explosive statement. ¡°W-Wait, so why were you so cold to me?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± Irina folded her arms and scoffed. She didn¡¯t want to say the real reason they acted in that manner, and therefore, she looked away.


    Seeing that the matter had fallen into her hands, Lilith sighed and exined:


    ¡°Ysabelle, of the four of us, you are the one who suited Jin the most. At least, that¡¯s how we felt in the past.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just your nature. Unlike the rest of us, you weren¡¯t obsessive over Jin. You were kind and gentle, and most annoyingly¡­¡± Lilith shot one more re, not at Ysabelle but at her beloved bloodmate, watching the carnage unfold.


    ¡°When we asked Jin what his type was in the past, he said a tall, strong, independent woman. Does this ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡±


    Ysabelle vaguely remembered having that conversation. No, that memory was now front and centre within her mind. Lilith was telling the truth. Over the years, Ysabelle had turned into the woman of Jin¡¯s dreams.


    ¡°So the reason why you two were cold to me¡­ Is it because you were jealous?¡±


    ¡°How could we not be?!¡± Irina snorted once more. ¡°You hogged all of Brother¡¯s attention when you were training together! And now, the two of you look closer than before! Of course, we¡¯ll get jealous! The two of you even spent almost two days alone in Eyghon¡¯s stomach doing god knows what!¡±


    ¡°A-Ahhhh¡­¡±


    Ysabelle scratched her cheek, not knowing what to say.


    All her life, she¡¯d thought the other girls hated her for being the jinx that caused Jin¡¯s downfall. But as it turns out¡­ They were just jealous of her long legs and personality.


    While that served as a considerable relief, Ysabelle wasn¡¯t just going to give up her position right now. Her true thoughts were that the four of them should remain as close as sisters. No, they should be even closer than that since they were all going to be Jin¡¯s wives. And she would work towards that goal in the future.


    But right now¡­ She wanted to cuddle and flirt with Jin.


    ¡°So what if we did things in Eyghon¡¯s stomach? I¡¯m sure that the two of you did much more! It¡¯s my turn to have some fun!¡±


    ¡°Fun?! W-What exactly did the two of you do?!¡±


    ¡°Ysabelle¡­ You sure hid your ws well¡­¡±


    While the three women were settling their past differences, Jin was busy observing the trio. Unconsciously, he let out a mental sigh and remarked to himself:


    ¡®Hah¡­ I really should reread Master Issei¡¯s book. I wonder if there¡¯s a ¡®How to train your harem¡¯ e-book.¡¯

 Chapter 104 Their Respective Reactions (4)

    Ysabelle, Irina and Lilith were bickering like young hens in the morning. Their arguments ranged from digging up past grievances to vying over who would sleep on my bed tonight. These three young women, who were supposed to be as close as sisters, were now angrily throwing slurs at each other like they were sailors who cussed endlessly.


    As the person responsible for their internal rift, I had half a mind to dig my head into the sand and pretend this was just a bad nightmare.


    Fortunately, my saving grace came just a few minutester.


    ¡°Master Jin, there¡¯s a guest here to see you.¡± One of the ckburn House attendants assigned to me walked into my apartment and politely announced the arrival of a new guest.


    ¡°Again?¡± Ysabelle snapped right at the poor butler with a cold gaze. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that Jin wasn¡¯t to be disturbed anymore? Send that person away!¡±


    Ysabelle has always been a respectful and thoughtful young mistress, especially towards the attendants of the ckburn House. Yet, at that very moment, she was irate beyond belief. Well, that should be expected as she was riled up by Irina and Lilith, and not to mention, the self-proimed newlywed wished for her beloved to have a fruitful rest without any interruption.


    That personality change shook the attendant for a while. However, being a professional, he recovered instantly and remarked: ¡°T-That, I did ry your intentions to the man, but he said he was a personal friend of Master Jin. If it were true, I wouldn¡¯t dare to make such a bold decision without consulting Master Jin first.¡±


    ¡°A personal friend? Couldn¡¯t he be bluffing?¡±


    Lilith snorted, and rightfully so. I haven¡¯t had many friends since turning into a Vampire. In fact, I barely had any close acquaintances. Most of my time was split between the university, the hospital, and my home. There weren¡¯t many people who could call me a personal friend.


    ¡°Let the man finish, Lilith. Tell me, who is this personal friend?¡±


    ¡°He told me to call him Professor Cain, Master Jin. He said you would know him.¡±


    ¡°Professor Cain?! He¡¯s here?!¡±


    I jumped at the mention of the familiar name. Professor Cain was my mentor during my postgraduate days, and as I got one foot into the world of magic research, he became my partner. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he was the next closest person in my life, other than my parents, during my time as a magic researcher.


    ¡°Professor Cain? Isn¡¯t he your former lecturer and partner?¡±


    ¡°Oh? You know of him?¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ What part of observation rights do you not understand? We took turns monitoring you while you were recovering; of course we know all about your acquaintances and friends.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Lilith was right. Contrary to my beliefs, I didn¡¯t spend all those years unprotected. The four girls had taken turns monitoring my every move and had likely kept a log of everyone I¡¯d met. While that might sound creepy to the outside ear, I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the girls¡¯ obsessive interests.


    It did feel great to be loved by such beauties.


    ¡°If it¡¯s really Professor Cain, send him in!¡±


    The attendant bowed once and immediately left my room, not willing to stay a second further in case he incurred Ysabelle¡¯s wrath. Though, he didn¡¯t need to be that worried. When Professor Cain was announced to arrive, the three girls stopped bickering and adjusted their clothes appropriately.


    Although the ckburn House had given me quite a substantial living area, it wasn¡¯t anywhere as big as their own private residences. Therefore, it didn¡¯t take long for the attendant to return with the familiar, old, wizened face I knew and loved.


    Dressed in the same old Victorian top hat I¡¯d seen on his head for years, the sixty-something-year-old walked cautiously into my apartment as if he were sizing up the entire area. His footsteps were soft, yet rigid confidence was hidden within those cashmere boots.


    The numerous wrinkles on his face creased as he noticed the big man that stood before him. Crossed between confusion and realisation, Professor Cain looked up at me with an inquisitive gaze, contrary to the familial warmth that I was used to.


    I guess I¡¯ve really changed quite a bit, huh?


    ¡°Professor Cain! You¡¯re here!¡±


    Ignoring his look of confusion, I ran up to the man and gave him a big bear hug. In the past, the Professor was the one hugging me, so I never realised how frail that old body looked. However, now that I had grown over twenty-centimetres in height, I easily towered over the Professor.


    ¡°J-Jin? I-Is that really you?¡±


    ¡°Of course! How could you forget your number one protege?¡±


    ¡°T-That voice¡­ Yeah, you sure sound like him, alright¡­¡±


    Professor Cain hung his jaw open and reached into his bag, pulling out a pair of circr sses. Haha, even if you put those on, I would still remain the same person, Professor.


    ¡°My goodness! It really is you, Jin! Dear lord, I heard you have changed since turning into a Vampire, but this is something else!¡±


    ¡°Haha, didn¡¯t my parents fill you in on the details?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Elna said that you became a Vampire and that you¡¯ve been cured, but this is on a whole other level!¡±


    Perhaps it was the researcher within him waking up, but Professor Cain started to see me like a specimen to be studied rather than his favoured mentee. And truth be told¡­ I couldn¡¯tin. Why? Because I would have done the exact same thing.


    ¡°Alright, you can study me all you wantter.¡± I pulled the nosy man off my chest and ced him at arm¡¯s length. ¡°Why are you here, Professor? I¡¯d thought you retired from the front lines.¡±


    ¡°I did, but I couldn¡¯t pass up on an opportunity to see a Demon Lord up close and personal, can I?¡±


    ¡°Haha, that sure sounds like you.¡±


    Perhaps I¡¯d learnt all my research quirks from this curious old bugger. Even if it meant diving face-first into the depths of hell, Professor Cain would dly do so with a smile if it meant furthering his research.


    ¡°Here, have a seat.¡± I brought Professor Cain to the dressing table and offered him the swivel chair. ¡°Are you thirsty? We don¡¯t have any water or tea here, but I could ask the attendants to get you some.¡±


    As a Vampire, I had gained a particr taste for the blood of my beloved women. Therefore, I didn¡¯t need a single drop of water ced within my chambers. However, I couldn¡¯t just offer Professor Cain any of Ysabelle, Lilith or Irina¡¯s blood, now can I?


    ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m only here for a while.¡±


    The Professor looked over my shoulders and noticed three beautiful girls staring at him. Blinking twice, he shot me a questioning look, to which I could only smile.


    ¡°Let me introduce you, Professor. This one here is Irina, my beloved sister and the one responsible for turning me into a Vampire.¡± I pointed to the white-haired girl who was inching closer to my side.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Irina waved at the man with a mixture of nonchnce and curiosity.


    ¡°This one here is my bloodmate, Lilith. She¡¯s also an academic, so I think you¡¯ll get along nicely.¡± I followed it up with the blondedy who had already found a seat next to me on the bed.


    ¡°Greetings, Professor. I¡¯ve read all of your papers, and I must say¡­ You have some riveting thoughts.¡±


    Lilith smiled politely with a tinge of respect hidden within. During my stay at the Moonreaver Dimension, I mentioned the Professor¡¯s research once or twice when discussing papers. So, it wasn¡¯t strange that she read everything he¡¯d published.


    ¡°And finally, this is Ysabelle. She¡¯s¡­ Well, my betrothed, I guess?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    My explosive statement turned the heads of all the girls. Irina and Lilith had their eyes widened with a running chill permeating their pores. Meanwhile, Ysabelle¡¯s face instantly flushed red and looked like she was on the verge of jumping to the moon.


    Ah¡­ I may have chosen my words poorly. But what else could I do?


    Irina was my sister, and Lilith was my bloodmate. Those two were undeniable facts.


    But for Ysabelle, there hasn¡¯t been an established connection yet. Yes, I could call her my girlfriend, but that was far from enough. We needed a more intimate bond, just like the one I shared with Irina and Lilith. And since the ckburn House was willing to support our rtionship¡­ Well, I guess calling her my fianc¨¦e would be urate.


    ¡°Jin¡­ What on earth are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­ Since when did the two of you get engaged?¡±


    The two jealous girls growled with a low pitch like a lion waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting antelope. Unfazed, I smiled back at their cold voices and brought them into my arms, one on each side.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all due to be married? Eventually, all of you will be mine, so what¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°J-Jin¡­ Y-You¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, I¡¯ve been swamped with meetings for the past three days. I¡¯m sure that you miss drinking my blood, right? How about you two wash up, and we¡¯ll spend the night together? All four of us.¡±


    ¡°B-Brother?! T-That!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you know my libido. I can handle all three of you at once. At the end of the night, I¡¯ll leave you all smiling and satisfied.¡±


    At this point, even Professor Cain blushed at my words. The three girls, who had taken the most damage, turned around and didn¡¯t dare to meet my eyes, let alone feel the piercing gaze of the old man before us. In a fit of embarrassment, they fled the scene.


    Though¡­ I have a good feeling that they will return tonight.


    ¡°Jin¡­ You sure have changed.¡±


    ¡°Have I? I think I¡¯ve always been this way.¡±


    I smiled in response to Professor Cain¡¯s statement. And I wasn¡¯t jesting; I truly felt like my current self was no different from my former one. The only difference was I could behave with much more confidence, given my elevated status and power.


    Rather than the repressed youngster who needed his parents¡¯ help for everything, I was far more suited to being the dominant Vampire who stood heads and shoulders above everyone else.


    And the reason for that was because¡­


    ¡°Those girls¡­ They seem like lovely people.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, they¡¯re the loves of my life. I wouldn¡¯t be anywhere without them.¡±


    ¡°Haha, and you say you haven¡¯t changed! There¡¯s no way the Jin of the past would delve deeper into love!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±


    In the past, all I had was my research. I spent almost every waking hour of my life trying to better myself and make a name for myself. Now, however, my love for the girls far surpassed anything I¡¯d felt for my research or studies.


    ¡°Alright, Professor¡­ Now that the girls are gone let¡¯s get to the main issue.¡±


    ¡°¡­ That part of you hasn¡¯t changed. You¡¯re still as sharp as ever.¡±


    ¡°Of course! There¡¯s no way you came here just to catch up on life.¡±


    As much as I would wee that mindless conversation, I knew Professor Cain a little too well. If he wished for a simple conversation, a phone call or email would do. He didn¡¯t need to dive straight into the ckburn Estate alone, surrounding himself with Vampires that could rip his flesh if he said something wrong.


    There was another reason for Professor Cain¡¯s presence here¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Okay, let¡¯s not beat around the bush anymore.¡±


    Adjusting his hat, the wizened man frowned ever so slightly as he looked me in the eyes.


    ¡°Jin¡­ I¡¯m here to warn you.¡±

 Chapter 105 Their Respective Reactions (5)

    ¡°Jin¡­ I¡¯m here to warn you.¡±


    Professor Cain¡¯s face turned ashen and grim as if his own child had been harmed by nefarious means. Staring straight at my face, the aged man gave me a firm warning.


    ¡°Warn me? What for?¡±


    ¡°Jin, your actions that day¡­ They have brought unwanted attention.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Tell me something I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been to meeting after meeting with Vampire leaders and Elders; not just that, I have talked to multiple S-ranked Hunters and several elites from the other races. The amount of attention I¡¯ve been getting has already be too much for me to bear. However, I doubt Professor Cain was here to inform me about those pesky assholes.


    ¡°I may be old, but I still have some connections hidden away, and they told me¡­ The Holy Church is moving.¡±


    ¡°The Holy Church? What do they want with me?¡±


    Although I had mingled with many people throughout my three days, no one from the Holy Church congregation came up to me. Neither the exorcists nor the priests looked in my direction, so much so that I¡¯d forgotten they existed. So, what would they want to do with me?


    ¡°Jin¡­ Tell me the truth¡­ Are you the reincarnation of the Vampire Progenitor?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What nonsense are you spouting, Professor? You know that can¡¯t be true!¡±


    Reincarnation.


    A lofty goal of all magicians aiming for eternal life. No one truly knows where the soul goes after they pass away. While members of the Holy Church believed that they would ascend to the High Heavens and sing symphonies with Cherubs forever more, no one truly had proof of an afterlife. Even the Vampires, renowned for being immortal and retaining their eternal youth, couldn¡¯t escape the cycle of death.


    Should their souls pass on, there was noing back.


    As for the Vampire Progenitor, he wasn¡¯t exempt from that fateful rule.


    ¡°Professor¡­ Don¡¯t tell me the Holy Church thinks I¡¯m the Progenitor¡¯s reincarnation?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my sources tell me,¡± the wizened old man nodded his head with a frown. ¡°They couldn¡¯t exin how a young man such as yourself was able to gain such explosive power. And even if you weren¡¯t the Progenitor, the power to defeat a Demon Lord is too much for the Holy Church to ept.¡±


    ¡°Who cares about whether they ept it or not? I did them a service by defeating Eyghon!¡±


    ¡°I think so too. But, humans aren¡¯t rational, you see.¡±


    Perhaps it was because of his age and experience; the Professor showed a face of empathy toward the decision of the Holy Church.


    ¡°Jin, have you ever wondered why Outer Demons have the word ¡®Outer¡¯ in front of their names?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because they came from another world?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just half the story,¡± Professor Cain sighed as he cuffed his hands behind his back. ¡°The real reason those monsters are called Outer Demons is to differentiate them from the original ones that gued the world. The Demons that the Holy Church had begun multiple wars called the Crusades to exterminate.¡±


    ¡°Vampires¡­¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    Once again, I was reminded of how frail the Vampires¡¯ existence was on our. While we were the apex predators and we were the beings closest to magic, the Vampire race was still persecuted throughout human society. Rather than epting our existence, the world had chosen to tolerate it.


    And while one Vampire was equivalent to a dozen regr men, we were still vastly outnumbered by the human race, which easily had seven billion people. Even if we did go to war, the Vampire race would lose out in the long run.


    ¡°While they may have signed a peace treaty, the Holy Church has never epted the Vampire or Werewolf races into their fold. And while they must show a united front, hidden between the lines were centuries of covert assassinations and killings between each side.¡±


    ¡°That I know of¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t naive to believe that the Vampire race had all saints. Plenty of vampires loved to prey on innocent virgins for a goblet of their blood. And at the same time, numerous exorcists would kill any Vampire they saw, without a care in the world if they were friendly or not.


    ¡°And right now, you have be a threat that the Holy Church cannot ignore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was starting to see the man¡¯s point.


    Killing Eyghon was a blessing and a curse. I had gotten recognition from the upper echelons of the Vampire race, with many wishing to be my sponsors and to help me in any shape or form. On the other hand, I had single-handedly made myself public enemy number one in the eyes of those agnostic to the Vampire race.


    Ignoring the Werewolf Tribes and the Elves who just had bad blood with the Vampires, the Holy Church¡¯s mission in life was the extermination of all those who weren¡¯t human. While their des of mercy were now targeted at the Outer Demons and the existential harm they could cause to our, there was no telling when their rosary crosses would turn into silver bullets that would aim at my heart.


    ¡°Defeating Eyghon was too shy of a stunt, Jin. Now, even the Pope knows your name. And even if you dere to harbour no ill intent to humanity and the Holy Church, those pious bastards would never buy that for one second. They will destroy anything they cannot control, and if you¡¯re the seconding of the Progenitor¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they dered a new Holy War.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Would they really go that far?¡±


    I structured that as a question, but I already knew the answer deep down. Humans aren¡¯t rational creatures. The Holy Church might acknowledge that I would be an asset in the war against the Outer Demons for now, but what happens afterwards?


    Now that we could defeat a Demon Lord, what would happen if we ultimately pushed back all of the Outer Demons? Will the world revert back to its internal warring states? If that¡¯s the case, could the Holy Church permit a Vampire who could potentially be as powerful as the Progenitor to exist?


    The answer was clear¡­


    ¡°Jin, I know that you are well protected by the Vampires now, but since the Holy Church does not operate under regrws, they can do things you wouldn¡¯t even imagine just to get your head.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­ They¡¯ll kidnap and target those that are close to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you catch on quickly.¡±


    Professor Cain looked out the door, presumably in the direction where my three lovers disappeared into.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know your strength, especially after you¡¯ve taken down Eyghon. But, they won¡¯t have any issue finding faults with those closest to you. Those three girls aside, don¡¯t you have two other people you would need to protect?¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­¡±


    The faces of my two beloved parents resurfaced. Although I hadn¡¯t met them in a while due to my busy schedule, I have never once forgotten about them. They were the people who raised and treasured me all my life. And while they were capable of protecting themselves, who knows what kind of contingent they may send to kidnap or threaten them?


    ¡°Elna and Jael are former A-ranked Hunters, so they can protect themselves for a while. But if the Holy Church is fully determined, it doesn¡¯t matter how powerful they are, they will eventually fall into the Pope¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for telling me all of this, Professor. It seems that I have been careless.¡±


    I really was negligent. I didn¡¯t even think of the possibility of being targeted for my strength, let alone the threat that I posed to my parents. It seems like I would need to bring them under my wing soon enough. And most importantly of all¡­


    I needed to be stronger! Strong enough that those fools at the Holy Church wouldn¡¯t dare to touch anything I¡¯m associated with.


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not ming you! If anything, I¡¯m impressed by how much you¡¯ve grown! I always knew you had the potential, but your growth is staggering!¡± With his warning sent, the Professor returned to his usual cordial and jubnt mood.


    ¡°So, have you been moving towards your goal of creating a unified magic theory?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? A-Ah!¡±


    A unified magic theory¡­ That was something I hadn¡¯t heard in a long time.


    Back in my university days and when I was still crippled, I was determined to make a name out of myself. And I¡¯d thought the best way to do so was to reach Einstein¡¯s level of fame through the study of a unified magic theory.


    A theory that couldbine everything we know in the physical, spiritual and magical into one thesis. One universal theory. One unbreakablew.


    My joint paper with Professor Cain on how subatomic particles affect the flow of magic was just the first step in that process. I¡¯d thought I would spend the remainder of my life creating new experiments and theories in hopes of creating something that would put my name amongst the greats like Newton and Einstein.


    But well, I turned into a Vampire, and those life ns had been derailed entirely.


    ¡°Oh? Have you forgotten all about it?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not! I was just¡­ Kind of preupied.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ Yeah, you don¡¯t get that kind of strength overnight.¡±


    Professor Cain smiled back with no hint of displeasure within his eyes. Yet, I knew that the man was disappointed at some deep level.


    ¡°Jin, if you don¡¯t mind this old man nagging, you shouldn¡¯t neglect your studies. A brain like yourses once every thousand years, and it wouldn¡¯t be right for you to waste it on obtaining pure power.¡±


    ¡°Professor, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Think about it. No one can cast a fireball spell without knowing how fire burns. If you deepen your understanding of magic, your magical horizons will blossom into heights no one could ever hope topare to.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Theory and applicatione hand-in-hand, Jin. Going back to your roots sometimes wouldn¡¯t hurt one bit.¡±


    ¡°Professor¡­ No, thank you. You¡¯ve truly opened my eyes.¡±


    Goodness¡­ Even though I¡¯ve be infinitely stronger than before, I was still being schooled by my Professor. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I bowed my head down willingly as I walked him out the door.

 Chapter 106 The Elven Forest (1)

    Elves.


    Fair-skinned humanoids with impableplexion and two sharp pointed ears. Tall, slender and all so beautiful. Their beauty at times could bepared to the divine, and their forest-like fragrance seemed too mystical to be real.


    Beings closest to Mother Nature and the self-proimed heralds of Gaia herself. Legend has it that the Elves were the first humanoids to walk the, born from the tree sap of the World Tree and moulded by y to be the origin of intelligent life.


    Naturally, that fairy tale had been long debunked through the theory of evolution, and many just see Elves as evolved humans who had been blessed by the World Tree.


    Five main races ruled the. Humans, Vampires, Werewolves, Merfolk and Elves¡­


    Humans were the dominant race, with over seven billion roaming the. They popted every corner of the globe; it didn¡¯t matter if they were on mountains, under the ocean, on rivernds or on desert ins. Traces of humans could be seen throughout the world even if one wasn¡¯t looking for them.


    As for the other races, they were in the extreme minority. Even the Merfolk, the second in poption count, barely reached ten million. The rest of the races were simply living on a dominated by Humans, and they knew it well.


    Bits and pieces of human technology, culture and even embassies could be found at the heart of each race¡¯s home base, no matter how hard they tried to denounce the human ways.


    Vampires learnt to coexist with humans by isting themselves in Nightmare Dimensions. Werewolvesmingled with humans on a daily basis, integrating themselves into their society and learning to work side-by-side with them, even if it meant getting discriminated against. Merfolk had a more interesting approach. They helped humans with their shipping and trade, making them an indispensable asset for world trade. In exchange, humans would protect their part of the sea and even give the Merfolk sovereign status of anything beneath fifty metres of water.


    Each one of the races found their peace with the humans and had learnt to live with some form of human interaction.


    Well, all the races save the Elves, that is.


    Ever since Elves came into existence, they had never left their ancestral home. The Elven Continent or as it¡¯s moremonly known as¡­ The Elven Forest.


    An isted continent over eight million kilometres squared. Nond bridge connects this continent to the otherndmasses as it is surrounded by nothing but water. However, even though it was easily bigger than any country in existence, the Elven Continent had no mountains, no deserts, no icy hills or frozennd.


    Only trees and wild growth were on the Elven Continent¡¯s fertilends. Canopies that could easily hang one kilometre above the ground. Verdant hills with greens the world had never seen and an immense number of magical nts scientists would love to get their hands on.


    Yet, even though it was quite possibly the most fertile and resourcefulnd humans had ever discovered, the Elven Continent remainedrgely untouched.


    Why?


    Because of the Elves protecting the ancient forest.


    In terms of sheer numbers, the Elves were far inferior to humans. Although there had never been a census, it was generally believed that only one or two million Elves call the Elven Forest home.


    When it came tobat ability, the Elves were outgunned as well. While their top elites could match S-ranked Hunters with the terrain advantage, the Elves could easily stand toe-to-toe with any invading force¡­ They were still outssed by ancient Vampires or weapons of mass destruction.


    The Elves were inferior in both numerical superiority and magical or physical warfare. Yet, how did this one million-strong poption defend their home so fiercely?


    Well, they had one distinct advantage.


    The World Tree.


    Born during the genesis of the, the World Tree was an ever-present figure for all life on the. A natural wonder that feeds off the power of the Elven Continent, taking in all manner of life under its shelter. It is said that all nts, no, by extension, all life came from the World Tree. The power to use magic, the natural ability to breathe and think¡­ It all came from that one tree that stood two kilometres tall, towering over everything that dared to challenge its sovereignty.


    However, the World Tree wasn¡¯t just a natural marvel that everyone could gawk at.


    The World Tree was an indispensable part of the¡¯s life cycle. It was a magical being that connected every living nt and was a vital part of why humanity¡¯s destructive methods hadn¡¯t toppled the ecosystem.


    If a forest gets cleared, the World Tree bnces the damage by growing more trees. If the world gets warmer, the World Tree cools it down through external means. If the ciers started to melt, the World Tree begins a long winter to bnce the heat.


    In simplicity, the World Tree was the conductor that harmonises the symphony called life. It was the ultimate bncer and the existence that neutralises any harm the¡¯s inhabitants could do to itself.


    As long as the survives, there must always be a World Tree. Even if the World Tree were to copse, a new one would sprout within the year, growing to be another towering figure. However, the World Tree couldn¡¯t protect itself all the time.


    No being was omnipotent. Even the World Tree couldn¡¯t protect itself from threats it couldn¡¯t detect. For instance, if the World Tree had reached the end of its lifespan and needed to turn into a weak sprout that needed protection, it would need protectors.


    And that¡¯s when the Elves came into existence.


    Scientists believe that the World Tree synchronised with some of the earliest humans and gave them a portion of its power in exchange for protecting it. Over time, the Elves had gained intelligence and magical capabilities that humans couldn¡¯t imagine at the time, making them the sole protectors of the forest.


    Forest Elves, Dark Elves, High Elves¡­ It didn¡¯t matter.


    They were all privy to the World Tree¡¯s powers and worshipped the ancient being.


    As for the other races, they weren¡¯t ignorant enough to cause their own demise. The World Tree was the ultimate bncer, keeping their optimal for them to live forevermore. So it didn¡¯t matter if they were humans, Vampires, Werewolves or Merfolk; they wouldn¡¯t destroy the peace of the World Tree just because of some superficial greed for resources.


    They were all content in leaving the Elven Continent an isted ce and leaving the protection of the World Tree to the Elves.


    Therefore, the Elven Forest had remained untouched by human hands for thousands of years. Even when the Outer Demons invaded the and the istion of the Elves came to an end, no one dared to tread on the Elven Continent.


    Though, there were a few outliers.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    A young elven girl who looked no older than fourteen rushed through the Elven Sanctuary with hurried feet. As she ran, mystical backgrounds of rainbow waterfalls and ancient Elvish pavilions passed her by. She passed through the ivory towers and dashed across the flowery pathways. In time, the young elf reached a private chamber situated at the top of the highest tree, where a gorgeous, maturedy satzily in wait.


    ¡°Eminence Veralyn!¡±


    ¡°Riniya, what¡¯s the rush?¡±


    Thedy turned her attention away from the window she was looking out from and nced right at the young elf. The woman was about 1.8 metres and had a calm yet authoritative look in her dazzling Lapis eyes. Her green hair flowed gently down to her waist, showing off her feminine and enchanting figure, causing the young elf to mistake the woman for one of her kind.


    But s¡­ Even though she was a beauty, she wasn¡¯t an Elf¡­


    ¡°The ckburn House has sent word! The Hero who killed Eyghon¡­ He wishes for an audience with the youngdy!¡±


    ¡°¡­ I see, I¡¯d thought he would wait for a few more weeks, but it seems I was wrong.¡± Eminence Veralyn brushed her smooth chin and began to think.


    ¡°Hoh? So even the mighty Shadowgarden House can¡¯t get information about a young boy¡¯s next course of action?¡±


    ¡°We did have intelligence; it just wasn¡¯t urate this time.¡±


    Eminence Veralyn coldly replied to the other voice that entered her chamber. Riniya, flushed from looking at the green-haireddy, instantly recognised the woman who came waltzing in. Bowing at a ny-degree angle, the girl shouted:


    ¡°H-High Priestess! When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°At ease, Riniya. I heard the same news that you did and came tough at my old friend¡¯s ipetence.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have better things to do, Miriel?¡±


    A golden-haired fair maiden, one whose hair was so light that it bordered on turning white, sashayed in with a gloating expression. She was just as if not far more beautiful than the other twodies in the room. Donned in a stunning, brown frilled dress, the fair maiden made her way onto Eminence Veralyn¡¯s adjacent chair and poured herself a cup of tea.


    ¡°No, not really. Seeing your frustrated expression gives me more joy than reading the daily logs of the forest.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Suit yourself,¡± Eminence Veralyn sighed and epted the fact that the number one Elf on the continent was here tough at her predicament.


    ¡°But since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you help me think of a way to politely decline his request?¡±


    ¡°Why would you decline? Isn¡¯t he the perfect match for your grand-niece?¡±


    ¡°Rosalyn can¡¯t be disturbed at the moment. If he were to ask a few yearster, I would have given them my blessing. But she¡¯s still trying to assimte with her new powers. If she were to be disturbed now, I¡¯m afraid all the effort we¡¯d spent would be washed down the drain.¡±


    Furrowing her brows, the green-haired woman poured herself a cup of tea and nced into the clear liquid. Slowly, she could see her Lapis eyes gradually turn into a deep crimson hue as her Vampiric fangs started to show.


    ¡°Control your emotions, Veralyn. No good wille out from being so angry.¡±


    ¡°How can I? The Shadowgarden House has invested so much into Rosalyn. We can¡¯t just let that boy ruin it, now can we? I really shouldn¡¯t have allowed her to meet with him in the first ce.¡±


    The green-haired woman bit the bottom of her lip so hard that it began to bleed. Seeing her friend so helpless, the beautiful elf couldn¡¯t help but remark:


    ¡°Haha, to think that the mighty leader of the Shadowgarden House, one of the strongest Vampire Guardian House, would be stumped by a twenty-five-year-old boy.¡±


    ¡°Rosalyn is also twenty-six, and you¡¯re overwhelmed by her too.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s different,¡± Mirielughed. ¡°You know how she is.¡±


    ¡°I do¡­ That¡¯s why I also know that she¡¯s stubborn. If she finds out that he wants to meet her, she¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°Grand-Aunt.¡±


    At that moment, a thunderous echo reverberated through the entire Elven Sanctuary. The ground trembled, seemingly in fear and anger, while the trees whistled with the sounds of falling leaves. Even while she was seated in the safety of her chambers, Veralyn felt a choking sensation suffocating her very neck. It felt like she was being stared at by the apex predator of the forest, and she could do nothing about it.


    ¡°Let hime¡­ Don¡¯t stop him¡­ Or else¡­¡±


    Those eight words resonated within Eminence Veralyn¡¯s ears and sent shivers down herpact body. Seeing that the warning was well-received, the voice dissipated away, and the magical pressure that mounted on the green-haireddy¡¯s body disappeared as if nothing had ever happened.


    The three women stood in a triangle, with Riniya being in the worst state. She copsed onto her knees and passed out immediately, with the whites of her eyes now popping out from her sockets. Meanwhile, Miriel looked out the window, and a wry smile crept up her face.


    ¡°She could even hear our conversation in my territory¡­ Her resonance has clearly surpassed our wildest expectations.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ What a problem child.¡± Eminence Veralyn shook her head andid back on her chair. ¡°Miriel, could you approve the ckburn House¡¯s request?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why the sudden change of heart?¡±


    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you just feel that?! My goodness, as much as I hate to admit it, Rosalyn is already the strongest Vampire in the Shadowgarden House! If I ignore her warnings, my head will end up like Eyghon!¡±


    Eminence Veralyn couldn¡¯t help butugh at her own predicament. She was the Lord of the Shadowgarden House, easily one of the most influential Vampire families in existence. She had the power equalling that of General Enzo and Lord Sirius, and she was easily amongst the top twenty Vampires alive.


    And yet, she was being bullied by two youngsters who weren¡¯t even in their thirties.


    ¡°To have two Progenitor-level Vampires born in the same era¡­ I don¡¯t know whether this will be a blessing or a curse for the Vampire race.¡±

 Chapter 107 The Elven Forest (2)

    One whole week had passed since Eyghon¡¯s demise.


    To most people, one week was a short time. School children went to ss just as they did any other week. Office workers returned to their buildings to grind the day away. And the world kept spinning without much interference. Other than some tantalising news, that one week was rather mundane for most.


    As for me¡­ That week was the most hectic of my life.


    Day by day, I had been brought to meetingssting for hours on end. Vampires from High Society, exalted Hunters that represented their own country, and even the elusive Merfolk had sent one representative to curry my favour.


    I wasn¡¯t spared at night either. Ysabelle was one thing, but Lilith and Irina had felt left out from my tryst in Eyghon¡¯s stomach. While I attempted to obtain the ultimate dream of sleeping with all three of them at once, the girls weren¡¯t all too pleased with my greed.


    Therefore, I was forced to take turns throughout the night, endlessly shooting out nks by the time morning came. And then, before I could even get one second to myself, I would be whisked away to my morning meetings.


    Truthfully, I can¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯d had a proper rest.


    Fortunately, my personal hell was going to end real soon.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the Elven Forest was isted? Why are we using the Warp Gates rather than taking a boat then?¡± I asked the ck-haired woman who held my left arm in her hands.


    Ysabelle, who was busy snuggling and sniffing my scent, looked up at me and said: ¡°The Elves may be reclusive, but they aren¡¯tpletely ignorant of everything. On the outskirts of the Elven Forest, there is a Warp Gate station that we can teleport to. However, it does take a lot of paperwork and permission to obtain the right to teleport there.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Why is Rosalyn there anyway? Shouldn¡¯t she be at the Shadowgarden House?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ysabelle shook her head in thought. ¡°Rosa has always been an enigma to us. She keeps to herself, and no one knows what she¡¯s been doing these past fifteen years.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t you meet her?¡± I raised my eyebrows and shot back a question. I¡¯d always assumed that the four girls had kept in contact, even when I wasn¡¯t part of the equation. Else, how could they be this close?


    ¡°We did, once or twice. But most of the time, we talk over the phone. Truth be told, I don¡¯t even know what she looks like now. She might be a whole other person, and I wouldn¡¯t recognise her.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    That was a shocker. It seems like Rosalyn has be quite an enigma during the years I was missing. Also, it didn¡¯t help that my memory of her was still fragmented. I could still remember bits and pieces of her face, most notably, the unique earthy fragrance that used to envelop her entire being. But other than that¡­ We will have to get to know each other from scratch.


    Fortunately, it seems like the Shadowgarden House wasn¡¯t against our meeting, so that was a good start. Additionally, I heard from the messengers of the ckburn House that Rosalyn herself was keen to meet me.


    So far, it seems like meeting Rosalyn would be the smoothest sailing of all.


    And once we¡¯ve been bonded¡­ Hopefully, thest remnants of my missing memories will return, and my soul will be whole again.


    Speaking of which, I¡¯ve only awakened three out of the five abilities so far¡­


    My Spacetime powers came after I consumed Irina¡¯s blood. Creation followed soon after by bonding with Lilith. And finally, Destruction was awakened by Ysabelle¡¯s tantalising taste.  Going by that trend, I would awaken one more ability by consuming Rosalyn¡¯s blood, which meant that I would be missing one.


    I wonder if I had to awaken it through other means? Well, that would be a problem for me in the future. Present me should focus on reuniting with Rosalyn.


    I waited patiently as the final preparations werepleted. Irina sauntered over with Variel, her protector, and Luminita, her maidservant. Not just that, it seems like a new entourage had joined in the fray, with several new Vampires from the Everwinter House helping with the luggage. Apparently, Matriarch Innocence had a change of heart. Rather than resisting Irina¡¯s desire to follow me around, she leaned into it.


    From what I¡¯d heard, the Everwinter and ckburn Houses were even keen on creating a new Vampire House for me. And while I didn¡¯t know the details yet, it seems they were fine with Irina and Ysabelle marrying into that new family.


    Naturally, I was ecstatic by the news. I could care less about having power or influence. The most important thing was I could provide a safe space for my loved ones to live, and having a Vampire House was the first step in the right direction.


    After affirming the Everwinter House¡¯s entourage, I looked over to Lilith, who was already patiently waiting at the gate with Cape and Lisa. Lilith nced over at the Everwinterpany, and her eyes couldn¡¯t help but twitch.


    Unlike the ckburns and the Everwinters, the Moonreaver House wasn¡¯t that thrilled with the idea of Lilith leaving their family. Though, that was to be expected. Unlike Irina and Ysabelle, Lilith was the undisputed future heir to their family. The Moonreaver House wasn¡¯t able to bear such a loss. Not to mention that siscon Sirius wouldn¡¯t let Lilith do so, even if it meant the betterment of his family.


    ¡°Is everybody here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re all present.¡±


    ¡°Okay, please establish a connection with the operatives at the Elven Forest.¡±


    The middle-aged Vampire who operated the Warp Gates asked for a headcount, and I gave the nod. I didn¡¯t bring much; therefore, I didn¡¯t need to take much. Truthfully, as long as I had Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle, I would be content. Those faces that stalked them were nothing more than canon fodder to me. So even if we left some of them behind, I wouldn¡¯t lose a second of sleep.


    Bored while waiting for the operatives to establish a connection, I looked around the other Warp Gates. Most of the coalition forces had long returned, and there weren¡¯t many people left in the ckburn House. But that didn¡¯t mean everyone had returned yet.


    Some had stayed to do business with the ckburn House; others took this opportunity to rest after participating in a tense war.


    But there are some¡­ Who remained for more personal reasons.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? What is it?¡±


    Ysabelle¡¯s soft mumble entered my consciousness, drawing my attention away from the numerous Warp Gates and back to the girl by my side.


    ¡°See that man over there? That¡¯s Jerome Warw. The Alpha of the Warw Tribe.¡±


    Ysabelle pointed her finger toward a suave young man who seemed just as tall as me. When I began to look at him, I realised that he¡¯d been staring at me this entire time. His chiselled face hidden a mixture of irritation and rage, while his glistening eyes betrayed some semnce of killing intent.


    ¡°What did I do to him? Why was he showing me such animosity?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember?!¡±


    ¡°Remember what?¡±


    ¡°Back when we¡¯d first met! Didn¡¯t you fling someone away with your magic? Don¡¯t tell me you forgot that?!¡±


    ¡°I did that?¡±


    Now that Ysabelle mentioned it¡­ Yeah, it did ring a bell. I was so focused on reuniting with her back then that I¡¯d blocked out everything else. Ah, if I did send him flying, that does exin why he¡¯s so irate. I guess I should apologise¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s also the one who¡¯s been chasing me all this time.¡±


    Not.


    What the hell? Did this guy think he could get together with my Ysabelle? Fuck, I should send him flying once more!


    ¡°Jin, Ysabelle¡­ Do you know that man?¡± Lilith, who noticed our little exchange, walked over with her arms in akimbo, clearly irritated by the young man.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you ran into him as well?¡±


    ¡°Brother! That man tried to pick Lilith and me up when you were in Eyghon¡¯s belly! I¡¯d thought we¡¯d sent him awayst time. To think that he¡¯s still here¡­ I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll try to hit on us again.¡±


    Using her fear as an excuse, Irina flung herself onto my free arm. Although I knew that she was clearly lying and wasn¡¯t afraid of that man in the slightest, I still felt a senseless fury creeping up my heart.


    That motherfucker¡­ He tried to hit on all three of my lovers?! Does he have a death wish?!


    Alright¡­ Since we have some time, let me give him a piece of my mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him. Dealing with the aftermath would be annoying.¡± Lilith reminded me to hold my punches as I waltzed over to the fuming man.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the both of us to stand toe-to-toe with each other. Since our heights were so simr, our line of sight was almost equal. His eyes were zing with an unadulterated fury, one that I was likely rekindling.


    Oh? What right do you have to be angry? You tried to hit on my women, damn it! Hah¡­ I should remain cordial. I can¡¯t let this asshole ruin this joyous day.


    ¡°¡­ You have something to say to me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Just because you defeated Eyghon, you think you¡¯re hot stuff?¡± That broken mind of his was unable toprehend logical thoughts as he spouted some nonsense at me: ¡°I want you to apologise.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What for?¡±


    ¡°For sending me flying! You made mend in a pile of dead, smelly fish! Do you know how embarrassing it was to crawl out from a fisherman¡¯s pile like a piece of shit?!¡± The moronic Werewolf barked at me while fuming from his nostrils.


    ¡°And while you¡¯re at it, get those bitches to apologise too! You assholes were made for each other! They sent me into that same fisherman¡¯s pile! Tch, I never should have tried to get together with those bitches. You fucking idiots are all not right in the head!¡±


    Oh? Okay¡­ I¡¯m done with this conversation.


    ¡°You know¡­ You don¡¯t have to wait for your Warp Gate anymore.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Since you like fish so much¡­¡±


    Magic power filled my veins as my Soul Armamentnded on my fingers. Azure light filled my middle ring as my control over Spacetime came to centre stage. It didn¡¯t take much for my spell toplete. Ever since I¡¯d awakened my third ability, my overall control over my Vampire Aspect has doubled in efficiency. And now, I was able to use it at full force.


    Before the Werewolf could even make a single move, my spell waspleted, and the die was cast.


    ¡°Let me send you back there!!!¡±


    ???


    Somewhere in the fishing vige of the neighbouring country¡­


    ¡°Akkan! Why are you putting a covered tent over your catch today?¡±


    ¡°Man, you don¡¯t know! There¡¯s this crazy bitch that keeps falling from the sky! He ruined my catch twice now! If I don¡¯t protect my fish, he¡¯lle flying into it again!¡±


    ¡°A man falling from the sky? What are you, Chicken Little?¡±


    ¡°No! You don¡¯t believe me, but he¡¯s real! Let me warn you, he loves fish! If he sees a pile of uncovered fish, he¡¯ll dive right into it!¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re telling lies again! How can a man falling from the sky love-¡­¡±


    THUD!!!


    At that moment, the two fishmongers saw a sh of azure light. And just a mere secondter¡­ A suave young man was lying amongst the pile of fish. He was dazed and confused, which led to him scattering the fish all around as his body contaminated the wild catch with sweat and hair.


    Unable to bear it no longer, Akkan fell to his knees and cried:


    ¡°SON OF A BITCH!!! HE RUINED MY FISH AGAIN!!!¡±

 Chapter 108 The Elven Forest (3)

    Our little side quest aside, the move to the Elven Forest proceeded smoothly. The moment after I silenced that perverted Werewolf by exiling him to another country, the Warp Gate operators had returned with the green light.


    Evidently, the Elven Forest had been preparing for my transfer, and everything was prepared in a timely fashion. In fact, the efficiency of this move scared me a little, given that I knew how elusive and reclusive the Elves were.


    But I wasn¡¯tining.


    The sooner I could reunite with Rosalyn, the faster I could close this chapter of my life behind me. Furthermore, getting as far away from the ckburn House seemed to be a great idea, given the odd looks that others gave me.


    The Hero who killed Eyghon. The Rising Star of the Vampire world. The Saviour of the ckburn Family.


    Names I¡¯d thought would never be attached to me were now part and parcel of my everyday life. Everywhere I went, I could hear whispers of those epithets. Every time I talked to someone, I would hear those namese out of their mouth.


    If I could bepletely honest, it felt sickening how quickly people could change their tunes.


    One minute, I was a nobody that barely anyone cared about. The next, they were lining up outside my door, begging me to remember their names.


    Tch, it doesn¡¯t matter if they were humans or Vampires; everyone here was so superficial. Fortunately, I had my three lovers guarding my back and being the solid rock that anchored my position.


    Maybe once I reunite with Rosalyn, we should find a remote ce in exile and spend the rest of our days in peace.


    As my mind was thinking of all the possibilities that my future path could take, the Warp Gate had been opened, revealing the passageway to the most isted continent on the. Peering through the tear in Space, I saw arge number of trees and nts. They were easily over a hundred metres in height, with thick overgrowth blocking any sort of vision. It felt like I was entering a prehistoric jungle that hadn¡¯t been changed for millions of years.


    No, while unchanging for a million years would be a stretch, there was no denying that the Elven forest had remained pristine and untouched for centuries. Everything I was looking at could easily be over a thousand years old. Every tree, every flower and every de of grass.


    They were all overflowing with life¡­


    What a beautiful scene. Perhaps, there¡¯s only one ce on the where life remains so abundant.


    Without even thinking, my feet moved instinctively, drawn by the allure of the ancient forest. Fortunately, three pairs of hands stopped me before I unconsciously stepped into the gate.


    Ysabelleid im to my left hand. Irina took my right elbow. While Lilith hugged my waist. The three girls stared at me, forcing a bead of sweat to break free from my forehead.


    ¡°We¡¯re going in together, Jin.¡±


    ¡°Haha, my bad.¡±


    That¡¯s right¡­ I couldn¡¯t act alone anymore. No matter how much I was enamoured by the beauty of the untouchednd, my life wasn¡¯t just mine now. I had Irina, my precious little sister, to care about. Lilith, my first and only Bloodmate to love. And finally, I had Ysabelle. My betrothed and the woman I would forever treasure.


    And now¡­ I was going to meet my fourth lover.


    Our lives were forever intertwined, and I couldn¡¯t remain so selfish anymore. Putting on a brilliant smile, I confidently strode into the portal and dered with one breath.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and make our family whole again.¡±


    ???


    ¡°They¡¯re finally gone¡­¡±


    Jin¡¯s prompt departure away from the ckburn House wasn¡¯t done unsupervised. Heck, ever since Jin had returned from Eyghon¡¯s belly, every move that he made was kept under tight surveince. Day and night, someone was on his tail, keeping track of who he¡¯d met, what he did for that day and even the things he did.


    Naturally, Jin and his three lovers had noticed those flies swooping around, but the spies werergely ignored since they didn¡¯t cross any ethical lines. Not to mention, Jin knew clearly who his voyeurs were and only showed what he wanted them to see.


    Which was exactly why the three Vampires in the council chambers, where the image of Jin¡¯s departure was ying on screen, could only let out a bitter sigh.


    ¡°Twenty-five-years-old and he already has this insight¡­ It¡¯s scary to think what will happen if we allow him to grow.¡±


    General Enzo shook his head and did his best to stifle hisughter. The more he looked at his future son-inw, the more pleased he got. The ckburn Head vividly remembered the day when Jin came over to his room with Ysabelle by his side. Boldly, Jin dered that he would take Ysabelle as his wife and would make her happy for the rest of her infinite life. He¡¯d also demanded General Enzo to give them his blessing, which was an oddly refreshing sight for the Vampire standing at the top of his family.


    There was a fine line between confidence and arrogance.


    An arrogant man wouldn¡¯t know his ce in the world and think everything was beneath him. On the other hand, a confident man knew precisely where his standing was. He knew where he was strongest and the areas hecked.


    Jin¡¯s demeanour that day didn¡¯t once scream arrogance.


    General Enzo vividly remembered the calctive way he broke down what benefits the ckburn House would reap if they supported him. In particr, the innovative ideas about creating a future power nt that could provide infinite electricity using his Creation magic or the improvement of the Warp Gates using his Spacetime magic. Not to mention, Jin had the raw power to defeat a Demon Lord.


    They were all enormous benefits that the ckburn House could get. And the only price Jin wanted was Ysabelle¡¯s hand in marriage.


    To General Enzo, that was a cheap price to pay, especially since Ysabelle was already enamoured with the man.


    ¡°What do you think, Innocence? Do you think he¡¯s the seconding of Drac?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You sure are irritating, you know that, right?¡±


    Contrary to General Enzo¡¯s gloating, Matriarch Innocence wasn¡¯t as thrilled. She stared at the empty Warp Gate terminal for the longest time, not knowing what she should do about the young man who ¡®stole¡¯ her sessor.


    While their rtionship wasn¡¯t on a knife¡¯s edge, it couldn¡¯t be described as cordial. It all began when the Matriarch belittled and underestimated the man in the Everwinter Estate. Back then, she had no idea what a meteoric rise Jin would take. Even when Irina told her that Jin would one day stand at the top of the world, Matriarch Innocence just took it as a passing curiosity.


    It was a mistake she shouldn¡¯t have made, given her many years of experience as an ancient Vampire. Therefore, the white-haireddy changed the conversation to hide herck of foresight.


    ¡°Why are Veralyn and her grand-niece in the Elven Forest? Didn¡¯t you say that they were preupied with other matters?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, their business was with the Elves.¡± General Enzo shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. ¡°You know how secretive the Shadowgarden House is. If they don¡¯t want us to know what¡¯s happening, we will likely never find out.¡±


    ¡°Tch, how amazingly useless.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Matriarch Innocence moved her attention away from the musclehead and looked at the only other person in the room.


    ¡°Do you know anything, Sirius? The Moonreaver House supplies the Shadowgarden House with the most Warp Gates and Nightmare Realms. Surely you must know something.¡±


    Sirius, who was still conflicted about seeing his precious little sister disappear in the arms of another man, snapped his eyes back at the world¡¯s strongest female Vampire.


    ¡°Forgive my impudence, Matriarch. But have you ever uncovered the shroud of the Shadowgarden House before? Even if we tried, the Moonreaver House would get nothing but the ire of the Shadowgardens.¡±


    Although Sirius¡¯ remark was rude and direct, Matriarch Innocence took no offence.


    Because¡­ Of the three people present, she was the one most familiar with the mystique of the Shadowgarden House.


    The Shadowgarden House was the Vampire race¡¯s intelligence unit, their FBI or CIA if one had to make aparison. No, judging by their unique set of skills, the Shadowgardens were far more dangerous than any intelligence agency the world had ever seen.


    It didn¡¯t matter if it were day or night. All of their agents were trained to operate in in sight. Not just that, their unique characteristics enable them to use espionage techniques that most could only dream about. It was said that if the Shadowgarden House wished for it, all of the world¡¯s animals, nts and even rocks would move to gain information.


    In terms of pure information gathering, the Shadowgarden House was second to none. Heck, second ce was so far away that they might as well be ying in a different league altogether.


    If the Everwinter and ckburn Houses were the swords of the Vampire race and the Moonreaver House was their shield, the Shadowgarden House was the glue that kept Vampire Society stuck together.


    Throughout the years, they sabotaged attempts from the Holy Church to exterminate Vampires, warned about iing threats from the Outer Demons, and manipted the politics of the world to favour Vampires¡­


    The list of aplishments the Shadowgarden House had achieved was endless.


    Should they fall, the Vampire race wouldn¡¯t be that far behind.


    Which was why their secrecy was so integral to the continuation of the lives of every Vampire. Even if it meant deceiving members of their own race.


    ¡°The Elves and the Shadowgarden House, huh? I wonder what kind of rtionship they have?¡±

 Chapter 109 The Elven Forest (4)

    Entering the Elven Forest turned out to be a far simpler task than I¡¯d imagined. There weren¡¯t any barriers or armed men ready to take us into custody. Neither were there any security checks on any of us. And from what I could sense, there wasn¡¯t anyone spying on our every movement.


    The moment we passed through the Warp Gate, our group was greeted by a vast open forest. The verdant bushes and heavy-blooming trees were our first hosts. Walking away from the magical portal, I was once again brought to awe by the pure, organic sights that blessed my eyes.


    The air here was the freshest I¡¯ve ever smelt. The temperature was at the perfect mix of heat and coolness, and its humidity was neither too overbearing nor too stale.


    It was quite likely¡­ The most utopian climate on the.


    And to top it all off¡­ A party of fifteen beautiful girls were already waiting for our arrival.


    All fifteen of the girls wore breathy, green ranger uniforms, wildly contrasting their bright, golden hair. Although they weren¡¯t nearly as attractive as Irina, Lilith or Ysabelle, the party of women were all objectively beautiful. Their exceedingly paleplexion highlighted their small, peach-like faces and thin, grassy lips.


    However, thosedies weren¡¯t the pale Vampires I was familiar with. Rather, they were the species that we Vampires had evolved from.


    ¡°Elves¡­¡±


    Thedies¡¯ long ears twitched at my sudden remark, though they quickly restrained themselves and walked over calmly. Oddly enough, even though they seemed to be rangers, none of them possessed a single weapon or firearm. They weren¡¯t even armed with wands or bows, making it clear that they had no intention of harming us.


    ¡°Wee, you must be the Hero who eliminated Eyghon, Jin Valter.¡± The youngest-looking Elf took centre-stage and gave me a firm bow. ¡°My name is Riniya, the messenger of the Forest that has been tasked to escort you.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Riniya.¡±


    I epted the woman¡¯s bow with my own head nod, all while I attempted to measure the girl up. She seemed pretty young, but like Vampires, Elves had eternal youth. She could be over a thousand years old for all I know, and I would bepletely clueless.


    ¡°And these lovelydies must be Mistress Irina Everwinter, Mistress Lilith Moonreaver and Mistress Ysabelle ckburn!¡±


    ¡°You have a good eye.¡±


    The trio didn¡¯t bother with such formalities and scrunched their faces together.


    Typically speaking, Elves and Vampires typically didn¡¯t bear any animosity towards each other in modern times. Drac Bloodborne, the first Vampire and the Progenitor of our entire race, was once an Elf after all. While there may have been tensions in the past, time had healed that wound many times over.


    Even if we weren¡¯t directly rted, Vampires had far more inmon with Elves than we do with any other races.


    We were beings closest to magic, while Elves were beings that were closest to nature. We both have fairplexions and otherworldly appearances, drawing ire from the other races. And most importantly¡­ We were minority races that possessed overwhelming strengths.


    Strengths that could make us match the Overlords of the world.


    Humans.


    ¡°We may be a reclusive race, but that doesn¡¯t mean we arepletely ignorant,¡± Riniya answered with a warm smile. ¡°As protectors of the World Tree, we can¡¯t be oblivious to threats that might harm us or the continent. And for us to remain reclusive, we need to do our research.¡±


    The young Elf smiled knowingly as she nced over at the four of us in unison. ¡°Especially the four of you. We elves have been keeping an eye on you for the longest time.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that we¡¯re a threat?¡±


    ¡°N-No, of course not!¡±


    Riniya, who was trying to act all mature and mysterious, now had a facade broken down by Lilith¡¯s simple question. Flustered, she bit her tongue while iling her arms like a child caught in a prank.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re just in awe of the Hero¡¯s amazing deeds and his love stories¡­ The fallen genius who was revived by the kiss of his younger sister! The tale of the man winning his lover from the nasty hands of her protective older brother. And finally, the Hero who leaps into a Demon Lord¡¯s jaws to rescue his fiancee! They¡¯re all stories practically unheard of in the modern era!¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    I had to stop for a moment to process the words that the Elf had just said.


    Wait a minute¡­ Were my stories already that widespread? Even the Elves, who were renowned for keeping to themselves, have heard of my exploits. Not only that, they even knew about my rtionships with Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle.


    The Eyghon story, I could understand. But my past with the three girls shouldn¡¯t be that widespread yet, shouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry to startle you, but¡­ Perhaps, could I get a photo?¡±


    Out of nowhere, the young Elf brought out a high-end digital camera and pointed its lens at me. It was quite a surreal experience, seeing an elf with such modern technology, so much so that I froze on the spot.


    ¡°No,¡± Irina coldly answered with a scoff. ¡°Brother isn¡¯t someone you can take a photo of.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine! I would like to take a picture of all of you as well!¡± Riniya¡¯s face slowly turned red as she turned her eyes between all three of my lovers.


    ¡°The Winter Princess, the Moon Goddess, and the ming Amazonian! You are all celebrities that my friends would love to see! If I could just get one picture¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Before the female Elf could drool from her opened mouth, one of her colleagues reined her in. ¡°We¡¯re on a mission, remember! Don¡¯t let your emotions get to your head.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah! Right! I apologise, Hero! I was just caught up in the moment. Please forgive me!¡±


    Heeding her friend¡¯s advice, the Elf immediately bowed her head in remorse and tried desperately to make amends. It was an unfamiliar position, one of power and prestige. And yet, I could make this poor Elf tremble in fear just by existing.


    ¡°No, just keep it in moderation.¡± I waved her off nonchntly. ¡°Also, stop calling me Hero. It¡¯s off-putting. Jin is enough.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! With pleasure!¡±


    Beaming from ear to ear, the Elf leapt to her feet with a refreshed expression. But once again, the same look of reverence crept up her eyes, making it unbearable to stare straight at her.


    Seriously¡­ Are all Elves this weird?


    Still, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue talking to her, and thus, I simply stood next to my lovers and allowed the Elves to lead the way.


    The Elven Forest was massive, farrger than any of the ces I¡¯d visited. And due to their policy of preserving thend, no modern transport system was allowed to tarnish the ancient jungle. They were even stringent on how many Warp Gates were allowed to be built on the continent. Only four Warp Gates connected the Elven Forest to the outside world and were located on the continent¡¯s fringes. This meant that if we wished to traverse deeper into the sacrednd, we needed a new means of transport.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    I pointed at the levitating wooden whale-like structure that remained mid-air without any propulsion. No des of a helicopter, no engine to generate thrust, not even some fire like a hot-air balloon. It looked like a mythical creature that shouldn¡¯t exist on our!


    But contrary to my shock, the elves werepletely s¨¦ about the structure.


    ¡°Ah, this is our only way of travelling long distances in the Forest. We call it a flying boat. Have you seen one before?¡±


    ¡°How does it fly?¡±


    ¡°Using magic, of course!¡± Riniya dered proudly.


    ¡°Magic? Howe I can¡¯t sense any magic power from that thing?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t one to brag, but my senses were exceedingly keen when it came to magic. If the flying boat uses any spatial or elemental spell, I should be able to sense it even if it were tens of kilometres away. Yet, even though we¡¯re practically next to it, I couldn¡¯t detect an ounce of magic being emitted from the odd structure.


    ¡°We don¡¯t use magic as you Vampires do,¡± Riniya exined everything as a matter of factly. ¡°Us Elves are the messengers of the World Tree, and so, we specialise in Nature and Spirit Magic. It¡¯s a different system of magic, just like how Holy Magic is different to normal Magic. So it makes sense that you can¡¯t sense the Spirits within the flying boat.¡±


    ¡°Nature and Spirit Magic? Spirits?¡±


    What on earth was this Elf talking about?


    Did magic have different categories? Weren¡¯t they all unified under the same system? Why would Spirit Magic be different from regr magic?


    Even as we stepped foot on the mysterious flying boat, I couldn¡¯t feel an iota of magic. Perhaps it was due to how secretive they were; there weren¡¯t many books on Elven magic from the texts I¡¯d studied.


    Seems like, after reuniting with Rosalyn, I will have one or two more reasons to stay in the Elven Forest.


    Speaking of which¡­


    ¡°Riniya.¡±


    ¡°Yes! What do you need, Hero Jin?!¡±


    While I was taken aback by her extreme fervour, I quickly bnced myself and got back on topic.


    ¡°¡­ Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Normally, we would take you to the Elven Sanctuary and register you as guests. But we have special orders to deliver you straight to Mistress Rosalyn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks.¡±


    Wow, that was convenient. Compared to the other three girls, it seemed like I was going to get to meet Rosalyn real quick. For some reason, I could even feel the flying boat elerating as if it wished to get me to my destination as soon as possible.


    Everything was proceeding so smoothly that it felt anti-climactic.


    Yet¡­ There was a sense of unease amongst the entire party.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    I turned my head and saw Lilith¡¯s blonde head staring down at the Elven Forest as it flew by us.


    ¡°For them to provide us with such a smooth sailing entry¡­ It¡¯s unlike the Elves.¡± Lilith murmured underneath her breath. It was meant to be her thinking out loud, but everyone nearby could clearly hear her thoughts.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ The Elves are never this weing. Even to people they admire.¡± Cape reflected Lilith¡¯s thoughts. ¡°They¡¯d even skipped the security clearance at the Elven Sanctuary. No matter how much they trust us, this is a little too much.¡±


    ¡°Are you just overthinking this? We dide here with permission.¡±


    Ysabelle challenged their doubts, mainly because the ckburn House arranged this whole affair. However, even she couldn¡¯t hide the unease that was hidden in the recesses of her mind.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask them to head to the Elven Sanctuary first? That way, we can¡­¡±


    Just before Cape couldplete her sentence, the silver-haired Asterias wobbled. Her knees fell to the floor, and her hands were sprawled on the ground. Soon after, the other members of the entourage dropped like flies as they copsedpletely with foam in their mouths.


    ¡°W-What¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t able to utter a single word before my vision blurred. It felt like the world was spinning rapidly beneath my feet, and my eyes could not keep a straight line of sight.


    Cape wasn¡¯t the only victim on the floor. Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle, my lovers, had long lost consciousness and were sleeping with their eyes tightly shut. Not only that, the fifteen female elves, who were meant to be my escorts, had copsed quietly as well.


    In the end, only I was left standing.


    No, I couldn¡¯t call what I did standing. My consciousness slipped between dizziness and darkness while my knees refused to touch the ground. Like I was holding a squat, I resisted falling down and attempted to use magic to figure out what was going on with my body.


    But before I could do any of that¡­


    ¡°Jin¡­ Don¡¯t resist¡­¡±


    A sweet, flowery voice entered my mind just before it slipped out of my control. My head was staring at the floor, so I couldn¡¯t see my assant¡¯s face. No, was that woman even my assant? Her tender voice, her distinct fragrance¡­ I knew them.


    I knew her.


    She was most definitely¡­


    ¡°You will be safe¡­ We will be¡­ together¡­ forever¡­¡±


    And with those words resonating in my mind, I slipped intoplete darkness.

 Chapter 110 Trapped! (1)

    ¡°Jin¡­ Tired?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Two figures sat under the moonlit sky,pletely untethered by the world surrounding them. As if they were the only two people in the world, the two childreny side-by-side, watching the stars¡¯ movement as the world passed them by.


    The younger of the two turned around to face his friend, who had her knees cupped together in a kneeling position. Like an older sister, the girl attempted to draw the boy¡¯s head towards herp, seemingly wishing to ease the boy¡¯s fatigue through her own bodily warmth.


    ¡°Rosalyn, aren¡¯t you tired? You¡¯ve been watching us from morning till night.¡±


    ¡°Watching Jin¡­ Not tired¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking,¡± the boy helplessly smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think I even saw you sleep once! You¡¯re awake when I go to bed and awake when I wake up. Shouldn¡¯t Vampires love to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping¡­ Not fun.¡±


    ¡°Not fun? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping¡­ Scary¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you afraid of the dark?¡±


    ¡°Dark? Yes¡­ Maybe¡­ Darkness is¡­ scary.¡±


    The green-haired girl cusped her hands on her elbows and drew herself in. Like a frozen teddy bear, the prepubescent girl shivered with her eyes closed; god knows what thoughts were running through her mind. Seeing her reaction, the young boy opened his jaw and could not form words for the first few seconds. However, he quickly collected himself and said:


    ¡°Come to think of it, even though you¡¯re the oldest of the four, you¡¯re still an eleven-year-old child.¡±


    Ignoring the fact that the boy was actually one year younger than the girl, he moved behind the shivering child and embraced her with his loving arms.


    The sudden warmth of skin flushed the young girl¡¯s paleplexion entirely as her Lapis eyes flickered with a mixture of joy and satisfaction. Purring like a cat, the girl nuzzled her face deeper into the young boy¡¯s chest and took pleasure in his firm embrace.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Warm¡­¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep, Rosalyn. I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°Rosa¡­ Call me¡­ Rosa¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, you sure like to be spoiled.¡± The boy brushed the young girl¡¯s rich green hair and chuckled in bliss. ¡°Alright, Rosa. Go to sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Stay with me¡­ Forever?¡±


    The boy was taken aback for a moment, but just one look into the girl¡¯s earnest, Lapis eyes was all it took for his brain faculties to melt. Leaning into her neck, the boy softly whispered with a firm resolve.


    ¡°Of course, I will! I will be with you forever, Rosa!¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ We will be together¡­ Forever¡­¡±


    With the boy¡¯s words echoing within her mind, the green-haired child finally rxed her whole body as her consciousness slipped into the Garden of Hypnos without a single care in the world. She entrusted everything to the boy, and the boy epted it with a joyful smile.


    Falling asleep in each other¡¯s arms, the two children seemed like a pair of mandarin ducks that stuck to each other by the hip. It was a sweet and delightful picture of two innocent children blossoming their feelings into something more than just a childhood romance.


    It was¡­


    ???


    ¡°Rosa¡­¡±


    I woke up with her name drifting out the corner of my mouth.


    Caught in a state of drowsiness, I was barely able to decide if I was awake or asleep. Whether the light that permeated my eyelids was reality or a figment of my imagination. My head was feeling heavy, and I could barely feel anything from my body. It felt like I was caught in a simtion with my mind and body being separated.


    However, with what little consciousness I retained, I opened my eyes to survey the surroundings.


    The first thing I noticed was the overabundance of green in the room. Iid upon the earthy roots were numerous essories, such asmps, shelves and even an incense burner. Although I called it a room, it was more of a simple cottage that was dug deep within arge tree. My guess was I had been brought to an Elf¡¯s loft, one that was hidden in the trees with no windows to see the outside.


    As my consciousness returned in droves, I could map out my surroundings more clearly. I wasn¡¯t in prison or a medical bay; I was in someone¡¯s private room. And judging by the soft bed that covered my back, it seemed like a pretty luxurious abode.


    I swivelled my head about, trying to wake myself up from the stupor I was caught in. However, the first thing that I felt was a tight restriction on my four limbs. Mainly, my wrist and ankles were locked up, and each time I attempted to move, a searing pain sent electric shocks all around my nervous system, paralysing my movements instantly.


    What little strength I had was sucked out at that moment, and I could no longer move any of my limbs. Fortunately, I was able to retain my consciousness which allowed me to figure out the cause of my bindings.


    Four thick, spiky vines, each bulkier than my own thighs, were wrapped around my limbs. They looked like four deadly serpents coiled around me, and at any second, they would be happy to devour me. But before I couldprehend how those vines could keep me restrained, I noticed something off about my body.


    I was naked.


    No, I waspletelyid bare for the world to see. And not just that, my member was oddly erect and as hard as diamonds. Not to mention, there was a familiar moistness that covered that thick shaft.


    This wasn¡¯t regr morning wood.


    The blood on my manhood as well as the distinct aroma of virginity being lost¡­ The soreness from my bottom half¡­ And that all too familiar smell of a man and woman coiled together in blissful lust.


    I had done the deed with someone¡­ While I was asleep, no less!


    Never in my life would I have imagined that I would be raped!


    And¡­ I didn¡¯t need to wait long to figure out the identity of my assant.


    ¡°Jin¡­ Awake?¡±


    A sweet,zy voice sounded from the corner of the room. Even though the voice wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d heard in a long time, I knew with absolute certainty who that woman was.


    Slowly, I pivoted my head to the right, and then¡­


    I was greeted by a peerless beauty.


    Draped in nothing but a bath towel, the stunningdy was nothing short of breathtaking. Her exotic appearance was something I¡¯d never seen before. Big round eyes that hid two brightly coloured Lapis Moons twinkled in pure magnificence, seemingly making the woman far more unnatural than she really was.


    Her wafer-thin eyebrows covered herrge eyes, and her diamond-shaped face made her look like something out of a stic surgeon¡¯s face. Glistening, velvety green hair fell from her head and down to her thighs, hinting that she wasn¡¯t one to cut her ever-flowing hair. Yet, even though her hair could match Rapunzel¡¯s, it didn¡¯t seem unkempt in the slightest.


    No, it was so well-groomed that it seemed like a waterfall of emeralds was dripping down her hair. Also, it didn¡¯t help that she was doused with water aftering out of the shower.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t as tall as Ysabelle, the woman was easily above 1.8 metres in height. Her long silky legs were just as peachy as her exceedingly suckable neck, and her ample bosom was enough to make anyone drool.


    And that thick, dewy fragrance ripped out from the firsting of Autumn¡­


    How could I put it?


    It seemed like the personification of Mother Nature herself had manifested before my very eyes.


    If not for the fact that I was restrained, I would have been tempted to rush to her side and give her a firm hug.


    Speaking of which¡­


    ¡°Rosa? That¡¯s you, right?¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­ You recognise me?¡±


    A hint of surprise was prevalent in the young woman¡¯s eyes. But that change was exceedingly slight. Rosa was an expressionless person, and she was often in a sleepy and moody state. So, that change of emotions was quite subtle. It didn¡¯t take long for her emotionless face to return as she answered her own question.


    ¡°Fool¡­ Jin won¡¯t forget me¡­ Of course¡­¡±


    I had so many questions.


    Where was I? Why did she restrain me? What were these vines that seemingly sucked my energy, leaving me tired and unable to resist? What did she do with the rest of the girls? Why am Ipletely naked, and what were the bloodstains on my crotch?


    There were just too many questions to ask, but the first words that came out of my mouth were¡­


    ¡°Rosa¡­ Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Jin¡­¡±


    The expressionless girl didn¡¯t move a single inch, but I could somehow feel the tion that coursed through her soul. Her heavy emotions were transmitted through our link, and somehow, I could feel all her bottled-up feelings gushing into me.


    Yearning¡­ Happiness¡­ And most agonisingly¡­ Loneliness.


    Our small reunion was fifteen years in the making, and Rosa dreaded every second of those fifteen years.


    And now that we are reunited¡­


    ¡°Jin¡­ We will be¡­ Together forever¡­¡±

 Chapter 111 Trapped! (2)

    [Hello, my valuable readers. I¡¯m writing this message to request a one-week break from writing this story. I¡¯m sorry to do this, especially in the middle of a book, but I have a minor surgical operation and need to take some time off to recover. From 10th October to 16th October, there won¡¯t be any releases for ¡®My Vampire Little Sister.¡¯ Chapters will continue on 17th October.


    Once again, I apologise for doing this so suddenly, but I¡¯ll see you soon! Hope you enjoy the chapter!]


    Rosalyn had trapped me.


    I don¡¯t know how or why she did it, but the fact remains that I was covered in restrictive vines. My body was heavily fatigued, and I could barely keep my eyes straight. The most shocking thing of it all, I could feel my magic power being sucked away with every passing second, rendering me incapable of using magic.


    With my physical and magical state severelypromised, all I could do wasy down t as Rosalyn did as she pleased.


    I repeatedly attempted to free myself from the restraints or to at least get to the bottom of Rosalyn¡¯s behaviour. However, none of my actions bore any fruit.


    Every time I tried to break free, the vines moved as if they had a mind of their own. Through some mysterious means, my magic power was being sucked at an exponential rate. My physical state was no better, as I was perpetually in a drugged state, making it impossible for me to brute force my way out.


    It was like I was being controlled by aputer. There was just enough magic power for me to survive, but anything else was stripped clean away from me.


    As for Rosalyn herself, she was no help.


    Other than feeding me the bare minimum of her blood, she never once answered my questions. It didn¡¯t help that she possessed an expressionless face, which would give any poker yer a run for their money.


    She would often repeat the same words over and over.


    ¡®We¡¯ll be together forever,¡¯ or ¡®Outside¡­ Dangerous¡­¡¯


    I had no clue why she was behaving this way or why she trapped me for no good reason, which was why I could only ept my fate as the imprisoned.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I was going to do nothing.


    While my strength was readily sucked away, my mind gradually became clearer. I could retain much of my consciousness, even though Rosalyn¡¯s vines were sucking much of my magic power away. In due time, I realised something vital.


    Rosalyn wasn¡¯t present by my side twenty-four hours a day.


    Yes, for twelve hours straight, the girl would spend much of her time with me. Be it staring at my face as if I was the most precious art piece in the world, or feeding me her own blood, or¡­ Well, some other R18 activities.


    Rosalyn would, at most, spend twelve hours or half a day with me.


    For the other twelve hours, the girl would disappear after putting me in a trance-like state. I didn¡¯t know what she was doing in those twelve hours, and I didn¡¯t have the mental capability to track her movements. And it didn¡¯t help that my magic power was being drained at a faster and faster rate.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell how many days had passed since I started living this way.


    There wasn¡¯t any sunlight to show the night¡¯s passing, nor were there any clocks to show the dates. In fact, the only reason why I knew twelve hours would pass was because I counted the minutes mentally.


    It reminded me of the time when I was disabled and practically a vegetable on a hospital bed. This time, however, I was drugged and physically drained to prevent my escape.


    The reunion with Rosalyn had turned into a mental hell, something that was beyond my wildest imagination. Though oddly enough, I couldn¡¯t find it in me to hate the girl who put me in this ce.


    Was it the connection we shared? Was it our souls preventing any sort of hatred from forming? Or was it our past rtionship overwriting the emotions of hatred? I couldn¡¯t tell.


    The only sce I¡¯d got were the dreams that came to me during these perilous times.


    Dreams of one boy and four girls. No, at this point, I should call a spade a spade. The memories of my past had been slowly unravelling before my eyes. Perhaps it was due to my current connection with my four lovers. The memories that had been sealed when I injured my soul slowly returned.


    The days we¡¯d spent as children training together in the wilderness. The precious moments we shared when we were young and naive. And most importantly¡­ The feelings we shared as young, infatuated children.


    They were all resonating within my heart.


    Oddly enough, I hadn¡¯t returned Rosalyn¡¯s soul yet. From what Irina had exined to me, the best way to return her soul was to be connected in mind, body and soul.


    Both our souls had long been connected, and our bodies were intertwined like snakes for days on end. Yet, her soul still persists within mine, locking thest fragments of my memories and preventing my Vampire Aspect from fully manifesting itself.


    Which meant¡­ The only reason why I have yet to return Rosalyn¡¯s soul¡­ Was due to our minds not being on the same wavelength.


    I still didn¡¯t understand Rosalyn, even after staying with her for a few days now. I didn¡¯t even know why she kidnapped and imprisoned me, let alone understand her mental state!


    It was truly the worst predicament I¡¯d experienced ever since turning into a Vampire. Though, there was one change in my life¡­


    ¡°Sora¡­ Are you there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always here, Jin!¡±


    Still in a drowsy state, I murmured some words into nk space like a sick person from an asylum. However, unlike those people who spoke with in emptiness, a cheerful voice replied to my heavy words.


    An elf, no, to be more exact, a flying elf-like fairy, appeared out of nowhere. She was in a white elven robe that looked luxurious for a mere fairy, and her four translucent butterfly wings glistened with an emerald hue. Though I wasn¡¯t able to urately measure her size, the fairy seemed to be a littlerger than fifteen centimetres. Which was odd, given that she had an exceedingly loud voice for something her size.


    ¡°Sora¡­ Can¡¯t you do anything about these restraints?¡±


    ¡°Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Sorry, can¡¯t help you there! I¡¯m not a physical thing, remember?¡±


    The fairy stuck her tongue out as she ced her hand on my forehead. However, rather than feeling the warm touch of a living creature, all I felt was coolness as her hand passed through my skin as if it didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°You sure are useless¡­ You know that?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Although it¡¯s the truth, that isn¡¯t nice to hear!¡±


    The fairy ced her hands on her waist and pouted like an adorable teddy bear.


    Come to think of it, we had quite a simr conversation the first time we met. It all happened a few days back when I¡¯d first noticed that Rosalyn would disappear for half a day at a time. During those twelve hours when I was alone, I willed myself back into consciousness, hoping to find a method of escape.


    Magic didn¡¯t work, and neither did I have the physical strength to break free. The only thing that kept my sanity alive was the willpower I¡¯d honed after spending fifteen years as a cripple.


    However, despite my best attempts, Rosalyn¡¯s bindings were far too mysterious. Its ability to drain magic power was something I¡¯d never experienced before, and the physical restraints were strong enough to bind a thousand elephants together if need be. Not to mention, she had fed me this drug that kept me paralysed throughout.


    I felt like I was in a trance most of the time. And just when I¡¯d thought I¡¯d lost my mind¡­


    Sora mysteriously appeared.


    She called herself a Spirit, a being that apparently was the personification of every living creature. Spirit, soul, ego¡­ They went by many names. But, the Elves and those who live in the Elven Forest know them all by one name.


    Spirits.


    ording to Sora, most Spirits were mindless blobs of life energy, doing nothing but simply existing. They were ever-present and could appear at any given time. Fields of grass, barren deserts, deep underneath the ocean¡­ As long as life was present, Spirits would be as well. And in some rare cases, Spirits could gain sentience capable of matching a regr human.


    As for Sora¡­


    ¡°How are you feeling, Jin? Still tired?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    I scolded the ignorant fairy for stating the obvious. Not pleased by my tone, Sora blew air into her cheeks and stomped her feet in the air.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know! I¡¯m not you!¡±


    ¡°Anyone could tell just by my expressions¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to know! The only person I¡¯ve been around is Rosa, and you can¡¯t actually call her vibrant and full of expressions¡­¡±


    Sora rolled her eyes and mentally chided the absent beauty. In her words, Sora was Rosalyn¡¯s contractor and the Spirit in charge of protecting and guarding her. In simpler terms, Sora was just Rosalyn¡¯s maid or butler that did her chores while the girl was busy.


    And this time¡­ Her chore was keeping an eye on me while the girl was away.


    ¡°You know¡­ This is the first time anyone else has ever seen me. Other than Rosa, of course!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising¡­ Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve been living here for thousands of years? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen one or two Elves running around.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see them all the time! But they can¡¯t see me! I was practically living alone until Rosa contracted me¡­¡± The fairy seemed distraught as her wings stopped pping and her head bowed down in sadness. However, it didn¡¯t take long for her to recover.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was happy that someone else could see me too! I now have two friends instead of one!¡±


    Hoh¡­ So Sora is a Spirit that not even the Elves can see, huh? For her to contract with such a high-grade Spirit¡­ Come to think of it, why was Rosalyn living in the Elven Forest rather than the Shadowgarden Headquarters?


    ¡°Jin¡­ Are you feeling sad?¡± Noticing my silence, the kind-hearted fairy floated towards my face and attempted to cheer me up. ¡°Please don¡¯t me Rosa for this, okay? She has her own difficulties¡­ If you endure it for a few more years, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll let you free.¡±


    ¡°And how many years would that be?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­ Maybe give and take a thousand?¡±


    Yeah¡­ I definitely can¡¯t wait that long. This air-headed fairy¡­ Does she think that a thousand years passes by in a sh?! No, I need to be proactive if I want to escape this hell.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Sora, we¡¯re friends now, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°And friends tell each other everything, right?¡±


    ¡°Do they? If you say so, I¡¯ll believe you!¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    With what little strength I could muster, I put on a sinister smile as I whispered:


    ¡°Tell me everything you know about Rosa¡­¡±

 Chapter 112 Target: Jin Valter! (1)

    Bloodborne Mansion. Bloodborne Throne Hall.


    Eyghon¡¯s defeat had lit up a spark under all of the¡¯s inhabitants. Decades of peace had dulled their senses, and many had forgotten the threat that the Demon Lords possessed. Their immense size and unbeatable magic power were something that no mere mortal could match up against.


    The damage that a Demon Lord could do waspletely incalcble, and should they invade in droves, the might be doomed before one could even blink.


    Yet, at the same time, there was a shining ray of light.


    One boy, no, one Vampire, was capable of bringing death to that lofty Demon Lord. At the tender age of twenty-five, he became a hero and a household name. People sang his name in hymns, and many analysed every single footage that they had.


    But most of all¡­ His actions had inspired millions.


    If one person could kill a Demon Lord, why couldn¡¯t the rest of them do the same?


    The undefeatable myth of the Outer Demon Lords had been broken, and every single organisation in the world had been mobilised. It didn¡¯t matter if they were Human, Werewolf, Vampire, Merfolk or Elves. They were all inspired by the young boy to change their benign ways.


    Though, some organisations were inspired in the wrong way¡­


    ¡°High Elder, the preparations have beenpleted.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    A tall figure draped in blood red cloak sat atop the Bloodborne Throne with a lethargic demeanour. It seemed like the man had been working for hundreds of days without sleep, and judging by his worn attire, it sure felt that way. Waving his arms, the High Elder got to his feet and carefully inspected the Throne Hall one final time.


    In the past, the Bloodborne House would use this chamber to wee their guests and, in some cases, host banquets to all who were faithful to their lineage. In their heyday, the Throne Hall would be decorated with the finest jewels and the best possible luxuries man could offer. Dyes that were as expensive as gold. Marble that were as rare as asteroids. Silk that were as valuable as human flesh.


    The Bloodborne Mansion was once considered a pce of luxury that no entity could ever hope to match.


    However, as their power dwindled, the Bloodborne Mansion lost much of its valuables. Through loans that were defaulted or reparations for their past wrongdoings, the Bloodborne House was now a shell of their previous selves.


    But that didn¡¯t matter to the High Priest one bit.


    The debt that the world had to the Bloodborne House¡­ It would be paid in full. Once the Progenitor was resurrected, the entire would grovel at their feet. The Vampires that once shunned them would soon beg for their forgiveness. The Ten Guardian Houses would cease to exist and unite them into one House. The original Vampire House.


    The Bloodborne House.


    ¡°How beautiful¡­¡±


    Walking down the glistering hallway, the High Elder admired the scene that weed him. The pirs of gold of the Throne Hall had been reced by mountains of corpses. The gilded floor that reflected all forms of light was now drenched in a river of blood. Live sacrifices were being tortured and maimed, all for their fresh, magical blood.


    Cries of humans had be music to the High Elder¡¯s ears as he strutted his way to the final destination. Pleas for help, wails of pain¡­ They mattered nought to the de-facto Bloodborne leader.


    All that mattered to him¡­ was the structure thaty before his eyes.


    A pure, ck ebony coffin.


    The casket wasrge enough to fit two fully grown adults at over three metres tall. It was decorated with magical gems and golden flowers, making it asvish as a Pharaoh¡¯s sarcophagus. But it wasn¡¯t just a in casket.


    Laid at the head of the coffin was an artificial tree made out of the blood of a million victims. Crimson leaves fell softly upon the casket, disappearing the moment they touched the firm hardwood. A blood fruit grew at the top of the tree, condensing all of the magic it obtained into one singr point.


    The Bloodborne House had been carefully seeding this tree, hoping to imitate the World Tree that the Progenitor was born from. And for the most part, they seeded.


    Using the Blood Tree, they managed to recreate the Progenitor¡¯s body chemistry naturally by sacrificing an Elf that was from the Bloodborne Ancestor¡¯s family tree. Adding in the blood essence of a million victims and the original heart of the Progenitor, the Bloodborne House was almost ready to resurrect their Eternal Patriarch.


    They were just short of one final ingredient¡­


    ¡°Have we prepared the Warp Gate?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the servant replied whilst on his knees. ¡°We are ready to transfer to the Elven Forest at any time.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ We just need to call for Father¡¯s soul now¡­ And as much as I hate to admit it, we need the power of the World Tree.¡±


    The High Elder was unable to hold back his disgust and scowled.


    The Progenitor was originally an Elf who renounced the Elven way of life in favour of his own eternal life. While the Elves sought to protect the World Tree and even turned into trees themselves once their lifespan was up, the Bloodborne Ancestor rejected that notion.


    He believed that he could create a perfect race, one that was eternally unchained and could use magic beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. And through his numerous years of experimentation, the Progenitor seeded.


    Drac Bloodborne, also known as the First Vampire, was an Elf who paved his own path. And while his motives weremendable and created a whole new race, he couldn¡¯t deny his roots.


    The soul of the Progenitor had dissipated away during his death, and the only way to revive it was through the help of the World Tree. Or, if it was reincarnated¡­


    ¡°Horatio, are you there?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± a handsome young man walked over from his position and gave the High Elder a firm bow. ¡°Why have you summoned me? I¡¯m still busy managing the army.¡±


    ¡°Have you managed to locate Jin Valter?¡± The High Elder ignored Horatio¡¯s response and shot back with his own question.


    ¡°Hoho? Haven¡¯t you heard?¡±


    ¡°Heard what?¡±


    ¡°Jin Valter, he¡­ He¡¯s already at the Elven Forest.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The High Elder¡¯s brow unconsciously moved. This time, he was genuinely stunned. He¡¯d always thought that the boy would remain in the safety of the ckburn House or, at the very least, seek refuge in one of the many Guardian Houses that now supported his cause. And yet¡­ His target was conveniently at the location he was going to.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Horatio did all he could to hide hisughter. ¡°Apparently, his final lover is training within the Elven Forest. So, he went to reunite with her.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ No, it doesn¡¯t matter. Haha, fate is truly on our side. If he¡¯s at the Elven Forest, it simplifies our operation.¡±


    The High Elder lips curled into a smile. How couldn¡¯t he? The n he¡¯d been preparing for over a thousand years was finallying to fruition. Everything was falling into ce. The battle force was assembled, the coffin holding his Father had beenpleted, and thest remaining pieces he needed were all in the same ce.


    It felt like the Progenitor¡¯s revival was destined to happen, perhaps an inevitability.


    Speaking of which¡­ There were some who couldn¡¯t wait for one second more.


    ¡°Ahhhh, my beloved husband¡­ Wait for us! We¡¯ll be reviving you soon!¡±


    A red-haired woman knelt down before the casket, tears falling down her cheeks as her face crumbled in ecstasy. Next to her, two simr-looking women were tearing up as well as they reached towards the coffin with yearning expressions.


    ¡°Second Consort! Eight Consort! Please stay your hands! If you touch the coffin, you might get absorbed into the ritual!¡±


    ¡°Fuck off! Are you saying that we can¡¯t touch our husband?! He¡¯s in front of us! Right in front of us!¡±


    The blue-haired woman yelled back and almost snapped the servant¡¯s neck. Fortunately, before her razor-sharp ws could dig themselves into the servant, a hand grabbed onto the woman¡¯s wrist, preventing any sort of bloodshed.


    ¡°Eight Consort, please calm yourself.¡± The High Elder spoke respectfully, but there was a coldness within his voice. ¡°We¡¯re this close to reviving Father¡­ Are you going to mess it up for your selfish emotions?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, fine!¡±


    The woman snapped her hands free from the High Elder and reverted her gaze back to the lonesome casket. She wanted nothing more than to open the hood and embrace the husband she so sorely missed, but s¡­ She was so near, yet too far.


    ¡°Fifth Consort, I need you to sober up as well. You¡¯re the spearhead of this operation; I can¡¯t let you continue crying as we face the Elves.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Worry not; I¡¯ll do anything to get my husband back! Even if Sirius came again to stop me, I will make sure to bury him alongside any who dare to stop us.¡± The red-haired woman¡¯s tearful expression soon turned into one of pure resolve.


    Evidently, the defeat at the Moonreaver Dimension was still eating at her. As someone of the same generation as Matriarch Innocence, the Fifth Consort still couldn¡¯t wrap her head around how a mere child of the Moonreaver House could match her strength.


    To her, bringing her husband back was of paramount importance. Therefore, even if it costs her life, the Fifth Consort would do everything in her power to ensure that the ritual takes ce smoothly.


    ¡°Julien, while resurrecting your Father is important, you have to take care of yourself. When was thest time you had some sleep?¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Contrary to the other two consorts, the yellow-haired woman gave the High Elder a worrying frown.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± the High Elder shook his head in response. ¡°What about you? I didn¡¯t wish to include you, but¡­ As the Second Consort, you will be the most important piece in our operation. Have you prepared yourself?¡±


    ¡°Son¡­¡± Fire entered the woman¡¯s eyes as she listened to the High Elder¡¯s words. Fuming from her nostrils, the woman replied with pure resolve. ¡°I have been ready since the day Drac died!¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡±


    The High Elder took one step back and stood over everything he¡¯d built for centuries. The entire Bloodborne army filled with elite Shadowfiends that had been training since their birth. They¡¯d kept numerous ancient Vampires a secret, including the Second, Fifth and Eight Consort, who were legends in the Vampire world. And finally, the coffin housing the hope of the Bloodborne House¡­


    They had all been gathered together.


    Which means there was one remaining puzzle to be filled.


    ¡°Horatio Bloodborne!¡±


    ¡°Here!¡±


    The Bloodborne Prince knelt solemnly on the ground, awaiting the High Elder¡¯s order. Trembling with excitement, he knew that the Bloodborne House would rise again should heplete this task and, therefore¡­ He beamed in pure happiness as the High Elder¡¯s words boomed throughout the vast Throne Hall.


    ¡°Bring me Jin Valter.¡±

 Chapter 113 Target: Jin Valter! (2)

    [Hello, my valuable readers. I¡¯m writing this message to request a one-week break from writing this story. I¡¯m sorry to do this, especially in the middle of a book, but I have a minor surgical operation and need to take some time off to recover. From 10th October to 16th October, there won¡¯t be any releases for ¡®My Vampire Little Sister.¡¯ Chapters will continue on 17th October.


    Once again, I apologise for doing this so suddenly, but I¡¯ll see you soon! Hope you enjoy the chapter!]


    Elven Sanctuary. The High Priestess¡¯ Sanctum.


    Although the Elven Forest had remainedrgely untouched, that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t spots within that had enjoyed the effects of civilisation. Deep within the lush forest, there was a perfect sanctuary that measured over five hundred kilometres across. It was one of the few ces the Elves had taken over to repurpose thend.


    Within it, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of structures, all crafted with Elven majesty. Pirs of natural light emerged from thecquered wooden floor as ivory towers ruled thend. Yet, even with such borate designs, the Elven architecture never once overshadowed the grandeur of the beautiful forest. Rather, itplements it perfectly.


    And at the peak of everything, one superstructure dwarfed anything that stood by its side.


    A shrine, no, a temple ted with emeralds and gold rose above all, standing heads and shoulders above anything else the Elves had built. It possessed massive halls and borately painted ss depicting past Elves and their exploits. Statues of Elven warriorsy at each corner, seemingly protecting evil from charging within. And at the very end of the ptial corridors was an open sanctum.


    The sanctum was over a dozen metres in height, easily capable of fitting one or two giraffes stacked on top of each other. With butterfly-like ss covering the gaps in the pirs, one could see everything that urred outside of the holy sanctum.


    The massive trees that surrounded the Elven Sanctuary. The beautifulkes provided the Elves with fresh, delicious water. And most importantly¡­ The centrepiece of the Elves and the whole reason they existed in the first ce¡­


    The World Tree.


    A behemoth of a natural wonder. Its resplendence was so great that it even outshines the Sun in the morning. Its canopy alone was alreadyrge enough to cover five mountains ced side-by-side, and its massive trunk was easily thergest natural structure on the, towering over most skyscrapers.


    The World Tree was the object of worship for all Elves. It was the beacon that lit up their path, the God they all served, and the entity they all revered andy their lives on the line to protect.


    Which was why¡­ The High Priestess¡¯ Sanctum was located right where she could see the magnificent tree.


    The High Priestess, Miriel.


    An Elf that had lived for thousands of years. Her responsibilities in the Elven Forest covered a wide range of issues. From daily maintenance of the wildlife to managing the politics that emerge from having thousands of Elves bunched together.


    However, there was one responsibility that trumped all else.


    The protection of the World Tree.


    Everything that the Elves stood for was for the World Tree. Everything that the Elves did was for the World Tree. Everything that the Elves lived for¡­ Was for the World Tree.


    Which was why¡­


    ¡°Veralyn¡­ Could you please repeat that again?¡±


    Seated on her ornate, ebony cathedra, the golden-haired Elf opened her eyes so wide that one might think they would pop out. Though, that didn¡¯t matter to the other woman who sat in the chamber.


    Folding her arms, the Shadowgarden head repeated her words:


    ¡°We have received credible intelligence that¡­ The Bloodborne House is nning an attack on the Elven Forest.¡±


    ¡°The Bloodborne House¡­ Those bastards once again!¡±


    It took everything in the High Priestess¡¯ power to stop herself from mming the desk. She bit down on her lip and pressed for more answers.


    ¡°What do they want with us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what they want with you¡­ But the World Tree.¡±


    ¡°Are they attacking the World Tree?!¡±


    At this point, the animated Elf leapt from her chair and was ready to call the banners. The World Tree was every Elf¡¯s sore point. Anyone who dared to threaten its safety was going to face the full wrath of the Elven race.


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s notpletely urate.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You see, the Bloodborne House doesn¡¯t want to destroy the World Tree. Far from it, in fact. They need the power of the World Tree.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    The Shadowgarden head stopped momentarily and thought about divulging the top-secret information. However, given that the Elves were the victims this time, the Vampire sighed and reluctantly said:


    ¡°¡­ The revival of the Progenitor.¡±


    ¡°The¡­ what?¡±


    For a moment there, the Elf froze. Her pointed ears twitched like a pair of wings that were ready to take flight. She dropped her jaw, and herplexion slowly turned ashen.


    ¡°The Bloodborne House is plotting to revive the Vampire Progenitor, Drac Bloodborne.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s terrible news, isn¡¯t it?!¡± The High Priestess yelped,pletely unbing of someone her stature. ¡°If the Vampire Progenitor resurrects, wouldn¡¯t the entire Vampire race be ves once again?¡±


    No one, not even the Elves, wished to see the Progenitor being revived. While his power and contributions to the Outer Demon war were great, his tyranny over the Vampires and those who stood in his way had been heavily documented.


    Should the Progenitor return, it could literally trigger aary war, one of the likes the world had never seen before.


    ¡°Calm down, Miriel¡­ Think about it for a second.¡± Contrary to the Elvendy¡¯s lively reaction, the Shadowgarden House¡¯s Eminence replied calmly. ¡°Resurrection is a myth. There hasn¡¯t been a single person who has ever revived from the dead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true! But it¡¯s the Vampire Progenitor we¡¯re talking about! He was the person who created an entire race to gain eternal life! What if he¡¯d really figured out a method of resurrecting himself?!¡±


    ¡°Miriel¡­ Do you even remember what family Ie from?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from the Shadowgarden House! Obtaining information is my bread and butter. We¡¯ve naturally been monitoring everything that the Bloodborne House has been doing. From the moment they conjured up a n to resurrect the Progenitor, we¡¯ve been interfering with their ns.¡±


    The Shadowgarden House wasn¡¯t called the intelligence juggernaut of the world for nothing. They knew every step the Bloodborne House took, starting from the sacrifices they umted to the invasion of the Moonreaver Dimension.


    Every step of the way, the Shadowgarden House had collected information about the Bloodborne House¡¯s supposed n to resurrect their Ancestor. And well¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ve studied the ritual they¡¯re nning to use and even secretly employed schrs from the Aracanasong House to reverse-engineer their forms. And while the Bloodborne House has put together a spectacr method, it is missing the most important ingredient.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The Progenitor¡¯s soul.¡±


    Eminence Veralyn crossed her legs and stared out of the ss window, holding her gaze at the massive World Tree that stood beyond her reach.


    ¡°Even with the power of the World Tree, they cannot recreate something that has been lost forever. No one knows what happens after death, especially if that person had his soul disintegrated. The Bloodborne House might have the physical body, the necessary sacrifices, and even if they somehow manage tomune with the World Tree¡­ A destroyed soul can never return.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so calm¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been studying this for centuries, Miriel.¡± Eminence Veralyn scoffed. ¡°The Shadowgarden House had even ced our hands in modifying the ritual. So even if theyplete it, it¡¯ll be yet another failure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ But wait, why is the Bloodborne Houseing to the Elven Forest then?¡±


    ¡°They wish to use the World Tree as a way to guide the Progenitor¡¯s soul back to the vessel they created. But, as I said, a lost soul can never return. Even the mighty World Tree cannot disrupt thatw of nature.¡±


    The Shadowgarden House¡¯s leaderzily retorted as if everything had been part of her master n.


    ¡°That being said, we can¡¯t be rxed about this either.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°They believe that by cing that dastardly coffin on the World Tree, they could revive the Progenitor. But that coffin is cancer. It absorbs all forms of magic, blood and essences, so much so, that even the World Tree might be affected. While they might not seed in resurrecting the Progenitor, they will cause irreparable damage to the World Tree.¡±


    The High Priestess started to think about her friend¡¯s words. She was right; the Elves couldn¡¯t allow anything to harm the World Tree. That was why they agreed to the Shadowgarden House¡¯s crazy n with Rosalyn in the first ce.


    ¡°¡­ Hold on, is that why you¡¯ve brought Rosalyn here? To protect the World Tree?¡±


    ¡°Rosalyn is the Shadowgarden House¡¯s final product. We would never do something so selfless. But of course, if we could protect the World Tree at the same time¡­ It¡¯s a win-win situation for all of us, no?¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ How stingy.¡±


    The High Priestess rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath.


    Unfortunately, neither the High Priestess nor the leader of the Shadowgarden House was aware of another possibility.


    The possibility of the Progenitor¡¯s soul actually being reincarnated.


    Reincarnated into a specific individual who was actually present at the Elven Forest.

 Chapter 114 How It All Began (1)

    [Thank you all for waiting! I¡¯m back!]


    Fifteen years before Jin¡¯s awakening as a Vampire¡­


    In High Vampire Society, there were numerous noble houses. Each noble house was created by respective Vampire Lords, many of whom were thousands of years old. It is often said that one noble house was equivalent to a billion-dorpany, given how they operated within the boundaries of the world¡¯s economy.


    Many wouldn¡¯t discuss it, or they were simply unaware, but even though the Vampires seemed elusive, they were intricately involved in the underbelly of society. From human trafficking to moneyundering, or be it simply owning property that had been passed down for generations.


    Over thousands of years, it would be strange if those Vampires weren¡¯t the wealthiest and most influential individuals on the.


    Yet, even among the many noble houses that Vampires boasted, there were few that stood far above them all. Compared to the average noble house, these Houses were practically on a whole other level. If the average noble house had a worth of a billion dors, these noble houses had the money to purchase an entire country. No, some of these houses possessed vastnd massesrger than the smaller countries of the world.


    They were the shield that protected the Vampires. The swords that pierced the enemies of the Vampire race. The ears that listen to which threats would lead to the downfall of all Vampires.


    They were the oldest and most influential houses¡­


    The Ten Guardian Houses.


    Everwinter, Moonreaver, ckburn, Shadowgarden, Gravemind, Terrabound, Lakefall, Skywing, Arcanasong, and finally¡­ The original Vampire House¡­ The Bloodborne House.


    The Everwinter House. A monolith that had stood since the beginning of the Vampire race. Led by Matriarch Innocence, the most famous Vampire alive, the Everwinter House were the undisputed lords of the North. In fact, even the Holy Church doesn¡¯t deny its sovereign power over the northernnd they govern.


    The Moonreaver House. The wealthiest and most diplomatic house of them all. They maintain the crucial Warp Gates that all Vampires used and were the sole creators of the Nightmare Realms. Without them, the Vampire race would have never be this elusive and would likely still be hunted down by the Church.


    The ckburn House. The Vampire House with thergest army and the biggest fighting force. The only Vampire House that fights head-to-head with the Outer Demons on a regr basis sometimes even allying themselves with their historical enemies to rid the threat of those foreign invaders possessed.


    The Shadowgarden House. The intelligence agency of the Vampire race. They protect the Vampire race through the widework of information gathering, and oftentimes, they would work as espionage agents to protect the interests of the Vampire race.


    The Gravemind House. A unique Vampire house with the power of dominating minds and using psychic abilities. They govern their own territory and utilise their natural-born magic to control living organisms and Outer Demons.


    The Terrabound, Lakefall, and Skywing Houses were much the same. The Terrabound specialises in magic pertaining to rock and mud. The Lakefall House were born with the innate talent to control water. As for the Skywing House, they dominated the skies with the wind and flight magic.


    The Arcanasong House. The only Vampire house that didn¡¯t rely on one¡¯s bloodline. As long as a Vampire was willing tomit themselves to the House, it didn¡¯t matter how high or lowborn they were. They were the schrs, the bookkeepers of the Vampire race. They kept records of every living Vampire, their powers, their age, and practically recorded their entire life. They were even researchers who experimented on how to improve a Vampire¡¯s life and power.


    Each one of these Guardian Houses had its own territories and its own interests. But they were all united in onemon goal: the Vampire race¡¯s protection and future.


    And to lead the future generation of Vampires to a better tomorrow, the four greatest houses of the Vampires created an alliance that superseded the Ten Guardian Houses.


    The Everwinter, Moonreaver, ckburn and Shadowgarden Houses had decided to strengthen their bonds beyond that ofpatriots and into true allies that dominated the entire Vampire race. And the first step in that process was to let the future leaders of their ns bond.


    Four young girls were gathered in an isted vi, one that was serene and far away from civilization. The vi was filled with everything a young girl would need. A television, toys to y with, servants to cater to their every demand¡­ It was a perfect getaway for those looking for a retreat.


    Yet, the four girls sat together on the couch, each one moving their bodies in unease. The youngest of them all was a white-haired girl. From afar, one might think that little thing was a doll rather than an actual living person. Folding her arms, the white-haired girl seemed slightly distressed with her current predicament. With her lips puckered and her eyes dreary, the girl never once connected her eyes with anyone else in the room.


    The other three girls were behaving in awkward manners as well.


    The blonde girl, who was just a little bit taller and older than the white-haired one, frowned while watching the younger girl¡¯s spoiled behaviour. She was restless, her leg shaking while her other foot was under her knee. Not knowing what to do, she went into her bag, pulled out a thick, leathery book, and began to ignore the rest.


    The tallest of the bunch, a ck-haired girl, watched the actions of her two new acquaintances with an anxious look in her eyes. The tension within the room was palpable; one would think they had entered a war zone. Scratching her nails, the ck-haired girl turned to the only other person in the room, hoping for some assistance.


    But s¡­


    The fourth and final girl looked dazed. Her luscious green hair dropped down to her waist as she seemed disinterested in everything that was going on. As the oldest of the bunch, she was meant to lead the conversations and, at the very least, keep the harmony of the room. Yet, the girl simply didn¡¯t care as she kept her expressionless face on, not giving any clue on what she might be thinking.


    Unable to bear it anymore, the ck-haired girl started to stutter:


    ¡°E-Ermmm, t-the adults told us to y together¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be right to keep to ourselves, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    None of the girls answered Ysabelle¡¯s question. Irina let out a silent harrumph and turned her chin away. Lilith acted as if the girl¡¯s words were like air and continued reading her book. While Rosalyn never once broke her demeanour.


    ¡°L-Let me start t-then! I¡¯m Ysabelle, nine years old, and¡­¡±


    ¡°We know that, Ysabelle.¡± Lilith shut her book with a loud thud and raised her vale eyes to stare deep into the nervous Ysabelle. ¡°All of us were present when the adults introduced us. I know your name, age, and personal details already.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, is that so¡­¡±


    ¡°Tch, why are they so insistent on putting us together? It¡¯s not like you can just be friends overnight just by forcing us into one vi for a season.¡± Clearly irritated by her circumstances, Lilith clicked her tongue and turned to the other girls again.


    ¡°Do you girls read any papers?¡±


    ¡°P-Papers? A-Ah, like novels?¡±


    ¡°Not novels, you silly. I meant research papers.¡± Lilith rolled her eyes and snorted. ¡°Or do you follow any magic research?¡±


    ¡°I-I learnt how to use my Vampire Aspect recently¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    Lilith sighed and once more bemoaned her regrettable circumstances. As someone who was rtively advanced for her age, she didn¡¯t like interacting with those from the same generation. Most of them couldn¡¯t even read the title of the papers she usually read, let alone understand the subject matter she was most interested in. Rather than spending time ying, Lilith would much rather further her studies or, at the very least, train her magic.


    ¡°But sure, at least we have somemon ground. All of you have awakened your Vampire Aspect, right? Mine is the Elysian Melody. Inyman¡¯s terms, I can warp dimensions and generate electricity. What¡¯s yours, Ysabelle?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah! The Obsidian Phoenix!¡± Excited that the meeting was finally getting somewhere and that she could fulfil her father¡¯s request to bond with the other girls, Ysabelle yelled with lifted spirits. ¡°I can create the ckburn House signature me with it!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    Lilith¡¯s eyes sparkled with a tad bit of interest after hearing that fact. As expected, the apple wouldn¡¯t fall too far away from the tree. Even if Ysabelle looked like an unreliable child at the moment, she was still a ckburn and one of the four girls chosen to bond together at this very vi.


    ¡°What about you, Irina Everwinter? I heard you¡¯ve gotten the Winter Sovereign Aspect. You must be proud, inheriting the same Aspect as Matriarch Innocence.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    Irina¡¯s face turned sour and grim for the first time since arriving. It was as if Lilith¡¯spliment had struck a nerve with the girl, forcing her expression to change for the worse.


    ¡°How could you not care? The Winter Sovereign is one of the most powerful Aspects there is! You can dominate the Everwinter House and the North in the future!¡±


    Ysabelle, being the ckburn she was, blurted out her innermost thoughts. The Winter Sovereign Aspect was legendary. So much so that even the Vampire Progenitor himself feared its power of absolute zero and the fact that Matriarch Innocence was near invincible when fighting in the snowy Wintends of the North.


    Compared to Ysabelle or Lilith¡¯s Vampire Aspect, the Winter Sovereign was on a whole other level.


    Which prompted Ysabelle¡¯s genuine reaction when she heard that Irina wasn¡¯t all that impressed by it.


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t care about it!¡±


    Irina blew her top and uncharacteristically yelled out at the ck-haired girl. Ysabelle didn¡¯t know; no, she couldn¡¯t have known the immense changes in Irina¡¯s life.


    Before she awakened the Winter Sovereign Aspect, the girl was treated like a nobody in the Everwinter House. Her parents were both in hibernation, her biological brother didn¡¯t care for her, and she was primarily left alone in an empty house.


    Yet, in a span of just under a year, the eight-year-old had changed from an invisible child in a massive family to the focal point of all the attention. Irina was even forced toe to this stupid retreat with threeplete strangers, girls she didn¡¯t know or care about.


    For a mere eight-year-old¡­ It was too much to bear.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡±


    mming her palms on the table, Irinanded on her feet and, with a brisk tailwind behind her, rushed out of the room and into the wilderness past the vi. Stunned by her actions, Ysabelle could only drop her jaw while Lilith traced Irina¡¯s steps, bewildered by the sudden change of events.


    And in the heat of the moment, neither Lilith nor Ysabelle noticed the shift in Rosalyn¡¯s expressionless face. A wry smile crept up her rosy lips as she muttered so softly that no one could hear her:


    ¡°He¡¯sing¡­¡±

 Chapter 115 How It All Began (2)

    Irina ran out of the luxurious vi without caring where she would go. Still in her bare feet, the young girl mmed her feet painfully on the grassy terrain, bringing forth numerous cuts and bruises from allowing her delicate flesh to make contact with the rough ground. There might have been blood flowing down her calves, but the girl didn¡¯t care.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she ran, nor did she care.


    Irina hated her current life.


    Everything around her had changed so rapidly. Ever since she awakened her Vampire Aspect, Irina had been thrust into a life she didn¡¯t want to live.


    Ironically enough, her life of istion was much better than her current one. Not a day goes by when ambitious adults would either attempt to tter and sway her to their side or even¡­ outright eliminate her.


    Family members she didn¡¯t even hear about a year ago would show up at her doorstep, issuing threats or even sending assassins. Fortunately enough, Matriarch Innocence had ced enough guards to protect the young girl should anything happen, but that didn¡¯t stop the mental trauma that Irina was ced under.


    Contrary to what she portrayed, Irina was much more mature for her age. No, she was forced to mature at this young age. She could tell who the wolves were and who the angels were. And s, there weren¡¯t any angels in the Vampire den.


    Even the Matriarch, who had given her an outward disy of protection, only wanted Irina because of her Vampire Aspect. Irina wouldn¡¯t even fly under the Matriarch¡¯s radar if not for the Winter Sovereign Aspect.


    Irina was all alone, and she knew that very well.


    None of her immediate family members cared for her. Even her blood-rted older brother never once came to visit her before. In fact, Irina only found out she had a brother after she awakened the Winter Sovereign Aspect.


    Irina¡¯s parents went into hibernation the minute she was born. Her brother didn¡¯t care for her well-being at all, only caring about the benefits he could reap from her. Matriarch Innocence only cared about securing the future line of the family, and she didn¡¯t give any form of familial affection to the young eight-year-old. And finally, the rest of her extended family was all out to either exploit or murder her.


    And now¡­ She was forced to attend this stupid retreat she wanted nothing to do with.


    It was all too much for Irina to bear.


    If only she had been born into a normal family. If only she had loving parents that would care for and nurse her. If only¡­ She had an older brother that loved her.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you!!!¡±


    Lost in her anguish, Irina raised her left hand up and gathered magic power into her arm. Particles flowed through her veins and onto the back of her palm, creating the highly-recognisable emblem that every Everwinter was familiar with.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be in this position!¡±


    Finding a nearby rock, Irina grasped it so hard that her fingers started to tear and bleed. Her knuckles began to shake as her face, which was full of tears, broke down into a helpless sob. Irina wanted to rid herself from this destiny she was given. She wished to break free from the Everwinter House¡¯s god-forsaken fate. And most importantly¡­


    Irina wanted to be loved like an average child.


    Just when the rock in her hand was about to sh violently with her flesh, a strong hand came down from the heavens and grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°W-What?!¡±


    Turning with a mixture of confusion and fear, Irina was about to yelp out inplete fright. Since she was too emotional and focused on her Vampire Aspect, she didn¡¯t even notice someone approaching her.


    Could it be an assassin sent by her family? If that¡¯s the case, she didn¡¯t have any protection right now, given that she had just ran away from the safety of the vi. The girl was utterly helpless if the assassin wished to kill Irina right now.


    With the fear for her life clearly reflected in her eyes, she turned around to identify her assant.


    But to Irina¡¯splete surprise, it wasn¡¯t one of the Everwinter assassins. Heck, the person holding her hand wasn¡¯t even a Vampire!


    It was just¡­ a regr human boy.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± The boy released Irina¡¯s hand and gently patted her forearms. ¡°You should be careful with that stone. Look at how pretty your hands are! You shouldn¡¯t ruin them!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Still cautious that someone had sent this boy to kill her, Irina kept silent. She intricately observed the young boy, trying her best to whip out clues about his true identity. With a full head of pure-ck hair, the boy could be part of the ckburn House. Though, his mesmerising blue eyes indicated otherwise.


    A thick whiff of sweat purged through Irina¡¯s nostrils, indicating that the boy had just been training. He possessed well-toned muscles for his age, though not to the extent of any bodybuilder. His face was free of any blemishes, and his well-crafted features made him look like an entity straight out of a fiction novel.


    The boy was handsome, no doubt about that. So much so that Irina had dropped her guard somewhat, and unconsciously, her mouth moved:


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Nothing, actually.¡± The boy let out a radiant smile that could power up a few sr panels. ¡°I was training my martial arts, and you came into my yard. And¡­ You were crying. I can¡¯t just leave a crying girl alone, now can I?¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?!¡±


    Irina instantly shrieked and was finally made aware of her surroundings. She looked far into the distance and saw a ratherrge country home. It wasn¡¯t nearly as massive as the Everwinter Estate, but it was quickly the size of four or five basketball courts grouped together.


    The house seemed modest on the outside, yet one could tell that it was a luxurious holiday estate.


    Evidently, the ce she ended up in wasn¡¯t some random part of the vi but someone else¡¯s private property! And it was a human¡¯s property no less!


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I need to go back!¡±


    ¡°No need to be anxious.¡± The boy chuckled at Irina¡¯s sudden change of tone and looked down at her tiny, little hands. Grabbing them with both of his, the boy continued: ¡°If you¡¯re worried about my parents, they¡¯re gone for a mission. And even if they were here, they wouldn¡¯t scold you for trespassing.¡±


    ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not it. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, besides. I can¡¯t let a cute girl go back into the forest all on her own. Why don¡¯t youe in, and I¡¯ll lend you my phone so that you can call your parents?¡±


    ¡°C-Cute? D-Do you mean me?¡±


    The boy ced his pinky in his ear, not knowing how to react to the white-haired girl¡¯s question.


    ¡°Of course? Why do you say that? You are one of the cutest girls I¡¯ve seen in my life, you know?¡±


    ¡°I-I am?!¡±


    Irina¡¯s body jerked violently as she watched those crystalline blue eyes sparkle with sincerity. Over the years, she had gotten a sense of when she was being lied to. Whether it was her brothering to curry her favour or adults trying to manipte and use her, Irina could vaguely tell when she was being lied to.


    And as she peered into the young boy¡¯s eyes¡­


    There was nothing but in honesty.


    And that made Irina flustered. Every girl wished to be called pretty, and Irina often got that from the adults who wished to manipte her. Yet, none of them possessed the same candour as this young boy. He didn¡¯t even flinch as he called Irina cute once again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know that you¡¯re cute¡­ That¡¯s impossible! You¡¯re like a porcin doll! So beautiful and fragile. Wait, you do look kind of thin¡­ Are you eating well?¡±


    The young boy grabbed onto Irina¡¯s stick-like arms and gently caressed her biceps. That sudden movement could be considered sexual harassment, but as children, they had no notion of that yet. Therefore, Irina could only blush as he continued to stroke her tender arms.


    ¡°P-Please let go¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± Seeing her distress, the boy instantly let go of Irina and leapt back into a bow. ¡°I tend to do that often¡­ Whenever I see cute things or people, I lose my senses. My parents have scolded me often because of that.¡±


    ¡°Y-You called me c-cute again!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    The boy replied with an honest bob of his head. Seeing his clueless reaction, Irina¡¯s shock turned into speechlessness. This kind of sincerity was something that Irina waspletely unfamiliar with. He waspletely wearing his thoughts and emotions on his sleeve, unlike the Everwinter House people.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why were you crying just now? Did someone hurt you?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡­ Why do you care?!¡±


    ¡°Of course I care! I don¡¯t understand how someone could bully such a cute girl!¡±


    ¡°A-Again with your cute!!!¡±


    Irina stomped her feet angrily on the floor, sending des of grass and dirt flying everywhere. Her earlier distress gradually faded away, and her mind started to calm. For the first time in her life, Irina realised something sad.


    This was the first time someone had genuinely asked about her well-being.


    Not because of her identity as an Everwinter, not because they wished to gain some benefits from the heir of Matriarch Innocence¡­ This was the first time someone was genuinely curious about herself.


    And for some reason¡­ Irina feltpelled to answer the boy.


    ¡°I¡­ got abandoned by my family.¡±


    ¡°Your family?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Irina sobbed as she recounted her past experiences to the boy.


    From the fact that her parents left her the moment she was born to her brother, only seeing her as a tool to be exploited. Although she left out the fact that she was a Vampire, the girl simply sobbed everything out, giving the boy a chance to properly sit and listen.


    ¡°I¡¯m all alone¡­ A girl with no family. So what¡¯s the point?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    The boy folded his arms and started to think. He focused his eyes on the weak and feeble girl, who seemed powerless to stand up to a single fly. This cute girl was abandoned by her family? If that¡¯s the case¡­


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be your family!¡± The boy dered with the most dazzling smile that Irina had ever seen in your life. ¡°If you don¡¯t have a family, then I¡¯ll be your big brother!¡±


    ¡°B-Brother?! What do you mean?! You don¡¯t even know me; we¡¯ve just met!¡±


    ¡°Even so¡­¡±


    The boy brought his hand onto Irina¡¯s cheek and tenderly cusped her lower jaw. Looking straight into her eyes, the boy¡¯s face showed no signs of falsehood or deceit. All that it was was one boy looking at a young girl with a beaming smile that could light up the darkest nights.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let a cute girl like you continue crying, now can I?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    The boy¡¯s smooth voice broke down thest barriers of Irina¡¯s wariness. Like floodgates being torn apart by a tsunami, the shackles on Irina¡¯s heart fell apart,pletely defenceless against the boy¡¯s sincerity.


    ¡°You¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ah, silly me! How could I forget to introduce myself?!¡±


    The boy pped his forehead, bemoaning that he¡¯d forgotten such an important detail. Grabbing onto the young girl¡¯s hand, the boy tidied up her dishevelled hair and said in a loud and proud voice:


    ¡°My name is Jin Valter! The man who will be the strongest Hunter in the world!¡±

 Chapter ?116 How It All Began (3)

    Chapter ?116 How It All Began (3)


    Jin and Irina''s rtionship started with a wholesome interaction, one that gave Irina her first sense of love and belonging. The attention andpany that Jin provided were something the young girl sought dearly and eventually got addicted to.


    Time and time again, Irina would leave her post in the vi to sneak out and meet the young boy she''d just met. In just a mere week of meeting Jin, Irina hadpletely ignored the other girls she was meant to be socialising with, drawing some confusion among the girls.


    Ysabelle, in particr, who was still hung up onpleting her duty as a ckburn daughter, was the most concerned about Irina''s constant absence.


    "Irina is gone again?" Ysabelle looked at the other two girls in the living room and cautiously asked.


    Over the past week, the three girls had started to socialise in the absence of Irina. While they weren''tplete friends yet, they managed to get a few sentences across to each other. Ysabelle and Lilith especially.


    Lilith was a rather haughty child and would much prefer to study her books than socialise with the other three girls, but she knew the importance of maintaining a good rtionship with the other three Guardian Houses. Particrly since she was the chosen heir and would likely need their assistance in the distant future.


    Meanwhile, Ysabelle was just happy to converse with someone in the group, given that they started on a sour note.


    "She''s been leaving the house quite frequently," Lilith replied with a bored expression. "Just leave her be; we can''t force someone to like us. If Irina wants to be a loner, so be it."


    Lilith was a pragmatist. If Irina didn''t like them, then there was nothing that they could do to change that. It was best to let nature take its course; perhaps Irina would slowly open herself up to them. But naturally, Lilith wasn''t someone who would go out of her way to make that change happen.


    "But still! It''s dangerous to go outside all alone! She''s only eight years old!"


    "Aren''t you only nine as well?"


    "That''s why I''m worried about her!"


    Lilith rolled her eyes, her interest in the subject quickly waning.


    "If you''re that worried, why don''t you ask Rosalyn? She''s up every morning; I''m sure she saw Irina leave the house."


    "T-That¡­"


    Ysabelle froze for a moment, and her eyes wandered to the green-haired girl seated on the balcony. Caught in a daze, the young Rosalyn was staring into nothingness with her face void of any emotion.


    While Ysabelle and Lilith were on talking terms, neither of them had be closer to Rosalyn. They couldmunicate just fine, and every time they talked, they could exchange a few sentences, but¡­ Rosalyn''sck of emotions really unnerved the two girls.


    It felt like they were talking to an Artificial Intelligence bot that was programmed to reply with the same few words every time. Also, it didn''t help that Rosalyn loved to spend hours at a time staring into the greenery and would never once join themunal sessions to socialise.


    Even the outgoing Ysabelle couldn''t help but feel weirded out by her new acquaintance''s behaviour.


    But s, Rosalyn was the only one who knew where Irina went, so¡­


    "R-Rosalyn¡­ Do you mind if I sit down?"


    Ysabelle stammered as she flimsily made her way to the balcony. Like a mechanical robot, Rosalyn twisted her neck slowly to observe her new partner, and after a delicate few seconds, she replied:


    "... Irina''s location?"


    "A-Ah, so you''ve heard me, right?" Ysabelle pped her hands while trying her best to control the twitching in her eyes. "Do you know where she went?"


    "... Coming back."


    "Coming back?"


    "... Yes."


    "O-Okay¡­"


    Over the past week, Ysabelle had learnt of Rosalyn''s unique quirks. She wouldn''t speak more than a few words in a sentence; at most, she''ll reply in three to four sentences. Oddly enough, her words were always sufficient to convey the information she wished to convey, making it possible for her tomunicate with the rest.


    "Thank you, I''ll let Lilith know."


    Ysabelle hurriedly left the girl alone, who had quickly forgotten about her existence and returned to her favourite pastime of watching trees. Not knowing what to say, the ck-haired girl hurriedly ran back to her bored friend, who was busy reading a research paper she''d brought from home.


    "So? What did she say?"


    "Irina is returning home, apparently."


    "This early? She would normally stay till nightfall."


    "That''s what Rosalyn said¡­"


    "Hmmm, did she tell you how she knew that?"


    "H-Huh? Wouldn''t Irina have told her that?"


    "Do you think that unfriendly girl would tell us anything about her life?"


    Lilith scoffed as she recalled how that Everwinter brat treated them the first day they''d gathered together. Given how she reacted, Lilith seriously doubted that Irina would tell them anything about where she was going, even if it meant endangering her own life.


    "Yet, Rosalyn could figure it out¡­ How intriguing¡­" Lilith''s vale eyes sparkled with a scientist''s curiosity as she eyed down the green-haired girl. "Do you remember if she introduced her Vampire Aspect?"


    "No¡­ I don''t think she did."


    "Yeah, Irina ran out of the vi before she could say anything." Lilith continued to observe the young girl, the gears in her mind moving rapidly.


    "The Shadowgarden House is shrouded in much secrecy, and their Vampire Aspects aren''t alwaysmon knowledge. The fact that Rosalyn keeps spacing out and how she seldom sleeps¡­ And the fact that she seems to know everything¡­ Just what could her powers be?"


    "Are you that interested?"


    "Yeah, it''s mysterious, don''t you think? Also, for some reason, the girl doesn''t really look like a Vampire."


    "H-Huh? What do you mean?"


    "Vampires are fair-skinned and tend to have beautiful features. But Rosalyn''s features are far more animated. Herrge eyes and perfectly symmetrical face¡­ And her almost impable appearance with not a single speck of deformity¡­ It feelspletely unreal. Factory-made even."


    "You can''t mean that! Do you think that the Shadowgarden House gically modified her?! T-That''s¡­!"


    Ysabelle was right to be shocked. Even at her young age, she''d heard horror stories about people gically modifying Vampires, from scientists attempting to cross a Vampire with a Werewolf to even creating hybrid species that could potentially transcend the Vampire race.


    And almost every single time¡­ The end product would end up in a horrific state. This was why altering the gic state was heavily shunned and even ouwed by the Ten Guardian Houses.


    "Don''t get so worked up; I''m just specting. For all I know, Rosalyn was really born to be that beautiful."


    "O-Okay¡­"


    Although Lilith waved the girl off, a seed of doubt had been nted in both their young minds. If Rosalyn was gically modified, her queer actions would start making a lot of sense. And when Rosalyn suddenly stood up from her chair, the two girls immediately jerked up and quickly looked away.


    "D-Do you think she heard us?"


    "I-I don''t know!"


    Even Lilith was flustered by Rosalyn''s sudden action. The two of them scurried to the side, worried that the girl might bemoan or scold them, but Rosalyn''s soft, feminine voice didn''te up. Rather, the girl briskly walked past them and, with shuffling feet, hurried towards the main door.


    That unexpected move caught Ysabelle and Lilith off guard. Ever since they''d met Rosalyn, she wasn''t one to show any form of emotions and yet, for the first time¡­ It seemed like a sense of excitement was within the young girl''s movements.


    It was like watching an unmoving painting move its eyes for the first time. That startled the two young, innocent girls, and a sense of intrigue erupted from the depths of their minds.


    Unsurprisingly, the pair got caught up with the flow and followed the green-haired girl down to the entrance of their vi. They wished to understand what had caused Rosalyn''s sudden change of behaviour.


    And to their utter surprise¡­


    "Brother¡­ Why do we have toe here?"


    "Irina, didn''t you say that you wished to have friends? You have the perfect opportunity to make some right now! You shouldn''t squander it just because you''re a little shy."


    "I-I''m not shy! I just don''t know how to behave around them!"


    "Haha, let me teach you then!"


    Entering the main hall, Ysabelle and Lilith were treated to the sight of a flustered Irina holding onto an unfamiliar boy''s arm. Rosalyn had already made her way down the stairs as she observed the young boy as if he were a piece of art.


    On the other hand, the other two girls werepletely gobsmacked by Irina''s bold actions. Unable to hold back her frustration, Lilith rushed forward and grabbed the young girl by the arm, prying her far away from the foreign boy.


    "Irina! Y-You actually brought someone here?! A human, no less!"


    "H-He''s not some random person! He''s my brother!"


    "Brother?! You mean your brother is a human?!"


    Given how Vampires reproduce, it was near impossible for a human and a Vampire to be blood-rted. Lilith''s mind even started to wonder if the Everwinter House had produced a miraculous method to turn Vampires into humans once more.


    "N-No, I mean¡­ He became my brother justst week."


    "Y-You! You actually brought a non-rted human here?! Are you trying to kill us?! What if he figures out that we''re Vampires and sends members of the Holy Church to hunt us down?!"


    "Brother won''t do that!!!" Irina fiercely retorted with her loudest voice. "I trust him! Besides, he already knows that I''m a Vampire!"


    "W-What?!"


    At this point, the two of them had been shouting so loud that the entire vi could hear them. Jin, who had been left alone by the door, could only smile wryly as all four of the girlsnded their eyes on him. However, those piercing gazes did nothing to affect Jin''sposure. Waving his hand, the boy introduced himself:


    "Hi there, my name is Jin Valter. I''ve recently be Irina''s older brother. Nice to meet you!"


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Silence hung over the room. None of the four girls breathed a single word as they watched the boy''s radiant smile bloom happily, blissfully unaware of the acrimony within the massive hall. It was as if nothing in the world could faze him, and even if the sky came crashing down, the boy would still retain his smile.


    "Are you not afraid of us? We''re Vampires, you know."


    "What''s there to be afraid of? All I see are four cute girls!!!" Jin scratched the back of his head andughed heartily. "I''ve always heard that Vampires are more beautiful than humans, and I guess those words are true! I''ve never seen such pretty girls in my life!"


    "Y-You¡­"


    Lilith didn''t know whether tough or cry at Jin''s animated response. Ysabelle bobbed her head back for this was the first time she''d seen a human boy up close, and Rosalyn retained her expressionless face.


    Only Irina had the state of mind to give Jin a retort.


    "B-Brother! Why are you calling other girls cute?!"


    "Hmmm? I''m just stating the facts, though. You wouldn''t call a dog a cat, right? You girls are all so cute, like the porcin dolls on television!"


    "Y-You¡­"


    At this point, even Irina wasn''t able to give any reply.


    Jin and the four girls stared at each other for two minutes before Lilith finally made the first move.


    "Excuse me, but Lilith here has made a mistake. You''re not allowed to be here, so would you please leave?"


    "Hmmm? Ah, is that ''The Theoretical Maximum'' by Professor James Dudley?"


    Before Jin could answer Lilith''s deration, his eyes locked in on the book she was carrying in her hands. He pointed at the paper with sparkly eyes, drawing a great surprise from the young girl.


    "W-What? You know of this book?"


    "Yes! I''ve just finished reading it! What a coincidence!" Jin beamed from ear to ear as he finally found a like-minded soul when it came to magic research. "While Professor Dudley''s take on the limits of magic is intriguing, I feel like hecks the imagination on the endless possibilities that magic can take."


    "What do you mean?"


    "All of his magic theories are limited to human scale and the limits of what magicians can do. But in truth, our magic is just a grain of sand in the vast scale of the universe! In his book, he theorised that the maximum magic can go is a destructiveary event. But I believe that magic is why the universe was born in the first ce!"


    "Interesting¡­"


    Lilith scratched her lower jaw as she started to revise the knowledge she''d just gained. To tell the truth, she didn''t even consider that possibility while reading through the paper. And yet, Jin had easily given her an alternative that far surpasses her expectations.


    "Hehe, it''s rare to see someone my age interested in magical research. What''s your name?"


    "... Lilith Moonreaver."


    "Haha, hi! I''m Jin Valter; nice to meet you!"


    Little did Lilith know that this one sentence uttered by Jin¡­ Would change her life forever.

 Chapter ?117 How It All Began (4)

    Chapter ?117 How It All Began (4)


    Jin''s introduction to the four girls happened so quickly that before they knew it, the boy had been visiting them regrly. Almost every morning, Jin would make his way from his isted home to visit the girls, and he wouldn''t leave until the big fiery ball in the sky began to set.


    Somehow, it felt like their encounter was meant to be.


    Jin''s parents just happened to be on a mission, leaving the young boy all alone in his empty home, craving for somepany. Meanwhile, the four girls were forced into a vi and separated from their friends and family back home.


    Oddly enough, the four girls couldn''t gel together no matter how hard they tried. Therefore, Jin''s appearance, while unexpected, was a wee change to the young girls.


    Especially since he was quite a handsome and charmingd.


    Jin''s first victim was none other than Irina. Self-proiming himself as her elder brother, the young boy had showered her with love and affection she''d never experienced before. Jin would constantly care for her well-being as if he were her true older brother and even give her piggybacks whenever she wished.


    Naturally, as a Vampire, Irina didn''t have the physical limitations that humans did. She could easily recover from physical fatigue and would never require anyone to give her a piggyback. But Jin didn''t know that.


    All the boy saw was a frail young girl who needed his help. And that was the only message Jin needed to go all out to serve and care for his beloved younger sister.


    The second one to fall to Jin''s charm came as a surprise. Lilith, the high and mighty Moonreaver who hated interacting with others her age, also started to open up to Jin. In fact, after learning that Jin had deep knowledge when it came to magic research, the girl became enamoured with the young boy.


    It was the first time Lilith had ever had such a fun conversation with a person her age. Most of the time, they couldn''t be bothered to read or even empathise with her interests, given the exceedinglyplex subject material.


    However, Jin wasn''t like any regr ten-year-old boy.


    In many aspects, Jin surpassed Lilith regarding pure knowledge and research. He''d read more papers, understood far moreplex theorems, and even proposed his own theories on how magic could affect reality.


    This was all so fresh for Lilith, who had constantly felt like she was the smartest kid in the room. For the first time in her life, there was someone who could challenge her intellectual capabilities and, in some areas, surpass her entirely.


    But Jin wasn''t done with seducing two girls. His third victim, Ysabelle, didn''tst much longer either.


    As a girl who loved to train and longed for a knight in shining armour, Jin''s tenacity and physical prowess were something that drew the young girl in. He would train hard every morning and would never once miss a session. It didn''t matter if it was rainy outside or if the Sun was blisteringly hot; the young boy never cked off for a single day.


    Jin''s intense drive to be the best and constantly improve himself struck a chord with the young Ysabelle, who had felt stuck at her position within the ckburn House. Furthermore, his martial arts and magical skills far surpassed anyone his age, the four Vampires included.


    A strong, handsome and charming young boy¡­ Jin was practically Ysabelle''s dream knight who had delivered himself to her on a silver tter.


    The three girls had quickly fallen under Jin''s spell, and they started to ept the new human boy into their lives. Also, due to his involvement, the three girls had bolstered their rtionship to the point they could have never imagined.


    Yes, they would fight over Jin for his time. Irina would wish to let Jin spoil and care for her, Lilith would want to discuss magical theories with him, and Ysabelle would wish to train day in and day out with the athletic boy.


    And surprisingly enough, their childlike banter had fostered a rtionship akin to that of sisters.


    Like ordinary sisters, they argued over petty little things. Like typical sisters, they bonded over their love for a simr person. And like normal sisters, theyughed and yed far from their family''s supervision.


    It was a refreshing experience for all girls present.


    All four of the young Vampires came from distinguished homes, and not many of them had siblings of a simr age. Heck, due to the low reproductivity of Vampires, they didn''t even have cousins of simr age.


    Therefore, for the first time in their lives, they experienced something foreign.


    They experienced what it''s like to have a blissful family.


    And it was all spearheaded by that one boy who had invaded their tumultuous lives. Though, there was one girl who remained unaffected by Jin''s immacte charm¡­


    In the wee hours of the morning, when most Vampires were still asleep, Jin went on his routine morning run. Ever since his parents had gone on their mission and left him all alone, he had been running around the private property that his parents had ced him in. One might ask why Jin''s parents hadplete faith in leaving the ten-year-old boypletely unattended and free of parental supervision, and the answer was actually quite simple.


    Jin was a special child.


    Genius would be a tame word to call that monstrosity who came in human form. Being the child of two elite A-Ranked Hunters, Jin had inherited an extreme physical body, one that was leagues above anyone close to his age.


    Not to mention, his fighter-styled father had honed his martial arts to the very limits that Jin''s body could take.


    And who could forget his obsessive desire when it came to magic? Even at his young age, Jin was a magician who could rival many Hunters, given his inherent knowledge of magic and deep magic power pool. Plus, it did help that he had an A-ranked Magician as his mother to mentor him.


    All this, packed together with Jin''s innate desire to be the best Hunter, had made him an exceptional talent. In fact, the main reason why Jin''s parents made him stay in an isted area was precisely due to his numerous magical experiments, which tended to cause severe property damage.


    As Jin finished his morning exercise, he saw a familiar face sitting at the river bank. Donned in a green dress and a straw hat, the young girl looked like the manifestation of Autumn itself. Stepping her feet onto the chilly morning water, the girl shed a rare smile which caught the young boy off guard.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    Stepping back, Jin''s feet collided with some dried twigs on the floor, drawing the green-haired girl''s attention away from the running water and onto the sweaty young boy.


    Their eyes met for the first time since they''d met, and Jin instantly became flustered. While he had created asting rtionship with Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle, Rosalyn was the only girl he''d yet to crack.


    It would be a lie to say that Jin wasn''t interested in the girl, as he clearly tried his best to narrow the gap between them. However, Rosalyn almost always never reciprocated Jin''s feelings as she always kept her frosty, expressionless mask on.


    Even for the outgoing and sociable Jin, it was an unnerving feat to have a young, emotionless girl stare at him for hours without knowing what the girl was thinking.


    Still, that didn''t mean Jin would give up on interacting with the young Vampire. Steeling his nerves, the boy stepped forward and threw out the only question that came to mind:


    "Rosalyn, what are you doing all alone here?"


    "... Washing."


    "Washing? You wanted to wash your feet?"


    "..."


    Rosalyn nodded before returning to dipping her feet in the river. Jin watched the young girl for a few moments as he tried his best to unravel the puzzle that was Rosalyn. Her robotic expressions and short answers gave the boy very little to work on, and he rarely understood what was going on within her mind.


    Yet, something deep inside of him was being drawn to the young weirdo. He couldn''t tell what that feeling was, but Jin felt a serene connection with Rosalyn, one that he didn''t really have with the other three girls.


    Which made him even more curious about the girl.


    "Rosalyn¡­ Do you mind sharing what''s on your mind?"


    "... Mind?"


    "Yeah, just what are you thinking about."


    Over the past few days, Jin realised that Rosalyn was much different from other girls. In order to get to her, he''ll need to ask direct and honest questions. If Jin were to beat around the bush, the girl would remain utterly oblivious to his intentions andpletely misunderstand him.


    "My thinking¡­"


    Rosalyn scratched the bottom of her chin and tilted her face up to the ckened sky of dawn. She blinked multiple times as if she were trying to collect her thoughts before she finally said:


    "I don''t think¡­ Friends tell me what to do¡­"


    "Friends? What friends?"


    Surprised by the new information, Jin pressed Rosalyn for more answers. The green-haired girl''s stiff lips broke into a fragile smile as she started to point to a tree on the opposite side of the river.


    "Friend¡­"


    Then, Rosalyn''s finger moved to a bush that was directly next to the vi.


    "Friend¡­"


    Finally, the girl pointed her finger to the grass beneath their feet.


    "Friends¡­ nts all¡­ Friends¡­"


    Jin dropped his jaw, unsure to believe the words from the girl''s mouth. However, Rosalyn''s face didn''t change a single beat as she divulged everything as if it were a matter of fact.


    "W-Wait, you mean you can talk to every nt nearby?"


    "Not nearby¡­"


    Rosalyn shook her head before spreading her arms wide open.


    "Every nt in the world¡­ Is my friend."

 Chapter ?118 How It All Began (5)

    Chapter ?118 How It All Began (5)


    "Every nt in the world¡­ Is my friend."


    Rosalyn''s cold and emotionless voice went one octave higher as she jubntly dered her special ability. Her unmoving lips slowly curled upwards, and her bright Lapis eyes sparkled with pure delight.


    Taken aback by her sudden deration, Jin took two steps back and turned to look all around. He became exceedingly aware of every de of grass he''d stepped on, and his analytical mind began to process the weight of the information he was given.


    Every single nt in the world, every flower, every tree¡­ Every seed.


    Were they all Rosalyn''s friends?


    Does that mean that all nts had conscious minds? Whenever he mows thewn, was he causing a mass genocide? And more importantly¡­ Does Rosalynmunicate with every single nt in the world?


    No brain on earth could process all that information. Even the world''s most advanced supeputers would be overloaded with data and overheat, let alone a mere young girl''s mind. Jin thought of all the implications of Rosalyn''s words, and he carefully constructed his next question.


    "Y-You¡­ Talk to all of the nts?"


    "No¡­" Rosalyn shook her head as she reached down to a nearby flower. Gently stroking the white chrysanthemum, she ushered out a jovial smile and said:


    "nts¡­ No thoughts, but¡­ They have souls¡­"


    "Souls?"


    "Yes¡­ Souls¡­"


    Rosalyn raised both her arms, and an illusion overwhelmed Jin''s senses. No, to call it an illusion would be an inuracy. What Jin was experiencing was real, but it wasn''t visible to anyone without a soul.


    Numerous specks of light emerged from every single nt that surrounded the pair. Emerald balls of light rose from the trees, mossy lights arose from the grass, beads of jade coagted from the ferns¡­


    In time, the entire area was covered with numerous decorated lights, creating a lustre that exceeded that of the morning Sun. Blinded by the radiance of the lights, Jin inadvertently covered his eyes as he could not bear the enormous strain on his eyes. Yet, even as Jin could not move a single muscle, Rosalyn stared straight into the blinding lights as if she were watching her favourite television show.


    "Too much?"


    Rosalyn asked the blinded young boy, who could only gradually look up with tears in his eyes.


    "T-These¡­ A-Are all the nts'' souls?!"


    "No? Only ten percent¡­"


    "Ten percent?!" Jin couldn''t help but exim. Just ten percent was enough to blind him thoroughly and even force his eyes to water. If Rosalyn summoned out all of the souls nearby, wouldn''t it turn him blindpletely?


    "... Sorry."


    Seeing Jin suffer, Rosalyn held her hands and dispersed the dazzling lights. The souls of each nt returned to their original state, and as if everything before was an illusion, the only light that remained was the brightness of dawn.


    And yet¡­


    "Rosalyn¡­ Don''t tell me you talk to every single one of those nts?!"


    "Yes¡­?"


    The green-haired girl tilted her head as if inquiring why Jin was stunned at her rather mundane ability. But in Jin''s mind, he waspletely blown away by the immense burden that the young girl must have taken on.


    Rosalyn was just eleven years old, one year older than himself, yet she had to carry the burden ofmunicating with every nt life form around her. Jin himself would be overwhelmed if he had to talk with a hundred people, let alone the millions of nts that surrounded him every single second.


    "My power¡­ Vampire Aspect¡­ Is the Dreaming Forest."


    "D-Dreaming Forest?"


    "Yes¡­" Rosalyn''s emotionless demeanour returned as she started to narrate her painful and unbelievable past. "The Dreaming Forest¡­ Is the Shadowgarden House''s¡­ Masterpiece. They¡­ engineered me."


    "Engineered you?! You mean they gically altered you from the womb?"


    "No womb¡­ I was born from nts¡­"


    "H-Huh?!"


    Bit by bit, Rosalyn unveiled the dreadful deeds of the Shadowgarden House. Due to how slow she talked, Jin had to sit down patiently as he listened to Rosalyn''s painful past. Unlike most Vampires, Rosalyn wasn''t born from the womb.


    A secretive coboration project was created that joined the Elves and Shadowgarden House together. They used the best DNA from Elves who were attuned to nts and the Shadowgarden House''s best genes to create a perfected product. One that could awaken a Vampire Aspect capable of matching that of the Vampire Progenitor.


    Dubbed the ''Sleeping Beauty'' initiative, this secretive coboration had been hundreds of years in the making. By selectively breeding Shadowgarden Vampires and taking the purest Elves from their lineage, they nned to create the next Progenitor-level Vampire, one that could defend both the Elves and elevate the members of the Shadowgarden House to the next level.


    Although it was immensely hical, and not to mention made illegal by the Ten Guardian Houses¡­ The project continued on under cover of darkness.


    And in the end¡­ Rosalyn was born.


    Through a mysterious method of using a branch of the World Tree, the perfect Vampire-Elf hybrid was born. Rosalyn had inherited everything good about the Shadowgarden House. To top it all off, she had gained the ability to use Spirit and Nature magic, a feat only unique to Elves.


    With masterful gene editing, there wasn''t a single defect in Rosalyn''s DNA structure, which made her into the perfect specimen that she was. There would likely never be another Vampire or Elf that could be born as beautiful as her, even if the ''Sleeping Beauty'' initiative was ever repeated.


    Rosalyn''s birth was a one-in-a-million, no, a bona fide miracle.


    And her power, the Dreaming Forest, was even more miraculous.


    "The Dreaming Forest¡­ Let me¡­ Control all nts¡­ And use their Spirits¡­"


    "Wait¡­ So you can control a nt even if they are kilometres away?!"


    "No¡­ As long as they have a soul¡­ Anywhere on Earth."


    "W-What?"


    Jin''s jaw dropped at the bombshell revtion. If Rosalyn was telling the truth, she had the power to end the world if she wished. She could order every nt to wilt away, causing the ecosystem to copse and, ultimately, destroy life on aary scale.


    But that wasn''t all; as long as Rosalyn grasped the nt''s ''soul'', she could spy on anyone she wished. Be it in the most secure parts of a government facility to the deepest parts of the ocean.


    As long as there was a tree, a flower, or even just one de of grass nearby¡­ Rosalyn could spy on anyone in the world.


    "W-Why are you telling me this? Shouldn''t this be top secret?"


    At this moment, Jin forgot about every thought he had and unintentionally asked that question. It was natural to feel suspicious. Rosalyn''s capabilities were aplete secret for such arge-scale operation that was kept under wraps, even to the upper echelons of the Vampire Society.


    And yet, Rosalyn easily divulged everything to a boy she''d just met. Not to mention, over the past few days, Jin never really got the impression that Rosalyn wished to be his friend. But, the girl easily spilt the beans just because Jin asked the question.


    No one in their right mind would do that, especially to a boy they''d just met.


    But¡­


    "Jin¡­ Special¡­"


    "Special? Why?"


    "Jin¡­ Came for me¡­"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    At Rosalyn''s enigmatic words, Jin twisted his chin to the side and fell deep into thought. Did he know her from before and had just forgotten about it? Or was there something he was missing? Fortunately, he didn''t have to wait long for Rosalyn to unveil the truth.


    "Jin¡­ will save me¡­ She said so."


    "She?"


    "The Tree in the middle of the World." Rosalyn smiled jubntly as she dered her deepest secret.


    "No one knows¡­ Not Aunt¡­ Not Priestess¡­ Jin is¡­ The promised saviour."


    "Saviour? Who am I going to save?"


    "Us."


    Rosalyn pointed her index finger to herself and then toward the vi.


    "Me¡­ Irina¡­ Lilith¡­ Ysabelle¡­ You will save us."


    "Save you? Do you need saving?"


    "... I don''t know?"


    The green-haired girl shook her head and restrained her yful giggle.


    "You will save us¡­ And you will be important to us¡­ You will love us¡­ And you will¡­ make us happy. That''s what she said. That''s why¡­ I made use here."


    "Wait a second, can you see the future?"


    "Future? No¡­ I''m not a prophet¡­"


    Rosalynughed off Jin''s question and reverted back to her emotionless state. She looked afar, possibly at the numerous trees in the distance and continued her enigmatic words:


    "I just¡­ see the dreams of trees¡­ And that dream¡­ told me about you¡­"


    "..."


    For the first time in his life, Jin was struck speechless. He didn''t know what to do or react to Rosalyn''s words. Frozen stiff, he watched as the doll-like beauty let out a sombre smile with the falling red leaves drifting in the background.


    It was the most surreal and beautiful thing that Jin had ever seen in his life.


    And with the rising redness of dawn, the sky seemed to be bleeding tears as Rosalyn brushed her hair to the side and smiled.


    "So Jin¡­ When the timees¡­ Save me, okay?"

 Chapter ?119 How It All Began (6)

    Chapter ?119 How It All Began (6)


    Jin''s next few days were spent in a daze.


    Throughout the time he''d spent in the Vampire vi, Jin had been single-mindedly thinking about taking care of his newly found little sister as well as the other girls who hade into his life. There were no ulterior motives for his actions. Jin just wished to spend time with these four pretty girls as he was feeling lonely from being left alone.


    With Irina, Jin found an adorable little sister. With Lilith, Jin found a worthy conversation partner who could speak at his level. With Ysabelle, Jin found someone he could train and mentor.


    All three of the girls gave Jin a unique fulfilment to his mundane life, and it was something he relished and loved.


    And yet¡­ Rosalyn was the only thing on his mind.


    Ever since that day on the river bank, Jin''s mind had been preupied with the green-haired girl''s words. The fact that everything had been predestined by her, the fact that she called him their saviour and most importantly¡­ That sombre face as she pleaded for him to save her.


    Rosalyn''s words resonated within the young boy''s head, and he couldn''t stop thinking about them.


    Ever since then, every time they''d met, Jin''s eyes would wander to Rosalyn''s side. Whenever she stared at trees in a daze, Jin would watch her. Whenever she rested her feet at the river bank, Jin would watch her. Whenever she yed with the grass, Jin would watch her.


    The other three girls would watch with irritation as all of Jin''s focus was stered onto the young Rosalyn, and they couldn''tprehend why Jin had be so enamoured with her.


    But they couldn''t understand.


    How could they?


    Whenever Rosalyn was watching the trees, she wasmunicating with their souls. She was attuning herself to nature, bringing her a sense of serenity that eluded her already hectic life. Just imagining talking to every living nt in the vicinity was enough to overload Jin''s mind, and yet Rosalyn was doing it every single waking hour.


    Heck, Jin hadn''t even seen Rosalyn sleep a proper wink ever since they''d met.


    Perhaps it was the side-effect of such overwhelming power. Rosalyn could never truly rest. Every soul that surrounded her was her friend. Her mind must have been bombarded with voices, cries and murmurs since birth. Just thinking about the stress she was under was enough to make Jin fall insane, so one could imagine Rosalyn''s constant distress.


    And yet¡­


    The green-haired girl never ushered out a single word ofint.


    It was as if she had epted her destiny. She knew what was to be done and sumbed to her fate. To be thepleted product of the Shadowgarden House. To be the World Tree''s saviour and the Elves'' protector. And to be¡­ Forever shackled.


    Jin watched the young girl''s sincere and innocent smile, only to find a burning fury rising from his veins.


    Such a pure and innocent girl was forced to bear such a high burden at a tender age¡­


    "Rosalyn, what are you doing?"


    Unable to control his feelings anymore, Jin approached the young green-haired girl who seemed to be staring into space. If it were any other person, they would think Rosalyn was daydreaming and wouldn''t bother talking to her. But Jin knew her truth.


    "Talking¡­ Trees¡­"


    "Really? How many of them?"


    "... Ten thousand?"


    "I-I see¡­"


    Once again, the girl muttered some unfathomable words. But Jin was unfazed. Leaning in closer to the girl, he continued to pry about Rosalyn''s life.


    "What are they saying?"


    "Nothing much¡­ More rain, perhaps?"


    "... I see. If they''re only talking about that, you don''t have to keepmunicating with them, right?"


    "It''s¡­ my duty¡­"


    Rosalyn''s emotionless face talked back to Jin, forcing his heart to drop down his chest. The girl was talking like a machine rather than the bright eleven-year-old she was meant to be. When Irina, Lilith, and Ysabelle were off doing the things they liked, Rosalyn was forced to fulfil her mission. She was made to talk with every single nt around her to ensure the ecosystem remained bnced and in harmony.


    It was a duty that was forced upon her, and Jin felt saddened by that fact.


    "Rosalyn¡­ Do you feel trapped with your life?"


    "... Trapped?"


    "Yes, trapped."


    Jin leaned over and held the girl''s small, tender hand. It was such a small hand, yet it carried so much¡­ Jin couldn''tprehend the thought process behind giving such tremendous power to a young child like Rosalyn, such that it ruined her childhood innocence.


    Contrary to her Vampire Aspect, Rosalyn was unable to dream.


    The Dreaming Forest was a power that allowed the user to talk to every tree. Yet, ironically enough, the wielder of that power wasn''t able to dream. She was forced tomit to her duty, even if it ruined her childhood. She was forced to see prophecies from the World Tree and was sworn to protect the ancient being with everything that she had.


    Nothing in Rosalyn''s life was decided by her. She was a puppet, a marite that moved in ordance to those who created her.


    Never once did Rosalyn have a choice in her life. Never once did she do something for herself. Never once¡­ was she allowed to dream.


    Irina dreamed of a family. Lilith dreamed of deepening her magic research. Ysabelle dreamed of a knight that would save her and be strong enough to stand on her own two feet.


    But what did Rosalyn dream of?


    "I''m not¡­ trapped¡­ It''s my destiny¡­"


    "TO HELL WITH THAT!!!"


    Jin''s visceral howl startled the young girl, forcing her shoulders to be drawn backwards. She looked straight down at the young boy, whose blue eyes were now shining with a fiery desire.


    "Rosalyn¡­ No, Rosa¡­ You are not a puppet. You''re a living, breathing person."


    "P-Person?"


    Rosalyn was flustered by the boy''s statement. All her life, she had been looked at as a tool, as a weapon to protect the Elves and to further the Shadowgarden''s interest. In fact, the only reason why she came to the vi in the first ce was because the World Tree said that it was her fate.


    It was the first time someone had ever referred to her as a¡­ person.


    And Rosalyn didn''t know how to process that information.


    "I think I know why the World Tree said I''m your destined saviour now¡­"


    "W-What¡­ Mean¡­?"


    "I mean¡­ I will be the one who gives you a soul, Rosa." Jin shed a confident and bright smile while cing the young girl''s hand on his chest. "Right now, you''re a broken young girl. I will fix that! I will give you the happiness you deserve!"


    "O-Okay?"


    Rosalyn was still confused, but she still nodded her head to match Jin''s burning fervour.


    Renewed with a sense of purpose, Jin finally reverted back to his usual state. He had a mission to aplish now, to make all four of the girls happy. And with Rosalyn added into the mix, Jin realised that he had to take the vital first step.


    "Okay, let''s return to the vi! I''m sure they''re awake by now!"


    "..."


    Rosalyn nodded as she felt Jin''s grip on her hand tighten instead of letting her go. Watching the young boy hold her hand so gingerly as if she was the most precious treasure in the world¡­


    A mysterious warmth crept up in the young girl''s soul. It was a feeling she was unfamiliar with, and yet, it was something she weed with open arms. It was something much more pleasant than the constant loneliness she''d felt from her peers, and it brought a new colour into her mundane life.


    And little did Rosalyn know¡­ Her life would be constantly painted with new colours every day.


    Jin''s insistence on making all four girls happy had an interesting consequence. Because all four girls wished to be with him, they started to get along. Well, all they did was bicker, but it was far better than the cold atmosphere they had on the first day.


    They would y with each other, learn each other''s habits, call each other by their nicknames¡­


    It had evene to the point where the four werefortable training with each other, showing off secrets from their respective Houses.


    Oddly enough, the four Guardian Houses got their wish. The four girls, who were ted to be the Vampire race''s future, were now bing as close as sisters, with almost all of them bonding every day.


    Even Rosalyn, who had been outcasted since the first day due to her strange behaviour, was slowly integrating into the group.


    For the first time in her life, she was shownughter and smiles. For the first time in her life, she was given a family. And for the first time in her life¡­ She''d felt a warm emotion that she''d never thought was possible in her cold heart.


    It was a perfect story for the young Rosalyn¡­


    Until¡­


    That fateful day came.

 Chapter 120 Rosalyn Shadowgarden (1)

    Ever since I was born, I knew I was different from most girls. I wasn¡¯t born from a traditional union of man and woman. I had no father¡­ No mother¡­ No one to call my family.


    I was already aware of my surroundings when I first came to consciousness. I remember the faces of those who gave me life very vividly. They smiled and cheered for my birth,ughing with an odd expression I couldn¡¯t understand.


    I didn¡¯t know what they were doing, even after all these years¡­ I couldn¡¯t understand their emotions.


    Time passed, and I grew from an infant to a small child. Throughout my growth, I was given exnations of what I was and who I was meant to be.


    A perfected product of the Shadowgarden House.


    The Vampire whose sole existence was to resonate with the World Tree. My power was required to bnce the world and to keep the World Tree from external threats. With me around, the World Tree would never fall ever again, keeping the harmony of all living beings in check. When I matured and came of age, I would attune myself to the World Tree and eventually be its sole protector and the Vampire who would eternally leash its power to the Shadowgarden House and the Elves.


    At least¡­ That was what I was told.


    Over the years, I was ced under a special training program to prepare me for my eventual future. I¡¯d learnt the magical arts of the Shadowgarden House to sate my Vampiric blood. I¡¯d learnt Spirit Magic that only Elves could possess in hopes that it could help in my bonding with the World Tree.


    Everything that I had been ced into was all for that one moment in the future.


    I would one day be the World Tree¡¯s protector and maintain the¡¯s bnce through my powers.


    I had to do my duty¡­


    It was for the good of everyone else¡­


    And I epted that fate. Ever since I was born, I had only known one fate. I was just a tool to be used. A life to be sacrificed. I was born without emotions because of that.


    Joy¡­ Sorrow¡­ Anger¡­


    They were all redundant in the face of the greater mission.


    But when I was finally given the chance to meet face-to-face with the World Tree, I heard a different voice. One that contradicted my mission and gave me a different answer to my existence.


    ¡°Go and find the boy, and he¡¯ll make you happy¡­¡±


    Boy? What boy?


    I didn¡¯t understand what the Spirit of the World Tree meant. Wasn¡¯t my purpose in life¡­ The sole reason I was born¡­ Wasn¡¯t it to serve the World Tree? What does this boy have to do with anything?


    I didn¡¯t know, but my existence was meant to serve the World Tree. If the World Tree states that I must find this boy, then I¡¯ll do everything in my power to do so. However, there were no other hints other than that one sentence.


    Fortunately, over time, the prophecy became clearer and clearer. And finally, when I turned eleven, the World Tree gave me a clear answer.


    Jin¡­


    That was the name of the boy who was promised to me.


    He was the one who would save us and the boy that the World Tree was looking for. I didn¡¯t know what the World Tree sought to do with that child, nor did I have an interest in discovering its intentions. There was only one thing that I was focused on¡­


    Jin¡­ He would make me happy.


    Happiness¡­ What kind of emotion was it?


    Would it change my life for the better? Would it change anything at all? I couldn¡¯t help but be curious about that.


    In the beginning, I was just going to perform the duty that the World Tree had given to me. But as the date came closer, my mind started to wander. What did Jin look like? What kind of personality does he have? Does he smile a lot? What emotions would he show me?


    Day by day, my mind was filled with thoughts of Jin, and for the first time in my life, I felt a new emotion. Something that I¡¯d never thought was possible in my empty heart.


    Expectation.


    How would Jin be my promised saviour? What did the World Tree prophecise about him? How would my life change when he arrived? And most importantly¡­ What would happiness feel like?


    Just by thinking about it, my lips unconsciously rose into a smile. Smile? Was this my first time smiling? In time, I realised that even before meeting the boy, my mental state had also begun to change.


    And so when the promised day came¡­


    ¡°Hi there, my name is Jin Valter. I¡¯ve recently be Irina¡¯s older brother. Nice to meet you!¡±


    Jin¡¯s youthful voice echoed in the hallways of the vi. Since I¡¯ve been given the prophecy, I¡¯ve already learnt what he looked like by looking at him through the eyes of the nts nearby. Yet, this was the first time I¡¯d ever heard him speak. His voice sounded very juvenile, and his tone had yet to shift. Yet, there was a tinge of confidence hidden within his octaves.


    It was also my first time seeing him face-to-face, and the first thing that struck me was¡­ He¡¯s far more attractive than I¡¯d thought. Whenever I saw him through the eyes of nts, he was always a green blur with barely any colour to his skin. But now that I could see him clearly, I realised that his skin was a healthy beige colour. His glossy ck hair was as smooth as possible, and his beautiful blue eyes glistened the same colour as the morning sky.


    When he entered the vi for the first time, it felt like watching the sunrise in the morning.


    And his personality wasn¡¯t any less radiant.


    Always kind and loving, Jin quickly captured the other girls¡¯ hearts around me. Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle had be obsessed with him, showing bright smiles whenever he came into the room.


    I wonder how they can show their emotions so openly.


    My heart winces a little whenever I see Jin, but that was it. My face wouldn¡¯t smile as widely as the others. My eyes wouldn¡¯t sparkle like theirs, and my skin would never flush red.


    And yet, the other three girls could openly disy their affection to Jin with such ease.


    I wonder how they do that?


    Without knowing, I¡¯d observed the three girls and how they¡¯d interacted with Jin, hoping toe up with some idea on how I should behave around him. Whenever they were ying together, whenever they studied together, whenever they trained together¡­ My eyes would never leave Jin.


    I¡¯d thought that if I looked hard enough, perhaps I could get some clue on how to obtain this ¡®happiness¡¯ that the World Tree promised.


    Surprisingly, it worked. But not in the manner that I¡¯d hoped it would.


    Jin approached me one day and started asking about my past. Although I was slightly surprised that he would be curious about me, I didn¡¯t hesitate to tell him everything I knew. After all, he was the boy that was prophesied. There shouldn¡¯t be any demerit to him learning the truth.


    However, rather than ept our fates¡­ Jin said something astonishing.


    He wished to free me.


    He wished to save me.


    He wished¡­ To give me a soul.


    I didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d meant. How could I have? I was someone who was born without emotions, and I didn¡¯t know what emotions ran through his mind. But with the fervour and excitement he said it in¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but nod unwittingly.


    And well¡­ Jin delivered on his promise.


    The next few days were the best days of my life.


    I¡¯d experienced a new range of feelings that I never knew I could have. Every time Jin yed with me, I felt an ease within my heart. Every time he came near to talk to me, I could feel my heart pounding ever so quickly.


    The days passed so quickly, and each time I thought I couldn¡¯t feel anything else, Jin would surprise me with yet another fresh experience. Bit by bit, I started feeling emotions that I¡¯d never thought possible, and eventually¡­ I came to realise how true the prophecy was.


    Until that one fateful day¡­


    ¡°HELPPP!!!¡±


    Covered in rain and grime, Ysabelle ran into the vi with sobs in her voice. The sudden tears of the girl woke Irina and Lilith up, while I was rubbing my eyes in confusion.


    Wasn¡¯t Ysabelle supposed to be training with Jin? Why was she running back in tears?


    ¡°Ysabelle? What happened?!¡±


    ¡°J-Jin! W-We were attacked by an Outer Demon!¡±


    ¡°Outer Demon?! Here?!¡± Lilith screamed out in shock. ¡°How can there be an Outer Demon? We¡¯re far away from any Gates!¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know!¡± Ysabelle cried out, her body shaking like a falling Autumn leaf. ¡°W-We were training normally and then¡­ It came out and attacked me! J-Jin stood back to save me, b-but¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother! Where is he?!¡±


    ¡°F-Follow me!¡±


    Not knowing where they were going, Irina and Lilith grabbed onto Ysabelle and rushed toward Jin¡¯s location. But I didn¡¯t need to run along with them. Since I could talk to all the trees nearby, I could save Jin even without moving a single inch. I closed my eyes and spread my awareness throughout the meadow, eventually zoning in on Jin¡¯s location.


    Fortunately, Jin was still safe. He and the Outer Demon were still fighting, and it seemed like neither side was able to deal any significant damage.


    If that¡¯s the case, I can save him! As long as I use my magic, I can eliminate the Outer Demon and protect him from any harm! I can¡­


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    W-What?


    ¡°Rosalyn¡­ Stop¡­ It¡¯s his destiny.¡±


    World Tree?


    ¡°Stop¡­ It¡¯s his destiny¡­ And your duty¡­¡±


    My duty?


    Was this the prophecy? Jin would save us? Was this how he was going to save us? By fighting the Outer Demon?


    No, that can¡¯t be right¡­ He was meant to make me happy. He was meant to be promised to me. He was meant to¡­ give me a soul.


    Why was this his fate? Why must I stay my hand? I could protect him right now, and yet¡­ Why are you stopping me?


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything¡­ It¡¯s your destiny¡­¡±


    Don¡¯t do anything? I could see Jin losing the fight. The Outer Demon was attacking him without rest, and it won¡¯t be long before he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Why? Why must I do nothing?


    Is that my destiny? To watch helplessly as Jin perishes?


    Before I knew it, my power to control the trees was sealed, and all vision I had of Jin faded out. Not knowing what had happened, I ran frantically in the direction that Jin was in. I don¡¯t remember thest time I ran this hard. My breath was heavy, and my facepletely flushed. My limbs were aching, and my eyes filled with tears.


    What¡¯s this?


    Yet another emotion I¡¯d never felt before.


    I was praying¡­ Praying that nothing would happen to Jin. I didn¡¯t want to see anything happen to him. I didn¡¯t want his radiant smile to stop brightening up my life.


    If his destiny was to die for us¡­ I reject that fate.


    And yet¡­ When I arrived at the scene¡­


    ¡°Jin¡­ Jin¡­ Jin¡­!!!¡±


    Tears were streaming down the three girls¡¯ faces. Ysabelle held the young, bloodied boy in her arms as Irina knelt down by his side. Lilith was letting out tears as she drew some weird symbols on the ground, and as for me¡­


    For the first time in my life¡­


    I screamed.

 Chapter 121 Rosalyn Shadowgarden (2)

    Jin was there. Lying in a pool of his own blood.


    The colour on his face was slowly fading away as his cherry-red lips, which had always been filled with warmth, smiles andughter¡­ Had been stained entirely red. Jin¡¯s eyes were barely open, flickering with every slight twitch from Ysabelle and Irina¡¯s cries.


    The boy who was supposed to save us¡­ The boy who was promised to me¡­ He was no longer smiling.


    Jin, the boy who never once showed us his weak side. The boy who never once scolded or berated us. The boy¡­ Who was powerful enough to match any one of us despite being human¡­ He was no longer moving.


    I could have prevented this.


    I saw Jin face up against the Outer Demon. I saw him fight with his life on the line. I saw him struggle, I saw him fall, I saw him in pain¡­ Yet, I couldn¡¯t save him.


    It wasn¡¯t my destiny to save him. My involvement wasn¡¯t promised in the prophecies. I could only watch as Jin fell to the Outer Demon, all while his mind was preupied with protecting us.


    Why World Tree?


    Why must Jin suffer this way? Why must I see my precious Jin fall into a pool of his own blood? Why¡­ does my heart ache so much?


    Tell me, World Tree.


    Is this my purpose? Is this why you brought Jin to me? To watch him die? To be shown the light of my life, only to see it dissipate away? Why did you stop me? Why did you force Jin to face the Outer Demon alone? Why¡­ Why did you force this prophecy on me?


    Jin showed me happiness. He showed me how to smile. He gave me¡­ a soul.


    And yet¡­ There was nothing I could do for him.


    Why? Is this my fate? My destiny?


    If so¡­


    I¡¯ll reject it.


    I won¡¯t be a puppet anymore. I will do everything that I can to protect Jin, even if it costs my life. I will do everything¡­ To make him happy.


    ¡°The preparations for the ritual areplete!¡±


    Lilith shouted as she finished thest symbols on the floor. Drawing a magic circle with Jin¡¯s blood even before his body turned cold seemed to be a heartless thing to do, but Lilith wasn¡¯t that kind of girl. Even with her face stained with tears, she had an expression of steel as she firmly dered:


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to make Jin¡¯s soul whole again! It has been scattered from the fight against the Outer Demon! Quick, we need to hurry!¡±


    ¡°H-How do we save him?¡±


    ¡°We must use our own souls to hold the pieces of his in shape! Fortunately, there are four of us, so we can split the load evenly. Living with three-quarters of our souls might be a little ufortable, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it! Anything to save Brother!!!¡±


    Irina never once hesitated as she stood at one corner of the ritual circle. Cutting her own wrist with her fingers, Irina let the blood flow down her hands as she held onto her side of the circle. Holding back her tears, Irina held onto Jin¡¯s right hand as a quarter of her soul was consumed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never let Jin die! Never!¡±


    Ysabelle was the next to follow. Moving to the opposite side, Ysabelle held onto Jin¡¯s left hand and sliced her supple flesh to allow the blood to flow. Just like Irina, I could see a quarter of her soul being consumed by Jin¡¯s unmoving body.


    ¡°Rosa? What will you do?¡±


    Lilith was the next to follow. She ced herself firmly above Jin¡¯s head and gave the sleeping boy a gentlep pillow. It seemed like a lover caressing her most precious person, but the truth was far from that. Lilith¡¯s blood and soul were being consumed rapidly, and I could see the weak-bodied girl suffering as a result.


    The three of them looked at me as they waited for my response.


    Girls¡­ There¡¯s no need to look at me that way.


    Let alone one-quarter of my soul; you could take my entire soul if it meant saving Jin. He was the Sun and Moon of my life. My morning and night. My joy and sorrow.


    I would do anything¡­ Anything to have him back.


    Kneeling by his feet, I made a deep cut on my wrist and allowed the blood to flow down like the three of them and almost instantly, I could feel my soul being ripped apart. My mind was in shambles, and my body was shaking violently.


    Just one-quarter of my soul being ripped apart¡­ Just that one-quarter, and I could feel my body shutting down. I couldn¡¯t imagine Jin¡¯s pain and suffering when his soul was shattered. And yet¡­ He could still love and worry about us.


    Perhaps it was fitting that I was at his feet.


    My purpose, my destiny, the reason for my existence¡­ It wasn¡¯t to serve the World Tree.


    And just like he gave me happiness¡­ I will live to serve Jin Valter.


    Many hours had passed since the ritual was conducted, and Jin¡¯s soul had finally been pieced back together. It was a long and arduous process, but at least we¡¯d finally saved Jin¡¯s life. However, when we thought the worst part was over, Lilith hit us with the final bombshell.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay with Jin anymore.¡±


    ¡°W-What?! Why can¡¯t I stay with Brother?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no longer safe for us to be close to him,¡± Lilith replied with a helpless expression in her eyes. ¡°Our souls may have held him together, but it¡¯s a temporary fix. It¡¯s unnatural to leave our souls within another person¡¯s body, and they will always try to return back to us. If we¡¯re near him¡­ The souls within him will go berserk, and it¡¯ll cause Jin to suffer.¡±


    ¡°W-What?! So we can¡¯t see Jin anymore?!¡±


    ¡°No, not until his soulpletely heals up.¡± Lilith continued on with her exnation, her expression turning sadder and sadder by the second.


    ¡°And I hate to tell you this, but¡­ Jin¡¯s memories of us will be sealed too.¡±


    ¡°Sealed? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°To prevent him froming to find us, to prevent his soul from going berserk, I¡¯ve sealed all memories he has of us. When Jin recovers and returns our souls, he¡¯ll remember everything, but for now¡­ We won¡¯t exist in his memories.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­ Brother will forget all about us?¡±


    Irina couldn¡¯t hold back her tears as her grip on Jin¡¯s hand tightened even more.


    ¡°When he recovers¡­ Jin will remember. It may take him ten or twenty years to recover his soul; I don¡¯t really know. But when he does, we can reunite with him and let him recover his memories.¡±


    Lilith gave Jin and tender stroke on his head as she whispered to all of us:


    ¡°In the meantime, we¡¯ll need to protect him. With his soul in this shape, Jin won¡¯t have the same power he had. We need to protect him during this time, but I know that we have duties to attend to, so I suggest we split the workload up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect Brother in Winter!¡± Irina was the first to volunteer her services. ¡°I¡¯m best equipped to protect Brother during the Winter months! I don¡¯t think that you¡¯ll disagree.¡±


    ¡°No arguments there,¡± Lilith nodded in a rare case of her agreeing with the youngest girl of our group. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take Spring.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll take the Summer!¡± Ysabelle nervously dered her season while never letting go of Jin¡¯s hand once.


    The three girls looked right at me and waited for my answer. Once again, I didn¡¯t know why they looked at me so strangely, but I replied nheless.


    ¡°Autumn¡­¡±


    No, Autumn isn¡¯t enough. With my powers, I can protect Jin all the time. Whether he¡¯s at school, eating, showering or even sleeping. As long as there are nts nearby, I can protect Jin. No, I will protect Jin.


    That is my fate. My one true destiny.


    After saving Jin, we returned him to his parent¡¯s house and secretly notified authorities of the Outer Demon attack. It took some time for his parents to return, but it didn¡¯t matter. From the beginning, I wasmitted to protecting Jin, even if his parents were never to return.


    As Lilith had predicted, Jin was unable to remember anything about us. When he awoke, he was confused and afraid. When he found out that he had lost his magical ability and could never be a Hunter, Jin fell into despair.


    Yet, even as his world crumbled, Jin never once gave up. When he returned to school and got bullied, he never once gave in to his fate. Like he did with me, Jin struggled against his own forced destiny, fighting hard to be the best possible person he could be.


    Jin¡­ Even though his memories had been altered¡­ He never changed.


    Jin always remained as optimistic, confident and radiant as he always was.


    Seasons passed, and over ten years had passed since Jin met us. Over the past few years, my eyes never left Jin¡¯s side. I watched him turn from a young boy into a sickly teenager. I saw him go through adolescence in pain and suffering and yet never once give in to his fate. I watched him be a grown man as he pursued his dream of bing a magic researcher.


    Through my connections with the Shadowgarden House, I protected him from any harm that mighte his way. If someone were to bully him, their houses would burn the next day. If a professor forced him to do something he didn¡¯t like, the professor would lose all his funding the next hour. If some¡­ random girl tried totch herself onto him¡­


    She would be before I counted to three.


    I had to protect Jin, no matter the cost.


    But¡­ I¡¯ve made one miscalction.


    Irina could not fight off the temptation and turned Jin into a Vampire behind our backs. Of everyone in the world, I¡¯d never thought I would be betrayed by any of the three. However, I was fine with Jin being with Irina. So long as his safety was guaranteed, I didn¡¯t mind staying in the shadows as I protected him.


    However, after turning into a Vampire, Jin had been subjected to danger after danger.


    During the Winter Hunt at the Everwinter House, one of Irina¡¯s family members tried to murder him to aggravate Irina. At the Moonreaver Dimension, Jin fought against Sirius Moonreaver for the sake of Lilith, who had almost injured him severely. And finally, at the ckburn House, Jin had to face Eyghon, a Demon Lord that was infinitely stronger than the Outer Demon that almost killed him.


    And now¡­ The whole world was out to get Jin.


    From the Bloodborne House to the Holy Church¡­ Everyone wants to get rid of Jin.


    Why?


    Why?


    WHY?!


    All I want is for Jin to be safe! All I want is to protect Jin from harm! Why does he have to suffer so much?! Must I watch Jin fall before my eyes once again?!


    No!


    No! I will not let that happen!


    I will not let Jin suffer ever again!


    I will¡­


    Protect Jin¡­


    Forever.

 Chapter ?122 Rosalyn Shadowgarden (3)

    ?122 Rosalyn Shadowgarden (3)


    "T-That was!"


    I woke up drenched in a pool of my own sweat. Huffing and puffing, I tried my best topose myself and bring the shaking down a notch. However, the memories that returned to my mind still haunted me, and my cold sweats turned into absolute shivers of agony. And the piercing pain that resonated within my heart¡­ Quickly turned into feelings of remorse.


    Those memories¡­ They weren''t just mine.


    They were Rosalyn''s¡­ They were Rosa''s memories.


    Yes¡­ How could I have forgotten? The painful past that the girl was subject to. The sadness and loneliness she''d felt. And¡­ The reason why I chose to stay with the girl. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to make her whole again. I wanted¡­


    To give her a soul. A new lease on life.


    Yet, throughout these fifteen years, Rosa had been protecting me from the shadows. She''d faithfully protected me even when I hadpletely forgotten about her. Even when Irina pulled off her selfish stunt, Rosa was content to watch from obscurity.


    Rosa didn''t care about my attention, she didn''t care about my love, she didn''t care about whether my eyes turned to her or not.


    All she wanted¡­ was for me to be safe.


    It was her heart-sworn vow, and it was an oath she''d kept even when the other three girls monopolised all of my love and attention.


    However, as she repeatedly saw me subjected to danger, Rosa came to a dramatic conclusion. In order to keep me safe, she could no longer watch from the shadows anymore. To make sure that no one could ever hurt me again, she had to have me under her thumb. Even if it meant kidnapping me and chaining me in ce. As long as I was in her territory, under the protection of the World Tree, she could protect me.


    Which has led to thispromising situation¡­


    "Jin, you''re awake?"


    Still bound by my wrists and ankles, I found my body restrained on the bed. Just like before, magic power was constantly being sucked out of my system, making it impossible for me to cast any spells to escape. My physical state was no better, as a weighing sense of lethargy held me down, and all my struggles were nothing more than a puppy''s yelp.


    Looking to the side, I didn''t see the transcendental beauty anywhere. During this time of day, she was always doing something else. In her stead, however, there was one small fairy who was left to keep mepany, or rather, keep watch of my movements.


    "Sora¡­"


    "Did you dream?"


    "... Sora."


    My voice fell, and my gaze pierced right through the floating sprite. I might have been naive before, but now that I have seen Rosa''s memories, my eyes have been opened.


    "Sora¡­ Or should I call you Spirit of the World Tree?"


    "Oh¡­" The shiny fairy''s smile dropped as her crown started sparkling. After a few moments, Sora let out a huge sigh and said:


    "Oh my, how did you figure it out?"


    "Rosa¡­ I saw her memories."


    This phenomenon could only happen due to our soul exchange. As Irina said, we needed to be joined in soul, body and mind. Rosa and I already shared a soul bond, and due to her vigorous nightly activity, our bodies had practically be conjoined twins.


    All that was left, were our minds.


    Before, I couldn''t figure out what was behind Rosalyn''s thoughts. Why did she confine me to this bed? Why did she drug and restrain me? Why was she behaving so erratically?


    But through looking at the world from her eyes, I finally understood.


    Rosa was protecting me. In her own twisted way, she believed that by keeping me on this bed, she could protect me forever. It was twisted, yes, but Rosa''s intentions were pure. As for this World Tree, on the other hand¡­


    "World Tree¡­ What on earth are you nning?"


    "nning, I''m not nning anything," Sora replied with the same tone of voice. "I may be a Spirit, but I don''t have any true power. I''m just like any other tree out there¡­ I just want to continue living."


    "And in order to do that, you''ll need to make Rosa suffer?"


    My voice got more and more agitated by the second. The Shadowgardens and the Elves may have been the perpetrators of Rosa''s pain, but the World Tree was the main cause. If not for the World Tree, Rosa wouldn''t need to be subjected to all the restraints she was ced under. She wouldn''t need to be treated as a tool. She could have been¡­ Any regr girl.


    "Suffer? That''s far from it! Rosa is my friend!!!" Sora dered with her chest puffed out. "I would never choose to hurt Rosa!"


    "Then¡­ Why did you manipte her in the past?"


    "I¡­ I needed her to follow the prophecy."


    "Prophecy?"


    Sora''s words drew some intrigue from me. I never once believed in prophecies or fate. I believed one''s destiny was something one needed to carve on their own. But at the same time, Sora was the Spirit of the World Tree, probably the most ancient living creature on our.


    If Sora had seen a prophecy, I shouldn''t just t-out deny it.


    "Yes¡­ Nothing lives forever, not even the World Tree. Even if the World Tree could keep reincarnating, father time would one day have its due. As the Spirit of the World Tree, I epted that. But¡­"


    Sora''s elf-like ears perked up as she stared right into my soul.


    "I had a dream one day¡­ Of an eternal World Tree. One that wasn''t subject to the whims of humanity and the universe. One that could fully stand the test of time and live on as an eternal being."


    Sora''s eyes glistened ever so brightly as she repeated her dream to me.


    "And there will be one man at the centre of that tree. No, one God. With a never-changing youth and the power to defeat time, he will protect the World Tree with his invincible power."


    "And you''re saying¡­ That man is me?"


    "That''s right!" Sora pumped her fist down with pure tion.


    "That dream¡­ That prophecy¡­ I believed in it for many thousands of years. I waited patiently¡­ Patiently for your birth and patiently for your existence. I tried to deduce more, but I could only see the birth of your powers and the end for some odd reason. It felt as if¡­ There was a mysterious power blocking anyone from viewing your fate."


    "..."


    I''ve heard that before. When I''d fought Sirius, he said he felt ''something'' was hiding within me and that ''something'' was strong enough to make the Stardevourer, the Moonreaver House''s most powerful weapon, shake in fear.


    Interesting¡­ It seems like even more secrets are hidden, even to me.


    Fate, destiny, providence¡­ There must be some sort of magic trick that was eluding me. s, as much as I was interested in getting to the bottom of this, there was a more pressing problem to solve.


    "For that reason, you forced Rosa to do your bidding? To serve you for all of time?"


    "Jin¡­ Rosa''s existence was never meant to serve me." Sora shook her head as a bitter smile crept up her lips. "Rosa¡­ The main reason why she was born¡­ Was for your sake."


    "My sake?"


    "Yes," Sora nodded ever so enthusiastically. "Everything has been predetermined by fate, from Rosa''s birth to your meeting, to the Outer Demon attacking you, and finally, your eventual ascension into greatness. Everything has been prophesied. You may not like it, but it was Rosa''s destiny to meet you. And it was your destiny¡­ To save her."


    "..."


    How disgusting.


    This entire time, I had med the Shadowgarden House, the Elves, the World Tree¡­ But, I''ve yet to look inward. I''ve yet to chastise the real reason why Rosa had been suffering and why she continues to behave in this manner.


    Me.


    "I see¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, I channelled magic power from my inner core and onto my right hand. At that moment, five rings connected by chains graced my fingers. The middle finger sparkled with a deep azure colour, resembling the entire boundless sky.


    The ring on my thumb was illuminated with the rainbow''s colours, showing the universe''s intense creativity and innovations.


    The ring on my index finger glowed with a crimson hue as if the fiery pits of hell were encased within them.


    And finally¡­ The gem on my ring finger started to power up.


    With an emerald glow that seemingly contained all of the world''s lushest forests within, the ring shone brightly. And with that power, I started to see shining lights running all around me. The wisps floated irregrly, like molecules that collide and bind all together. But at the same time, they were independent and unique, much like their own lifeforms.


    No, they were all lifeforms¡­


    They were the souls of everything that surrounded me. The trees, the nts, the grass¡­ Everything that had a living soul¡­ They were now all visible to me.


    I get it now¡­ This was my fourth power¡­ This was the power granted to me by Rosa¡­


    This was¡­ The power to control Life.

 Chapter ?123 Rosalyn Shadowgarden (4)

    ?123 Rosalyn Shadowgarden (4)


    This was¡­ The power to control Life.


    With one cusp of my hand, I unravelled the pesky, thorny vines that held me down. Standing up from the bed, I revitalised myself through Spirit magic, something that should have been unique to the Elves, and strengthened my weakened body. Magic power quickly filled my veins, and it didn''t take long for my peak physique to return.


    While I was busy recuperating, I heightened my senses and tested my new powers out. I could see the entire Elven Forest and all of its inhabitants. Any tree, squirrel, Elf or insect¡­ Anything with a soul was visible under my new vision.


    And that''s how I saw¡­


    The forest was burning¡­


    Elves were fighting Vampires. Vampires were fighting Vampires. And the Spirits¡­ They were all crying.


    As I zoned in on the attackers, I noticed something shocking. Horatio Bloodborne, one of the ones responsible for attacking the Moonreaver Dimension, was leading the charge. The more surprising part was the words that came out of his mouth.


    "Find Jin Valter! Don''te back if you can''t capture him alive!"


    "Yes, sir!!!"


    Numerous Vampires charged in all directions, seemingly ripping any and all life in sight. They burned trees, razed bushes, and killed rabbits. Anything that stood in their path, they would get rid of. Blood and fire were sprayed in all directions, turning the serenity of the Elven Forest into an orchestra of war.


    We were under attack¡­ By the Bloodborne House, no less. And apparently, their motive seemed to be me.


    "Sora, this is¡­"


    "Just some pesky bugs. We can deal with themter."


    To the Spirit of the World Tree, the many Bloodborne elites, which included ancient Vampires that lived during the Progenitor''s age, were nothing more than cannon fodder. Sora, no, the World Tree had lived through countless world-ending cataclysms and had faced disasters that I could only dream about. Inparison, these Bloodborne members did seem like pesky pugs that could only serve to irritate her.


    "Sora, they seem to be looking for me?"


    "Ah, they think that you''re the reincarnation of their Ancestor. So, they wish to resurrect him using your soul."


    "I''ve heard that before, but am I really?"


    "I told you, something is blocking my vision of your fate." Sora shook her head with a regrettable expression. "I can''t deduce if you''re really the reincarnation of their Ancestor or not."


    "I see¡­"


    If I possessed the soul of the Vampire Progenitor, that would exin a lot. My meteoric growth and rise to power. My unrelenting obsession with magic. And my unique Vampire Aspect that no one seems to understand.


    I raised my Soul Armament up to my face and carefully inspected each ring one by one.


    Spacetime¡­ Creation¡­ Destruction¡­ And now¡­ Life¡­


    Four of the five rings on my hand had been powered up, each hiding a power that anyone would be happy to possess. Heck, any Vampire that possessed just one of my powers could instantly rise up to the peak of the world. Yet, I had four incredible abilities. And thest one has yet to unveil itself too.


    If I were the Vampire Progenitor''s reincarnation, everything would make much more sense.


    But there was one more possible exnation¡­


    "Sora, the future you saw¡­ Were the four of them there?"


    "Four of them?"


    "The four that are most important to my life," I looked towards the sealed door and muttered my deepest thoughts. "Irina, my precious younger sister. Lilith, my lovable Bloodmate. Ysabelle, my beloved betrothed. And¡­ Rosalyn, my gorgeous soulmate. These four, were they present in your dreams?"


    "No¡­ I didn''t dream of them¡­"


    "I see¡­ So even your eyes can''t see their future, huh?"


    If Sora could only see my future and not the other four, does that mean¡­ No, nothing is for certain. Besides, even if their fate doesn''t lead them to the future¡­ to my future¡­ I will break that destiny.


    "I''m going¡­"


    "Hmmm? Do you really need to fight them? The Elves should be sufficient to fight them off. Besides, they can''t harm you as long as Rosa is in the forest."


    "No, they can''t harm me anyway. I''m going because I have to test something." Unconsciously, I''d let out a wry smile, a smile that didn''t escape Sora''s eyes.


    "You want to confirm if you''re their Ancestor?"


    "That too, but more importantly¡­ I can''t let Rosa face danger because of me, now can I?"


    "You¡­"


    Sora opened her eyes wide and stared at me as if I were a dumb ape. Now that I had the power of life by my side, I knew how powerful Rosa truly was. She was the World Tree''s guardian, the Dreaming Forest''s owner, and quite possibly, the most powerful living Vampire.


    To say that such a being needed protection was nothing short of ludicrous.


    But before all that¡­ Rosalyn was my lover. The woman I swore to protect.


    And I won''t let her fight my battles for me.


    "If I let Rosa handle my business for me, I wouldn''t be living up to my promise¡­ Am I right, Rosa?"


    Turning to the door, I spoke softly and distinctively. As if on cue, the sealed wooden door gradually unlocked itself as the vines that kept it shut unravelled. With an eerie squeak, the door inched open, revealing the breathtaking woman standing on the other side.


    Donned in exquisite Elven garments, the green-haired woman walked into the room with her signature expressionless face. Those Lapis eyes of hers were sprinkled with a tinge of wetness as her adorable, snow-white nose sniffled with each step she took. Not daring to look me in the eyes for more than a second, the girl averted her gaze and stared at the floor with her hands behind her back.


    And with a soft voice, she whispered:


    "Jin¡­ Not angry?"


    "Rosa¡­"


    I tilted my head to the side and took two steps forward. I tried to raise her chin, but Rosa quickly moved her face away, unwilling to even look at my face. Despite her previous actions, I could feel Rosa''s guilt eating at her from the inside. She didn''t want to restrain my movements, she didn''t want to kidnap me, she didn''t want to force me to live a life of a cripple¡­


    All Rosa wanted to do was to keep me safe.


    How could I me her for something like that?


    "The reason why you kidnapped me and kept me¡­ You wanted to stop the Bloodborne House from finding me, right?"


    "..."


    "And you''ve been having sex with me every night because you were desperate to return your soul and to make me whole again, right?"


    "..."


    "Even now, when the Bloodborne House is attacking, you don''t wish to involve me, right? Even though their target is clearly me."


    "..."


    Rosa remained silent throughout, but she didn''t have to say anything. I could tell from the palpitations of her heart that she was feeling conflicted. Essentially, Rosa had given me all the answers I needed.


    This gorgeous girl¡­ This fragile girl¡­ She has always been protecting me from the shadows.


    Rosa was content even if she didn''t get any of my love if she didn''t get any attention from me¡­ As long as I was safe, she would be happy.


    But I wouldn''t¡­


    I won''t allow this precious little flower to hide in the shadows anymore.


    I walked forward and held onto her dainty hands. And the first thing I noticed¡­ was how feeble they were. Unlike the other three girls, Rosa''s hands were ever so weak. As if she hadn''t stepped a foot out of her chamber and had spent all her time dreaming on the bed. No, given how much she looked after me, she must have been indoors all the time.


    Never once getting enough exercise, never once experiencing what it''s like to be outside in nature, never once moving for her own sake¡­


    It must have been a hellish experience for the young woman.


    Bringing her closer into my arms, I felt her body jerk far quicker than I''d expected. She was light¡­ far too light. As someone standing at 1.81 metres, she should be far meatier and robust, yet¡­ She felt so weak.


    It felt like I had been transported to the past when I''d first met the feeble young girl. Over the years, she had never grown properly and was never given the love I''d promised her.


    Well, not anymore.


    "I''m sorry, Rosa¡­ I''ve neglected you."


    "Don''t be sorry¡­ I''m sorry¡­"


    "No, I''ve made a huge mistake. I should havee to you first."


    "Jin¡­"


    "But don''t worry¡­ I will right this wrong!"


    I pulled her chin up, drawing the familiar shock from Rosa''s glistening eyes. I pressed my face down without waiting and stole her delicious, sweet lips. While stunned at first, Rosa''s body instinctively knew what to do. Our tongues danced fervently, making breakdancers cry in shame as our bodies were glued together.


    Taking in many breaths, we exchanged salivas as if we were vagrants that were stranded in the desert. A certain little fairy was squeaking out weird noises, but I didn''t care about her. All of my attention was focused on Rosa.


    Our thirst for each other was only quenched after fifteen solid minutes. Separating with reluctance in my eyes, I broke the silvery line that connected our lips by gently stroking her beautiful green hair.


    And for the first time in my life¡­ I saw Rosa''s face blush fully red.


    "Let me deal with the Bloodbornes. It''ll only take a second. You go wake the others in the basement."


    "... You knew?"


    "Knew that you''ve kept the other girls in hibernation? Yeah, I saw them just now when I unlocked my soul vision. Although nothing will happen to them, it''s better to get them awake so they can evacuate at any time."


    "... not mad?"


    "Haha, of course, they won''t be mad at you! If you apologise correctly, that is."


    I lied as easily as I breathed. There was no doubt in my mind that Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle would burn with rage when they found out what Rosa had done to them, but I had faith that they would forgive her. Eventually, of course.


    "Now, go and wake them up! As for the Bloodbornes¡­"


    Summoning out my Soul Armament, I channelled all of my magic power into the four rings, lighting them up with a lustrous hue.


    "Let me deal with them."

 Chapter 124 Vita, The Power Of Life (1)

    124 Vita, The Power Of Life (1)


    The Elven Forest was burning.


    Hundreds, if not thousands of Vampires had infiltrated the holy grounds of the Elves, many brandishing their signature weapons and flinging magic spells at anything that moved. Angered that the Bloodborne House had disturbed their peace, every single able-bodied Elf charged out from the Elven Sanctuary with their signature bows and swords and descended upon their invaders with a rightful vengeance.


    The Elves weren¡¯t alone either. The Shadowgarden House members, Vampires skilled in assassinations and murder, raced to the Elves¡¯ aid and fought back the bloodthirsty intruders.


    However, even though the Bloodborne House were outnumbered ten-to-one, none of them thought of retreating. Rather, their attacks became far more frantic with every passing minute, as if a frenzy had overwhelmed their senses.


    Rather than Vampires¡­ The Bloodborne House¡¯s elites looked more like berserkers. Their faces red and tinged with the blood of their enemies, the Vampires burned and killed their way through the serene Elven Forest.


    The vast majority of the attackers had focused their firepower near Elven settlements as if their only goal was absolute destruction and annihtion of the Elves. However, there were a few Bloodborne members headed in odd directions.


    One such group was headed to the centre of the Elven Forest and quite possibly to the heart of the majestic jungle itself. The other was headed right in my direction with an unyielding will to obtain what they thought was rightfully theirs.


    Now, one might ask how I could see everything that was urring in the Elven Forest.


    It¡¯s quite simple, actually.


    I raised my Soul Armament and carefully examined the ring on my fourth finger. Its deep emerald hue dazzled with the splendour of a thousand trees, and it felt like the entire Elven Forest was reflected within it. Through its magical properties, I could peek into all life forms within my vicinity, and its range seemed to be expanding by the second.


    Essentially, I could see what Rosa sees on a daily basis. No, given that my power wasn¡¯t just limited to nts, I could see even more. The billions, if not trillions, of ants in the forest. The monkeys screamed as they swung from tree to tree. And even the Elves who were shooting their arrows manically at their enemies.


    Nothing could hide from my soul¡¯s vision.


    It felt like I had entered into a new realm of consciousness. Everything felt so surreal as the world had been painted in different colours, and all existence felt metaphysical. The amount of information I attempted to process was overloading my brain, and I did my best to ignore the irrelevant details and focus on the important matter at hand.


    ¡°How does Rosa even manage to stay sane?¡±


    Opening my vision for a few seconds was enough to fry my weak brain¡­ I couldn¡¯t imagine the endless torment that Rosa had been subjected to. Not to mention, using the power of the World Tree, she could be connected to every living nt around the globe.


    Compared to her¡­ I really was a novice.


    ¡°Still¡­ I can¡¯t let her stay ahead for long!¡±


    I swore to protect the girl. I swore to give her a soul. I swore¡­ To make her happy.


    And I can¡¯t do that if I was weaker than Rosa, now can I?


    Taking a few deep breaths in, I calmed myself down and sent more magic power into my fourth finger. Once more, a strange vitality pulsated through my veins as a strange, emerald aura enveloped my body. Clenching my hand into a fist, I familiarised myself with this new power that had awakened within myself and thought of all the possibilities I could conjure up.


    Come to think of it¡­ I have yet to name this new power.


    Imperium¡­ Genesis¡­ Interitus¡­


    Spacetime¡­ Creation¡­ Destruction¡­


    If I were to go with the same patterns, then¡­


    ¡°Vita,¡± I whispered softly.


    And through that one word, a torrent of magical energy left my body and illuminated the lustrous gem within my fourth finger. The trees around me started to grow, and unknown vines emerged from the forest bed. All of the flora and fauna danced in unison as they bathed in the dazzling light, every single one of them turning more robust with every passing second.


    At that moment, I felt a connection beyond ordinary magic. Spirit and Nature magic, two distinct branches that no human or Vampire could ever ess, were now essible through my ring. No, I¡¯d realised something important now that I could use them.


    Spirit¡­ Nature¡­ They were all the same. They both came from the same source. They were¡­


    ¡°Vita¡­ The Power of Life.¡±


    ???


    Horatio Bloodborne smiled joyfully as he moved through the dense Elven Forest. Thus far, the Bloodborne House¡¯s n had been proceeding smoothly. The dispensable Vampires would raise a ruckus, drawing out the despicable Elves from their ivory homes, creating a vacuum that the main force could exploit.


    Then, the Bloodborne House elites, including all of the remaining Consorts, would fight toe-to-toe with the Elven Priestess and her annoying Elven Guards. As strong as the Consorts were, even they would be hard-pressed to defeat the Elven Priestess, especially since she was protected by the World Tree.


    However, the Bloodborne House didn¡¯t need the Consorts to win; they only needed them to buy time. The main reason for the Bloodborne House¡¯s invasion wasn¡¯t to annihte the Elves but to allow the High Elder to finish the ritual at the World Tree.


    Once the Progenitor¡¯s coffin was brought to the World Tree, the final phase of the Grand n could finallymence, and the resurrection of the Ancestor was only a matter of time.


    And looking at the state of the Elven Forest, everything had been moving ording to n.


    Even Horatio¡¯s little side quest, the mission to obtain Jin Valter to ascertain if he was the Progenitor¡¯s reincarnation, was moving faster than expected. Horatio thought that it would take a few hours for him to get a sense of Jin¡¯s location, but luckily for him, one of the Elves they captured knew about Rosalyn¡¯s little kidnapping and pointed them in the right direction.


    ¡°Hehe, once we¡¯ve resurrected our Ancestor¡­ The Bloodborne House will rise up again! I can¡¯t wait to see the looks on those bastards¡¯ faces when we dominate their blood like in the good old days.¡±


    In Horatio¡¯s mind, capturing Jin was as good as a done deal. Although he had dramatically improved since thest time they¡¯d met, Horatio didn¡¯t think he was any weaker than Jin. Quite the contrary, in fact.


    The Bloodborne Prince was born superior. A descendant of the purest Vampire lineage and a man with powers matching many ancient Vampires. He hadbat experience far beyond any Vampire his age and his magic had been explicitly refined for battle.


    Compared to a novice like Jin¡­ Yeah, Horatio did have the qualifications to be arrogant.


    But s¡­ His arrogance was what blinded him.


    ¡°Hoh?¡±


    A sudden surge of magical power exploded in the air as if a tempest was fomenting from the direction that they were headed. Horatio raised his eyebrows, not knowing what that foreign energy was from. Fortunately for him, it didn¡¯t take long for that unknown magical power to reveal its owner.


    Shrouded in an ethereal, emerald mist, a tall ck-haired man emerged from the dense overgrowth. Moving with absolute confidence, the well-built Adonis never once betrayed a look of anxiety on his young face. His crystalline blue eyes turned crimson as he raised his chin to meet Horatio¡¯s gaze, and a smile crept up both faces.


    Horatio, still in a state of ecstasy, let out a brilliant smile as he roared: ¡°Jin Valter!!! Fancy meeting you here!!!¡±


    ¡°Horatio Bloodborne.¡±


    Jin, on the other hand, let out a wry smile. He greeted the Bloodborne Prince, but his tone was not a tinge of respect or reverence. Rather, it was defiant and brute, like a diator getting ready for his next life-or-death match.


    ¡°Jin Valter! Since thest time we met, you¡¯ve be quite the popr boy!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone has heard of your name by now! Your exploits with Eyghon have even reached the ears of our High Elder!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really impressed by your abilities, and he really wants to meet you! So, if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap, Horatio.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Bloodborne Prince paused mid-sentence, and his body stopped. Raising one brow, he looked down at Jin with an incredulous expression. This was the first time anyone outside of his family called him so informally. It felt as if¡­ Jin was utterly looking down on him and treating the thousand-year-old Vampire as if he were an inferior creature.


    ¡°You can save your breath. I know about your n to resurrect the Progenitor.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°And you think that I¡¯m his reincarnation, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At Jin¡¯s explosive words, Horatio was rendered speechless. His cavalier attitude was wiped clean, and the Bloodborne Prince¡¯s face instantly became stiff. The n to resurrect the Progenitor should have been a secret. Not only that, their suspicion that Jin was the reincarnation of Drac was something only Horatio and the High Elder knew.


    Yet¡­ Jin knew all about it.


    ¡°You¡­ How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Does it really matter?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No, it does not.¡± Horatio closed his eyes and thought about it for a moment.


    Jin was right. It didn¡¯t matter if Jin knew about the n or not. Either way, he would bring Jin to the High Elder, whether by force or not. In fact, this turn of events was far more convenient for the Bloodborne Prince. At least he didn¡¯t have to act like someone he wasn¡¯t anymore. Pointing his finger at Jin, Horatioid down the order to his loyal Shadowfiends:


    ¡°Seize him!¡±


    Since there was no need for pretences, Horatio immediately gave the cold order. It didn¡¯t matter if Jin knew about the n or not. All he needed to do wase obediently with him to the High Elder.


    But Horatio made one crucial miscalction¡­


    ¡°No, seize him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!!!¡±


    The loyal Shadowfiends, which should have been flying towards Jin right now, had turned coat and attacked Horatio instead.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?!¡±


    Stunned by the sudden betrayal, Horatio reactedte to his loyal followers¡¯ insubordination. But even as he was taken off guard, Horatio¡¯s reflexes were worthy of a Bloodborne Prince. He summoned his Blood Butterflies and quickly suppressed the first wave of attackers.


    ¡°Hey! Snap out of it! Why are you attacking me instead of-¡­¡±


    Even before the man could get a word out, the other Shadowfiends struck in a coordinated fashion. Funnily enough, the disciplined formation of the Shadowfiends, a training regimen that Horatio had spent centuries drilling into his loyal soldiers, was now being used against him.


    ¡°Y-You! W-What did you do to-¡­!¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Horatio¡¯s focus was zoned in on the Shadowfiends that attacked him, which had made him oblivious to the real threat that loomed over his shoulders. Dozens of thorny vines, most of which had been shot down from the canopies, struck Horatio¡¯s fleshy body and dragged him straight down onto the floor.


    At that moment, the Bloodborne Prince could feel his magic power being drained away from him rapidly as an unfamiliar sense of fatigue arose from the deepest parts of his mind. However, before his brain could give way, Horatio gave Jin one final look of shock and refusal.


    ¡°Y-You¡­ W-What did you do?!¡±


    ¡°Hoh? As expected of someone from the Bloodborne lineage. I can¡¯t seem to control your soul as easily as your friends.¡±


    ¡°C-Control my soul?¡±


    ¡°Long story,¡± Jin shook his head with no intention of answering. ¡°But well, since you¡¯re still awake¡­¡±


    Jin pointed his fourth finger right at Horatio¡¯s forehead, and with a sinister voice, he muttered:


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me everything you know about this n¡­¡±

 Chapter ?125 Vita, The Power Of Life (2)

    ?125 Vita, The Power Of Life (2)


    Julien Bloodborne.


    The third son of the Vampire Progenitor, an ancient being standing at the world''s apex and the current High Elder of the Bloodborne House. As a member of the original Vampire family, the man''s pride had been high from the moment of his birth.


    Under the protection of his father, Julien had been treated like a God in his early years. Every single Vampire in existence back then served at the feet of the Bloodborne House. Due to the Progenitor''s power to restrain and dominate all Vampires, every single member of the Bloodborne House was treated like an untouchable ss, a bloodline that could never be tainted and whose very name inspired fear in the souls of all who knew them.


    Julien enjoyed the privilege of being one of the direct descendants of the Progenitor. Like most of the Bloodborne members, he bathed in the glory of his name and abused his authority over all Vampires that served under him.


    In his view, any Vampire who didn''t have the Bloodborne bloodline was nothing more than a ve. They would do his bidding, take insults with a smile, and even beg just to be close to him.


    Julien was effectively a God during the golden age of the Bloodborne House.


    s, those days weren''t tost.


    Drac Bloodborne, the first Vampire, the Progenitor of the entire race and the Ancestor of the Bloodborne House¡­ Perished in battle.


    On that very day, the untouchable reality of the Bloodborne House shattered into a million pieces. Almost instantly, every single Vampire suppressed by the Bloodborne House rose against their masters. Without the Progenitor binding their souls and bodies, the Vampires were free to do as they pleased.


    Breaking into their own Houses, the Vampires ransacked the once indomitable Bloodborne House, killing off many of the tyrants that lived within. Many of Julien''s dearest brothers and sisters had lost their lives to the insurrection, and those who survived couldn''t ept their new reality.


    The first son of Drac, Julien''s oldest brother, became a delusional fool. To make peace with the Vampires that rose up against him, the first son allowed the creation of the Ten Guardian House, essentially breaking up the Bloodborne Dynasty that his father had worked so hard to create.


    The second son was no better. Inheriting the throne after the eldest brother failed himself into an early grave, the second son naively believed that every Vampire should fall at his feet and almost began a civil war for his stupidity and arrogance. In the end, the other Guardian Houses had the man assassinated before he could even sit a year on the Bloodborne Throne, giving the cursed seat to the only rational person left in the Bloodborne House¡­


    Julien.


    While Julien was a bona fide Bloodborne, he was no fool. He knew the only reason the Bloodborne House could reign over the other Vampire Houses, even though they had steadily gained power, was because of the Progenitor''s binding abilities.


    With the Progenitor dead, the Bloodborne House was, at best, a second-rate family, especiallypared to the other Houses, who had steadily increased their strength while the Bloodborne House drowned themselves in wealth and pleasure.


    The Everwinter House had be the undisputed strongest Vampire family in the North, with their powers of Winter even scaring the Progenitor when he was still around. The Moonreaver House had steadily experimented with using their abilities, eventuallying up with an ingenious method of using dimensional magic to create Nightmare Realms and Warp Gates, essentially making them the backbone of Vampire society.


    The ckburn House grew their armies and personal strength with every generation, and eventually, they became the undisputed strongest force of all the Vampire Houses. Even the Bloodborne House, with its numerous ancient Vampires and hidden cards, couldn''t stand toe-to-toe with the ckburn House in openbat.


    And the Shadowgarden House, once the most inconspicuous family of the Vampires, and the one House that lived in the shadows of the mighty Progenitor, was now the greatest intelligence operative the world had ever seen.


    Compared to those families, the Bloodborne House was truly a shell of its former self.


    And that''s when Julien had an epiphany¡­


    If the Bloodborne House wishes to rise to the top once more, they need to do the impossible.


    They needed¡­ To resurrect the Progenitor.


    With that central goal in mind, Julien stripped himself from the throne and took the title of High Elder. Now, it wasn''t that Julien didn''t lust for the throne, but he wished the empty seat would be a constant reminder that only one person could bring the Bloodborne House back to the height of greatness¡­


    To that end, Julien crafted an borate n. One that would take centuries, if not thousands of years, toplete. He sacrificed much of the Bloodborne House''s wealth and resources for that n and was willing to take hit after hit to the Bloodborne House''s reputation.


    In Julien''s view, everyone was ying checkers while he was the only one ying chess.


    As long as the Progenitor, his father, was resurrected, everything would return to the way it was. The Bloodborne House would reign supreme once more, and everyone would serve under his feet once more.


    Which was why this n couldn''t fail.


    Moving alongside several of his personal and most trusted guards, the High Elder escorted the Progenitor''s coffin straight into the heart of the Elven Forest. Funnily enough, even though they were headed to the most confidential and protected region of the Elven Forest, there weren''t many guards present to stop them.


    It was a huge testament to the Bloodborne House''s cunning scheme when almost all the Elves in the forest had been drawn out to defend their mothend rather than protect the only thing that Julien cared about.


    The World Tree.


    "Now that I see it in person¡­ The World Tree is really something else."


    The High Elder paused a dozen kilometres out from the majestic, tall lifeform, admiring the ancient tree''s whole grandeur. It stood higher than any mountain in existence, and at the same time, it possessed a vitality unequalled by anything else in history. The dense spirit particles it emitted turned into orbs of light, illuminating the night sky with a radiance equal to that of the Moon.


    For that brief moment, the High Elder somewhat understood why the Elves worshipped this massive tree.


    "Come to think of it, Father was born from this tree as well¡­ It really is the perfect ce for his rebirth." The High Elder smiled as he ced his hand on the coffin. "Although I know you''ve renounced your Elven ways, we need the World Tree to resurrect you. I''ll listen to all of yourintster¡­ When you''ve returned."


    The High Elder''s face couldn''t help but break into a smile.


    How many years had passed since the Progenitor''s fall? How many resources had been spent to get them to this point? The shame they''d endured for being a fallen House. Theughter of other Vampires as they belittled the Bloodborne House. The¡­ brothers and sisters that passed away¡­


    All of them would be worth it¡­ Once they finished this final step.


    Walking past the empty Elven barricade, the Bloodbornes carried the Progenitor''s coffin straight to the base of the World Tree. Dozens of Vampires carried the bloodied coffin, leaving behind a trail of endless blood. And everything that the red liquid touched corroded away as if acid had fallen upon them.


    Compared to the boundless life the World Tree possessed, the bloodied coffin seemed to have sealed in the aspect of death, a gue that could destroy the world if it needed to.


    Without any obstructions, the Bloodborne House quickly made its way to the foot of the World Tree, where the Shadowfiends promptly got to work. cing down numerous runes and bloodied sacrifices, the coffin where the Progenitor''s body rested was raised towards the World Tree.


    "The preparations areplete, sire."


    "Good¡­ Now, all we have to do is wait for Horatio to return."


    The High Elder smiled as he stared straight at the coffin and the World Tree behind it. Finally¡­ Finally, the time hase.


    The Bloodborne House''s ascension to the top has finally begun. The only remaining piece of the puzzle left was¡­


    "You don''t have to wait for him toe."


    A youthful voice broke his concentration as the High Elder was basking in the glory of his aplishments. Turning back to the source of the voice, the High Elder snapped his head only to see a suave man looking down upon him from a nearby tree.


    Floating down like he was weightless, the young mannded a few dozen metres away from the group, and with the brightest smile the High Elder had ever seen, he said:


    "You don''t have to wait for Horatio¡­ He''s surrendered to us. And well¡­"


    The man pointed his finger straight at the High Elder, including the massive coffin he''d protected.


    "And if you''re wise¡­ You will surrender too!"


    Unsure if he was supposed tough or be offended by the youth''s words, the High Elder dropped his jaw for two seconds. However, after recovering his wits, his eyes sparkled with a deep crimson red, and his Vampiric fangs extended out from his atrocious mouth. And with a low voice, he growled out the arrogant boy''s name:


    "Jin Valter¡­"

 Chapter 126 Vita, The Power Of Life (3)

    126 Vita, The Power Of Life (3)


    ¡°Jin Valter¡­¡±


    The High Elder said my name with a low growl, his nostrils red and his eyes visibly shaken. It felt like he could stare daggers through me with his gaze as his Vampire fangs hung out menacingly from his mouth. Wow, this must be the first time someone was this pissed to see me¡­


    Still, I could understand his current mental turmoil.


    ¡°Horatio surrendered? To you?¡±


    ¡°Why? Is it hard to believe? That your precious nephew had decided to turn on you and betray your trust?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You irritating brat.¡±


    The High Elder paused for a moment, likely to regain hisposure. Unlike other Vampires, especially from the Bloodborne House, the man seemed calm and collected enough to keep his head cool during discussions. Likely, it was a product of hundreds, if not thousands, of years fighting with others on the negotiating table. Lord knows how often he had to be the sane one in the room when an army of hot-blooded Vampires would suggest insolent and brash actions.


    Perhaps¡­ This was why this man was chosen as the High Elder of the Bloodborne House.


    ¡°What did Horatio tell you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± I smiled gleefully as I prepared myself to see the reaction on his face. ¡°Just the fact that you¡¯re trying to resurrect the Progenitor, and you believe that I¡¯m his reincarnation. Also, you¡¯re nning on using the World Tree to call upon the Progenitor¡¯s soul, but since you have a lingering suspicion that I¡¯m his reincarnation, you¡¯ll need my soul.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The High Elder¡¯s face instantly turned ashen, as if he¡¯d been given the shock of his life. I must admit, seeing such auded Vampire tongue-tied truly was something else. Drawing up a wry smile, I continued to poke the devil.


    ¡°Come to think of it, if I¡¯m the reincarnation of the Progenitor, wouldn¡¯t that make me your father? Go on then, call me Daddy.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Your taunts are meaningless, Jin Valter.¡±


    Although he was shaken, the High Elder once againposed himself. Raising his arms up towards me, an enigmatic symbol appeared on the palm of his raised hand. Magic power soon filled the atmosphere as a repressing feeling descended upon the Elven Forest. The invisible pressure almost forced my body to kneel as my torso felt constrained by a mysterious force.


    Almost by instinct, my Soul Armament appeared, and my middle ring started to glow with an empyrean light. The power of Spacetime filled my veins, but oddly enough, the mysterious pressure never seemed to cease. If anything, it felt like through using my magic, my body became a hundred times more lethargic, and the control I wielded was slowly being wrested away from my fingertips.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Bloodline Suppression,¡± the High Elder said with a somewhat bored voice. ¡°You¡¯ve underestimated me, Jin Valter. My blood is the purest among all Vampires, and while I may not be at the same level as my father, I can decrease the abilities of every Vampire through Bloodline Suppression.¡±


    The High Elder looked down upon me like a human would an ant. Each time he directed his gaze, I could feel the mysterious pressure mounting up like a builder piling on a heap of bricks. Before I knew it, my body was burning, and my blood felt like boiling. Speaking out words became burdensome, and my face could not keep my eyes straight.


    ¡°Have you ever wondered¡­ Why is the Bloodborne House still so feared even though we¡¯ve lost so much over the years? Even an ancient Vampire like Matriarch Innocence would suffer under the effects of my Bloodline Suppression, let alone a youngling like you.¡±


    Adjusting his white gloves, the High Elder walked over like a surgeon preparing for surgery.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you truly possess my father¡¯s soul, but unfortunately, your body is just that of an ordinary Vampire. No, since you were a former human, your body is weaker than a True Vampire. You never did stand a chance against me.¡±


    Still unimpressed, the intimidating Vampire channelled more magic power into his mark, exponentially increasing the mysterious pressure that sealed my movements.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee alone, Jin Valter. While Horatio¡¯s circumstance seems regrettable, he¡¯s done his job. He¡¯s delivered you to me, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The High Elder didn¡¯t care for the well-being of his kin. He didn¡¯t care if the words that came out of my mouth were true or not. All he cared about¡­ Was thepletion of his master n.


    ¡­ Just what I¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Jin! Jin! Jin! What are you doing?!¡±


    A familiar annoying voice echoed within my ears as I was busy finishing the y. I resisted the temptation to break character and look over my shoulders. However, the ever-so-aggravating fairy made her way in front of my eyes and yelped:


    ¡°D-Do you need my help?! J-Just wait for a moment okay?! I¡¯ll get Rosa to-¡­¡±


    [Sora, don¡¯t do anything.]


    I sent a mental message to the ignorant Spirit of the World Tree, who was just about to ruin my master n.


    ¡°H-Huh? Why are you acting this way?¡±


    [I told you right? That I needed to confirm something.]


    ¡°You mean¡­ You want to check if you really possess the soul of the Progenitor?¡±


    [No, I¡¯ve verified that I¡¯m not the Progenitor¡­ Or at the very least, I¡¯m not rted to the Bloodbornes and their nefarious bloodline.]


    ¡°Huh? Then why are you willingly giving yourself up?¡±


    [Just watch.]


    I would have exined everything to Sora, but it would take too much time. And besides, who knows how this meddlesome fairy would interfere with my ns? I only needed her to silently watch from the sidelines and leave the rest to me.


    ¡°Come here¡­ It¡¯ll be over in a minute.¡±


    Oblivious to my scheme, the High Elder grabbed onto my weakened body and yanked me from my arm. ying along, I stumbled and tripped as I tried my best to put on an act. I needed him to drop his guard down and believe everything was going ording to his n. Fortunately, the man was too arrogant to even consider the fact that I could resist him, and he shoved my ¡®defenceless¡¯ body right in front of the Progenitor¡¯s coffin.


    ¡°If you really possess Father¡¯s soul, you¡¯ll be resurrected as the True Progenitor of our race. The head of the Bloodborne House and the sole ruler of the Vampire race. But, if you don¡¯t have Father¡¯s soul¡­ Well, you can just be a nutrient for his rebirth.¡±


    The High Elder tapped on therge coffin and sent tremors down everyone¡¯s spine. All the Bloodborne loyalists knelt in reverence as some began to weep, either with joy or anticipation. And it was for good reason.


    The sarcophagus lid creaked open, and blood flowed down from the coffin. Waterfall after waterfall of red liquid poured onto the grassy floor as a putrid, pungent stench overwhelmed my senses.


    At that point, I heard numerous voices. Some were young and sharp, like a baby¡¯s wail. Others, deep and resonant, like a grandfather¡¯s snore. Each one of those voices echoed within the chamber of my skull like a broken recorder, and it didn¡¯t give me one moment of peace. I couldn¡¯t even begin to count the number of voices that came out from the coffin, and before I knew it, I realised what was causing this strange phenomenon.


    These voices¡­ Were the voices of the sacrificed.


    Just how many lives were spent in this scheme to resurrect the Progenitor? How many innocents were ripped away from their families to be fodder for the Bloodborne House? Just how many¡­ souls were contained within this coffin?


    Hundreds? Thousands? If not¡­ Millions?


    The members of the Bloodborne family¡­ They sure were despicable. In their chase for prestige and power, they were willing to end the lives of so many pure souls¡­


    As the blood finished pouring out from the coffin, I was given a clear view of whaty within. A mummified body, one that was wrapped tightly in satin and stainedpletely crimson by the blood that flooded the coffin. I could not see the mummy¡¯s face, but with the soft, pulsating life force that resonated out, I could tell that the body was still alive.


    Likely, it was one of the many sacrifices that the Bloodborne House had prepared for the resurrection of their Progenitor. And given the life signature of the body¡­ It should be a direct descendant of the Bloodborne House.


    How disgusting¡­ To think that they would sacrifice one of their kin without any remorse. No, given how they¡¯ve always operated, it was to be expected.


    ¡°Now¡­ It¡¯s time to discover if you¡¯re truly Father¡¯s reincarnation¡­ Or just a dud meant to be our sacrifice.¡±


    With a calm smile, the High Elder threw me into the bloodied coffin and closed the lid tight behind me.


    Good¡­ Now that I¡¯ve infiltrated this ce, I can move on to the next step of my n. I wished to take a deep breath in, but the horrid stench prevented me from taking any big whiffs. Calming myself, I looked around at my new ¡®hospitable¡¯ space.


    Compared to its luxurious exterior, the inside of the coffin was rather mundane, boring even. There was nothing of interest besides the fact that there was a live person wrapped like a mummy. Though, that didn¡¯tst long.


    Magic power filled in from the outside as blood started to pour back into the coffin. I could see runes carved into each crevice of the bloodied box as the souls of the sacrificed continued their wailings.


    It seems¡­ The Bloodborne House had begun the resurrection ritual.


    A big smile rose from my lips as my Soul Armament started to glow. Using every ounce of my magic power, I channelled everything into my ring finger and muttered the spell I¡¯d prepared for this moment.


    ¡°Vita: Rebirth.¡±

 Chapter ?127 Vita, The Power Of Life (4)

    ?127 Vita, The Power Of Life (4)


    "Vita: Rebirth."


    Magic power filled my veins rapidly, and the dark, damp coffin that besieged me on all sides soon turned into a mystical wondend. The depressing atmosphere of the sealed coffin soon turned into a verdant symphony of light and wonder.


    Wisps of emerald energy surrounded my body, and the refreshing aroma of life reced the dreadful stench of death. At that moment, I saw the various wails and cries of the damned had turned into a beautiful chorus of song.


    Opening my ''eyes'', I found myself transported to a beautiful meadow, one much like my childhood home. The temperature was mild and cool, befitting that ofte Autumn. The trees were starting to wilt, with the rustling of leaves being heard in the distance. Some of the leaves were scorched orange, while others possessed pure, molten gold colours. Yet, all of them danced with the wind, joyfully running down to the most striking feature of this hypnotic ce.


    The Emerald River.


    A river that flowed with pure liquid light. Numerous wisps of light circled around the ethereal River, with a flowing mist rising from the depths of the seemingly, never-ending water body. Just looking down at the River, I could see an ephemeral flow of light, one that dissipates should it be removed from the ever-flowing River.


    It was all so mysterious, and yet... So warm.


    As I approached the mystical wonder, a plethora of emotions soon overwhelmed my soul.


    Agony... Joy... Laughter... Bliss...


    I had no idea where those emotions came from, and none belonged to my soul. Yet, I felt a certain sense of responsibility and entitlement when faced with those odd emotions. I closed my eyes and focused magic power on my ''vision.'' And sure enough...


    "Mommy... It''s warm."


    "T-The pain?! It''s gone?!"


    "W-What happened?"


    Those emotions and faceless wisps turned into resonant voices that echoed within my mind. There wasn''t anyone else with me in this world, and yet... I could hear thousands. Each one of them possessed a unique tone and sound. Some sounded like they belonged in the past century, and others were as youthful as a baby. Yet, they all had one thing inmon.


    Confusion and relief.


    "Mister... Were you the one who saved us?"


    Soon, the vast majority of the voices turned their attention to me. Although I couldn''t see any of their faces, I knew by instinct which one of the wisps had talked to me and their underlying emotions.


    "Saved? Did I save you?"


    "Yes!" Another wisp answered with glee. "We were trapped in a whirlpool of death and suffering. It felt like we were forced to live through hell over and over! But... When you cast that magic spell, we were brought here!"


    That spell... Actually brought those souls of the damned here? I''d only wanted to test my theory, but it actually affected the souls that the Bloodborne House sacrificed? Wait a minute...


    "Brought here? Wait, how do you guys feel now?"


    "We feel great!" One of the wisps replied, this time with even more joy in its voice. "The vortex of anguish we were in... It felt horrendous and painful. If we had to live through that despair for the rest of eternity, we would have lost everything that we are. But now..."


    "Everything is so pretty!" A child-like wisp said merrily.


    "Yeah... Pretty and warm..." A motherly voice chuckled.


    "Yes... It feels like... We were always meant toe here." A rugged manly sound beamed.


    "It feels like... Coming home. It feels soforting... It feels... so warm..."


    "The River... It''s calling us."


    "We''re being drawn to it."


    "It''s aw of nature."


    "It''s where... we''re supposed to go."


    Voices from all over chimed in, each with its own unique ir and sound. But they all had the same answer. This Emerald River... It was the well of souls, the faucet of life, the ever-flowing liquid that gave life beauty.


    I see...


    This Emerald River... It was the River of Life.


    The ce where all soulse to rest when they pass. The ce where all life was formed. The eternal flow of the samsara, where life and death existed in a cycle.


    This was the aftermath of my Vita spell.


    Unknowingly, I''ve brought all of the souls that the Bloodborne House had sacrificed to their rightful ce in nature. I had brought them peace, a peace that was ripped so viciously away from them when they were sacrificed for the resurrection of the Progenitor.


    Speaking of which...


    I looked over my shoulders at the far most corner of the meadow.


    A dark mass of grime and death was parked in the shadows, and not once did it dare to step into the Emerald light of the River. Through its groans and roars, I could hear the remains of a man, no, should I say a former monstrosity. Blood dripped down from its sloppy mess and stained the grassy meadows. Though, as if in fear, not a single ounce of its blood flowed into the River.


    Each drop of blood returned to the dark mass, further corrupting its grimy and disgusting self.


    And as I peeked into the corrupted blob with my ''vision,'' I realised a startling fact...


    The life form within... Was soulless. No, to say that it was soulless would be a stretch. Its soul was forever broken, unable to return to the Emerald River and unable to escape into the outer world. There were no thoughts from the life form, and neither were there any signs of life.


    It was just... a corrupted existence that didn''t belong anywhere.


    Was this... The Ancestor that the Bloodborne House was hoping for?


    Did the Vampire Progenitor''s quest for eternal life leave him in this wretched state?


    What a joke.


    To think that the Bloodborne House was fighting a futile war this whole time. There was a reason why resurrections were considered forbidden magic. Once a soul returned to the River of Life, there was noing back. Like a blender that mixed in everything that came into its grasp, the River of Life ripped all sense of individuality when a soul returned to it.


    Vampires may cheat the system by gaining immortality and never face the consequences of dying; however, once one''s soul has entered the River of Life, there is no going back.


    Such is thew of nature. Thew of Life.


    This whole time, there was no possible method to resurrect the Progenitor. Even if they did finish the ritual, the spell would only summon a thoughtless monster whose goal was to rid itself of its eternal suffering.


    "Mister... Thank you for saving us."


    I turned back to the thousands of wisps that floated over the River. Some of them grew impatient and dipped themselves back into the eternal Well of Souls, never to return ever again. Others were confused, but they naturally found themselves drawn into the River. But a minute few were able to resist the urge, just because they had one more unfinished business.


    "Thank you, son. You''ve given us peace."


    "Huehuehue, if I had a granddaughter, I would introduce her to you, handsomed."


    "Big brother, thank you for saving me."


    One by one, the souls thanked me before finally passing on into the vastness of the Emerald River. Funnily enough, even though there were thousands of souls around me, to the River of Life, they were nothing more than raindrops to be absorbed. Thousands, if not millions, of souls returned to the River and yet... Nothing changed.


    At that moment, I felt how infinitely small one''s soul was.


    In the face of mother nature and universalws, we were all grains of sand. No, we were just raindrops that couldn''t affect the current of the River.


    How ludicrous.


    Here we are, fighting wars against each other. The Bloodborne House''s thirst for power. The Shadowgarden House''s desire to control the world from the shadows. The World Tree''s desire to lead an eternal life. They were all futile in the face of the universalws.


    But there was one thing that I couldn''t ept.


    The fact that one day... Perhaps... My four lovers and I would return to this Emerald River, never to see each other ever again.


    To forget everything that I''d gained. To never hold the ones I loved most and... To never feel the love of the four girls who were the most important to me.


    That was unforgivable.


    And so, in the face of thews of nature... I spat.


    My control over the power of Life gave me a unique perspective. There was a way. A way to be truly eternal. A way to never return to the Emerald River. And with my fourth ring... With my fourth power... I could attain it. The power that everyone lusted over.


    To be... The master of all Life itself.


    It may take a million years, no, billions of years. But I can do it.


    No, I will do it.


    So that no one I love would ever suffer the same fate as those poor souls.


    That journey will be long... And a journey begins with an essential first step.


    Taking one moment to remember those that had passed, I rxed my shoulders and made my way to the dark mass thaty quietly at the corner of the meadow. As I approached, the corrupted figure seemed unable to notice my intentions as it continued on its cycle of pain and agony.


    What a poor soul... To think that the Bloodborne House would do this to their own Progenitor.


    Let me relieve you of that pain, shall I?


    With one simple tap, I burst open the corrupted dark mass. Endless amounts of corrupted dark energy seeped out from its form, revealing the years of torment it had endured. The tempest of energy continued for almost an hour straight until the entire meadow was filled with a darkened mist.


    And as the energy settled down, the only thing that remained of the dark mass was a faint wisp of life. It was weak and fragile; if I just blew on it, the wisp might dissipate away like a flickering candle.


    It might have been my imagination, but I could see a face within that small blob of energy. A look that was filled with relief andfort. And before I could do anything else to it, the wisp dissipated into nothingness, returning to the Emerald River where it should have rested.


    "... It is done."


    Now, I havepletely done it. I have foiled the Bloodborne House''s n for good.


    There was no longer an Ancestor, a Progenitor, or a monster for them to summon. The souls that they had sacrificed had returned to the River of Life, and the ''creature'' they wished to resurrect no longer existed.


    The Bloodborne House was now finished.


    But I never really did care for that.


    Sabotaging the Bloodborne House''s n was ultimately my secondary objective. My main interesty in the Emerald River and the new power of Life I had just awakened. But most importantly...


    "With all this energy... I can be reborn anew. I can reforge my body and gain the powers of a True Progenitor."


    The Bloodborne House had gathered thousands, if not millions, of sacrifices. While their souls had returned to the Emerald River, their magic power remained in the meadow. Not to mention, the corrupted energy of the false Progenitor was still all around me. Any ordinary Vampire would die of madness if they absorbed all of this corrupted magic power. But s, I was no ordinary Vampire.


    I had the power of Life on my side.


    Raising my right hand into the sky, I channelled all of my magic power into my fourth ring. In response, all of the residue magic power turned into a vortex as they were sucked into the ck hole of my gem.


    The sacrifices the Bloodborne House had made. The vast amounts of resources they''d spent. The endless amounts of magic power they poured into this ritual.


    I will take it all.


    Hey, Bloodborne House.


    If you want a Progenitor so badly...


    I''ll give you a Progenitor.

 Chapter ?128 The New Progenitor (1)

    ?128 The New Progenitor (1)


    Something is wrong¡­


    It''s been over six hours since I''ve pushed that brat into Father''s coffin. By my estimates, the ritual to resurrect Father should take four hours at most. No, given our endless preparations and resources, the resurrection should have beenpleted within the hour.


    Over the centuries, our Bloodborne House has prepared millions of lives to sacrifice. The amount of magic power gathered was obscene as well, as it rivalled that of a Demon Lord. We even ced a worthy vessel, a Vampire that was bred solely to be Father''s body when he undergoes his rebirth. Not to mention, that brat''s soul was the cherry on top of the cake.


    There were more than enough resources toplete Father''s awakening.


    And judging from the ritual, everything was going smoothly. There weren''t any unforeseen circumstances that could hinder the rebirth, and I didn''t see any issue with the runes we''d painstakingly carved. The fact that the sarcophagus was still absorbing our magic power and blood was proof of that.


    Yet, I can''t shake off this uneasy feeling.


    Should I stop the ritual and check on the body?


    No, I shouldn''t be paranoid. Not having hups was a good thing. It means that the ritual was working swimmingly well, and there was nothing to be concerned about.


    Yes¡­ I shouldn''t doubt my judgement.


    I have been preparing for this day for hundreds of years. All the sacrifices our Bloodborne House had made were for this moment. The humiliation we suffered, the vast amounts of wealth we''d lost and the numerous Bloodborne lives I''d sacrificed¡­ They were all going to be worth it.


    Once Father¡­ No, the Progenitor awakens¡­ The Bloodborne House will rise to the top once more.


    BOOOMMMM!!!


    Echoes of battles resonated throughout the Elven Forest as pirs of smoke billowed from a distance. Tremors were sent throughout the grassy patch ofnd, and if one strained their ears, they could hear the asional screams from Elves and Vampires as they shed violently against each other.


    And from the looks of it, my Bloodborne House was being pushed back. While we used the element of surprise to our advantage and we had a substantial force with the consorts and various other ancient Vampires, there was no way we could win a prolonged battle against the Elves in their home territory.


    The Elves were masters of the forest, and they were blessed by the World Tree. Not to mention, the Shadowgarden House was secretly helping them, cutting down our forces from the sidelines.


    However, that didn''t matter to me.


    Just like our invasion into the Moonreaver Dimension, our objective was never to destroy the enemy or to take over their territory. We only needed some time. Time for the ritual to beplete and for Father to return from the dead.


    It didn''t matter if our entire n was wiped out. As long as Father could return¡­ We would rule the world once more.


    And as I''d anticipated¡­


    BOOOOOMMMMM!!!


    A pir of red light shot up from the ebony coffin and pierced through the heavens with a righteous vengeance. The gallons and gallons of blood we''d prepared from the sacrifices evaporated instantly as the majestic pir absorbed all semnce of life into its imperial dignity. And at that moment, I felt my body shiver for the first time in centuries.


    My bloodline¡­ It was resonating with the exalted beam.


    No, it was bowing down to its infinite grandeur.


    There was no doubt about it¡­ The ritual wasplete! Only one person in history could make my body tremble this much. The thousands of years we sacrificed¡­ It has finally paid off!!!


    Fighting off the urge to kneel, I sped my hands together and waited in earnest for Father to return. My subordinates didn''t have that patience, with many already falling to the floor on their knees. Tears fell from my eyes as my face rxed ever-so-slightly.


    How long have I dreamed of this moment? How often have I doubted and questioned whether I was on the right path? How long¡­ have the Bloodborne House endured without its master?


    Now¡­


    We will once again rise.


    Like the emerald pir that split the heavens, we will¡­


    Wait a minute¡­ When did that pir change colour?


    As I was questioning if I was colour blind, magic power far beyond anything I''d ever felt before poured straight into the ritual coffin, dialling the emerald light up to eleven. The brightness of the foreign power blinded my eyes, even after I used my arm to block the luminous rays.


    During my confusion, something outside my calctions urred right before my face. The World Tree, which had been quiet until now, suddenly swayed like a jovial little child who had just seen its mother for the first time. A mysterious energy that was simr to magic and yet felt all too different flowed into Father''s coffin in the shape of fallen, ephemeral leaves.


    Each of those leaves contained the essence of the World Tree, and it seemed like the ancient life form was trying to strengthen Father''s corpse. Just one of those illuminated leaves contained enough life force to create an entire ecosystem, yet¡­ The World Tree was willingly pouring thousands of them into the unmoving coffin.


    Hold on a minute¡­ Why would the World Tree help us?


    I''d never heard of the World Tree interfering in such a direct manner, even when it came to protecting the Elves that worshipped it. While Father was born an Elf as well, he had created a new race through his pursuit of magic, effectively renouncing his Elven roots.


    So why is the World Tree helping us in his resurrection? Unless¡­


    "Stop the ritual! We have to stop the ritual now!"


    "B-But, H-High Elder?! Our Ancestor is waking up! I can feel his breath growing stronger! Even the World Tree is helping him wake!"


    "We need to stop it now, you morons!"


    It''s useless. These guys were so drunk on the possibility of Father''s resurrection that they were not thinking with their rational minds. We need to stop the ritual now, or else¡­


    PFFFFTTTTT!!!


    The pir of emerald light settled down as a shockwave of pixie dust was sent flying in all directions. Magic power filled up the empty space underneath the World Tree as everything was concentrated into the luxurious coffin we''d prepared for Father. Vines from the World Tree emerged from the ground as they lifted the coffin into a thorny bed of roses. With one final push, the vines gradually opened up the heavy lid, revealing the only person that remained within the empty box.


    No¡­ This was not how I''d envisioned my dream toe true.


    Father was meant to rise from the dead in a pir of blood as he turned the sky into a crimson nightmare. Raindrops of blood would descend down from the heavens, tainting the in his colour as he proudly dered the return of the Bloodborne House. Vampires from all over the earth would rush to his side, kneeling down to swear fealty as they admitted their sins from the past.


    And yet¡­


    The face that appeared out of the coffin¡­


    Wasn''t Father''s.


    ???


    I felt like I had just woken up from a long dream.


    I saw everything in that dream. From the moment I was born to the days I''d spent ying with Irina and the rest, to the fateful day where I''d lost my powers and fell from grace to the day Irina turned me into a Vampire and finally¡­ To this very moment.


    Everything felt like a movie. Like¡­ I was watching someone else''s life.


    No, it was someone else''s life. With my new powers, I had given myself the gift of rebirth. I had morphed my body to suit the massive amounts of magic power contained within the coffin and reconstructed my soul into a perfect one. With this new body and soul, I will no longer have any issues as I did in the past. None of my memories would be wiped away, and I will never get sick, no matter how hard I tried.


    Oddly enough, there was a sudden surge of life energy, and I fully capitalised on it. Using the power of Vita, I created the most perfect body and soul to construct the mostplete life form.


    I was still Jin Valter. I had all of Jin Valter''s memories, emotions, and powers. But at the same time, I was something above Jin Valter. I was apletely different life form. No longer a human or a Vampire.


    I was¡­


    A Progenitor.


    "Jin! Jin! You''re finally awake!"


    "... Sora?"


    "Yes, it''s me!" The pesky little fairy floated right before my eyes and pinched my cheeks. "You had me worried there! I''d thought that you would never wake up! I''d even given a thousand years'' worth of life force to wake you up!"


    "... You were responsible for that sudden surge of life energy?"


    "Huehue! Are you touched?!"


    So Sora was the one who gave me that final push¡­ If I thought about it logically, only the World Tree could give me that much energy. Who would have thought that this fairy would actually be helpful for something?


    "How did you¡­"


    "JIN VALTER!!!"


    Before I could ask the question, a resonant, angry voice echoed through the forest. I looked down from my position, only to see the same few Bloodborne House members raging with their facespletely red. Especially the man up in front.


    "Julien Bloodborne."


    "JIN VALTER!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU SABOTAGED OUR RITUAL AND NOW YOU''RE TALKING TO YOURSELF?! ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF THE BLOODBORNE HOUSE?!"


    Talking to myself? Ah, these morons couldn''t see Sora, right?


    "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE ANCESTOR?!"


    "COME DOWN HERE AND FACE YOUR DEATH!!!"


    "DIE, JIN VALTER!!!"


    The entire Bloodborne House started to scream at me, all in a chaotic mess. The voices looped over each other, making it impossible for me to think, especially since I''d just woken up. Perhaps I was not used to this body yet, but my hearing was enhanced far beyond that of a normal Vampire. I could hear a pin drop from a hundred miles away, so one could imagine the pain that was going through my ears as these assholes screamed at the top of their lungs.


    "Urgh¡­ [Silence]."


    Unwittingly, my Soul Armament heard my wish and resonated with my desires. My words turned into a spell, and the next moment, every single Bloodborne member''s mouth was stitched together by a mysterious force, rendering them unable to speak without my permission.


    "Woah¡­ Your spells have be stronger."


    "It''s only natural," I replied to Sora with a bored voice. "Right now, my life magic has to be the strongest. As long as their souls are significantly weaker than mine, I can easily control them with my fourth ring."


    "Isn''t your soul in its most perfect state? Does that mean you can dominate any living creature now?"


    "Not necessarily. Against Demon Lords and powerful Vampires, such a simple spell wouldn''t work. Case in point¡­"


    "JIN VALTER!!!! YOU FUCKING BRAT!!!"


    The High Elder of the Bloodborne House roared angrily, even though he was under myplete influence. However, breaking free from my spell didn''te cheaply. Huffing and panting, the man looked like he''d run a full marathon without taking any breaks. But even with his newfound fatigue, that didn''t curb his enthusiasm when facing me head-on.


    "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE, JIN VALTER?!"


    Wasn''t he supposed to be theposed one? Did the shock of losing his Father fry his brain or something? Well, either way, it was convenient for me. If he''d lost his mind, then¡­


    "Nothing much, actually," I opened my mouth and pointed my index finger into the gaping hole. "I just ate your Ancestor, that''s all."


    "... W-What?"


    The High Elder paused and took two seconds to fullyprehend my words. I could see the five stages of grief running through his eyes. First, denial of my words. Second, a fiery rage that burned so hot was clearly visible from the fumes escaping his ears. Third, he bargained through, mumbling to himself. Fourth, he fell to his knees, clearly depressed, as it wasn''t the oue he hoped to have. Until finally¡­


    "I see¡­ That exnation makes sense."


    The High Elder epted the facts. He wasn''t a dumb idiot; he could connect the dots by tracing back the events that transpired. But s, just because he epted that fact doesn''t mean he wouldn''t fight against it.


    "You''ve ruined everything¡­ Everything that the Bloodborne House had worked for."


    "That was the n."


    "Haha¡­ Hahaha¡­ HAHAHAHAHHAAHA!!!" A maniacalugh escaped the High Elder''s lips. "To think that my master n would be foiled by a baby Vampire! HAHAHA, fate sure is cruel isn''t it, Father?" Perhaps lost in madness, the High Elder started talking to himself.


    "Julien Bloodborne¡­ Surrender now, and your life may be spared."


    "HAHAHA, what good is my life if I can''t resurrect the Bloodborne House?!"


    "... Are you choosing death?"


    "No," the High Elder shook his head with a wry smile. "I''m the High Elder of the Bloodborne House. The prideful and mighty Bloodborne House. We are the original Vampires who were supposed to spearhead the entire Vampire race. Even if we''ve lost¡­ I will not go down without a fight."


    "I see¡­ I can respect that."


    "Jin Valter¡­"


    The High Elder raised his arm, and a slit appeared on his wrist. Blood sttered all over the ce and congregated into a magic staff with a human skull gracing its top. And with one final smile, the High Elder dered:


    "I''ll kill you."

 Chapter 129 The New Progenitor (2)

    The High Elder pointed his blood-created staff at me as magic power was sent flying all over. Like a tempest in the roughest of seas, a torrent of pure energy rushed in all directions, levelling trees and burning bushes. The famed Bloodborne House bloodline was in full effect as a mysterious force seemingly weighed in on my Bloodline.


    The other members of the Bloodborne House that were near had their hands to their throats as they struggled meaninglessly on the ground. Sweat and blood were trickling down their heads as their eyeballs gradually popped from their sockets.


    It was a gruesome sight to see.


    But s, that was the power of the Bloodborne House. Many questioned why the Bloodborne House was still considered a great Vampire House, even though they had squandered their wealth and influence throughout the years. Even though they were direct descendants of the First Vampire, their influence over society had waned throughout the years.


    And the answer was actually quite simple¡­


    Power.


    The Bloodborne House still had monsters like the High Elder serving their ranks. These ancient Vampires could suppress anyone of a lesser bloodline, effectively making them the only true Royal House. No matter how powerful a Vampire became, they would be suppressed by the Bloodborne House''s bloodline. It didn''t matter if you were Matriarch Innocence, a relic that had honed her skills for thousands of years, or if you were a talented upstart like Sirius Moonreaver.


    As long as you were a Vampire, you would be suppressed by the Bloodborne House''s bloodline.


    If you''re an ordinary Vampire, that is.


    "That won''t work on me."


    I was no longer a traditional Vampire whose bloodline and powers all came from the Bloodborne Progenitor. With my spell, I had recreated my body to be my own Progenitor, a lifeform that towers over all creatures, including those from the Bloodborne House. All this time, my only weakness had been myck of magic power. And as someone who was barely a Vampire for a year, my limited reserves of magic were understandable.


    But now¡­


    Clenching my fist, I channelled a small amount of magic power into my fist. I didn''t bother constructing a spell or moving it through my Vampire Aspect. I sent a shockwave flying at the High Elder using pure brute magic power.


    BOOOOMMMM!!!


    The entirendscape changed with my casual punch. The ground started to shake, and the trees behind the Bloodborne elites were instantly uprooted. Dirt and gravel wereid out all over the forest floor as the weaker members of the Bloodborne House were knocked unconscious by my casual attack.


    "This magic power¡­"


    The High Elder supported himself up with his staff as he held onto dear life. Evidently, my raw magic power came as a shock to the ancient Vampire.


    "You''ve¡­ Absorbed all of our sacrifices?"


    Watching the High Elder''s bbergasted face really brought a smile to my own. Which was why I couldn''t help but taunt him even more: "Funny, isn''t it? You''d thought that sacrificing over a million souls would get your Ancestor back. But now¡­ It''s all in the hands of your enemy. I don''t think there has been a bigger cuckold than you."


    "Jin Valter¡­ Your arrogance knows no bounds."


    "You''ll know soon whether I''m arrogant¡­ Or just in confident."


    There was a fine line between arrogance and confidence. While my words may sound arrogant to some, I''d realised something the moment I''d transformed myself into a Progenitor¡­


    Why the fuck should I care about what the masses think? The lion never cares about the opinion of the sheep. And I was an entity that far surpassed a regr lion. Other than Rosa, there were no other Progenitor-ss Vampires that could threaten me.


    Which was why¡­


    I raised my Soul Armament and channelled my magic power into the life ring. Much like the River of Life, an emerald light broke free from the enigmatic ring as a spell waspleted within nanoseconds. And without me even thinking a single thing, reality was changed.


    "Arghhhh¡­"


    "Die!!!"


    The numerous Bloodborne House members still on the battlefield crawled out from the rubble, their faces torn and bruised. Groaning like mindless zombies, the men moved with bloodthirst in their eyes. However, their fighting intent wasn''t directed at me¡­ But the High Elder.


    "You''ve¡­ taken control over my subordinates?"


    Moving faster than the speed of sound, the High Elder easily evaded the surprise attacks. Each time a Bloodborne House member attempted to reap his life away, the man would simply move a few steps with agile footwork, much unlike his mage persona.


    "They aren''t like you, a direct descendant of the First Vampire, so controlling them is a piece of cake."


    The High Elder paused for a moment, giving a small window of opportunity for my controlled zombies to attack. One of them even got close enough to send a flying w in the man''s direction. But the High Elder grabbed it before it could pierce his brain.


    "... HAHAHA!!! Not only would you insult me by stealing away everything I built, but you''re even using my own loyal dogs against me?! HAHAHA, you irritate me to no end, Jin Valter!"


    With a maniacalugh, the High Elder squeezed his attacker''s hand until it burst into a blood stter. However, that wasn''t the end of it. Channelling magic power into his staff, the man lit up the human skull with an enigmatic me as if in unison¡­


    BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!


    The various Bloodborne members surrounding the man exploded like balloons being popped, and one by one, their lives were taken violently away.


    "You¡­ Aren''t they your kin?"


    "The moment they went under your control, they served no purpose to me." The High Elder said in a bored tone. However, the fury that was hidden within his eyes was undeniable. "Besides, their sacrifice won''t be in vain. With my power, they were better off dead than alive."


    "What?"<sub> </sub>


    I naturally had questions, but the High Elder gave me my answer through his actions. The Bloodborne members who exploded into a pile of flesh and blood slowly morphed into Blood Golems, each more gruesome than the others.


    One turned into a headless giant, with Bloodfire running down its massive arms. Another turned into a flying serpent, its eyes possessing a sinister gaze that could seemingly turn anything to stone. And another became a humanoid warrior who could change blood into any weapon.


    Bit by bit, the Bloodborne House members turned into unspeakable beasts, each in a worse shape than the others. And with my ''vision,'' I could see the core that made those beasts function. The souls of the Bloodborne House members, who should have returned to the Emerald River at the moment of their deaths, were being forced to live within the Blood Golems.


    Their souls were being corrupted by the second, and their groans of agony and suffering were as loud as a jet ne to my ears. The corruption of their souls waspletely the same as the false Progenitor I''d seen at the River of Life.


    They were living in a state ofplete stasis. Neither living nor dead. Bound to eternally suffer at the hands of its creator.


    "You would even do this to people of your own blood¡­ How disgusting."


    "Haha, feelingpassion for the enemy? You''re far too naive, Jin Valter."


    "Compassion? No, you''re mistaken. I don''t feel anypassion for you or them. The feeling I have right now¡­ Isplete disgust."


    "HAHAHA, disgust! I guess that''s an apt description!" The High Elderughed once more.


    The High Elder pointed his staff in my direction andmanded the Blood Golems to attack. One of them used Bloodfire in its attacks, creating a searing hot me that was thousands of degrees and spewed it in my direction. Another created fifteen blood pirs which crashed down all around me, making a miniature magic seal that could inhibit my movements.


    However, that was just the start. Two of the Blood Golems started creating crimson lightning bolts, while others cast beautiful spells that weren''t possible for inanimate objects.


    Woah, these Blood Golems could even cast their own magic? I guess that''s why the High Elder needed to trap his subordinates'' souls inside them.


    But still¡­ Are you really trying to use magic against a Progenitor?


    "Imperium: Break."


    My Soul Armament resonated with my desires and cast a spell before I could even think about it. The Blood Golems that moved towards me all froze on the spot, and the blood pirs abruptly shattered back into a puddle of blood.


    With one wave of my hand, every Blood Golem that came charging towards me lost its shape and was sent flying far in the other direction.


    At this point, even the High Elder, who had seemingly lost his mind, could only frown.


    "... So this is your famed Spacetime magic?"


    "So you''ve heard of it, huh?"


    "Haha¡­ Not only do you have a strong grasp on Life Magic, but there''s still Spacetime, Creation and Destruction¡­ Even Father in his prime didn''t have that kind of magic. What kind of moronic God made you?"


    "I wasn''t created by a God," I scoffed. "I created myself."


    "Haha¡­ Hahah¡­ HAHAHAHAHA!!!" As if he''d finally lost his mind, the High Elder broke into a fit ofpleteughter.


    "I see¡­ I really did bring a Progenitor into this world."


    As if he''d given up all hope, the High Elder looked to the skies with a satisfied smile. Lowering his staff, the man looked as defeated as one could be. A Vampire that had lost all meaning of life, a man without a direction, a soul¡­ that had lost its way. Logically speaking, this should be the High Elder''s weakest moment.


    And yet¡­ a certain sense of uneasiness crept up my spine. Something I''d never felt since obtaining the power of a Progenitor.


    "I have failed you, brethren of the Bloodborne House. I have failed you, Father. I have failed you¡­ Mother. But as payment for my failure, I will vanquish the one who ruined everything. Even if it costs¡­ my life."


    Taking his bloodied staff, the High Elder pierced his chest with a vengeance and sent vast amounts of blood flying.


    All the Blood Golems that remained turned into tendrils of blood and were sent flying towards the High Elder''s body, filling the hole he''d created rapidly. And with the surplus of energy, the High Elder''s broken body started to change.


    His face started burning, instantly bing charred and making his featurespletely unrecognisable. A white cloak started to drop down from his shoulders, shrouding the man''s body in an ivory gown that hid every part of his disfigured body. And the most striking change¡­


    Two red eagle wings sprouted out from his back. Each one possessed hundreds of feathers; from each feather, I could hear the voices of the tormented. Souls that had been harvested for his own use and souls that would strengthen his already potent magic.


    But holding those souls came with a curse.


    Every second that passed corrupted the man''s soul, and in due time¡­ The High Elder will transform into the same beast I saw at the Emerald River.


    "ARGHHHHH!!!"


    A banshee''s wail came out from the changed thing''s mouth as Bloodfire spewed everywhere. pping its wings twice, it created a downpour of blood. However, this rain wasn''t the same kind that one might be familiar with. Each drop of blood corroded flesh like acid, and through the use of magic, it could be turned into Bloodfire, Blood Lightning or any kind of Bloodborne speciality.


    I could feel my skin crawl as the transformed monster descended from the heavens with blood and fire at its beck and call. And at that moment, I could only think of one true resemnce.


    The High Elder had be¡­


    An Angel of Blood.

 Chapter 130 The New Progenitor (3)

    Five minutes before Jin''s ascension into a Progenitor¡­


    The Elven Forest was burning. The Bloodborne House''s grand scheme, the n to resurrect the First Vampire, has entered its final phase. At this point, the operatives allied with the Bloodborne House didn''t have any particr motive. Their sole goal was to draw the Elves'' attention away from the World Tree and buy time for the High Elder toplete his ritual.


    The Bloodborne House''s assault had significantly slowed, and their positions had be more defensive. After wreaking havoc at the Elven Sanctuary, the elites from the Bloodborne House maintained a perimeter around the World Tree, preventing any Elf or Vampire from disrupting the High Elder.


    This was the perfect opportunity for the Elves to regroup and stem the bleeding they''d incurred. Though, that didn''t mean they would postpone their counter-attack. Quite the contrary, actually.


    Fueled by rage and the desire for vengeance, every single Elf had turned their attention to the dastardly bastards that dared to invade their holynd and even threaten the World Tree. And was one Elf who was far more incensed than any other¡­


    "Miriel¡­ Are you sure you don''t want to rest?"


    Eminence Veralyn of the Shadowgarden House looked back at the fatigued Elf standing by her side. Her clothes had been torn, and her pristine golden hair had been turned entirely unkempt. The High Priestess'' gorgeous appearance had turned sour, as her eyes werepletely bloodshot, and her body seemed like it had been through an intense whirlwind.


    Usually, Eminence Veralyn wouldugh at her long-time friend''s appearance and even joke around to get one up on her. However, the Shadowgarden Matriarch didn''t have the mood to do such a thing, given the Elven High Priestess'' current vtile mood.


    "Rest? Those fools had just defaced my Elven Forest, and you ask me to rest? They''ve even blocked the path to the World Tree, the one thing I swore to protect!!! There''s no way I can rx now!"


    "Still¡­ You''re in no state to fight right now. Our Shadowgarden House can shoulder some of the burdens for now."


    "Burden? If you had told us about the Bloodborne House''s ns earlier, we wouldn''t be in this state!" The High Priestess couldn''t help but snap. However, almost immediately after saying those words, the otherworldly woman regained someposure and continued: "No, ming you is useless. It''s our inaptitude that has caused this mess. A thousand years of peace and us Elves have forgotten how to defend ourselves; howughable."


    The High Priestess sighed as she shook her head silently. Pulling up her staff, she summoned a torrent of Nature Magic that healed her wounds and mended her appearance. To soothe her mind, the affable Elf quickly changed the subject.


    "Veralyn, where''s Rosalyn?"


    "She''s with her friends," the Shadowgarden leader replied. "It seems they''re angry at her for putting them into aa. So they''re currently in the midst of fighting."


    "Fighting against each other? At this time?" Hearing something incredulous, the High Priestess raised her brow in shock.


    "Well, it''s better than having them face the enemy, right? Rosalyn is our trump card. The only one who canmunicate with the World Tree. It would be best to keep her away from enemy eyes."


    "I doubt that they can do anything to her, though¡­"


    The High Priestess was well-aware of Rosalyn''s capabilities. If they were within the Elven Forest, Rosalyn was effectively invincible. Every single nt in this dense rainforest was under her control, from the massive trees to every de of grass. In fact, the High Priestess was even wondering why Rosalyn didn''t protect the World Tree as she should have.


    However, even the Elven High Priestess didn''t have the guts to reprimand the only link they had with the World Tree. Which was why she could only grumble to her close friend in secret.


    "Speaking of enemies, it seems like we havepany."


    s, as much as Eminence Veralyn wished for her friend to rest and recharge, the enemy didn''t have the same intention. As they conversed, three distinct figures rushed over from the Bloodborne House''s encirclement and stopped above their very eyes.


    Three beautiful women, each more striking than the next, floated effortlessly in the sky as they nced down at the Elf and Vampire.


    ? The first one to step forward was a red-haired, brash-looking woman. Wearing a tight sports bra with even tighter ripped jeans, the woman seemed to be at the peak of physical health. Her belly was toned with steel abs, and her entire jawline barely had any fat. No, just by looking at her and the massive spear that hung behind her shoulders, one could tell that the woman was quickly at the rank of an Amazonian fighter.


    The second woman was dressed much more conservatively. Rather, she seemed to be dolled up, as if she was getting ready for a fancy date at a rooftop bar. Pulling her blue hair to the side, the woman seemed disinterested in the battle as her eyes were constantly looking back at the World Tree as if she were a faithful dog waiting for its owner to return.


    And finally¡­


    "Consorts of Drac¡­ I didn''t expect you guys to still be alive." The High Priestess spat. "Especially you¡­ Second Consort. I''d thought that I would never see you step foot in the Elven Forest ever again."


    "Oh, little Miriel, you''re being cold to your aunt¡­" The yellow-haired woman let out a motherly smile as she tapped the side of her cheek with her hand. "Have you forgotten all of the good memories we shared when you were a child? I remember the good old days when you cried in my arms when my sister wasn''t around. I''m sure you could be more amodating to the woman who nursed you to sleep."


    "Second Consort, mind yourself¡­" The High Priestess scowled as she sent a death re flying at the yellow-haireddy.


    "The moment you abandoned your Elven heritage, you lost all rights to familial ties. You''re nothing more than an intruder and a menace to the Elven race."


    "How regrettable," the Second Consort shook her head. "The Bloodborne House has never treated the Elves poorly. I don''t understand what breeds this hostility?"


    "... You don''t understand?"


    The history between Elves and Vampires dates back thousands of years ago. When Drac Bloodborne, the First Vampire, decided to deny his Elven ways and create his own race, it brought nothing but trouble for the peace-loving Elves.


    Never mind the endless wars that Drac had brought onto their shores, but just the fact that he attempted to bring the Elven race under his rule was enough for the High Elves of the Forest to hate his Bloodline for the remainder of time.


    Not to mention, his descendants had invaded the Elven Forest and blocked the pathways towards the World Tree. Even the tightest of familial bonds couldn''t soothe the High Priestess'' rage.


    "Haha, we don''t seek bloodshed, little Miriel." The Second Consort naturally knew of all these facts, but she chose to ignore them. Like a mother trying to coax a child, the yellow-haired woman suggested:


    "Why don''t you focus on treating your wounds and cleaning up the damage? Once our business with the Elven Forest is done, I promise we''ll leave peacefully. You have my word as the Bloodborne House''s second-inmand."<sub> </sub>


    Seeing as her status as the High Priestess'' Aunt didn''t work, the Second Consort attempted a different approach. While the Elves still heavily outnumbered the Bloodborne House, their casualties weren''t low. Furthermore, there were countless buildings destroyed, with even more currently burning. If the Elves didn''t want to riskplete destruction of the Elven Sanctuary, a ceasefire was the wise move to make.


    However¡­


    "You think you can fool me? Your desire to resurrect the Progenitor using the World Tree is as clear as day! You think that us Elves will sit back as you defile the World Tree?!"


    "Defile? How crude; we''re only borrowing its power."


    "To bring forth the greatest monstrosity the world has ever seen!!!"


    In a fit of anger, the High Priestess said the one thing that no Bloodborne ever wanted to hear. The faces of all the consorts changed instantly, with colour being drained from theirplexion. Even the bored Eight Consort, who had been wholly uninterested in the battle, sent a sharp gaze flying in the High Priestess'' direction.


    "Sister, you''re wasting your breath." The impulsive, war-loving, Fifth Consort swung her spear around and pointed it straight at the Elven woman. "Their insolence knows no bounds. We should just kill them right now."


    "I concur¡­" The Eight Consort spread her palm open, summoning out a translucent bubble. "Husband must be hungry when he awakens. Let''s prepare some sacrifices, shall we?"


    The Second Consort looked back at her bloodthirsty sisters with helpless eyes. Once they''d reached this state, there was no turning back.


    "Why can''t you understand that I wished to minimise the bloodshed of the Elves?"


    "Showingpassion at thiste stage? When you were the one who nearly crippled the Elves and killed my mother, your own sister, during the war your husband led? Don''t try to trick me with your hypocrisy, Second Consort."


    The Second Consort looked down at the matured Elven Priestess as a familiar image emerged from her brain. The image of her sister smiling so beautifully and purely, an image that had haunted her nightmares for millennia since.


    ''It''s precisely because of that¡­''


    Knowing that even if she tried to exin herself, neither side would back down. s, as the Second Consort and the second-inmand of the Bloodborne House, she could only choose one option.


    "It''s regrettable then¡­ I liked you, little Miriel¡­"


    Pointing her finger down at the High Priestess, the Second Consort readied herself for a battle to the death. However, before any magic could be fired¡­


    BOOOMMMM!!!


    A red pir of blood rose toward the heavens, splitting the clouds and drawing everyone''s attention. The three consorts, the Elves, the Shadowgardens¡­ All of them stared at the pir of blood with widened eyes, each with their own reasons.


    As for the Bloodbornes¡­


    "HUSBAND!!!!"


    The Eight Consort lost all semnce of control and rushed straight toward the World Tree.


    "It''s finally done!!!"


    The Fifth Consort beamed from ear to ear as she quickly followed. As much as she was a battle junkie, the Fifth Consort didn''t wish to waste any more time, now that her husband had returned from the dead.


    "... I''d thought that the Shadowgarden House had sabotaged the ritual. Why has it seeded, Veralyn?"


    "..."


    The High Priestess and the Shadowgarden Matriarch were deathly silent, their eyes reflecting the unease that was going through their hearts. They didn''t know if the ritual had seeded or not, but if the Progenitor had really returned¡­


    The Vampire race would have dark days ahead.


    Fortunately, before darkness could envelop the entire Elven Forest, a shining ray of Emerald Light overpowered the bloody pir. Signs of Life and Nature magic could be seen as the gloom and dread that hung over their bodies quickly evaporated away.


    At this point, even the optimistic Second Consort felt a shiver down her spine.


    "That''s not Drac¡­ That''s¡­"


    The new power that emerged¡­ It didn''t have the signature bloody power that Drac was known for, and yet¡­ It possessed the exact same oppressiveness. It was the same feeling she had when Elf Drac first changed his race into something more. Something far more powerful than any life form on the.


    It felt as if¡­


    A new Progenitor was born.


    The Second Consort flew straight towards the World Tree, ignoring the ghastly stares of the Elves around her. If a new Progenitor was born, that meant that her only link to Drac was in danger. The only person who was more important to her than Drac himself.


    "Julien!!!"

 Chapter 131 The Angel And The God (1)

    A Blood Angel.


    That was the best description of the monster standing in front of me. Julien Bloodborne, the High Elder of the Bloodborne House, had channelled all of his remaining magic power into creating an absolute monstrosity that was just as dangerous as beautiful.


    Each feather represented thousands of souls that the Bloodborne House sacrificed. The screams of their damned existence resonated heavily in my mind as he pped his two wings of blood. The nauseating aura alone was enough to make it retch, but with the ample magic power and life energy he''d stolen¡­ His power was enough to make me, a Progenitor, feel uneasy.


    "You may have be a Progenitor, but that doesn''t mean you''re untouchable." The High Elder said as he summoned a stream of blood that turned into a three-metre-longnce. "The Bloodborne House has more than enough experience when ites to dealing with Progenitors. We are descendants of one, after all."


    "..."


    As much as I hated to admit it, the man was right.


    I had just ascended into a Progenitor and had no idea of my limits. The High Elder, on the other hand, had been around since the age of the First Vampire. He had thousands of years of battle experience, and with his newly acquired form, I was confident he surpassed anyone I''d faced.


    It didn''t matter if it was Matriarch Innocence, Sirius Moonreaver or even the mighty Eyghon. The High Elder was, without question, the most dangerous opponent I''d ever faced. And to prove my point¡­


    Swooosshhhh¡­


    The High Elder casually threw the bloodnce in his hand, sending it flying ten times the speed of sound in my direction. If it was any regrnce, I might have caught or even blocked it with my own power, but s, that simplence sent shivers down my spine. It wasn''t the fact that it possessed numerous souls within it, nor was it that it seemed to start burning with the Bloodborne House''s signature Bloodfire.


    But deep down, my instincts were screaming at me¡­


    Thatnce¡­ could injure me.


    Raising my arm, I instantly channelled my magic power into my middle ring, creating a link between Spacetime and me. Without a single spell being conjured, the world bent to my will and the bloodnce was sent a thousand kilometres into the air. And then¡­


    BOOOOMMMM!!!


    An explosion, equivalent to that of a nuclear bomb, denoted high above the clouds and sent shockwaves which could level buildings. Fortunately, the World Tree wouldn''t sit still as someone decimated its sacred grounds. A sturdy barrier enveloped the entire area, protecting the World Tree and anything underneath its umbre from the dreadful st.


    I dropped my jaw at the sudden destructive nature of the st, unsure how a non-Progenitor could possess that much power. It seems that I truly have been a little over-confident.


    Because of how difficult it was to gain my Progenitor status, I''d assumed that no other Vampire could match my innate pool of magic power. s, the High Elder had proven me wrong. Even if they weren''t of a Progenitor status, that didn''t mean they couldn''t use destructive magic equal to mine.


    "Your Spacetime ability¡­ It sure is a nuisance." The High Elder spat.


    Fiddling with his fingers, the man created yet another bloodnce, this time half the size of the previous one. However, just because it was smaller didn''t mean it was any less dangerous. Quite the opposite, in fact. Condensing all of that magic power into ance that was barely over a metre required tremendous magical control. And with that much magic power concentrated in one part, the explosive nature of the weapon seemingly doubled.


    BOOOMMM!!!


    The High Elder didn''t wait for a second as he flew straight to my face faster than anything I''d ever experienced. Before I could even blink, the bloodnce was just centimetres away from my face, and the familiar sense of danger returned to my veins.


    Fuck!!!


    Using my Spacetime ring, I teleported away at the veryst moment, which proved to be the right decision. The moment the tip of the bloodnce touched the floor, a resonating explosion ripped through the air and sent tremors equivalent to that of a magnitude ten earthquake.


    Bloodfire turned the verdantnd into ash and the heat permeating out from the bloodnce was hot enough to burn the skin off my face.


    I nced back at the aftermath, a crater of moltenva and Bloodfire and only had one thought in my mind.


    ''Damn¡­ I can''t get hit by many of those.''


    While I was confident in my perfected Progenitor body, there was a limit to the amount of damage it could take. By my estimates, I could survive being hit by a nuclear bomb or two, but anything more, and my healing factor, wouldn''t be able to keep up. Perhaps if I could find a way to split my soul and regenerate it, I could be more reckless with this body, but I simply didn''t have the luxury to experiment right now.


    "Jin! Are you okay?!"


    "Sora? You''re still here?"


    "Hey! That''s rude!" The annoying fairy pouted while cing her hands around her waist. "Even if I wanted to leave, this moron is recklessly throwing bombs at me! I can''t just leave the World Tree alone, now can I?"


    "You''re right¡­ I can''t let him cause too much damage here."


    As much as I disliked the way the World Tree treated Rosa in the past, this ancient entity still had an important role to y. Never mind the fact that every nt was connected to the World Tree, the prophecy that Sora saw was still bugging me. Whether the prophecy was real or not, Sora and the World Tree still had an important role in my future.


    Which is why¡­


    "Julien¡­ Let''s take this elsewhere, shall we?"<sub> </sub>


    "Huh?"


    Before the High Elder could even say anything more, Spacetime warped, and the two of us were shot up thousands of kilometres into the sky. Using my telekic ability, I could remain airborne without much issue, and the same could be said with the High Elder and his wings of blood.


    The High Elder looked at me once and turned down towards the World Tree, which was kilometres down.


    "So you do have a connection with the World Tree," the High Elder sighed. "Was this whole thing a conspiracy? A conspiracy to swallow my Father''s power using the World Tree?"


    "I wish it were that simple."


    I could tell him everything that urred between Rosalyn and me. I could tell him that the Shadowgarden House had been monitoring the Bloodborne House''s grand scheme and secretly sabotaging it. I could tell him about the truth of the Emerald River and the fact that his obsession with resurrecting Drac had only caused his soul to be corrupted.


    But what''s the point?


    He wouldn''t believe me even if I told him all of that. Even if he did, the High Elder''s anger would still be firmly ced on me.


    So, words weren''t necessary.


    Ever since I''d be a Progenitor, I didn''t have the need to conjure up any spells. My overwhelming magic power and innate ability were more than enough to change reality in a fraction of a second. However, now that I was facing someone who could threaten my Progenitor-level powers, I had to pull out the big guns.


    "Genesis: Marble."


    Channelling magic power to my thumb, the world above the clouds shimmering in a magnificent rainbow sheen. Thousands of pirs fell from the sky, and as if Heaven itself had been dragged down to the mortal world, an entire domain of eternal light and power was gathered within thisrge marble I''d enclosed us in.


    Separated from the outside world, no one could enter or leave without my permission. And since it was essentially a domain ability, my own magic was enhanced within this marble while all of my foes had their bodies increasingly impeded.


    "Urgh¡­ A domain, huh?"


    "A Progenitor''s domain, Julien."


    Switching from my Creation ring to my Destruction ring, a crimson beam of light split from my hand and exploded in the sky. The one beam split into thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of crystal lights before raining down heavily like a meteor shower.


    The numerous crystalline lights gained even more power as they were enhanced by my created marble, essentially creating an apocalypse-level event if unleashed on Earth. s, I had no intention of killing off the World''s poption. Just one stupid angel would suffice.


    "ARGHHHHH!!!"


    However, the High Elder wasn''t going to go without a fight. Screaming at the top of his lungs, a burst of energy surged out of his wings, creating a shockwave that instantly evaporated all of my meteors.


    Tsk¡­ Even that couldn''t kill him, huh? However, that didn''t mean the High Elder didn''t incur any damage.


    "..."


    Bit by bit, I could see his wings losing feathers. Unlike me, the High Elder didn''t have an infinite reserve of magic power. Everything he had came from the numerous sacrifices he swallowed and the corrupted magic power he stole. However, because of that, the best way to defeat the High Elder wasn''t a show of brute force but a battle of attrition.


    As long as I could keep forcing the man to use his corrupted magic, eventually, his body would fail to keep up with the pressure and copse.


    Which was why¡­


    Magic power flowed back into my thumb as Creation enveloped my soul. With a casual flick of my wrist, I opened my palm, and a miniature Sun was condensed within it. Throwing the Sun above the High Elder, I willed for it to expand, and that sudden action caused the ster being to explode into a billion fiery starlight that only lived to reap the High Elder''s flesh.


    The High Elder spread his wings out, and a barrier of Bloodfire covered his entire body.


    You fool¡­ Do you really think that Bloodfire could beat Sunfire?


    For the first time, the High Elder showed a brutal sign of weakness as multiple star fragments burst onto his flesh, burning bits and pieces of his body off. However, using the souls he''d sacrificed, the High Elder quickly recovered his injuries and returned to the pink of health.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah¡­"


    Signs of exhaustion were visible on the High Elder''s face as heavy beads of perspiration dripped down his forehead. His body was heavy, and his arms hung by his side. But s, the man was still able to fight another day.


    "How tenacious¡­" I spat with utter disgust in my voice.


    It looks like¡­


    I have to use everything in my arsenal to deal with this bloody menace.

 Chapter 132 The Angel And The God (2)

    The High Elder was on borrowed time, and he knew it very well. Using the magic power of the souls he absorbed was a great idea in concept, but in truth, it was corroding his body every single second. That was the price of using forbidden magic without thinking of the consequences.


    However, in exchange for polluting his soul into extinction, the High Elder had obtained a power that could rival Progenitors, albeit for a brief few moments. At our current level, both the High Elder and I were equal when it came to pure destructive output.


    Which was why¡­


    BOOOMMMMM!!! BOOOMMMMM!!! BOOOMMMMM!!!


    Detonation after detonation thundered across my reality marble, creating city-levelling destruction with every move. The High Elder would create a bloodnce, which had the power rivalling that of one nuclear bomb. Meanwhile, I would counter that magic with my own Ring of Destruction, which possessed enough power to drill a hole through Eyghon''s stomach.


    Lance and beam met consecutively, creating explosions like supernovas bursting in ster nebs. Before long, the entire sky was filled with smoke and magic power, recing the fluffy white clouds that used to grace the heavens.


    "... Just how many souls has he devoured?" I blurted out unknowingly.


    Over the past five minutes, the two of us had beenshing out magic nonstop, and any regr Vampire would have been wholly drained right now. For me, I had absorbed centuries worth of magic power that had been gathered by the Bloodborne House, plus my body had been morphed by the World Tree to contain that much power.


    The High Elder, on the other hand, was still just a regr Vampire. Granted, he possessed the blood of the First Vampire, but even that wasn''t enough to exin his endless tenacity.


    Was he just going on willpower?


    No, what was there left to fight for?


    The Bloodborne House was done. Even if he killed me, there was nothing left for him when he returned. Their gamble had failed, and Drac was never going toe back. They had spent all their resources on his resurrection and incurred the wrath of every major Vampire House. Now, they had even turned the Elves against them. Given the circumstances, the Bloodborne House didn''t have a single ce in the world anymore.


    So why was he fighting this hard?


    Just as I was thinking of the man''s motivation, the High Elder switched his tactics.


    Dozens of feathers dropped down from his crimson wings andnded midair as if an invisible floor was stopping them. As the feathers dissipated away, they turned into magnificent, bloody roses, each with a tantalising tale. I didn''t know if the High Elder knew it, but each rose represented a soul he consumed, and whenever one bloomed, I could hear the screams of the damned within them.


    Children¡­ Women¡­ Elderly¡­


    None were spared from the High Elder''s arrogant charge to obtain his ultimate dream.


    Before long, thousands of bloodied rose petals filled my marble, creating a crimson garden that hid its sinister, true nature. A story of thousands of meaningless deaths in the face of the selfish strong.


    Even as a Progenitor, I couldn''t help but feel outraged by the High Elder''s actions.


    "You''re even using those souls to make a domain¡­ How disgusting can you get?"


    "Jin¡­ Valter¡­"


    The High Elder didn''t reply. Rather, his voice seemed somewhat hazy, and his expression was nk. His two wings had shrunk to half their original size, and his eyes no longer betrayed any sense of emotion.


    It seems like¡­


    The corruption is finally catching up to him.


    "Julien Bloodborne¡­ Can you even hear me?"


    "Jin¡­ Valter¡­"


    The High Elder repeated my name like a deranged man who had stayed his entire life in an asylum. Yes, that confirms it. The High Elder wasn''t just corrupted; his mental functions had beenpletely fried. But that didn''t deter him from fighting¡­


    "Jin¡­ VALTER!!!"


    Roaring at the top of his lungs, the High Elder sped straight at me with two blood daggers. Moving at a speed that I couldn''t track, his des came close to my neck before I could even react.


    "Imperium: PUSH!!!"


    In a panic, I channelled a substantial amount of magic power into my middle ring and sent the man flying back from whence he came. The immense force sent the man crashing into the side of my reality marble, almost shattering my created domain in the process.


    "Jin¡­ Valter¡­"


    Moving sloppily away from the cracks in the marble, the High Elder sent a death re straight in my direction. And for the first time since ascending¡­ I froze.


    His eyes werepletely bloodshot, as if Hell itself was reflected in his pupils. His face was filled with a maniacal rage, and his body shook violently like a pit bull being restrained by a cor. Demonic growls escaped from his mouth as saliva dripped down.


    At that moment, I couldn''t help but stop and reflect on the scene right before my eyes.


    I''d¡­ never been on the receiving end of such extreme emotions in my life before.<sub> </sub>


    No¡­ I must get used to this. Now that I have be a Progenitor, the whole world will monitor my every movement. Some might hate me like the High Elder; others might revere me. Many will be jealous of my newfound powers; some might even take it one step further and plot against me.


    And the High Elder¡­ Was just one of those many people.


    With his mind lost, only one instinct fueled his body.


    To kill me.


    The High Elder knew he couldn''t beat me in a battle of pure magic, so he switched to his closebat skills. His extreme speed and superior battle experience were something that Icked at the moment, and he was about to take full advantage of that. Even with his mind lost, the High Elder''s body remembers.


    And well¡­


    Whooossshhhhh!!!


    Like a rift through Spacetime, the High Elder dashed forward with his twin daggers, reaching my flesh within a split second. Fortunately, I''d learned from my mistakes this time and mentally prepared myself for his attack. My Spacetime ring lit up with a dazzling hue, creating a spatial barrier between the reckless Blood Angel and me.


    Like a gymnastnding on a trampoline, the des were sucked in for a moment before they were reflected back at the High Elder. s, the Blood Angel wasn''t going to give up that easily. Twirling his des, the Angel sucked up much of the rose petals littered all over the reality marble and absorbed everything into the tips of the twin daggers.


    Swinging them around like a switchde, the Blood Angel swung the daggers violently, leaving a trail of endless Bloodfire behind.


    "Fuck!"


    I cursed out loud as I noticed the cracks that formed on my spatial barrier. The High Elder might have lost his mind, but hisbat experience was still heavily retained. Not to mention, his speed and concentrated power was something I couldn''t match just yet.


    Tch, must I attempt to do that?


    I''ve never tested it before, but at this critical juncture¡­ It''s my only hope.


    Once more, I sent magic power to my Spacetime ring to keep the spatial barrier from breaking further. All I needed to do was buy a few more seconds to attempt this ludicrous spell. It would cost the most magic power since I''ve turned into Progenitor, and any distractions would prove fatal.


    "ARGHHHHHH!!!"


    Sensing the danger, the Blood Angel moved even more frantically as its daggers swung with concentrated Bloodfire that could burn down an entire volcano. Bit by bit, the cracks on my barrier were bingrger, and it wouldn''t be long before the Blood Angel could collect its prize.


    But fortunately for me, my spell was almostplete.


    Magic power flowed down my fingers and into the two rings I needed for this spell. Genesis, the Ring of Creation, and Vita, the Ring of Life. Ten percent of my Progenitor-level reserves were being drained in an instant as the two rings glistened with a radiance I''d never seen from them before.


    Genesis¡­ Vita¡­


    Creation¡­ Life¡­


    These two rings were joining their powers to conjure up the most ambitious spell I''de up to date. The spell that every human had been dreaming of since their creation and the spell that would make one the ruler of the entire world.


    And with the light at its brightest, I could feel my spellingplete.


    BOOOOMMMM!!!


    A massive shockwave thundered through the clouds, forcing the Blood Angel that attempted to reap my life to fly hundreds of metres back. I would love to see the look on its face, but I had to focus entirely on my current state.


    Wreathed in purple mes, an external skeleton covered my entire body, eventually growing to dozens of metres high. The skeleton soon developed purple flesh and, eventually, hardened armour reserved for the most esteemed of Generals. Four arms split off from the giant''s body, one holding a giant sword, another grasping onto a serpent spear. The other two hands on the bottom were free from weapons, but they were shaped like a palm and fist respectively.


    A human face with elongated ears graced the massive head of the giant, making it look more like a Buddha than a Vampire. Especially since at the centre of the forehead, a massive third eye opened up, drowning the reality marble with ethereal purple lights.


    Smiling down at the Blood Angel, the Purple Entity gently pped the air, and an immense purple palm appeared in midair, mming the Blood Angel violently into the side of the reality marble.


    Oh my lord¡­


    I actually did it¡­


    My spell¡­ It actually worked!


    I nced up at the massive being that protected me, and I couldn''t help butugh.


    I had seeded in¡­


    Creating a God.

 Chapter 133 The Angel And The God (3)

    I had actually seeded in creating a God!!!


    I''d never thought that I would ever say these words. The massive Purple God wasn''t just a random creation that would dissipate once I stopped supplying magic to it.


    I knew that I stood no chance against the High Elder in his Blood Angel state once he relied on his battle experience. After all, my forte was magic, not physicalbat. And so, to match the man, I summoned the Spirits of legendary warriors and congregated them into one massive entity. And to house those Spirits, I used my Creation magic to construct this enormous Purple Buddha with four arms and a gigantic third eye.


    And as a conclusion¡­ I had created a God.


    A God powered by the experience of the top fighters to ever grace our and a God that contained enough magic power to fight off an entire army all on its own.


    A God of War.


    BOOMMM!!! BOOMMM!!! BOOMMM!!!


    Each time the Purple God swung his hand, a sonic boom denoted through the clouds, severely impeding the Blood Angel''s ability to close in the distance. Although the God of War was my creation, it wasn''t under my control. Far from it, in fact.


    The Spirits I had gathered had developed a hive mind that shared their experiences, power, and wealth of knowledge. And drawing from the world''s most battle-seasoned mind, the Purple God would make its own decisions. Plus, I had only given it one order.


    Protect me and kill the Blood Angel that dared to charge into my airspace.


    And so it did.


    The Blood Angel was being pped in all directions by flying palms that moved ten times the speed of sound. Each time it attempted to evade, the Battle God would attack confidently as if it had perfectly predicted where the Angel would be. No, given the circumstances, the God of War was truly adapting and calcting the Blood Angel''s movements.


    Before I''d even realised it, the Purple God had already exceeded all of my wildest expectations and had truly be the amalgamation of the perfect warrior. Powered by an infinite magic source, the Battle God used attacks that I couldn''t even trace. Its speed far exceeds anything a Werewolf or Vampire could even hope to reach, and the raw physical strength it possessed was truly befitting that of a giant.


    And the cherry on top of it all¡­


    CLINK!!!


    Knowing that it was disadvantaged, the Angel swapped tactics once again. It ignored the giant monstrosity towering over it and tanked all its hits without blinking an eye. As the Blood Angel swooped in from afar, it attempted to pierce through the Purple God and perhaps rid the power source that gave it life¡­ Me.


    However, as its daggers made contact with the heavy armour, the des were reflected straight at it. Every ounce of force it used was returned with interest back at the Blood Angel, and it was sent spinning to the corners of the reality marble.


    "The ultimate warrior and the ultimate defence¡­ You don''t stand a chance, Julien. Well, not that you can hear me now."


    The Blood Angel, the former High Elder of the Bloodborne House, was bbergasted by my new creation. With his mind lost, the High Elder was nothing more than a shell of his former self, as all that remained were his battle instincts and incessant desire to rip me to shreds. And well¡­ I wasn''t going to allow him that luxury.


    Sensing my desire to end the battle, the Purple God moved without my verbalmand. Its four arms danced in unison, creating an endless web of physical attacks that the High Elder couldn''t escape.


    If the Blood Angel was fast, the Purple God moved at twice its speed. If the Blood Angel had the strength to pummel a mountain into dust, the Purple God had the power to create earthquakes with a simple stomp. In every aspect, my Battle God was superior to the Blood Angel, and it was only a matter of time before the souls in the High Elder''s body ran out.


    "ARGGHHHHH!!!"


    With a banshee''s wail, the Blood Angel ripped through the sky with one final battle cry. Its daggers were dyed with the souls of the damned, burning with Bloodfire that could even make the Sun boil away. In itsst move, the Blood Angel attempted to charge through the Purple God''s defences, hoping it could at least scratch my flesh.


    But s¡­


    CRAACCKKKKK!!!


    Unable to break through my defences, the Blood Angel''s daggers were crushed by its own force, sending thest bit of energy trickling down its deste body. Fissures opened up cracks in the Blood Angel''s body, unveiling the High Elder''s sorry state. Battered and bruised, the man had his mouth opened like a mentally deranged person. However, even in his weakest hour, the High Elder''s mouth still moved with the same thing he''d been saying since we''d begun this battle.


    "Jin¡­ Valter¡­"


    Perhaps it was through sheer willpower the High Elder''s fatigued and damaged body, which was on the verge ofplete copse, moved towards me slowly. It was as if¡­ He believed he could still continue the battle if he tried.


    "How regrettable¡­"


    Even as I loathed and was disgusted by his deeds, I couldn''t help but admire the High Elder''s mentality. Perhaps in another life, we might have been colleagues and partners. But s, his sins were far too deep for me to forgive.


    "I''ll at least give you a dignified death."


    I raised my hand, and the God of War raised its serpent spear. The Purple God I''d created was the amalgamation of the best battle Spirits in history, and it was supplied together by a Progenitor''s magic. And even though it was a one-sided affair, the High Elder had put up a fight against that overpowered entity.


    The least I could do was to send this indomitable warrior off¡­ with the hands of the Warrior God.


    Lightning started to coil around the serpent spear as the heavens above becamepletely overcast. Heavenly teardrops fell, and the clouds spiralled together into a vengeful eye of the storm. The spear shimmered ever so brightly, with the High Elder utterly oblivious to the threat hanging over his head.<sub> </sub>


    Like a pole vaulter ready tounch a record-breaking throw, the Purple God held the spear steadily. The reality marble, which had been at its limits before, finally broke apart with the force I was putting into the God of War.


    It was then that the High Elder finally looked up.


    And for the first time since he''d turned into the Blood Angel, I saw something within his blood-stained eyes.


    Recognition¡­ eptance¡­ and finally, relief.


    I couldn''t read the man''s mind, but I would like to believe¡­ that he''d epted his fate. And as the victor, I must see this punishment through. That''s why¡­


    "Goodbye¡­ Julien Bloodborne."


    ???


    What went wrong?


    The Bloodborne House was the most dominant Vampire House in thend. In the past, our name was synonymous with Vampires, and every living creature feared our name. Our powers were the most elite, we had the most loyal servants, and everything was given to us on a silver tter.


    We were the strongest House, the most powerful House, the most¡­ dignified House.


    But the day Father died¡­ Everyone turned on us.


    The lower Houses all grouped together to pin us down. Theyughed at our misfortunes as they viciously stole from our coffers. They preyed on the naivety of my elder brothers, influencing them to slowly decay our vast influence and wealth until nothing was left.


    One by one, the invincible army that the Bloodborne House once proudly used to dominate the world had been picked apart. My idiotic siblings died from stupidity or went into an eternal slumber, hoping everything was just a dream. Consorts of my Father, stricken by their grief, all perished like flies until only three remained.


    Even my mother¡­ My mother herself contemted ending it all.


    Some remained loyal and continued with their eternal servitude, but those weren''t enough to keep the Bloodborne House''s position at the top.


    If we wanted to rise again, we needed something drastic.


    We needed Father.


    And so, when I gained control over the Bloodborne House, I made that my primary mission. I''d spent all our remaining assets and resources on funding that one goal. I''d secretly kidnapped thousands, started wars to covertly steal their souls, and even instigated terrible rtionships with the other Houses just to distract them from my true purpose.


    Everything was falling into ce.


    I had the ritual perfected¡­ I had the right vessel and gathered all of the necessary materials¡­ I obtained all of the sacrifices¡­ Everything waspleted to perfection.


    And yet, at the veryst minute¡­


    This one boy came and ruined it all.


    I''d thought he was Father''s reincarnation, but I couldn''t be further away from the truth. This brat wasn''t Father¡­ He was a whole other beast.


    He was someone who exceeded Father... Someone that surpassed the First Vampire¡­ Someone¡­ Who I could only describe with one word¡­


    God.


    As I watched the purple lightning fall from the heavens, I could only let out a stupid smile. Perhaps everything that happened was meant to be. I''de to the Elven Forest hoping to bring back a Progenitor, and I had done just that.


    I had asked myself that question. What went wrong? No, I didn''t do anything wrong. If I had seeded, history wouldn''t think I did anything wrong. If Father had been resurrected, the world would have been bent at my feet, begging the Bloodborne House for forgiveness.


    I just¡­ Lost.


    I lost to a man named Jin Valter.


    And now¡­ I must ept my fate as the loser. But I shall send a warning to you, cruel world that abandoned the Bloodborne House.


    Beware¡­


    Of Jin Valter.

 Chapter 134 Consorts Of The Progenitor (1)

    The High Elder plummeted like aet falling from space, crashing squarely in between the World Tree and the Elven Forest surrounding it. A small crater broke through the magic-rich soil and numerous cracks spread out from the centre of the unmoving Vampire. Yet, oddly enough, the man wasn''t dead just yet.


    As I descended from the skies, I could see a faint flicker of lifeing from the High Elder. It was very slight, like a lonesome candle on a howling Winter''s night, but it was still an ember of life.


    With the Purple God''s serpent spear sticking out from his stomach, the High Elder was impaled deep into the ground with nowhere to go, so I wasn''t worried he might escape. No, given the state the man was in, I didn''t need to worry even if he ran.


    Vampires were known for their superhuman healing capacities, and it wasn''t strange for them to recover from severed limbs and ruptured organs. However, the High Elder waspletely battered, with much of his life energy corrupted and exhausted.


    All of the High Elder''s magic power was depleted, and there wasn''t a single soul left within his corrupted core. The indomitable Angel state he was in had been ripped clean, and his entire body crumbled away like desert sand. He wasn''t conscious, and his existence was quickly fading away. Any second now, he would be sent straight into the Emerald River, fated to reunite with the man he sought to resurrect.


    So, even if I did nothing, the man would pass on¡­ But I wasn''t going to take any chances.


    Since I started this fight, let''s finish the job.


    s, as soon I approached the lonesome devil, I sensed an external threat flying in at incredible speeds. Turning towards my right, I saw three distinct lights flickering through the skies until they turned into three gorgeous women.


    The red and blue-haired ones stopped straight in their tracks, confused as they saw my face. However, it didn''t take long for them to recognise the situation and for their genuine emotions to show.


    "Who are you?! Where is my husband?!" The red-haired woman yelled.


    "Husband?! Where are you?! Julien, where the fuck is my husband?!" The blue-haireddy added.


    Husband? Ah, they must be the consorts of Drac. I heard that at the peak of his powers, Drac took in as many consorts as the number of days in a month. Each of his consorts was granted great power by consuming his blood, and eventually, they became as strong as many House leaders.


    But as I look at them now¡­


    The two Vampires possessed a substantial amount of life energy, and their magic power seemed far superior to most Vampires I knew. Heck, even Sirius himself couldn''tpare to the two ancient Vampires. But there was one caveat¡­


    In the middle of their chests were tiny little shards that radiated with a lustrous crimson hue. It wasn''t any organ that I was familiar with, and it barely had any resemnce with any Vampire ability. However, the more I examined the shards, the more intrigued I became.


    Most of the Consorts'' magic power originated from that small shard, and its roots seemed quite familiar. It was just like¡­ a piece of Drac himself was inserted into the women.


    Ah¡­ I see. So that''s how the First Vampire protected his Consorts. A piece of a Progenitor inside them was enough to give them power beyond the other Vampires. Now that I think about it, every Vampire came from Drac in some capacity. So it makes sense that artificial insemination was the most efficient way to strengthen his Consorts.


    I wonder if I could do the same with Irina and the other girls¡­


    "Brat! Don''t you ignore me!"


    As I was lost in thought, the red-haireddy rushed over with her ws extended out. It seemed like she was underestimating me as she didn''t even bother using her weapon, or perhaps she was too lost in her anger to realise the threat I posed. Either way, it was convenient for me.


    The Purple God used one of its massive arms to grab hold of the red-haired Vampire, gripping her in ce. The red-haired Vampire kicked the air,pletely flustered and frustrated by the strength of my Martial God, and much more hateful speech came out from her mouth.


    "You motherfucker!!! Let me go! I''ll kill you!!!"


    "You!!! Let her go!!!"


    The blue-haired Vampire attempted to save her friend by casting some magic. Numerous water dragons ascended from the ground, and like vicious, poisonous vines, they tried to coil around the Purple God to rescue the woman in its hands.


    s, it was a fruitless attempt.


    With my mastery over Spacetime, I froze every water dragon and pulled the ignorant Vampire straight into the Purple God''s other hand. Like two flies caught in my spider web, the two Bloodborne Vampires werepletely trapped within the Purple God''s grasp.


    "Let me go at once!!! Imand you, brat!!!"


    "Do you want to die?! Once my husbandes back, we''ll¡­!"


    "Ah, shut up."


    Annoyed by their constant rants, I raised my right arm and channelled magic power into my fourth ring. With my ''vision'' now as clear as day, I could see every detail of the shards within the two women''s souls. It was iid deep within the women''s souls and practically an organ that couldn''t be separated from them.


    Drac''s soul may have returned to the Emerald River, but pieces still live on within these women. Moreover, upon further inspection, I realised a mysterious seal was ced within those shards.


    An order of blind faith.


    Those injected with these shards would be blindly faithful to the one who inserted them. In exchange for great power, they would be the man''s ves until the end of time, and even though Drac had passed on, the order still remained.


    How sinister¡­ No wonder the Bloodborne House had be this corrupted. As they all say, the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree.


    Although I''d never met the man, I doubted I would get along with the First Vampire.<sub> </sub>


    So¡­ Let''s do these women a favour, shall we?


    "W-What are you doing?!"


    "H-Hey, stop!"


    The two women showed signs of fear and anxiety for the first time since they''d arrived. They could feel their souls moving beyond their control, and the shard that gave them power was slowly being ripped cleanly away. s, it was far toote to beg for mercy now.


    BOOOOPPPPP!!!


    With one final tug, I pulled the two shards out from the Consorts and almost instantly, I could see their magic power draining. As ancient Vampires, they wouldn''t die just because I''d removed this foreign magic core, but their bodies would be in no shape to move or fight anymore.


    And to prove my point, the two Consorts fell face first onto the ground, and their bodies gradually shrivelled up like a fish beingid in the open to dry. Their beautifulplexions hadpletely wrinkled as their faces instantly aged by a hundred years. Soon, the two women became highly reminiscent of mummified bodies as their agonising groans echoed through the Elven Forest.


    In time, they would recover and likely be a threat, but I had lost all interest in the weakened women. Instead, I focused my attention on the two shards in my palm.


    I may harbour some hate for the man, but I had to admire Drac''s ingenuity. To make such an elegant construct that could enhance the powers of his Consorts, plus make them utterly devoted to him¡­ Yeah, it''s a marvel to behold.


    Other than the order of blind faith, the shard really was the most elegant way to increase a Vampire''s strength.


    Could I make some for Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle? Rosa¡­ Well, if she wants to have it, I can make one for her too. But since she''s already at the Progenitor level, would it be any helpful?


    And as much as I would love to delve into the secrets of the shards, there was one more unfinished business to attend to.


    I returned my gaze to the fallen High Elder, only to see a yellow-haired woman cautiously approaching from afar. There was fear and trepidation in her eyes as if she were a sacrifice being offered to the primal Gods. However, the woman still carried on as she finally was able toy one hand on the High Elder''s unmoving body.


    "Julien¡­ So we''ve lost, huh?" With a forlorn smile, the woman gently stroked the High Elder''s forehead. "Don''t worry¡­ Leave the rest to me."


    Leave the rest to her? Does she want to fight as well?


    Although it was a ludicrous deed, I would wee her at any time. After all, this woman also had a shard, and obtaining it would help my own replication of them. But just as I was about to prepare to fight, the Bloodborne Vampire did the unexpected.


    She knelt.


    "The Bloodborne House surrenders!" With a heavy kowtow, the yellow-haired Vampire mmed her forehead onto the soil.


    "... What?"


    "The Bloodborne House surrenders!" The woman repeated herself. "We will stop all aggressive actions at once! All our members will surrender, and we will ept whatever punishment you give us. Please, let''s stop all of this senseless violence! Let us tend to our injuries and give me a chance¡­ To save my son."


    The woman held the High Elder in her arms, and with the most heartfelt cry, she begged.


    The Bloodborne House had surrendered, and they were now all at my mercy. Any good-natured human would take this opportunity to end the fighting and stop the bloodshed. After all, in war, both sides are the ones who suffer.


    But¡­


    Will I be able to allow the man who aimed at my life, who killed so many for his own selfish agenda, who¡­ pointed his fangs at the ones I loved most walk free?


    I don''t think so.


    BANG!!!


    With one tightening of my fist, I used my Spacetime magic to rupture the High Elder''s body, leaving the man as nothing but bits of flesh. This time, it was for certain¡­ The menace that had brought carnage to the Vampire world¡­ had finally perished.


    "Y-You¡­"


    In a state ofplete shock and disarray, the yellow-haired woman froze for a couple of seconds. However, it wasn''t long until her emotions caught up to her, and her entire body started to shake violently.


    "Julien¡­ No, Julien¡­ JULIEN!!!"


    The cries of the mother resonated all around me. Her sobs and yells were both excruciating as it was solemn. Even the new spectators that had recently arrived were stunned by the turn of events. One Elf and one Vampire, likely the High Priestess and the current Matriarch of the Shadowgarden House, stared with gaping jaws at the tears of the yellow-haired Vampire.


    As for me¡­ I had no empathy for the fallen Bloodborne House.


    They had made many mistakes that I sought to learn from and adapt to. After all, from this day forth, there will be a new Progenitor House in the Vampire World.


    The Valter House.

 Chapter 135 Consorts Of The Progenitor (2)

    A week had passed since the Bloodborne House had invaded the Elven Forest.


    After the High Elder''s defeat and the Consorts'' capture, the Bloodborne House''s momentumpletely stalled. At first, they were confused about how their supreme leaders could be taken down so quickly, but once it became clear that the ritual had failed and Drac wasn''t going to be revived, the troops'' moralepletely copsed.


    The arrogant Bloodborne Vampires went on their knees one by one as the Elves and the Shadowgarden Housepleted their capture. The Elves, in particr, were enthusiastic about meting justice to the idiots who dared invade their territory.


    The vast majority of the Bloodborne House had perished during the raid, and less than half of them remained. Weakened and without a leader, the remnants of the Bloodborne House could only rot in jail while at the mercy of their captors.


    Initially, the Elves sought to execute every single one of them. After all, they burned down much of the Elven Sanctuary and prated deep into the heart of the Forest, where the World Tree stood. However, the Shadowgarden House intervened. They wanted the Bloodborne House to face the music in front of the Nine Guardian Houses and announce to the Vampire World that the once mighty Royal Lineage of the Vampires¡­ was finally exterminated.


    With the dust settled, many of the highest-ranking members of the Bloodborne House were put in front of a council, where they were forced to confess their sins and give up every piece of information they knew.


    All of the secretnds that the Bloodborne House controlled. The remaining wealth they owned. Which minor Houses assisted them in this disgusting little project of theirs¡­ Everything wasid out to bare in front of themittee.


    And when the dust settled, every single member of the Bloodborne House was forced to carry out a sentence that satisfied both the Elves and the Vampires.


    The minor actors, such as the foot soldiers and maidservants who assisted in the ritual, were enved to the other Houses, and some were even bound to the Elves. They would rebuild the Elven Sanctuary and serve as loyal servants to those affected most by the Bloodborne House''s bloodthirsty war.


    Mid-level agents, such as the Shadowfiends or the Vampires that actually attacked the Elven Forest, were sentenced to a thousand years in istion. They would be exiled into a small crevice in the tectonic tes, never to be seen by the outside world, and their existence would be forgotten by the outside world for the rest of time.


    As for the highest level of Bloodbornes¡­ They all suffered from the same fate.


    Death.


    There was no exemption. Horatio Bloodborne, the three Consorts, ancient Vampires that had lived since Drac''s time¡­ They will all be sentenced to death.


    Thest bloodline that has any links to the First Vampire, the Original Progenitor, and the man who was once the greatest living creature of them all¡­ Will cease to exist. The memory of the old era where Vampires thrived under Drac Bloodborne will fade away, and with their passing, the final chapter of the Bloodborne House will be closed.


    However, when one chapter finishes, another moves to take its ce.


    And the next chapter of the Vampire story doesn''t begin with Bloodborne. Neither did it begin with any other great Houses that sought to take over the prestigious throne of the once mighty Bloodborne House. The next era of Vampires starts with a new name.


    Jin Valter.


    After the death of the Bloodborne House, the Vampire World was shocked by a new revtion.


    A new Progenitor had been born.


    And the Vampire who became a Progenitor had not lived for thousands of years. Neither was it someone from the great Houses with endless resources to train the next generation. The new Progenitor was a young boy, a former human who had recently been turned into a True Vampire. And in just four seasons, the young man had ascended to the top of the Vampire world.


    In the Winter, he awakened his powers. He participated in the Everwinter House''s Winter House, where he first showed the early signs of his greatness when he drilled a hole through the protective barrier of the Winter Graveyard.


    In the Spring, he fought against a Shadowfiend captain when the Bloodborne House attempted to wreak havoc in the Moonreaver Dimension and came out victorious. Not only that, he challenged Sirius Moonreaver to a duel and won decisively by smashing a hole through the elite Moonreaver''s chest.


    In the Summer, he did the unthinkable when he destroyed Eyghon, the unkible Demon Lord that had terrorised the since the advent of the Outer Demons'' invasion.


    And finally, in Autumn, he ascended to the final stage that all Vampires sought to be and yet, none had before Drac himself.


    Jin Valter had be¡­ the next Progenitor.


    Jin single-handedly crushed the Bloodborne House and its dreams of retaining its former glory with his new power. He killed the High Elder, possibly the most powerful Vampire in the Bloodborne House. He stopped the ritual to resurrect the First Vampire and used the magic power for his own ascension and, most importantly¡­ He had obtained power beyond any regr human or Vampire.


    Although the Bloodborne House had failed to revive their ancestor, in a certain sense, they had created a second Drac.


    The entire world waited in trepidation to see what kind of Progenitor Jin Valter would be.


    Was he going to enve the entire Vampire poption just like Drac did? Or was he a benevolent Progenitor who didn''t care for thrones and titles? Would he abolish the Nine Guardian Houses and create his own House, which ruled over all Vampires?


    Everyone waited eagerly to see what kind of Progenitor Jin Valter would be and if the Valter House would follow the tyrannical route of the Bloodborne House.


    But as for the members of the newly established Valter House themselves¡­


    "ROSA!!! Let me go!!! I''m going to kill you!!!"


    A high-pitched voice echoed through the Elven Sanctuary. A familiar white-haired fair maiden was bound up in smooth vines, her body was firmly restricted, with her hands bound behind her back and her legs wrapped all the way down to her ankles.


    By her side, three other girls stood by with varying expressions. The blonde-haired girl looked rather annoyed by the incessant screaming of the restrained woman, while the ck-haired maiden shed a worried expression.


    As for the one who had ced her in chains¡­<sub> </sub>


    "... Noisy."


    "What do you mean noisy?! You motherfucker! Just wait until I get my hands on you!"


    "Hah¡­ Rosa, can''t you release her? It''s been an hour?" Ysabelle attempted to intercede for Irina, but Rosalyn wasn''t listening to any of it. Instead, she returned to her idle ways and stared out the window.


    "Dangerous¡­"


    "The one that is dangerous is you, Rosa." Lilith sharply argued, her voice clearly showing that she bore a grudge. "You attacked us when we entered the Elven Forest and ced us into aa. Then, you kidnapped Jin and chained him up for weeks. If not for Jin pleading for you, I would have imed your head for my own."


    "... Dangerous too?"


    Rosalyn looked back at Lilith, her vines twirling around like tendrils waiting to strike. Lilith was tempted to retaliate but quickly remembered thest time they fought. When they first woke up from theira, the three girls joined forces to attack and possibly defeat Rosalyn so that they could have their revenge for what she did.


    s, even though they were the top young talents in the world of Vampires, they were nothingpared to Rosalyn''s Progenitor-level powers. Like children attempting to steal candy from a bodybuilder, the three girls were mauled and battered until they had no other option but to give up.


    At least, that''s what Lilith and Ysabelle did. Irina, on the other hand, never forgot that grudge. Since then, she''d been attempting to break down Rosalyn and hopefully regain her dignity.


    The result?


    Irina was still wrapped around by vines even though a whole week had passed since they got free. And Lilith wasn''t dumb enough to suffer the same fate as her.


    "Tch, suit yourself."


    Lilith cursed straight at the emerald-haired maiden, hoping to get some form of vengeance. However, Rosalyn barely looked at Lilith as her eyes focused on another person. The man who was just about to enter the room that they were in.


    "Girls! I''m bac¡­ Huh?"


    Jin entered the room with a merry face, only to be stopped by the odd sight of his little sister dangling from the ceiling. All four of the girls snapped their heads towards Jin, each with their own looks of desire. In the end, Jin sighed and said:


    "Rosa, stop ying with Irina."


    "... okay."


    Rather than see it as domestic abuse, Jin thought his fourpanions were ying a game, albeit a stupid one. Perhaps his love towards Rosa and Irina had blinded him, but he couldn''t sense the apparent animosity Irina was shooting at the Shadowgarden heiress.


    "ROSA!!!" Irina lunged forward, ready to continue the fight with Rosalyn. Still, before her vicious ws could inject themselves into Rosalyn''s supple flesh, Jin appeared in between them and stopped Irina with a simple hug.


    "Irina, you stop ying as well."


    "Brother! Let me go! Let me tear that vixen up, and we''ll¡­"


    "Alright, alright¡­ Stop ying. I have a gift for you guys."


    Even though Jin had ess to charm magic, he didn''t need it to soothe Irina''s seething rage. Simply stroking her silky white hair and caressing her nape, the man managed to bring Irina back to normal before cing the girl down gently.


    "Gift? What gift?" Ysabelle, always happy and optimistic, came forward with a burning gaze.


    "Hehe, have you ever wondered why the Consorts of Drac were considered one of the strongest women in history?"


    "... Wasn''t it because they fed on the Progenitor''s blood?" Lilith added her own hypothesis.


    "Well, that yed a factor, but it''s not the main reason. The real reason why the Consorts are so strong¡­ Is because of these."


    Jin opened up his clenched palm and revealed four glistening jewels. Each housed dense, enigmatic magic, simr to Jin''s rings. They were coloured with a rich empyrean, sky blue, identical to that of Jin''s natural eye colour, and they all possessed a mysterious aspect that none of the girls couldprehend.


    Lilith, the only one who knew something, gulped nervously as she asked.


    "Jin¡­ You can''t mean¡­"


    "Yes," Jin smiled jubntly. "I''ve been working for seven days and seven nights to develop these jewels, and while they were modelled after the original ones that Drac had made, I did make some improvements."


    Jin moved his gaze over the four girls, and he proudly dered:


    "Girls¡­ It''s time for you to be the new Consorts of the Progenitor!"

 Chapter 136 Consorts Of The Progenitor (3)

    "Girls¡­ It''s time for you to be the new Consorts of the Progenitor!"


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    I''d thought that my deration would be met with jovial cheers and smiles that were as bright as the Sun itself. However, the four girls shot me some of the most frosty expressions I''d ever seen. Irina looked at me as if she didn''t know what to say. Lilith had a half-disgusted face. Ysabelle behaved like she was watching a child fumble. While Rosa kept her signature expressionless face. Though, I could see a smallyer of ice beneath her unmoving face.


    "Jin¡­ Are you serious?" Lilith broke the silence with a soft yet resonant growl. "You want us to be your Consorts?"


    "Y-Yeah? What''s wrong with that?"


    "Hah¡­" The blonde-haired girl shook her head and ced her palm over her face. "You''re probably not familiar with the history of the Consorts, are you?"


    "History? What history?"


    I''d thought the Consorts were just titles given to women who apanied the Progenitor. Was there some other hidden meaning to them?


    "Jin¡­" Ysabelle intervened with a far morepassionate tone. She held my hand and gently filled me in.


    "The tale of the Consorts of Drac is actually quite tragic. Most of them didn''t be Drac''s women by choice. When Drac became the First Vampire and started an entire race, the world was on edge. They feared his power and, at the same time, didn''t wish to face his ire. Therefore, every major power offered their finest maidens to Drac, hoping they would be the bridge for them with the Vampire race."


    Woah¡­ I didn''t think that the Consorts had such a dark history. Seeing how the Consorts mourned and yearned for Drac, I''d assumed they voluntarily became Vampires because of their love for him.


    "Yes, the Consorts were given power and status. Many became strong enough to rival certain ancient Vampires as well. However, they were ultimately just an essory for Drac, the First Vampire, to show his influence."


    "And that''s not all to that story," Lilith continued with a bitter frown. "Once the Consorts became bound to Drac, they were eternally faithful to him. They could never leave or betray the Bloodborne House. Even though they had be stronger than most Vampires, they were bound to protect the Bloodborne bloodline. They could never leave thepounds of the Bloodborne Mansion without Drac''s permission, and they weren''t allowed to interact with anyone other than those Drac explicitly chose. Essentially, they had be his breeding ves."


    Damn¡­ I didn''t think that the Consorts had such a stigma around them. But truthfully, I should have expected it once I''d realised the shards they had all had an order of obedience ingrained within them.


    Yeah, there was no way I would subject the four women I loved the most to the same fate as the Consorts. Fortunately, I had significantly improved the shards, and the only thing it would do was enhance the four girls'' magic.


    However, before I could rify that minor detail¡­


    "B-Brother!" Irina spoke up with a slight tremor in her voice. "I-If you want me to be your Consort, I''ll be more than happy to serve you! N-No, please let me be your first Consort! You can use me however you''d like! I won''t go against you until the end of time!"


    "Irina!"


    Lilith shouted back at the white-haired maiden with an incredulous look in her eyes. It wasn''t just her; the other two were utterly speechless. However, none of their expressions made it to the Winter beauty. Irina locked her eyes onto mine, showing that her determination never wavered.


    ¡­ If I were to bepletely honest, I was delighted by Irina''s conviction. I knew she loved me, but I didn''t expect her to willingly be my ve. But s¡­ I wasn''t going to let Irina or any other girls suffer any grievances.


    "Irina¡­" I moved forward and gently ced my hand on her soft, supple cheeks. "You misunderstood me. I''m not going to enve any of you with these jewels. I love you too much to do that."


    "Y-You''re not?"


    A myriad of emotions shed through Irina''s eyes at that very moment. Relief that I wouldn''t mistreat her as Drac did with his Consorts. Joy after hearing the extent of my feelings for her. And finally, a tinge of regret¡­


    It seems like¡­ deep down in her heart¡­ Irina wanted to be owned by me. She wanted to be my belonging and to always serve by my side.


    Goodness, what a perverted little sister I have. Don''t worry; even without the shard, I will make you into my woman.


    "Of course I won''t," I tossed Irina''s inner thoughts aside and continued my exnation.


    "The Consorts had to listen to all of Drac''s orders because of themand ingrained onto their shards. I don''t want to do that to any of you." I shook my head as I nced over at the four girls who had quickly be the light of my life.


    "You guys are far too important to me. The only thing this jewel does is empower your existing magic and link your souls to mine. So whenever you may be in danger, I can protect you. It doesn''t matter how far you are. You can be deep in the ocean or far above in the clouds. You could even be in another gxy altogether. As long as these jewels are within you, I will always be able to protect you."


    "I-Is that so?"


    Irina ced her hand over mine and picked up one of the jewels that possessed a wintry-grey lustre. Unsure of its practicality, she asked: "So this can increase our powers to the level of the Consorts?"


    "Well, you won''t be as strong as them immediately, but given enough time, you''ll easily reach the Progenitor level."


    "Really?!" At this point, even Ysabelle had to chime in. "Can we gain enough power to equal that of a Progenitor?"


    "Of course!" I smiled earnestly. "Unlike the version that Drac had made for his Consorts, these jewels were designed specially for you guys. They were crafted for each of your unique talents and will grow as you improve. Perhaps you''ll surpass everyone in your family in a few years."


    "What?!"<sub> </sub>


    Ysabelle picked up her jewel with sparkles in her eyes. As someone who had always pursued strength, the gem''s potential greatly interests her. So much so that she''dpletely forgotten about the stigma of the Consorts.


    "Lilith, if you still can''t believe me, you can experiment on this jewel if you''d like."


    "No¡­ There''s no need¡­"


    Lilith let out a wry smile and shook her head. She picked up the jewel with the golden aura surrounding it and held it tightly against her chest.


    "I trust you, Jin. Even if you were to cheat me, I''d willingly be your ve. You are my Bloodmate, after all."


    "You don''t have to worry about that," I chuckled. "Even if I made you my ve, you wouldn''t listen to my orders anyway."


    "HAHA! Looks like someone has be smarter!"


    I let out a soft snort before moving to the final person in the room. Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle had all taken their jewels, which meant I was left with only one. In truth, I was wondering if I should make Rosa one, given that she was already at the Progenitor level and was more than capable of protecting herself. Even if I made one for her, I was confident that Rosa wouldn''t use it.


    But ultimately, I couldn''t be partial. I didn''t want to leave Rosa out in favour of the other three just because she was stronger.


    "Rosa, I know you do not need this, but¡­"


    "Give¡­"


    "H-Huh?"


    "Give¡­"


    Rosa held her hands out like a child asking for candy. Not wanting to disappoint her and her adorable little pout, I ced the final gem in her soft hands, allowing her to grasp it tightly.


    "So¡­ What''s next?" Lilith asked with a tinge of curiosity. "How do we merge with this?"


    "Oh, it''s quite simple, actually. All you need to do is swallow it down, and the jewel will melt within your body. Then, the energy released within will merge with your soul and reforge your regr Vampire flesh."


    "I see¡­ So all we need to do is swallow this jewel?"


    "Yes, but I must warn you to do it one at a time. Once you swallow them, you''ll¡­"


    Even before I could finish my warning, the girls moved in one singr motion and popped the jewels into their mouths like they were swallowing a pill. My jaw dropped unknowingly, and my heart sank instantly. I didn''t expect them to immediately absorb the jewels when they got their hands on them! But s, now that they had¡­ I must face the consequences¡­


    "B-Brother¡­ My face is getting hot¡­"


    "J-Jin¡­ What''s going on?"


    "Jin¡­ My soul feels like it''s on fire¡­"


    "..."


    Each of the four girls gave their own unique description of what the jewels were doing to their bodies. Given that their powers were different and they had varying experiences, it wasmon for them to have their own particr reactions. However, there was one thing that they all shared inmon.


    The feverish eyes that they were looking at me with.


    "Hah¡­ You should''ve listened to me first. I wanted you to take them one at a time because of the after-effects the gems cause."


    "A-After-effects?"


    "Yes," I sighed while resigning to my own bittersweet fate. "While I have made improvements to them, the jewels'' core remains the same. They house a part of my soul, a Progenitor''s soul. Therefore, to fully awaken its powers, you''ll need a Progenitor''s essence and, to be more precise¡­ You''ll need my blood and semen."


    "..."


    The four girls remained quiet, but I could feel their feverish gazes burning with a brighter me. Their pants became heavier, and their faces werepletely flushed. Even Rosa, the girl who always wore an expressionless face, couldn''t hold back the lustful desires that ignited within her soul.


    "Hah¡­ Well, I''d thought our first group activity would be more romantic, but this will do."


    While I was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, I couldn''t say I wasn''t excited. Taking care of just one of their insatiable libidos was hard enough, and now I had to deal with all four simultaneously.


    Future me¡­ I''m counting on you.


    Holding back my sighs, I slowly disrobed myself under the gazes of the hungry lionesses until nothing but my underwear remained. Though, the girls couldn''t wait anymore. Their eyes werepletely red, as if I were a bunny and they were the wolves. Raising both my arms out, I weed the four hunters with a warm smile:


    "Come¡­ I''ll take all four of you at once."

 Chapter 137 The Fourth Night (1)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don''t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    "Come¡­ I''ll take all four of you at once."


    The moment I said those words, it was as if a chord had snapped within all of the girls'' minds. The first one to snap was none other than my precious little sister. Irina rushed straight at me, her facepletely beet red and her Vampiric fangs were protruding out with a vengeance. Without waiting for the rest, the girl pushed me down onto the bed and pierced her teeth into the base of my neck.


    Warm blood trickled down my body as the girl greedily sucked everything that came out from my neck. Irina couldn''t even be bothered to clean the loose blood up, as she was too enamoured with drinking from the tap. Fortunately, someone was willing to help clean my body.


    "Jin¡­"


    Ysabelle licked the droplets of blood that fell down my muscr frame and cleaned all of the stains up. Gradually, she made her way up my abdomen and arms until she reached the tip of my chest. With Irina still greedily sucking my blood from my left neck, Ysabelle opted to start from my left breast. Her sharp teeth easily broke through my thick skin, and the familiar warm crimson liquid flowed into her dainty little mouth.


    With the two greedy hippos sucking my blood as if they were vagrants caught in the desert with no water. At that moment, I could feel my head bing faint due to the vast amounts of blood I was losing so suddenly. Fortunately, as a Progenitor, my regenerative factor far surpassed that of an average Vampire, and my blood was being replenished just as quickly as it was being sucked away.


    s, I wasn''t just going to feed Irina and Ysabelle.


    "Move aside."


    Lilith stepped over Irina and Ysabelle, taking over the vacant right side of my neck. Just like the two before her, she feasted on my neck and took vast amounts of blood from it. Her saliva was dripping down like a wolf starved for food, and her teeth relentlessly dug into my flesh as if she was trying to rip a chunk out herself.


    "A-Ahhh!"


    "M-More!"


    "Ahhhhh!!!"


    All three universally moaned with delight as the rich, sulent blood entered their stomachs. In my dazed stupor, I could see the jewels within their souls shining brightly as my essence filled them up with magic, power and ecstasy. And while I was delighted that my creations worked, I couldn''t help but feel that I was a mere dish for them to enjoy.


    Three girls were hanging on me with their mouths firmly sunken into my body. It felt like I had time-travelled back to medieval times when leeching was the norm and the girls attempted to suck every ounce of my blood away.


    Though, I didn''t only have three lovers.


    "Jin¡­ Suck¡­"


    "Rosa? W-Wait!"


    ? With the three girls monopolising both sides of my neck and my chest, there was no other ce for Rosalyn to join. However, blood wasn''t the only way to activate the jewels in their bodies. There was one other source that Rosalyn could take from, and she was headed straight for it right now.


    Pulling down my underwear, Rosa unveiled the dragon that slept within it. Since I had been stimted by the seductive girls and their numerous moans, my member had long woken up from its slumber and had stood as erect as the tallest mountain. With a face filled with lust and desire, Rosa licked her lips once and brought her head down to my crotch.


    "Thanks for the meal¡­"


    With a delighted face, the girl devoured my manhood whole. Her tongue twisted around my shaft and her lips gently kissed my tip. Though since it was her first time giving a head, Rosa showed her inexperience by putting the entire thing into her throat, causing her to choke immediately.


    However, that didn''t stop the girl one bit. No, it just heightened her desire for my manhood, and she restarted her attempt with added vigour. Starting from the bottom, Rosa licked my man jewels like she was devouring an ice cream cone. The tantalising simtion further aroused my member as it reached its maximum length almost instantaneously.


    "Let me help you with that."


    Somewhere along the lines, Ysabelle stopped sucking blood from my chest and roamed down to myher region. Among the four, Ysabelle had the most experience with using her mouth.


    And it showed.


    The moment the ck-haired beauty joined Rosa down there, the stimtion I''d received went up by ten times. While it was refreshing to enjoy Rosa''s clumsy attempt at a blowjob, Ysabelle''s distinct actions made my manhood twitch violently. If it weren''t for my willpower, I would have unleashed my first load the moment Ysabelle joined the fray.<sub> </sub>


    The two girls took turns bringing as much stimtion to my member as they could. Rosa, with her innocent yet lustful desires and Ysabelle, with her wealth of experience, brought me to the brink every time.


    At the same time, Irina and Lilith were sucking on my neck, their seductive moans of desire ringing in my ears. Their hot breaths and pheromones filled my nostrils, further enhancing my already aroused mental state.


    Irina''s distinct aroma of a lone flower amid a snowy Winter. Lilith''s sweaty fragrance of Spring brought back memories of the meadow we used to y in. Ysabelle''s hot actions brought the spice of Summer. And Rosa''s thick, musty perfume brought the final touches of Autumn.


    These four girls had eventually pushed me to the very edge, and I was unable to hold back my shot anymore.


    "Urghhh!!!"


    With an uncharacteristic groan, my manhood retracted violently as I ejacted, flinging my white substance all over the two girls beneath my waist. Perhaps it was due to my current status as a Progenitor, or maybe it was because I hadn''t released a load in a while, but my little brother continued on for a good twenty seconds.


    Like a water fountain, the semen seemingly never ceased, and I painted Ysabelle and Rosapletely white. If I were with any other partner, they might have been repulsed orpletely disgusted by the fact that I paid no heed and unleashed myself all over them.


    But my girls weren''t ordinary ones.


    Rosa and Ysabelle smiled happily and licked the white fluid off their body like cats cleaning themselves up. They''d first started with the ones they could reach, like the bits on their hands and chest or the ones that had fallen onto my body. As if they had found the purest, most delicious drink of all time, the two girls didn''t waste a single drop as they licked the parts they could reach.


    For the ones that they couldn''t, however¡­


    "Let us have some."


    Irina and Lilith stopped drinking from my neck and went straight towards the two girls covered in my fluids. Irina had even forgotten about her grievance with Rosa. All she wanted was to consume the same white fluids the pair had already gotten.


    Irina licked Rosa''s face with a few drops of semen remaining. She then moved to Rosa''s hair and picked the ones that Rosa couldn''t reach. Lilith did much the same with Ysabelle. She went for the droplets of semen that Ysabelle couldn''t obtain and licked them as if they were the sweetest candy of all time.


    And when that wasn''t enough¡­


    "You have some remaining in your mouth, right? Open it."


    Irina and Lilith pried open Ysabelle and Rosa''s mouths and ced their tongues deep inside. Although it was strictly to obtain more precious white liquids, the consequence was that I was treated to a great show where the four girls of my dreams were sucking each other''s faces while rubbing their hot bodies against each other.


    Goodness¡­ It''s like watching a scene from a fantasy porno!


    Four hot girls covered in my semen were kissing and lustfully touching each other. It was literally the dream!!!


    And because of that¡­ My manhood rose once again.


    "Girls! You''re driving me mad!!!"


    I got up and pushed the four girls onto the bed violently. They were stunned, but recognition and desire quickly reced their shock. With one hand gesture, I ''destroyed'' the clothes that covered their entire bodies and treated myself to a feast of their naked selves.


    Although I had seen them in their birthday suits before, nothing beats the stimtion of having four beauties under you all simultaneously. My member roared into life as it reached its maximum length once again, ready to plough through the snow bunnies that unveiled themselves to me.


    And boy, they were beautiful.


    Irina spread her legs and exposed her elegant oyster for me to enjoy. Lilith had turned a little shy and turned around to cover her face with a pillow. However, in doing so, she raised her petite butt up, giving me full reign to do as I wished. Ysabelle scooted over and held my manhood with her hand, all while wearing ascivious smile. And Rosa¡­


    Well, Rosa summoned out a dozen vines and bound all of the girls together, making it impossible for them to resist whatever I did to them.


    "Jin¡­ Give now¡­"

 Chapter 138 The Fourth Night (2)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don''t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    The four women I loved had lined up in bed with their sacred gardens pointed right at my face. Each one had its unique appeal, so much so that I would have loved to take a picture. s, I couldn''t risk anyone elseying their eyes on this glorious sight that would make every natural and man-made wonder cry out in shame.


    I wanted to monopolise this view. The view of the four most ethereal, beautiful, jaw-dropping women surrendering themselves to me, leaving every bare for my dragon to consume.


    Irina''s womanhood was the same clean-shaven as it always was. Irina''s oyster was letting out a peachy fragrance that filled my nose as the purest white butt I''d ever seen was unveiled. There wasn''t a single speck of hair, let alone a stubble that would indicate she had been shaving everything off. Once again, I was amazed by Irina''s perfect body, especially the adorable little pussy I''d been craving to see again.


    Lilith''s one was a little less innocent. She had a small shaven bush gingerly hidden above her wondrous slit. It was pretty innocuous, and if I didn''t go out of my way to focus on it, it wouldn''t be the first thing that came to mind. And yet, that devilish bottom was calling out to me like a fish to water.


    Ysabelle''s sacred garden, on the other hand, was the hairiest one of them all. Though not to the extent of being like an untamed bush in the wilderness, it showed her wild and animalistic side. Perhaps the one with the most pungent aroma, I was tempted to ce my lips right onto hers and ravage the small hole away.


    And finally¡­ The one I hadn''t seen the most due to our special circumstances¡­


    Rosa''s womanhood.


    It contained a respectable amount of hair, with most thinned out to highlight herher regions. Shaped like a well-patterned leaf, I could tell that Rosa took care of her womanly parts, even though she was likely busy managing the World Tree. Its luscious flow and alluring scent forcibly sent a huge chunk of blood down onto my meaty rod, making it stand just as erect as the Eiffel Tower.


    I¡­ probably have never been this aroused in my life.


    "... Jin?"


    "I''m sorry¡­ I was just mesmerised by the sight." Holding back tears, I wiped the bridge of my nose and forced myself back to reality. "I''m just thanking my parents for giving birth to me so that I can witness such a sight."


    "Pervert¡­"


    The four girls teased me with their endearing, warm eyes, but I knew they were feeling the same arousal. Their fountains were leaking vast amounts of viscous liquids, and their oysters were opening and closing like ms at the bottom of the ocean.


    I¡­ Can''t take it anymore!!!


    "Irina!!!"


    I didn''t know who to choose, so I went to the girl who was the closest to me. My thick rod mmed straight into the hole with a vengeance, piercing all the way into her deepest and most secretive parts in one go. The tip of my penis dug its way through Irina''s vagina and made it all the way into her baby-making room.


    "A-Aahhhhh!!!!"


    Moans of pleasure came out from the young girl''s mouth as she endured the vast amount of gratification I was purging through her veins. Though, that didn''t stop me for one second. My dragon roared violently as I began thrusting my hips violently.


    People might consider me a sadist for putting this much force onto the girl I loved, but I knew very well how durable Irina truly was. After all, I had been having sex with her for about a year now. I knew where her pleasure points were, how much she loved being treated roughly and like a tool and most importantly¡­ She loved it when I pounded her with everything I''d got.


    "J-Jin! M-More! F-Faster! M-More! A-Agrhhhhh!!!"


    My hips moved faster and faster, obliging to the young woman''s request. Irina''s sweet, sweaty fragrance tickled my nose as her milky white hair brushed past my groin. The more she moaned, the more turned on I got. My penis swelled up as the pleasure I''d felt from her inside warmth doubled. A gush of fluids flowed out with a tight contraction, melting my dragon with a familiar sweet aroma.


    "You came?"


    "B-Brother¡­ It''s been a while, so¡­"


    "No need to exin anything," I leaned in and whispered right next to her ears. "Just leave your body to me. You just focus on feeling pleasure."


    "B-Brother¡­"


    Irina replied with reddened cheeks and an adorable pout. She covered her face, unable to remove herself from the shyness she was inflicted. But that didn''t deter me one bit. In fact, it enhanced my desire to dominate this adorable woman.


    "Jin¡­ Have you forgotten about us?"


    "Tch, it''s not fair that we have to watch Irina get all the fun!"


    "Jin¡­ Bad¡­"


    In my quest to satisfy Irina''s lust, I''d forgotten about the three other women in the room. Or, more specifically, the three other women waiting to ept my love.


    "S-Sorry, would you give me a moment? I will get to you soon."


    "No, we''re not going to wait."


    However, rather than waiting for their turn, the three girls got too impatient. While my dragon was still resting in Irina''s den, the three lustful subuses roamed to my side. Lilith spread her legs above Irina''s waist and faced me straight. She wrapped her hands around my neck and stered her lips onto mine, greedily sucking on my lips for the clear saliva within my mouth.


    Ysabelle took a more non-standard approach. Coming in from my right, she nibbled on my arm and made her way down to my erect nipples. With one finger squeezing the left and her tongue rotating on my right, the girl attempted to arouse me even further, something I didn''t know was possible.


    But just as I''d thought the pleasure was reaching its apex, my man jewels felt a sudden wave of electricity, forcing me to look backwards.


    "R-Rosa? Y-You¡­"


    "Delicious¡­"


    Rosalyn had my jewels in her mouth, her tongue swirling about to tingle and stimte them. Gingerly and tenderly, the girl continued her move to make me feel more aroused. In the end, by some absolute miracle, I could feel my member grow even longer than it ever did before. And Irina could feel the exact same thing.


    "J-Jin¡­ D-Don''t stop¡­"


    "Y-yes! A-Ahhh, I won''t!!!" I held onto Irina''s slender waist and restarted my thrusts.


    This time, I slowed down so I wouldn''t injure the three girls clinging to the other parts of my body. However, as a consequence, I felt like the sensitivity of my dragon had heightened significantly. With each thrust, I could feel every inch of Irina''s tight cave mping down upon me. With every move, I could acutely hear the sonorous sounds of two lovers mating and the slippery slurps our genitals made. And with every thrust, the lustful aroma of women in heat prated my nose.


    I was in heaven¡­ And my little brother agreed wholeheartedly.


    "I-Irina! I''m letting it out!!!"


    "D-Do it! F-Fill me up! Give it all to me!!!"


    I didn''t need to hear her words. I already knew what I was going to do next. With one final thrust, I pierced so deep into Irina that I could have made a hole in her stomach. My dragon roared with one final splurt, and I''d unleashed the thickest load I''d ever created.


    "St!!! St!!! St!!! St!!! St!!!"


    I didn''t know for how long I''d ejacted. Perhaps it was a minute, maybe ten. I didn''t know. My mind nked out, and I didn''t know what came next. All I could feel was endless waves of pleasure mounting from all sides of my body.


    I''d never felt such ecstasy before, and I didn''t know if I could replicate it again. The pleasure within my mind brought me to the point of unconsciousness, something I''d never experienced before.


    And when I finally came to¡­


    "Don''t waste a single drop! Let me have some!"


    "L-Lilith, is it okay?"


    "She''s unconscious, so it doesn''t matter."


    "Dirty¡­ But, logical¡­"


    When I''d finally regained my senses, I saw the three girls kneeling at the bottom of Irina''s fully spread legs. Her bottom half was dyed entirely white by my semen, with almost a full half-litre dripped down her crotch. The deepest parts of her body had already been painted in my colour, and her body waspletely motionless.


    Perhaps it was from the pure ecstasy that we shared Irina had yet to awaken, and she couldn''tprehend what was happening to her. Which was likely for her own good as¡­


    "Tsk, it''s mixed with her juices, but we can''t just waste it all."


    "L-Let me have some!"


    "Disgusting¡­ But I want¡­"


    Lilith, Ysabelle and Rosa, the three girls that didn''t have their turn yet, were busy licking on her womanhood, desperately trying to procure what little semen they could.


    The girls I loved, all trying to vie for the holy liquid I produced, even if it meant drinking it straight from another woman''s sacred garden?


    What more could a man dream for?


    But yeah¡­ I shouldn''t leave them in this unsightly state. Especially since just by seeing them like lust demons, my dragon was ready to go for another round.


    "Lilith!"


    "H-Huh?!"


    I grabbed onto the blonde-haired girl, who was wholly enamoured with my semen and pushed her straight onto the bed. Lilith stared right up at me, frightened by my wolf-like gaze, demanding she gives everything to me.


    Oh, you littlemb¡­ You don''t know what''sing, do you? Let me educate you¡­ With a hungry voice, I growled:


    "Your turn."

 Chapter 139 The Fourth Night (3)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don''t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help with your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    Shortly after I was finished with Irina, I made my way to Lilith and pounded her to unconsciousness as well. Ysabelle was the next to fall as my manhood had seemingly levelled up with my ascension to a Progenitor, drastically increasing the number of shots I''d held in my holster.


    The three girls didn''t stand a chance. Yes, they may have had ungodly stamina in the past, but there were some special circumstances for theira.


    Adding to the fact that they hadn''t been in bed with me for a while, the girls were under the influence of the jewels I''d made them consume. With my essence overflowing from their mouths and lower halves, the girls triggered the reaction that would mould their bodies into a much higher existence.


    Their souls were the first to change. With my life vision, I could see my essence merging with the jewels, melting and forging their souls into something new. Their bodies weren''t far behind either. Magic power flowed down their veins, and their physique rapidly changed by the second. Not that they weren''t already perfect, but any ws in their bodies were now being purged away.


    Irina and Lilith, who had mostly never trained their bodies in their lives, were undergoing the most drastic metamorphosis. Their smooth and porcin white skin was bubbling up as the muscles on their body expanded. Since they didn''t have much excess fat, their tight waists got even tighter as their pectoral muscles started to show.


    If I were to describe it¡­ It was as if a divine Goddess had just improved their bodies to the peak of perfection.


    As for Ysabelle, her change wasn''t as drastic.


    If Irina possessed the body of the Goddess of Purity and Lilith, the Goddess of Beauty, Ysabelle had perfected her body to the point that she was just as fit as the Goddess of War. The only significant change I could see was within her soul as the Ghostme of the ckburn House became ten times purer, and what little imperfections she had, had beenpletely burnt away.


    My three Vampire lovers had quickly be the most beautiful women in the world.


    And I wasn''t exaggerating. If there were ever a description of a Goddess in living flesh, these three girls would be it.


    Once their transformation was over, they would no longer be regr True Vampires but existences that would transcend over most living creatures. So, it wouldn''t be an over-exaggeration to call them Goddesses. However, as their bodies morph into their transcendent state, so would their physical prowess and, most scarily¡­ Their sex drives.


    Even without ascending, these three girls had lust that could rival the Subus Queen of legends. And with their newly awakened bodies, I shiver to imagine how ''hungry'' their appetite would be.


    s, that was a problem for future me to solve. Right now, I have one final score to settle.


    "Rosa¡­"


    Through our tacit understanding, I''d left Rosa for thest. For one, the three girls that were evolving required more time to absorb their new powers, given that they were far beneath the Progenitor level. But that was ultimately just an excuse. The main reason why I left Rosa forst was because I wished to have a true private one-on-one experience with her.


    I don''t think we had a proper conversation since we''d entered the Elven Forest. Yes, our hearts had been connected when I finally recalled the past, but other than that, we hadn''t had a proper opportunity to bond.


    "... Jin."


    "Rosa," I smiled gingerly. My right hand found the young woman''s cheek as my other held onto her waist. "I''ve kept you waiting."


    "No¡­ I''m okay¡­"


    "Honestly, I''m conflicted." I somehow spurted out my innermost feelings. "You''ve already be a Progenitor-level Vampire and have synchronised with the World Tree. In some aspects, you''re already more powerful than me. So logically speaking, you don''t need my protection."


    "..."


    Rosa listened silently with her signature expressionless face.


    "But as a man¡­ As your man¡­ I want to protect you. I want to ensure that no one ever touches you or causes you harm. I want to¡­ Forever be the one you rely on."


    "..."


    "I know this is selfish of me, but¡­ Can you surrender yourself to me, Rosa? Let me be your deity, yourpanion, your¡­ Man."


    "Jin¡­" I saw Rosa''s gorgeous Lapis eyes watering up for the first time since I''d met her. I could see my reflection within those pearly beads. And Rosa''s cold and aloof lips soon broke into a bitter smile.


    "... me me?"


    "No, I don''t me you for what you''ve done."


    "... protect me?"


    "Yes, I''ll protect you from this day till the end of time."


    "... love me?"


    She''s still asking me this question? What an adorable little creature. I ced my hand above her small, petite head and gently caressed it with all my love and affection.


    How could I me her for kidnapping me? Rosa only did that because she wished to protect me from the Bloodborne House and all those who aimed for my neck.


    How could I not protect her? Rosa was the reason why I ascended into a Progenitor. She was the broken doll I swore to protect and the woman that protected me throughout my weakest days when I was crippled.


    And¡­ how could I not love her?


    Alongside Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle, this girl was my everything. My beautiful rose and my sweet angel.


    "Rosa¡­"


    I didn''t need to answer her question. cing her on the bed, I spread her legs wide, revealing the decadent abalone between her legs. The girl shyly attempted to move away, but my desire to see her bare overpowered her. Even after multiple rounds with the previous three, my manhood was still fully erect and ready to pound into the beautiful Goddess.


    And so I did.


    "A-Ahhhh!!!"


    A seductive moan, unlike anything I''d ever heard from Rosa, erupted from her mouth. Although we had done it multiple times before, I was always in a trance while Rosa forced herself on me. Therefore, my member didn''t reach its maximum size during any of our previous sexual encounters.


    However, now that I was fully aroused and ready to dominate the women I loved, my manhood was easily above anything Rosa had taken. She held onto her stomach as if not believing how deep my penis went into her. Yet, she didn''t show any form of difort. Rather, she folded her thighs behind my waist and grabbed onto my meaty nape.


    "Jin¡­ Do me¡­"


    That''s not fair, Rosa¡­ You can''t just show your seductive side all of a sudden. The difference between the expressionless Rosa and the Rosa begging me to fuck her senseless¡­ Yeah, that was too much for me to handle.


    And with apse of my sanity, my primal instincts took over.


    "As you wish!!!"


    I pounded like a piston of a hydraulic press, and the resonant ps could be heard from kilometres away. We were both Progenitors, so there was no fear of me injuring Rosa. So I unleashed all of my pent-up lust onto the only girl who could physically and mentally take it.


    "R-Rougher!!!"


    "You little perverted Elf!!!"


    My mind had been lost, and everything was left to my instincts to breed this woman. I wished to dye her in my colour. I wanted her to stink of my musk. I wanted to mark her with my majestic fluids¡­ I wanted¡­ To make her mine.


    My member continued to pierce into the young woman, so much so that I''d almost feared that I would break a hole through her womb. However, Rosa showed no need to be afraid as she started to move in tandem. Like synchronised swimmers, we found a matching rhythm, and it soon became a battle to better pleasure the other.


    But s, as much as I was a stud, I was fated to lose that battle.


    All of the teasings and stimtions I''d been given, the past imagery of all four Goddesses lining up to offer themselves to me, and the ungodly tightness of Rosa''s insides¡­ They were all adding up to squeeze everything I had from within.


    And therefore¡­


    Splurt!!! Splurt!!! Splurt!!!


    My body naturally convulsed as my sexual desires were unleashed into the unassuming woman. Fortunately, Rosa''s sacred waterfall unleashed a wave of water to extinguish my dragon fire, dousing my manhood with her womanly fluids.


    It was the perfect finish to our passionate exchange.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Jin¡­"


    Rosa panted heavily with her flushed cheeks sunken in. Her Lapis eyes had turnedpletely red as my essence filled her soul with power. However, unlike the other three girls, Rosa was still wide-awake, and her desires hadn''t quelled one bit. Rather¡­


    Earthy vines crept from the corner of the bed and bound Rosa''s delicate hands together. At the same time, two vines lifted Rosa''s legs up into the sky, forcing her into a reverse Y shape. But that wasn''t thest of it. Rosa continued to bind herself together until her body waspletely suspended in the air. Bits of my special white fluid dripped down her secret garden,pletely staining the bed and everything beneath her.


    And at this sight, I couldn''t help but gulp. The scene unveiled before me was straight out of a BDSM porno.


    Now that I think about it¡­ Rosa did show signs of being a rope bunny. And with this deed, there was no questioning it anymore.


    Rosa¡­ Was into bondage.


    "C-Continue¡­ Fuck me¡­"


    "Fuck¡­"


    I spat out as my dragon roared into life once more. How the hell am I supposed to deny anything from this girl?!


    It seems¡­ even after having sex with these four sex demons back-to-back¡­ My night was far from over.

 Chapter 140 The Valter House

    Ahhh, when was thest time I had slept this deep?


    Ever since I''d be a Vampire, it had been one thing after the next. From participating in the Winter Hunt to training for the fight against Sirius to the anxious nights, I''d spent in Eyghon to finally the Bloodborne invasion of the Elven Forest.


    My life had been hectic since I''d first be a Vampire. So much so that I never had a proper chance to release all the weight off my shoulders and spend a few nights off to just rx.


    It felt like everything had been settled. I had gained magic, a feat I had dreamed of ever since bing a cripple. I had be a Progenitor, an entity strong enough to stand against nations and most importantly¡­ I had reunited with the four girls that I cared about most.


    It felt like all of the burdens of the past and my sufferings¡­ They had all been washed clean. I was now free, bound by nothing but my desires. It really felt freeing.


    Though, as I slowly awakened from my deep sleep, there was something on my body¡­


    As my flickering consciousness gradually got tickled, I felt the weight on my body first. It wasn''t oppressive or anything; rather, with my enhanced body state, it felt quite light. Then, my other senses quickly came online. My fingers moved without mymand as the tender touch of smooth, peachy skin overtook my sense of touch.


    My nose picked up on something as well. Four distinct fragrances, each just as luxurious and exclusive as the other, were merged to create an intoxicating aroma. Not just that, there were remnant scents of debauchery and fornication, adding a differentyer to the exhrating fragrance.


    My hearing was next to be stimted. I heard four distinct snores, each just as sweet as the others. Well, to call the noises I heard snoring would be a stretch. They were just adorable breaths that sounded resonant to my ears. Not that it was a bad thing.


    And finally, my eyes opened up.


    Four beauties, each oneparable, nay, surpassing the divinely good looks of Goddesses, were stered down on my body. They were blissfully snoozing away, their eyes tightly shut and their faces joyfully rested.


    They must have been exhausted after our long night together, as no matter how much I touched them, they weren''t reacting as much. Only Irina started to purr as she felt my familiar touch.


    How cute¡­


    As my hands continued to stroke the white-haired Goddess'' head, I noticed something different with the girls. For the most part, their souls had beenpletely changed. Putting Rosa aside, the three girls had expanded their magic power capacity far more than any Vampire their age. Heck, they even surpassed Vampires who had lived for thousands of years. Perhaps only ancient beings like Matriarch Everwinter could match the girls.


    However, these three girls are all less than thirty years old, an infant when it came to Vampire terms. Should they be given enough time and resources, I''m confident they could exceed Matriarch Everwinter in a decade or less.


    Rosa shouldn''t be excluded as well.


    The Shadowgarden House had gically modified Rosa to synchronise with the World Tree, and as a consequence, the girl was able to reach the Progenitor level artificially. Rosa wasn''t considered a true Progenitor as most of her power was derived from the World Tree and the Spirits that contracted with her.


    Well, not anymore.


    Now that Rosa had absorbed the jewel and my essence, she had fully evolved into a Progenitor. I don''t know how she did it, but she used my Progenitor powers to kickstart her own ascension. She no longer required the World Tree to artificially boost her powers and was now a powerhouse equal to Drac himself.


    With this, Rosalyn Shadowgarden should now be recorded as the Third Progenitor of the Vampire race.


    "Jin¡­ You''re awake?"


    As I was happily admiring the view I had, a sleepy yawn broke me free from my thoughts. Turning down, I saw Lilith''s morning, teary eyes gazing right at me as she crawled up the bed to feel my warmth.


    "Morning, Lilith¡­ How are you feeling?"


    "Tired¡­"


    "Haha, right. You never were much of a morning person."


    "We''re Vampires, Jin. We weren''t meant to frolic about in daylight." Lilith retorted with an adorable pout. "Though, I do feel more energised than before."


    "Haha, don''t you know why?"


    "Why? No, wait¡­"


    My words seemingly lit a light bulb in the smart Moonreaver''s mind. Lilith had always been a woman with extraordinary gifts, particrly when it came toprehension and understanding the nature of her magic. Therefore, there was no way that Lilith wouldn''t notice the changes to her body.


    "I''ve¡­ be stronger?"


    "Not just that," I smiled and ced my palm on her chest. A surge of magic power flowed from my hands to her heart, and her eyes began to light up.


    "You''ve evolved. Your potential has increased, and you can''t be ssified as a True Vampire anymore. You''re essentially between the threshold of a Vampire and a Progenitor now. If you train your magic enough, I''m confident that you can be a Progenitor soon."


    "... Me? A Progenitor?"


    Lilith nced down at her hands with a mixture of shock and awe in her eyes. Lilith had always been a talented girl. She was a genius beyond her years, she was the sole heir to the Moonreaver House, and she was widely considered to be the future pioneer of magic for the Vampire race.


    But never in a million years could she imagine that she would one day be strong enough to be ssified as a Progenitor.


    "Yes, congrattions. Once you''ve be a Progenitor, there''s nothing the Moonreaver House can do to restrain you anymore. You would be free to do whatever you choose."


    "Jin¡­"


    I took Lilith into my arms and gently caressed her face. She had never told me this before, but I could guess her deepest intentions. Lilith hated being restrained and never once thought of sitting on the Lunar Throne. The only thing that she wanted to do was spend the rest of her life researching magic and the arcane arts.


    Lilith was simr to my former self in many aspects when I spent my entire life delving into magic theory.


    s, the Moonreaver House was far too powerful for her to go against with her current powers. In other words, Lilith had to bury her dreams deep within. But Lilith would surpass the Moonreaver House altogether with her new powers.


    And, of course¡­


    "But if you don''t want to fight the Moonreaver House, there''s always the option of sheltering under mine," I spoke in an upbeat manner. "Now that I''m a Progenitor, the Moonreaver House will have to give me some face. I may not be able to subjugate every Vampire like Drac did in the past, but I''m confident handling one Guardian House."


    "Hmph, show off¡­"


    Lilith harrumphed and leaned into my chest with a warm smile. As the new Progenitor, I had enough confidence to fight against an entire Guardian House if I had to. After all, I had experienced what the Bloodborne House had first-hand. Not to mention, I still had much to improve from that prior fight.


    I wasn''t far off from my ultimate dream¡­ To be the strongest being in existence.


    "Now that you mention it, how are you nning to establish your new House?" Lilith rubbed her face on my chest, wiping the mesmerising smile away. "You may have be a Progenitor, but the Nine Guardian Houses won''t stand by as a potential Drac 2.0 rises."


    "Not to worry about that," I shed a confident grin. "Unlike Drac, I don''t need all Vampires to serve me. The Valter House will be established as a minor House, with only a few members at its core. I won''t seek to expand or affect any of the other Houses. Rather, I''ll give them partnerships that they cannot refuse."


    "... Through force?"


    "HAHAHA, of course not!"


    There was a reason why the Bloodborne House, once the premier Vampire House and the strongest organisation on the, fell. They were far too arrogant and sought to put every living creature beneath their feet.


    While I was strong, I couldn''t take on the entire Vampire race or the entire world, for that matter. Not yet, at least. So I''ll have to find the best method of living harmoniously with my new partners.


    "I will develop a new energy source that can give infinite power to any organisation. With my powers of Creation, I''m confident of making a nuclear core that can give infinite energy that could even power entire Nightmare Realms! Plus, with my mastery over Spacetime, I can improve on the existing Warp Gates and develop new methods to bring the Vampire race to prosperity. I already have many ideas in mind. But, if all of them fail¡­"


    While I was willing topromise, I was well aware of my current position.


    I was a Progenitor. The most powerful Vampire alive. If the Nine Guardian Houses wouldn''t ept the peaceful route, then¡­


    "I''ll just beat them into submission."


    "HAHA, that sure sounds like you, Jin!" After a brief pause, Lilith burst outughing. "But if you''re going to stand against all of them, you''ll need to make sure that the people most important to you are protected. Otherwise, they''ll be able to use them against you."


    "I know that; that''s why I''ve given you four the crystals, right?"


    "I''m not talking about us," Lilith chuckled as she looked at the clock. "Hmmm, it''s about time now. They should be arriving soon."


    "They?"


    I was stumped for a moment, but I quickly realised who the blonde Goddess was referring to. My senses heightened briefly, and I scanned the entire Elven Forest. I ignored the Elves, the trees and all the inhabitants of the gigantic jungle and zoned in on the two familiar figures that shouldn''t be there.


    One was huge andnky, while the other slender and homely. They were housedfortably within the Elven Sanctuary,pletely unaware of my gaze. Yet, they were two figures I would never forget, even if it meant ripping my soul in two.


    "Mom! Dad!"

 Chapter 141 The World Moves For One Man (1)

    Word of the Bloodborne House''s copse spread far and wide after the events in the Elven Forest. The mighty Bloodborne House, the original Vampire dynasty and the once undisputed hegemon of the¡­ had fallen.


    In the quest to resurrect the first Progenitor, they invaded the Elven Forest with their entire force. They razed the Elven Sanctuary and killed hundreds of lives. They brought destruction wherever they went and dragged their disgusting ritual to the heart of the World Tree. However, all of their preparations were for nought.


    Even though they had been preparing for this moment for a thousand years, the Bloodborne House had failed their mission. Not only did they fail, but in the process of reviving Drac, they sacrificed much of their manpower and resources. They gambled their everything into that one chip, and sadly, that bet failed toe to fruition.


    In the end, the Bloodborne House was disgraced and destroyed. All of their remaining Vampires had either died in the raid or been captured to serve as the Elves'' ves. The leaders of the Bloodborne House had perished, including the mighty Consorts that once served by the First Progenitor''s feet.


    The High Elder, a Vampire that everyone considered to be one of the strongest in existence, had also lost his life in his fruitless pursuit of returning the Bloodborne House to glory.


    Though, not many mourned the loss of the once mighty Vampire House. The atrocities they''dmitted in the past had left them with little to no allies. Even those who saw value in having connections to the Bloodbornes quickly distanced themselves once they had lost all of their military and financial might.


    Everything about the Bloodborne House''s fall was both shocking and liberating.


    But that wasn''t the main story toe out of the Elven Forest.


    A new Progenitor was born. A Vampire that stood above all Vampires. A living creature that possessed the power to dominate over all living beings. And the most mighty lifeform that had ever graced this.


    And his name wasn''t a foreign one.


    Jin Valter. The man who defeated Eyghon and brought much upheaval to the modern world. Every time news about this manes about, his legend simply grows. The feats he''d aplished in a little over a year were nothing short of extraordinary, from being a young cripple who lived on death''s door to bing a great Progenitor who could ruin the world.


    Everyone wanted to know more about this enigmatic youth.


    Younger Vampires celebrated his birth, as his existence would shake the current power structure of Vampire Society. Older Vampires feared his power, as they remembered clearly how terrifying Drac was in his prime. Countries all over the globe were curious and, at the same time, cautious about this young boy who had just obtained near-infinite power.


    Was he going to be a kind and benevolent Progenitor who would work for peace in thend and fight against the Outer Demons? Or was he a brutal dictator that sought to enve the entire poption, just as Drac did?


    Everyone was curious, but none were willing to poke the ho''s nest.


    All except one¡­


    "A new Progenitor¡­ Just great¡­"


    Seated on his decadent, golden throne, the Pope of the Holy Church rubbed his forehead, adding wrinkles to his already ageing face. No, ever since the news of Jin''s ascension, the Pope had seemingly aged a decade.


    His ashen cheeks sunk in and his eyes, which used to have some semnce of colour, were now hollow. While he sat on his golden throne, his back was hunched forward, and his bodynguage was one of defeat rather than grandeur.


    "Your holiness, what are we supposed to do now?" A red-robed Cardinal shivered as he asked the vital question.


    "We werecent," the Pope replied defeatedly. "We''d thought that with the death of Drac, there would be no other Progenitors. So, we''ve been dly ignoring the Vampire race as we fought against the Outer Demons. We should have exterminated them the moment Drac passed on."


    "Toote for that now," another Cardinal weighed in with his brows furrowed. "The Vampire race has grown too strong. The Nine Guardian Houses are equal to the military might of entire countries, and they continue to grow stronger every day. Now that they have a Progenitor in the mix¡­ It''s only a matter of time before they outpower the entire human race as a whole."


    "... God help us."


    The Holy Church has always been agnostic against the Vampire race. Even under the peacetime ceasefire, neither side could get along with the other. After all, they couldn''t wipe away thousands of years of grievances just because of one peace treaty.


    The Vampires remember the crusades when they were brutally hunted by the Holy Church, and the Holy Church despises Vampires for their very existence, which is said to go against God''s construct. Not to mention, Vampires still preyed on ordinary humans for blood and to create Blood Servants that would eternally be bound to them.


    In the end, the two sides could never see eye-to-eye, and with Jin''s ascension to a Progenitor¡­


    "Father Amorth, what is your opinion? I tasked you with this boy''s exorcism, but it''s toote now."


    "Your holiness¡­"


    An intimidating figure that easily stood above two meters tall answered the wizened man''s call. Dressed in a ck cassock, the man looked far more intimidating than usual. Although none of his weapons were around, the bulky man seemed even more dangerous, with his eyes fervently looking at the Pope.


    "I''ve failed you, your holiness."


    "No, I don''t intend to me you. The boy''s sudden rise is something that none of us could expect," the Pope waved his hand, hoping to calm the massive man''s nerves. While he did task Father Angelo Amorth with Jin''s assassination, he didn''t anticipate how fast Jin would grow.


    "I asked you here because you''re the one who knows the most about this new Progenitor. I want to know if we can use anything against him."


    "With your permission¡­"


    Father Armoth bowed reverently and started his narration.


    "Jin Valter, this year he''ll be twenty-six years of age. He was born from two A-ranked Hunters. Jael and Elna Valter. At a tender age, he was shown to have tremendous gifts that he''d inherited from his parents. The martial arts of a warrior and the magical ability of a magician. As he grew older, he developed both to an extreme degree and could easily match a C-rank Hunter at a tender age."


    All of the participants in the hall nodded, some with regret in their eyes. A great seed of humanity was wasted as he converted to the Vampires'' side. If they had nurtured the boy, he could have be a great Hunter or, even better, a great Priest or Bishop.


    "However, when he was ten, the boy suffered an ident. Not much is known about the ident; all we know is that an Outer Demon attacked him. As a result, he was crippled and lost some of his memories. But even though he was crippled, a genius was still a genius. He managed to advance magical theory by a few decades with his breakthroughs. s, the injuries he''d sustained caught up with him, and he''d spent most of his time in the hospital since."


    A mysterious injury that left him a cripple. An Outer Demon attack made him lose his memories. Bit by bit, the highly intuitive members of the Church could piece together what had happened.


    "But during one night of the Blood Moon, the boy changed. He recovered all of his lost mobility and had be infinitely stronger. What''s more, he was able to manipte magic now. By the time the nurses got to him, he had already¡­"


    "Be a Vampire¡­"


    "That''s right."


    The Pope stroked his chin and painted a picture of what had happened.


    "Ever since then, he has been going from Guardian House to Guardian House. Due to how strict the surveince is with each House, we can''t ascertain what he''s been doing in each ce, but we know that he always leaves with a young Vampire girl from that House."


    "Hmmm, so he''s been collecting women?"


    "Possibly."


    The holy men, who had sworn to be abstinent, frowned deeply. What little respect they had for Jin faded away, and their faces soon turned into one of pure irritation.


    "In the end, he grew stronger than ever before and could now match ancient Vampires. From my intelligence, it seems like he was also responsible for defeating the High Elder."


    "... So, has he be unkible?"


    The numerous Cardinals started talking amongst themselves, afraid they had just obtained a foe that couldn''t be defeated. Fortunately, they had an expert who specialized in killing Vampires, no matter how powerful they may be.


    "I have a proposal," Father Armoth raised his hand and drew the crowd''s attention. "We may not be able to beat him in an open battle, but we can draw him into a trap."


    "A trap?"


    "Yes, initially, I nned on kidnapping his parents to draw him out to our territory, but it seems like they''ve caught on to his weakness. His parents have disappeared from their homes, and we have no idea where they might be."


    "A wise move on their part."


    None of the holy men present was averse to the idea of using Jin''s parents to bait him out. In their opinion, it was worth sacrificing two humans if they could kill a Progenitor.


    "So, I suggest we use the Vampires. Ones that are interested in challenging the new Progenitor."


    "Partnering with the Vampires, huh?"


    "How sacrilegious! But if it''s for the greater good¡­"


    The Pope and the Cardinals weren''t entirely on board with the idea, but they all understood if Jin was given space to grow, holding hands with some filthy Vampires would be the least of their problems.


    "But let''s say we do manage to draw the Progenitor out into our domain¡­ What then?"


    Father Armoth smiled valiantly and said with conviction:


    "I propose¡­ We summon an Archangel."

 Chapter 142 The World Moves For One Man (2)

    [Apologies, thest chapter was meant to be the start of Volume 5, but I forgot to change it. Anyway, from this chapter on, Volume 5 will begin, and we''re reaching the next major act!]


    Damien Everwinter.


    One of the three potential heirs of the Everwinter House. While the Everwinter House had multiple heirs-in-training, and all had a chance to inherit the Winter Throne, in actuality, only three factions stood a chance.


    Magnus Everwinter, the oldest and most trusted of Matriarch Innocence''s children, led the charge. He had been training since the days of Drac, and his faction was by far thergest and most influential. The vast amounts of ancient Vampires on his side were enough to topple entire nations, let alone deal with some rowdy family members who wished to challenge his authority.


    Hi Everwinter, the second most powerful female Vampire in the Everwinter House, was not too far back either. In her youth, she was heavily favoured by Matriarch Innocence, and many thought that she was groomed to inherit the ancient Vampire''s title. But her power wasn''t the only thing that added to her influence; Hi was a personable character who had gathered some of the Everwinter House''s strongest elites to serve at her feet. In many aspects, Hi was Matriarch Innocence''s true sessor, with the vast number of men who did her bidding.


    And finally, the most pitiful one of them all.


    Damien Everwinter.


    As a Vampire that was barely five hundred years old, he was considered a child or, at most, a teenager by the Everwinter House. However, even at a young age, he was talented enough to stand toe-to-toe with ancient Vampires that had been around since Drac''s time. Bulldozing through all the records, it was not an exaggeration to im that he was the most talented Vampire that the Everwinter House had ever produced.


    It''s a pity that he was born toote. If he were just born a few thousand years earlier, there would be no factions within the Everwinter House. Damien would have unified Magnus and Hi under his wing, and he would be the uncontested heir of the mighty Guardian House.


    But even with histe arrival, Damien had amassed a considerable following. Young and ambitious Vampires mostly supported Damien, with a few outcasts joining his ranks. As Damien continued to prove his worth, his faction grew bigger and bigger. In no time, the young Everwinter had be a force to be reckoned with, even though he was part of the younger generation.


    s, there was one person who had overshadowed the young prodigy¡­


    "Irina, that brat¡­ To think that she''d found a Progenitor to back her¡­"


    Deep within the Everwinter Estate, an emergency meeting was called by Damien''s council. The council consisted of a plethora of Damien''s most trusted aides. From Vampires that grew up with him to wizened advisors who held Elder positions within the n. They had all joined Damien''s faction with thoughts of achieving greatness and possibly influencing the entire Everwinter House in the future. However, that future was currently in huge jeopardy.


    "We should have killed him when we had the chance!"


    "It''s toote for regrets now; we need to figure out how we can salvage this situation."


    "Salvage what?"


    "Irina has shown hostility to our faction before," one of the advisors reminded the rest. "During the Winter Hunt, we purposely targeted Jin Valter, the new Progenitor. Also, we attempted to use her biological brother Trent to negotiate an arranged marriage with Lord Damien. Amongst the three factions, Irina must hate ours the most."


    "Still¡­ We''re all part of the Everwinter House. She can do nothing to us without the Matriarch''s permission."


    "Do you think the Matriarch would risk fighting a Progenitor just for one faction in her house?"


    "..."


    At this point, all of the voices in the room were silent. They looked at their leader and his silent figure. They then looked down at his missing arm, and their faces soon lost all their colours. Yes, how could they forget the ruthlessness of the Matriarch? To teach Damien a lesson, she had severed one of his arms and sealed it away for fifty years.


    All because Damien''s subordinates attempted to harm Irina.


    It wasn''t a secret that Matriarch Everwinter favoured Irina. After all, Irina possessed the same Winter Sovereign Aspect as her, and if given a chance to grow, she would indisputably take her ce as the strongest female Vampire in the world.


    So from a tender age, Irina had been isted from the Everwinter House, immune to the politics and schemings that the factional wars often drag Vampires into. Now that she had a Progenitor by her side, Irina''s position in the Everwinter House would likely skyrocket past everyone else.


    Hell, it wouldn''t even be strange if the Matriarch announced Irina as her heir tomorrow.


    After all, who would want to cross a Progenitor?


    "Lord Damien¡­ What should we do?"


    A soft plea of fear and uncertainty came out from one of the advisor''s mouths. If their opponents were Magnus or Hi, they would have shownplete confidence and overwhelming determination. Even if they were going to fall, they would do so with pride and honour.


    However, a Progenitor was on a whole other level.


    They may be young, but they''ve heard the horrendous stories of Drac and the reign of terror he presided over. They knew how different a Progenitor was from a regr Vampire, and they feared the judgement woulde their way.


    If Jin wished to eradicate Damien''s faction¡­ He didn''t even need to lift a finger. Everyone who wanted to be in the good graces of the new Progenitor would happily take them out for him.


    And Matriarch Innocence was no exception.


    "How regrettable¡­"


    Damien, who had been silent until now, finally opened his mouth with a groan. Donned in luxurious fabrics, the ostentatious man scratched the bottom of his chin while throwing his head back over his chair. Damien''s silence sent shivers down his council''s spine, and his icy demeanour even made the Elders amongst the ranks feel nervous.


    "We''re past reconciliation with Irina and the new Progenitor," Damien''s following words brought a frenzy to the round table.


    "Lord Damien! We should at least attempt negotiations! Perhaps, we can¡­"


    "If we concede anymore¡­ Our faction is done."


    "T-That¡­"


    The advisor bit his lip and looked away. Everyone on the council knew how precarious Damien''s position was. Not only were they the youngest and weakest faction, but they were also punished by the Matriarch over the farce of the Winter Hunt. Damien had fallen from grace, and the sessor race was slipping away from his grasp like melting snow.


    No, with the appearance of Irina, the next heir was basically set in stone. Favoured by Matriarch Innocence. Allied with three other Guardian Houses. And most terrifyingly¡­ She was the future wife of the new Progenitor.


    There was no one Matriarch Innocence would rather appoint to the Winter Throne than Irina. Whether she wanted the seat was irrelevant. Even if she didn''t ept the role, everyone in the Everwinter House would be subject to her rule. If she wanted the Everwinter House to go South, they had toply. If she wanted the Everwinter House to serve Jin, they had toply. If¡­ She wanted to kill Damien and the faction that bothered her¡­


    They had toply.


    Such was the fate of the weak. s, Damien didn''t think of himself as weak. No, he was meant to be a sovereign who reigned over the North and controlled the most ancient Vampire house.


    That was not a fate he was willing to sumb to.


    "We have to eliminate them¡­ Irina and the new Progenitor."


    "Eliminate them?! How on earth would you do that?!" One of the advisors mmed his palms on the table and shouted. "Ignoring the Matriarch''s resistance, how are we supposed to kill a Progenitor?!" The ancient Vampire looked at Damien as if he had seen a fool.


    "You''re too young to understand, but a Progenitor is on a whole other level than us. In his day, Drac was the strongest existence known in history! And in due time, this new Progenitor will grow¡­"


    "You said it, didn''t you?" Damien smiled and repeated his advisor''s words. "In due time¡­ He''s not strong yet. Yes, he may be a Progenitor, but he''d just be a Vampire one year ago. If we give him time to grow, he''ll be stronger than any of us can imagine, but right now¡­ He''s still a newborn."


    Damien was working off the knowledge he had. He didn''t know the full extent of Jin''s abilities nor how the High Elder of the Bloodborne House died. However, using Drac''s past power as a gauge, the man thought he could roughly estimate Jin''s current power levels.


    "We have to strike him while he''s still immature. If we give him a chance to grow, we''ll sit ducks waiting to enter our premature graves."


    "However, even if we want to strike, we can''t get to where he is." One of Damien''s most loyal supporters remarked. "Ever since the Bloodborne invasion, he''s been holed inside the Elven Forest. We can''t get to him there."


    "We can lure him out," Damien suggested. "We just need to make up an excuse to summon Irina back. Perhaps the Matriarch is already attempting to do just that. And once she returns, we can force him toe to us."


    "Damien, you¡­"


    One of his advisors, mainly on the neutral side, couldn''t believe his ears. The man was actually trying to bring Jin out of hiding using Irina as bait.


    "Even if we managed to do so, how are we going to kill a Progenitor with our power? Let me tell you this; even a newborn Progenitor is infinitely stronger than all of usbined. If we start a fight with him, you don''t have to wait for the Matriarch to send us to an early grave."


    "Don''t worry about that¡­ We will have ample firepower."


    Damien smiled sinisterly as his fingers interlocked under his chin.


    "If Vampires can''t kill a Progenitor¡­ What about an Archangel?"

 Chapter 143 The World Moves For One Man (3)

    The Demon Realm.


    A few months had passed since Eyghon''s passing, and not a peaceful day had gone by within the homeworld of the Outer Demons. In the long dimensional war between Earth and the Demon Realm, there has never been such a major turn of the tides.


    Eyghon may have been artificial, but it was a Demon Lord through and through. It was a war machine, a nuclear bomb, an annihtion device, and most importantly¡­ It was one of the Demon Realm''s trump cards.


    Losing Eyghon had turned the war on its head, and the Outer Demons knew they had to strike back. Using the authority of the Demon Sovereign, the Goddess of Fate, Uriel, had summoned the remaining Demon Lords and ordered them to gather their troops. A military overhaul on theary scale soonmenced as every able-bodied Outer Demon was rounded up and forced to join the invading army.


    Soon, billions of Outer Demons had been gathered, trained and enhanced by the Demon Lords thatmanded them.


    Cthulhu, the Matron of the Seas, easily brought together an army of a billion sea creatures. The oceans roared as depraved deformities arose, most of them bearing some semnce to the octopus menace that struck fear into any who dared to gaze at its form.


    Baishe, the Serpent of the Skies, wasn''t going to fall too far from his brethren. The gigantic sky wyrm roared across the heavens and gathered its entire army within the few weeks it was given. Just like Cthulhu, the Demon Lord had amassed an army close to a billion strong, most of which were monsters that dominated the sky.


    These two Demon Lords alone were dangerous enough to bring chaos to the mortal world, yet¡­ They only summoned Demons from the Oceans and the Skies.


    Eyghon, who was meant tomand the Demons of the Land, had perished, so there was a void in themand. Well, there was a void until the second-ranked Demon Lord herself stepped in.


    Uriel, the Goddess of Fate, charmed the remnants of Eyghon''s army and brought together a military force the world had never seen before. Two billion strong. An Outer Demon invasion of this size would overrun every Hunter, Vampire, Werewolf, Elf or Oceanid in the known world, regardless of their power levels.


    Altogether, the Outer Demons had amassed an astonishing four billion troops, unheard of in the modern world. But make no mistake, it wasn''t a coincidence that the Outer Demons could gather so much manpower.


    The Demon Sovereign, alongside his most trusted advisor, Uriel, had been preparing for this day for thousands of years. They had carefully bred the best gics, unified the entire, and strengthened their forces through centuries of advanced training¡­


    All for the day, they would eliminate ''him'' and liberate their people from their eventual fate.


    Standing alone on the peak where the Demon Sovereign''s throne stood, Uriel folded her arms behind her back as she looked down at her entire army. Four billion Outer Demons¡­ If only they could transfer all of them through the dimensional walls at once. They could scoop out the man they sought to eliminate and end the war immediately.


    s, Fate was a cruel thing.


    Uriel''s ''eyes'' could only see fragments of the future, and most of it had been obscured to her. Even now, as she attempted to divine her own destiny, Fate itself was being shrouded by a dark mist that she couldn''t see past.


    As the Goddess of Fate, that has never happened to her before. Over the past centuries, she could see some semnce of what her future would be like. In fact, the only reason why the Demon Sovereign could unify the and expedite his military cause was due to Uriel''s unique ability.


    Yet¡­ Her own future was now clouded.


    An endless long night, a mist that never seemed to dissipate blocked all of her divination powers. Even when she attempted tomune with Fate, she could only see a nk sheet of paper.


    There was only one reason for this phenomenon¡­


    ''He'' was blocking her ''eyes'' from seeing Fate.


    ''He'' was involved in her future.


    ''He'' was¡­ bing stronger.


    "Goddess, we are prepared."


    Uriel looked back at the ocean that spread out for thousands of miles and right up at the monstrosity that addressed her. With its disgusting tentacles and huge, mesmerising eyes, Cthulhu stared right at Uriel with a reverent face. Behind the Demon Lord were a hundred thousand Demons, each one seemingly stronger than the next. Some measured over a hundred metres in length, while others were slightly smaller.


    Yet, all of them possessed an aura that couldn''t be disputed. An aura of pure strength and dominance.


    "My army is yours."


    Uriel then looked up at the sky, where a flying silver great Dragon had flown in with yet another hundred thousand elite Demons. All of them were fierce and battle-hardened, with many seemingly as powerful as A-rank Hunters. Their manoeuvrability in the skies exceeded that of fighter jets, and their physical strength could overpower most tanks.


    It was, by far, the greatest aerial force the world had ever seen.


    "Thank you, Cthulhu¡­ Baishe¡­ I apologise for making you choose only a hundred thousand Demons. I know that it couldn''t have been an easy task."


    "It really wasn''t," Cthulhu replied with its tentacles iling about. "Choosing a hundred thousand from a billion isn''t an easy feat. Especially since all of my troops are bloodthirsty enough to kill for that spot."


    "I agree," Baishe shook its whiskers as well. "However, now that we have gotten the best our has to offer, we are certain to eliminate the humans this time."


    "No, Baishe¡­ Remember your mission." Uriel chided the flying serpent with a harsh voice. "Our goal isn''t extermination, but reconnaissance. Your only mission is to create enough mayhem so that ''he'' will appear. Once you find ''him,'' contact me immediately."


    "I understand," the great Wyrm nodded its head. "However¡­ You don''t care if I annihte the humans in the process, right?"


    "... Do as you please."


    Uriel didn''t decline the horrendous request of the Demon Lord. She knew Baishe still held a grudge from thest time it was forced to retreat. And in all honesty, the Goddess of Fate didn''t care if the humans perished. All she wished to do was to fish ''him'' out so that she could eliminate their future threat.


    "Let''s go over the n onest time." Nheless, Uriel continued her briefing with the other two Demon Lords.


    "Since we know that ''he'' has been born, we''ll have no need for the Gates anymore. I''ll cause an overflow in them and send a few million through to start the chaos."


    "... You''re seeking to destroy the Gates we worked so hard to establish?" Baishe let out a stunned gasp with his draconic mouth.


    Throughout the years, the Goddess of Fate has always maintained the integrity of the Gates. She would be exceedingly careful when choosing where and when to create one, and she would strictly regte the number of Outer Demons that would pass through them. This was to ensure that the Gates would never copse due to an overflow and that there would be a constant link between the twos.


    In fact, there were many times in the past when Uriel herself would chastise the two Demon Lords for using the Gates too much, essentially weakening the bonds between the two realms.


    So for her to voluntarily cause an overflow herself¡­ It came as a shock to both Demon Lords.


    "We''re headed towards the final battle," Uriel said determinedly. "There''s no need for us to hold back anymore."


    "Hehe, that''s music to my ears." Cthulhu eerily chuckled, which sent waves crashing all over the massive oceans.


    "I''llmand Eyghon''s troops to create as much chaos as possible. At the same time, they will conduct surveince and scan the possible ces that ''he'' might be. The overflow willst for a week or two at most. Once they''re done, and humanity is weakened¡­ I will send the two of you in."


    Baishe hissed loudly, sending the clouds over its head flying in different directions. "So when we enter the Gates¡­ We''re supposed to find and kill ''him''?"


    "That''s right¡­ However, I won''t be opening any new Gates for the two of you. Only the biggest existing Gates can manage your troops'' power and size. So, you''ll be entering using the same Gates you''ve always been using¡­"


    "Hahaha, I see." Cthulhu smiled beneath his disgusting-looking tentacles and said: "So that means I get to see that wretched Vampire bitch again!"


    "And I get to have revenge on those assholes who injured my body!" Baishe hissed louder, its eyes glistening with a predatory glint.


    "Do as you wish, but always remember the main purpose of this invasion." Uriel eyed the two Demon Lords one final time and repeated her final order.


    "You have one purpose and one purpose only¡­ Find and kill ''him'' before ''he'' kills us."


    ???


    Uriel watched the two Demon Lords leave through the skies and oceans after her briefing was over with a forlorn expression. Even though she had repeated her orders multiple times, there was no telling if Cthulhu and Baishe would really follow them.


    Unlike the Demon Sovereign and Eyghon, Uriel had no control over what those two Demon Lords did. After all, they were ancient creatures, Demons that had lived far longer than herself. Before the Demon Sovereign unified the, those two ancient beings battled it out for thousands of years, each vying for supremacy over the other.


    Therefore, while they respect the Demon Sovereign and his right-hand advisor, Uriel, they have their own pride and thoughts. Uriel had been warning them about the threat ''he'' posed, but whether they fully believed her was another matter altogether.


    After all, unlike the Goddess of Fate, they didn''t have precognitive abilities. They couldn''t see what their fates would be if they allowed that man to live.


    s, they were Uriel''s only pawns right now. Eyghon had perished, and the Demon Sovereign was still busy with his matters. If Uriel wanted any hope of seeding, she had no choice but to trust those two ticking time bombs.


    "Goddess, are you sure I shouldn''t participate in this battle?"


    While Uriel was contemting her next move, a blob of dark mass emerged from the shadows. It manifested into a cloaked figure, with its true nature and gender sinisterly hidden. Uriel took one nce at the mysterious Demon before shaking her head:


    "No, Thanatos, your Fate doesn''t lead you to this battle."


    "... Still, I don''t trust them to finish the job. I''m far stronger than both of them."


    "Yes, you are." Uriel didn''t deny the figure''s words. "Which is why I''ve kept you hidden. Hidden from the humans and Fate itself. You''re our trump card against ''him'', and should the two beasts fail¡­ That''s when you step in."


    "... Just out of curiosity, Goddess. Have you read my Fate? Do you think ''he'' is powerful enough to defeat me?"


    "Don''t be arrogant, Thanatos!" The Goddess of Fate yelled out. "You''re powerful, but never underestimate ''him''. If the two of you fight, there can only be one oue. His death¡­ or yours."


    "His death or mine, huh?" The ck hooded figure didn''t show his expression, but Uriel could feel a tinge of amusement in his voice. In the end, a bemused voice came out from the darkened hood.


    "That''s funny¡­ Goddess, have you forgotten what I am?"


    "Thanatos¡­"


    "I am¡­ death."

 Chapter 144 Members Of The Valter House (1)

    As I entered the Elven Sanctuary undergoing massive reconstructions, I bolted straight towards the familiar life signatures I''d known all my life. It has been over a year since I''dst seen them, and while we usually kept in touch using text messages and calls¡­ It would be the first time we would be meeting face-to-face.


    Most of the Elves recognised who I was, and they didn''t dare to stop my advances. I charged straight towards the outer reaches of the Elven Sanctuary and opened the rustic wooden door that barred my path. And sure enough¡­


    "Jin!!!"


    That nostalgic voice entered my ears, dousing my excitement almost instantaneously. The familiar warm smile, those sentimental crystal eyes, and¡­ The homely scent. There was no questioning who this woman was.


    "Mom!!!"


    I ran over and brought the middle-aged woman into my firm embrace. Although my mother hadn''t changed much during the past year, I sure have. My body was standing at a heaping 1.99 metres, and my bulging muscles were enough to suffocate a regr human being. Fortunately, my mom wasn''t some random weakling. She leaned into my hug and wrapped her arms around my waist, seemingly unwilling to let me go.


    "Mom, I missed you!"


    "I missed you too, darling." My mom''s sweet voiceforted my pounding chest as she separated herself from my bulky build. "Look at you, all big and healthy! Look at him, Jael! He''s grown to look so much like you!"


    "Mmmm, you''ve grown up."


    My father''s unperturbed voice sounded out from the corner. Standing over two metres tall, my father was clearly the bigger man. Yet, the man couldn''t help but breathe out in wonder. And who could me him?


    All of Dad''s memories of me were from when I was frail and defenceless. Heck, just a year back, I needed his help to go to the bathroom. My growth into the indomitable Vampire I was, came as both a shock and a pleasant surprise to him.


    "Didn''t you see me back at the Everwinter Estate? I haven''t grown since then."


    "Yes, you haven''t grown, but¡­ The aura around you seems to have matured." My father exined his rationale with a mixture of a frown and grimace.


    "Has it? Well, I''ve been through a lot."


    "Yeah¡­ We heard¡­" Mom touched my face as if examining whether I was eating enough. "I was briefed on the way here¡­ You''ve really made a name for yourself. Even our past exploits as A-ranked Hunters can''tpare to your year of hardships."


    "Haha, I did my best."


    I circled my fingers around Mom''s wrist and ced it by my side. Leading them deeper into their apartment, I gestured for them to take a seat while I poured them some Elven tea by the bedside.


    "I''m sure you guys must have been bothered by all the trouble I caused."


    "Not at all!" My mother''s eyes lit up as she clenched her fists in front of her. "Do you know how proud we were when we heard you defeated Eyghon all on your own?! I couldn''t believe it at first, but then the Hunter headquarters called, the country''s Prime Minister called, and we''d even got visitors from the other races! We had no choice but to believe it then!"


    "... Did they cause any trouble for you?"


    I doubt that those bastards were only there for a friendly chat. Ever since I''d reached this status, I knew that my parents would be dragged into my matters. Which was why I''d always nned to bring them by my side once I''ve reunited with the four girls and settled my affairs with the Vampires. s, fate had been dragging me along, and I barely had the opportunity to text them about the dangersing to them.


    Fortunately, my parents weren''t mere pushovers¡­


    "Hahaha, look at you! Worrying about us now!" My momughed heartily. "Don''t worry about us! Although we''ve been out of action for the past decade, we''re still bonafide A-Ranked Hunters!"


    My mother flexed her arms, exposing her somewhat lean biceps. Watching her exaggerated reaction, I couldn''t help but chuckle. Goodness¡­ What the hell was this woman thinking? A mage like her has no business showing her chicken arms.


    "Besides, we weren''t leftpletely unprotected." My father interrupted with a wry smile. "Some Vampires from the ckburn House have been giving us protection. Apparently, they said you''re their son-inw, so we''re by extension, family."


    "The ckburns did that?"


    Come to think of it¡­ Ysabelle''s father, Enzo ckburn, did mention something along those lines. During numerous conversations after I''ve killed Eyghon, General Enzo casually insinuated that my parents would need protection. Still, I didn''t expect him to order the ckburn House to do so directly.


    I have to thank the man the next time I see him.


    "Yes, I''ve been meaning to ask you about that, Jin¡­"


    My mother, who had been cheery and upbeat moments prior, suddenly became sombre. Her eyes were gazing at me like a predator, with numerous strands of her ck hair floating around. And with a grim voice, she muttered:


    "Are you cheating on Irina, Jin?"


    "... What?"


    "Are you cheating on Irina???" My mom repeated her question, this time with far more vigour.


    "First, the ckburn family shows up and says you''re their son-inw! Then, the Moonreaver House ims that you''re in a rtionship with their heiress and treats us like royalty! And when we enter the Elven Forest, the Elves wee us by iming you''re the partner of their esteemed forest maiden! I didn''t raise you to be a cheater, Jin!"


    "Ermmm, mom¡­"


    "Just because you''ve grown a bit doesn''t mean you can have rtionships with multiple women! You were just like your father when he was young! Before we met, he went from woman to woman like a man whore and¡­"


    "Elna!"


    Dad and I took a few minutes to calm Mom''s seething rage. And in the process, I''d learnt a little bit of my father''s old history. Something about him going for any woman that threw himself at him and even maintaining multiple rtionships at a time¡­


    Hmmm, perhaps I could consult him about Master Issei''s books? But that''s not important now.


    "Mom, let me exin! I''m not a womaniser! We just had¡­ certain circumstances."


    "Tell me!"


    After cooling her rage, I began narrating everything, the story of my four lovers and me. From the early days when we''d met at my family home. To the reason why the Outer Demon attacked me, causing me to lose my memories. To how the four girls split their souls to save mine. Even though I''d forgotten about them, they never once gave up on me and continuously monitored my every movement.


    Then, I narrated my travels through the Vampire realm. From the fight against Sirius in the Moonreaver Dimension to the Bloodborne House''s invasion to the battle against Eyghon and finally, the moment I ascended into a Progenitor.


    When they realised I''d be a higher being, the look on their faces was an expression to remember. However, that wasn''t the point of my exnation. I focused primarily on the four girls who had shaped my life and the girls with whom I would spend the rest of my existence.


    Everything about the rtionship between the four girls and me wasid bare for my parents to hear. I''d also exined that I loved them all and could never bear to separate from any of them. Not to mention, I will cherish and protect them just as I would a true wife. No, I would go even further than that. After all, they were my everything. I wouldn''t give them up for anything.


    My parents listened earnestly, particrly my mother, and they remained gobsmacked by the revtions. Taking a few moments to collect herself, my mother gulped before saying:


    "That''s a lot to take in¡­" My mom grabbed her head and groaned. "I see¡­ I never knew that there was such a story¡­ I''d always thought that a stray Outer Demon attacked you. Never would I have guessed¡­"


    "No wonder Irina insists on calling you Brother¡­ You were truly her Brother for those few months¡­" Dad sighed heavily before grabbing my shoulders. "Jin, I''m sorry. We shouldn''t have left you alone while we went on missions. Otherwise, we might have been able to prevent this whole debacle."


    "What are you saying, Dad? You''re not to me!" Iughed and expressed my sincerest thoughts.


    "If you guys didn''t leave, I doubt that I would have met those four girls who have be the loves of my life! In fact, looking back, your leaving was much more of a blessing than a curse!"


    "You little brat¡­"


    My father let out a rareugh as he looked back at my mother: "Elna, you should excuse him. Those girls seem to really love him. Is he supposed to choose one out of the four? When they''ve done so much for him already? How can he make it up to the other three, then?"


    "T-This¡­" My mom expressed her hesitance with a distinctive frown, but it was quickly washed away by a dismissive pout. "As a woman, I don''t like how my son is dating four girls at once¡­ But fine! I''ll allow it this once! However, if you take in any more women¡­"


    "Cross my heart, I would never!" I dered right then and there.


    Take in another girl? I wasn''t suicidal! Just managing four of them was hard enough! In fact, it was a miracle that they hadn''t ripped each other''s throats out yet.


    "Good!"


    My mom folded her arms and scoffed. It went against her heart''s decision, but she could only endure it since I was her only son. Fortunately for me, my Dad''s got my back.


    "Thanks, Dad."


    "No worries," he smiled and tapped my shoulders. "But remember, Jin. Women can be a handful. Keeping your mom happy is far more difficult than killing Outer Demons. And you have four of them. It''s going to be a colossal task ahead of you."


    "H-Haha, I know¡­"


    There was no need to imagine the future. Even just recently, Irina was ready to fight to the death with Rosa and briefly before that, Lilith and Irina attempted to stop me from meeting Ysabelle. And even before that, when Lilith and Irina met, the two entered into a battle that could destroy dimensions.


    Should I make any of them unhappy¡­ Well, my mother''s wrath would be the least of my concerns.


    "Putting that aside for now! Mom, Dad! I have something to ask you."


    "Hmmm? What is it, son?"


    I abruptly changed the subject and drew both my parents'' attention. While I did want to move away from my love life, the subsequent topic was the main reason I came to meet them anyway.


    "Mom¡­ Dad¡­ I know I''ve made this offer to you in the past, but I''ll ask you again¡­ Would you two be Vampires?"


    "Vampires? Us?"


    "Yes," I repeated decisively. "Now that I have be a Progenitor, I can easily convert the two of you into True Vampires. You won''t be Blood Servants, and neither would I lose a part of my soul in the ritual. All you need to do is give your consent, and I can make you into Vampires right now."


    "Jin, that¡­"


    "Dad, I know that you guys are strong. But the people that want to use you against me are far stronger." I said grimly.


    Being a vampire who couldmunicate with any nt in the world, Rosa told me all about the Holy Church''s n to assassinate me. Not only that, there were numerous countries, Vampires, Werewolves, and other mysterious organisations that would want to seek leverage against me.


    And unfortunately, my parents were my weakest link.


    My four lovely beauties could defend themselves with their immense power and influential families protecting their backs. My parents, on the other hand, were just mere A-Ranked Hunters. Yes, they might be strong against Outer Demons, but against entire organisations and a monolith existence such as the Holy Church?


    They needed reinforcements.


    "Bing a Vampire, huh? That''s a hard thing to ask." Mom let out a dry cough, unable to fathom a life where one feasted on blood and lived eternally.


    "Jin, I appreciate your kindness, but everything is too sudden for us. We feel like we''ve been bombarded with information." The cooler head of my parents, Dad, calmly exined his thoughts. "We''re still trying toprehend how you managed to get four girls and be a Progenitor! We''ll need time to digest it all."


    "Yes, I know that it''s sudden¡­"


    Yeah, I can''t me them for being hesitant. It was a life-altering decision, after all. I couldn''t convert them just for my selfish desire to protect them.


    "I know you have your reservations, and I will respect your decisions. But in the meantime, you''ll have to stay with me. It''s too dangerous to lurk outside now."


    "I see¡­"


    "..."


    "Mom?"


    My mother, who had been quiet ever since finally freed herself from deep contemtion and eximed:


    "Okay, let me meet my daughters-inw first! Then I''ll decide!"


    "M-Mom?!"


    What did that have to do with anything?! I was utterly bbergasted, but my Mom didn''t care about me or my concerns. Instead, she ran out the door, searching for Irina and the rest.


    Goodness¡­ Looks like there''ll be more drama this early morning.

 Chapter 145 Members Of The Valter House (2)

    My mother hurried along towards Rosa''s private residence with a face filled with anticipation like a kid on Christmas morning. Perhaps she was bored over the past year without me, but she seemed keen on meeting the four girls who had shaped my life for the better.


    Although I didn''t really want them to meet right away, I had no ns to curb my mother''s enthusiasm. Though, I hoped that the girls had fully woken up by now. If my mom were to see the aftermath of yesterday''s lust-filled night¡­


    Yeah, I should send a message to the girls before we reach.


    Fortunately, I didn''t have to¡­


    "Esteemed mother! Esteemed father! Wee to the Elven Forest!"


    A breathtaking golden-haired Goddess stood in front of the verdant abode and weed my parents with a smile. Dressed in traditional Elven garb, the girl was literally the embodiment of the Goddess of Purity. She smiled ever so radiantly as she approached my parents and performed a regal bow.


    "You haven''t met me yet. My name is Lilith Moonreaver; I was the one who catered your flight and travel here."


    "Moonreaver¡­ Yes, I''ve heard of that name before!" My mom pped her hands with an ''Ah-ha'' expression. "Your men helped us greatly when we were harassed by the government."


    "Hold on a second; the government harassed you?"


    Hearing the news, I instantly raised my eyebrows and questioned my mother. However, being the carefree woman she was, Mom waved her hand, showing herck of interest in the matter.


    "Don''t worry; nothing happened," my father reassured me. "We were just questioned by the government about you. They seemed highly interested in finding out about your heritage and history. As Hunters tied to them, we had no choice but to answer their summons. But we didn''t want to say anything that mightpromise your situation."


    "Yeah, and if it wasn''t for the Moonreavers, we might have been forced to say things we didn''t want to," Mom added her two cents, which clearly showed her frustration with the matter.


    "So you''re the girl behind the Moonreavers! Oh my, you''re such a beauty!"


    "Thank you, esteemed Mother."


    "Please, just call me Elna!" My mom gestured to Lilith to drop the honorifics. "Calling me esteemed mother this, esteemed mother that¡­ It makes me feel like I''m in mediaeval times!"


    "I-Is that so?"


    Lilith''s soothing voice soon turned flustered, as if she wasn''t used to this situation. No, as a high-born nobledy, there was no way that Lilith would be used to my mother''s antics. However, the girl was determined to make a good impression on my mother; thus, she altered her speech as easily as a chameleon changed its colour.


    "T-Then, Elna. Nice to meet you. You can call me Lilith! I''m Jin''s Bloodmate."


    "Bloodmate?"


    "Ah, in human terms, that means I''m his wife. No¡­"


    Lilith''s soft gaze turned feverish as she eyed me down like a predator of the night. Looking at her seductive smile reminded me of the night prior when I pounded her into oblivion and brought forth endless waves of pleasure that couldn''t be replicated before my parents. And with her most subus-like smile, Lilith added:


    "We''re closer than spouses can ever be. Jin is my one and only¡­ My soulmate¡­ My¡­ Mine¡­"


    "... Is that so?"


    My mom nced over her shoulders and shot me a derisive scoff. Evidently, she wasn''t thrilled by the fact that I had four girls in my harem. Not to mention a delightful girl like Lilith.


    "Let''s not talk about that then. Let''s talk about you! How is your skin so wless? I''ve never seen a beauty like you." Mom changed the subject, thinking she could evade questioning my love life. s¡­


    "T-That¡­ If you really must know¡­"


    A little flustered, Lilith looked at me with a suggestive gaze. Wait a minute¡­ You can''t mean you''ll tell her about that, right? Look at me, Lilith! Don''t go blushing like a fourteen-year-old girl! Don''t say it!


    "Jin¡­ made me this way. His love at night is¡­"


    "OKAY!!! I don''t need to hear that!"


    Mom instantly shut the blonde Goddess'' mouth and attempted to wash the stain from her memory. Fortunately for her, there were some distractions that could put her mind off those suggestive words. In fact, there were three of them.


    "Irina! It''s been a long time! How have you been?"


    "Mother! It''s been a while!" Irina instantly beamed up and gave my mom a big bear hug.


    "Hehe, you''ve grown prettier!" Mom gently pulled Irina''s white hair to one side and carefully examined her Goddess-like features. After I''d imnted the jewels and my essence in the four girls, their beauty had transcended that of ordinary mortals and Vampires. It wouldn''t be a stretch to call them the four most beautiful women on the.


    s, my mom didn''t know that. All she saw was a young beauty corrupted by the fangs of her womanising son.


    "Truly, my stupid son doesn''t deserve you!"


    "Don''t say that! Brother is the best!"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Hah¡­ I''ve always wanted my son to find someone who could love and cherish him¡­ Who would have guessed that he''ll find four?"


    The concept of monogamy was still hard-wired into my mom''s brain, and she couldn''tprehend how the four girls were willing to live in a harem. No, it wasn''t like they were particrly thrilled about it, either. After all, Irina¡­


    "That''s right, Mother! You just need me as your daughter! The rest of them are redundant!"


    "!!!"


    Lilith, Ysabelle and Rosa instantly twitched their ears and sent the white-haired imp a death re. They knew that they trailed behind when it came to interacting with the inws, so they attempted to put on their best behaviour. However, Irina''s sudden jab forced them to break character for a few moments.


    "Oh dear, your possessiveness over Jin is still clear as day."


    Fortunately, my mother thought of it as a joke and brushed off Irina''sments, unaware she was dead serious. Moving over, she gestured to the other two girls who had yet to introduce themselves and asked:


    "And you two must be Ysabelle and Rosalyn."


    "Y-Yes, Mother!" Ysabelle stuttered as she said: "N-Nice to m-meet you! I-I''ve always been in J-Jin''s care. I-It''s an h-h-honour to meet the woman who raised h-him!"


    "Oh, you don''t have to be so tense!" My mom grabbed Ysabelle''s wrist and attempted to console her. "And what''s with this honour thing? I''m just a regr mom meeting my son''s girlfriends. You girls don''t have to be so uptight!"


    "R-Right!"


    It was quite a sight, watching a 1.85 metre-tall Amazonian Goddess tremble at the presence of my petite mother. However, that was one of the reasons I loved Ysabelle. She might look intimidating on the outside, but in truth, her soul was far gentler than anyone in existence.


    "And you must be Rosa! Jin told me about you¡­"


    Mom turned to thest girl around, and a warm smile crept up her face. Before arriving, I gave my parents a short introduction and description of the girls and their situations. Hiding the fact that she kidnapped me, I told my mom about Rosa''s tragic past. How she was subjected to experimentation and never had a true family. Also, due to how overwhelmed Rosa''s mind constantly was, she couldn''tmunicate efficiently.


    Which was why¡­


    "You''ve been through a lot¡­"


    Mom grabbed Rosa by the shoulders and pulled her into her embrace. The sudden action stunned all the observers and Rosa especially. She was probably not used to familial contact on this level, and Rosa froze up, not knowing what to do.


    "... Mother?"


    "Yes, you can call me that." My mom held back her sad face as she whispered into Rosa''s ears. "We''ll be your family from now on."


    "... Okay."


    My mom''s warm reception came as a massive surprise to the other girls present. They''d probably thought that my mom would reproach the young maiden for kidnapping and imprisoning me in her house, but the opposite came true. Then, a sense of panic overcame the three remaining girls.


    "E-Elna, can I call you mom as well?" Lilith instantly went into damage control and attempted to sway Mom in her favour.


    "Of course! Just don''t go putting honorifics in every sentence," Mom chuckled. I''ve always wanted to have a daughter! Now, I have four of them!"


    "F-Four daughters¡­" Ysabelle repeated Mom''s words as a smile crept up her face.


    "Now, although Jin has told me bits and pieces about you girls, I want to hear it straight from the source. Come, let''s have a nice warm family gathering. Jael! You take Jin and walk around! I want to have some private time with my daughters."


    "Okay¡­"


    Dad could not stop Mom''s hyper nature, and we could only watch as the middle-aged woman brought my four lovers into the house. I was surprised at how quickly my mom adapted to the whole situation, but that''s to be expected. She was the social butterfly of our family, after all.


    "Jin¡­ So those are your four lovers?"


    "Yes? What about them?"


    "No, nothing¡­ Just¡­"


    My father tapped on my shoulders and shot me a proud look. Possibly one of envy as well, as he imed:


    "My son¡­ You did well."


    "..."


    Turning away, my father hid his face and wandered into the forest.


    Good lord¡­ Why is my family so entric?

 Chapter 146 Members Of The Valter House (3)

    As much as I was curious as to what my mother might spew out to the girls while I wasn''t around, I was not insensitive enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. To kill some time, I followed my father deep into the woonds to a ce where the sky was reflected on the earth by a sereneke, a ce that was quiet and peaceful.


    Dad looked back at me and gestured for me to sit by his side. And as I nestled down on a nearby rock, I first noticed the size difference between us.


    When I was crippled and frail, Dad always seemed like a giant. From my weak perspective, his bulging muscles and indomitable figure were akin to a bear. Yet, as I sat by his side, I didn''t feel the same suppressing pressure as I usually did.


    One reason for this change was my growth in size. When I was crippled, my growth was heavily stunted, and I couldn''t reach my maximum potential. However, now that I had turned into a Vampire and a Progenitor no less, I could now measure up to my bear-like father.


    That change made me chuckle a little inside.


    Come to think of it¡­ When was thest time Dad and I had a proper conversation? Mom has always been the one leading the rtionship, and she was always the one making the decisions for the family. While Dad had some say, he would always fade into the background and did everything in his power to keep the family happy.


    Even if it meant¡­ sacrificing his own happiness.


    "Dad, what are your thoughts?"


    "My thoughts? About what?"


    "Everything¡­"


    I knew that all of the news was sudden, and my parents had to take some time to digest it all. But I really wanted to know! How do they feel about me regaining my powers? How do they feel about me turning into a Vampire? How do they feel about being dragged into my issues just because they share the same blood? How do they feel about joining my Vampire House and bing immortal beings of the night?


    I wanted to know¡­


    "Hmmm, it''s a hard thing to ask." My father gazed into the distance and let out a bitter smile. "You know¡­ I''ve always felt sorry for you, Jin."


    "Sorry for me?"


    "Yes," the bulky man seemed so feeble at this moment. "We weren''t really nning on having you, Jin. Our careers as Hunters took too much time off our schedules, and we didn''t think having a child would be the wisest decision. So, when I first heard that your mother was pregnant¡­ I didn''t know what to feel."


    "I was an ident?"


    "You could say that."


    Oh? Now, this was news to me.


    "Due to our busy and risky careers, we didn''t know if bringing a child into our lives at that moment was smart. However, we didn''t want to waste the gift that was given to us. So, we tried to make it work. I was willing to quit my job if it meant that we could raise you into a fine human being."


    "..."


    "So imagine our surprise when we realised how talented you were!" My father couldn''t help but reminisce on the past. "Before you could even walk, you were doing maths! When you started to talk, you finished reading the dictionary in a year and surpassed most middle-schoolers innguage. And when it came to magic¡­ You were the most talented child we had ever seen!"


    Yeah¡­ Those were memories that I vaguely remember. My parents often brag about how talented I was in the past, so somehow, those memories stuck to me like glue.


    "We''d thought that we could train you into a superb Hunter. So, Elna and I took turns teaching you our crafts. Elna with her magic, me with my martial arts. We believed that you could one day surpass humanity''s best Hunters and stand at the top of the Hunter''s Association!"


    "Haha, those days were quite tough¡­"


    "But you''ve never once given up¡­" My fatherughed while tapping my back.


    "You know¡­ The thing that made me proud of you¡­ It wasn''t your genius-level intellect. And neither was it your immense talent that went beyond your years¡­ It was your mental resilience that came at such a young age. It was innate to you."


    "..."


    "We were always proud of you, Jin. Which was why¡­ We''d forgotten that you were just a child." A look of regret was soon stered all over my father''s face as his voice carried a tinge of despondence.


    "We continued on our Hunter missions, trusting that you would be okay. We thought¡­ Jin''s a responsible child; he can take care of himself! Not realising that you were just ten years old."


    Ahhh, I guess that''s why my parents were okay with leaving me alone in the house. They trusted me enough to leave me without supervision, as they knew my style. I wouldn''t wander about, and neither would I get into trouble. s, fate intervened when Irina stumbled onto my doorstep.


    "So, when you were critically injured by an Outer Demon¡­ We hated ourselves. We hate ourselves for putting so many expectations and burdens on you¡­ Even though you were merely a child."


    "Was that why you quit being Hunters?"


    "Yeah," my father sighed. "We felt like we wronged you. And since we were toote, we wished to make it up to you. To make you enjoy the remainder of your life in peace."


    "Haha, I guess fate intervened in that as well."


    "It sure did!"


    I exchanged nces with my father, and we both let out a firm chuckle.


    "Perhaps¡­ Everything is predetermined by fate¡­ I was prepared never to see you healthy again, and I was willing to help you live afortable life even if it meant inconveniencing mine. Who would have guessed that you would be such a fine man?"


    "Haha, thank you for that!"


    I rubbed my nose in embarrassment. Even though I was twenty-six this year, even though I had be a Progenitor, I was quite likely one of, if not, the strongest being on the¡­ It still felt good to receive praise from my father.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    ¡­ But fate, huh?


    I was never one to believe in such a thing. However, Sora, the Spirit of the World Tree, mentioned it once before. I was fated to be injured by the Outer Demon that day. I was fated to ascend to the level of the Progenitor. And I was fated¡­ to give the World Tree eternal life.


    What was fate? Was everything in my life predestined? If so¡­ Who was altering it this way?


    There were a million questions that came to my mind. Much of my life was too convenient to be true. It felt as if¡­ someone was guiding me to this ultimate destiny. But s, there was much I didn''t know.


    And there was too much¡­ I didn''t want to risk.


    "Dad¡­ How do you feel about bing a Vampire?"


    "Hmmm? Why the sudden question?"


    "No, you may not know it, but my mere existence as a Progenitor has ced Mom and you in significant danger," I borated. "Vampires, humans, Werewolves¡­ They will all target you. Although I know the two of you are strong, you aren''t immortal like Vampires."


    A-Ranked Hunters are, without a doubt, humanity''s best fighting force. While my parents hadn''t been in action for over a decade, their skills hadn''t rusted a single bit. In fact, it might have be more refined over the years as they had much more free time to train while tending to my needs.


    Therefore, my father wasn''t one to perish so easily. However¡­


    "Now that I have be a Progenitor, I''ve seen the River of Life. How souls return to it once you pass on, and how¡­ fragile life can be. Once you die, there''s noing back. And¡­ I don''t want you two to die just yet."


    "You little brat, since when did you have to worry about us?" My father snorted and ruffled my hair. "Though tempting¡­ Your mom and I have lived as humans for over fifty years. To tell us to be Vampires all of a sudden¡­ It''s a tall ask, don''t you think?"


    "I agree with that, but¡­"


    "I know you''re worried about us¡­ But it''s a decision that we should make."


    "I understand¡­"


    Yeah, I can''t be selfish. If my parents wanted to live as humans, I must respect their choice. But there was one other thing that I could do.


    "Dad¡­ If you don''t want to be a Vampire, would you at least join the Valter House?"


    "The Valter House? What''s that?"


    "It''s my Vampire House," I smiled back in response. "Now that I have be a Progenitor, I am entitled to my own Vampire House. While it won''t be as prominent as the Guardian Houses, you can be protected just by using its name. At least, Vampires won''t openly target you unless they wish to risk war against me."


    "HAHA, a war against you? Big words, my son!" My fatherughed heartily as if he''d heard the funniest joke in the world.


    "Amusing! So do I have to do anything to join this Valter House that uses my surname?"


    "Of course not!" I shook my head and pressed my finger on Dad''s chest. "I''m going to cast a spell, Dad. Don''t resist."


    As if in response to my will, my Soul Armament appeared with four of the five rings lighting up. Magic power flowed directly from my inner core into the majestic rings, which then turned into aplex spell that took me well over a minute to conjure. Other than crafting the jewels I''d fed to my four lovers, this might be the mostplicated spell I''ve created yet.


    After a brief few minutes, the glorious light subsided, leaving behind my father, who was wholly confused about what had happened.


    "What did you do?"


    "A protection spell," I casually exined. "It''s embedded into your soul, so you don''t have to worry about it running out. Once it senses danger, the spell will automatically activate."


    "Hoh? What kind of protection does it give me?"


    "Several things¡­"


    A spell that required all four of my rings to conjure couldn''t be weak. Firstly, it had a location signal, which basically works as an SOS beacon to call for me if Dad were ever to run into trouble. When that happens, my Spacetime powers will either warp Dad to me or teleport me to him.


    Next, it gives him a version of the Purple War God I''d created to protect and defend against threats. While it won''t defeat stronger opponents, it could at least defend for a good few minutes before I got there. And if that didn''t work, a simple destruction spell that could level a mountain would activate and deter any attackers.


    Finally, there was a strengthening spell to enhance my father''s soul and physique. While he rejected being a Vampire, I could at least improve his body to a higher level for now. It was essentially the same spell I''d used for the jewels to empower the girls, just many times weaker.


    And perhaps it was due to the strengthening spell, but my father''s thirst for battle had soared quite a bit.


    "Hey, Jin¡­ Your magic has improved, but what about your martial arts? Have you been neglecting the moves that I''d taught you?"


    "I would never."


    "If that''s the case¡­" Dad shot me an expectant look. "It''s been a while since west sparred, right?"


    "..."


    Tch¡­ Maybe I shouldn''t have given him the protection spell after all¡­

 Chapter 147 Return To The Everwinter House (1)

    [Hi all! I have a small announcement to make. Next week, there will be no chapters as I''m preparing for Christmas and the New Year. Chapters will continue until Sunday, and I''ll take one week off from 19th to 25th December.


    Also, I want to spend some good time storyboarding and nning the next act of the story. I ammitted to writing this story to the end, so you don''t have to worry about me abandoning it halfway through. However, I will need some time to adequately n the story''s conclusion. The story will resume on 27th December.


    Thank you for your understanding, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!]


    My sparring session with Dadsted a good few hours as the man seemed eager to test his new, improved physique. Even though he''s over five decades old, Dad''s movements and martial arts still remained sharp, especially regarding purebat ability. In fact, the only reason why I could keep him at bay was my superior Progenitor physique. No matter how much power was in Dad''s punch, I wouldn''t budge an inch.


    In a sense, it felt like a fight between an adult and a child. Although my father surpassed me in pure martial arts, he couldn''t bridge the gap between a human and a Progenitor.


    Therefore, even though our sparring sessionsted a few hours, I tried my best not to hurt Dad while he tested his full range of physical abilities. Fortunately, by the time we were done, the girls had also concluded their bonding session.


    "Mom! Have you finished your talks?"


    I walked over to the five women who approached us from a distance. My mother was wearing a face filled with satisfaction with a shimmering red gleaming from her cheeks. She was followed by the four girls who trailed closely behind her, though their faces were anything but satisfied.


    All of them looked exhausted, particrly Lilith. While I didn''t know what they had discussed, I could imagine Mom grilling the girls on their personalities, histories, and everything a mother-inw would want to know about her future daughters.


    Rosa and Ysabelle weren''t the talkative types, and neither would Irina work to carry a conversation. That could only mean that the most personable person in the group would have to answer my mom''s endless barrage of questions.


    "Jin¡­" Lilith looked at me with pleading eyes, ready to pounce on me for a well-deserved nap. However, Mom interrupted by saying:


    "We had quite a fruitful conversation! You''re lucky to find these four girls, Jin!" Mom was all smiles as she said that. "We''ve even nned a girls'' night out in the future! Once we''ve settled in and all your external affairs have been dealt with, I can take ALL the time in the world to bond with my new daughters! Right?"


    "R-Right¡­"


    Lilith nervously moved her eyes away, fearing to make eye contact with the devil that made her this exhausted. Seriously, Mom¡­ What the hell did you make them do?!


    "Brother!"


    "Hmmm? What is it, Irina?"


    "Nothing, I just missed you!"


    "Hahaha, you spoiledss¡­"


    Never one to think about the repercussions of her actions, Irina instantly jumped to my side and gave me a firm embrace. Nuzzling her face on my arm, the girl rested her entire body on me and quickly fell into a dream-like trance. Ignoring the jealous looks the other three gave me, I turned back to Mom, who was wearing an incredulous look on her face.


    "What is it?"


    "It''s nothing¡­ It''s just¡­ I''ve never seen you smile like that before."


    "Haha, I''ve changed a lot, Mom." Iforted Irina by patting her head, to which she purred ever so gently like an adorable white cat. "I have women that I love and protect now. Obviously, I''ll have to grow into a man who can protect them."


    "Wow¡­ I never thought I would see a new side to my son." As she continued, my mother grinned from ear to ear: "But from what I heard from these girls¡­ I shouldn''t be too surprised."


    Oh? What on earth did they talk about?


    When I shot inquisitive gazes at the four girls, they all averted their eyes with red faces. Lilith even began fake whistling, even though she sucked at it.


    Whatever, it doesn''t seem like it was anything bad, so I''ll let it slide.


    "Mom, I won''t force you to be a Vampire right now, so I''ll give you the same option as I did to Dad. Join the Valter House."


    "The Valter House?"


    Once again, I repeated my words to her, exining the dangers that she might face in the future. I also told her that Dad had already entered my protection and I could do the same for her.


    "Oh, if that''s the case! I''m totally okay with that!"


    "Okay, please close your eyes and don''t resist."


    I summoned out my Soul Armament and channelled magic power into the four rings again, conjuring up the same protection spell I did with Dad. Mom''s soul was coated with my spell in no time at all, and she was given the same fouryer protection spell. However, unlike Dad, exhaustion seemed to catch up with her as she started to hold her head up, with her face slowly being drained of its colour.


    "Careful, Elna." Dad grabbed hold of her before she could copse. Drowsy and sleepy, my mother''s beaming eyes slowly closed as she struggled to keep herself standing straight.


    "Jin... I¡­"


    "Don''t worry about it, Mom. Your body seems to be reacting differently to the spell. Give it some time, and you''ll be in better shape than ever."


    "O-Okay¡­"


    "Dad, take her into the house. There''s a spare room for you to use. We can discuss the details of your future amodations tomorrow."


    "Alright," Dad winked at me and quickly made himself redundant. "I''ll see you guys tomorrow."


    "Bye!"


    I watched my parents disappear through the doors of Rosa''s abode before finally turning to the girls, who were all eager to pounce on me.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Hey, Irina! That''s enough! It''s my turn now!"


    "Ehhhh, just five more minutes!"


    "Hmph! Your five minutes can turn into five years if I don''t separate you now!"


    Lilith argued with the cosy white-haired girl, who wasn''t interested in the slightest about leaving my side. And while I enjoyed watching their friendly banter, I had an agenda to fulfil.


    "Alright¡­ Alright¡­ Stop arguing! I''ll pamper you all equally tonight! For now, let''s focus on the important things at hand."


    "... Are you asking about your parents being harassed?" Ysabelle made a reasonable guess. No, given that the ckburn House helped them out, she should be the one most familiar with my worries.


    "Yes, but not just that." I frowned and brushed aside my parent''s situation for now. "I want to know who the enemies we''re going to face are. Whether they''ll be hostile or weing to me as the Progenitor. I know the Holy Church will never ept me, and the Werewolves wouldn''t be thrilled about my ascension either. The problem is¡­ other Vampires."


    Being new to this Vampire Society thing, I couldn''t differentiate between the allies and foes. While I would guess the Everwinter, Moonreaver, ckburn and Shadowgarden Houses would ally with me, I couldn''t be too certain.


    "The ckburn House ismitted to you, Jin."


    Ysabelle immediately answered without any hesitation. With her reply, I gave a warm smile and nodded. Of all the Houses thus far, the ckburn House had been the most weing. And without Ysabelle''s confirmation, I already had faith that they would uphold their oath to me.


    "Shadowgarden¡­ Ally¡­"


    Rosa said with conviction. Right¡­ She was essentially the hidden Empress of the Shadowgarden House. There was no way that they''ll go against her words.


    "The Moonreaver House is an ally as well¡­ is what I would like to say." Lilith was the first of the four to express doubts about her family. "But I''ll return to the Moonreaver Dimension to force them tomit. At the same time, I''ll make them create a Nightmare Realm that our Valter House can stay in."


    "... Do you need me toe with you?"


    "No, there''s no need." Lilith reached out and connected my hands with hers. "My brother might be a knucklehead, but he has a soft spot for me. Plus, he''s smart enough to recognise the colossal repercussions of crossing a Progenitor. No harm will befall me if I go back now. In fact, I could likely bring more Moonreavers to our side."


    "Okay¡­ But be careful, alright?"


    "Haha, you don''t have to worry about me! Not to mention, even if something did happen, you''ll appear to save me, right?"


    "... You little fool."


    I smiled and looked away. Lilith was right. My magic allowed me to teleport to her instantaneously the moment I sensed she was in danger. So, even if the Moonreaver House were to harm her, they wouldn''t be able to escape my magic.


    "As for the Everwinter House¡­"


    I looked at the little imp, still stuck to me like glue. Irina looked at me with her signature grey eyes and tilted her head to the side.


    Yep¡­ As expected, this girl was clueless.


    "Irina¡­ You should talk to your House more¡­"


    "Who cares about that archaic ce? Besides, my House is now the Valter House. I have nothing to do with the Everwinter House!"


    "You ignorant..!" Lilith was on the verge of exploding, and her fist was already raised. But before I could stop the girl, an unexpected piece of help came from the side.


    "Everwinter¡­ Dangerous¡­"


    "Rosa?" The green-haired Goddess spoke out in a calm and bored manner. She looked at Irina and repeated herself, this time with more details.


    "Scheme¡­ Jin¡­ Damien¡­ Dangerous"


    "Hoh? So Damien Everwinter is scheming against me?"


    "Mmmm¡­"


    Rosa nodded her head at my brilliant deduction. As someone who couldmune with any nt in the world, there wasn''t any scheme that Rosa couldn''t uncover. That''s what made her the perfected Shadowgarden, whose forte was in intelligence gathering and espionage. If she imed that Damien Everwinter was scheming against me, I would trust her unconditionally.


    "What?! They''re trying to do that with Brother?! No wonder they''re trying to get me to go home!!!"


    "Wait, the Everwinter House has summoned you back?"


    "Yeah," Irina folded her arms, her nostrils still expanding with fury. "Ever since word got out that Brother has be a Progenitor, the Everwinter House has been trying to get me to go back. From what I heard, Damien''s faction was insisting on it. And since that senile granny has something to gain, she supports Damien''s agenda. Who could have guessed that they''re scheming against you¡­"


    Irina''s charming attribute has always been her dedication towards me. If it wasn''t rted to me, the girl would ignore most things, even if it was a direct summon from Matriarch Everwinter.


    Usually, I might have chastised Irina for her behaviour, but it seems that her blind love for me had saved us from walking straight into a trap.


    Well, unlucky for them, we have a trump card they could never have expected.


    "Rosa¡­ Tell me all about this scheme that they''re nning¡­"

 Chapter 148 Return To The Everwinter House (2)

    [Hi all! I have a small announcement to make. Next week, there will be no chapters as I''m preparing for Christmas and the New Year. Chapters will continue until Sunday, and I''ll take one week off from 19th to 25th December.


    Also, I want to spend some good time storyboarding and nning the next act of the story. I ammitted to writing this story to the end, so you don''t have to worry about me abandoning it halfway through. However, I will need time to n the story''s conclusion adequately. The story will resume on 27th December.


    Thank you for your understanding, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!]


    Five days have passed since my parents arrived at the Elven Sanctuary. During those five days, our family shared plenty of stories with each other. I would tell them about all my exploits during the year we were apart while they would tell me about their lives back home. They were nning on returning to being Hunters, but my sudden ascension had thrown those ns into the trash.


    However, there was always a silver lining, even in the most unfortunate times. Now that we were reunited, my parents had decided to formally join the Valter House and help with the family affairs. While they haven''t decided on whether they wish to be Vampires, they could easily hold administrator or advisory roles in the family.


    But they were more interested in catching up with their precious son. Or in my mother''s case, she was excited about getting to know her future daughters-inw better.


    The five days passed by in a sh, and our time in the Elven Sanctuary quickly ended. While the Elves and Shadowgarden House were in no hurry to kick us out, for my future ns toe to fruition, I couldn''t just turtle myself here.


    "Have you prepared everything?"


    I stood at the Warp Gate of the Elven Forest with a considerable entourage behind me. Mainly the group that came with me to pick Rosa up before we got embroidered in the Bloodborne invasion mess.


    Lilith was standing with Cape and her subordinates, who all wore defeated and sombre faces. Well, that was to be expected, given their circumstances. They were meant to protect Lilith in her travels, yet they were defeated by Rosa''s sleeping gas and forced into deepas while their mistress was kidnapped. Next, when they awoke, they didn''t do anything against the Bloodborne invaders and were saved by the Shadowgarden House''s benevolence.


    Ultimately, they had proven themselves worthless on this trip and could only hide their head in shame. Fortunately, they were about to return to the Moonreaver Dimension, which meant their nightmare was soon over. s, only some people shared their sentiments.


    "I told you for the millionth time, I have everything under control, you worrywart!" Lilith scolded me, but love was brimming out of her eyes. She held my hand tightly, seemingly wishing never to let go.


    "Can''t I worry about my Bloodmate? Plus, I don''t really like or trust your brother."


    "Haha, I understand your feelings, Jin¡­ But my return is essential if we wish to leave in peace with the Vampire Society. And do you really think that my brother would dare to do anything to me? After you defeated him so soundly?"


    "I understand the logic, but¡­ My heart can''t help but worry."


    "You stupid fool¡­"


    Lilith leaned onto my chest and gave me a big, firm bear hug. She nestled closer and deeper, like someone sinking into their mattress after a long day of work. Eventually, a familiar young white-haired maiden broke our embrace.


    "Alright, that''s enough! You''ve been hogging Brother for the past few days; haven''t you had enough?!"


    "Hoh? Says the girl that''s going to spend the most time with him at the Everwinter Estate," Lilith''s brows raised in annoyance as she looked down at Irina.


    Due to recent developments, it has been decided that I would return to the Everwinter House with Irina. It has been proven that Irina was useless when it came to diplomacy, and sending her back alone would do more harm than good. Not to mention, there was a trap waiting for her when she returned. If I wished to root out all of my dissidents for good, I had to apany this airhead back to the Everwinter House.


    Lilith and Ysabelle would return to the Moonreaver and ckburn House to affirm their peaceful rtions with my Valter House. Theymanded far more influence in their families, and there wasn''t anyone dumb enough to harm them back in their homes. By the time they returned, the Valter House would have gained the support of three Guardian Houses, effectively cementing my ce in Vampire Society.


    Meanwhile, Rosa would remain with my parents in the Elven Forest while she continued to spy on my enemies. My parents were still my weakest link, so I couldn''t rely on just anyone to protect them. Fortunately, I just happened to have a Progenitor-level wife willing to watch over her parents-inw. Not to mention, Rosa''s unique talents allowed her to aid me no matter how far away she was.


    "Hmph! You should just stay in the Moonreaver House forever! Brother and I will do just fine without you!"


    "What did you just say?!"


    Lilith and Irina''s arguments had be somewhat of a daily affair now. If I didn''t see them talk smack to one another, I might have thought they were sick. s, as much as I wished to watch them chug it out, this wasn''t the time or ce.


    "That''s enough! We have important business to tend to!"


    "... Fine."


    "Hmph!"


    Both girls were unsatisfied, but they obeyed mymand. Funnily enough, being assertive and dominant was one of the methods Master Issei wrote in ''How to train your Harem.'' While I didn''t have the heart to scold them all the time, I had to raise my voice once in a while.


    Ignoring the two feisty girls, I turned to the most peaceful woman in my harem.


    "Ysabelle, if you run into any trouble¡­"


    "Yes, I know¡­" The ck-haired Goddess tenderly received my hands and repeated the words I said to herst night. "I just need to call for you, right?"


    "Yeah," I returned with a smile. "I doubt the ckburn House will cause you any issues. But once my business with the Everwinter House is over, I''lle and pick you up."


    "I''ll be waiting."


    Ysabelle chuckled and nted a kiss on my cheeks. Goodness¡­ Why are they tempting me when we''re about to separate? Tsk, perhaps I should develop a cloning spell that allows me to be in two ces at once. No, given my magical power, I could conjure such a spell. I simply didn''t have enough time to theorise and execute it just yet.


    Finally, I looked back at the Elven Forest, where my parents and Rosa waited. I had long said my goodbyes to my parents, and given that I would only be gone for a week, I didn''t feel guilty about leaving them alone after our reunion.


    However, I was sad to leave Rosa all alone once more. I waved my hand and sent a telepathic message to the girl, who never seemed to change her expression.


    [Take care, Rosa. I''ll be back soon.]


    [...]


    [If you ever miss me, just send me a telepathic message. I''ll talk to you anytime you want.]<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    [Go¡­ and¡­ return to me¡­ soon¡­]


    Rosa, who was never one to express her feelings, sent out her innermost desires. She wanted me to never leave her side. She wanted me to be safe. She wanted me¡­ to return to her. Those words struck my soul like lightning, paralysing me for a brief moment. However, I couldn''t help but smile immediately afterwards as I replied:


    [Haha, duly noted!]


    Phew, I really have demanding wives, huh? I have to squash this ridiculous plot twice as fast now.


    ???


    The Everwinter Estate. The Matriarch''s Residence.


    The Everwinter Estate was a peacefulnd. Being so far up north, it was well hidden by the elements, as endless amounts of snow and ice protected the isted residence. The Everwinter Estate has always remained calm and peaceful throughout the endless Winters. Even during the Winter Hunt, the Vampire stronghold never had one crackle of unease or an ounce of festivities that would break the serenity of the beautiful estate.


    However, that all changed in recent weeks.


    News of a Progenitor, a wholly new one, had emerged. Even Cthulhu, the Demon Lord that the Everwinter House had fought with throughout the years, was less scary as a full-fledged Progenitor.


    Alongside the fallen Bloodborne House, the Everwinter House was the most ancient of Vampire Houses. They had ancient monsters who knew Drac personally and lived through his reign of terror. They acutely knew how powerful a Progenitor was, and that fear was ingrained down to their very souls.


    Even Matriarch Innocence, the strongest female Vampire and the greatest Everwinter to ever live, feared Drac.


    Which was why the entire House was on edge.


    They didn''t know what kind of Progenitor Jin was going to be. And to add salt to injury, some members had crossed Jin.


    Mainly those in Damien''s faction and Elders who had suppressed Irina due to jealousy. In fairness to them, who would have guessed that a crippled human could rise up to be the top Vampire in their history. s, it was toote now. Those that had even harboured evil thoughts about Jin and Irina were now shaking in their boots.


    And that included¡­


    The Matriarch herself.


    "Have they arrived?"


    Seated solemnly in her cabin, a youthful beauty stared out the window with an empty look. In pure attributes alone, the woman seemed seventy percent identical to Irina, just a tad bit more mature with her porcin face and thinly drawn eyebrows. Heaving a deep sigh, the woman gestured to the only person beside her. Variel, Matriarch Innocence''s trusted butler and one of the two who apanied Irina in her travels with Jin, knelt down by the Matriarch''s side and affirmed.


    "Yes, they have¡­ They''re awaiting your summons."


    "Haha, now this is a first¡­ A Progenitor waiting for my summons." Matriarch Innocenceughed helplessly and raised her head up to the ceiling. "Drac would never allow himself to wait for another. I was always the servant being forced against my will."


    "That''s what made him a tyrant, isn''t it?"


    "Hoh? Are you saying that this Jin isn''t a tyrant? That he won''t follow down Drac''s path?"


    "I wouldn''t dare guess the intentions of a Progenitor," Variel added smilingly. "But the fact that he''s willing to give you some semnce of respect¡­ That alone speaks volumes."


    "I see¡­"


    When the Matriarch first heard that Jin had be a Progenitor, she didn''t know what to feel. The bug she''d thought was a mere boy toy has now ascended to a pedestal she could never reach. A monstrous existence that once brought the world to heel. And most importantly¡­


    She feared Jin''s wrath.


    The Everwinter House had never once treated Jin as a proper guest and even schemed against him back in the Winter Hunt. It wouldn''t be strange to think that the man bore a grudge. Not to mention, Irina never did have the best impression of her blood-rted rtives. If Irina wished to eradicate the Everwinter House, there was no stopping the powers of a Progenitor.


    Matriarch Innocence feared that Jin would be like Drac, a tyrant who disregarded logic and did everything for his own selfish desires. If Jin was like that¡­ The Everwinter House was certain to be doomed.


    But if he was as respectful as Variel has imed¡­


    "You seem fond of the boy, Variel."


    "As fond as I can be, my liege."


    "So¡­ What do you think he''ll do?"


    "Excuse my rudeness, but¡­ That will depend on your sincerity."


    Variel spoke from the bottom of his heart. While he was a firm member of the Everwinter House, the man hade to adore and respect the former cripple who wed his way to the top of the Vampire food chain. The best-case scenario for everyone involved¡­ was for the Matriarch to cater to Jin''s demands.


    Even if it meant bending her knee.


    "Okay then¡­"


    Standing up from her chair, the woman stood at the door to enter the very same room where she''d met Jin for the first time. However, unlikest time, she wasn''t the hunter¡­ but the hunted.


    "Send them in."

 Chapter 149 Return To The Everwinter House (3)

    [Hi all! I have a small announcement to make. Next week, there will be no chapters as I''m preparing for Christmas and the New Year. Chapters will continue until Sunday, and I''ll take one week off from 19th to 25th December.


    Also, I want to spend some good time storyboarding and nning the next act of the story. I ammitted to writing this story to the end, so you don''t have to worry about me abandoning it halfway through. However, I will need time to n the story''s conclusion adequately. The story will resume on 27th December.


    Thank you for your understanding, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!]


    The Matriarch''s abode.


    It''s been a good year since Ist stepped foot in this wretched ce. The first time I arrived here, my life was in the grasp of Matriarch Innocence. Irina had just turned me into a Vampire, and the ancient Vampire was pissed off that her heir had actually attempted such a risky ritual.


    I still firmly remember the insults the Matriarch hurled at me. Boy toy¡­ Comedian¡­ Fool¡­ Those words echoed within my heart ever since we stepped foot in this ce. Matriarch Innocence even spat in my face, saying she wouldn''t even remember my name.


    I was nothing but an ant who could be squashed at any given time, but now¡­


    I was the giant doing the stepping.


    I entered the room with Irina following close behind. Just as I have transformed, Irina is no longer the shy and timid child she once was. Throughout the year, Irina had constantly been honing her Winter Sovereign Aspect and had even developed a domain ability back in the Moonreaver Dimension. Not to mention, she was strengthened by my essence and had taken one step further in evolving down the Vampire tree.


    The two of us were different people now, and it showed¡­


    "Wee home, my precious little granddaughter. You seem to have gotten prettier since I''dst seen you!"


    "... Grandmother."


    A timeless beauty weed us with her arms wide open as if she were a tour guide leading a group. Contrary to her cold and aloof look from before, Matriarch Innocence wore a rather pleasant smile. She no longer had that detachment from the masses, and she now resembled a businessman who was willing to negotiate for a good deal.


    Matriarch Innocence greeted Irina first, but her true attention was me all along. Even as her eyes were on her granddaughter, I could feel her senses firmly locked onto me.


    "And¡­ Jin Valter. Or should I call you ''Your Highness'' instead?"


    "... I''m surprised you remembered my name," I scoffed in jest, drawing a slight shiver that was barely visible. The ancient Vampire clearly recalled the time she demeaned me to my face.


    "But ''Your Highness'', huh? Was that what you called Drac?"


    "Drac¡­ I guess you have the right to call him by name now." Matriarch Innocence shook her head and let out a bitter smile. "No, Drac was an egomaniac. We weren''t even allowed to look at his face when we talked to him, and we could only call him ''Lord'' or ''Emperor''. Sometimes¡­ He''ll ask us to call him ''God''..."


    "He sounds like a delight¡­"


    I''ve heard many rumours and stories about the man called the First Vampire. Many called him a tyrant, a vicious emperor that forced the Vampires to do everything that he wanted. Some say that his madness had even caused much of the Vampire race to turn on him, which led to his eventual demise.


    It was a fate that I wasn''t looking forward to repeating.


    "So what should I call you? New Progenitor of the Vampire race?"


    Matriarch Innocence asked a simple question, and yet¡­ It wasyered with so many nuances. She was basically asking me¡­ If I was going to be a tyrant like Drac or a benevolent ruler who can lead the Vampire race to greater heights.


    s¡­ I''m not going to y your game, granny.


    "Jin is fine," I smiled and presumptuously took a seat in front of the olddy. At the same time, I gestured for Irina to sit next to me without waiting for the Matriarch to offer us a chance to sit down. And to finish it off, I gestured to her with the same warm smile before I added:


    "For now, that is."


    "... I understand."


    Unnerved, the ancient Vampire was thest person to im her seat. Although she sat in the highest chair in her living quarters, it didn''t seem like she was the room''s owner.


    The two of us stared at each other for an extended period of time. Vaguely, I could sense that she was trying to probe me, to test my strength. It was the same thing she did the first time we''d met, but the Matriarch was more benign this time. She didn''t dare to tickle my ire and attempted to be more discreet about her senses.


    But¡­ How could a mere Vampire challenge a Progenitor''s authority?


    I didn''t raise my magic power, and neither did I use any intangible magic. All I did was unveil the shroud that kept my soul hidden from those who dared to probe me. And just through that¡­


    "Y-You¡­"


    The ancient Vampire started to sweat. Her grey eyes dted, and her back fell onto her chair. Was it fear? Or was it some other unknown feeling she''d never experienced in thousands of years? I didn''t know, nor did I care to know. All I wanted to do¡­ was show the difference between us clearly.


    "Matriarch¡­ Or should I call you Innocence? Because of your granddaughter, I won''t take that tant probe as an act of aggression. However, I request that you tone it down. Otherwise¡­ We won''t be able to have a proper conversation."


    "... Okay."


    True to her years of experience at the top, Matriarch Innocence quickly calmed down and regained herself. She coughed twice before saying:


    "You''ve be stronger since thest we met. Who would have guessed that the young boy who came into my room iming that he''ll be the strongest in the world¡­ Would actually do so in just a year?"


    "I''m a high-achiever."


    "Now that''s an understatement!" Matriarch Innocence let out a defeatedugh. "Do you know how many Vampires dream of breaking that threshold? The gap between them and a Progenitor? Many have tried, me included! And yet¡­ You, a former human, aplished it! A high-achiever? No, you''re the greatest achiever in the past thousand years!"


    "ttery will get you nowhere, Innocence. I came here for business."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Business¡­ Yes, business indeed!"


    The white-haired Vampire held the temples of her forehead and rubbed them hard. She knew that the future of the Everwinter Housey in this conversation. One false move and the Matriarch would have lost the backing of the current Progenitor.


    "So¡­ What are your ns for the Everwinter House?"


    Good¡­ The bait has been set. Time to give the woman a crumb.


    "I have no intention ofying waste to a Guardian House, Innocence. No, Matriarch. I''m not the tyrant that you''ve imagined."


    "That remains to be seen¡­"


    "Yes, words are cheap. I think I told you that before?" Back when we''d first met, I told the Matriarch that I would prove my worth not through words but through my actions. And till this day, I feel the very same way.


    "I have be a Progenitor, but I have no intention of waging war against the entire Vampire race. In fact, I''m looking for the contrary. I want to help the Vampire race with my power, the Everwinter House especially. I can give you the key to endless energy and Nightmare realms that can never fade away. I can protect the Everwinter House as the war against the Outer Demons grows, and I can keep humanity''s eyes away from the ce you sought so dearly to protect."


    "You would do that much for the Everwinter House?"


    Matriarch Innocence looked shocked that I would promise so much. However, her surprise didn''tst long as a serious and stern expression took over her face.


    "Nothing in this world is free, especially when ites from a Progenitor¡­ What do you want in exchange for all of these benefits?"


    I could extort the Everwinter House for all they had with my terms. I could ask for servants and gold. I could enve their strongest Vampires and make them act as door guards for my Valter House. I could ask for anything that the Everwinter House could give, but¡­ There was only one thing that I truly wanted.


    "Irina."


    "Huh?"


    "Irina. In exchange for all those benefits, I want Irina."


    Both the Matriarch and Irina looked at me with dumbfounded expressions. They couldn''t believe their ears and dropped their jaws like they''d seen a UFO for the first time. Fortunately for them, I was going to give rification.


    "I want Irina to be freed from the Everwinter House. She''ll join my Valter House as my wife and no longer be chained by your rules. You won''t have any say in what she does from this day to the end of all days. And¡­ The Everwinter House will never again harm a single hair on Irina."


    The two white-haired women looked at me, speechless. Eventually, it was the Matriarch who managed to utter the first words:


    "... That''s all?"


    "That''s all," I affirmed my stance.


    "Wait¡­ So you''re saying that all I need to do¡­ Is give Irina over to you? And you''ll guarantee the Everwinter House''s survival?"


    "That''s right."


    "Haha¡­ Haha¡­ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"


    Unable to fathom what she just heard, Matriarch Innocence burst out in an uncharacteristicugh, making her tether between the edge of madness and sanity.


    "To think that the entire Everwinter House is of less value than one girl! HAHAHA, this is the best thing I''ve ever heard in my life!"


    "You have a problem with that?"


    "No, none whatsoever!!!" Matriarch Innocence couldn''t stop herughter. Meanwhile, the girl at my side was also experiencing her own seizure.


    "Brother, you¡­"


    With heart shapes in her eyes, Irina''s face was quickly turning blushing red. If not for the time and ce, I was confident that she would pounce on me at this very moment. s, as tempting as that might sound, my business with the Matriarch wasn''t done yet.


    "So, do we have a deal?"


    "HAHAHA, I would be a fool not to take that deal!" The Matriarch controlled herughter and gave me a firm nod. "The Everwinter House swears never toy a finger on Irina Everwinter ever again. She will be freed from her duties as an heir-in-training, and she will no longer be bound to the rules of the Everwinter House! Are you satisfied now?"


    "Do your words have any value, Matriarch?"


    "Huh?"


    "Do your promises bear any weight, Matriarch?" I pressed her again. "What happens if the members of your Everwinter House break that rule?"


    "Nonsense! My words arew! There''s no one in the family that¡­" Matriarch Innocence was about to give some grandiose speech, but she quickly caught herself. She shot me a long hard look before asking:


    "You know something, don''t you?"


    "How astute," I praised the ancient grandmother.


    That''s when I yed my trump card. I reached into my pocket dimension and pulled out the evidence that Rosa had provided to me. Stacks of documents, primarily images and paper trails, proving the scheme that Damien Everwinter had concocted. The n to bring Irina back to the Everwinter House. Details on how they nned on kidnapping her and pinning the me on the Everwinter House, particrly Matriarch Innocence. How they were going to lure me into a trap. And finally¡­ The summoning of an Archangel by the Holy Church.


    "A Vampire scheming with the Holy Church¡­ I wonder how the esteemed Matriarch Innocence of the Everwinter House will handle this scandal."

 Chapter 150 Cleaning House (1)

    [I''m back, and Merry Christmas!!! Hope you have had a wonderful holiday!!!]


    Matriarch Innocence sat silently in her abode, staring nkly at the two empty chairs. It had been five minutes since she had been stuck in her trance, her bodypletely frozen from the utter shock she had suffered. Unmoving and untouched, it took one familiar voice to wake the ancient Vampire up from her stupor.


    "My liege, I see that your discussion has ended."


    "..."


    The Everwinter Matriarch remained silent and didn''t answer her faithful servant. Creaking her head back, she eyed the butler from head to toe and slowly regained herposure.


    "Variel¡­ Did you know about this?"


    "Damien''s ns? No, of course not." Variel denied it vehemently. "I''m surprised that Jin managed to unveil this plot too. Did he use the Shadowgarden House to investigate? Or does he have some magical ability as a Progenitor?"


    "I don''t know¡­"


    The woman didn''t confirm or deny Variel''s conjectures for a simple reason¡­ She honestly didn''t know. It has been thousands of years since Matriarch Innocence felt this way. Over time, the Everwinter supreme leader learned to evaluate and read people with just a nce. It didn''t matter if they were powerful Vampires or esteemed members of the Holy Church. Matriarch Innocence could read them all like a book.


    However¡­ Jin gave her a mystery that surpassed anything she''d ever experienced. Even as she faced him head-on, she couldn''tprehend the enigma that was Jin Valter.


    Matriarch Innocence slowly ced her elbows on the table and let out a huge sigh: "Jin Valter¡­ This Progenitor really is something else."


    "... What are your thoughts? Do you think the Everwinter House can go against him?"


    "No," the ancient Vampire shook her head. "I can''t even imagine how powerful that boy¡­ No, that monster is. Even as I sat right before him, I couldn''t evaluate his strength. When I attempted to probe him secretly, he instantly caught me and showed me a part of his soul, which overwhelmed me for the remainder of our conversation."


    "... He''s that powerful now?"


    Variel couldn''t help but gasp. Other than Drac himself, Matriarch Everwinter has never been intimidated by anyone. Her power was ranked among the world''s top five, and she could easily be considered the most powerful female Vampire alive. And yet¡­


    She was intimidated by a mere boy who wasn''t even thirty years old.


    "I don''t know how he became a Progenitor, but he''s unquestionably the most powerful being in the world. Even Drac in his prime couldn''t strike such fear into my soul¡­"


    "Do you mean¡­ He''s stronger than Drac?" Variel let out a cry of surprise at the Matriarch''s confession. Jin had just be a Vampire, and yet¡­ He had already surpassed the most powerful Vampire in existence?!


    "I don''t know¡­ I can''t tell how high that monster''s ceiling is. When I face Drac, I can at least feel like I can match the man. Other than the annoying binding ability that forces all Vampires to serve him, Drac''s magic is in no way superior to mine. Jin Valter¡­ That monster, on the other hand¡­"


    Matriarch Innocence recalled the moment Jin released the shroud that protected his soul. It was all over in an instant, but her soul seemed to have been forced into a vortex of endless magic and power. She felt like a spectator to the greatest cosmic show in existence, infinitely inferior and weaker than the man who sat in front of her.


    "It felt like¡­ I wasn''t even in his eyes. Like I was an ant, and he¡­ the giant. If I''m the strongest Vampire in the world, that monster is the strongest existence in the entire universe¡­ That''s what I got from watching his soul."


    Variel was silent for a good minute. He was trying to digest the Matriarch''s words, but no matter what he did, he couldn''t wash away the pure shock on his face.


    "If that''s the case¡­ The Everwinter House shouldn''t cross him."


    "Does the universe care whether a mere mortal lives or dies?" Matriarch Innocence scoffed. "I''d always thought that I would reign supreme over the world¡­ Who knew that such a monstrous existence woulde into being? The Everwinter House stands no chance against him and the fact that he can only grow from here¡­"


    Jin had only just be a Progenitor. As time passed, he would unquestionably grow more powerful and innovate new magic that only Progenitors could use. Even if they didn''t submit now, the Everwinter House would eventually have to bend the knee.


    "On the bright side, that monster is less dangerous than Drac."


    "Less dangerous? Howe?"


    "What is more dangerous? A deranged dog or a peaceful elephant?"


    "Ah!"


    "Yes, Drac was a deranged tyrant. He would do anything to increase his power and influence, even if it meant treating his subjects like utter trash. The Guardian Houses have always held a grudge against the Bloodborne House because of that fact. We''re lucky that Jin Valter isn''t like that¡­ Well, not yet, at least."


    Matriarch Innocence''s voice held an ominous tone that couldn''t hide her intense fear and unease.


    Not willing to probe his liege any further, Variel concluded the topic by asking about the other discussed subject.


    "If that''s the case¡­ Are you going to let him deal with Damien?"


    "What''s there to let? Even if I had raised my objections, he would have silenced me. I''m not idiotic enough to test my might against a Progenitor."


    "I see¡­ That''s a pity. I much liked Young Master Damien."


    "Well, his fate was sealed when he signed a deal with the Holy Church."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Everwinter leader grimaced in disgust as she read through the evidence that Jin provided. It was one thing to conspire against Jin, but to hold hands with the Holy Church? The Matriarch couldn''t imagine a Vampire sinking that low.


    "... Once the dust has settled, we will need to restructure the Everwinter House. Let''s change our archaic system so pitifulmbs like Damien and Irina will never appear again."


    "As youmand¡­ My liege."


    Matriarch Innocence looked out the window at the deep snow before letting out a deep sigh for her many children that were about to be purged during this rough Winter night.


    ???


    "Brother¡­ Aren''t we going straight to Damien''s headquarters? Why are we waiting here?"


    Right after I''d concluded my business with the Matriarch, I led Irina back to her private bungalow to enjoy a nice, private brother-sister bonding time. Usually, Irina would have been ecstatic about spending alone time with me, especially since the other three girls hade into our lives. But now that she was back home, Irina couldn''t feel at ease with enemies like Damien all around her.


    If it were up to her, she would prefer that we eradicate Damien''s entire faction, and then we could enjoy our lustful nights together.


    Laying by my side with her entire porcin white body disyed for me to see, it was hard to resist my urge to eat her up once more and take her question seriously. However, I controlled myself this time and replied:


    "Damien''s days are numbered. Now that the Matriarch has given me full authority to do as I please, I can eliminate him without moving my finger. However, my main enemy isn''t Damien, Irina."


    "... You can''t mean!" Irina''s eyes perked up as she finally caught on to my intentions. "You wish to lure the Holy Church out using Damien as bait?"


    "Yeap!"


    Damien may have been a threat to me when I first came to the Everwinter House a year ago, but it was a different story now. With my abilities, I could annihte his entire faction just by thinking about it. I may sound arrogant, but my powers far exceeded any powerhouse the Everwinter House possessed. Killing Damien would be as simple as breathing for me.


    The main problem I had wasn''t some idiotic Vampire who wished to enter an early grave but the entity backing him up.


    The Holy Church.


    "I''ve never faced up against the Holy Church in my life. I''ve heard that they use Holy magic that was bestowed by their God, but I''ve never seen it firsthand. Rumour has it that Holy magic is extremely effective on Vampires and other enemies of humanity, which doesn''t make sense from a scientific perspective. In fact, the notion of an almighty God goes against everything I''ve seen."


    It was the greatest modern-day paradox.


    The Holy Church ims they''d obtained their magic from God, a being that was both ephemeral and yet, all-powerful. I have always been interested in facts and result-based proofs as a researcher. Therefore, the fact that Holy magic, which is said to be derived from one''s faith, even exists baffles me to this day.


    I didn''t believe in the Holy Church''s God, but it was a fact that Holy magic existed. Not only did it exist, it was part of humanity''s daily life until magical science became widely understood. As the years passed and magical science improved, the Holy Church''s influence over humanity waned a little, but half of the world''s entire poption still followed that faith.


    "Even summoning an Archangel¡­ First of all, how are angels real? If angels are real, is God real? If God is real and the Holy Church''s doctrines are legitimate, how would God let us Vampires exist? Why would God allow the Outer Demons to invade our?"


    "Do you want to find out if God is real?"


    "Perhaps¡­"


    I smiled and brought my hand down from Irina''s head and slid it down her naked back.


    "Now that I am a Progenitor, myprehension of the world has changed. I have seen the River of Life. I canmunicate with Spirits. I have eyes that can see through creation itself. If I can examine Holy magic, or even better, watch the summoning of an angel with my own eyes¡­ I can perhaps unravel the mystery that is God."


    It wasn''t a stretch to say that I was the strongest existence on the. I didn''t know how powerful the other Demon Lords were, but at least on Earth, there wasn''t anyone who could threaten my life.


    The God of the Holy Church, on the other hand¡­ If he''s real, that being might be the biggest threat to me. Especially since the Holy Church has openly shown their hostility towards me with its conspiracy.


    "So I''ll need to understand what Holy magic is, and if possible¡­ What is the true face of God? So at the very least, I can learn how to protect myself and, if need be¡­ Fight against him."


    "Wow," Irina whispered in wonder. "Now that you''ve be the strongest existence on Earth, you''re nning to go up against God himself?"


    "Anything to protect you, my love."


    I looked down at my blushing sister and nted a solemn kiss on her forehead. Flushing red, the white-haired Goddess squirmed within my arms in ecstasy before sinking deeper into my body until no gaps remained between us.


    "I have full faith in you, Brother¡­ No one can defeat you, even if it was God himself."


    "Haha, that''s right. I''ll never be defeated so long as you''re standing behind me."


    "Brother¡­"


    Irina and I interlocked our eyes as our intense feelings were transmitted to each other. Now, I didn''t know about the Holy Church and its practices, but the two of us spoke with tongues plenty of times throughout our first lustful night back at the Everwinter Estate.

 Chapter 151 Cleaning House (2)

    "Oh? They moved fast."


    One day after Irina and I had returned to the Everwinter Estate; I noticed a minute change in Damien''s abode. From the moment we returned, I observed and noted down every single detail about Damien''s headquarters. The number of inhabitants that lived within it, the secret corridors that led to escape routes, the vast number of buildings within the expansive estate¡­ Everything was being recorded down with my vision.


    At my current level, even if one additional fly entered Damien''s abode, I could notice the difference. But, there wasn''t just one fly¡­


    "What is it, Brother?"


    "The Church guys¡­ They''ve arrived."


    "So soon?! But how?!"


    Irina took a break from sucking my blood and shook her head in shock. Her confusion was understandable, given how soon Damien''s men had moved. The Everwinter Estate was well-known as a stronghold, an impregnable fortress that no enemy had infiltrated before. Be it the Outer Demons under Cthuhlu''smand, other Guardian Houses, or even the Holy Church itself. The Everwinter Estate had never been breached before.


    Yes, insiders were helping the Holy Church infiltrate, but even then, they would have to sneak throughyers of defence set up by the elders of the Everwinter House and Matriarch Innocence herself! To arrive in just one day¡­ There was only one exnation for such haste.


    "They used a Warp Gate. Not only that, it must have been created with unknown Holy magic. Otherwise, the Matriarch would have sensed it."


    "Has Holy magic really developed that far? Besides the Moonreaver House and you, I''ve never heard anyone else create a Warp Gate!"


    I shrugged and gave Irina a simr look of perplexion.


    The Moonreaver House specialised in Dimensional magic, while my Spacetime attribute allowed me to create holes in Space anytime I pleased. From my knowledge, the other races had yet to develop magic that could also create Warp Gates. Yet, the Holy Church has done so¡­


    It looks like I''ve greatly underestimated Holy magic.


    "Five¡­ No, seven¡­ Seven members of the Holy Church have arrived. They''re talking to Damien as we speak."


    "Seven? That''s all? Do they intend to summon an Archangel with just seven people?!"


    "No, I highly doubt that''s the case." I frowned and thought back. "Remember Rosa''s words? For the Holy Church to summon an Archangel, numerous preparations must be made. Rituals aside, they''ll need nine hundred Priests, ny Bishops and nine Cardinals to summon an Archangel. No matter how desperate they are to kill me, there''s no way they can afford to send that many personnel into the heart of the Everwinter House."


    "You''re right¡­"


    "If my guess is right, those members are here to spy on me and measure my strength. Once Damien manages to kidnap you, they''ll attempt to lure me into a trap that would likely teleport me using their Warp Gate. And that''s where their Archangel will appear."


    It was a cliche yet a surefire way to capture me. And from everything I''d heard about Damien and the Holy Church from Rosa, that was the likely chain of events Damien had nned.


    s, their plot was foiled long before the first move was yed.


    "So, should I just willingly y along?" Irina suggested her own scheme to counter the sinister plot. "I''ll answer Damien''s request to meet me and lead him on. He''ll let his guard down and won''t suspect a thing. The moment he thinks that his plot will work, I''ll reveal that we know everything, and you''ll pop out and annihte them!"


    "... Huh?"


    What was with that childish plot? The girl has been watching too many dramas¡­


    "No, why would you go through all that trouble?"


    "What do you mean?"


    I couldn''t hide the broad smile emerging from my lips as my Vampiric fangs started to show. Unable to contain my excitement, I blurted out:


    "Why wait when we can just annihte them now?"


    ???


    Damien Everwinter weed his visitors with an uneasy frown on his face. Watching the sacramental robes of his guests brush against the precious ground of the Everwinter Estate ced a certain feeling of repulsion in his heart.


    As a Vampire, there was an innate disgust towards the members of the Holy Church, particrly those who specialised in hunting Vampires and other beings of the night. The Exorcists that emerged from the Warp Gate were no different. No, given the notoriety of his visitor, Damien felt his skin crawl and his stomach churn from the inside out. It took all he had to lock eyes with the man who led the squad and not puke his guts.


    "Angelo Augustus Amorth¡­ I didn''t think the Holy Church would send a bigshot like you."


    "Father Amorth is fine, Everwinter Vampire. The Pope is paying all of his attention to this mission. Of course, he''ll send his very best."


    Just as Damien had a natural aversion to those from the Holy Church, Father Amorth felt the same way. In fact, the Exorcist was in a far more undesirable state. The moment he stepped foot in the Everwinter Estate, theck of Holy magic in the air, plus the repulsing scent of Vampires, made the Holy man think twice about his mission.


    Deep in the belly of the beast, there was nothing that Father Amorth could rely on. Not to mention, he hated Vampires to his core, especially opportunistic ones like Damien Everwinter.


    s, his mission was far too critical for his feelings to get in the way.


    "... Angelo, has your beloved Pope told you whates next?"


    Damien didn''t call the man Father for the same reason Father Amorth didn''t call Damien by name. They didn''t want to acknowledge each other. While they had entered into a partnership to assassinate Jin, neither side liked their current predicament. Unfortunately, for the sake of their goals, they could only swallow their pride and shake hands with the enemy.


    Which was why these tant words of hostility werergely ignored by both parties.


    "Don''t be stupid; I was the one who organised this whole operation. Of course, I know whates next."


    "Oh? So you''re the mastermind behind everything?"


    "I wouldn''t say I''m the mastermind," Father Amorth smiled and stared straight into Damien''s eyes. "I wasn''t the one who sought to betray his own House just to save his skin. The n to use an Archangel was my idea, everything else¡­ If you want to know who the true mastermind is, all you need to do is look into a mirror."


    "..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Damien clicked his tongue and averted his eyes. Father Amorth''s words weren''t apliment but a warning. Damien was the one who nned this whole charade, and there was no turning back now. Even if he did have second thoughts about betraying his House, he has gone too far to back down. The only way this story ends is with Jin''s death¡­ or his.


    Ignoring Father Amorth''s warning, the Everwinter Vampire looked at the other members that came with the Exorcist and said:


    "We''ll create a pretext to lure Irina to my estate. Since it''s a conversation between two Everwinter heirs, Jin Valter will not be allowed to participate. Even if hees, we''ll have multiple opportunities to kidnap her right under his nose. We''ll smuggle her into this chamber, and when hees to rescue her, you''ll warp them back to the Cathedral where the Archangel can be summoned."


    "Yes, that''s the n¡­" Father Amorth rubbed his chin happily. "However, there is one more detail you''ve missed."


    "What?"


    "We''re going to do some reconnaissance on the Progenitor."


    "Are you fucking crazy?!"


    Damien''s heart almost stopped after hearing the Exorcist''s words. Controlling the urge to m his cor onto the wall and choke the man to death, he blurted out his innermost thoughts.


    "Smuggling you in is already a crime great enough to get me executed! Now, you expect me to let you Church dogs roam freely in the Everwinter Estate?! Even if I wanted to, your disgusting Holy power would be noticed when you leave this chamber! Do you want to kill us before the mission could evenmence?!"


    The only reason Matriarch Innocence and the other high-ranking members of the Everwinter House have yet to discover Father Amorth''s appearance is due to the unique attributes of Damien''s chamber. Magic doesn''t seep in or out of this ce, and various protection spells prevented anyone from peeping. Even Matriarch Innocence herself wouldn''t notice Father Amorth''s presence unless she came into the chamber herself.


    It was practically impossible for anyone to notice that Damien had sessfully smuggled in seven members of the Holy Church. However, if they left the chamber, that would be a different story.


    "Don''t worry, us five members of the clergy won''t be participating in the reconnaissance."


    In the face of Damien''s threats, Father Amorth remained calm. He pointed his thumb back to the two men draped in ck robes and said:


    "These two will be the ones monitoring the Progenitor. They aren''t biblically trained, and their bodies don''t have an ounce of Holy magic. However, they''ve been trained in stealth and espionage techniques. If they really tried, they could be undetectable for weeks on end. Not even Matriarch Innocence or the Progenitor will be able to notice their existence. And the cherry on top of it all¡­"


    "They''re Vampires¡­"


    It only took one look for Damien to recognise what species those two men were.


    They weren''t Bloodservants or lesser Vampires that the Church may have created. They were True Vampires, bona fide higher existences offering their services to the Holy Church, the very entity that hunted them.


    "Have you no shame? Subjecting yourselves to the rule of the Holy Church." Damien snorted in disgust.


    "Aren''t you doing the same, Damien Everwinter?" One of the men growled.


    "Don''t misunderstand," the other added. "The moment you signed the deal with the Pope, you''re just as deplorable as we are."


    "... Fuck!"


    Damien cursed out loud and once more averted his eyes. At this point, he was really second-guessing himself. If he surrendered these people to the Matriarch, would he be forgiven? No, of course not.


    Bringing anyone in without the Matriarch''s permission was a crime, let alone seven members of the Holy Church. Not only that, Damien was nning on kidnapping Irina, the favoured child, and eliminating the newborn Progenitor. Everything that Damien has done thus far was akin to a thousand death sentences.


    s, he had pushed himself into the corner.


    If only he didn''t provoke Irina and Jin when they were weak¡­ If only he hadn''t bribed Irina''s brother to force her to marry him¡­ If only he had the foresight to see Jin''s potential¡­


    There were too many ifs to count now. He had already rolled the dice, and now Damien had to see it through.


    "I assume you have no issue with our ns."


    "... Do as you please."


    "Alright," Father Amorth smiled, knowing he''d gotten the upper hand. "We''ll nt these two agents as servants. If we can''t get them assigned to Irina''s mansion, we can assign them to the area near them. Anywhere within fifteen kilometres is fine. My agents are professionals; they can handle it from there."


    "What kind of reconnaissance will they do?"


    "Ideally, we could test his strength, but that would rm the Progenitor. So, we''ll measure his magic power discreetly and spy on his every movement. How he sleeps, how he eats, how he breathes¡­ My men will record down every detail."


    "Hoh¡­ That''s pretty good."


    "Yes, and once we get enough data, we''ll¡­"


    At this moment, Father Amorth froze. He''d realised that Damien had stopped speaking entirely, and his eyes were wide open. But the eeriest thing¡­ The voice that responded to his¡­ wasn''t Damien''s.


    Snapping his head back in a frantic, Father Amorth jumped as he saw the other individual who shouldn''t be in this chamber.


    Decked with white, ck and gold, the suave Adonis stood amused in his Winter fur coat while watching the other individuals scramble in attention. Just under two metres tall, the man was easily a head shorter than Father Amorth, who stood at an outstanding 2.2 metres. Yet, Father Amorth didn''t feel he was the biggest man in the room. Far from it, in fact.


    As he examined the beauty of a man from head to toe, the Exorcist felt a chill he hadn''t experienced since he was six years old. A primal fear that begged the man to run at the top of his heels and never look back.


    In front of that handsome man¡­ Father Amorth was nothing more than a child. An ant that could only be trampled. And in the entire world, other than the Archangel, which required half of the Holy Church''s resources to be summoned, only one being could make him feel that way.


    "What''s the matter? Please continue! I want to hear about how you n to kill me!"


    A cheerful smile was stered on the man''s face. But to the other individuals in the chamber, that smile was akin to a smile from the Grim Reaper himself.


    "Jin Valter¡­"

 Chapter 152 Cleaning House (3)

    "Jin Valter¡­"


    The Exorcist who came to kill me muttered my name with a slight tremor. Listening in, I felt a wave of superiority envelop my heart. They were like children who had been caught in a lie or corrupt government officials who had been charged in court.


    The moment I appeared behind them, their world froze, and they knew the gig was up.


    "Do carry on; I''m curious to find out how you wish to kill me." I continued to taunt them with a bright smile on my face.


    "J-Jin Valter¡­ H-How???"


    "You must be Damien Everwinter," turning to the stuttering Vampire, I gave a knowing smile. "Your n to assassinate me using an Archangel wasn''t bad. It was the only way you could escape death after your actions toward Irina and me. s, you underestimated me too much, Damien. Or should I say¡­ You underestimated my lovers too much."


    If it weren''t for Rosa''s stupidly powerful spying capabilities, there was no way I could uncover Damien''s plot. Perhaps I could have countered it with my own strength, but there was a high chance that I would have been caught off guard.


    So, Damien''s only miscalction¡­ was not knowing the full extent of Rosalyn Shadowgarden''s abilities.


    "Ah, but don''t get me wrong. You''re still going to die today. I''ve already received the blessing from your Matriarch. In fact, the only reason why you''ve lived this long was because I needed you to bring these Church goons to me. You see, I''m kind of curious about how Holy magic works¡­"


    Rubbing my chin, I looked at the members of the Holy Church like how a scientist would examine a specimen. I couldn''t tell for sure since the chamber was blocking magic power, but these five clergymen possessed a vast amount of magic power. It wasn''t at the level of a True Vampire that had lived for centuries, but their magic power was enough to ssify them as S-Ranked Hunters or higher.


    But something doesn''t add up¡­


    Isn''t Holy magic a whole different concept from regr magic? The Holy Church has always imed that their magices from God himself. So why do these Exorcists'' magic power look no different than that of a regr Hunter?


    "Buy us some time, Damien!!! The rest of you, open up the portal!!! "


    The tallest and most intimidating Exorcist barked out orders while forcing Damien to do something. The two Vampires that came with the Holy Church also moved, jumping onto the chamber''s ceiling with their daggers unsheathed. The other members of the clergy showed their professionalism as well, their hands grabbing onto their staffs and crosses as magic power filled their veins and cores.


    As for the two most dangerous people in their group, they moved with eyes filled with battle instinct and vengeance. Notably therge man who seemed to be the leader of the group.


    He pulled out two silver magnum revolvers from his holsters and pointed them straight at me. I was certain that if I gave him the opportunity, his fingers would pull the trigger mercilessly and drill a hole through my skull.


    Finally, Damien regained hisposure and entered into a battle stance. Magic power far beyond that of a five-hundred-year-old True Vampire seeped out from his body as ice crept over the walls and floor. He may not have the Winter Sovereign Aspect like Irina, but given that he''s an heir of the mighty Everwinter House, his control over ice and snow must be staggering.


    Not that it mattered, though¡­


    If it was a year ago, I would have to analyse his attack patterns,e up with suitable counter magic and eventually, create a long-winded battle n to defeat Damien. It wasn''t just Damien; the Vampires that came with the Holy Church were professional assassins with skills that could cripple an average Vampire without them even realising. The Holy Church Exorcists were also a problem, given how they could use spatial magic and unknown Holy powers to significantly damage me.


    s¡­ In the face of absolute power, none of that mattered.


    "Break."


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!


    Channelling my magic power into my ring of destruction, I willed the entire chamber to crumble under its own weight as a thunderous tremor roared through the Everwinter Estate. Crimson mes surged from under my feet, enveloping the two assassins who aimed at my neck with daggers, incinerating them into ash.


    Damien and the other big man quickly escaped from the falling debris and flew straight up.


    The five Church clergies who remained to construct the Warp Gate were bbergasted by the destruction and could only brace themselves for the impending impact. Tonne after tonne of heavy rock fell violently onto their unprotected bodies, crushing them into meat paste before I could even do anything about it.


    The ease of their defeat forced my jaw to drop. I didn''t mean to kill them; I just wanted to stop their spell. Who would have guessed they were this fragile?


    Once again, I was reminded of the superiority of Vampires. Even a weak Blood Servant wouldn''t sumb to their death so easily. Yet, these ''blessed'' individuals died after one casual stroke of my hand.


    What a waste¡­ I wanted to experiment with those Church goons to see how Holy magic worked. I guess I would have to settle for the one remaining Exorcist who stood by Damien''s side.


    Speaking of which¡­


    "Hoho¡­ They''re not attempting to escape? I wonder if they''ve given up or are just dumb?"


    Damien and the Exorcist remained above ground, watching in horror as the chamber crumbled. They didn''t move a single inch, even though it was the prime opportunity to escape. Was it due to shock or fear? I was a little disappointed by theirck of fervour. I had even prepared contingency ns if they attempted to run away without a fight.


    "Doesn''t matter¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Warping myself with Space-magic, I teleported behind the pair, nkly staring at the ruined chamber, forcing them to snap their heads back with fear in their eyes.


    "I wonder which one of you I should kill first?"


    "..."


    Both Vampire and human remained silent. They couldn''tprehend everything that had just transpired, and their faces showed that clearly. Particrly Damien, his entire body was shaking and his already paleplexion somehow became even more ashen.


    In ast-ditch effort to save his life, Damien shouted out the only argument that came to mind: "Y-You¡­ Do you think you can get away with attacking an heir on Everwinter grounds?!"


    "Damien Everwinter¡­ Your idiocy amazes me."


    "W-What?"


    "We may have had grudges in the past, but if you were willing to beg for forgiveness and give up your power, I would have spared your life."


    It was the truth. After bing a Progenitor, I didn''t really care about Damien and our past grudges. Yes, his faction may have attempted to kill me when I was weaker, and he had tried to force Irina into an arranged marriage with him, but those were small matters in the grand scheme.


    If Damien begged and swore to never be involved with my affairs any longer, I would have just meted out a simple punishment that didn''t include ending his life. After all, I didn''t want to be the second Drac, a tyrant that massacred those who disobeyed him. But, by allying with the Holy Church, this idiot forced my hand.


    "Instead of seeking peace, you partnered with our mortal enemy and tried to kill me. Even the Matriarch is disgusted by your actions. You may think I''m the reason for your downfall but in truth¡­ You were just blinded by greed for power."


    "You¡­ YOU FUCKING BRAT!!!"


    Knowing that he had no more cards to y, Damien roared like a caged animal. Magic power gushed out from his body as his aspect shone brightly at the back of his hand. I was tempted to let him have hisst stand, but I''ve lost all interest in the fallen Everwinter heir.


    Pssssttttt¡­


    With my powers of destruction, I dposed the Vampire all the way down to his atoms. No ashes, no bones, no flesh remained. All that remained of Damien Everwinter was a puff of smoke that dissipated into nothingness.


    "With that settled¡­ Only one remains."


    I turned my attention to thest man standing. The tall Exorcist dual-wielded silver magnums as if he were from an old Western film. The more I examined the man, the more intrigued I became.


    Of all the seven men who came through the Holy Church''s Warp Gate, he was unquestionably the most powerful one. Not to mention, his battle instincts and sense of danger were off the charts. He was the first to notice me when I appeared in the chamber. He was also the only one who managed to escape the copse triggered by my magic.


    And judging from his sanctified appearance¡­ This man should be a big shot in the Holy Church.


    "Jin Valter¡­"


    "You keep repeating my name like a prayer¡­ Is this part of the Holy Church''s exorcisms? You attempt to kill me by repeating my name a billion times?"


    "You¡­ sure are impudent for a twenty-six-year-old. Haven''t you heard of respecting your elders?"


    "Hoh¡­ I''m impressed."


    "Impressed?"


    "Yes, impressed." I smiled and gave the man an imaginary pat on the back. "Instead of running away, you''re facing my pressure head-on. And you can remain calm enough to taunt me. You''re probably one of the Church''s strongest Exorcists, right?"


    Even without unleashing my magic, the aura of a Progenitor was enough to make countless humans insane. Even pureblood True Vampires that lived for thousands of years would feel suppressed by my aura. Matriarch Innocence was no exception. Yet, this burly man was able to smile in the face of my presence.


    "I''m not one of the strongest, but the strongest. My name is Angelo Augustus Amorth, head of the Exorcist division."


    "Oh? So I fished out the Head Exorcist? Now that''s good news!"


    I knew that leaving Damien alive for a while would pay off! If I wished to examine Holy magic, there was no better specimen than the Head Exorcist!


    "Let''s see how powerful the trump card of the Holy Church really is¡­"

 Chapter 153 The Face Of God (1)

    I was trembling¡­


    Jin Valter. I heard he killed Eyghon, a Demon Lord that the Holy Church couldn''t defeat. I heard he annihted the Bloodborne House and killed its High Elder. And most terrifyingly¡­ I heard he had be a Progenitor.


    Sometimes, you hear something, and your brain can''t fullyprehend it.


    I''ve heard multiple stories of the horrors a Progenitor could cause. The legends of Drac and how he dominated the. The fear that came with muttering his name. And the absurd power levels that a Progenitor could reach.


    I had always taken those stories with a grain of salt and dismissed them as exaggerated myths created by the Vampires to strike fear into their enemies.


    But my arrogance¡­ My ignorance has cost me dearly.


    I''d assumed that a Progenitor was nothing more than a powered-up Vampire. Perhaps a Vampire that was a little stronger than ancient monsters such as Matriarch Everwinter. But that was far from the truth.


    Jin Valter¡­ No, this monster¡­ He wasn''t a powered-up Vampire.


    Just by standing in front of him, the blood in my veins drained back into my heart. My legs had bepletely heavy, rooting my feet onto the ground. My scalp and face contracted wildly as if a million ants were crawling underneath them, and my bodily functions froze instantly.


    Every bone in my body is screaming at me to run away, yet my brain is unable to function. Fear had taken over my body, forcing my chest to tighten and my heart rate to jump wildly. It took everything I had to remain conscious and keep a functioning mind, and even then¡­ My soul was being corrupted by the second.


    Paralysed from the waist down, I was unable to evenprehend a method to escape. Now I knew the feeling of a cornered rabbit facing an inevitable death in the face of a tiger. There was no point in running. This man¡­ This monster will hunt me down and eradicate me from the.


    As the monster approached me with an elegant smile, I started to weigh my options. For some reason, he wasn''t going to kill me instantly like he did to Damien. And from his words, it seems like he wanted to experiment with my Holy magic.


    This could be an opportunity for me¡­


    If I could somehow trick him, I could find a way to escape. I don''t know how, but I must find a way to trick the man. Otherwise¡­ I''ll die.


    "Jin Valter¡­ Why don''t we y a game?"


    "A game?"


    "Yes, a game¡­"


    "Interesting¡­ You can still gather the wits to bargain in the face of a stronger enemy. Fine, I''ll indulge you this once. Tell me your ns."


    Good, the monster doesn''t seem unreasonable, and it looks like he wants to keep me alive for now. As long as I can convince him not to use the one-shot magic he''d cast to kill Damien, I have a chance to survive!


    "It''ll be a simple game of tag."


    I will distract him with a game of tag. From what I hear, powerful Vampires are oftencent and arrogant. They think every other creature is beneath them and won''t treat them seriously. Furthermore, he seems to have a fascination with Holy magic.


    He won''t shoot his most powerful spells at me off the gate if he wants to keep me alive. Also, he''ll toy with me like a cat that ys with its food. During that time, I will rely on apse of his judgement and summon a Warp Gate that can teleport me back to the Holy Church.


    If he epts my deal, I will have a chance to survive.


    If he epts my deal, that is¡­


    "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"


    Instead of answering my terms and conditions, the Progenitor burst out inughter. Hisugh was so loud that the trees started swaying as the ground quaked underneath him. Numerous drops of sweat dripped down my cheeks and drenched my cor as I could not read through his intentions.


    "W-What''s so funny?"


    "N-No¡­ B-Buahahahahahha!!!! I''m sorry, it''s just refreshing, you see." Wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes, the monster held back hisughter and said: "Not long ago, I was in the same position as you. I had fought with stronger enemies and used all sorts of schemes and scams to survive. To think that the shoe is now on the other foot! HAHAHA!!!"


    The young man started tough once more. It took him twenty seconds for hisughter to calm down until he eventually came on track.


    "You made me remember my fight with Sirius! It feels like a lifetime ago, but to think it''s only been a little over half a year¡­"


    Sirius? Was he talking about Sirius Moonreaver, the Lord of the Moonreaver House? While I had more questions, I didn''t dare disrupt the Progenitor. He could, after all, kill me with a thought.


    "Alright! You''ve intrigued me! I''ll grant you mercy, but I won''t y your game!" The Vampire bared his fangs at me and dered.


    "Let''s have a duel. The same duel Sirius and I had. Same rules, same handicaps."


    "Same handicaps?"


    "That''s right. Let''s have a duel; the time limit is an hour. If you touch me once, it''s your win. And I will even throw a bone and restrict myself. I won''t use my ultimate spells against you. If you seed, I''ll let you live. Hell, I''ll even allow you to warp back to the Holy Church."


    "... What if I lose?"


    "Well¡­ I''ll let you find out if Heaven is real with your own eyes."


    "..."


    A duel to the death, huh? What a childish idea. Unfortunately, it was my only chance of survival. Without thinking twice, I epted the Progenitor''s terms.


    "Thank you¡­ I hope you will keep your end of the bargain¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I swear on the prestige of the Valter House."


    I closed my eyes and took one deep breath in. My heart was still rapidly pounding from fear, and every fibre of my being was screaming at me to run away with all that I''d got. However, I pushed down those horrid thoughts and readied my firearms. At the same time, I channelled my magic power and prepared myself to cast several spells. And finally¡­


    ''Sanctified father in Heaven¡­ Please bless your faithful servant with the strength to defeat your enemy.''


    I offered a silent prayer. It was the only thing I could do against this monster who surpassed every limit known to man. And as if he''d read my prayer, a glowing golden light descended upon my body.


    My Lord is with me¡­ My God is with me¡­


    And with him by my side¡­


    I shall triumph!!!


    I leapt into action, d in my suit of divine amour. The Progenitor had a look of surprise on his face, likely since this was his first time seeing Holy magic in the flesh. He didn''t move a single inch even though I''d closed the distance between us by at least ten metres.


    Did he think that I wasn''t a threat? It doesn''t matter. Since he''d given me this opportunity, I shall use it well.


    The barrels of my gun pointed straight at the man''s face, and I unloaded all of my bullets at point-nk range. In theory, the average Vampire wouldn''t perish no matter how many shots you sink into their immortal bodies. They would feel pain but could easily regenerate it all in minutes.


    However, my silver bullets were different. Coated with Holy magic, the bullets could blow a Vampire''s head into a million pieces, and they would perish like any regr human. I have killed countless Vampires with these bullets, and they have never failed me¡­


    Until now¡­


    Clink! Clink! Clink!


    My bullets bounced off an invisible wall and ricocheted back at my body. With some fancy footwork and light movements, I evaded the bullets and distanced myself from the Progenitor.


    The Vampire continued to look at me with eyes of confusion as if he were trying to solve a puzzle that confounded him. But at the same time, he was unperturbed by my actions, as if my attacks were nothing more than flies bothering him.


    A barrier, huh? I should expect nothing less from the Progenitor. If I could win the duel with a single shot, he wouldn''t be the greatest threat to the Holy Church.


    If bullets cannot harm him, let''s try a bomb!


    I leapt from my feet and charged straight at the unmoving man. It seemed like he was observing and analysing my magic, utterly unfazed by its dangers. Luckily, his nonchnce allowed me toy down the perfect trap. Shooting eight bullets into the ground around him, I created an octagon which linked my Holy power into one concentrated spell.


    A golden magic circle spread out beneath the Progenitor''s feet. With the power of my magic and prayer, a detonation of Holy power exploded on the Progenitor, sending shockwaves throughout the estate.


    ¡­ I caused some damage, didn''t I?


    Underneath the dust and smoke, I couldn''t see the state of the Progenitor. But no Vampire could remain unscathed after taking a direct hit with that much Holy power. But s¡­ My dreams were shattered as the man walked out of the cracked ground unharmed.


    "What a fucking cheat¡­"


    I couldn''t help butugh. What an absurd existence. Even my most destructive spell didn''t do anything to the man. Not a single wound, tear on his clothes or even dirtied his wless skin. He looked at me with the same curious face. The man was treating this duel like an experiment that he could easily end if he got bored.


    Fuck¡­ If that spell couldn''t break through his barrier¡­ Then nothing in my arsenal could ever harm him. There''s no point in dragging this out any longer. Instead of pointlessly dragging this duel on, let''s bet everything on this final move.


    I threw my guns on the floor and fell straight to my knees. Grabbing the rosary on my neck, I closed my eyes and started to ardently pray.


    "Oh hallowed father in heaven¡­ Blessed be thy name¡­"


    As expected, the Progenitor didn''t attack me as I prayed. He was curious about my actions and would willingly allow me toplete the ritual.


    I would say he''s arrogant, but he had the skills to back up hisck of fear. Even though I wasn''t confident in this move paying off, it was all I had.


    "Grant me your mercy¡­ Send down a ming sword to strike vengeance on your enemies¡­"


    My prayer took two minutes toplete, and I could feel my rosary heating up from all the Holy magic being poured into it. This was my trump card, the catalyst the Pope bestowed on me when I became the Head Exorcist. I had never once used it in battle, fearing the consequences of my deeds, but it was toote.


    "Let your light guide me¡­ And bring forth your infinite power!!!"


    With one final push, I released the cross in my hands as it crushed itself into sand and light. The particles merged into one, and a humanoid form took shape. Six hallowed wings spread forth from the humanoid''s back as a golden halo gently enveloped its head. Golden mes coiled around the wrists and ankles of the mighty being, with the hymn of Heaven itself ying as it manifested itself.


    An Angel. My one and final trump card have been yed.


    An Angel''s strength depended on the number of wings on its back. While I could never summon an eighteen-winged Archangel, a six-winged one was strong enough to kill most ancient Vampires.


    I may not be able to kill or damage the Progenitor with this Angel, but I could at least break through his barrier. As long as I touched him once, I would have won the duel. Once his barrier breaks, I''ll be able to sneak in during his shock andnd a single bullet onto his body.


    But unlike the look of shock I''d expected, the Progenitor sighed heavily.


    "So that''s how it is¡­ Hah¡­"


    The Vampire held his head with his free hand and sighed deeply. Then he said the words that would resonate within my mind forevermore.


    "How disappointing."

 Chapter 154 The Face Of God (2)

    What''s that?


    The moment I dered the start of the match, the Exorcist d himself in a golden light, much like how a Pdin would call forth a divine coat of armour. It was unlike anything I''d ever seen before. Coated with a golden hue, the Exorcist''s physical and magical ability was enhanced in an unnatural manner.


    Usually, one would cast magic power from within themselves, which gave them a finite amount of magic power to work with. However, on top of his magic power, a golden stream of mysterious energy flowed into the colossal Priest.


    I couldn''t understand what that golden stream was¡­ It was neither magic power nor was it spiritual energy. It didn''t have anything to do with souls either; otherwise, my special ''vision'' would have identified it instantly.


    I couldn''tprehend what I was looking at, and my mind scrambled for any hypothesis. Ipletely disregarded the Exorcist and his danger as I innately understood¡­ There was nothing the man could do to harm me.


    Leaping from his feet, the clergyman uncharacteristically used his pistols and fired multiple bullets at me. Seriously, what kind of Priest uses guns in the first ce? Nevertheless, the bullets were allced with the same golden power; all supplied by the mysterious stream that came out of nowhere.


    Unconsciously, a barrier warped around my body, deflecting all of the shots from the Exorcist. They bounced back in ricochets, forcing the man to dodge his attack like a child scrambling away with fear.


    Wait a minute¡­ Why would he need to evade bulletsced with his Holy magic? Does that mean Holy magic could damage him as well? Doesn''t that counter every Holy Church doctrine that ims Holy magic was only capable of harming enemies of the Church?


    How strange¡­


    The more I looked at it, the more mysterious Holy power became.


    Perhaps I was doing it all wrong¡­ I shouldn''t be looking at the Exorcist himself to decipher the origin of Holy magic; I should look at the golden stream that supplies him with that enigmatic energy. Besides, there was no point in paying attention to the man I was fighting, as he was far weaker than me.


    Opening the ''vision'' that allowed me to peer into souls and observe the River of Life, I carefully examined the golden stream.


    Like a string attached to a puppet, the golden stream stretched for kilometres. However, it didn''t take long for me to identify its source¡ªa crack in the dimension of souls that linked the two ces together. The stream got thicker each time the Priest prayed, and this mysterious energy strengthened his magic power.


    Hold on a second¡­ Does Heaven exist? If I traced the energy through the dimensions, would I get to the fabled Heaven where all devouts of the Holy Church eventually enter?


    Only one way to find out¡­


    I sent a trace of magic power into the alternate dimension, hoping to find white, glimmering gates with rainbows of life and eternal jubnce. I''d expected to find Saints with infinite Holy magic and Angels with ming swords and glorious wings that would never decay.


    However, I didn''t experience an otherworldly trance. I didn''t feel anything akin to a God.


    The only thing that existed in that mysterious dimension¡­ was just in energy.


    But unlike magic power or spiritual energy¡­ The energy within this realm was somethingpletely different. It was filled with emotions, blind hopeful energy, and¡­ faith. This wasn''t Heaven¡­ This wasn''t Hell¡­


    It was a dimension¡­ powered by emotions¡­ powered by¡­ faith.


    I couldn''t believe my eyes. I peered around the dimension, looking for methods on how this absurd construct could even exist. It didn''t take long for me to find my first breakthrough, mostly small holes that led to distant ces.


    One led me to a chapel where forty faithful believers listened in on a sermon while the Priest prayed over them. Another brought me into a household where a family was praying next to a firece. The next showed me a scene of a test-taker cramming a prayer before her studies.


    The sources of the mysterious energy were just as varied as it was strange. Billions followed the Holy Church, and whenever one of them offered a prayer, a small trickle of energy flowed into this dimension. The energy was insignificant, as small as a drop of seawater before an entire ocean. Yet, they were the source of this mysterious dimension.


    How many prayers? How many believers had to offer their hearts and emotions for this dimension to grow so big over the years?


    I get it now¡­ The source of Holy magic wasn''t an almighty God in the sky.


    It was the collective power of every human being who believed in the Holy Church. Their prayers and emotionsbined trickles of their magic power and souls to form a different energy. One that was foreign to the natural system couldn''t be exined through magical science.


    Faith¡­


    The Holy Church gets its power from the Faith of their believers. Faith energy¡­ I didn''t think such a thing could exist. Utilising this entirely new system to draw its powers, the Holy Church can make miracles beyond the understanding of science.


    When believers pray with the Holy Church in their hearts, they send Faith energy into this alternate dimension. The more people believe in the Holy Church, the bigger this dimension grows. And with Faith energy at their disposal, they can generate miraculous magic which could even threaten the strongest Vampires.


    If they spread news of how dangerous Vampires can be and ask their followers to pray to kill them, the Faith energy within this dimension would be fatal for Vampires.


    And since Faith energy runs on the emotions of humans, the stronger the feelings, the more powerful Holy magic was. From there, the Holy Church could utilise this energy for its benefit. Be it to y Vampires or create miracles to indoctrinate other believers further.


    How interesting¡­ So the Holy Church never did have God on their side. No, was God even real then? And more importantly¡­ Could I use this Faith energy as well?


    If all it took was for people to pray with Faith in their hearts, what if their Faiths were towards some other entity? What if there were another religion humans could pray to that didn''t involve the Holy Church? What if¡­ They prayed to a Progenitor such as myself?


    I wanted to ask an infinite number of questions, but I wasn''t given the time or space.


    While I was roaming the Faith dimension, a sudden shockwave brought my attention back to the fight. The Exorcist, still eager to best me in battle, shot bullets around my feet and channelled a considerable amount of magic powerced with Faith energy. The magic power was then turned into Holy magic that was deadly for Vampires and Outer Demons alike. And before I knew it, a thunderous explosion shook my barrier, causing my connection in the Faith dimension to be cut.


    Tch, how annoying¡­


    I could have killed the man with a thought, but I endured this inconvenience.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I still wanted to learn many things about this Faith dimension and Holy magic in general. Fortunately, the Exorcist in front of me seemed adept at handling Holy magic. Case in point, when he saw me utterly unharmed from his ultimate attack, the man threw his pistols away and knelt on the ground.


    At first, I''d thought he had disregarded his pride and wished to beg for mercy. But I was quickly proven wrong as he grabbed onto his rosary and started to pray.


    At that moment, the golden stream that linked the Priest to the Faith dimension solidified and almost became tangible to my special eyes. Like a tube descending from the heavens, my enemy drew in a vast amount of Faith energy and circled it with his own magic power.


    I see¡­ Now I understand why only clergymen from the Holy Church could use Holy magic.


    While anyone who prayed and believed in the God of the Holy Church could supply Faith energy to the Faith dimension, only a selected few could draw out the Faith energy. Individuals such as Priests and Bishops could use Holy magic without restrictions, while themon folk couldn''t.


    As for the reason why that''s the case¡­ It must be the rosaries acting as catalysts.


    I don''t know the exact conditions to draw out Faith energy, but it seems that having a rosary specially created by the Holy Church was integral. Otherwise, one couldn''t ess the artificial Faith dimension created by the Holy Church.


    Draining almost everything he had left, the Exorcist used virtually all of his magic power to pull off a majestic summon. A ray of golden light burst from the crack of the dimensional walls, forming a humanoid figure with six wings on its back.


    Golden mes were wreathed around its wrists and ankles while a mysterious choir song buzzed within my mind. Without a doubt, the man summoned an Angel, a mystical being I''d only heard of in legends and stories.


    I was pleasantly surprised. I didn''t think that Faith energy could be used to create otherworldly beings.


    In my scientific career, watching an Angel being summoned would be the highlight of my studies. Yet, after I''d solved the mystery of Holy magic and had peeled off the Face of God¡­ I couldn''t hide my disappointment.


    "How disappointing¡­" I muttered unconsciously.


    The Priest heard my words and abruptly took one step back. With his power and religion challenged, the devout clergyman shouted at the top of his lungs.


    "Progenitor!!! My Lord has given me the power to summon an Angel!!! I may not be a match for you, but a six-winged Angel has the power to defeat ancient Vampires!!! You won''t leave this battle unscathed!!!"


    Hmmm? So does this Exorcist actually believe in God? Even though he''s one of the highest ranking members in the Holy Church? Wait, does that mean he''s unaware of Holy magic''s true nature?


    Ahhh, it must be necessary for all members of the Holy Church to believe in God. In order to fool their believers and enemies, they must first fool themselves. And for them to synchronise with the Faith dimension, they must have more Faith than the average human.


    Perhaps only the Pope would know the true Face of God.


    A mindless dimension that draws energy from their believers.


    Arghh¡­ And here I was, hoping for a higher being, such as a deity or God. To think that reality was far more boring¡­ Once again, I could hide my disappointment.


    "An Angel, huh? What''s the big deal about that?"


    I raised my hand and attempted to destroy the Angel with one spell. However, before my fingers could cast the spell, a curious thought came to my mind.


    Since all Holy magic came from the Faith dimension¡­ What would happen if I cut that connection? If that was possible, doesn''t that mean I would have countered all Holy magic?


    My curiosity beat my desire to crush the clergyman, and I immediately got to it. Using my Destruction and Life rings, I cast a spell that cut the connection between the Exorcist and the Faith dimension. It was a cursory spell I casually created on the spot, yet¡­


    "H-Huh?"


    The shining golden ray that illuminated the Angel dissipated away as the Exorcist was cut out from the Faith dimension. The magic power he supplied was drained back into his body while the Angel itself fizzled out like it didn''t exist. Rather, Angels never existed in the first ce. It was a manifestation of Faith energy that was imagined by humans who first created the Holy Church.


    "Y-You¡­ W-What did you do?"


    "Hah¡­"


    The Exorcist was tongue-tied and amazed by the ease with which I dispatched his Angel. To tell the truth, I was surprised as well. I didn''t think it would be so easy to counter Holy magic. I''d thought I had to fight a bearded man in the sky, but all I needed to do¡­ was cast one spell.


    "You sure are a disappointment."


    With a sigh, I flicked my fingers and sent a shockwave flying through the air. It collided with the Exorcist and sent him flying a full kilometre back. With how sturdy the man''s body was, he wouldn''t die from my casual flick. But a few broken ribs and ruptured organs were an inevitability.


    And as expected, the Exorcist stood up from my attack, blood dripping down his lips. Forcing himself onto his shaking feet, he stared at me withser eyes that could pierce through metal.


    Shock¡­ confusion¡­ fear¡­


    All of those emotions were cycling through his mind. Now that I have be a Progenitor and, ultimately, a ''final boss'' that all life forms fear. I have gotten used to seeing those eyes. After all, they were the same eyes I had when I was weak and feeble.


    But now¡­ I was the apex predator.


    "If you want to live¡­ You''ll have to show me something better than that."

 Chapter 155 The Face Of God (3)

    After cutting the connection between the Exorcist and his Angel, the battle became anti-climatic. There was nothing the clergyman could do to threaten my hegemony, even if he summoned another ten thousand Angels with whatever miracle he could concoct. In truth, the moment I''d realised the existence of the Faith dimension, the battle had concluded right then and there.


    I could kill the Exorcist off at any time; the only reason he was still alive was my genuine curiosity about what he could do.


    Other than Holy magic, the greatest Exorcist in the Holy Church should have a few tricks up his sleeves, right?


    And as expected of the Holy Church''s ace, the Priest didn''t let that one setback unnerve himpletely. Taking one deep breath in, the man regrouped and nned out a new course of action. But first¡­


    Once more, the Exorcist muttered a prayer which linked him to the Faith dimension. It activates the catalyst to connect Holy magic practitioners to the alternate dimension; one must pray with a faithful and earnest heart. And since the Exorcist firmly believed in the Holy Church''s doctrine, he could call forth a vast amount of Faith energy with a single prayer.


    Utilising the Faith energy, the Exorcist proved once more that he stood at the pinnacle of the Holy Church. A golden light illuminated his wrangled and bloodied body, gradually healing the wounds I''d caused by my casual flick.


    Divine Heal.


    It was the signature ability of the Holy Church. To call that ability magic would be a stretch. It went against allws of physics and nature and was akin to a miracle instead. In the distant past, when medical science and magic hadn''t been developed, the Holy Church used Divine Heal to influence the poption, eventually bing the majority religion that all humans followed.


    Seeing it firsthand did bring an inquisitive smile to my face. As a Vampire, I did not need such a backwater ability as my regenerative factor far exceeded anything Heal could do. But that didn''t dwindle my curiosity one bit.


    Divine Heal¡­ Now that I had seen the true Face of God, I now knew how this sacramental ability worked. By using Faith energy produced through prayers and emotions, one could change the properties of their magic power to that of a healer.


    It was pretty ingenious, actually. Using the energies of their believers to create miracles that could bring in even more believers.


    Perhaps one day, I could implement this system to enhance my power.


    s, that was a thought experiment for another day. As I contemted my options, the Exorcist hadpleted his self-repair and prepared to strike again. Spinning his magnum pistols about, the Holy man leapt off his feet and charged straight towards me.


    "O'' almighty Father in Heaven, bless me with your sacred grace¡­"


    Coated once more like a Pdin in golden armour, the man fired his bulletsced with Holy power.


    I frowned, unimpressed by theck of originality of the Exorcist''s attacks.


    Was shooting bullets the only thing this man could do? And since when did Priests shoot guns anyway? Did the Holy Church have a Second Amendment?


    Naturally, the silver bullets that all Vampires feared couldn''t even touch my skin. Deflecting off my barrier, the shotsnded straight on the ground like snow falling from the Winter skies. Drilled deep into the floor, there was no harm left that those bullets could do.


    Or so I''d thought¡­


    BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!


    Likendmines that had been triggered, the bullets activated and sent out a surge of Holy power, creating craters beneath my feet. A dyed reaction? I didn''t even notice magic power being channelled through those bullets.


    How intriguing¡­ So the man did have some cards up his sleeves. Not that it mattered, though. Such a weak attack would do nothing to my barrier, let alone damage my skin.


    And as I continued to demean the Exorcist''s weak attacks, he pulled yet another surprise for me.


    Schling!!! Schling!!! Schling!!! Schling!!! Schling!!!


    Eighteen golden chains erupted from the ground where the bullets rested, creating a dome of spikes wrapped around my barrier. Using the knives at the tip of the chains, my opponent mmed all eighteen spikes into one point of my barrier. Sparks flew as the attrition between the golden spikes and my protection collided. Like Superman trying to rip apart aet, the chains continued to force their way into my barrier as they did their best to tear my protection apart.


    And the cherry on top of it all¡­


    "ARGHHHH!!!"


    Leaping high into the air, the Exorcist unloaded all his remaining silver bullets into that one point, hoping to drill a hole through my impregnable barrier.


    BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!


    Shot after shotnded, and sparks flew around the snowyndscape. Gritting his teeth, my opponent''s face turnedpletely red as magic power poured out from his body staggeringly. He was betting it all on this final attack.


    It was the textbook method of taking down an unbreakable defence. If there were no weaknesses in the barrier, one had to make one by concentrating all of their firepower into one spot to create a weakness. It was the only feasible way for him to break down my barrier and win the duel.


    But unfortunately for him¡­


    My barrier, no, my Aegis, was moulded after the shell of Eyghon. It was my greatest defensive spell; besides its magic power cost, it had virtually no weaknesses. Even if the man tried with a thousand Exorcists by his side, my Aegis would never fall. And even if cracks did appear on the barrier, it would simply repair itself with my bottomless magic power pool.


    "So bright¡­ Time to shut off the lights."


    That being said, I did not need to indulge in my opponent''s n. Raising my hand, I severed the man''s connection with the Faith dimension, turning the golden chains and silver bullets into pure light.


    Stunned that his attack failed, the Exorcist froze mid-air, unsure why his Holy magic failed. Taking this chance, I sent another shockwave flying into his chest and made him fly two kilometres back this time. However, unlike thest time, I did take a souvenir.


    "So this is a Holy Church rosary¡­"


    I held up the metallic cross with my left hand and examined the odd structure. It was made out of a special metal that I couldn''t identify yet. It seemed to be an alloy of silver and some other metals, but I couldn''t be too sure.


    But what baffled me was, unlike traditional catalysts like wands or staffs, the rosary was nothing more than a glorified ne that facilitated the clergyman''s prayer. So how does this metallic rosary connect the Exorcist to the Faith dimension?


    "Y-You¡­ Y-You did it again¡­ You countered my Holy magic!!!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Spitting out blood, the Exorcist quickly got to his feet and stared at me with a look of confusion. He''d never experienced anyone who could cancel his connection with the Faith dimension, and seeing me do it twice in a row made his entire spine shake in fear. I was confident that even without his injuries, the Priest would have spat out blood all on his own just through rage and fear.


    "..."


    I ignored the man and continued my examination of the rosary. Largely, I wondered if I could use the powers of the Faith dimension using this rosary as a catalyst.


    Closing my eyes, I immediately sent a mental connection into the Faith dimension. However, this time with the rosary, I could establish a link just like the Exorcist did. And as I attempted to draw out Faith energy from the bedrock of the Holy Church¡­


    "Argh¡­"


    I groaned out in pain. I was hit with a minor migraine which instantly cut my connection to the Faith dimension. I frowned and sent a death stare to the rosary, which caused my headache. If my body weren''t that of a Progenitor, the bacsh would have been much higher, and I might have been writhing on the floor in agony.


    Holy magic was powered by Faith energy that the Holy Church had farmed from their believers. And Faith energy bore all of their prayers and emotions. Including their resentments and absolute doctrines to deny anything that may harm the human race.


    Be it Outer Demons, Werewolves, or¡­ Vampires.


    The energy within the Faith dimension was hostile to Vampires, which exins why Holy magic was so effective against us. Therefore, as a Vampire, I couldn''t farm the Faith energy within this dimension even if I had the body of a Progenitor.


    How insulting¡­


    If only I had my own religion where I could farm Faith energy from¡­


    "You¡­ Fuck! We''ve really kicked the dirt on this!"


    "Huh?"


    Did that Exorcist just curse? I get that he''s abatant, but Exorcists are still full-fledged Priests that believers call Father. To think that he would sin all on his own by cursing out loud.


    "Not only have we failed this mission, but I have also somehow made you stronger. Fuck, this is a fucking nightmare¡­"


    "Hoh? Is this your true self showing?"


    "Hah! I''m a dead man walking anyway! What''s there to hide anymore?!"


    The Exorcist dropped his pistols with a defeated look on his face. Staring straight at me, he covered up the fact that he was shaking all over and dered:


    "Progenitor¡­ No, Jin Valter!!! I won''t beg for my life, so¡­ Let me die an honourable death!"


    "Honourable death?"


    "Yes," the man sighed and continued: "Show me the heights of a Progenitor! Show me the pinnacle of the Vampire race!"


    "..."


    Oh hoh? So he''s asking me to kill him with my strongest attack? While that does sound tempting¡­ My strongest attack will level the entire Everwinter Estate. And while Matriarch Innocence has sworn fealty to me, I shouldn''t go around destroying my subordinate''s houses the moment I ascended to a Progenitor, right?


    Besides, I have other ns for the man.


    "Shoot your Holy magic at me one more time."


    "Huh?"


    "I don''t like repeating myself," I scoffed. "Shoot your Holy magic at me."


    "..."


    The Exorcist paused for a moment before picking up his guns one final time. Loading his barrel with hisst silver bullet, the clergyman mustered up his remaining magic power and charged up a fatal Holy magic shot. Usually, it would have bounced off my Aegis barrier and left mepletely unharmed, but this time¡­


    Psssstttt¡­


    I deactivated my barrier and allowed the bullet to damage my hand. It wasn''t strong enough to pierce through my skin, but the Holy magic within it burnt the firstyer of my palm. For the first time in my Progenitor life¡­ I was wounded.


    It wasn''t life-threatening; heck, it wasn''t even bad enough to be called an injury. And my regeneration would have taken care of this wound in a second. But this was definitive proof that Holy magic could harm me.


    "You¡­"


    "You''ve won the duel, Father Amorth. You''ve managed to harm me once. Per our agreement, I''ll allow you to warp back to the Holy Church safe and sound."


    "You¡­ What are you nning?"


    "Me? Nothing at all¡­"


    I smiled while reaching my hands over the unnerved Priest''s face. My eyes turned royal crimson with golden tints emerging from the sides. The Life ring glowed with emerald light as my magic power mesmerised Father Armoth, turning him into a mindless puppet for a brief moment.


    "You are just more useful to me alive than dead, that''s all."

 Chapter 156 Changes In The Everwinter House (1)

    As the battle between Jin and Father Amorth settled down, so did the disruption within the Everwinter Estate. Jin''s magic kept curious eyes away, and the vast majority of the Everwinter House couldn''t witness his one-sided massacre. And while they were curious about themotion, they couldn''t go against Matriarch Innocence''s decree to not interfere with the Progenitor''s actions.


    Even Magnus and Hi, the Everwinter House''s frontrunners to inherit the Winter Throne, weren''t exempt from the ruling. They could only sit back impatiently and wait for the news. But truth be told, they could guess what happened based on the circumstances.


    The Progenitor had attacked Damien''s stronghold. Was there any need for them to infer anything else?


    Damien had incurred the Progenitor''s wrath, and thus, he paid the price. The remnants of his faction would likely disperse as well since their figurehead had been killed. There was no point in plotting revenge or holding grudges.


    Magnus and Hi offered a silent prayer for their fallen brother while hiding their joy of losing apetitor. s, Matriarch Innocence didn''t have that luxury.


    Seated on the Winter Throne, the Matriarch of the Everwinter House stared straight into space as if she was daydreaming and lost in her thoughts. However, her greyish eyes were emitting a profound aura, as magic power which turned the hall into ice flowed out from her pores. When the fight finally concluded, the Matriarch let go of her ''vision'' and returned to the empty chamber she''d turned into a Winter Wondend.


    "My liege, how was he?"


    Variel asked while bringing a warm towel.


    "..."


    Matriarch Innocence remained silent; this time, she was truly lost in her thoughts. It was the first time she''d ever seen Jin inbat, and even as an ancient Vampire with over five thousand years under her belt, it took her a while to digest what she''d just seen.


    "Absurd¡­ Our new Progenitor is absurd¡­"


    "What powers did he show you?"


    "Not even a fraction of his true strength."


    The veteran Vampire already knew that Jin was aware of her gaze. Therefore, he held back and only showed bits and pieces of his Progenitor power, and just that alone could stun the Matriarch into silence.


    "A barrier that surpasses the Winter Graveyard, nay, eclipses it. I''ve never seen such a towering defensive spell before. It''s as if the mythical Aegis itself hade to life in the form of his barrier. Nothing the Head Exorcist did could put a dent in the spell. But that wasn''t the worst part¡­"


    That barrier alone was enough for Jin to be considered one of the strongest Vampires in the world. And yet, that was just the tip of the iceberg.


    "I don''t know how he did it, but¡­ He managed to counter Holy magic altogether."


    "Oh my¡­"


    Variel let out a rare gasp of shock. There weren''t many things that could stun the old Vampire. He''d seen it all, from the rise and fall of dynasties to the changes from the ancient to the modern world. Yet, the wizened butler couldn''t contain his emotions as he continued:


    "You''re saying Master Jin had figured out a method to counter Holy magic after seeing it once? Even though it has been a thorn in the Vampire race for generations? Even though Drac himself had trouble dealing with Holy magic?"


    "You know I don''t lie, Variel."


    Usually, Matriarch Innocence would be annoyed by her servant''s repetition of the obvious. But she forgave the man instantly as she herself couldn''t believe what she saw.


    Holy magic has been the bane of Vampires since the dawn of their existence. Heck, the only reason why Vampires hadn''t taken over the yet, was because of Holy magic. It was a Vampire''s only true weakness. It could burn innately and incinerate the soul. It could stop a Vampire''s regeneration and kill the immortal being from the inside out.


    A vast majority of Vampires died during the Crusades and the generation-long wars between the Holy Church and them.


    Researchers had spent thousands of years determining the cause of Holy magic and how one could counter it. Yet, none of them could evere up with an answer, frustrating the Vampires for generations.


    Even the former Progenitor himself, Drac Bloodborne, struggled with Holy magic and the powers of the Holy Church.


    But now¡­ Everything changed.


    Jin had figured out the eternal problem that gued the Vampires, and he did so in less than fifteen minutes. It was natural for both Matriarch Everwinter and Variel to drop their jaws in surprise.


    "Countering Holy magic¡­ Do you think he''ll teach it to us?"


    "For a price, certainly."


    "You seem confident in his cooperative spirit," Matriarch Innocence looked at her servant and probed. "Have you forgotten how Drac was? Progenitors don''t usually share with their subjects."


    "Perhaps you shouldn''t see Master Jin as a Progenitor, then."


    Variel kept the hot towel away and brought over a cup of tea. He waited for his liege to calm down a little before offering his savant advice.


    "Just one year ago, Master Jin was a human. He hasn''t ustomed himself to Vampire society rules and firmly doesn''t see himself as the absolute ruler of the entire Vampire race. To him, as long as his lovers are treated fairly, he wouldn''t go out of his way to torment us."


    "... So you''re telling me all I have to do is treat him respectfully?"


    "Precisely," Variel asserted his feelings. "Maybe even give him a substantial gift on asion. From my year observing Master Jin, I realised he''s much more of a researcher than abatant. If you allow him unlimited ess to our libraries, I''m confident Master Jin would be willing to sell us the method of countering Holy magic."


    "Our libraries, huh? If I recall correctly, we do have some arcane texts about magic. Would that be enough?"


    "That much should suffice. After all, one of Master Jin''s objectives is to investigate the true nature of magic."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The master-servantbo nodded and mentally agreed to give Jin a proper gift for weeding out the bad apples in the Everwinter House. They didn''t dare ask for an exchange but disguised the offering as a gift hoping they would get into Jin''s good graces first.


    As for the death of Damien? No one bats an eyelid for the fallen Vampire.


    Now that even God couldn''t kill Jin¡­ Who were they to try?


    ???


    Since I''d lost the duel with the Exorcist, as promised, I would send him back to the Holy Church safe and sound. Naturally, I wasn''t going to harm a single hair on his body, and the man was delivered through the Holy Church''s unique Warp Gate.


    Of course, I wasn''t just letting him go scot-free. My charm magic had improved drastically since I''d absorbed the offerings of the Bloodborne House, making me the best hypnotist on the. All I needed to do was put one small suggestion deep in the recesses of the Exorcist''s mind, and I had myself the perfect sleeper agent.


    With my newfound connection, I was able to see what the Exorcist saw and hear what the Exorcist heard. In addition, I had a tracker ced within his mind, giving me the opportunity to teleport to him no matter how deep he was in the Holy Church.


    Essentially, I had ced the perfect mole within the Holy Church for me to exploit anytime I chose.


    Besides, before I''d let him go, I had him spill everything he knew about the Holy Church. All of its secrets and innermost mysteries¡­ I had him divulge all the information he knew.


    Going on a tangent, the Holy Church''s Warp Gate utilised a fundamentally different system from the Warp Gates of the Moonreaver House. Rather than connecting two points together with Spacetime magic, the Holy Church opened a pathway through the Faith dimension, giving a straight path between the base of the Holy Church and the target destination.


    It was a novel way of using Warp Gates, and they gave me an idea of how we could improve our existing Warp Gates.


    Conventional Warp Gates connected two points in Spacetime, and while it was the most effective and safest way to travel, it used a vast amount of magic power each time. The Warp Gates that the Holy Church uses, on the other hand, used a fraction of the magic power as they were essentially opening a door without folding Spacetime in the process.


    The only limitation of the Holy Church''s method was that they needed a high-ranking Priest with a rosary on each side for the pathway to open.


    In simpler terms, Vampire Warp Gates cost more magic power and were highly immobile, while the Warp Gates of the Holy Church cost far less and could be moved at any time.


    Not that the Holy Church''s method was without drawbacks either. Instantaneous travel versus moving through a tunnel in an alternate dimension. It was clear which was safer and more efficient.


    But what if there was a way tobine the two methods together?


    I''ll have to discuss this at length with Lilith when we reunite once again.


    Back to reality¡­ After I''d let the man return to the Holy Church, I cleaned out the remaining members of Damien''s faction. No, I didn''t massacre all of them. As I said, I didn''t want to be a tyrant who killed everyone without mercy. I didn''t want to be the second Drac, after all.


    All I did was weed out the loyalists in Damien''s faction while threatening the rest politely. Almost all of them caved when they realised their leader had passed away and agreed never to harm Irina or me.


    As for the reaction of the Everwinter House, it wasrgely positive.


    Matriarch Innocence herself came and ordered her n to clean the mess I''d made. She''d even offered me Damien''s manor, but I refused without a second thought. Why would I need such a stupidlyrge space? I could live anywhere within the Everwinter Estate as long as I had Irina.


    However, her next offer threw me for a loop.


    Instead of collecting the pieces of Damien''s disintegrated corpse, Matriarch Innocence gave me full ess to the Everwinter libraries, even the forbidden parts that no one but her could enter. Although I was suspicious of her motives, it wasn''t an offer I would refuse.


    More knowledge never harmed anyone. Plus, the Everwinter House had existed for thousands of years. I''m confident they had plenty of ancient books, manuscripts and scrolls no other organisation would even dream of having.


    On top of that, I heard the Everwinter House was going through a restructuring.


    They eliminated the heir-in-training system and firmly ced Magnus Everwinter as Matriarch Innocence''s sole heir. No one was allowed topete for the throne anymore, and shedding blood within the Estate became illegal. They''d even stopped allowing parents to go into hibernation when their children were born to prevent a case like Irina''s from happening again.


    Matriarch Innocence and the Everwinter House were likely trying to appease me by showing they''d reformed, but I hardly cared about that.


    Even if the Everwinter House became a sage organisation, it mattered nought to me.


    All I cared about were my lovers, who meant everything to me.


    And as I saw my precious little sister climb on top of me with her sultry, see-through nightgown¡­


    "Brother¡­ You''ve been ignoring metely. After eliminating Damien''s faction without my help, you''ve spent less and less time with me throughout the week! Do you know how lonely I was?"


    "Haha, sorry! Sorry! I was busy looking through the libraries of your House. I must have lost track of time."


    "This is no longer my House remember?" Irina frowned and stered her crotch down on myp. "I''m part of the Valter House now. I bear no rtion to the Everwinter House."


    "Yeah, you''re right. My bad. What can I do to make it up to you?"


    I humped the girl suggestively while bringing my hands up her supple bare skin. I knew what she wanted, and as her face turned redder and redder, I couldn''t help but push her down.


    "You know what I want, Brother¡­" Irina pulled down her spaghetti strap and ced her arms around my neck. Smiling suggestively, she spoke the two words that broke my mental state apart.


    "Fuck me¡­"

 Chapter 157 Changes In The Everwinter House (2)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don''t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    "Fuck me¡­"


    "As you wish, mydy."


    I didn''t wait for Irina to finish. I spread her legs without much effort and ced my hands above her panties. And as I''d expected, the girl was just as drenched as Niagara falls. I gently caressed my fingers over the final barrier between Irina''s secret garden, only to find myself lost in her warmth.


    As my fingers bypassed the ck cloth and inserted themselves into the hole I ravaged on a nightly basis, a sultry moan escaped from Irina''s mouth. I paused for a moment and stared at the beauty who was in the moment, feeling every ounce of pleasure she could get.


    Irina was dressed in a ck see-through nightgown which loosely hung over her milky white body. The contrast between the ckce and her impable, porcin white skin made me drool unconsciously. My own musky scent had long contaminated her virgin aroma, but that didn''t turn me off one bit. Instead, it gave me a sense of empowerment.


    I owned her¡­ This beautiful Goddess was mine¡­ And mine alone.


    Once again, I was reminded of why I fought. Why I massacred Damien and why I meddled with the Everwinter affairs.


    It was for the sake of them¡­ My four lovers, and especially my beloved little sister.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah¡­"


    Irina''s eyes were filled with lust and desire, her pants getting heavier by the second. Licking her lips, she pounced on my neck and pierced her Vampiric sharp fangs into my thick, Progenitor skin. My body was invulnerable to any damage and could even resist the full force of a nuclear st. However, when it came to my four lovers, they were given special authority to bypass my defences.


    Likely done unintentionally when I strengthened their bodies with a piece of my soul, these four girls were the only beings on the that could hurt me. But there was no need to fear for my safety.


    These girls could never harm me. And even if they would¡­


    "Ahhh¡­"


    Greedily sinking her teeth into my thick shoulder muscles, Irina continued to suck as much as she could from my body. Magic power flowed from my core into the lustful woman''s body, intoxicating the Winter Goddess in the process. I couldn''t hold back my desires and quickly followed suit.


    I held Irina as tightly as I could, seemingly merging our two independent bodies together. My genitals rubbed violently against her secret garden, and the only thing separating us from paradise were the pieces of cloth we called underwear. That being said, the manufacturers of these clothes sure are remarkable to be able to contain my dragon and her oyster from merging for so long.


    My arms wrapped around her shoulders, I hugged Irina so tightly that she might explode from the force. My tongue licked the base of her nape as whiffs of her womanly fragrance took over my senses. And without thinking twice, I sunk my own teeth into her neck.


    "AHHHH!!!"


    Once more, Irina moaned. This time, however, it was loud enough to send tremors through the bungalow. Blood flowed from our bodies interchangeably, causing our minds to blur.


    Seconds? Minutes? Hours?


    God knows how long we sucked each other''s blood. But the moment we''d sated our hunger, the lust we''d been containing couldn''t be restrained no more.


    "Brother¡­"


    "I know¡­"


    There was no need for words. I tore open my underwear like a savage beast and ripped Irina''s panties simrly. I wanted to fuck her, and those pieces of cloth were getting in my way! And with no barriers containing us anymore¡­


    "AHHHH!!!"


    My member pierced through Irina''s vagina and reached all the way into her baby-making room. Maybe it was because it''s been a few nights since we''dst done it, or maybe it was because I''d just been triumphant from a victory against Damien and the Holy Church.


    For some reason, the moment we joined together felt far better than the numerous times we''d done so before. No, it was on par with the first time we''d ever had sex. My mind nked out for a moment, and I had to control myself from unleashing all my load into Irina. And I wasn''t the only one feeling this heavenly pleasure.


    Convulsing like she was having a seizure, Irina''s heavenly fountain gushed with her divine fluids, wetting my member and immensely arousing it in the process. My already big shaft grewrger within Irina''s cave, and it kissed her womb multiple times without me moving my hips.


    "Irina¡­ You came when I entered? That''s a first."


    "B-Brother¡­"


    "It''s okay¡­ I''ll make you feel even better soon."


    I swore to Irina and continued my assault. Supporting my hands next to her head, I pounded her missionary style. Each time I moved, the bed swayed as well. No, it was more urate to say the floor moved with me. The force with which my hips thrust was enough to break boulders and uproot trees, but Irina took it all like a champ.


    Her breasts bounced each time I thrust, and her face became more enchanting with each blush she made. I couldn''t help but smile from ear to ear as I watched the scene unravelling beneath me. There was no greater joy than a man observing his lover''s breasts bounce as he made love with her.


    Irina hugged my waist with her thighs, sealing my movements and preventing me from escaping. nting her lips onto mine, Irina took over my mouth with her tender and loving kiss. At times, she licked my lips; other times, she intertwined our tongues like two serpents mating. And the most essential part of our lovemaking¡­


    "Brother, do you love me?"


    "Of course I love you."


    "How much do you love me?"


    "More than you can ever imagine."


    Irina liked to be loved, and all of our sexual encounters had always involved many kisses and tender words of affection. Come to think of it, all the four girls had their own kinks in bed.


    Irina always wanted to have loving, vani sex. Lilith, contrary to her serious exterior, was a lover who loved experimenting with different kinks. Ysabelle¡­ Even though she was an Amazonian warrior who wouldn''t bat an eyelid when massacring Outer Demons with her bare hands¡­ Loved to be dominated.


    As for Rosa¡­ Let''s just say her love for bondage has given me multiple rope burns over our passionate sessions.


    Oops, my thoughts went in a wayward direction once again.


    When making love, I shouldn''t let my mind wander to other women. I''d focused all my attention on Irina, who was busy moaning from all the thrusts pierced into her abdomen.


    "B-Brother¡­ L-let''s make one."


    "Make one?"


    In between breaths, the two of us continued to converse.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "A fruit of our love¡­ A baby¡­"


    "I-Irina?!"


    "What''s wrong? Don''t you want one with me?"


    "I-I do, but¡­"


    I''d never thought about having a baby with my lovers. Our lives had been so hectic thus far that the thought of it didn''t even cross my mind. And besides, was I ready to be a father at such a young age?


    "I''d thought about it, Brother¡­ Of the four girls, I''m the only one who doesn''t have manymon interests with you."


    "That''s not true¡­"


    "But it is," Irina shook her head as the walls of her womanhood tightened. "Lilith is smart and good at magic research. Ysabelle trains in martial arts, and Rosa helps you with plotting against our enemies. Meanwhile, I''m the only one who doesn''t have anymon interests with you. Somehow, even though I was the girl you met first, I feel like I''m being left behind¡­"


    "That''s¡­"


    True.


    Irina''s words did hold some merit. While I would never neglect my precious younger sister for something so insignificant, the girl must have had this issue weighing on her chest for a long time. Even now, she was trembling as she divulged her innermost feelings, and her insides were mping down on me as if dering she would never let me go.


    "Even my powers aren''t significant enough to fight alongside you. In many cases, I''m more of a liability than an asset."


    "You''re never a liability, Irina! You''re¡­"


    "I know¡­" Irina smiled radiantly, yet her voice sounded so dry and bitter. "Brother is kind. He''ll never forsake me for any reason. Even if I were a useless bum, you''d care for me until the end of time."


    "Irina¡­"


    "But, for my mental state, I can''t ept that. I can''t ept that I will fall behind the others. And¡­ I''d always dreamt of having a child with you."


    Irina rubbed her belly, and a motherly smile emerged from her lips. She looked down at the union of my manhood and her womanhood expectantly and said:


    "I''ve always wanted to raise a child. To show them the affection my parents didn''t give to me. To give them familial love that my brother denied me. To give them a family that the Everwinter House never showed me. And if it was your child¡­ I would love and protect them with all I had."


    "Irina!!!"


    Those words wound up my gears, and I pounded Irina multiple times over. Landing kisses and tongue swirls, the two of us reacted ordingly to each other''s lust. My member swelled up torger than it ever did before while the walls of her secret garden tightened so much that I couldn''t feel my manhood.


    We weren''t just having sex anymore¡­ We were practising babymaking.


    "But¡­ Didn''t you say it''ll be hard for pure-blooded Vampires to make a child? It was hard when we were weaker, and now that I''m a Progenitor¡­ I''m afraid it''ll be even harder."


    "That''s right, which is why I hope you will use your powers to help our chances. Don''t you have the power of life?"


    Ahhh, I''ve never thought of that. While I couldn''t guarantee a child, if I ced a little life magic each time we mated¡­ Perhaps it''ll give us a higher chance of sess.


    "Okay, but I can''t promise anything. Our bloodlines are too powerful, and a child might not be conceived for many years¡­"


    "It''s fine," Irina determinedly imed. "I can wait for dozens, no, hundreds of years! All I want¡­ Is for us to truly be a family."


    "Irina¡­"


    "Then, it settles it¡­ Let''s have impregnating sex for the rest of our lives."


    "Impregnating sex¡­ Is this what a sister should ask from a brother?"


    I joked, and the two of us burst intoughter. However, our mouths couldn''tugh for long as our tongues naturally met and made tender love to one another.


    "Then here Ie¡­ Here''s your first load of motherhood."


    "Hehe, impregnate me¡­ Papa."


    Hearing Irina call me instantly dialled my lust for her to eleven. My member couldn''t take it anymore, and I gave one final thrust to let the Dragon roar. My manhood unloaded out what I''d imagined to be gallons of white fluids straight into Irina''s womb,pletely dying her insides white in the process.


    And as the final splurt was unleashed¡­


    BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!


    An earthquake shook the Everwinter Estate, sending tremors all over our bungalow and toppling our already shaky bed. My lust quickly subsided, and I instantly jumped to attention. My danger senses were tingling, and I immediately used my ''vision'' to look at the earthquake''s origin.


    "Brother¡­ You didn''t have to go that rough¡­ You''ve even broken the bed."


    Irina giggled suggestively, unaware that my deeds on the bed weren''t the cause of the earthquake. While I had half a mind to let her misunderstand, we didn''t have the luxury for jokes now.


    "Irina, get dressed. We''re under attack."


    "What?! Who''s attacking us?!"


    "..."


    Damien''s faction had been wiped clean. And while some remnants of the Everwinter House disliked me, they wouldn''t be so bold to attack us. As for the Holy Church¡­ My agent would inform me way before anything happened.


    Which left us with one culprit¡­


    "Outer Demons."

 Chapter 158 Outer Demon Invasion (1)

    The Everwinter Estate was under attack.


    The ground shook violently, and the winds were howling as if the apocalypse had arrived. All members of the Everwinter House, be they True Vampires or Blood Servants, rushed out from theirfortable abodes and charged straight at the core of the earthquake.


    Ancient Vampires arose from their century-long slumbers while youngsters who barely learnt how to use their magic gathered in uniform as they marched together. Elders with the power to match entire militaries flew up to the skies with their magic power, ready to fire at any moment.


    Make no mistake, the Everwinter House may have its problems, but there''s a reason why they''ve kept one of the top spots of the Ten Guardian Houses. Besides the ckburn House, the Kings of the Arctic circle were the undisputed leading military House amongst the Vampires.


    For hundreds of years, they guarded the North and even built their base on top of a Major Gate that Outer Demons used to invade our world. And now¡­ Everything was going to be tested once again.


    "Everyone to the Winter Graveyard! An overflow is happening right now!"


    "Lieutenants, please gather your men! Everyone to your stations!"


    "Elders, please head towards the Matriarch! She has summoned you!"


    Loud voices echoed over each other as every Everwinter Vampire was mobilised within seconds. I wandered the floor with Irina by my side, watching the carnage unfold with curious eyes. As a guest, I wasn''t required to join the battle against the Outer Demons, particrly since it was the duty of the Everwinter House to man the Gate themselves. But, as a Progenitor and a man who had been attacked by an Outer Demon before¡­ I couldn''t stop the burning urge from rising up.


    "Irina, have you experienced an overflow before?"


    "Yes, but¡­" Irina watched her former family members rush into a frenzy and sighed: "I''ve never seen the House act like this before. This overflow must be special."


    "So you feel the same way¡­"


    From what I understood about the Everwinter House, they would open the seal in the Winter Graveyard every year to prevent such overflows from happening. I''d even participated in one of them during the past Winter Hunt. Overflows on this scale shouldn''t happen unless something seriously wrong has transpired.


    Even as we spoke, the ground continued to tremor wildly, and the screams of Outer Demons and Vampires fighting didn''t stop. I looked towards the Winter Graveyard and saw numerous powerful Vampires hovering above the icy dome. Most of them were Everwinter executives, all known Vampires in their prime. Some were using magic to stop the Outer Demons from escaping, while others stood by and observed the entire situation unfold.


    Yet, there was one who stood out amongst them all.


    "Let''s get some answers."


    Holding Irina''s hand, I warped the two of us straight above the dome of pure ice.


    "Progenitor! Irina! You''ve arrived!"


    Matriarch Innocence weed us, though not with a smile on her face. She interchanged her eyes between us and the situation within the Winter Graveyard, all while grimly holding back her tone. If even the mighty Matriarch Innocence felt uneasy¡­ The situation must be much direr than I''d thought.


    "What''s going on?"


    "We''re experiencing an overflow."


    "I know that much," I scoffed and folded my arms. "Tell me what''s really going on."


    "... Can I count on you to help us?"


    "That depends," I raised my brow and gave her a curt answer.


    In my position, I had no obligation to help the Everwinter House. Yes, I was the Progenitor, but my rtionship with the Everwinter House wasn''t on the best of terms due to recent and past events. After all, Irina''s abuse was still fresh in my memory, and less than a week had passed since Damien had schemed against me.


    And while reparations were being paid, I would be a fool to help the Everwinter House without having my own benefit.


    "Hah¡­ Good enough."


    Matriarch Innocence realised all of those points and didn''t press me to join the battle. Still, she did her job and honestly ryed the information she had.


    "Around two hours ago, we noticed a change in the Northern Pole Gate. It absorbed magic power like never before and rapidly expanded past its known limits. We promptly stopped the expansion of the Gate with our seals, but it was far toote. An overflow had begun, tearing through the first fewyers of the Winter Graveyard."


    The Everwinter Sovereign nced down at her prided structure and held back her urge to spit.


    "All of our defences were engaged instantly. Traps and magic spells wereunched by our sentries while Elders on standby reinforced them the best they could. However, while our seals and magic were effective, we couldn''t hold back the expansion of the Gate. And before long, the Outer Demons had overwhelmed us with their numbers."


    I see¡­ So rather than break the Everwinter House''s defences through skill and technique, the Outer Demons threw bodies at it.


    It was an effective method in games, but I''d never thought I would see it live in person.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "They can only do so because of their overwhelming numbers. If I''m not mistaken, over a hundred thousand have passed through the Gate, and they''ve sessfully weakened the Winter Graveyard. Now, our defences are at their most vulnerable point. And because of that¡­"


    Matriarch Innocence looked straight into the Winter Graveyard, prompting me to do the same.


    Thousands of Outer Demons were battling against the Everwinter Vampires. They were engaging inbat above a mountain of corpses, one so high that it almost covered the entire Winter Graveyard. Most of the dead Outer Demons were low-ranked monsters with no sentience. Inyman''s terms, they were sacrifices that served no purpose than toy the bedrock for the invading army.


    And what of the invading army?


    "They''ve sent their most powerful troops over. The weaklings have broken open the Gate. Now, the elites are here to reap the rewards."


    "How crude¡­"


    The Outer Demons sent over a hundred thousand of their kin on a suicide mission just to breach the Gate the Everwinter House had spent so much time and effort sealing. While it was a crude method, it had done the job spectacrly. The Winter Graveyard was on the verge of beingpletely overrun and eventually copsing. Hundreds of Vampires were dying within the mountain of death, and the ice dome could not contain the vast number of dead bodies.


    That being said, the Everwinter House was holding out very well, given the circumstances.


    A surprise attack that crippled the Winter Graveyard. All of its defensive mechanisms had been spent, and every seal, spell and trap was now deactivated. The only thing holding the Outer Demons from escaping the ice dome were the elites of the Everwinter House.


    Skilled Vampires used beautiful Winter magic to freeze the invaders before breaking them apart like an ice statue. Summons created numerous sharp weapons, and icicles viciously reaped the Outer Demons'' bodies apart, leaving behind nothing but blood and bone.


    Everybatant of the Everwinter House proved why they were the undisputed Lords of Winter and why they were unbeaten in the North. All the Outer Demons still alive were elites who couldn''t hold a candle to the mightiest beings the Everwinter House could provide.


    "What is their objective? I doubt they''re sacrificing these many of their kin for nothing."


    "That''s our concern," Matriarch Innocence''s face turned dark. "In the history of the Everwinter House and our guardianship of the Northern Gate, this phenomenon has never happened before."


    As the Everwinter Queen''s voice contained tremors, so did the ground beneath our feet. A mini-earthquake resonated through the Winter Graveyard with every passing second, slowly corroding its unbreakable ice away.


    "The Outer Demons have never been so desperate. Even they wouldn''t sacrifice so many of their kin without good reason. If I had to guess, there could only be one reason for their sudden rise of activity."


    "You mean¡­"


    "I''m afraid that''s so¡­"


    I immediately came to a conclusion that I wholly didn''t like. The Outer Demons always had one objective when crossing the dimensions. To cause as much carnage and chaos as they could. While no one truly knew their real motives for invading ournds, their objective was clear.


    And which Outer Demon could cause the most chaos in the world?


    "Demon Lord¡­ They''re going to force the arrival of Cthulhu?!"


    "I''m afraid so¡­"


    Matriarch Innocence bit her lip and held her hand to her chest.


    "I have lived thousands of years, and only two events have shaken me to my core. The first time I''d met Drac and became a Vampire, and¡­ The time I fought against Cthulhu. We''d barely managed to push it back into the Warp Gate, but¡­ That monster¡­ If we let ite through, it''ll end the Everwinter House!"


    ???


    Deep in the waters of the Demon Realm, where no light could reach, and no human had ever tread¡­ One gigantic monstrosity stood in front of a magical portal. It was apanied by legions of tentacle monsters that stood silently behind it. Each one possessed magical energy equivalent to that of an A-Ranked Hunter, yet there were thousands of them.


    But of course, the strongest one of them was the gigantic octopus head that stood far above its subjects.


    It waited patiently as the portal continued to expand in size. Bit by bit, the whirlpool of energy grew stronger and stronger until eventually¡­ It reached the size of the monster itself.


    "My Lord¡­ It''s time."


    One of the monsters bowed down to the greater Demon it served and gestured with its tentacles.


    "Good¡­ Let''splete our mission."


    And for the first time in hundreds of years¡­


    Cthulhu made its way back to the human world.

 Chapter 159 Outer Demon Invasion (2)

    Cthulhu.


    A Demon of mythical proportions.


    The Matron of the Seas. The Terror of the Deep. The Nightmare of all mankind.


    Various names have been given to Cthulhu over the years. Some of them had been forgotten to time as the monster''s existence spanned generations. An undying creature that never once showed signs of weakness. A Demon that never died no matter what magic was thrown at it.


    Just staring into its eyes would drive one mad. No mortal mind could withstand the pressure of the apex being that no one in history could defeat.


    Even in the prime of his life, Drac was unable to touch the level of the Demon Lords. There were multiple instances when a Demon Lord invaded the, only to wreak endless amounts of havoc before inexplicably returning. And during those years of mayhem, there was nothing the world''s mightiest beings could do but pray for their survival.


    The Everwinter House got lucky once. Through a mixture of luck and effort, they were able to repel Cthulhu once and protect their homnd. But it came at a significant cost. Half of the Everwinter House was annihted, and even more of its members were killed. It took them centuries to recover their numbers.


    And now, the tragedy was about to repeat itself.


    The Gate continued to pulsate with magical energy, sending fissures all throughout the Everwinter Estate. The Winter Graveyard, a monument that stood for hundreds of years, started to crack like a broken eggshell as most of its protectiveyers had been breached by the Outer Demons. Now, it was only a matter of time before the final barrier between the Demon Realm and our was broken through.


    "Why are they so persistent?"


    Even Matriarch Innocence couldn''t hold back her shock.


    It has been years since the Gate had been this active. No, even throughout the long history of the Everwinter House, there has never been a case where the Northern Pole Gate had spewed out a hundred thousand Outer Demons.


    Unfortunately for the Everwinter House, none of them forecasted such retaliation when designing the Winter Graveyard. It was purposely designed to keep Cthulhu from invading the world through an intricate array of seals and traps to restrain the Gate from overflowing.


    Yet¡­


    "We can''t hold it for long, Matriarch! It''s only a matter of time before¡­"


    "I know!" Matriarch Innocence shut one of hermanding officers with a re. It didn''t take long for her to bark out her next orders: "All of you to your positions! Elders, save your energy for the Demon Lord! Lieutenants, kill as many Outer Demons as you can! You have my permission to go all out!"


    "But what if we cause more damage to the Winter Graveyard?"


    "Fuck the Winter Graveyard! They''ve already smashed our defences! We can''t be delusional and bet the Winter Graveyard will hold!"


    "Y-Yes, ma''am!!!"


    The situation was dire. The monolith that had stood for hundreds of years was now facing imminent copse. And once the Winter Graveyard falls and if Cthulhu manages to invade¡­ It will be the doom of the Everwinter House.


    No, not just the Everwinter House. Even I was unsure if I could face up against a Demon Lord like Cthulhu. If the legends were urate, Cthulhu was on a whole other level than Eyghon, the Demon Lord I defeated.


    Eyghon was a machine, a mindless automaton that moved without a will. I only managed to destroy it as I found its core and used the power of pure destruction to cause it to copse from the inside.


    On the other hand, Cthulhu was a Demon Lord who went toe-to-toe with Drac, Matriarch Innocence and the whole of the Everwinter House. Even then, they could only push it back without causing major damage to it. If Cthulhu emerged¡­ would I really be able to defeat it?


    "Brother¡­"


    "Yeah, I know¡­"


    I held my little sister''s hands and gave her a soft caress. Yeah, what was I afraid of? Even if I couldn''t defeat the monster, I hadplete confidence that I could escape. Not to mention, Irina herself was here with me. While she wasn''t on the level of Matriarch Innocence, her freezing capabilities were well within the upper echelons of all magicians.


    With her by my side¡­ I was invincible.


    "Matriarch Innocence, move your subordinates aside."


    "Progenitor¡­ Are you nning to help us?"


    "Don''t misunderstand; I''m not doing it for the sake of the Everwinter House."


    I raised my hands and channelled my magic power harmoniously through my veins. Five magical rings appeared above my ring-hand fingers, all connected by chains that traced down my finger bones to my wrist. The rings were imbued with their respective magical powers, each representing an aspect of my power.


    "If Cthulhu invades, our entire is in danger."


    "You''re right," Matriarch Innocence smiled for the first time since I''d arrived and did the unthinkable. She bowed down before me. "Nevertheless, your actions will save the Everwinter House, so please¡­ Help us, Progenitor."


    "..."


    It''s funny how life turns things around.


    When I first came to the Everwinter House, I was nothing more than a ytoy in the Matriarch''s eyes. Now, she looked at me as if I were their only saviour.


    Well, since I''m going to y the role of the Lord and saviour¡­ Let''s do this with a bang!


    Magic power escaped from my veins and powered up two of my rings. Rainbow-coloured light broke free from the ring of creation and melded together with the crimson glow of destruction. Raising my right hand skywards, I mustered up the most potent destructive spell I could think of at the moment.


    Dark clouds covered the heavens as thunder crackles could be heard from the distance. With each passing second, the resonant roars grew louder and eventually, the entire sky was covered by a sheet of pure ck.


    Howling winds broke the sound barrier and blew snow so hard that a blizzard, far beyond that of a regr snowstorm, formed. Even the members of the Everwinter House, who were ustomed to the harsh Winter climate of the North, shivered in fear.


    And the final nail in the coffin¡­


    "Red lightning? Is this the Bloodborne House''s signature move?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "No, that''s not it¡­"


    The Matriarch corrected one of the Elders who made that assumption. Being one of the greatest Vampires alive and an ancient fossil who fought alongside Drac himself, it''s natural that she could differentiate between regr Blood Lightning and this special technique.


    "It''s far more destructive¡­ Far more dangerous¡­"


    "Matriarch¡­ This¡­"


    "All of you evacuate! Don''t get caught up in the Progenitor''s spell!"


    Without even batting an eye, the leader of the Everwinter House shouted at the top of her lungs. She used her magic to quickly grab onto her fellow Vampires and drag them far away from the Winter Graveyard. And while saving her subordinates, she melted the ice dome covering the Winter Graveyard, revealing the thousands of Outer Demons and the whirlpool of energy from whence they came.


    How astute¡­ Or should I say, as expected of Matriarch Innocence?


    She could tell I was attempting to blow the entire arena away with one look. With the ice dome gone and Everwinter members evacuating, I didn''t have to worry about anything. All I needed to do was activate my destructive spell.


    "Grrkkktttt!!!"


    Legions of Outer Demons growled at my person as they sensed the tremendous magic power I wielded. Some of them even attempted to fly to the sky in an attempt to stop my cast. s, none of them could even reach the soles of my feet. Why?


    "Insolent inferior creatures¡­"


    Before they could make it ten metres up in the air, an icy blizzard fell upon them. Chains and shards of ice pierced through their squishy skulls, immobilising them before they could even move. Multiple Outer Demons perished at that moment, making my job of killing them redundant.


    "How dare you raise your hand against Brother?! Know your ce!"


    Irina spewed her disgust while quickly dispatching elite Outer Demons that caused problems for the Everwinter Elders. She may not be cognizant of it yet, but Irina had assimted with the jewel far better than the other three girls. Topped off by the fact that she was naturally talented and had easily one of the best Vampire Aspects of all time¡­ Irina was already at an unfathomable level.


    I''d reckon amongst the Everwinter House, the number of Vampires who could match her could be counted with the fingers in one hand.


    The Ice Empress. That figure came to mind when I saw Irina quickly killing off Outer Demon after Outer Demon. Yet¡­


    "Irina,e to me."


    "Yes!!!"


    That all melted away with a simple call of her name. Turning into the lovable sister I knew, Irina flew straight to my left and under the protective barrier of my magic. And with her safety secured, I could now unleash the full wrath of my powers.


    "Let''s see how durable a Gate truly is¡­"


    The overcast sky was soon overwhelmed with crimson coils of lightning. Millions, if not billions, of thunderbolts, danced wildly, creating an apocalyptic feel. The world shook violently while the skies turnedpletely red. Clouds dispersed, unable to handle the heat of the concentrated lightning bolts, and eventually, only one thundercloud remained.


    At the epicentre of it all¡­ A singr thunderbolt formed.


    Channelled with the vengeance of Zeus himself, the most destructive spell I''d ever created to date was born.


    "Genesis-Interitus: Wrath of the Heavens!!!"


    A crimson zigzag descended from the skies and viciously struck the Gate where it stood. Heat beyond that of the Earth''s core melted the snow of the Everwinter Estate, briefly turning the coldest Winter into the heart of the hottest volcano. And as for the Outer Demons that came through the Gate?


    They all perished within nanoseconds.


    They may have been sturdy, but they couldn''t withstand the heat and pressure of a lightning bolt explicitly designed to destroy all life and creation. Even the corpses of the fallen weren''t spared as they evaporated into ashes, never to return in any shape or form.


    An explosion equivalent to a nuclear st created a dent in the earth, spewing out dust and smoke into the form of a mushroom cloud. Lightning bolts crackled within the cloud, all while the earth recovered from the strike by sending out earthquakes beyond any seismic scale.


    Half of the Everwinter Estate was destroyed just like that.


    The Winter Graveyard was destroyed just like that.


    And the Outer Demons that invaded our¡­ were destroyed just like that.


    If it were the perfect story, everything would have ended here. My ultimate spell would have destroyed the portal, and no Outer Demon would ever invade the anymore. Cthulhu would have been stopped, and the Everwinter House would have been saved.


    But s¡­ This wasn''t a perfect story.


    An ominous energy permeated out from the mushroom cloud. Shrouded in billowing smoke, no one could see the transcendent figure thaty within. But I could. I could see it very clearly.


    Yellow eyes which seemingly stared into one''s soul. Tentacles dropped down its octopus head like a wizened old man''s beard. Draconic wings which spread further than a stadium. A monstrous body that was just as big as a mountain. And most importantly¡­


    Magic power, unlike anything I''d ever experienced in my life.


    There was no question about it¡­


    As I held Irina by the waist and dragged her into my arms, a horrific monster emerged from the ashes and stomped its authority by making its presence known.


    There it was.


    Cthulhu had arrived.

 Chapter 160 Vs Cthulhu (1)

    Cthulhu.


    A Demon Lord of mythical proportions. Many im that once theyid eyes upon the horrific beast, they would lose all sense of reasoning. Their souls would be frozen, and their entire bodies would be rendered useless. And after seeing the enormous creature in person, I finally understood why.


    Outer Demons were monsters that possessed unique sets of talents. They had enhanced bodies and increased magical capacity and often were monsters with supernatural powers beyond human capabilities.


    And by that logic, a Demon Lord would be an extension of that. They were monstrosities that reigned over vast amounts of Outer Demons, utilising powers far beyond that of any regr living creature.


    s, that logic was skewed.


    When I look at Cthulhu now, I see a blob of natural energy. A deep ocean of magic power, and essence that took the form of a hideous creature. Demon Lords weren''t enhanced Outer Demons¡­ They were the spawn of the itself.


    Just like the World Tree created Sora to act as its avatar, the Demon Realm created the Demon Lords to act on its behalf. They used the energy of their home to power their bottomless magic and enhanced physical state. To mere mortals, Demon Lords were akin to natural disasters. They could only pray to survive the hurricane once it passed and could do nothing to face its wrath.


    Eyghon, being an automaton, was the only exception. No, given that it was a machine, it couldn''t be described as a Demon Lord. What stood before me was a bona fide emperor of monsters.


    "Brother¡­ That''s¡­"


    Irina was shaking. Even after receiving my power-ups and training her Winter Sovereign Aspect, the girl could not shake off the primal fear that all mortals had when facing a force of nature. However, even though she was struck with a lethal dose of fear, the girl stuck by my side. She was willing to die fighting alongside me, then escape to safety.


    That''s the kind of little sister I had.


    "Irina, do you trust me?"


    "B-Brother¡­ Y-You can''t mean!" Irina squinted her eyes as she looked at me. As expected, she could tell my intent just through those words alone. Smiling, I stroked her pretty hair and said:


    "Help the Everwinter House clean up this mess, will you? I''ll deal with this monster."


    "B-But!"


    "Don''t worry about me," I turned my attention back to the octopus head, who was still dazed by my initial attack. "I defeated a Demon Lord before; taking another shouldn''t be challenging."


    "Brother¡­"


    Irina was reluctant, but I firmly pushed her away, and she levitated down to the other members of the Everwinter House. Even though she would face Cthuhlu''s goons, it was far safer than staying to challenge the Demon Lord. Besides, now that I''ve instinctively looked Cthulhu in the eye, I knew¡­


    I can beat him.


    "Grttttt¡­"


    Cthulhu recovered from the dizziness from moving through a portal and the residue of my destructive lightning, only to let out a low, resonant growl. It looked straight at me as if I were the bane of its existence and the enemy of its kind. At the same time, I could sense a certain whiff of curiosity from its re.


    "So you''re an intelligent creature, huh? Well, that''s intriguing¡­"


    Eyghon was a mindless machine that moved without its own will, so it was easy for me to kill it off. But against an intelligent creature¡­ I''ll have to improvise.


    "Since you''re the Matron of the Seas¡­ Let''s switch locations, shall we?"


    I snapped my fingers and allowed the Spacetime ring to do its work. An azure light covered the Demon Lord and me, warping us through space and over a thousand miles away. The cold, wintry skies were reced by a clear blue sky with a bright orange ball hanging above it all. The snowy white floor had disappeared, and in its ce, dunes of yellowish-grey sand covered our feet. And finally¡­ The cool and moist climate had be barren, dry air.


    "G@1wP#"


    Cthulhu spoke in anguage foreign to me, but I could tell it was confused. If I were in its shoes, I would be too. Given that we''ve been transported into a dry and aridndscape in less than a second.


    "Yes, cry all you want. As a being of the ocean, I''m certain this desert is weing for you."


    There was no way I would fight Cthulhu in the middle of the Everwinter House, where snow and ice were overabundant. And I couldn''t transport it to any othermon battlefield, given that water was bountiful throughout the. Therefore, to weaken the Demon Lord, I brought it to the only ce it couldn''t use the full extent of its powers.


    "Mahayana Desert. It''s not called the biggest desert on the for nothing. All you can find is sand and hot air for miles."


    I scoffed at Cthulhu, who was still trying to recover its wits. And taking advantage of itspse of judgement, I controlled my Soul Armament once more and conjured up the next surprise I had for the towering Demon Lord.


    Boiling from beneath the beast, the desert sand bubbled out of control. The temperature rose dozens of times until the image of Cthulhu became fuzzy. Rainbow and crimson light conjoined together while magic power overflowed from my body.


    "Genesis-Interitus: Muspelheim!!!"


    And with a single explosion¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    BOOOOMMMMM!!!


    A scorching white light lifted itself from the pits of the desert and engulfed the Demon Lord with a searing hot me. It burnt with the vengeance of the nine hells as tongues of deathly mes cooked Cthulhu from the outside. A harrowing scream escaped from the Demon Lord''s mouth while its tentacles iled about.


    Hoho¡­ So even Demon Lords feel pain.


    I wonder if I burnt it long enough, I''d have enough octopus to make a lifetime''s supply of takoyaki, perhaps even open a shop to sell that unlimited supply. But s, my entrepreneurial ideas were cut short by Cthulhu''s gut-wrenching roar.


    "AWAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    Suddenly, a wave of mystical energy covered the Demon Lord and extinguished the mes before it could cause any more damage. At the same time, water erupted from Cthulhu''s body, creating an artificialke within the barren desert. Cthulhu ignored me entirely and dived to theke''s depths, seeming to recover its burnt body.


    While I should have gone after the Demon Lord, my mind was still affixed to the mystical energy it used.


    It couldpletely douse the mes of my magic, overriding my Progenitor''s magic power within seconds. Only the magic power from a superior Progenitor could do that, yet¡­ Cthulhu''s mystical energy wasn''t magic. It was eerily simr to¡­


    "Holy magic."


    Just like how the Holy Church used the Faith Dimension to draw their Holy powers, the Demon Lords of the Demon Realm did the same. Yes, Cthulhu itself was a bottomless pit of magic power granted life from its home, but at the same time, it had innumerable Outer Demons worshipping it. So, it made sense that it could draw on the Outer Demon''s faith to heal itself.


    My goodness, if the Holy Church knew it shared the same magic system as the Demon Lord¡­ HAHA, I''m just thinking about it makes meugh.


    Now that I mention it, shouldn''t I create my own Faith Dimension, then? If a Demon Lord like Cthulhu could use it, I don''t see any reason why I couldn''t. And the best way to garner Faith energy was with a disy of strength. If I recorded myself burning a Demon Lord to death¡­ wouldn''t that make me the world''s most admired person?


    Yes, that sounds good! Sometimes, I frighten myself with my brilliance.


    While I was busy setting up cameras and recording devices for my directorial debut, I''d forgotten one major problem¡­


    "GRAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!"


    Cthulhu emerged from the makeshiftke and ttened hundreds of sand dunes within seconds. Bits of charred skin fell down from the scaly monstrosity, but most of its burnt body had been healed.


    "I guess a Demon Lord is still on another level. To recover from that attack so quickly¡­ Not even I could do that."


    My most powerful fire spell, Muspelheim, gathered the energy of over a hundred hydrogen bombs and concentrated them into one singr fiery attack. It had the power to melt mountains instantly and turn an ocean into a realm of endless fire and ash. To take that head on ande out unscathed¡­ I guess Demon Lords really are on another level.


    Well, not that it came without a cost.


    "One-hundredth? Yeah, your energy has been depleted by one percent. If that''s the case, I just have to hit you ny-nine more times, right?"


    My face naturally let out a sinister grin. Nothing could hide from my eyes, especially when learning the truth about lifeforms and magic. Cthulhu was from another, and all of its power was derived from the energy of the Demon Realm. Back in its homnd, it could quickly replenish what it had lost through simple absorption. s, we weren''t in the Demon Realm, and I had the home-court advantage.


    So, if I used Muspelheim ny-nine more times¡­ Cthulhu will naturally perish. I prepared my magic power tounch yet another spell. But before I could do that¡­


    "... You''re the one."


    "Huh?"


    A grimy, old voice sounded out inside my mind. I widened my eyes, naturally understanding where the voice came from. Instinctively, I stared straight into Cthulhu''s yellow, demonic pupils and loudly asked:


    "You speak ournguage?"


    "..."


    Cthulhu remained silent. It raised its arms skyward, and like an Aztec Priest praying to the weather Gods, it summoned a deluge. Dark clouds covered the desert sky, and heavy raindrops followed suit. Within seconds, the aridndscape had be overwhelmed with enough water to fill an entire ocean.


    The Demon Lord indeed was a natural disaster. To summon rain beyond any hurricane I''d ever experienced and to turn the infamous Mahayana desert into a climate suited for a tropical rainforest.


    Doused in gallons of cold water, Cthulhu''s returned to its peak form and an undisguisable pressure mounted on my body. It felt like I was against an entire ocean, with all its energy concentrated in one spot.


    But even though I was being pressured, I didn''t falter. Instead, I stood tall and took Cthulhu''s energy headfirst. And in response, the horrid being''s mouth moved, letting out the same voice that once resonated in my head.


    "Goddess¡­ I''ve found him."

 Chapter 161 Vs Cthulhu (2)

    "Goddess¡­ I''ve found him."


    Cthulhu''s words rang within my consciousness, forcibly raising my brow. Goddess? Found me? What was the Goddess? And why was she searching for me? Did the Outer Demons already know who I was? Has news of my ascension already reached the Demon Realm?


    There were so many questions to ask. And well, there was only one way to find the answers.


    "Cthulhu, you can understand me, right?"


    "... Interesting, you''re not affected by my presence, and you are able to keep your mind sane whenmunicating with me¡­ No, I should say, it''s expected from the nightmare who gues the Goddess'' dreams."


    "Nightmare? Dreams? Exin yourself."


    "... You might be the one, but your head isn''t all that bright." Cthulhu insulted me with a narcissistic tone. "... Why should I exin anything to my enemy?"


    The Demon Lord spread its dragon wings wide and pointed the finger at me. The typhoon moved ording to Cthulhu''s orders, and trillions of raindrops flew over like machine gun fire while the howling winds attempted to tear my body apart limb from limb. If not for my automatic magic barrier, that one attack would have ended the battle right away.


    Cthulhu, clearly dissatisfied with the oue, dropped its massive arm down and stared me straight in the eye. Winds and rain shrouded the Demon Lord in mist, but I could clearly see its face moving while it gradually approached me.


    "... My orders are to return to the Demon Realm right away if I were to find you¡­ But you''ve destroyed the Gate connecting our worlds, and it will be a hassle to create one from scratch again¡­ And I don''t think you''ll let me leave and find that annoying flying worm¡­"


    Annoying flying worm? Wait, was Cthulhu talking about Baishe? Don''t tell me that Baishe had also invaded our world?


    Out of habit, I sent my gaze elsewhere and scanned the entire forrge pools of magic power. And sure enough, on the other side of the globe, a dense ocean of magic power, simr to that of Cthulhu''s, was messing with the bnce of the.


    The Outer Demons had sent two Demon Lords over? Wasn''t there only three Demon Lords in recorded history? No, since Eyghon was destroyed, they should have only two Demon Lords left. Yet, they''ve sent both of them over? Wait, didn''t Cthulhu say there was a Goddess they followed? Perhaps there are more Demon Lords we weren''t aware of.


    Bit by bit, my mind filled in the nks on its own. The puzzle pieces were sparse, but they gave me enough information to form my own hypothesis.


    "... So congrattions, you''ve left me no choice¡­ I''m going to kill you here¡­"


    Cthulhu wasted no time and summoned a new deluge, this time with enough water to create a thousand tsunamis at once. The water smashed straight into my barrier and submerged me in a sphere and endless running water. Rapid currents collided with Aegis, attempting to rip me free from my protection. And to top it all off¡­


    Cthulhu entered the water globe and swam elegantly like a fish in water. It attempted to break my barrier with its massive arms, but it was to no avail. And when that didn''t work, it moved its scaly tentacles and generated whirlpools of energy all around me.


    Spell after another wasunched at my Aegis as Cthulhu attempted to chip my defences down. Yet, my trusted barrier wasn''t going to budge. Fortunately, this gave me the opportunity to examine the details of Cthulhu''s power thoroughly.


    Interesting¡­ The more I observed this Demon Lord, the more intrigued I got about Cthulhu''s origin and power. Using abination of magic power and faith energy, it could create cataclysmic events and change entirendscapes with a thought. In fact¡­ There was much I could learn from the way Cthulhu fights.


    "... Your barrier¡­ It''s like Eyghon''s shell¡­"


    "You noticed?"


    "... I see¡­ So you were the one who destroyed that robot¡­"


    Cthulhu let out a low growl and brought its arms to a halt. Magic power escaped its massive body, further powering the rapidly expanding water sphere.


    "... There is truth to the Goddess'' words; you are the biggest threat to our species¡­ And if I kill you now¡­"


    Greed shed within the Demon Lord''s eyes as its magic power continually rose. The Mahayana desert gradually turned into a miniature ocean as a category five hurricane descended from the skies. Wind and rain turned the massive dryndscape into a dream wend for the Matron of the Seas. And even though the Demon Lord had cast so much magic¡­ It still possessed over ny-eight percent of its magic power.


    What a monster.


    No, given that it was a spawn of its home, this should be expected. If I wished to defeat the Demon Lord, I had to change my tactics. The home-court advantage I had was quickly evaporating, and before long, Cthulhu would gain the upper hand once again.


    And to prevent that from happening¡­ I should change thendscape once again.


    I pointed my middle finger straight to the heavens and channelled my magic power into my Spacetime ring. Azure light overpowered the dark skies as my Vampire Aspect drained arge chunk of my magic power. Cthulhu sensed danger and rapidly moved to stop me from casting the spell, but s¡­ I was a tad bit faster.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Imperium: Skyfall."


    With one clench of my fist, the world stood silent. The winds of Cthulhu''s hurricane dissipated, and the vast amounts of water stopped flowing. It was the calm before the storm, a peace before all hell broke loose. And then¡­


    "... Insane."


    Cthulhu''s voice sounded in my mind once again. It stared at the heavens with a stupified look, and its massive wings spread wide. Ah, so even Demon Lords will behave this way when faced with a cmity.


    I chuckled to myself and raised my chin up to the darkened sky. And as expected, my spell worked. The overcast clouds split open and made way for the true sovereign of the skies. A mountain-sized meteor fell from the heavens with a contrail of mes following close behind.


    Perhaps it was due to its long lifespan; Cthulhu knew the damage such a meteor could cause. It would tten the entire Mahayana desert, instantly vapourise all of its water, and revert the wends back into the barrenndscape it once was. No, it would be far worse than a dry desert. It would literally turn the ce into hell on earth.


    Additionally, Cthulhu could feel that it was the epicentre of the massive impact. Therefore, without hesitating, the Demon Lord flew up and summoned all its water into one spot. Magic power flowed from its scaly body, and almost instantly, the Demon Lord was drained of a percentage point of its power. And the result of expanding that much power¡­


    Thousands of water serpents rose to meet the meteor while millions of whirlpools cushioned the impact. Dousing the ming mountain with unimaginable gallons of water, Cthulhu somehow managed to slow the descent of the space rock, but only by a bit. It couldn''t stop the pure destruction of my spell, and with a devastating explosion, the meteor evaporated over half of Cthulhu''s created water.


    Mist descended down, obscuring Cthulhu''s vision of the broken pieces of rock from the meteor, but it didn''t matter. The Demon Lord had stopped my spell. The spell that would have ttened the entire Mahayana desert and the spell that no other living entity on the could stop¡­ was broken down by Cthulhu.


    "... You''re insane¡­"


    "Why? Because I''m willing to destroy my own just to kill you?" I scoffed with my arms folded. I didn''t think a Demon Lord would feel bad for the well-being of my. The same Demon Lord invaded without regard for our''s safety and caused innumerable lives to be lost over the years.


    "Don''t get it twisted, Cthulhu. You''re the invading menace. I''m just taking care of the pest infestation."


    "... You''re calling me a pest?"


    "Aren''t you?"


    Since the beast wouldn''t answer my questions, I''d thought of triggering the Demon Lord. In anger, Cthulhu might unveil critical information about the Demon Realm and its mission.


    And sure enough¡­


    "... Pest! You''re the pest who the Goddess is obsessed with! If not for you, why would we even waste our time here?!"


    Oh god¡­ Does that mean¡­ I''m the reason why the Outer Demons invaded Earth?


    Now, this is a revtion¡­ I''d heard from Sora, the spirit of the World Tree, that I was the promised one prophesied to lead the World Tree into eternal life. If that''s the case, perhaps the Outer Demons also had a simr prophecy.


    World Tree¡­ Eternal life¡­ Progenitor¡­ Outer Demons¡­ Prophecy¡­


    They were all rted somehow. Was there indeed a higher power guiding the fate of the world? Like a Chessmaster who viewed everything as pawns on a chessboard, was I just following the higher power''s will?


    How interesting¡­ Even after bing a Progenitor, I still have much to learn! After learning the true face of the Holy Church''s God, I thought the world would be boring. But¡­ The world possessed far more mysteries that I''ve yet to uncover!


    "... What''s so funny?"


    Cthulhu saw the disgusting smile on my face and let out an annoyed groan. Quite possibly, it felt insulted by myck of regard. Well, I didn''t care much about its pride, but¡­


    "I''m just thinking since you''ve managed to stop my meteor so easily¡­"


    I pointed my middle finger, this time not at the heavens but at the Demon Lord, who stood dumbfounded. Unknowingly, my lips curled into yet another smile while azure light split the sky once more. And this time, another space rock bolted down from the atmosphere at speed far beyond the first. At the same time, it was nearly twice asrge and possessed far more destructive power.


    Cthulhu stumbled off its feet and let out a sky-rending screech.


    "Could you stop a second one?"

 Chapter 162 Vs Cthulhu (3)

    "Director! All the Gates are experiencing an overflow!"


    "Yudonia requests backup! Multiple Werewolf tribes have been attacked! All of our allies have been hit!"


    "Ma''am! The Major Gates are all reacting! Outer Demons are invading by the millions!"


    In the heart of the Hunter''s Association, several voices were frantically raised on top of each other as theymunicated in a flurry. The Outer Demon invasion was a surprise, with almost every country and significant faction forced to engage in battle. Fortunately, humanity wasn''t naive enough to remain unprepared.


    In an emergency such as this, the Alliance of all the races had prepared a contingency n. A central headquarters was established to monitor the Gates in real time. State-of-the-art equipment, including satellites that could broadcast live images from anywhere on the, was provided to this central headquarters.


    Irrespective of their race, the Alliance would send their best forces over if their country were invaded. It was a fail-proof system, which had helped manage countless Gate overflows in the past, but¡­ This event was unprecedented.


    "Shit! All hands on deck, we''ll need to monitor every battlefield and n our resources carefully!"


    A middle-aged woman mmed her fist onto the desk and rushed to the centre of themand post. Dozens of operatives furiously typed into their machines around her, their faces red with anxiety and fear. Some even used magic toplete their tasks efficiently, but no matter how much they struggled, more issues popped up by the second.


    "We seerge signs of magical energy in the North and South! It''s¡­ iparable to any overflow we''d seen before!"


    "Ma''am¡­ We''ve received a message from the Southern Branch¡­ Baishe has invaded their territory."


    "Baishe?! The Demon Lord?!"


    Almost every operative in themand room abruptly stopped their work and turned their heads to the man with the report. Other than Eyghon a few months prior, it had been decades since thest Demon Lord''s appearance. Not to mention, unlike Eyghon, Baishe was far more aggressive and had actively hunted humans in the past.


    "Shit¡­ Unlike the Northern Pole Gate, Baishe''s Gate is located right in the middle of human territory! We may have isted the Gate, but if it flies a few hundred kilometres, it''ll reach civilian cities!"


    "W-We''re trying to call all active Hunters to subjugate Baishe!"


    "It''ll be toote! Hunters are far slower than Baishe, the Serpent of the Skies!"


    The director covered her mouth and resisted the urge to puke. A Demon Lord like Baishe could cause unimaginable damage before a suitable resistance could be gathered. Even if they managed to gather the world''s greatest heroes and kill off the flying serpent, a certain degree of coteral was to be expected.


    And that number would be in the millions.


    When all hope seemed lost, an operative shouted: "Ma''am! We''ve received word¡­ The Holy Church is moving!"


    "The Holy Church?! They''re sending out their Exorcists?!" The director beamed in delight. However, it didn''t take long for her happiness to turn into a dismal frown. "No, even if they did send their best, they wouldn''t be able to stop Baishe. The only thing that could help is an Archangel, and the Holy Church requires great preparation to summon it."


    "No¡­ From their message, it seems that¡­ They''re nning to summon an Archangel."


    "What?! They''ve finished the preparations for an Archangel?!"


    To summon an Archangel, the Holy Church needed to gather nine-hundred Priests, ny Bishops and nine Cardinals. They would need to pray together in a chamber to gather their Holy power, and they also required Holy relics sealed in the Holy Church''s deepest vaults. No matter howrge their organisation was, it took time to bring all those pieces together.


    "Were they expecting this?" The director thought out loud. However, she shook her head immediately after and said:


    "Well, whatever the case, we''ve lucked out! Send word to those rushing to Baishe that the Holy Church is summoning an Archangel! Refrain from sending Vampires and Werewolves. Their powers would be halved in front of an Archangel, and they''ll be more of a liability than an asset."


    "Understood!"


    The director immediately barked her orders and returned to monitoring the numerous screens in front of her. The news of the Holy Church summoning an Archangel gave her a sense of relief, but the crisis was far from over. In fact¡­


    "Hold on¡­ Marcus, didn''t you say there were two magical energy sources?"


    "Y-yes, one in the North and the other in the South."


    "If Baishe was the energy in the South¡­ What''s going on up North?"


    "T-That¡­"


    ''It can''t be¡­''


    Everyone in themand room felt a shiver run down their spine as the worst possible scenario yed through their mind. Only one other creature could match Baishe''s magical energy, and if that monster invaded as well¡­


    "U-Urgent news! We''ve received confirmation from the Everwinter House! Cthulhu has invaded!!!"


    "... Is this the end of the world?"


    The director dropped her shoulders as her legs gave in. Falling onto her chair, she shivered from the core and couldn''t breathe a single word. One Demon Lord was enough to cause the entire world to move. Even if they gathered all of humanity''s best forces, there was no guarantee they would defeat a Demon Lord. At most, it would be a pyrrhic victory where the Demon Lord would be driven back to the Demon Realm at a cost too high for humanity to bear.


    "Cthulhu¡­ The Everwinter House wouldn''t be able to handle it on its own. It might be redundant, but inform the Guardian Houses to move to the Everwinter Estate. Any Hunters who are near must rush there too!"


    "About that, director¡­ The Everwinter House has requested we don''t interfere."


    "Don''t interfere?! Are they high?! Even if they have Matriarch Innocence, they are no match for a Demon Lord! Have they forgotten the tragedy of the past?! Or have they gone senile in their old age?! If they fail to stop Cthulhu, the entire North will perish!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    The director burst into rage, unwilling to agree to the Everwinter House''s arrogance. And it was with good reason. Cthulhu had crippled the Everwinter House and much of the North in the past. Should the Demon Lord roam free once more, no one could imagine the scale of destruction the beast could inflict.


    "T-That¡­ They''ve said they won''t be able to interfere with the battle either."


    "Huh? What are they smoking?"


    "Cthulhu isn''t battling the Everwinter House and Matriarch Innocence¡­ It''s being handled by the new Progenitor." The man timidly answered his superior''s question.


    "The new Progenitor? Ah, I''ve heard of him. The Vampire who destroyed Eyghon, right?"


    Jin''s name wasn''t just known within the Vampire world. Every human alive knew his name. Even more so now that he''d be a Progenitor. While they were grateful for Jin''s immense power, they feared him.


    "But even if he''s a Progenitor and defeated Eyghon, isn''t he just a child in his mid-twenties? Is he really able to fight toe-to-toe with Cthulhu?"


    "D-Director¡­ You should see for yourself."


    The operator switched to a live video feed captured by their state-of-the-art satellite. However, the image on the screen wasn''t the icy North or the Winter Wondend that was the Everwinter Estate. Instead, it was a barren sand desert, or to be precise¡­ What remained of the desert.


    Craters upon craters painted the sandy dunes of the Mahayana desert as the entire region had been engulfed in a strange symphony of fire and water. mes from the heavens burned on one side as crimson lightning, and pure destruction reigned. Facing the wrath of hell was a tempest of rain and hail. Water, the liquid that made Earth the Blue Marble, flowed hurriedly to douse the mes and stop the damage from spreading.


    But that''s not all¡­


    Comet afteret fell from the sky, increasing the damage to the tenfold. Mountain-sized meteors, ones that could cause mass extinctions, broke through the stratosphere and created miniature Suns above the sandy ins. If not for the ever-falling rain and torrents of water stopping them, the entire Mahayana desert would have been wiped clean from the long ago.


    Only a Demon Lord would cause destruction on such a scale¡­ Or so they''d thought.


    "Cthulhu¡­ is struggling?"


    "Y-yes¡­"


    "The one casting the meteors is the Progenitor?"


    "Y-yes¡­"


    "And Cthulhu is the one preventing the from bursting into mes?"


    "Y-yes¡­"


    The director wiped her sses, unable to believe the scene unfolding before her eyes. She continued to beat her head to prove she wasn''t dreaming, and only after confirming the live feed a hundred times did she speak.


    "... I wonder who''s the real Demon Lord here."


    "..."


    None of the operators answered her, but they felt the same way inwardly. The terror that Cthulhu posed was nothing against Jin''s endless surge of destruction. Time and time again, he summoned meteors that could level a city within seconds. Of course, Jin had concentrated all of his power onto the Demon Lord to limit environmental damage. And even if an explosion did ur, Jin would protect the with his own barrier magic.


    However, the spectators didn''t know that.


    All they saw was a madman hurling world-ending meteors down. But what shocked them the most was how one-sided the battle was.


    A Demon Lord was meant to be the apex of all Demons. An entity that humanity couldn''t defeat no matter how many souls banded together. Winning against a Demon Lord meant surviving, and no one in history ever dreamed of killing them.


    Yet¡­


    Cthulhu was struggling to contain Jin''s all-out assault. The Demon Lord was slowly but surely being worn down, and in due time¡­ Cthulhu would be weakened. And if that''s the case¡­


    The impossible mighte true.


    The Alliance might actually¡­ Kill a Demon Lord.


    "No, it''ll be the second Demon Lord he killed."


    "D-Director?"


    "Oh, dear God¡­"


    The director had never been a member of the Holy Church. Heck, she didn''t even believe in God. However, as she saw Jin single-handedly force Cthulhu into a corner, for the first time in her life¡­ She prayed.


    For the first time in thousands of years, humanity''s fear shifted from the Outer Demons and the Demon Lords¡­


    Back to the Vampires.

 Chapter 163 Vs Cthulhu (4)

    The fight with Cthulhu continued for a full half hour. Each time the Demon Lord seemed to recover from my attack, I wouldunch yet another meteor into its face. And if one meteor didn''t work, I sent two hurling down from the heavens. And if two didn''t work, I would send four. And if space rocks couldn''t do enough damage, I would cast an assortment of spells, from zing hells to lightning bolts of pure destruction.


    Whatever I did, I ensured that Cthulhu didn''t have a single second to breathe easily. mes evaporated its water, and its slimy skin had been perpetually burnt. Through magic, the Demon Lord could recover its injuries instantly, but with each passing spell, the regeneration took a tad bit slower.


    My n was working. Even as a Progenitor, I wouldn''t be able to constantly regenerate if my body was incinerated every few seconds. Still, there was a reason why Cthulhu was undefeated throughout its many years of invading ournds.


    After thirty minutes of one-sidedbat, the Demon Lord retained about seventy percent of its magic power. Even after I''d thrown the entire asteroid belt onto the massive beast, it could still retaliate and constantly damage my Aegis barrier. If Cthulhu were on its home, my n of attrition would likely fail as it could recover its lost magical power from the oceans it called home.


    As for why I could continue casting spells without falling intoplete exhaustion¡­


    "Jin! How are you holding up?"


    "I''m fine¡­ Can the World Tree keep up with my magic?"


    "Don''t worry about me! Even if you cast a million more spells, it will only be a fraction of the magic pool!"


    Sora, who had sensed the immense magical battle from the Elven Forest, rushed to my location and connected my soul to the Spirit of the World Tree. If a Demon Lord was a spawn of the Demon Realm, the World Tree was the avatar of the we call home. The magic power it had was bottomless, and not to mention, it could constantly recover from absorbing the''s energy.


    Therefore, my connection with Sora gave me an infinite magic power to draw from. Even after endlessly throwing spells that could destroy entire countries, I''d barely used even a percentage point of the World Tree''s energy.


    "I''m just worried if your body can handle it!" Sora questioned me with a concerned tone. "Casting so many spells that cost this magic power must have put a strain on your body! Your vessel may be strong, but it''s best not to push over your limits."


    "..."


    I frowned and looked away from the pesky little fairy. Sora was right. I was fine now, but if this battle of attrition continued for much longer, I would have to be careful about pushing my body to the limits. And the even bigger problem was the state of my surroundings.


    The Mahayana desert was unrecognisable. It no longer had its signature sand dunes or dry, temperate air. It was still a wastnd, but a whole different kind. Craters upon craters littered the ground. Sand had turned into ss aftering in contact with the intense heat I''d generated, while the contrast of humidity created an updraft of cataclysmic winds.


    The battle between Cthulhu and me was violent enough topletely wipe thergest desert in the world off the map, and we were only just getting started. While the could survive even if I summoned a million more asteroids, it would make life virtually uninhabitable.


    I had to limit the destruction.


    "Sora, how far can your connection reach?"


    "Hmmm? Why? Are you nning on switching locations again?"


    "Yes," I nodded. "Cthulhu still has seventy percent of its magic power. If we continue our battle here, the destruction will creep into the adjacent countries and likely cause irreversible damage."


    "I see¡­" Sora thought about it for a few moments, and eventually, she asked: "So, where are you nning to bring it?"


    I smiled and pointed my finger up to the heavens. Understanding my meaning, the fairy widened her eyes and shivered:


    "You can''t mean¡­"


    "Yes, I''ll bring Cthulhu to Outer Space."


    "You''re crazy!"


    Sora spouted before finallying to her senses. She knew all of my reservations and the damage Cthulhu and I could do to the. Therefore, she reluctantly gave me her calctions.


    "I''ve never tried it, but as long as I can feel the Earth, I can channel magic from the World Tree to you. As for how far it can go¡­ Maybe the Moon?"


    "Good enough."


    Humanity may be unable to breathe or thrive in Outer Space, but Vampires were a different story. As long as I protected myself with a thinyer of magical coating, I could fight perpetually in the vacuum of nothingness. As for whether Cthulhu could do the same¡­ Well, let''s find out.


    "Hey, Cthulhu. Let''s stop this farce, shall we?"


    "... What are you nning?"


    "You know¡­ I''ve always wondered. Can an octopus swim in Outer Space?"


    "..."


    I raised my arm up and injected magic power into my middle ring. Azure light warped the Demon Lord and me as the world around us distorted. Cthulhu attempted to escape by flying up high, but he couldn''t outrun the power of Space itself. In less than a nanosecond, the two of us were transported from the deste, brokennd of the Mahayana desert to a ck realm of nothingness.


    Celestial objects surrounded us on all fronts. In the distance, a blue glow was emitted from the I call home. Behind it, the lunar body that all tides and oceans relied on radiated with a mystical light. Even further from it, multipleary bodies orbited around the central ball of light and warmth all Vampires dreaded.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Protected by Aegis and a magic coat, I could withstand the UV light from the Sun and remain unharmed even in the vacuum of Outer Space. I didn''t feel encumbered at all, given that I was over three hundred thousand kilometres from the.


    No, in more ways than one, I felt empowered by the emptiness of Space. I no longer had to care about protecting the environment and could finally go all out.


    "Sora, how''s the connection?"


    "It''s there¡­ But why didn''t you go to the Moon instead? I could get a clearer reception if we were orbiting Earth?"


    "I can''t risk destroying the Moon as well, right?"


    "... You monster."


    Barely a year ago, I could not move my body without the help of my parents. Yet now, my strength was dangerous enough to warrant the worry that I would destroy the Moon.


    "... You brought me up into Space."


    Cthulhu''s disgusting voice sounded in my mind. Like me, the Demon Lord had protected itself through a thinyer of magical coating, allowing it to move in the vacuum of Space freely. Perhaps it was its endless years of experience, but it didn''t show any signs of weakness or expose any of its vulnerable points. Even in this unforeseen circumstance, Cthulhu could remain as calm as it was on Earth.


    "If we continued our battle on Earth, I would have destroyed the continent before I killed you."


    "... Do you really think you can kill me?"


    "After going through all that, you still doubt my power?"


    "... No," Cthulhu shook its head. "... I''ll admit it, the Goddess was right about you¡­ If we leave you alone, your existence will be the bane of our race."


    "Hoh? So your Goddess saw my future, huh? I wonder if she foresaw your death too?"


    "..."


    The Demon Lord remained silent. Its menacing eyes shone with a furious glint, and its waving tentacles wiggled angrily. Unable to hold back its rage anymore, Cthulhu emitted much magic power, far beyond anything I''d experienced from the monster.


    ck goo exploded from its aquatic body as the Demon Lord underwent a physical metamorphosis. Warped in its grime, Cthulhu remained in a cocoon without doing any damage to me. Usually, due to my morbid curiosity, I would be tempted to let Cthulhu go through his change. However, I had an uneasy feeling about the Demon Lord''s actions.


    Raising my hand straight at Cthulhu, I channelled arge amount of magical power into my ring of Creation. Rainbow light erupted from my thumb, and the radiance blinded mepletely. However, I didn''t need my eyes toplete the spell. More and more magic power was spent by both the Demon Lord and me, creating two distinct auras illuminating space''s darkness.


    s, no matter what Cthulhu was nning, it was far too slow. With my magic power at its peak, I cast the spell that I could never conjure up back on the.


    "Genesis: Sun."


    A miniature Sun appeared above the ck cocoon, and gravity forcibly pulled the Demon Lord into its surface. Sr res ripped the goo from the monster, as its body melted like an ice cube on a hot Summer''s day.


    The Sun I''d created was infinitely smaller than the one at the centre of our sr system, but it possessed enough power to run a million nuclear nts. No matter how physically superior Cthulhu was, it couldn''t resist the spellpletely unharmed.


    Or so I''d thought¡­


    BOOOOMMM!!!


    The ming star that stood independently in the emptiness of Space exploded into a pile of ster residue. A sr re far beyond the ones I created attacked my Aegis barrier, shaking my defences and pushing me hundreds of kilometres back.


    However, I didn''t mind the damage one bit.


    Why?


    My eyes were on the disgusting being that broke free from the ck cocoon mass.


    ck tentacles which coiled like satanic serpents¡­ A mass of rubber, scaly meat ten timesrger than any mountain I''d ever seen¡­ Draconic wings that spread just as wide as the world''s biggestkes¡­


    Ah, how could I forget?


    The original myths of Cthulhu didn''t start with it being the Matron of the Seas¡­ Cthulhu was originally¡­


    A cosmic horror.

 Chapter 164 Vs Cthulhu (5)

    Cthulhu''s body morphed into a disgusting blob of flesh and tentacles. Its immense size was enough to cover a tenth of the Moon, and its magic power was suffocating even though we were in the vacuum of Space. Its fiendish, yellow eyes pierced into my soul as it attempted to intimidate and drive me into madness.


    Intense magical energy burst forth from the monstrosity, making the hairs on my skin stand. My body was involuntarily shaking, and my soul was subconsciously asking me to run away.


    So this was a monster who lived for thousands, no, tens of thousands of years¡­


    Even if it wasn''t on its home, Cthulhu was still a mythical Demon Lord with enough energy to rival a small. Without my connection to the World Tree, this battle would have been impossible.


    "Sora, I''m going to absorb more magic. Will you be fine?"


    "A-Ah, yes! But, will your body be able to handle it?"


    "I have no choice," I sighed and looked over at the Demon Lord that had reached its final form. "Against that monster, I''ll need to have the magic power of our to stand a chance."


    "O-Okay, but if you feel any irregrities¡­"


    "Yes, I''ll stop using you."


    When I return from this battle, I''ll figure out how to increase my vessel''s capacity. But I''ll have to push my Progenitor body to the utmost limits. Shaking my arm, I channelled a vast amount of magic power from the World Tree into the four rings. Creation and Life bound together as the familiar purple battle God enveloped my entire body. At the same time, like a general from mythical times, I summoned an army of mystical soldiers, each one capable of fighting against an S-rank Hunter.


    However, that was just the beginning of my siege. Space warped as Cthulhu found itself wrapped in a prison of Spacetime, and without breaking my spell, it could never hope to escape. At the same time, a red beam of pure destructive light came out from my index finger and pierced through the Demon Lord''s skin.


    Spell after spell was cast at Cthulhu, creating a vortex of magical energy that could destroy an entire country with its touch. Even at a far range, I could feel the effects of my magic spells tapping against my Aegis barrier.


    But s, even with all my spells bursting straight at the Demon Lord, Cthulhu stood firm. iling its horrid tentacles around, the monster emerged from my attack with renewed anger in its eyes as its damaged body healed in less than a second.


    [... You forced me to show this form¡­ The Goddess was right; we can''t let you live¡­]


    Cthulhu''s voice resonated in my mind. Its voice was on the verge of explosion, and its body shook wildly. Magic power erupted from the vile creature, and an ocean of ck goo surrounded the Demon Lord. The soldiers I created, entities that could easily rival S-Ranked Hunters, were instantly vapourised by the ck liquid.


    And when I sent another spell flying in its direction, the ck goo turned into a shield, dissipating the magic spell into nothingness.


    No way, does that ck fluid melt magic? I''d never thought that was possible¡­


    Instantly my mind rushed at a million miles an hour. What was the property behind the ck fluid? How could it melt magic itself? Could it destroy my Aegis barrier? Innumerable questions popped up in my head, and I desperately sought the answers. s, Cthulhu wasn''t kind enough to give me time to think.


    [Die!!!]


    Flying through Space, the Demon Lord dragged the ocean of ck goo behind it and rushed to my location. Seeing a miniature Moon with the flesh of a Demon charging straight at me, the calm evaporated from my face almost instantly. Without even thinking, I warped myself away with the Spacetime ring and opened the distance between the Demon Lord and me.


    However, the remaining soldiers still needed to make it out. When Cthulhu''s ck fluid touched any of my magical soldiers, they melted away likeva breaking through ice. For the first time since ascending to a Progenitor, I was dumbfounded.


    Magic was useless against the mysterious ck goo. Regardless of their potency, all of my spells couldn''t resist Cthulhu''s anti-magic.


    "What on earth was that? Sora, do you have any clue?"


    "No¡­ I''d never seen such a mysterious liquid in my life! It''s by no means a natural substance!"


    "I see¡­"


    Sora has seen every natural material as the Spirit of the World Tree. Furthermore, anti-magic didn''t exist anywhere on the. While there were numerous theories about it, none have been verified to be true. And yet, I was witnessing it firsthand.


    "Jin!"


    "I know!"


    As another tsunami was hurled at me, I teleported far away and kept my distance. Cthulhu was unrelenting. Like a ravenous mad dog, it continually rushed at me as if it had nothing to lose. Wave after wave of that mysterious anti-magic ck goo was hurled at me, forcing me to make defensive manoeuvres every time.


    Tch, this guy is dangerous.


    As a Progenitor, I relied heavily on my magic, especially since we''re in the vacuum of space. The moment I lost my magic, I would essentially be a sitting duck, just waiting for my time of ughter.


    But, there was one silver lining¡­


    Cthulhu¡­ Its magic power is depleting rapidly.


    As expected, using a spell to counter all magic came at a hefty cost. It took me thirty minutes to deplete thirty percent of its magic power on Earth. But now, it was bleeding about a percentage point every few seconds. If I could drag out this battle, Cthulhu''s magic would be dried up, and I''ll win.


    If that''s the case¡­


    I focused all of my magic power into my middle ring, calling forth an azure light to wrap around my hefty shoulders. Two azure wings emerged from my back, and with it, Spacetime distorted. I teleported far away and attempted to force Cthulhu into a dimensional cage. If I were against anyone else from Earth, the cage would have sealed them for eternity. But s, I was against a Demon Lord from another dimension.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Somehow, the mystical ck goo melted the Spacetime prison I''d created. Ignoring the defences of all my spells, the monster rushed straight at me and instantly surrounded me with multiple whirlpools of ck goo.


    "Annoying¡­"


    Once again, I teleported myself far away. This time, however, I used the wings on my back to give me additional range and cast time. My control over Spacetime had never been this profound, and I acutely understood how far I could push my limits. Each time Cthulhu threw an inescapable prison of ck substance, I would teleport away by a hair''s breadth.


    [Stop moving around!!!]


    Over time, the Demon Lord got more impatient. It knew it was fighting against the clock and had to end the battle as soon as possible. Otherwise, when it ran out of magic power and had no means of refilling its reserves¡­


    [I''m not stupid, Cthulhu.]


    I sent a mental message back, taunting the Demon Lord.


    [You''re disconnected from your while I''m still connected to mine. It''s only a matter of time before you run out of magic power. Even if you were an existence that reigned supreme in the Demon Realm, you''re nothing here.]


    [...]


    Cthulhu remained quiet, not because it had calmed down, but the contrary. Its rage was palpable that I could feel the heat burning from its soul. The Demon Lord sent yet another wave of ck goo flying straight at me like a vengeful God who sought to punish its subjects. However, I wasn''t going to y Cthulhu''s game for long.


    BOOOOMMMM!!!


    While teleporting from coordinate to coordinate, I set up various arrays connected to a magic decahedron. The points were separated far away, so Cthulhu didn''t notice until it was toote. And once the Demon Lord realised it was caught in a trap, I didn''t wait anymore. Sending a vast amount of magic into my ring of Destruction, I mustered up a powerful ray of crimson light with only one purpose.


    Complete and utter dposition.


    Anything that ray of light touched was dposed down to its atoms. It didn''t matter if there were an impregnable shield or a massive barrier protecting Cthulhu; this one spell was to dpose anything it touched.


    In shock, Cthulhu did the only thing it could; it used the ck goo as protection to melt my magic. s, how could any fluid outrun the speed of light? Before it fully protected itself, the crimson ray kissed Cthulhu''s disgusting, scaly, slimy skin, causing the Demon Lord''s flesh to turn into smoke. And to recover from the damage, Cthulhu spent even more of its diminishing magic power.


    Bit by bit, I was winning the battle of attrition.


    Cthulhu''s magic power was falling below optimal levels as less than one per cent remained. While at the same time, I was using my crimson light to ensure it stayed caged in its shell. Slowly but surely, the Demon Lord was weakening, and eventually¡­


    [... Name.]


    [What?]


    Cthulhu''s voice echoed within my mind once more. However, rather than rage, I felt a particr emotion I''d never thought I would feel from a Demon Lord.


    Empathy and regret.


    [... Name¡­ At least tell me the name of the person who defeated me¡­]


    The Demon Lord had resigned to its fate. Knowing that the battle was lost, Cthulhu could only bite the bullet and let its body disappear. The ck goo that protected the monster stopped flowing, and Cthulhu''s massive body was revealed again. However, unlike its virile state, the Demon Lord was wrinkled up and on the verge of dissipating. All it took was one more crimson ray before I could eradicate this extradimensional threat for good.


    But, as one final grace, I shall give this Demon Lord peace.


    [Jin¡­ My name is Jin Valter.]


    [... Jin Valter¡­ How regrettable¡­ If you were on our side, then¡­]


    [On your side? I can let you live if you tell me what you know.]


    Cthulhu''s words faded away as it looked up at the magical decahedron in resignation.


    [... Do it.]


    [...]


    So to the very end, this monster won''t divulge the truth, huh? If that''s the case¡­


    [Goodbye Cthulhu¡­]


    And with one final crimson light, the Demon Lord that terrorised multiple generations and reaped thousands, if not millions, of lives from humanity¡­


    Dposed into atoms.

 Chapter 165 The Outer Demon Invasion (1)

    Back in the Everwinter Estate¡­


    While Jin had moved Cthulhu elsewhere to engage in battle, the carnage within the Everwinter House didn''t stop. With their leader gone, the Outer Demons lost theirmander and, therefore, their sense of purpose. Many fell into berserk states, unable to recognise friend from foe. Their savagery was fully disyed when they ripped through the Everwinter defences, tearing down everything in their path.


    Due to the suddenness of the attack, the Vampires of the Everwinter House were forced into an all-out battle where all sorts of organised ns were thrown out the window. Ancient Vampires showed off their experience by mowing down Outer Demons by the hundreds while Blood Servants threw their bodies in front of their enemies to thin out the numbers.


    s, the sheer number of Outer Demons that Cthulhu brought over seemed to be endless. Even after shaving down one wave after another, the maniacal monsters continued to march like an undead horde. If Cthulhu was present, there was no question that it would be thest day of the Everwinter House.


    However, without their Lord¡­


    "Freeze, you insolent degenerates."


    Matriarch Innocence sent out an overwhelming blizzard that froze anything it touched. Vengeful winds blew apart the Outer Demons that dared to step foot on hernd as numerous icy shards of death reaped the lives of the Demonic beings. While everyone feared Matriarch Innocence for her immense power and fame as one of the strongest Vampires ever to live, not many knew what her forte was.


    Massbat.


    There was a reason why the Everwinter House could hold an entire Gate for centuries single-handedly.


    The Winter Sovereign Aspect.


    Any Vampire who possessed this legendary mark was the undisputed God of Winter. No one could challenge them if they were within their cold and icy domain, no matter how many numbers were thrown at them. At its apex, the Winter Sovereign Aspect could turn an entire continent into ice and even freeze a million soldiers in one spell.


    Of course, against forces of nature such as a Demon Lord, Matriarch Innocence would be hard-pressed to do much, but when it came tobat against a massive group¡­ That''s where the ancient Vampire thrived.


    But Matriarch Innocence wasn''t the only one with the Winter Sovereign Aspect¡­


    "Go back to hell!"


    Irina lowered her hands after an intense snowstorm raced past the Everwinter Estate. Caught in her domain, none of the elite Outer Demons stood a chance against the Goddess of Winter. Most of them froze to death, forever encased in an icy hell they could never escape from. Others resisted their fates, only to be hit by a symphony of sharp, icy weapons which drew blood wherever they touched.


    There was nothing the Outer Demons could do against Irina, especially after she was empowered by Jin''s magical seed. In terms of strength against numbers, the girl was likely only beneath Matriarch Innocence. No other Everwinter Vampire couldpare with the white-haired Goddess anymore, and they instinctively knew it.


    Matriarch Innocence watched her precious granddaughter y Demon after Demon and couldn''t help but feel a heavy heart.


    When negotiating peace terms with Jin, she had signed Irina over to the Valter House. Therefore, even though Irina was once part of the Everwinter House, she was nothing more than a stranger who once had ties to their family.


    ''How regrettable, she could have been a great heir¡­''


    While Matriarch Innocencemented her past choices, Irina''s mind was focused on far more essential matters. Killing the Outer Demons was necessary, but her most pivotable concern was with her precious elder brother, who had disappeared with humanity''s greatest threat.


    "Brother, are you safe?"


    Irina thought out loud, not caring about the numerous eyes on her. Both Outer Demons and Vampires had focused on the lonesome flower amid a blizzard, but Irina didn''t care a single bit. She ced her hands into a sp and acutely felt her connection with Jin in her heart.


    "You''re still alive¡­ But, I can''t see what you''re doing¡­ It''s at times like this where I really envy Rosa."


    Rosa could ''see'' anything on the. So long as there were nts nearby, Rosa could always spy on Jin and ascertain his safety. Unfortunately, Irina didn''t have that broken ability. Like a faithful military wife who stayed at home, all Irina could do was rub her heart and sense the seed Jin had nted in her.


    And through some miracle, a voice sounded off in her mind. s, it wasn''t from the person she wished to see most.


    [Irina! Can you hear me?]


    [Lilith? How are you in my head?]


    [It''s a long story, but that''s not important now! What happened to Jin?! I can''t feel his presence on Earth! This has never happened before!]


    [T-That¡­ He teleported away with Cthulhu!]


    [HE DID WHAT?!]


    Lilith''s voice got frantic within Irina''s mind. Irina could imagine the blonde-haired beauty pulling her silken hair at that very moment as she continued her hollering.


    [And you let him do that?!]


    [You think I could stop him? Once Brother has his mind set on something, he''ll¡­]


    [Tch, I know that! That bastard, does he ever think about how we feel whenever he plunges himself into danger?!]


    While Irina didn''t like Lilith''s derogatory tone, the girl wholeheartedly agreed. If it meant protecting his loved ones, Jin would constantly dive into the belly of the beast all alone. He would incur life-threatening injuries to himself rather than let anyone harm a hair on his lovers'' bodies. It was one of his strong points, but at the same time, it was something that none of his four lovers appreciated very much.


    After ranting a little more, Lilith calmed down and started analysing the situation the same way Jin would.


    [He teleported away with Cthulhu, huh? Well, at least I can feel his soul beating strong, so he''s definitely still alive. The problem is, why can''t I feel his presence on Earth?]


    [... Are you able to scan the entire already?]


    [Not quite yet. My dimensional magic has improved, but not to the point where I can find anyone on Earth. However, Jin is special. Be it under the ocean or high above in the clouds. I can sense his presence as long as he''s on Earth.]


    [... I see.]


    Irina felt defeated by the news. Over the past few weeks since Jin''s ascension to a Progenitor, Irina thought she''d also grown tremendously, and the results proved that. She could easily dispatch elite Outer Demons that would give A-Ranked Hunters or powerful Vampires problems, all with a single spell.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Yet,pared to the girl she considered her greatest rival, Irina could only look back at her misguided pride with shame. While she was fooling around with Jin, the other three girls worked hard. They honed their skills beyondparison and were now capable of performing feats she could only dream of.


    ''Okay, let''s start training seriously after this mess is settled¡­ Of course, I''ll need to spend a few more nights with Brother first!''


    Unaware of Irina''s silent resolution, Lilith continued her own monologue:


    [While I can''t sense him on Earth, I can feel his soul burning strong. I don''t think Jin is in any trouble, but¡­]


    [We can''t be sure, right? He''s against Cthulhu, after all.]


    Demon Lords were the apex of the Outer Demons. Throughout the years, Demon Lords had terrorised the, and every living creature feared their existence. Vampires and Humans were forced to forgive each other precisely because of the threat that Demon Lords posed. For Jin to go against such a monster alone¡­ It waspletely unheard of.


    [Even if he''s transcended, we can''t let him fight Cthulhu alone! Do you have any clue on where he might go?]


    [... You said that you couldn''t feel Jin on Earth, right?]


    [Yeah?]


    [What if he''s not ON the but above it?]


    [No way¡­]


    Heeding Irina''s advice, Lilith channelled her magic skywards. Far above the clouds, the ozoneyer, and the farthest reaches of the¡­ Lilith''s eyes continued up.


    Until¡­


    [That madman! He''s fighting in Outer Space!!!]


    [Yeah, sounds like him¡­]


    Of the four girls, Irina knew Jin the best. She knew all of his thought patterns and how he made his decisions. It was natural that she would be the one who solved the puzzle of the missing Jin. Lilith was somewhat irritated by that fact but didn''t let it show in her voice. Rather, she continued:


    [Should we help him?]


    [Don''t bother, we will only be a hindrance to Brother.]


    [But¡­]


    [Irina¡­ Right¡­]


    A third voice cut into the ''call,'' forcing Irina and Lilith to jump in shock.


    [Rosa! Where did youe from?!]


    [Unimportant¡­ Jin¡­ Safe¡­]


    [He''s safe? How?]


    Lilith got a taste of her own medicine as Rosalyn ignored her cries and got to the main point.


    [World Tree¡­ Helping¡­]


    [He''s getting help from the World Tree? Is that even possible?]


    [... He''s my man, so yes.]


    [This bitch¡­]


    Lilith resisted the urge to teleport to the Elven Forest and p Rosa''s pristine cheeks red.


    [Have faith¡­ In him¡­]


    [Tch, you have a point.]


    As much as Lilith hated to admit it, Jin was far stronger than any of them. Plus, if he had the unconditional assistance of the World Tree, there wasn''t much the four of them could do to help. All they could do was have faith in the man they called their lover.


    [Okay, I''ll take care of matters on my end. From my intelligence, half the is engaged in war. Even the annoying Holy Church has dispatched all their forces to face the other Demon Lord that invaded.]


    [There''s another Demon Lord here?!]


    [Yeah, Baishe. It has brought a legion of flying Demons. Give them a few more hours; half the continent would be overrun with death and destruction. Speaking of which, Irina¡­ Do you need help?]


    While Jin had kept Cthulhu busy, the Demon Lord''s minions were still wreaking havoc on the Everwinter Estate. It was natural for Lilith to offer her assistance. However¡­


    [No need.]


    Irina stopped the connection from her end, and her eyes overflowed with magical power. The ever-freezing world somehow got even colder as an azure glow lit up Irina''s winter-grey eyes, and her body emitted a chill that could turn anything into ice.


    "I''ll end it all before Brother returns."

 Chapter 166 The Outer Demon Invasion (2)

    I did it¡­


    I killed Cthulhu.


    Watching the remnants of the Demon Lord float around in Outer Space, my mind was in the midst of a flurry. While I''d fully expected to defeat the Demon Lord, seeing ite to fruition still shocked me. With this, two out of the three known Demon Lords had been eradicated from existence¡­


    All with my own two hands.


    ? [Sora¡­ Is this reality?]


    [Hmmm? Did the Demon Lord do anything to you? Did you suffer from a mental attack?]


    [No, never mind¡­]


    I mentally chuckled and looked down at the blue I call home. I protected Earth from a Demon Lord. I defended my home from a Demon Lord. And most importantly¡­ I saved my loved ones from a Demon Lord.


    However, I shouldn''t be cocky. The battle with the Outer Demons was far from over. After Eyghon and Cthulhu, one more beast was still threatening the. Not only that but based on Cthulhu''s words, there was a Goddess to whom the Outer Demons were faithful. And there was no guarantee that there were only three Demon Lords.


    But still¡­


    [HAHAHAHA!!! I''ve really done it!!! I killed two Demon Lords!!!]


    I couldn''t hold back my joy anymore and shouted with everything I had. Of course, in the middle of Outer Space, my voice wouldn''te out, and no vibrations could be felt from my throat, but still¡­ I let out a victory roar that would resonate till the end of time.


    It wasn''t a fluke like the time with Eyghon. It wasn''t a fight where I was the weaker party and had to use tricks to defeat my opponent.


    This time, I took on Cthulhu in fullbat and won.


    It was proof of my growth. Proof of my efforts. And proof that I''d achieved my goal.


    To be the strongest person in the World.


    [Jin¡­ Have you gone crazy?]


    [Haha, perhaps I have.]


    It only took me a few seconds to fully regain myposure. The high from defeating a Demon Lord hadn''t died yet, but I wasn''t in any position to celebrate much longer. The scales of the Outer Demon war have shifted. With Cthulhu gone, the Goddess of the Outer Demons would have guessed my existence, and most likely, the invasion would step up a notch or two.


    We would reach the next phase of this endless war, and many will perish in future battles. The Gates will no longer remain dormant and Outer Demons that were just as strong, if not stronger than Cthulhu, may continue to appear.


    Nevertheless, I was prepared. With one Demon Lord under my belt, I had the utmost confidence that I could kill another. But, for now¡­ I have some research to do.


    Although Cthulhu had been killed, remnants of its body still remained. More importantly, remnants of that anti-magic ck goo still floated around in space. I created an alternate pocket dimension, and with my control over the fabric of space, I isted the mysterious liquid into one spot and sealed it within the dimension.


    This was the first time my magic had been countered so perfectly. As a Vampire Progenitor, my magic was everything. If I''d lost it, I didn''t have another method of countering my opponents. Essentially, the ck goo negated ny-nine percent of my effectiveness in battle.


    I lucked out this time, as Cthulhu wasn''t in its home territory and was working with what finite magic power it had. Otherwise, even with the support of the World Tree, I wouldn''t be able to go against an endless ocean of that anti-magic ck goo.


    Which was why I had to rectify this weakness of mine.


    When the threat of the Outer Demons has passed, I will study and examine this anti-magic goo to hopefullye up with countermeasures against it. But this wasn''t the time.


    There was still another Demon Lord on the.


    [Sora, can you go for another round?]


    [I can go for decades if you want, but don''t tell me you''re going to fight another Demon Lord right after you killed one?]


    [Well, there''s no better opportunity, isn''t there? If Baishe returns to the Demon Realm, it would only return stronger.]


    [Shouldn''t you rest a bit? My magic power may be infinite, but your vessel isn''t durable enough to withstand another battle like that. Besides, if it''s that other Demon Lord, yourrades are dealing with it now.]


    [Myrades?]


    [You know, the ones with the white clothes and golden crosses. They summoned something interesting to tie the Demon Lord down. So far, it''s working quite well.]


    [The Holy Church? They summoned something?]


    Given Sora''s description, there was only one organisation I could think of. Plus, if they were summoning something, I had a decent idea of what it was. Closing my eyes, I directed my senses to the and scanned for distinct, magic signatures. It didn''t take long for my ''eyes'' to pick out tworge chunks of energy, both foreign to the natural world, locking each other in a battle of pure attrition.


    One of those energies was highly reminiscent of Cthulhu''s. It felt otherworldly and beyond anything the Earth could produce naturally. While the other had arge mass of energy that I was familiar with.


    After all, I fought against it just a few days ago.


    My lips curled into a smile, and my mind was set almost instantly. Containing my excitement, I murmured out in my mind.


    [Archangel¡­]<novelnext></novelnext>


    [What?]


    [How fortunate¡­ Demon Lords and Archangels. I got to see them both today. And once I study them and dissect their powers, I''ll¡­]


    [J-Jin¡­ That''s a really evil face you''re making.]


    [Is it? It must be your imagination.]


    Shaking off the shivering World Tree fairy, I summoned my Soul Armament and discreetly teleported back to the. All done under cover of darkness¡­


    ???


    "Cthulhu is dead¡­"


    In the Demon Realm, two silhouettes were instantly notified of theirpatriot''s demise. As the Goddess of Destiny and the Demon Lord responsible for the future of all Outer Demons, Uriel was intricately connected with all the other Demon Lords. Therefore, the second that Cthulhu''s lifeforce diminished, the Goddess could sense it, even if she was a gxy away.


    "Cthulhu? That blockhead? Even though Cthulhu is an idiot, no human on Earth is a match for that beast. Would Baishe have taken this opportunity to cleanse old grievances?"


    "No, they won''t betray our kind just for some petty differences of the past," Uriel replied to the dark figure with a solemn tone. She stepped forward, unveiling her inhumane yet, angelic appearance for the subject and determinedly said:


    "They won''t go against my word. Even if they aren''t loyal to the Demon Sovereign and all of Demonkind, they can''t betray me."


    "... I apologise."


    The dark humanoid bowed in reverence and didn''t deny the Goddess'' words, for she was right. While the Demons may not listen to their respective Demon Lords or even the Demon Sovereign himself, they would never betray the faith of the Goddess. Or, to be more precise, they couldn''t cross the Goddess of Destiny even if they wanted to.


    Such was the power of the second strongest Demon to ever exist in the Demon Realm.


    "If it wasn''t Baishe, then there''s only one other possibility."


    "Yes," Uriel turned her back and raised her head to the sky. Her eyes were hidden from view as she was blindfolded, but the ck hooded figure could tell there was sadness within them.


    "Our worst fear hase true. ''He'' has be stronger¡­"


    "..."


    "I''d thought we had much more time¡­ Fate is such a cruel thing. No matter how much I n, how much I scheme, how much I pray¡­ I can''t stop destiny."


    The hooded figure stood up and walked over to Uriel. If it had a physical body, it would have embraced the woman to give her a sense offort. s, all it could do was watch silently by her side as the Goddess of Destiny trembled.


    "The Sovereign¡­ Will he return?"


    "Not yet," Uriel replied with a shaken voice. "Now that ''he'' has awakened, the Demon Sovereign needs to increase every advantage he has. The battle against him will determine the fate of all Demonkind. If we disturb his isted training, we will lose that advantage."


    "Then I guess¡­ I''m up next."


    "Yes, I''m afraid you are." Uriel turned her face to the dark cloak, and even without pulling out her blindfold, the hooded figure could sense the intense emotions thaty within.


    Fear.


    The Goddess of Destiny was experiencing fear beyond her wildest dreams. Fear for the future, fear for all Demonkind and¡­ Fear for one of her oldestrades.


    "Thanatos¡­ You were created to kill ''him''. But there''s no guarantee that you''ll seed. There''s no guarantee that you will return from your journey. I tried my best to divine your best chances of killing ''him'', but¡­"


    "I understand¡­ His magic is blocking your ''eyes'' from seeing Fate."


    "Yes," Uriel responded despondently. "I don''t know the full extent of ''his'' powers, and I can''t imagine what heights he has already reached now that he''s killed Cthulhu. But I have faith in you, Thanatos. God of Death."


    Thanatos raised his head from the darkened hood, revealing a ck skull with a red ruby of death enshrined within his crown. A dark aura which was just as repugnant as it was deadly radiated out from the undead skeleton. Everything that the aura touched ''died'' almost instantly. From living creatures to solid rock. From molecules in the air to ancient trees that lived thousands of years.


    Nothing could escape the potency of the death aura.


    Everything, except the Goddess of Destiny herself.


    "I will not fail you, Goddess. I will break the shackles of destiny and give you the future you''ve dreamed of." Thanatos knelt at Uriel''s feet in reverence and dered.


    "Thank you, Thanatos." Uriel''s lips broke into a smile. "Thankfully, Cthulhu''s energy must have remained on ''his'' body, so I can use that to find his location. However, it''ll take time and preparation to create a Gaterge enough so that you can fit through. Your magic power is stronger than that of Cthulhu, and Baishebined, after all."


    "I await your orders."


    "Yes¡­ Then, I shall give you this order. The moment my preparations areplete, the Gate to ''him'' is ready. Thanatos, you shall¡­"


    Uriel reached out to the Demon Lord of Death and ced her pristine hands on the skeleton''s radiating skull. And with a maniacal smile that was unbefitting of the Goddess who bewitched the entire Demon Realm, she dered:


    "Kill him."

 Chapter 167 Archangel (1)

    The Holy Lands. The Papal States. The Archbasilica.


    Deep in the most divine location of the Holy Church, the Pope stood over a congregation of his most trusted servants. Nine hundred Priests, ny Bishops and nine Cardinals were gathered in the Archbasilica; all knelt down in prayer in a circle formation which created a pipe of Holy power which increased exponentially with each chant of their scripture.


    Gold and white magic particles filled the cathedral as the chants continued in robotic unison. Trained to pray and funnel their magic power all day, the nine-hundred and ny-nine clergymen channelled all of their energy into their prayers, all while closing their minds to any external factors.


    If Jin were present, he would be absolutely aghast by the amount of magic power within the chapel. The magical power in the chamber was enough to match a Progenitor and then some, and that wasn''t the end.


    While the priests are constantly in prayer, their connection with the Faith Dimension could never be broken. Thousands of years of magic power were avable at the fingertips of the Holy men, and they were utilising every ounce of it at the moment.


    Why?


    Baishe, the Serpent of the Skies.


    Shaped just like an oriental dragon, the Demon Lord didn''t look like a horrendous beast that terrorised the minds of the plebeians or a monster worthy of fear and acrimony. Its glorious silver scales and thick, divine dragon beard made it look like a mythical creature from human legends. It was more apt to describe the silver dragon as a Guardian God rather than a Demon Lord. If anything, Baishe was an Outer Demon that seemed part of the Holy Church, with its divine markings and enthralling silver hue.


    s, looks were deceiving.


    Of the three Demon Lords that humanity was familiar with, Baishe was, by far, the most dangerous.


    While Eyghon roamed the earth with no purpose in mind and Cthulhu reigned over the oceans, actively fighting against the Everwinter House, Baishe alone was the Demon Lord responsible for the deaths of millions.


    With its ability to fly and be anywhere it chose, the Demon Lord had terrorised countries all over the. Coupled with the fact that nothing could challenge the flying serpent in the skies and its tendency for aggression, Baishe was widely considered to be the most dangerous of the three known Demon Lords. And since most of its targets were human settlements, the Demon Lord was ssified as humanity''s greatest enemy.


    This was why Baishe''s greatest foes weren''t the Vampires or the Werewolves¡­ But the guardians of humanity itself.


    The Holy Church.


    "Where is Baishe going?"


    The Pope asked one of his subordinates to track the Demon Lord while the rest of the congregation channelled their Holy power into one.


    ? "Baishe has just destroyed Sialuc and is headed towards Laekyr."


    "Wasn''t it just at Yudonia?"


    "Yudonia has fallen, your holiness¡­"


    "That quickly?" The eighty-year-old man nearly got a stroke when he heard about the demise of yet another country. It has barely been an hour since Baishe''s appearance, yet it has thoroughly wiped two countries off the face of the Earth.


    Such was the danger of a flying Demon Lord. Containing it to one location was virtually impossible. Moving at speeds that no jet could match, Baishe could move from country to country with almostplete impunity. The best way humans could deal with the Demon Lord was to hide underground and pray for the menace to pass by unnoticed.


    "Yudonia, Sialuc and Laekyr¡­ It''s targeting the Papal States on purpose."


    The Popemented the fact that three of the Holy Church''s most valued countries had fallen from the wrath of the Demon Lord. Not only that¡­


    "Plus its trajectory¡­ Baishe is targeting the Archbasilica." The wizened old man frowned and barked: "Do we have an ETA?"


    "... If it ignores Laekyr, fifteen minutes."


    "How frightening¡­ But God is good. He has foreseen this tragedy and has prepared us for the Demon Lord''s arrival."


    The Pope prayed skywards with a genuine smile on his face. Because of the threat that Jin posed, the Holy Church had gathered the pieces needed to summon an Archangel at any given time. While its initial use was for assassinating the new Vampire Progenitor, with the appearance of Baishe and its endless charge through the Papal States, the Holy Church had further use for the Archangel.


    And as the ritual neared itspletion, the Pope turned to thenky, buff man behind him and said:


    "While we didn''t intend to use the Archangel this way, we don''t have any other choice. Fret not, Father Amorth; we will get the Progenitor next time."


    "It''s all part of God''s n."


    The Head Exorcist of the Church, the man responsible for gathering the pieces needed for an Archangel in the first ce, nodded in agreement. After his devastating loss to Jin, the Head Exorcist returned to the Holy Church in shame. However, his failure didn''t dampen the Pope''s faith in his most trusted right hand. In fact, it was strengthened by the fact that the Head Exorcist had faced the Progenitor and returned in one piece.


    "Father Amorth, while I''mmanding the Archangel. I will leave the defences of the Archbasilica to you."


    "Leave it to me, your holiness." Father Amorth knelt down and epted the order. "May the Lord be with you."


    "Amen."


    The Pope smiled and walked into the centre of the magical circle. Holy power dropped down from the heavens like sacred rain and congregated onto the massive cross at the centre of the Archbasilica. The dimensions shook while the grounds of the Holy Land trembled in response to what was toe.


    Energy was drawn from the Faith dimension, breaking the thinyers of the dimensional walls. Sonorous prayers echoed throughout the chapel as the clergymen continued to pour their hearts and souls into the one ritual that was considered most sacred.


    Until finally¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    A pir of ever-flowing light erupted from the magic circle and was raised to the heavens. The pir broke through the clouds, creating a massive hole in the sky where the boundaries between the Faith and material dimensions were blurred. And within the Holy pir, a certain form started to take shape.


    One giant egg.


    That was the first impression of the summoned being. However, in time, Holy magic continued to descend and force the ethereal being to take a different form. Eighteen wings of purity burst free from the egg, each possessing a unique trait far beyond anything a human could create.


    Divine mes burned all the enemies of the Holy Church. Wings of light that healed anything within seconds. Wings made from sacred trees which bound all heretics who defied the Papal States¡­


    The list went on.


    But the wings were only half of the Archangel''s powers.


    Blessed with divine eyes, the Archangel could see through all of Creation and determine every weakness its opponent had. Wrapped in sacred garb, it possessed defences beyond most fortresses and couldn''t be destroyed by magic or physical damage alone. Immune to heat, cold, poison and every ailment on the, an Archangel was the perfect existence beyond anything humanity could offer.


    And finally, the golden halo that sat on top of its crown.


    Just simply by existing, the Archangel could create a sanctuary that weakened its enemies and strengthened every attribute it had. Using its halo as a catalyst, it could endlessly draw on the infinite magic power of the Faith Dimension, continually empowering its attacks till the end of time.


    It could summon righteous fire and divine lightning to smite its enemies, drawing upon the elements to aid in its battles.


    Contrary to popr belief, an Archangel wasn''t an existence that sat at the right hand of God and granted mercy to all those who sought forgiveness. No, an Archangel was a far more sinister creature. A summoned being that lived for one reason and one reason only¡­


    To exterminate all enemies of the Holy Church.


    "My fellow brothers in God," the Pope''s voice resonated within the ritual''s nine-hundred and ny-nine clergymen''s heads. "May God bless us with infinite strength to defeat the threat to humanity."


    "Amen!"


    "May your souls be blessed with endless happiness for your sacrifice this evening!"


    "Amen!"


    "And finally¡­ May God lead us through the tunnel of heaven and bring us light before dawn!"


    "Amen!"


    ???


    Urgh¡­ How cringe.


    Shrouded in the darkness, I watched the memories of Father Amorth of how the Holy Church summoned the Archangel. While the two behemoths were interlocked in battle outside, I squeezed my way into the deepest parts of the Archbasilica and observed the entire ritual and the fragments needed to start it all.


    Typically, it would have been near impossible for me to infiltrate this secure location undetected. After all, even if the entire Holy Church was engaged in the Archangel summoning, they had centuries of traps and defences that I had to sneak through before I could get to the heart of the cathedral.


    Fortunately, I had an insider who made my infiltration infinitely easier.


    Father Amorth, who had been brainwashed to be my servant, opened the locked doors with a smile. He was even ''kind'' enough to let me read his memories, which allowed me to witness the cringe moment when the Pope summoned the Archangel.


    From what I gather, these nutjobs weren''t aware of the Faith Dimension and truly believed that God was real.


    Well, at least it made my job easier. If they weren''t aware of the Faith Dimension, all I needed to do was cut their connection with the mysterious ce and their Holy power wouldn''t work anymore.


    In fact, if I wished to stop the Archangel right now, I could just cut the connection of the Pope to the ritual, and the entire spell would fail.


    But I won''t do that yet.


    After all, the Archangel was helping me tie down Baishe. Not to mention, I could learn plenty of things from the Archangel and the flying Demon Lord. Particrly the Archangel.


    Since it was created using Faith energy, I could do the same with my creation magic. Granted, gathering that much power would take a long time, but it was worth a shot. As for Baishe the Demon Lord¡­


    "Notify me if something happens. I will watch the fight between the mighty Archangel and the Demon Lord."


    "Yes, my lord."


    Loyal to me alone, Father Amorth knelt down in reverence. Watching this scene, I couldn''t help but feel proud. Almighty God my ass, you couldn''t even keep your strongest Priest loyal to the Holy Church.


    Warping through Spacetime, only one thought remained in my mind.


    "Now, Angel vs Demon¡­ Who will win that battle?"

 Chapter 168 Archangel (2)

    Baishe continued its ceaseless charge by levelling cities with its Draconic breath. Guarded by a legion of flying monsters, the Demon Lord was never threatened by the humans who came to stop it. Even if they somehow managed to face the flying serpent in battle, all Baishe needed to do was send one breath out, and its blocked path would be cleared.


    Such was the power of a Demon Lord. Even amongst the trillions of Demons in the Demon Realm, Baishe was an oddity. It was a manifestation of the Demon Realm, an existence that spawned from the''s energy.


    It was meant to rule over Demons from the moment it was born. By its very nature, it could dominate any enemy that dared to bare its fangs against it. Even Cthulhu, its age-old enemy, couldn''tpletely stand toe-to-toe with the flying serpent. Besides the Demon Sovereign himself, Baishe had the utmost confidence in defeating any opponent it faced.


    Therefore, it had always looked down upon humans.


    Feeble creatures of another. Without magic, they were a little stronger than ants. They have evolved without ws and fangs, and their flesh was softer than the poop it discarded. If humans were born in the Demon Realm, they would have been wiped off the face of the and would have long gone extinct.


    Yet, the prideful Demon Lord had been humiliated by this pitiful race time and time again.


    When the Goddess of Destiny first ordered Baishe to invade the hundreds of years ago, it treated the mission as a yful expedition where it could explore another and have a change of cuisine. While they were not meaty, humans did taste different from all the Demons they had ever eaten.


    The first time Baishe invaded, humanity wasn''t prepared, and the mighty Dragon had an endless buffet during its missions. Humans, Elves, Werewolves, Vampires, Merfolk¡­ It ate every single one of them without much resistance. It was unfortunate that it could only stay an hour before the Gate to the Demon Realm closed. Otherwise, it would have wiped out the entire poption before the fated person was born.


    However, the next time Baishe invaded, things changed. Humanity had prepared for the Demon Lord and allied with their enemies, the Vampires, to repel the Outer Demons. Baishe no longer had a free buffet and would often put up a fight against the enemies who came to stop it.


    The third time, the unified alliance defended against Baishe for the first time. The Demon Lord was blocked by thebination of humanity''s top Hunters, Exorcists and even the Vampire Progenitor himself. And for the first time since the Dragon was born¡­ Baishe had suffered a life-threatening injury.


    As a creature born of the Demon Realm, every second it was away from its home weakened the Demon Lord. Unable to use its full potential, Baishe was forced to retreat in humiliation and took over a dozen years to recover to its peak.


    Time and time again, Baishe would invade the, only to be repelled by humanity''s growing skills and confidence. Although the Demon Lord would leave countless dead bodies in its wake, it was forced to return without exterminating its prey.


    In the end, Baishe developed a deep-rooted hatred for humanity and all the enemies on Earth. Particrly the one organisation that always emerged to disrupt its ns of exterminating the.


    The Holy Church.


    If the Everwinter House was responsible for repelling Cthulhu and its goons, the Holy Church was Baishe''s true enemy. The Angels they summoned were the only things that matched Baishe''s reign over the sky. In addition, Holy power was highly effective against the Demon Lord and its servants, so much so that even Baishe would feel pain from an Angel''s attack.


    So when the Goddess had finally given the go-ahead to invade the¡­ The Demon Lord jumped at the chance of revenge. It could finally wipe away its centuries of shame by exterminating the Holy Church and all who stood in its way.


    The mission to locate ''him'' was secondary. Baishe''s only n now was the extinction of mankind.


    [Where are those white pigeons?]


    Baishe''s growl resonated throughout the sky, sending shivers down its subordinates'' spines. They cowered back and pointed right at the pir of light in the distance. Vast amounts of magic power erupted into the skies, bringing fear and tremors into the weaker Outer Demons. Baishe, on the other hand, opened up its jaw and bared its fangs.


    [Finally¡­ Finally, I can kill them!]


    Without waiting for its subordinates, the Demon Lord flew past the speed of sound and headed straight to the centre of the Papal States. Hurricanes followed the massive Dragon as it ripped through the air. Trees were uprooted instantly while mountains were levelled. Anyone unlucky enough to be in its path could only resign themselves to their fates as the winds tore flesh from bone.


    It had been targeting the countries of the Papal States for a reason. If it wished to have its revenge, the first targets it should deal with were those pesky white pigeons that dared to tread on its sky.


    And luckily for the Demon Lord¡­


    [A big pigeon!]


    The first Angel it faced since arriving on the was the peak of all Angels. Eighteen wings spread out wide, each the length of a small river. Holy light descended from the heavens as its golden halo illuminated the darkened sky. Opening its eyes, the Archangel''s Holy power exploded into life, freezing the Demon Lord momentarily.


    Sent into a dizzy fray, the huge Dragon started seeing visions. First, it saw a memory of Cthulhu rising from the ocean during one of their many battles. A vision of an attack of aeons passed. Next, it saw the memory of its greatest humiliation. The memory of the attack nearly took its life. And finally, it saw an uncertain image.


    An image of a single man reigning hellfire and endless destruction onto the Demon Realm. The that all Demons held sacred. The man had the Goddess of Destiny''s neck in one hand and the Demon Sovereign''s head in the other. Baishe, Cthulhu and Thanatos couldn''t do anything to stop the man.


    He was an unstoppable force. A monster far beyond a Demon Lord. A God that descended to wreak havoc on the Demon Realm. And¡­


    The Nightmare of the Goddess.


    The prophecy that had started the Outer Demon invasion and the endless war waged by the Goddess of Destiny. She had seen the future of the Demon race. If they didn''t deal with ''him,'' the entire Demon Realm would be engulfed by this threat.


    [Useless illusion!]


    However, it didn''t take long for Baishe to recover from its stupor. The Demon Lord broke free from the illusion by focusing its mind, and it stared right at the Archangel''s pupils in defiance. In fact, there was a reason why Baishe could steady its mind so quickly.


    [Hmph! What nonsense! The Goddess is just overreacting! How can there be anyone capable of defying us? Defying me?! A Demon Lord!]


    Baishe denied ''his'' existence. While he was fiercely loyal to the Goddess of Destiny, he didn''t believe in the strength of this inferior race. Be it humans or Vampires, Baishe couldn''t fathom those weaklings being stronger than itself. No, it didn''t want to believe that.


    Therefore, even when facing humanity''s greatest weapon, the Demon Lord remained arrogant.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [Die, you useless pigeon!]


    Baishe''s chest expanded rapidly as it took in a deep breath. Magic power gathered from its inner core, and a blinding light emerged from its massive jaw. It continued to grow significantly, both in power and splendour, until finally¡­


    BOOM!!!


    A blinding beam of pure destruction brushed past the Archangel, creating an explosion ten times more destructive than a nuclear st. The earth crumbled down into dust while the clouds split from the heavens. Ster residue dropped like fireflies andnded elegantly on the ming path of destruction.


    Baishe nced down at the crater while a smile broke on its face. Like all sinister apex predators, the massive Dragon admired its work as if it were a proud craftsman. However, its joy was cut short by yet another beam of light that descended behind the Demon Lord.


    [You evaded my attack? How strange, you didn''t have that feature in the past.]


    The Demon Lord snorted as it nced back at the expressionless Archangel.


    Yes, this wasn''t the first time the two had faced off before. During the early years of the Outer Demon invasion, Baishe battled against the Archangel many times. In fact, during the height of their previous war, Baishe saw the Vampire Progenitor and Archangel join hands tond a fatal blow on its body.


    Therefore, it was more than familiar with the Archangel''s abilities.


    Since it was a lump of Holy power, the Archangel didn''t have any sort of battle instincts. It didn''t evade or move with any form of martial arts. It was just a mass of energy that pumped out spells ording to its user''s wishes.


    For it to have learnt new tricks, it could only mean one thing¡­


    [They evolved once again.]


    If there was one thing that Baishe would admit about the inferior creatures, it was their immense ability to evolve. Even midbat, they would learn new tricks and adapt their battle senses to improve constantly.


    For Demon Lords, who were perfected beings from their birth, they never required that rapid adaptation. They could defeat everything with pure brute force, and their bottomless magic power would easily do the job.


    [But it''s useless! Even if you have evolved, I will tear you down again and again until you be extinct!!!]


    Furious by the Archangel''s move, the Demon Lord continued its frenzied attack. Warping around the sky, Baishe created a coil of wind currents that quickly became thergest tornado ever recorded. At the same time, it rose above the clouds and made a downdraftbined with the mes of the Sun.


    Before long, both those catastrophes lined up, and an armageddon event was triggered. Falling balls of me rained down like hail and were wrapped together with the massive tornado to create a fire vortex of hell and death. Everything the me hurricane touched evaporated into nothingness.


    And the Archangel was no exception.


    Its wings couldn''t withstand the rapid currents and were pulled out from its back. At the same time, its body was flung into the vortex and charred to a crisp. At this point, the Demon Lord was confident that it had finished the job.


    s, just as it was about to leave for the heart of the Papal States¡­


    [ARGHHHH!!!]


    It felt a sharp pain pulsating through its neck as its serpentine body slithered its way onto the ground. Growling with anger, the beast forcibly turned its neck around and saw several spears of light protruding from its back. Magic power erupted from its body, and almost instantly, all of those weapons returned back to light particles, and the angered Demon Lord flew back up to the skies.


    The Archangel waited as its body rapidly healed from the damage Baishe had caused it. With a healing factor far beyond that of any Vampire, the Archangel fully recovered its wings in less than a second while its ck and burnt body had returned to its pristine state. Its massive halo continued to absorb Holy power at an unprecedented rate, bringing more heavenly power into its midst. And when the Demon Lord had finally returned from its trip down to Earth¡­


    A heavenly needle smited it back into hell.


    BOOM!!!


    Baishe''s body created a crater so deep that one might imagine it would reach the''s core. However, the Demon Lord didn''t have a single injury on its scaly body besides dirt and dust. Immune to most physical and magical damage, it took much more than a needle of Holy power to kill the Demon Lord, and the Holy Church knew it.


    Therefore, even though the Archangel had smited the beast, the Pope didn''t ck on his attacks. Channelling the power of nine hundred and ny-nine Holy men, the Pope controlled the Archangel to create numerous lightning bolts and Holy weapons. Relics of past legends, like Holy swords and spears, appeared above the Archangel''s head as they prepared to end Baishe''s life once and for all.


    But s, the Pope forgot one crucial thing¡­


    [How annoying¡­]


    An energy beam, one twice asrge as the previous one Baishe shot, broke free from the Dragon''s mouth and melted all of the Archangel''s attacks away. Falling down from the heavens, the Archangel could only watch as Baishe re-emerged from hell and flew face-to-face with it.


    [You dirty pigeon¡­ I''ll kill you.]


    Watching Baishe''s Draconic eyes, the Pope felt a sharp feeling tingling all over his body. His mind was rattled, and his body was shaken beyond measure. That''s right¡­ How could he forget?


    Baishe wasn''t just a Demon Lord¡­ Baishe was an apex predator deeply ingrained into their souls¡­ And Baishe was about to remind humanity once again¡­


    Why they feared the Serpent of the Skies.

 Chapter 169 Archangel (3)

    "Oh? The Archangel is doing surprisingly well."


    Hidden within the dimensional barrier, I watched the fight between Baishe and the Archangel with popcorn in my mouth. As expected for a Demon Lord, Baishe was throwing out cataclysmic magic by the second, disregarding any harm to the or any innocent spectators.


    One minute, the Demon Lord would throw a ming tornado that would melt mountains and vapourise oceans; the next, it would spit out an energy beam strong enough to disintegrate countries into dust.


    If I were topare the three Demon Lords I''d faced, Baishe was far more destructive. Furthermore, I could feel burning emotions pulsating out from that serpentine body as its aura radiated with wrath and disdain. Truth be told, I would rather face Cthulhu again than this ferocious beast.


    All of Baishe''s attacks were geared towardsplete destruction. From its massive breath to the hurricanes, it generated with a whip of its tail. Should I battle the Demon Lord, an entire continent or two might be wiped off the face of the map.


    As for the Archangel¡­


    Like an annoying fly that wouldn''t quit, the Archangel evaded Baishe''s rampage through pure dexterity and evasive arts. Holy power trickled down from each of its wings, creating a sanctified domain that strengthened the being of pure light while weakening the Demon Lord tremendously.


    It summoned out swords of Holy light. Created sacred mes that would repel the beings of Hell. Brought down righteous vengeance with thunderbolts beyond anything nature could provide. At the same time, it healed the scorched earth by creating roots and vines, sending a forest to bind the flying serpent.


    Yet, even after all its advantages, the Archangel couldn''tnd a fatal blow to Baishe.


    Baishe was far too slippery and powerful. Don''t get me wrong; the Archangel was by no means weak. Judging by its skills and powers, it could easily annihte apex Vampires like Matriarch Innocence or Sirius Moonreaver. Heck, it might even be strong enough to challenge the first Progenitor, Drac Bloodborne.


    However, the Serpent of the Skies was just on another level.


    It possessed an endurance only rivalled by Eyghon, as none of the Archangel''s attacks worked on its scaly hide. Furthermore, even though the Archangel was fast, the Demon Lord was far more agile and quick. It moved through the air like a fish in water and easily bypassed the sound barrier with every evade.


    Destructive capability, defence and speed. Baishe didn''tck any of it. No matter how the Holy Church had designed the Archangel, it pales inparison to the Demon Lord that had lived thousands of years.


    But the Archangel wasn''t without its merits¡­


    "How did they manage to fit that many spells into the Archangel? Did the Holy Church make its wings into a catalyst? And that Halo¡­ Maybe I can use that¡­"


    I thought aloud as I pondered how to create my own Archangel.


    While I was confident that I could defeat anything the Holy Church threw at me, that didn''t mean I couldn''t learn from the archaic organisation. If I could create my own army of Angels or even make an Archangel just as powerful as the sanctified being the Holy Church called their trump card¡­ I would have created an unstoppable army. But more importantly, I could use them to protect my four lovers and my two weak parents.


    It should be a simple matter with my Creation magic.


    I continued to analyse every move of the Archangel with renewed interest.


    Firstly, its eighteen wings were imprinted with magical runes that housed spells of every element. Fire spells, water spells, wind spells¡­ They were enchanted through a special carving method that strengthened the Archangel in various ways.


    Next, there were an array of enhancements all throughout the Archangel''s Holy body. To absorb Holy power from the Faith Dimension and utilise it well, the Archangel was specially crafted to hold arge amount of energy far exceeding anything ancient Vampires could possess.


    And finally, I could see the various mechanisms that made the Archangel strong enough to contest the powerful Demon Lord. How it summoned its weapons, created elements, and channelled its domain¡­ Everything wasid bare for me to see.


    "Interesting¡­ It seems like I should create my own Faith Dimension as soon as possible. I''ll have to ask Lilith for help when I get back."


    Speaking of dimensional magic, I instantly thought of my Bloodmate, who had returned to the Moonreaver House. Like the other girls, Lilith worked hard for our future as husband and wife. Mainly, she would help set up a Nightmare Realm where I could settle the Valter House.


    If I told her the truth about the Holy Church''s magic and the fact that God wasn''t real¡­ I wonder what kind of adorable face she''ll make?


    Oops, I nearly went off-topic.


    Focusing back on the battle at hand, I could see the fight was nearing its eventual conclusion. Although the Archangel was heavily injured, as long as it had its massive golden Halo to facilitate its connection to the Faith Dimension, it would never fail to regenerate. As for the Demon Lord, Baishe couldn''t keep up the endless destructive Dragon breaths for long.


    After all, it was separated from the Demon Realm. It couldn''t regenerate magic power like the Archangel nor recover its lost energy. Therefore, it had lost almost a third of its magic power since it invaded Earth.


    But the Demon Lord wasn''t dumb. It knew it was on a timer, and it knew the Archangel''s weakness. Hence, it made an all-out attack n to rip the Archangel''s Halo into pieces, leaving it stranded and ending the Holy Church''s summon.


    "GRROOOOARRRR!!!"


    The Demonic Dragon roared with immense hatred, seemingly asking why it had to expand this much effort to defeat a lower existence. And moving at the fastest speed I''d ever seen a lizard move, Baishe slithered through the skies and attempted to bite off the Halo from the Archangel''s crown. However, something unexpected urred¡­


    Before the Archangel''s weakness could be exploited, the massive being of light disintegrated into particles and rearranged itself a few kilometres away. Angered and annoyed, Baishe tried to bite the Halo again. However, the Archangel evaded its attack once more as if it had predicted everything the maddened serpent would do.


    No, it wasn''t as if¡­ The Archangel was predicting Baishe''s every move.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I didn''t notice it since I was entirely focused on its magical abilities, but now that I looked closely¡­ The Archangel''s eyes were shining with a mysterious glow. A sacred aura that couldn''t bepared with anything else from the Holy Church resonated within those deep golden pupils.


    They were eyes that could stare into one''s soul. A vision that could pierce through all weaknesses and divulge every mystery on the. And if my theory was correct¡­ It could see the future.


    It might only be able to see a few seconds into the future, but that was more than enough in a battle where nanoseconds mattered. Foresight was something that I hadn''t uncovered, even after unlocking four of my rings. So¡­


    How on earth did the Holy Church manage to do so?


    I continued to observe the fight; this time, I paid more attention to the Archangel''s eyes. Each time it evaded the Demon Lord, used its eyes to analyse Baishe''s movements, and channelled magic power from the Faith Dimension¡­ I tried my best to observe and understand everything about the Archangel.


    "Wait¡­ Don''t tell me that''s how they did it?!"


    I came up with a hypothesis on the spot and was desperate to test my theory. s, I didn''t have Holy power or Faith Energy readily avable. Therefore, I could only watch as the Demon Lord continued its vengeful battle against the Archangel. Even until the moment its eyes failed the Archangel.


    "GRROOOOARRRR!!!"


    Baishe''s persistence paid off as it increased speed to a point where the Archangel''s mystic eyes couldn''t follow. Unable to move fast enough to protect itself, the Archangel''s Halo was stolen by Baishe''s jaws, and it was smashed into particles of light with one crunch.


    As it had lost its catalyst, the Archangel could no longer channel Holy power from the Faith Dimension. Without its transcendental healing, the Archangel could only serve as a punching bag for Baishe. Using a mixture of its Draconic breath and ming tornadoes, it was only a matter of time before the Archangel lost all of its power.


    Watching the Archangel go from an absolute terror to a mere pinata instantly made me lose respect for the Holy Church.


    Seriously? The Holy Church thought that they could kill me with this weak summon? If it couldn''t even injure a Demon Lord, what made them believe it could assassinate me?


    However, just when I thought the show was over¡­


    "PSSSTTTT!!!"


    Blood spewed from Baishe''s neck as a golden, ming spear of pure light and holiness pierced through the Demon Lord. Skewered by the sudden attack, Baishe''s eyes looked down at the Archangel in shock, as it couldn''t believe what had happened.


    In one final burst of energy, the Archangel channelled all of its energy into one spear to deal a fatal blow to the Demonic being. And as if it were a hero in a novel, the moment the Archangel gave its final sacrifice, it dissipated into mere light particles, leaving behind no trace that it ever existed.


    No trace other than the massive hole in Baishe''s chest.


    "GRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOARRRR!!!"


    Angered beyond any measure, the Demon Lord let out one gut-wrenching roar that shook the mountains and distorted the atmosphere. The skies howled with its piercing screech, and the entire felt the full extent of its frustration.


    The Demon Lord had won, but it hade at a significant cost. Its injury wasn''t closing up and bleeding rivers of blood every passing second. Unlike Cthulhu, it seemed like Baishe didn''t possess transcendent regeneration. Given its impregnable defence and overwhelming speed, perhaps it didn''t need to evolve a regeneration ability.


    s, that arrogance had finallye to bite the Demon Lord in the ass.


    "Haha, I would have to thank the Holy Church for being so kind."


    Not only did they show me the full extent of an Archangel''s ability, but they had also uncovered Baishe''s only weakness. And now, it''s time for me to reap the rewards.


    Taking advantage of Baishe''s confused mental state, I teleported from my hiding spot and above the howling Dragon. And before it could even notice my presence¡­


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!


    I sent a meteor hurling down from the heavens and smashed the Demon Lord back onto the. An explosion, one that was just as destructive as Baishe''s own Draconic breath, burnt the majestic, silver scales of the Demon Lord while significantly weakening the injured beast.


    However, even injured, Baishe was still an apex creature. It broke free from the crater I''d sent it and flew right to my eye level.


    We exchanged nces as I started to read the emotions within the Demon Lord.


    Shock, anger, and most importantly¡­ Fear.


    Perhaps it could sense Cthulhu''s life force lingering on my body. Or maybe it recognised that I was an existence equal, if not greater, than a Demon Lord. Nevertheless, my blood began to boil, and my inner child took over my beating heart.


    I was going to do something that all boys dreamed of.


    It''s time to y a Dragon.

 Chapter 170 Pinnacle (1)

    "The Archangel has fallen!"


    "We need to restart the ritual again!"


    "Will we make it in time? The Demon Lord will be here any minute now!"


    Back in the Archbasilica, the thousand clergymen responsible for summoning and providing energy to the Archangel went into a frenzy. Their connection with the Archangel had been severed by Baishe''s fearsome jaws, and their locations were now vulnerable to an attack. Desperate to make a y to save their lives, the members of the Holy Church all talked over each other. To stop the entire congregation from steering off course, the Pope stamped his foot down and roared:


    "Quick, restart the ritual!!! We are protected by God! A mere Demon Lord is nothing against the wrath of our Lord and Saviour!"


    "T-That''s right! Let''s not waste any time! Restart the ritual."


    A Cardinal stepped in and reinforced the Pope''s orders. And with the two highest-ranked officials in the Holy Churchying down thew, every clergyman in the prayer group calmed down and went into their positions.


    "We''ll need visuals on the Demon Lord. Father Amorth will maintain the barrier and our protection. He can buy us a few crucial minutes. During that time, we must re-summon the Archangel."


    "But Your Holiness, the medium we used has been shattered. We don''t have time to find a recement."


    A Cardinal''s words made the Pope pause for a brief moment. In order to summon an Archangel, one needed the prayers of nine hundred Priests, ny Bishops and nine Cardinals, all chanting in unison. However, that was just one of the requirements. The following essential prerequisite was to use a suitable catalyst to connect the Faith Dimension with the Archangel.


    It could be relics of Saints or ancient artefacts that had been with the Holy Church since its inception.


    And of the numerous relics stored within the Archbasilica''s vaults, only a handful had the power to withstand the power of an Archangel.


    "... Let''s use the Holy Cross."


    "Your Holiness! If the Holy Cross breaks, we''ll lose half of our Holy Power!"


    "We don''t have time for arguments!" The Pope''s face turned red, shutting the Cardinal up with a jolt. "If the Demon Lord destroys the Archbasilica, we''ll lose our lives anyway. Besides, we can always regain our lost Holy Power!"


    "B-But¡­"


    "I know," the Pope whispered in despondence. "It might take a hundred, no, a thousand years to regain our lost Holy Power, but we have no choice."


    "..."


    Both sides were right in their choices. The Holy Cross was the emblem, the symbol of the Holy Church. Every human who believed in the Holy Church worshipped the Holy Cross. The Holy Cross absorbed more Faith Energy every second than any other relic or artefact. If the Pope used it to summon an Archangel, they would have enough firepower to end the Demon Lord for good.


    However, it was risky to use the Holy Cross. Just like how Baishe was able to destroy their previous medium, there was no telling if the Demon Lord would destroy the Holy Cross simrly. If the Holy Cross was destroyed¡­ The Holy Church would effectively lose half of its power overnight, rendering it incapable of battling against the threats of humanity for centuries toe.


    s, the Pope was the one who came out on top.


    "Let''s use the Holy Cross! All of you to your positions! We''re going to start the ritual right away!"


    "Y-yes!"


    Although they were apprehensive about the matter, every one of the clergymen went down on their knees and started praying. At the same time, the Pope raced to the massive golden cross at the centre of the cathedral and channelled his Holy power into it.


    The connection was established; the ritual was about tomence.


    However, before fully surrendering himself to summoning the Archangel, he asked one final question.


    "Has Baishe begun its assault?"


    "..."


    Silence. The operator who was supposed to give the Pope updates every second remainedpletely silent as if someone had a death grip over him. A vein popped in the Pope''s forehead as he hollered out his question.


    "Has Baishe begun its assault?! Don''t make me repeat myself!"


    "Y-Your Holiness¡­ Baishe is¡­"


    "What is it?!"


    "Baishe¡­ Is fighting against the new Vampire Progenitor."


    "... It''s doing what?"


    The Pope couldn''t believe his ears. He immediately rushed to the operator and watched the live satellite feed with his own eyes. There, he saw the impossible.


    Baishe, the Serpent of the Skies and the menace to humanity, was beaten down by this one Vampire. Compared to its battle against the Archangel, Baishe clearly had a disadvantage. Not only did it have a significant injury to its chest, but the beast couldn''t contend with the Progenitor''s deadly strikes.


    One minute, there would be a meteor falling down from the heavens. The next, a ming column of light pierced through the Demon Lord''s weakened body. Numerous spells fell upon the silver serpent, so much so that the Pope felt bad for the Demon Lord for a moment.


    Baishe desperately tried to fight, but it was utterly helpless against the dominance of the Vampire Progenitor. A purple God of War, one that possessed the defences of Eyghon and the martial ability of history''s best fighters,pletely outmanoeuvred the Demon Lord in its own element.


    Was this the same Demon Lord that bodied the Archangel just minutes prior?


    The Pope and the witnesses couldn''t help but think that way. Baishe was meant to be a dominant force, a freak of nature that couldn''t be rag-dolled and bullied. And yet, the Demonic Dragon was nothing more than a lizard before the Vampire Progenitor.


    "Y-Your Holiness¡­ What do we do now?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Pope watched Jin continue to single-handedly force Baishe into positions the Archangel never could. His face was pale, and unconsciously, he stopped putting on the persona of a religious leader who led a nearly three billion strong faith. Unable to form words, the Pope remained silent as the battle between Jin and the Demon Lord had reached its ultimate conclusion.


    111


    Surprisingly, the fight with Baishe was easier than the one I had with Cthulhu.


    One reason for the ease of battle was Baishe''s gaping injury that didn''t seem to be healing anytime soon. The fight with the Archangel was helpful for all kinds of reasons. Not only did I learn much about the Holy Church''s and the Archangel''s capabilities, but Baishe hade out of the battle severely injured.


    Weakened and battered, it became easy to overwhelm the Demon Lord with spells and physical damage. Especially when it came to targeting the hole ploughed through its chest. Bit by bit, I poured destructive magic into its vulnerable parts, all while it was busy figuring out my identity.


    [Who are you?!]


    Baishe''s mental transmission reached my mind, prompting me to stop my assault for a fraction of a second. However, that pause was quickly reced with a new barrage of spells.


    Compared to Cthulhu, I didn''t want to prolong the battle too long. If Baishe was hell-bent on escaping, keeping the agile yet astoundingly quick Demon Lord in one ce would be a hassle. Additionally,pared to the deste desert or the vacuum of dead space, some human settlements were nearby. If I allowed Baishe to fight back, an untold amount of coteral damage would be inflicted on the poption.


    They may be loyal to the Holy Church, but that was no reason to let innocent livese at risk.


    Therefore¡­


    "ORA!!! ORA!!! ORA!!! ORA!!! ORA!!! ORA!!!"


    The Purple Battle God I''d summoned continued its infinite punching technique, severely damaging the Demon Lord''s fractured body. To prevent the Dragon from escaping, I created chains that could bind God himself, forcing the massive Demon Lord to stay in one ce. And not to mention, I had slipped particles of destructive energy into Baishe''s open wound.


    Even if I couldn''t kill the Demon Lord with my spells, I could at least destroy it from the inside.


    [Bastard!!! BASTARD!!!]


    Baishe''s agonised voice echoed in my head, and my brain was tickled with an annoying ache. Biologically speaking, a Dragon was at the top of evolution. It had a perfect body, with scales tougher than any defensive fort humans could ever make. It also possessed a serpentine body that could easily escape any tight situation. Its speed and physical strength were also beyond most flying creatures, making it the undisputed King of the Sky.


    And adding its innate magical powers that trumped over every single living being¡­ Baishe was a Demon Lord that had never tasted defeat in its life.


    Until now that is¡­


    As time passed, my magic slowly corroded and dposed the Baishe''s innards. This time, I didn''t have to wait for Baishe''s magic power to run out as its body was creeping closer to death by the second. And the Demon Lord knew it best.


    But before it could fall into the graveyard, the Demon Lord stopped its frenzied barrage.


    [It''s you¡­ You''re the man the Goddess feared.]


    I paused and returned Baishe''s fervent gaze. This Demon Lord seemed a little more talkative than its counterpart.


    [Again with this prophecy. You and Cthulhu are one and the same.]


    [Cthulhu¡­ So you killed that slimy bastard.]


    [See for yourself.]


    I snapped my fingers and took out one piece of Cthulhu''s corpse. Seeing the unmoving tentacle, Baishe''s eyes widened briefly before the Demon Lord finally resigned to its fate.


    [I see¡­ We were toote.]


    [What was your Goddess'' vision? Why does she fear me? So much that she''d sent your entire race to invade my?]


    [What else? She saw a future where all Demons would be your ves. A future where we won''t be able to defy your words, and we grovel at your feet. Why else would the Goddess force us to invade your to stop your birth? We did it all¡­ To prevent you from destroying our future.]


    [...]


    I see¡­ So in the future that the Goddess sees, I became a tyrant and enved the Outer Demons. But ording to Sora, I was the one prophesied to lead the World Tree into eternity.


    So who was the right one?


    Ahhh, it didn''t matter.


    I never cared much for prophecies anyway. Fate and destiny were all irrelevant to me. For I would forge my own path.


    [How ludicrous¡­ All those years of nning, all those lives lost and yet¡­ We failed to stop your birth. And now, you''re strong enough to kill Demon Lords. Fucking Goddess, she should have taken my advice and eliminated humanity the moment we invaded. If we had killed off humanity, you wouldn''t have been born, and my perfect self wouldn''t be reduced to this state.]


    [...]


    In its dying moments, Baishe revealed its true character. A bitter, archaic fossil that never once thought of change. Even after cursing their exalted Goddess a few more times, the Dragon never changed its true nature.


    And the mighty Demon Lord''sst words were¡­


    [I hope you all die. Goddess, Demon Sovereign¡­ All of you.]


    Closing its eyes for the final time, the Serpent of the Skies breathed itsst breath as its battle-worn body crashed down from the sky.

 Chapter 171 Pinnacle (2)

    Eyghon, Cthulhu and now Baishe.


    The three Demon Lords that have been threatening humanity were now eradicated. And they were all felled by the same hands.


    Mine.


    Demon Lords were said to be the pinnacle of existence, humanity''s natural enemies. Throughout the years, nothing the world did could defeat the monstrosities that lived for thousands of years. Their power was beyond all creatures on Earth, be it Vampires or regr humans. But today, all three of them were defeated.


    By my very own hands.


    "Haha¡­ Bing the strongest being in the world. I didn''t think I''d achieve it this quickly."


    Like a teenager suffering from intense delusion disorder, I raised my arms and let out a maniacalugh. Though, I could be forgiven for myck of ss. No one in history had achieved my feats. Neither the first Vampire Progenitor nor Matriarch Innocence. Not even the Holy Church had felled a Demon Lord, yet I''ve ced three under my feet.


    Now it was for sure¡­ I was the undisputed strongest existence alive.


    But yet, I felt so empty. After achieving my dream, I started to wonder what the point of it all was. I have been training tirelessly since I was born. Even crippled, I honed my mind through books and studies. Now, I had definitely etched my name in the history books, and the world would sing my praises till the end of time.


    However¡­ What came next?


    What was I going to do now?


    I felt like I had the power to do anything.


    Should I rule the world like a tyrant? Or should I charge into the Demon Realm and conquer those bastards who made my life miserable in the first ce? Or should I fulfil Sora''s prophecy and give the World Tree eternity?


    Wait, was this why the Goddess feared me? Because of my power?


    The only way to find out was to confront the Goddess myself. But I wasn''t in the mood to invade another World right now.


    If I had to choose, my current goal would be to stop the Outer Demons once and for all. Peace hasn''t arrived just because the three Demon Lords had fallen. There was still the Goddess that the Demon Lords talked about. Based on Cthulhu and Baishe''s words, there might also be other Demon Lords.


    So while the battle was over, the war had only begun.


    But that was only an afterthought in my empty mind.


    Say I defeat the Goddess and all the Demon Lords, unifying the entire Demon Realm and bringing peace to our World.


    Then what?


    A Vampire''s life was endless, and no one could threaten my existence at my current level. What was I going to do for the rest of eternity?


    And then it hit me.


    What was my original goal all along? Why did I want to be the strongest being in existence? Why did I train so hard after bing a Vampire, tirelessly learning and adapting even after bing a Progenitor?


    My lovers.


    Irina, Lilith, Ysabelle and Rosalyn.


    I wanted to create a World, no, a universe where all of us could live happily ever after for the rest of time. I wanted to be with them, love them, and make them happy with every fibre of my being.


    Screw being the strongest in the world. Screw researching the origin of magic. Screw defeating all Demon Lords and bringing peace to the.


    All I wanted¡­


    ¡­ were my four beautiful lovers.


    "Maybe it''s time to get married?"


    ???


    The Outer Demon invasion ended just as abruptly as it began. After the Demon Lords had fallen in battle, the remaining Outer Demons were dealt with swiftly. Most of them scurried back into the Gate from whence they game. Others were lucky enough to escape from human detection and hid in remote corners of the.


    However, the rest that remained weren''t as lucky.


    Starting from the Everwinter House, Outer Demons were being in by the thousands. Without Cthulhu to guide and lead them, the Outer Demons fell into disarray. Matriarch Innocence joined with Irina Everwinter and created an ever-frosty Winter domain that froze every Outer Demon that invaded the Everwinter Estate.


    Not only that, those that managed to escape their instant death didn''t fare much better either. The battle-hungry savages of the Everwinter House sprung into action and created an ocean of blood to dye the white snow of the North red.


    Baishe''s minions weren''t exempt from their damned fate either.


    While many escaped, the Alliance had sent Hunters from around the world to exterminate the pests. The week that followed was a cleanup for the ages, with Outer Demons being in by the thousands. The world''srgest Demon hunt ensued, with humans, Vampires and Werewolves all participating to clean up the, by exterminating the beasts.


    However, that wasn''t the biggest news of the time.


    Hunting Outer Demons was just an afterthought; the piece of news that the whole world had focused on was the person who eradicated all three Demon Lords from the face of the Earth.


    Jin Valter.


    There was no person alive who had never heard his name. No, given the circumstances, history will remember his name forever. The man who slew three Demon Lords. The man whose power went beyond the Vampire Guardian House, the Holy Church and all Hunter Associationsbined. And the man¡­ who stood at the pinnacle of existence.


    There was no one greater than him. No one is more powerful than him and capable of challenging his dominance.


    Such was the man who took down the three Demon Lords.


    Everyone had begun to specte. What was Jin Valter going to do now? Has the world finally gained eternal peace with the three Demon Lords eradicated? Or was Jin Valter going to be the next Drac Bloodborne, a tyrant who forced every living creature under his feet?


    And while the world was specting, the man himself¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ahhh, sofortable."


    Laying down on the mostfortable cushion the world could provide, Jin had his eyes closed while his head was rubbed by a beauty. Irina, delighted that her elder brother was enjoying herp pillow and head massage, added more pressure to her fingers as she released the stress piled up in Jin''s head and shoulders.


    "Do you need a back rub too?"


    "Yes, please."


    Turning to his back, Jin exposed his vulnerable side to Irina without questioning anything. It was a mark ofplete and total trust in his younger sister. Jin''sckadaisical attitude warmed Irina''s heart as she continued to give the man the best massage he ever had.


    "When was thest time I gave you a back massage?"


    "Hmmm, if my memory serves me right, thest time was a year ago? When I was still training under Variel to awaken my Vampire Aspect."


    "That long ago?" Irina covered her mouth in surprise.


    "Yeah, it''s been a long time," Jin smiled as he recalled the good old days. When he''d first be a Vampire, he was a powerless newborn. He didn''t know any Vampire magic, and he was barely strong enough to beat a Blood Servant.


    A year had passed since then, and now, he was the hero who defeated three Demon Lords.


    "We''ve been through a lot since then, Irina."


    "You mean, you''ve been through a lot." The white-haired Goddess rolled her eyes. "I''ve barely seen you over the past few months. You just had to meet the others, even though you already had me."


    "HAHA!!! You''re jealous about me spending time with the other three girls?"


    "How could I not be?" Irina frowned and puckered her lips. "How would you feel if I massaged three other men every night?"


    "... You have a point."


    Jin imagined Irina doing the things she did to him to another guy. The thought alone made his blood boil and his adrenaline pumping. As the first of the four girls who loved Jin, Irina hated losing her position. Especially since she was this close to monopolising Jin all for herself. So it was no wonder the girl was irritated by Jin''s constant phndering.


    "But I can''t remove them from my life, no, our lives anymore, Irina."


    "I know that much¡­"


    Irina wasn''t an idiot. Quite the contrary, in fact. She fully understood why Jin could never part with the other three girls. However, it was hard to ignore what you didn''t like. Even after all this time, Irina hated that Jin would sleep in another girl''s bed.


    "How about this? I''ll make you a promise."


    "A promise, what kind?"


    "The kind that you''ll like," Jin''s face broke into a smile as he shifted his weight over and brought Irina onto hisp. As she''s done thousands of times before, Irina found the mostfortable position on her brother''sp and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    "Irina¡­ Let''s get married."


    "B-Brother?!"


    "Don''t panic; there''s more." Jin ced his index finger on the girl''s lips to silence her as his voice resonated within her ears. "I know you don''t like it, but I''ll marry the other girls too. However, you''ll be the first one I''ll marry."


    "B-Brother!!!"


    Irina''s beautiful, winter-grey eyes sparkled with happiness and surprise. She gasped while covering her mouth. While it may not seem like a big deal to others, the order in which Jin married his four lovers mattered greatly to them.


    Let''s face it, there was no way Jin wouldn''t marry them. It was practically written in the stars by now. However, the order in which they would tie the knot was still up for debate. If they were to spend an eternity together, everyone wished to be the first wife.


    Even if a thousand or a million years have passed, even if the Earth goes into decay, even if the universe dies with all the stars in it¡­ Whoever gets the position of the first wife will be Jin''s first forever.


    And for Irina, a woman who loved Jin more than anyone else on the, it was a dreame true. No, it was her birthright that was validated by Jin''s actions.


    "You will be my first wife. I know it''s selfish of me to say this, but that''s the best I can give you."


    "No, that''s good enough!" Irina squealed with pleasure. "It''s plenty enough!"


    "Hehe, you like it that much?"


    "Of course I do! Now I''m officially Brother''s wife! It''s a childhood dreame true!"


    "Same here, Irina." Jin watched the excited beauty jump with pure jubtion, and his heart warmed exponentially. "Marrying you is one of my most cherished dreams."


    "Huhuehue¡­ You''re making me blush!" Irina pped the massive man on the chest but didn''t cause any damage to Jin. Rather, she leaned in with a flushed face and asked:


    "So do I call you Brother or¡­ H-Husband?"


    "You can call me anything you like, but¡­"


    Jin pushed Irina down on the bed and whispered into her ears:


    "I''ll do the same¡­ Wifey."


    "!!!"


    Irina couldn''t take it anymore as her eyes were filled with love, and her underwear was drenched in nectar. Clinging onto Jin''s neck, she sultry spread her legs and connected their crotches. Finally, she whispered back:


    "Take responsibility¡­ H-Husband."

 Chapter 172 The Valter Realm (1)

    Over a week has passed since the Outer Demon invasion. After chasing away the remnants of Cthulhu and Baishe, the world descended into an uneasy peace. With the Demon Lords defeated, no one knew how to proceed.


    The Alliance, the Hunter Association, and the peace between Vampires and humans were all based on the fact that there was amon enemy.


    Naturally, the threat of the Outer Demons hadn''t disappeared just yet. Gates were still widespread, and one asionally encountered a stray Outer Demon roaming free on Earth. Not to mention, there was no telling what was going on in the Demon Realm now.


    Nevertheless, peace had been achieved. The war that had spanned over a thousand years was now graduallying to a close. Governments and world leaders alike pondered on what they should do next. Should they maintain the peace and forget about the Outer Demons entirely? Or should they garner their forces and invade the Demon Realm?


    Debates and forums were conducted, and almost everyone on the contributed.


    Well, everyone but me.


    Far away from civilization, I waited patiently in a verdant and lush meadow where no human had tread before. By my side was my precious little sister, who had happily snuggled into my arm. This past month has been a dream for Irina. Besides the Demon Lord invasion and the little mishap we had with Damien''s betrayal of the Holy Church, Irina and I spent much of our time together. Whether making love or simply enjoying each other''spany, this was probably the most time I''d spent with Irina since we''d gotten together.


    But now, it is finallying to an end.


    Due to the unforeseen circumstances, mainly the Demon Lord''s invasion, the n I''d concocted with the other girls has reached its conclusion. The Everwinter, Moonreaver, ckburn and Shadowgarden House have now sworn fealty to me. Or, to be more precise, to the newly formed Valter House.


    The Everwinter House will provide the location and external protection. The Moonreaver House will create the Nightmare Realm fit for a Progenitor to live in. The ckburn House will provide the manpower to run the whole ce, and finally, the Shadowgarden House will fork out the insane amount of gold needed to create the new Nightmare Realm.


    All four of the greatest Guardian Houses bonded to help the new Progenitor.


    If the Bloodborne House were alive to see this, I''m confident they would have vomited all of the blood in their system.


    "It''s about time."


    "... I''m not looking forward to it." Irina''s jovial expression quickly turned into a deep frown. "I won''t be able to monopolise you anymore."


    "Irina, be nice," I grabbed her hand and gently added strength. "You promised me, didn''t you? As the first wife, you''ll be kind and gracious to your sister wives. All four of you will be my family from this day to the end of time. So you must get along, okay?"


    "I know¡­"


    Irina sighed and finally relented. I would like the four to get along immediately, but that would take time. After all, while they were Vampires with evesting life, the girls were still in their twenties. I could give them time to sort things out by themselves and pray they will mature with age.


    Just as I was thinking about the future I had with my four lovers, a rift opened right in front of us. From the tear in Space, one figure emerged. No, to be precise, one figure led a wholepany of followers through the portal, but I didn''t care about the extras. My eyes were zoned in on the ck-haired Goddess, who I hadn''t seen in a month.


    A warrior Princess, nay, a warrior Goddess. Donned in lightweight armour with metallic tes covering her precious parts, the young woman looked like she''d just returned from war. Her face was expressionless yet fierce. Like a general who led her soldiers to war, the warrior Goddess emerged from the rift with a confident face, and her chest puffed out. It had been a month since I''dst seen her, yet the atmosphere she possessed had significantly changed. It wasn''t a stretch to say that she''s far stronger now. However, the moment we locked eyes¡­


    "Jin!!!"


    The girl''s unrelenting and indomitable warrior spirit melted away as she reverted back to her usual fawning ways.


    Ysabelle ignored the innumerable eyes on her and jumped straight into my arms. Irina had her cheeks puffed, but she quickly reverted back and controlled her ire. Not that it mattered to Ysabelle, though.


    She pounced with the force of the panther, and if my core wasn''t strong enough, I would have toppled down onto the floor. Gently caressing her soft and luscious hair, I whispered:


    "Ysabelle, I missed you."


    "Hehe, I missed you too!"


    Watching her adorable cheeks turn rosy and her pheromones tickle my nose, I had half a mind to ravage the girl with lust right here. However, I couldn''t allow anyone else to see Ysabelle''s lewd body, so I refrained from bing a degenerate in public.


    "You''ve grown since west met."


    "Not as much as you! You defeated two more Demon Lords!"


    "Haha, if I couldn''t kill a Demon Lord or two, I wouldn''t qualify to be your husband!"


    "You sweet talker¡­" Ysabelle blushed before shifting her eyes between the servants she brought over and me. However, with a final heave, she kissed my cheek before leaning in to say: "We''ll continue talking¡­ Later tonight."


    "Haha, I''ll be looking forward to it!"


    I knew it; the girl had been holding back as well. As much as I would love to continue this conversation, the moment Ysabelle''s group passed through the portal, a new one formed in its ce.


    This time, there were three figures I recognised. The first two were my parents, who had been staying in the Elven Forest to keep from harm''s way. They marvelled at the ease of traversingrge distances with magic and didn''t notice my eyes staring right at them. However, the third figure clearly saw me. Or rather, they''d never left my side in the first ce.


    "Rosa!"


    "... Jin."


    Rosalyn was just as expressionless as ever, but I knew the turbulent emotions going through her brain. Ever since I''d returned her soul and given her a shard of my power, I could clearly feel the varying thoughts that went through her head. Contrary to popr belief, Rosa wasn''t the emotionless robot everyone saw her as.


    In fact, her emotions were, at times, too heavy for me to handle. Such as when she confined me in bed because she feared I would get hurt.


    Therefore, even though the green-haired Goddess seemed to have vacant eyes, all I could see was a happy puppy who had returned to its owner.


    "I''ve missed you!"


    I brought the fragile-looking girl into my arms and gave her a firm hug. Never one to miss an opportunity, Rosa wrapped us in thorny vines as if dering she would never let me go again. Although it wasn''t enough to hurt me, the sudden scene didn''t stop Irina and Ysabelle from worrying.


    "Hey! Let him go, Rosa!"


    "Yeah, you''re hurting Jin!"


    The two abruptly came to my defence and attempted to pry the thorny girl away from my arms. s, Rosa''s determination seemed to burn even hotter, especially when she saw Irina rushing over.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You had enough¡­"


    "W-What do you mean enough?!"


    "Monopolising Jin every day¡­ Selfish¡­"


    "W-What?"


    "From now on¡­ I''ll monopolise him¡­"


    "How dare you!"


    Since Rosa''s eyes never left my side, she saw everything that happened during the month we were apart. From my fight with the two Demon Lords to even¡­ the nightly activities I shared with Irina. As long as there were nts nearby, Rosa could monitor me from anywhere on the.


    So it was no surprise that she knew all of Irina''s advances. Rosa probably even knows about the promise I made to Irina. Perhaps that''s what irked the silent Goddess and prompted her jealousy phase.


    "Alright, Rosa. That''s enough joking around. Lilith ising soon, so let''s talk about thister, okay?"


    "Not happy, but okay¡­"


    While Rosa still talked with fragmented sentences, it was much better than before. By absorbing my essence and increasing her vessel, the young Vampire could now contain her Progenitor-level capabilities. Her mind wasn''t overloaded with the thoughts of nts anymore, and her control over nature had increased tenfold.


    It was only a matter of time before she fully assimted with the World Tree and became the undisputed hegemon of all nts. By then, even I would need help matching her unique ability.


    Separating from Rosa, I turned to the two people who looked at me as if I were some alien creature. Smiling, I asked:


    "Mom? Dad? What''s wrong?"


    My mother shot me an incredulous look and said: "No, it''s just¡­ I can''t believe you''re really my son."


    "Now that''s a rude thing to say," I chuckled in jest.


    "Says the boy who defeated three Demon Lords in session!" My mother broke her stoic face and turned into a barrel ofughs. She promptly embraced me and gave me a long and deep hug.


    "I''m just d that you''re okay, Jin."


    "Haha, I''m better than okay!" Breaking free from her hug, I nced over at Dad, who also had a face that was torn about what to feel. "What about you, Dad? Can''t recognise your son?"


    "You little brat¡­"


    My father shook his head and gave me a bear hug as well.


    "I know you''re strong now, but don''t push yourself too much. You might be the strongest person alive, but we''ll worry about you."


    "Haha, you don''t have to be!"


    I knew that nothing I said would ease my parent''s worry for me, so I simply brushed it off. After all, it warmed my heart that there were still people other than my four lovers who deeply cared for and loved me.


    "How was your stay in the Elven forest? I hope that Rosa didn''t make you two feel ufortable."


    "No, our stay was great!" My mom''s eyes sparkled with delight as she switched her gaze between Rosa and me. "Your little girlfriend helped us a lot, from bringing us good food all day to keeping us entertained with anything we wanted. But she''s an amusing one. Although she wouldn''t talk much, she always gives us fresh flowers in the morning."


    Oh? It seems that Rosa has won over Mom''s heart. Though, I''m d that someone other than myself could see through Rosa''s cold exterior and notice her charm.


    "I''m happy that you feel that way. I hope you can get along with Rosa!"


    "Haha, don''t worry about that! I consider her a daughter more than I consider you a son!"


    "... Thanks for that."


    Ignoring my mom''s snide remark, I turned to the final rift that had been torn before my eyes.


    Emerging from the portal was a blonde beauty whose attractive features couldn''t be described with words. She had beautiful makeup and an immacte appearance, which I hadn''t seen in a long time. She looked like a transcendent angel that had descended from the heavens, and her build was beyond anything humans could recreate.


    "Jin¡­"


    "Lilith¡­"


    Lilith smiled brightly, but when she saw the numerous girls surrounding me, she promptly held back her feelings and snidely said:


    "Hmph, you''re on time."


    "I wouldn''t dare bete for my Bloodmate."


    "... You and your sweet words. Anyway, we can continue our reunionter. Are you ready to see the Nightmare Realm I''ve created for you?"


    "Lilith¡­"


    I looked at the blonde beauty and couldn''t help but feel proud. She was one of my pirs, my beloved and cherished woman, and¡­ my one and only Bloodmate.


    I smiled and proudly dered:


    "Let''s go¡­ To the Valter Realm."

 Chapter 173 The Valter Realm (2)

    The Valter Realm.


    A Nightmare Realm that was created with the joint support of the four greatest Guardian Houses. Lilith, the mastermind behind this project, went back to the Moonreaver House to facilitate and oversee the construction of this Nightmare Realm.


    Like the Moonreaver House''s own Nightmare Realm, the Valter Realm was created using aplex array of dimensional magic. Using my blood as a catalyst, Lilith and the Moonreaver House were able to create an entire dimension hidden from prying eyes and provide a magical-rich environment.


    The Valter Realm had everything a normal Nightmare Realm would have. A massive size that could easily fit one or two countries. A Vampire-friendly environment where the Blood Moon reigned over the skies. Hundreds, if not thousands, of buildings for the residents of the Valter House. And magical defences to prevent invaders from sneaking into the Progenitor''s home turf, detecting and annihting them before I could even lift a finger.


    However,pared to regr Nightmare Realms, the Valter Realm had one feature that set it apart.


    The World Tree.


    Or, to be precise, a replica of the World Tree sprung out from the nutrient-rich soil and reached for the Blood Moon that hung over the entire dimension. It wasn''t asrge or powerful as the original World Tree that stood in the centre of the Elven Forest. It was akin to a young sapling that was merely a few hundred years old. However, the essence hidden within the replica was undeniably as potent as the World Tree itself.


    Ever since Sora had decided that I was the World Tree''s saviour, the Elves and the Shadowgarden House have pledged their allegiances to me. Even if it meant splitting the power of the World Tree in half to nt a part of it in the newly created Valter Realm.


    With the second World Tree at its core, the Valter Realm wouldn''t have the instability issue other Nightmare Realms might face. Even if I didn''t provide my blood as a catalyst, the Valter Realm could easilyst thousands of years without maintenance.


    However, the World Tree wasn''t the only thing special about the Valter House.


    Situated on top of the canopy, in the gap between the World Tree and the Blood Moon, thereid a floating castle. Easily five or six timesrger than any dwelling in the real world, the ptial mansion towered over the entire Nightmare Realm as an Emperor would.


    Ornate pirs of gold held the massive marbled roof together, and the moment one walked into the main gallery, one would have thought that they had entered a video game depicting an ancient pantheon of Gods. Onyx marbleced the bottom floor of the pce, while numerous murals depicting the stars and trees decorated the entire castle.


    I could see the influence of the two Houses that built the Valter Realm. While there were hints of dimensional magic in-built with every brick in the pce, I could sense notes of the Shadowgarden House''s influence with the numerous flora and natural energy hidden within the walls.


    But that was just the beginning.


    With over a hundred rooms, the floating pce had more than enough space for my small family of seven. My parents would be living in one of the many chambers of the pce, and it was specially designed not to inconvenience their everyday lives.


    On the other hand, my four lovers had their rooms specially designed.


    Irina''s room was in a cold basement just asrge as an underground bunker. As a girl who didn''t like the Sun too much, it could be said that a basement was the best room for the Winter Goddess. Not just that, the Everwinter House went to great lengths to build magical Winter elements for their former heir, even sacrificing their prized collections to strengthen Irina''s chamber.


    Lilith, as one of the creators of the Valter Realm, had spared no expense in designing her own chamber. It was fully fitted with a library, a research room, aboratory, and other contraptions that would help her progress as a theorist. As for her own bed chamber¡­ Let''s just say she added her unique kinks to it. So much so, I was tempted to stop my tour and remain with her for an hour or two.


    Ysabelle''s chamber was a little less mboyant. She didn''t need much in her chamber as a pure martial artist. Most of her requests were centred around the training hall where she could practise her shy swordy and train her body to the fullest extent. At the same time, since the ckburn House had provided the most manpower to the Valter Realm, she didn''t want her room to feelpletely different from her subordinates.


    Rosa''s room, on the other hand, had the most unique design. Contrary to the ptial aesthetic, the green-haired Goddess had decided to make a tree into her living quarters. It was simr to the hideout she''d once brought us back in the Elven Forest, and it had Elven infrastructure tantly disyed all over the room.


    Rosa even added some of her more¡­ mature BDSM tastes to the Elven architecture, but that''s a story for another time.


    And finally, saving the best forst¡­


    My own room.


    Truth be told, my chamber wasn''t just designed for me alone. It was clearly evident, based on therge bed that could easily fit ten people. However, moving from the bed, my personal quarters had an array of amenities that were truly fit for a King. My own training centre, research facility, a control room to monitor the entire Valter Realm¡­ The list was endless.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Furthermore, since it was meant to be the centre of the Nightmare Realm, my chamber had the most concentrated magical output of the dimension. Although I didn''t need the additional magic power, the fresh air and liberating atmosphere did wonders in improving my mood.


    And as we gradually reached the final leg of the tour, our group reached the main hall of the Valter Pce.


    There, five main thrones awaited us.


    Formed in a semi-circle shape, the five thrones each had a unique charm. The first of which was a throne made from pure ice and snow. Crafted with a magical substance that would never melt, the throne was just as exquisite as majestic. The next throne was a seat carved out from pure astral rock. Imprinted onto the luminous chair was the power of the Moon, an otherworldly power that few could replicate, even amongst the well-researched Moonreaver House.


    The following two thrones were equally as majestic. ck volcanic rock ingrained with precious jewels decorated the third throne as an eversting obsidian me flickered within its crown. It also possessed a mysterious glow that would ingrain fear upon those who dared to look straight at the august throne.


    The fourth throne looked fairly simple, but its interior was anything but. A chair made of vines and roots, blessed with natural and elemental energy, made the throne stand out from its ostentatious sisters. Yet, even though it didn''t have an oppressing presence, the throne itself was breathtakingly beautiful. As if it would charm those who stared at it for too long, sending them into a dreand where they could never return.


    And finally¡­


    "Jin, you can take your ce on your throne."


    "Lilith¡­ You really went all out for this."


    "Of course I did!" My Bloodmate giggled with her white fangs bared. "It''s going to be the seat of the Progenitor, the absolute pinnacle of the world. We can''t skimp on its design, now can we?"


    "..."


    I sighed and resigned to my fate. I knew that my life would have been different since bing a Progenitor, but actually seeing my throne in person¡­ My mind was now ready to abandon my past as a human. I was no longer Jin Valter the poor human cripple.


    But Jin Valter, the Progenitor of Vampires and the world''s new sovereign.


    I approached my throne and carefully caressed the stitching. Coloured in white, golden and red, the throne was made to fit a King. Its royal colours were striking as they were majestic, and the white cushioned seat was something I could sit in forever. And looking behind the massive throne, I could see the artificial Blood Moon shining in from the outside.


    It had been a long time since I''dst seen the Blood Moon.


    Smiling, I couldn''t help but reflect back on my journey to this throne. What it represented in the present and what it will symbolise in the future.


    But¡­ I couldn''t have done any of this without my precious lovers.


    No, I shouldn''t dy it any longer.


    "Irina, Lilith, Ysabelle, Rosa¡­ Girls, I know it''s a long timeing, but now that we''re finally here, I can confidently say this."


    My eyes turned red as I stared at the four girls who shivered at my gaze. We were connected in soul and blood. Therefore, they were able to sense my emotions and guess my intentions. Irina, the only one who truly knew what I was going to say, smiled warmly as she looked at me with pure adoration. As for the other three girls, they shot me expectant looks with their fingers interlocked in prayer and their bodies naturally gravitating towards me.


    "Let''s get married."


    [Thank you for reading My Vampire Little Sister! With the end of this chapter, we are heading to the finale of the novel! Volume 6 will be the final volume of My Vampire Little Sister, and I hope you all stay tuned for the epic finale!  Once again, thank you so much for reading this passion project of mine. I''m truly appreciative of all who support my story!]

 Chapter 174 Progress (1)

    The Valter Realm.


    Six months had passed since the Outer Demons invaded Earth. Through all the trials and tribtions of the Outer Demons, the world had finally reached a state of neutral peace. Defeating the Demon Lords was a significant shift in the war for the Allies, who had been caught in stasis since the first Progenitor passed on.


    Almost all of the Outer Demons that had invaded thend were now either neutralised or captured. The Gates that had gued the had nearly all been closed, and no hordes of Outer Demons had been seen since.


    The Holy Church, Hunter Association, and other countries banded together to dere victory over the Outer Demons. Humans had won the elongated war and were all in a festive mood. Celebrations continued on for months, with schools being closed and governments forced to give workers off days.


    The endless war that had gued the¡­ was finally over.


    But in its ce, a new war was brewing.


    Jin Valter.


    The new Progenitor and the undisputed most powerful man on the. While humanity may have taken the credit for defeating the Demon Lords, everyone knew who the real victor was. By Jin Valter''s hands alone, three Demon Lords had fallen. No one knew the true extent of his power, but given that he could easily dispatch two Demon Lords back to back, it wasn''t an exaggeration to say that there was nothing on the that could match him.


    Even if the Holy Church and Hunter Association joined hands, they could not wound the mighty Progenitor fatally.


    Yet, even with his outstanding strength, Jin disappeared after defeating the Demon Lords.


    He didn''t demandnd or wealth nor force anyone into subjugation. It was as if he had be a spectral ghost that never existed in the first ce. Jin''s enigmatic deeds spread far and wide, and even without making a public appearance, worshippers emerged from all corners of the globe.


    Be it human or Vampire, Werewolf or Elf¡­ They all held Jin on a pedestal, making him an icon for worship and prayer. Some zealots even began to enshrine his likeness in old abandoned temples, spreading his name throughout the continents.


    The Holy Church, the world''s premier religion, condemned the actions of worshippers and fanatics, calling upon the Progenitor to stop his tant infringement on the Holy Church. Governments also warned their citizens not to worship a Vampire, fearing that they would all turn into Blood Servants for Jin to y with.


    But it was far toote.


    The number of worshippers grew exponentially, and legitimate shrines were created to praise and worship their new lord and saviour. The Holy Church could not contain the spread as those indoctrinated into the faith had be far too widespread. Like an unrelenting pandemic, the faithful spread widely and now, every country in the world had their own temple to worship the new Progenitor.


    Yet, oddly enough¡­ The man himself had remained silent.


    Not just him; all of the Vampires didn''t breathe a word. Returning to their hermit ways, the vast majority of Vampires hid in Nightmare Realms, away from the prying eyes of humanity. The Ten Guardian Houses weren''t any better either. None made a public appearance because they had to recover from the Outer Demon invasion.


    The Everwinter House especially.


    After finding out that Jin''sst appearance was within the Everwinter House, numerous governments, top Hunters and even pilgrims made the harsh journey to the North just to catch a glimpse of their new Progenitor.


    However, the Everwinter House remained firmly tight-lipped about Jin''s whereabouts, causing people to specte on the current Progenitor''s health.


    Perhaps he drained too much energy while fighting the Demon Lords, or maybe he was recovering from a fatal wound. Everyone had their own theories. But that rumour was put to bed when a representative for the Valter House made their first public appearance.


    The Valter House was starting a new conglomerate, Valter Inc.


    Their first order of business was to address the ever-problematic energy consumption issue. Using his Creation magic, Jin created a fully functioning nuclear fusion nt, a technological breakthrough that would advance humanity over a hundred years. With his invention, countries andpanies would have ess to infinite energy, and all they needed to do was pay Jin a few billion a month.


    That news alone was enough to break the press and put the entire oil and gas industry on suicide watch. Jin''s new sustainable method would stop all pollution and, at the same time, increase the world''s energy consumption tenfold.


    Valter Inc''s first investment was enough to make Jin the wealthiest man in history, but the Progenitor wasn''t done there.


    With his Life and Creation magic, Jin could find cures for numerous diseases. Plus, with Jin''s ability to create anything out of thin air, he could break the market by mass-producing pills. Medicine was being made at the price of mint chocte, and the impoverished could finally afford the treatment they deserved.


    Jin''s des didn''t stop there.


    World hunger, stopping natural disasters, providing clean water¡­


    The list was endless. Therefore, even without the man appearing, the newly formed Jin Valter Church grewrger by the week. Many admired Jin Valter for his strength; others loved the man because of his many heroic deeds, but most of all¡­ All of them worshipped him for creating a better world for them to live in.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But for the person in question¡­


    "We''ve finally replicated the sample."


    Jin was wholly uninterested in affairs of the outside world as he carefully examined the specimen in hisb. Usually, aboratory would be filled to the brim with graduate students and professors, but such help was unnecessary for Jin. He alone was enough to deal with most of the experiments himself, and if he needed an extra pair of hands, he could always make clones of himself to help him.


    But today, Jin had a special assistant.


    "It took us six months to replicate this even with your special ''eyes'' and Creation magic¡­ The Outer Demons must be more advanced than we''d originally thought." Lilith''s vale eyes glistened in the stuffyb as she bent her waist and examined the ck material under a microscope.


    "We''ve only managed to replicate 97.83% of the material."


    "That''s within the margin of error; we won''t be able to fully replicate it one-for-one unless we somehow manage to revive Cthulhu."


    "Yeah, that would be an ordeal," Jin rolled his eyes and spat. "I wouldn''t want to go through that experience again."


    "But you''re stronger this time, no?" Lilith said in jest as she lifted the replicated ck goo with her dimensional magic. "Even if I poured this on your body, you won''t feel a thing, right?"


    "Don''t even joke about that, Lilith. I''m not fully immune to the ck goo just yet. Who will be responsible for removing it if you poured that on me?"


    "I''ll shower you. I''ll clean every nook and cranny of your body."


    "... Somehow, I feel like that''s your intention this whole time."


    Jin sighed at the yfulness of his Bloodmate and instantly looked away. He knew that if he humoured her, their conversation wouldn''t stop with just simple flirting.


    "Anyway, with my faith energy growing, I have a failsafe to fall back on even if the ck goo neutralises my magic."


    "Faith energy, huh?" Lilith adorably tilted her head and gazed up at the ceiling. "I didn''t think that such a thing was real. But since you and the Holy Church can use it, it must be true."


    "Haha, we''ll have to thank Rosa for helping me spread my good deeds. It seems that many humans now provide energy to my Faith Dimension."


    Jin had tasked Rosalyn, or to be more precise, the Shadowgarden House, to spread his good name. The more people who prayed to him, the more faith energy he would store in his newly created dimension. While it was tiny at the moment, given enough time and growth, Jin''s faith dimension will be capable of matching the Holy Church''s own Holy dimension, giving him an additional method of casting and using magic.


    "But for some reason, it''s growing faster than I''d thought. Perhaps faith energy is more fluid than I''d thought."


    Of course, Jin didn''t know the full extent of Rosa''s extensive propaganda campaign. He''d only asked the girl to spread his name around. What he didn''t realise was how quickly Rosa created a religion out of it.


    Using the connections of the Shadowgarden House, Rosa grew the number of Jin''s faithful by tenfold each month. Newspapers, politicians, wealthy tycoons¡­ They were all under the Shadowgarden House''s influence; spreading the new religion was as easy as transmitting a pathogen.


    However, Jin was unaware of that fact. Focused on his research, Jin had essentially washed his hands off the outside world. The only people who could meet him wouldn''t report the news urately.


    Why?


    ''Hehe, I want to see his face when those Jin zealots kneel down and praise him as their God.''


    Lilith watched the ignorant man with a yful vengeance. She knew how massive the new religion was but didn''t want to spoil the surprise for her lover. And just as Lilith was about to tease the man, her stagnant phone started to buzz.


    Lilith read the message, and her eyes widened instantly. A warm smile crept up her face as she whispered back:


    "Speaking of growing faster than you''d thought¡­ It seems like they''vepleted their transformation."


    "They? Ah! Has their transformation beenpleted?"


    "Yes," Lilith chuckled as she ced away her phone. Smiling as radiant as the Sun, the blonde Goddess dered: "Congrattions on making your parents into True Vampires, Jin!"

 Chapter 175 Progress (2)

    After receiving the news, Lilith and I rushed straight from myboratory to the pce''s annex. Given my control over Spacetime and the fact that I was within my own dimension, I could warp the two of us over the moment we''d heard the news.


    There was a good reason for my expedited haste, even though we were just one building away.


    Ever since bing a Progenitor, I have eliminated most of my weaknesses. My physical body was stronger than any living creature, including those tough and stupidly resilient Alpha Werewolves. Besides my final ring that remained dormant, most of my magical capability had been unlocked. The four lovers that stayed by my side were also getting stronger by the day, with Rosa easily matching the might of a Progenitor already. Few were dumb enough to even threaten me anymore, let alone act openly against me.


    Most of my weaknesses had been covered, all except my two lovable parents.


    While they were still powerful in their own right, they were ultimately still human. My mother, a magician who didn''t train her physical body, was vulnerable to poison, disease and even spells that could render her defenceless.


    However, after months of debating and convincing, I''d finally persuaded them to undergo the ritual to be a Vampire.


    Unlike the True Vampire ritual or the Blood Servant contract, the ritual I''d prepared for my parents was much different. As a Progenitor, I could devise a new ritual, essentially creating a new breed of Vampires that was far removed from the ones that Drac had created many moons ago.


    They would still have all the attributes of a Vampire, superhuman strength, regeneration and eternal youth, but they would also have something additional.


    My personal power.


    Like a blessing from a God or a charm from a fairy, my soul would trickle a little magic power down to the two newborn Vampires, greatly enhancing their attributes far beyond a regr True Vampire. Now, they wouldn''t be as powerful as a Progenitor or anything of the like, but they would possess a trait far beyond any Vampire before them.


    Arriving at their resting ce, I oversaw the two red silk cocoons with an ecstatic smile. To protect and better facilitate their transformation, I wrapped my parents in threads of my own blood. And thankfully, it worked as a charm.


    Initially, I''d thought the pair would take a week to fully absorb my blood and essence, finally evolving into a higher existence. However, since they were my parents, ourpatibility was rtively high, making the absorption rate infinitely quicker. In addition, the blood silk would have helped improve their integration chances.


    And to prove my point¡­


    "They''re breaking free from the cocoon."


    I marvelled in awe as the red silk faded while bulges emerged on the surface. The fact that there was movement within the cocoons could only mean one thing. My parents have sessfully evolved into True Vampires.


    "Congrattions, Jin."


    Rosa walked over from her resting zone and weed me with a warm smile. Noticing her presence, I couldn''t hold back my tion as I rushed over and embraced her with a bear hug.


    "No, you''ve suffered. I know you''ve been watching over them for the past few days without sleep." I ced my thumb under her eye bag and bit my lip. "Look at this face¡­ You look exhausted. You could have taken a nap or gotten someone to take over your shift."


    "No, I wanted to do it¡­" Rosa replied with a firm tone. "I''m indebted to your parents too, so if I don''t see them for myself, my heart would be unsettled."


    Rosa''s words considerably warmed my heart. Over the past few months, the one who had bonded most with my parents wasn''t Irina, the girl who met them first, and neither was it Lilith or Ysabelle, the two most simr to my parents. It was the emotionless Rosa, who had slowly, but surely, opened up to be more ''human.''


    In the past, Rosa was like a walking doll, an emotionless shell that spoke in short sentences. Therefore, she couldn''tmunicate well with others despite her best intentions. However, by absorbing my essence and putting her body through metamorphosis, Rosa has changed.


    She was showing far more emotions, and her speech was gradually improving. It was only a matter of time before Rosa turned into the vibrant youngdy she was always meant to be.


    "You''re wrong about that, Rosa. They aren''t just my parents; soon, they''ll be your parents too."


    "..."


    Rosa reverted back to her silent, emotionless self for a brief moment. However, from the slight tinge of red I could see rising beneath her cheeks, I could tell that the old Rosa was nowhere to be found.


    Was this the enigmatic gap? Why does Rosa look so alluring now, even though her face had mostly remained the same? I was tempted to lean in for a kiss to continue teasing this adorable squirrel, but I was held back by the sound of someone else in the room.


    "I hate to interrupt your flirting, but they''re almost ready."


    Lilith''s voice broke the pink atmosphere, and I immediately separated from Rosa with an embarrassed face. Right, as much as I would love to flirt with her, now wasn''t the time and asion. I had plenty of time tonight to ''reward'' Rosa for her hard work.


    Blurgh¡­ Blurgh¡­ Blurgh¡­


    Bubbling from the surface, the red silk cocoon was finally breached as a handced with crimson blood burst free from the inside. I saw pure red skin as if the person inside had suffered sunburns that could kill a man or two. Piping hot steam also permeated their pores, and the person within attempted to break free from the restraints.


    Eventually, a naked man found his way out of the massive cocoon. Drenched in blood and covered from head to toe in red skin, I couldn''t recognise the man for a brief moment. However, the transcendent Vampiric regeneration proved its worth as the man recovered all his lost skin and blood, eventually turning into the gentle, kind middle-aged man I was familiar with.


    "Dad."


    My father was youthful, to begin with, but now, he looked no older than thirty. His bulging, veiny muscles had be more defined and rock solid while his overall build had regressed to back when he was a peak Hunter. No, with my Vampire genes, just by his physical body alone, he surpassed any Hunters on the.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I walked forward with a towel and handed it over to my delirious father. It didn''t take long for him toe to his senses and realise that he was in his bathing suit, and he epted the cloth with a grateful smile.


    "Jin¡­ I feel¡­ different."


    "How so?"


    "I don''t know¡­" My dad looked around the room for a while as if trying to soak everything in. He closed his eyes and took one deep breath before finally calming himself.


    "Everything seems so clear¡­ I can hear and feel everything. My strength¡­ It has also improved. My body feels light, and I can hear¡­ your heart pounding."


    "Haha, you''ll get used to it."


    Watching my father getting used to his Vampire body made me a little nostalgic. When I was first turned by Irina, I felt the exact same way and did the same things. If I''m not mistaken, my dad was itching to test his new strength just like I did to that poor tree back at the hospital.


    But I couldn''t fulfil his request just yet. After making sure my father was alright, my eyes turned to the other cocoon.


    Like Dad, Mom broke out from the cocoon with her hands as her entire body was soaked with blood. However, unlike Dad, her reddened skin regenerated at a much faster rate, and before long, her youthful appearance was restored.


    I knew my mom was a beautiful woman in her twenties, but seeing her revert back twenty-odd years took me aback for a brief moment. Fortunately, I didn''t have to see my mom''s naked body as Rosa had already walked forward with a towel and a new set of clothes, dressing her before my eyes inadvertently saw something I couldn''t unsee.


    "Mom? How do you feel?"


    "Jin? Is that you?" My mom turned her grateful eyes away from Rosa and in my direction. s, it didn''tst long as her eyes widened at the massive, half-naked man by my side.


    "J-Jael, y-you''ve be younger!"


    "Y-You too, E-Elna¡­"


    Seeing their lifelong partner revert to their younger days was a massive shock for my parents. They behaved like two high schoolers that had seen their crush naked and instantly blushed while looking away.


    "P-Put some clothes on first."


    "R-Right back at you! Why are you just wearing a towel?! Don''t you have any shame swinging that thing in front of our daughter-inws?!"


    "I-I''d juste out! I didn''t have time to put anything on! Y-You too, don''t let Jin see your¡­ Hmmm, they''ve be less saggy."


    "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"


    ¡­ What is this? A romanticedy?


    The two may have be younger, but their souls werepletely intact. I let out a dryugh while holding my head.


    "Alright, alright. Let''s just settle down, okay?"


    I separated the two and promptly got them dressed. Looking back at my two lovers, who were smiling warmly as well, I gave them a yful wink and said:


    "You guys go and rest, alright? I''ll take it from here."


    "B-But¡­"


    "Rosa, you''ve done enough, besides¡­"


    I leaned in next to her ear and whispered ever so lovingly:


    "I''ll need you to be well-rested, for tonight¡­ I''m not letting you sleep."


    "!!!"


    Rosa''s porcin white face instantly turned crimson before she was wrapped by vines and disappeared from the room. My parents saw the entire interaction and squinted their eyes as if condemning me within their minds.


    Sorry, Mom and Dad.


    You guys might have started the romanticedy, but I have perfected it.

 Chapter 176 Progress (3)

    After sending my two lovers back, I reverted my full attention to my parents, who were still marvelling at their newly obtained Vampire bodies. It took them a few moments to truly absorb their new reality and ultimately ept that they had evolved into a higher species.


    "Mom, Dad. Do you feel odd in any way?"


    "No, I feel just fine!" My mother flexed her biceps and happily snorted. "It''s like I''m in a whole other body! The increased senses will take some time to get used to but otherwise¡­ I feelpletely fine."


    "What about you, Dad?"


    "Just like your Mom, Jin." My father nodded, indicating that he was fine, but I knew his mental state.


    Dad''s change was far more drastic than Mom''s. As someone with spectacr muscles and a toned, defined body, my father was at the apex of what a human could achieve with physical training alone. Now that he''s evolved into a Vampire, that unlocked potential has allowed my father to grow a few inches and condense his bulging build into a more concentrated one. While he was still massive, my father''s build had be far leaner.


    But that didn''t mean he lost any of his strength. Quite the contrary, in fact.


    Just by physical strength alone, Dad was twice as strong as before. And that could easily triple or quadruple once he got used to his body and trained more effectively.


    My father couldn''t absorb such a drastic change in one night. He would need a few more weeks or months to adjust and eventually be an apex Vampire as I''d nned.


    "Okay, I know that you''ve just awoken, but there''s something I want to check."


    "What''s the matter, son?"


    "It''s nothing serious," I smiled reassuringly. "How much do you two know about Vampires?"


    "About Vampires? Other than the things you''ve taught us, nothing much." My father admitted honestly. "I mean, we know about their regenerative and magical capabilities, but other than that¡­"


    "Then, do you know about our Vampire Aspects?"


    "Of course we do! We were there when you awakened yours, remember?" Mom chuckled and reminded me of my first days at the Everwinter House. "Variel trained you, and when you awakened your Aspect¡­ Hehe, I still remember the look on his face."


    "Yeah, that''s right¡­"


    Iughed along with Mom and reminisced about the past. After awakening my Vampire Aspect and unleashing my Soul Armament, my life changed for the better. Come to think of it, the final ring on my Soul Armament has yet to awaken, even after ascending into a Progenitor.


    The middle ring governed the power of Spacetime. The ring on my thumb held the power of Creation. My index possessed Destruction, and finally, my ring finger was the Ring of Life itself. Yet, even after all my trials and tribtions, the final ring remained dormant for some odd reason.


    I tried nearly everything to awaken this final ring, but it was no avail. I''d thought that after returning, Irina, Lilith, Ysabelle, and Rosa''s souls would have done the trick, but the final ring seemed to require something special that was unlike the other ones.


    Nevertheless, I didn''t have all the time in the world to spare, so I now put that matter at the back of my mind. The more pressing matter on hand was the health of my parents.


    "You may or may not be aware, but all Vampires are descended from the first Progenitor, Drac Bloodborne. The first generation of Vampires had their genes edited by Drac himself, making them his eternal servants. And every generation since then, their blood remained subservient to the Ancestor of all Vampires."


    "Which is why the Bloodborne House could remain in the Guardian Houses, right?"


    Mompleted my sentence with a grim tone. Fortunately, the woman was far more familiar with Vampires and magical creatures than my Dad. She knew the history of the Vampires, including the little ''dispute'' I had with the Bloodborne House.


    "Right, if Drac didn''t die back then, all Vampires would have served the Bloodborne House for eternity. It''s just coded into their genes. Even those who became Vampires through a ritual, like me, would have their souls bound to Drac. However, you two are different."


    "You can''t mean¡­"


    "Precisely, Mom¡­" I smiled and confidently said: "Since I''m the second Progenitor, I can make a new breed of Vampires. Technically, you''ll still be considered a Vampire, but gically speaking, the two of you are far more different than any Vampire out there."


    "Hold on a minute," my father quickly put two and two together and asked cautiously. "Does that mean we''ve be subservient to you too?"


    "HAHA, of course not! I''m not as tyrannical as Drac."


    Bursting intoughter, I struggled to stop myself from twitching.


    Dad was right; I could have added a gene that would force my parents to do my bidding. But there''s no way I would do that. I didn''t want to create a second Bloodborne House in the future. Besides, what kind of child would make their parents into servants?


    "The two of you are the second evolution of Vampires, Super Vampires if you may. So, there''s something you''ll inherit from my blood¡­"


    I walked forward and raised my mother''s right arm. I traced my finger across the back of her hand, channelling a small amount of magic power into her soul. And sure enough, an azure light emerged from my mother''s core depths and materialised into a beautiful ring on her middle finger.


    "Space, huh? As expected, you''ve received the blessing of Spacetime from me."


    "W-What is this?"


    "This is proof that you''re a superior Vampire, Mom." I chuckled and addressed her doubts. "Currently, I possess four powers. Spacetime, Creation, Destruction and Life. All four of which are incredible powers. So, besides having your own Vampire Aspect, you''ll be blessed with one of those powers."<novelnext></novelnext>


    I examined the azure ring with great interest and couldn''t help but draw simrities to mine. While they weren''t exactly the same, I would say it''s about fifty or sixty percent simr. In particr, the exceptionally dazzling azure gem in the middle of the ring.


    "You won''t be able to fully control Spacetime like me, but your control over it will far surpass any magician or Vampire on the."


    "Amazing¡­"


    Mom marvelled at the transcendent power pulsating through her veins and happily watched the azure ring glow. She may have retired to a bookstore, but in her prime, my Mom was an A-Rank Hunter and a magical researcher. Having magic that could affect Spacetime was something the woman yearned for, even after she retired frombat.


    "Later, when you''ve limated to your new body, you can test it out. Since we''re close in blood, I''m confident you''ll be able to master it in one, two months tops."


    "Haha, thanks for the faith."


    Mom''s eyes sparkled before pulling me in for a big hug. Other than the time I recovered, this was the happiest I''ve ever seen my mother. She was beaming from ear to ear, and her happy aura was glowing so radiantly that I had to look away.


    And it was fortunate that I did.


    After watching our interaction, Dad looked at me with puppy eyes. Like a kid waiting for a present on his birthday, Dad was getting restless as he struggled to keep his feet from leaping into the air. Laughing dryly, I shook my head and approached him like I did Mom.


    "Give me your hand, Dad."


    "Here!"


    I epted the massive bear w and did the same exact thing. This time, however, an azure light didn''te out from my father''s soul. Instead, it was a rich crimson hue. Like before, a ring appeared on his hand, but this time, on his index finger.


    "Destruction¡­ Well, I kind of expected that."


    "Hoh? So you don''t choose what power we get?"


    "No, I could do that, but it may harm your soul if I force my power into them. So, I let our souls''patibility make the decision. Mom seems more inclined to Spacetime, so she absorbed that aspect. Dad, since you''re more of a destructive beast¡­ Yeah, it makes a whole lot of sense."


    "Hey, what''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Who is the one destroying all of my expensive pottery and china, dear?"


    "... Okay, I see why I got Destruction."


    My father smiled bitterly, but there wasn''t a hint of disappointment on his face. The man wasn''t suited forplex spells as a brute fighter. If he had the power of pure destruction, the man could do infinitely more damage than any other Spacetime mage could.


    A Spacetime Vampire and a Destruction Vampire¡­ My first two creations as the next Progenitor are finally a sess.


    As my power and influence grow, I''ll be able to create a whole army of Vampires who use my abilities. When that happens, the growth of Valter House and Valter Inc will increase exponentially, and all of my future goals wille true.


    But first, I had a far more significant event to attend.


    "Mom, Dad. Now that you''ve evolved and are healthy, there''s no need to postpone the wedding anymore."


    "Oya? Is my son finally ready to tie the knot?"


    "I''ve always been ready, Mom. I just didn''t have the time and opportunity yet."


    Brushing off my mother''s tant teasing, I slowly exined my ns.


    "We''re going to hold the wedding in a week. So if you have anyone you wish to invite, please let me know by tomorrow. I''ll arrange for their transportation and amodation."


    "That soon?!"


    "Mom, they''ve waited enough," I looked out the window and back at the main mansion where my four lovers were resting. "I wanted to do it months ago, but our situation was unstable then. But now that our business is running smoothly and you''ve already finished your transformation, there''s no need to wait anymore."


    "Son¡­ You''ve really grown up."


    "I learnt from the best, Dad."


    I shook my head and stifled my smile. cing both my hands behind my back, I imagined the four beauties of my life dressed in ivory white gowns and flower veils while they walked down the aisle¡­


    Yeah, I can''t wait anymore.


    Time to get married.

 Chapter 177 Wedding Of The Century (1)

    The marriage of Jin Valter.


    News of the wedding between the Vampire Progenitor and his four lovers spread like wildfire, and in time, it was the only thing the Vampire World could talk about. While people bemoaned that four of the Vampire World''s most desirable flowers were finally being wedded, most understood that they had no chance against the Progenitor.


    yer of Demon Lords. Chairman of Valter Inc. Head of the Valter House. Most powerful being on the¡­ The list of des he acquired was endless and staggering.


    At this point, it was a mystery how the man was still single.


    Bute Monday; the man would no longer be the most eligible bachelor on the market. He''ll be the husband to four unobtainable flowers.


    Naturally, just as other male Vampires thirsted after the four beauties, some females also longed for the new Progenitor. Thinking that they had a shot as a concubine, countless women sent in their applications through various means. At the height of it all, over a hundred applicants were pouring in by the day.


    However, for some mysterious reason, the applications stopped. No one knows why the girls had given up their hopes, but there had been some mysterious sightings during that period.


    Stories about how harmless nts would grow into terrorising vines or how their entire house would turn into a freezer overnight. No matter the reason, Jin got his peace, and the wedding preparations moved rapidly.


    Many spected it would be arge wedding, but neither Jin nor his future wives cared about that. Therefore, an intimate wedding with about a hundred invitees was nned. Only those who knew the Progenitor and those close to his wives were considered for the invite.


    And slowly but surely, the wedding of the century was taking shape.


    Amongst the attendees are distinguished individuals like Matriarch Innocence from the Everwinter House and Sirius Moonreaver from the Moonreaver House. Ysabelle''s family, mainly the prime bloodline of the ckburn House, were also attending, including Ysabelle''s father, the Patriarch of the ckburn House, Enzo ckburn.


    And who could forget the fairy-like Elven Priestess from the Elven Forest? She and the Shadowgarden House''s leader, Eminence Veralyn, attended as Rosa''s parents.


    With such an all-star line-up, one would be forgiven if they''d thought the Valter House was nning to consolidate its power in the Vampire World. In fact, there were whispers amongst the Holy Church that Jin was trying to create a new World Order with their five Vampire Houses standing at the top.


    But Jin didn''t listen to the noise. Or rather, the noise couldn''t reach him when he was engrossed in nning the wedding.


    Jin wished to make this wedding one to remember, one that his wives would never forget and be proud to dere him as their husband.


    Therefore, he spared no expense in ensuring the wedding was the most grandiose and gorgeous event seen in centuries.


    Firstly, he chose a venue with a picturesque scene, a meadow overlooking the ocean. Next, using his creation magic, he created an ethereal cathedral which mixed elements from each of his wives'' nature into it.


    For Irina, he created icy pirs with depictions of their rtionship. From the first day they''d met when they were children to all the trials and tribtions they faced, and finally, the image of them getting married.


    For Lilith, there was a ster moon hanging over the massive cathedral, creating an optical illusion. Whenever one stared into the dazzling moon, they would be engulfed in a happy mirage showing all the happy memories Jin and Lilith shared, and they would be forever blessed with happy matrimony.


    Ysabelle''s honour was a gorgeous eternal me that flickers throughout the church. Whenever Ysabelle looked into the fire, she would be blessed with all the happy times she had with Jin, and her soul would experience peace.


    And finally¡­ Rosa''s monument was an enthralling World Tree sprout that stood as their minister.


    Although Jin was getting married, no one was qualified to act as his minister. They couldn''t let any of their parents do it, nor could they call in the Holy Church. Therefore, Jin found an amazingpromise. He would let the World Tree, or more precisely, Sora, officiate the wedding.


    Everything was shaping up to be the most glorious wedding in history. The distinguished guests, the impable scenery, the godly cathedral¡­ Everything was done to perfection.


    And when the day came¡­


    "Wee!"


    A pretty receptionist took the invitation card from the first visitor of the wedding, wholly ignoring his ckened expression. After briefly scanning the card and verifying its authenticity, the girl asked for the man''s name.


    "May I know your name and if you''re a friend of the brides or groom?"


    "Friend? I''m the bride''s goddamn brother!" Sirius Moonreaver snorted and mmed his palm on the table. A magical pressure was emitted from his body as he attempted to force the receptionist into submission. But s, his opponent was utterly unfazed.


    "Excuse me, which bride are you referring to?"


    "... Are you making fun of me?"


    "No sir, please tell me your name and affiliation, or else I will be forced to remove you."


    "Force to remove me? You little¡­"


    "Family of Lilith! We''re family of Lilith!"


    Before Sirius could do anything to the receptionist, his silver-hairedpanion stopped his hand. Holding back her desire to hit her n leader, Cape simply smiled and said:


    "Sirius Moonreaver and Cape Moonreaver. We''re invited under Lilith''s family."


    The receptionist looked at the two individuals before finally giving a professional smile.


    "Yes, I have verified your identities. Your seat number is reflected behind your invitation card. If you have trouble finding seats, please approach one of our many helpful staff."


    "Thank you, is there any chance we get to see the bride?"


    "I''m sorry, unless specifically ordered by them, we cannot let you approach the bridal chambers. If you want, I will put in a request for you!"


    "Please do so," Cape hid her twitching smile before dragging Sirius far away from the robotic receptionist. It was only after they had cleared the entrance that Cape finally unleashed her grip on Sirius'' mouth and allowed his annoying voice to resonate.


    "Cape, why did you stop me?!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Lord Sirius, please behave yourself! I know your love for your sister has grown heavier since she left, but we can''t embarrass ourselves here!"


    "Still, I can teach that receptionist a lesson!"


    Sirius was about to blow his top, and it took everything in Cape''s power to calm him down. Truth be told, Sirius'' reaction was somewhat expected. While verbally he had epted Lilith''s marriage with Jin, emotionally, he was still the overprotective brocon of the past.


    Blinded by his obsession with his little sister, he missed something critical he usually wouldn''t.


    "Hah¡­ Look closely, Sirius. Do you think that receptionist is an average person?"


    "..."


    Finally understanding the hint behind Cape''s words, the Moonreaver Lord turned his attention to the receptionist and used his superior eyes to look through his body. Obviously sensing that, the young woman flinched and looked back at the pair with hollow eyes. However, a professional smile was stered over her uneasiness as she tended to the other visitor.


    "That girl¡­ She''s not a Vampire?" Sirius marvelled in shock.


    "And she''s not a human either," Cape added her two cents. "I heard from Lilith that Jin was trying to replicate how the Holy Church creates Angels, and well¡­ I guess he''d seeded."


    "You''re kidding¡­"


    Sirius'' vale eyes widened as an unfamiliar set of emotions ran through his mind. Shock that such a feat was possible. Awe that someone other than the Holy Church was able to create Angels. And finally, outright terror at Jin''s explosive growth.


    "He''s able to create Angels now¡­ Would we even stand a chance against him?"


    "Given that he''s defeated all three Demon Lords, I doubt there''s anyone on the who could match up against him," Cape sighed as well, not knowing what to feel about being overtaken by a man who was less than thirty years old and one year ago, was barely able to match her inbat.


    "We''re fortunate that Lady Lilith has captured his heart. Otherwise, our Moonreaver House would likely be relegated to the side."


    "..."


    With a heavy heart, Sirius could only ept his defeat. Ideally, he would like his precious little sister to remain pure and virtuous forever and to inherit the Moonreaver House once shees of age. But since she had chosen her path, and that path included a monster called Jin Valter, all Sirius could do was ept it.


    "Oh, why the long face? It''s your sister''s happy day! Shouldn''t you be more upbeat?"


    As Sirius contemted watching his sister walk down the aisle, a booming voice broke him free from his daydream. General Enzo, who had arrived a few minutes earlier and had noticed Sirius'' entire interaction with the receptionist, chuckled as he walked towards the man with a broad and massive grin.


    "General Enzo¡­ I''d thought you would be able to sympathise with how I feel, given that your only daughter is getting married too."


    "HAHA!!! Why would I feel down? Yes, I might feel lonely, but I''m d that Ysabelle has found such a splendid man."


    "Even though he''s marrying three other girls alongside your daughter?"


    "Haha, as if we''re ones to judge. Vampire rtionships have always been messy. There have been heterosexual, homosexual, polyamorous and polygamous rtionships! And a man like Jin having four wives¡­ That''s normal in our world. Not everyone can be like you, abstaining from marriage even after a thousand years."


    "... My n''s well-being is my happiness."


    "And I apud you for your abstinence," the massive man chortled. "But ultimately, it''s your sister''s choice on who she wants to marry. Even if it means marrying into a family with sister wives."


    "Hmph, aren''t you the wise one?"


    "I have lived much longer than you, after all."


    Sirius wanted to get the final word in, but before he could do so, the wedding bells started to ring. With all the guests present, the first part of the wedding could finallymence. The bells struck at the auspicious hour, causing all visitors to raise their heads to the skies.


    And surprisingly enough¡­


    "This¡­"


    "Don''t tell me¡­"


    Voices of admiration and surprise echoed through the meadow as every pair of eyes were glued to the sky. Light soon dimmed away as darkness filled the void of the blue empyrean skies. Soon, the stars that were only visible at night were now in full view, and the supposed weakness of Vampires was nowpletely covered up.


    The massive Sun that glowed overhead, the symbol of life and power, was now being blocked by the luminous moon.


    "He created an Eclipse just for his wedding¡­ Seriously, just how over the top could he get?"


    General Enzo let out a dryugh, not knowing what to feel at that moment. The same could be said about Sirius. Which maniac would create an entire Eclipse just to get a better picture for his wedding?


    And well, it didn''t take long for the main character to take centre stage.


    A suave young man floated down from the peak of the Eclipse. Dressed in an impable three-piece white tuxedo, the man looked like something out of a fairy tale. Royal finishings with gold and silver jewellery wereced all over the man''spel. Symbols depicting the Valter House were embroidered over his entire suit making the man seem more distinguished than any ordinary person.


    And when he finally opened his eyes to reveal the shining rubies within¡­ Everyone present felt a chill run up their spine.


    With the most disgustingly handsome smile one could ever see, Jin opened his mouth and said:


    "Good evening,dies and gentlemen! Wee to our wedding!"

 Chapter 178 Wedding Of The Century (2)

    "Good evening,dies and gentlemen! Wee to our wedding!"


    The moment I made my grand entrance, I amplified my voice so that all the guests could hear me. Usually, I wouldn''t care about theatrics and showmanship, but today was a special day. It was the most special day for my four most precious people. Naturally, I would go over the top for this asion.


    Forcing a sr eclipse to ur was one way of showing my dedication to making this day even more special. Irina and Rosa may not care, but Lilith and Ysabelle would marvel at the beautiful sight. I can imagine their faces in the bridal room right now, as their eyes glistened with joy before their final day as a single flower.


    "I''m happy you have taken time out of your busy schedules to celebrate us joining in holy matrimony. Please, settle down, and enjoy the refreshments as we prepare for the auspicious hour."


    There was still some time before the brides would make their way down the aisle. Thirty minutes to be exact. I didn''t want the day to end too quickly and give the four girls an opportunity to soak in everything. This was going to be a day they''ll remember for the rest of their lives, and I wanted it to be perfect.


    And as I made my way down the aisle and onto the altar, a familiar voice broke my concentration.


    "You made quite the entrance¡­"


    "Innocence, I didn''t think that you''d actuallye."


    "Why not? Can''t I attend my beloved granddaughter''s wedding?"


    Matriarch Innocence frowned with furrowed brows as she bemoaned my words. Since I''d be a Progenitor, the heavy pressure she usually exuded was nowhere to be seen; therefore, I could fully admire her facial features. Dazzling white hair that shone brighter than Winter snow, ethereal grey eyes that sucked one''s soul in like a temptress, a body that was tight yet astoundingly mature.


    It''s no wonder she could attract over a thousand consorts.


    The more I looked at Matriarch Innocence, the more I could see Irina''s future. While I quite liked Irina''s current look and bubbly appearance, just imagining a more mature version of Irina really stimted my mind.


    "No, I''d thought you would be busy rebuilding the Everwinter Estate. Wasn''t half of the ce destroyed after Cthulhu''s invasion?"


    "Normally, I would stay there to supervise the reconstruction, but how could I miss such a grand event?" Matriarch Innocence smiled suggestively as she raised her head to the sky and gestured to the ckened Sun.


    "Where else can I see an eclipse so clearly? I swear, I must be getting old. To think that I would get sentimental over something like this."


    For the first time since I''d met the woman, I saw the age hidden within her eyes. She was an individual that saw the birth of the Vampire race. A relic of the past that fought side-by-side with the first Progenitor. A witness of aeons of change and a woman that has seen multiple generationse and go.


    And for the first time ever, I could feel her despondence.


    As the oldest living individual, she must have seen many of herrades pass on to the afterlife. She was a survivor, but that was not necessarily a good thing. Matriarch Innocence has protected the Everwinter House since its inception, and she was the pir that could never be reced.


    That''s why she was so desperate to make Irina her heir. She wished to leave the Everwinter House in good hands, even to the point of causing a civil war within her ranks. s, with the end of Cthulhu and the destruction of the Northern Pole Gate, the ancient Vampire has lost her purpose in life.


    "I must say, I didn''t think much of you when we first met." Perhaps unhindered by her burdens anymore, Matriarch Innocence spoke to me with great candour. "But you''ve exceeded my expectations every single time. In the end, you''ve even be stronger than my wildest imagination. Irina made the right choice in marrying you."


    "Innocence¡­"


    I looked over at the elder and couldn''t help but smile. We may have started our rtionship on sour terms, but as I''ve grown throughout my year as a Vampire, I began to empathise with the woman.


    "Lord Valter¡­ Can I ask that you hear my request?"


    Matriarch Innocence''s tone turned sombre as she focused solely on me. Like a subordinate addressing her superior, the elderly woman''s voice resonated within my ears.


    "What is it?"


    "Would you allow the Everwinter House to be your vassal?"


    "Vassal?"


    I was stunned. Besides the Bloodborne House, the Everwinter House was the oldest Vampire House in history. They had an endless amount of resources, and theirbat power was beyond that of any regr Vampire House. And it was evident through how they dealt with the Outer Demon''s invasion.


    For them to willingly be a servant House of another¡­ Matriarch Innocence had to swallow her pride to make that request.


    "May I ask why?"


    "I''m not blind, Lord Valter." The elderly woman briefly cracked a smile on her stern porcin face and said: "The world is shifting under our feet. The Outer Demon threat is soon to be non-existent, and it was the only thing holding humanity and the Holy Church back. You''ve nted the seeds through Valter Inc and your charitable causes, but I can tell. In time, a new war would emerge. Once the has recovered from the embers of thest war, we''ll wage a new one. This time, however, us Vampires won''t be their allies, but their enemies."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "..."


    As expected of a woman who had lived thousands of years. She saw through my intentions with just one cursory look and could roughly guess what the future had in store.


    "It may be one year or ten years from now. Eventually, we''ll be forced to choose a side. The peace shared between humanity, and Vampires has been artificially created by the Outer Demons. Now that they''ve been removed, our war will continue. And this time, there can only be one winner."


    "HAHA!!! Excellent! You''ve seen through it all!"


    I nodded my head and proudly raised my chin.


    Peace between humans and Vampires was just an illusion. Vampires were superior beings, the evolved form of humans. We had eternal youth, magic that humans could only dream of, transcendent regeneration, and most importantly, we were the predators of humans.


    And even though I had every intention to maintain the peace, humans always feared what they didn''t understand. And I was their greatest enigma.


    Is Jin Valter going to rule the like a tyrant? Is Jin Valter going to start a war to kill millions? Is Jin Valter going to conquer humanity?


    Questions like these have already started to float around. While I didn''t have any ideas about bing a conqueror or a ruler, people still feared my power. And to a certain extent, it was understandable. Imagine having a walking nuke that you had no power over. It may have remained silent and showed no intentions of destroying your way of life. However, the fear still remains.


    What if¡­ the nuke decides to go on a rampage and destroy a country or two?


    That fear alone would drive humans insane.


    Adding to the fact that Vampires were superior beings and no one was keeping them in check¡­ The fear humanity had for Vampires would soon turn into hatred and anger. They would dere that all Vampires shouldn''t exist and seek to exterminate us.


    That''s why I attempted to change public perception through Valter Inc and my charitable causes. I knew it was wrapping a bandaid on a severed limb, but if I could at least stem the bleeding for a few more years, perhaps I could dy the inevitable war.


    And Matriarch Innocence had seen right through my ploy.


    "When the timees, the Everwinter House wouldn''t be able to defend against the joint forces of humanity and the Holy Church. And the only way to protect ourselves from the oing storm is to seek shelter under a sturdy umbre."


    "And I''m that umbre?"


    "... I saw how you defeated the two Demon Lords." Matriarch Innocence muttered. "I saw¡­ How powerful you really were. Even Drac in his prime can''t bepared to you, and the scary thing is¡­ You''re still growing."


    At this point, the elderly Vampire turned towards the numerous emotionless women surrounding the cathedral. Most of them acted as servants, indistinguishable from regr humans. However, those with keener eyes would be able to sense the difference.


    "Making Angels¡­ I never thought I would see a day when a Vampire would create Angels."


    "..."


    "In the future, once you''ve fully grown, you wouldn''t need the Everwinter House''s help. No, you wouldn''t need anyone''s help. Your strength alone is enough to defeat anyone who stands in your way. So, before you''ve reached that point, I''m offering you the Everwinter House."


    "So you''re going to ce all your bets on the Valter House and me?"


    "That''s the only way to win big," Matriarch Innocence smiled and dered: "I''m all in."


    "..."


    Wow¡­ I''d never thought that Matriarch Innocence would be such a person. Still, that didn''t deter me in the slightest. Quite the contrary. I felt my body chortling aloud as I raised my hand to meet hers.


    "Since it''s my wedding day, I shall be magnanimous and agree to your terms."


    "Thank you, Lord Valter."


    I held back the ancient Vampire before she could give me a hearty bow. I may be her superior in the future, but her keen insight and boundless years of experience would prove helpful to me if she served as my advisor.


    "We''ll discuss the details of the contractter. For now, please enjoy the wedding reception."


    "With pleasure, my lord."

 Chapter 179 Wedding Of The Century (3)

    Almost immediately after finishing my talk with Matriarch Innocence, I was swarmed by a horde of people. Most attendees were our close friends and family, so I didn''t have to worry about making small talk with people I didn''t know.


    I tried to pay extra attention to the families of the four girls, but unfortunately, only a handful was present at our wedding.


    Irina''s immediate family consisted of two parents whom she''d never met and an elder brother that didn''t dare to face me after Damien''s death. Her closest kin was her maid Luminita, her trusted butler Variel and Matriarch Innocence herself.


    Lilith''s family were present, but only Cape came over to give her well wishes. While Sirius was present, I could tell he didn''t want to talk to me. Even after all this time, the man was still a staunch siscon and couldn''t put aside his pride as an elder brother.


    On the other hand, Ysablle''s family were the ones that I interacted with most. General Enzo had a terrific rtionship with Ysabelle; her brothers were likewise caring and protective of her. Therefore, they all came over with broad smiles, happy to see their precious family member fall into my warm and sturdy hands.


    It even became troublesome to pry them away as the wedding was about to start, and I still needed to talk to a number of the guests.


    And as I was taking a breather from enduring Ysabelle''s father''s enduring bear hug, two feathery voices sounded out from my side.


    "Lord Jin Valter."


    "Ah, Eminence Veralyn and High Priestess¡­"


    "Please, just call me Veralyn."


    "And you can call me Miriel."


    The leader of the Shadowgarden House, Eminence Veralyn and the High Priestess of the Elves, Miriel, came over to greet me like the other guests in the venue. Due to our peculiar circumstances, I never had an opportunity to interact with these two powerhouses properly. However, I''ve heard many things about the duo.


    In the beginning, I found it odd that the Shadowgarden House had such a close rtionship with the Elves, given how agnostic they were to Vampires initially. But after hearing how the two entities teamed up to create Rosa, the perfect vessel for the World Tree, I could understand their closeness.


    The High Priestess and Eminence Veralyn especially. They were friends who had known each other for over a thousand years, and their close bond showed, given how they seemed to be attached by the hip.


    "Then I won''t be courteous," I let out my best professional smile as I tried my best to hide my discontent.


    s, I wasn''t much of a poker yer. The two thousand-year-olddies saw through my facade and remarked: "I''m sure you have your misgivings against us."


    "Yes, we forced Rosalyn to go through all those experiments after all."


    The two immediately showed their remorse and bowed their heads respectfully. After a few seconds, Eminence Veralyn raised her head and said with a bitter smile:


    "In fact, I wasn''t sure that we would be invited to this wedding."


    "Truthfully, I didn''t want to invite you either," I responded with my true desires. "The hurt you caused Rosalyn over the years is something I can''t forgive. But, ultimately, I''m not the one who can forgive you. You may have done all those horrible things to Rosa, but she never once med the two of you."


    I was reflecting Rosa''s true thoughts. Yes, she may have suffered all those years as their guinea pig, but in her words¡­ Without those experiences, she wouldn''t have fused with the World Tree and heard the prophecy. She wouldn''t be the powerful Vampire she was now, and most importantly¡­ She wouldn''t have met me.


    And unfortunately, Rosa didn''t have any other next of kin. The two people closest to her were standing right in front of me.


    "Rosalyn, thatss¡­ She''s a much better person than we are." The Elven High Priestess smiled wryly as she thought of the gorgeous young woman who was about to walk down the aisle in a few minutes. "In a way, I''m d that she''s marrying you. You''ll bring her more happiness than we can ever hope to provide."


    "I swear on my life that Rosa will never be unhappy ever again."


    "I know you would."


    The High Elf shook her head and nced over her shoulder to the Vampire with the emerald hair. Eminence Veralyn sighed and nodded once before finally spurting out something shocking.


    "Lord Jin Valter, I know it may be presumptuous of me to ask, but would you ept our allegiance?"


    "Our allegiance? Exactly whose allegiance are you referring to?"


    "As expected, nothing can escape your eyes." Eminence Veralynughed and continued: "I may be its leader, but the entire Shadowgarden House is practically under Rosalyn''s thumb. And just because Rosalyn is entering the Valter House doesn''t mean we''ll relinquish her authority. Rather, we''re willing to ally ourselves with the Valter House, in any means you deem necessary."


    Oh? First, the Everwinter House and now the Shadowgarden House? Well, I can''t say I didn''t expect this. Since I had be the new Progenitor, the entire Vampire World would gravitate towards me, whether I liked it.


    "What about you, High Priestess Miriel? I doubt you''vee all this way just to be a supporter in the Shadowgarden''s request."


    "How astute," the Elven beauty giggled. "Us Elves have been neutral in World politics and havergely stayed out of the conflicts between Vampires and humans. However, with the World Tree''s spirit serving you, I don''t think we can remain neutral anymore."


    "Are you saying the Elves will follow me?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "To be precise, we''re still serving the World Tree." The High Priestess reminded me. "However, if the World Tree decides to follow you, we have no choice but to abide by its will."


    The Elves and the Shadowgarden House.


    Two influential groups of people that would make my life in the mortal world that much easier. Other than my intrinsic bias against them, I saw no demerit to declining their offer. One was an ancient race that included numerous influential individuals that could help further my causes. The other possessed thergest, most sophisticated intelligence agency known in history.


    Tch, these snakes¡­ Matriarch Innocence, Eminence Veralyn, High Priestess Miriel¡­ They''re all the same. They knew I wouldn''t refuse such an offer on my wedding day.


    "Let''s discuss the terms after my wedding."


    Hearing my defeated tone, the faces of the two beauties lit up with pure jubtion. Wrapping their hands together, they gave me a firm bow.


    "Thank you, my lord!"


    "The Elves will strive hard to meet your expectations!"


    I let out a huge sigh as I checked my watch. As expected, all these conversations had dragged time, and it was finally time¡­


    "Okay, go to your seats. The ceremony is going to start soon."


    "With pleasure!"


    I gestured nonchntly as my body naturally moved towards the altar. No matter what the great Houses offered me, I had no interest in them right now. Every conversation I had, every gift I was given, everypliment I heard¡­ They were all at the back of my mind.


    Bells chimed, and white doves flocked.


    The boisterous cathedral was now deathly silent as everyone rushed to their seats. In time, there was no movement, only the sounds of distant gasps.


    And soon¡­ An ethereal melody was yed.


    Harps and violins'' harmonies resonated within the cathedral''s walls. The Angels sang a beautiful chorus within the choir, and a dazzling, feathery aura descended from the top of the sanctuary.


    The sapling of the World Tree swayed from side to side as if congratting me on aplishing a nigh impossible task. And given the context, what I''ve pulled off really was near-impossible.


    The guests closest to the doors were the first to react. All of them had their jaws opened, regardless of gender or race. However, not one of them contained lust in their eyes. Rather it was fascination as if they were looking at a piece of art or a breathtaking scenery that no picture or drawing could ever hope to recreate.


    And naturally, I knew why they were reacting in that manner.


    The first woman appeared from the horizon and breached the marbled chamber with shy, jittery steps. Her pure white satin dressced with snowke embroidery caught everyone''s eye as ittched on tightly to her hourss figure. Herplexion was as pale as Winter itself, yet a tinge of red could be seen hanging over her sharp, defined cheekbones.


    Holding onto a bouquet of flowers, the woman seemed to be taken straight out of a fantasy simtion. She was perfect from head to toe, making her the ideal bride for everyone to see. Even from afar, I could whiff her sweet fragrance, which fullyplemented her distinct natural aroma.


    The woman who caught everyone''s eye was none other than Irina¡­


    My little sister and now, my first wife.


    The first to walk down the aisle, Irina was a head-turner. You could hear everyone''s hearts elerating as she fully unted her Goddess-like good looks for all to see. Not many people here had seen the girls since they''d transformed, and even fewer of them had seen them all dolled up. So it was natural for them to have this reaction.


    Nheless, Irina didn''t care about the opinions of the sheep.


    Her eyes were firmly attached to me and the altar I was waiting on.


    And before she made her march down the aisle, her crystalline grey eyes started to water.


    "Brother¡­"


    Irina didn''t say a word, but I could read her lips. She was holding back her tears as she was happier than most words could describe, and her legs were shaking wildly. I could tell all Irina wanted to do was run into my arms and put a ring on my finger. But like the good girl she was, she endured.


    Yes, my love¡­ Please just endure.


    For if you don''t¡­


    Neither could I.

 Chapter 180 Wedding Of The Century (4)

    I saw him.


    I saw Brother standing at the altar.


    This wasn''t a dream¡­ This wasn''t my fantasy¡­ This was reality.


    While preparing for the wedding, a sudden, beautiful eclipse broke my concentration. Did Brother¡­ really cause an eclipse just for our wedding? Did he cause a natural phenomenon to make our wedding all the more perfect?


    Unable to hold back my jubtion anymore, I went to sneak a peek at the man who was going to marry me.


    He looked so handsome! Like a Prince in a fairy tale! But this wasn''t a nighttime tale, nor a dream¡­ It was reality!


    Even though he doesn''t care for his appearance much, he''d put in the effort today to get all dolled up! His hair was waxed backwards, and his perfect face was enhanced with beautiful makeup. His sharp and defined cheekbones were so exposed that I wanted to run up and lick them immediately.


    Although Brother was always impably dressed, he took it one step further this time. He wore a sharp three-piece tuxedo which highlighted his fantastic body. Broad shoulders, dense muscles and that criminally beautiful face!


    When Brother was still lying on his hospital bed, he had androgynous features that made him look equally as feminine as he was a man. However, after bing a Vampire and now a Progenitor, Brother became more masculine by the day. Fortunately, his growth stopped after reaching a certain bnce, and he didn''t look like a barbarian or a stereotypical bodybuilder.


    Today¡­ That handsome man is going to be bound to me forever.


    Just thinking about it sends an electric shock all throughout my body. I wobbled, unable to keep my feet straight. All the emotions overwhelmed me all at once, making it impossible for me to keep my mind clear. And before my feet gave in and I fell down¡­


    "Irina, are you alright?"


    A familiar hand held me by the arm. I looked up at the woman who supported me and saw a dress simr to mine. White ivory dress with shining gems and an obsidian jewel located at the middle of her chest. A dazzling beauty that even got me distracted for a moment, giving me some time to regather myself.


    That''s right¡­ I wasn''t the only girl marrying the man of my dreams today.


    "Ysabelle, I''m fine."


    I shrugged off Ysabelle''s worry with a grimace and bit my lip. This was supposed to be a perfect day, my perfect day. In my dreams, I would be the only one in Jin''s arms as we nestled together and indulged in each other''s warmth. We would fall in love over and over, bing one inseparable entity with joy in our hearts. I would monopolise his time and attention, bing the only person he had his eye on.


    But unfortunately, my dream was only half-fulfilled.


    I had to share this wondrous day with three other girls.


    I havee to peace with this fact; I really have! Brother even gave me the first wife title and promised to love and treasure me forever. But my mind couldn''t help but wonder what could have been?


    What if I had sessfully hidden him away from their eyes and locked Brother in my basement? What if I had chained him up so he couldn''t move, and he would have been forced to love me and only me? What if I made Brother¡­ into mine alone?


    No, that''s selfish, Irina¡­


    Even though I had to share my happiness with three other girls¡­ Even though I had to share the one I loved most with them¡­ I was content.


    "Leave her be, Ysabelle." Lilith, who was also all dolled up, folded her arms and gave me a snide remark. "She can stay here if she wants. I''ll snatch the position of the main wife away from her."


    "What are you talking about?" I growled back. "I''m the first wife; you''re just the spare."


    "Jin only said that you''ll be his first wife, but that doesn''t mean he''ll love you the most." Lilith chuckled.


    "You¡­"


    This bitch¡­ Should I freeze her brain right this instant?


    No, I''ll be just ying into her hands. Keep calm, Irina. Keep calm¡­ Today is your special day; I shouldn''t let this bitch get under my skin. I puffed my chest out and proudly dered.


    "It''s fine. I''ll still have the memory of you biting down your nails as I marry him first."


    "Y-You¡­"


    Lilith froze at that sentence. Haha, as expected. I knew that was hounding her this entire time. I was going to be the first to wed Brother, and Lilith just couldn''t ept this fact.


    "You''ve improved, Irina."


    "Huh?"


    Rosalyn, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke her mind.


    "In the past¡­ You would have fought Lilith in a heartbeat¡­"


    "I can''t be a brat forever, right?" I joked. "I''m going to be a wife soon."


    "How mature¡­"


    Rosa smiled like a mature elder sister. No,e to think of it, she was older than all of us. After she''s absorbed Brother''s essence, Rosa has be infinitely more vibrant and jovial. ording to Brother, Rosa was always this way; it was just that her mind was constantly overloaded with information through her synchronisation with the World Tree and all nts.


    Now that her vessel has expanded and she''s learnt to control her powers much better, Rosa is now showing her true colours.


    A friendly and warm older sister.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "It''s good that you didn''t fight¡­ We''re all marrying the same man, the man of our dreams¡­ We shouldn''t let anything disrupt this event¡­ Besides¡­"


    Rosa held both our hands, and my elerated heartbeat gradually slowed down. I feltfortable, as if I had returned to a mother''s warm embrace feeling warm and fuzzy. It was an intoxicating feeling that I could easily get used to.


    "We''re going to be sisters soon¡­ We should get along¡­"


    "Y-You''re right¡­"


    Embarrassed, Lilith covered her blushing face and looked elsewhere. Simrly, I looked away and covered my cheeks. Rosa possessed the most Goddess-like features of the four of us, with her warm smile and motherly demeanour greatly enhancing her appearance. Even just by looking at her smile, I could feel my heart calming down.


    Seriously, this girl is a vixen in disguise.


    "Girls¡­ It''s time."


    The moment we ended our juvenile argument, bells chimed, signalling the auspicious hour. My heart, which had calmed down, started to beat again rapidly, and my legs naturally gravitated towards the open cathedral door.


    It''s finally time!


    "Let us go¡­" Rosa smiled and gestured for us to walk forwards, and when we finally got to the foot of the entrance, she let out an ethereal smile and said: "First wife, it''s your cue."


    "Y-yes," I stuttered a little but firmly steeled my nerves. Fortunately, Rosa also helped me by sending a current of calming energy up my arms and into my shivering brain.


    "You can do this, Irina¡­"


    "Rosa¡­ Thank you."


    Taking one deep breath in, I finally made my way into the open cathedral causing all of the guests to turn their heads. My ancient grandmother, Luminita, Variel, Brother''s parents, Lilith''s brother, Ysabelle''s family, and even Rosa''s grand-aunt were here. However, my attention wasn''t on any of them.


    It was on the handsome young man who smiled happily at the altar, eagerly anticipating my arrival.


    It took everything in my power not to leap into his arms and hug him with everything that I''d got. I wanted to bring him into my embrace and force him to the ground at that very moment. I wanted¡­ to love him again and again.


    But I restrained myself. I could do all thatter tonight.


    Now, it''s time to make him mine.


    "The bride, Lilith Everwinter, enters!"


    Someone announced my name from the side giving me the signal to walk down the aisle.


    As I passed down the numerous guests and the intricate designs of the cathedral, the enormity of the situation finally hit me. The memories I shared with Brother, the events that led up to this moment, the love that we shared and finally, the beauty of this event¡­


    They were all made possible because of that handsome man.


    No, that handsome God.


    My muse, my love and now¡­ my husband.


    I couldn''t hold back my smile as I tunnel-visioned in on the man who was waiting for me with a ring in his hand. I made my way up the marble floor and finally reached my Brother''s side. I felt his happiness resonate with mine as he held my hand and kissed my forehead. Our hearts melted into one, and his lips parted only after many long seconds.


    And when we separated, I saw a shy Brother looking away.


    No¡­ You can''t do that, Brother.


    How am I supposed to hold back when you show me such a face?


    "Irina¡­ We''re about to be married."


    "I know¡­"


    "We''re about to be married."


    "I know¡­"


    "You''re going to be my wife."


    "... I know!!!"


    ted, I''d almost leapt into his arms. Seriously, can this day get any better? Brother was about to begin the ceremony, but¡­


    BOOOOMMMM!!!


    A wave of magical energy torrented through the entire meadow, forcing my beautiful moment to be shattered. Brother, who had been intoxicated by my appearance, now had a sharp look on his face as he instantly red outside with anger and wrath.


    Ah¡­ Why did I have to go and jinx it?

 Chapter 181 Death (1)

    Fuck! Fuck!


    Who was it?!


    Who dared to disturb me on my wedding day?!


    Angered by the sudden noise, I teleported out of the cathedral and adjusted my eyes skyward. The Sr Eclipse I''d called upon was gone, and a massive whirlpool of demonic energy was in its ce. Magic power, one of the likes I''d never felt before, filled the entire as the vortex sucked in all forms of energy into one singr point.


    And at the event horizon, a massive pool of energy ripped the dimensions apart.


    "A Gate? The Outer Demons are still nning to invade?"


    After I''d killed the Eyghon, Cthulhu and Baishe, all of the created Gates of the world had now faded away. Perhaps there were one or two remaining, but those were infinitely smaller than the major Gates that used to gue the world.


    Rightfully, most of us thought the Outer Demons had been spooked by losing three of their Demon Lords and were going toy low for the foreseeable future.


    s, how wrong we were.


    Watching the size of the Demonic Gate, I finally understood why the Outer Demons had closed the other ones. They weren''t afraid of sending more Outer Demons over¡­ They wanted to save their energy to open one final massive Gate.


    Easily ten, no, a hundred times bigger than any other Gate before it, the spiralling vortex in the sky possessed far more magical energy than Cthulhu and Baishebined. Heck, it may even hold more energy than the Holy Church''s Faith Dimension, which was created through billions of faithful over thousands of years.


    That Gate itself¡­ possessed more energy than me. A Progenitor.


    Oddly enough, the change of atmosphere didn''t cause thunderstorms or chilling rain. It didn''t even seem all that different from a breezy Sunday evening. The only difference was¡­ The eerie sound and intense magic emitted out from its epicentre.


    It felt like we''d been transported into a dimension filled with nihilism and despondence, where no one could feel emotions. Be it joy, fear, or love. This was my first time experiencing such sinister magic.


    It was utterly terrifying.


    My skin was crawling, and my innards were on the verge of churning. Instinctively, I felt like an impossible hurdle had appeared, and my senses were screaming at me to run away.


    This was¡­ fear.


    It had been a while since I''d felt this way. Ever since I''d be a Progenitor, nothing could make my heart falter this much. I was the apex predator, the being above all. No entity on the or others could threaten me, and even if they could fight, I was confident of beating them to the ground all the same.


    And yet¡­ My body was telling me to run away.


    What the hell wasing through that Gate?


    (Un)fortunately, I was about to find out.


    A torrent of magical energy condensed into one from the depths of the darkened clouds. ckened mists descended from the heavens, dripping like falling ash and snow. If one were to look at it objectively, it was quite the beautiful scene. However, the contents of the sinister foggy material were anything but.


    "H-Help!"


    One unlucky guest identally made contact with the ck mist, and his body started to disintegrate almost immediately. Starting from his arm, the man''s body was rapidly dposing. First, his skin was peeled off in less than a fraction of a second. Next, the meat on his bones dissipated into nothingness, leaving his white bones vulnerable to the same fate.


    Like a relentless hungry beast, the mist continued to ''eat'' at the man from his arm to the tip of his toes. His entire physical body, no, his entire existence was being wiped clean away from the Earth and eventually¡­


    "He''s dead¡­"


    One scared voice shook the hearts of all those who witnessed that terrifying event.


    "Everyone, don''t panic!" I immediately got into mybat mode and started firing my brain cells. "Angels, create a barrier and protect this venue."


    "Understood!"


    The numerous emotionless servants stepped forward at my order and unveiled their true nature. ck-feathery wings, highly reminiscent of those of the actual Angels of the Holy Church, popped free from their backs as their bodies were filled to the brim with Faith Energy.


    Some possessed one pair of wings, while others had two or three. However, they didn''t care about their ranks this time as they all pooled their energy together to create a sturdy, impregnable barrier that protected the beautiful cathedral.


    However¡­


    "W-What?!"


    The barrier, powerful enough to resist a full-on strike from Cthulhu and Baishe, was nothing against the sinister ck mist. The moment the two magics intersected, the ck smoke melted the barrier away like a hot knife through butter. At best, the barrier could only slow down the despicable mist for a few seconds, but eventually, the sinister magic made its way to the ground.


    That ck mist¡­ It felt simr to Cthulhu''s ck goo but at the same time¡­ It was much more different.


    Cthulhu''s ck goo only negated magic and rendered anyone who was covered in it incapable of using magic. This ck mist however¡­ Felt like it could negate someone''s existence altogether.


    This¡­ is far too dangerous.


    Many of the guests were bbergasted by the revtion that the servants who catered them to their seats were actually Angels in disguise. They were likely equally shocked by the immense power the ck mist possessed, but I wasn''t going to give them the luxury of staying shocked forever.


    "Those who can fight,e to the front. Those that can''t, please escape to the Valter Realm using the portal at the centre of the cathedral."


    I snapped my fingers, and a portal linking this ce to my Nightmare Realm was established. Truthfully, the connection has already been there since I''ve been travelling to and fro when building this wedding venue. Therefore, it was stable enough for most people to slip through.


    While there was a handful who quickly scurried away, the vast majority of the guests stayed behind. Most of them werebatants with over a thousand years of experience fighting Outer Demons, so it made sense that they would stay. Even ancient powerhouses, like Matriarch Innocence or powerful Vampires at the top of their field, like Sirius Moonreaver showed no signs of taking the high road.


    However, the most concerning ones of them all were¡­


    "Girls, I want you all to escape to the Valter Realm now!"


    "And leave you alone here? No way!" Ysabelle scoffed and folded her arms in defiance. "We''re not going to leave you in danger, Jin!"


    "Brother! You''re not the only one who''s pissed about this!" Irina scowled, and her eyes were seemingly able to shoot daggers as she stared at the sky. "Those assholes ruined my wedding! My wedding to Brother!!! I won''t forgive them!!!!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Irina''s Winter Sovereign Aspect was activated in a rage, and the soiled ground froze up. A massive spear made of pure ice appeared within her hands as she tip-toed her way forward and waited eagerly for the Outer Demons to arrive.


    "I''ll exterminate them all!!!"


    Tch, they''re not thinking straight.


    "Okay, but you must listen to my instructions. Don''t be impulsive or go out of line! I have a really bad feeling about this Gate."


    "What''s wrong?" Lilith, the calmest of the four, asked with a worried tone. "Is it because of that mysterious magic?"


    "No, worse." I sighed and looked up at the massive Gate. "The Outer Demons had remained silent all these months, and the fact that they''ve appeared now to gate crash our wedding can only mean one thing."


    "They have an ace up their sleeves?"


    "Yes," I apuded Lilith''s keen insight. "The threat that wille through that Gate will be infinitely stronger than the other Demon Lords that came before it. If that''s the case, I won''t have the confidence to protect the four of you."


    "You don''t have to worry about us," Lilith smiled. "We''re the wives of the Progenitor. We''re more than capable of taking care of ourselves."


    "I know that, but¡­"


    "Don''t worry about us¡­ Just hurry up and kill those Outer Demons so we can continue with our wedding."


    "Youss¡­"


    Hearing Lilith''s words made me realise that no matter what I said, the four wouldn''t budge. They were going to stay with me whether I liked it or not. We are, after all, bound eternally.


    "Okay, just stay safe and protect my parents as well. When the fighting begins, I won''t have much luxury to look elsewhere."


    "Leave it all to us!"


    With that final word, my attention switched from my four beautiful wives to the terrifying vortex in the sky. Magical power continued to pour out from the monstrosity as even more ck mist rained down from the heavens. The barrier magic that the Angels had cast was essentially useless, and it was only a matter of time before this entire meadow was filled with that toxic gas.


    But I wasn''t going to let that slide.


    "Imperium: Warp!"


    Clenching my fist, I moved the ck mist with my Spacetime magic, sending it far away into the void of outer space. After experimenting on the ck goo for multiple months, I''d finally concluded that the only safe way to neutralise it was to warp the space around it and teleport the threat far away. It was a crude method, but it was the only failsafe one.


    And fortunately, the same could be said about the ck mist. With the sky again cleared up, I could pinpoint the epicentre of this sinister magic.


    Tunnelling through the massive hole in the sky, a certain robed figure emerged. It possessed a ck cloak and a humanoid appearance. Appearance-wise, it looked eerily simr to the Grim Reaper of legends.


    Its face was covered, and its limbs were wrapped in bandages. In its right hand was a ghastly silver and grey scythe, which seemed to contain the souls of the damned. Floating in mid-air, it appeared unaffected by thews of gravity. No, with that eerie aura, it seemed unaffected by all thews of nature.


    Shockingly enough, the moment that figure stepped onto our, the massive Gate behind it closed. It didn''t bring in an army of Outer Demons, nor did it bring in a Demon Lord multiple mountains tall¡­ All it brought with it was that small figure who seemed no taller than a regr human being.


    However, just because only one enemy appeared didn''t mean that the threat was any lesser than before. On the contrary¡­


    "T-That''s¡­"


    "P-Paul! N-No, don''t look at it!!!"


    One of the guests unknowingly stared into the abyssal darkness of the monster''s cloak; mysteriously, his eyes started to bleed ck blood. In time, he knelt down on the pavement in pure pain and suffering as ck blood escaped from every hole in his body. Writhing around in agony, he begged for someone to end his life. He begged for his suffering to end. And as if to grant his wish¡­


    SCHLING!!!


    One swift swing of its scythe and the man''s life was voided.


    The Demon killed a man without breaking a single sweat. Even though it was still descending slowly from the sky, it looked as if anytime the Demon swung its scythe; someone would die. Eventually, those weaker amongst us started to feel the same effects as the man who passed on.


    Unable to look at the Demon, they felt hollow and void. With no hope left in their hearts, they looked up at the descending Demon like one would a deity. And as if to answer their prayers, the Demon reaped their lives without casting a single spell.


    It was as if¡­ the God of Death had descended upon our mortal realm.


    "Argh!!!"


    Rosa fell to her knees while covering both her ears. Shivering from head to toe, she curled up into a ball. Sora, her contracted Spirit, was in a simr state. Both of them were showing fear of the likes I''d never seen before. With tears in her eyes, Rosa looked up at the ck cloak Demon and said:


    "All the nts¡­ They''re dying."


    "H-Huh?"


    "That Demon''s existence¡­ Is killing everything. It''s death itself."


    I looked all around, and everything was withering away. All life in the area could not hold against the distinct and deathly aura of the Outer Demon, and they were losing their life force rapidly. Trees, grass, flowers¡­ They weren''t immune to the damage.


    In fact, those that were weaker amongst us wouldn''t be able to withstand the Outer Demon''s aura and would terminate their lives from the inside out.


    "J-Jin¡­ Run¡­"


    Rosa begged as fearpletely overran her senses. She held onto my hand as if trying to drag me back into the Valter Realm to protect me for all eternity. But s, her feet weren''t going to move. As the emissary of the World Tree, she was distinctly aware of all life around her and how precious it was. So, seeing the embodiment of death appear right before her made her soul shiver from its very core.


    Unfortunately, it was toote.


    The Demon had finished its descent and hadnded ten metres away from me. From our proximity, I could feel how dangerous the Outer Demon truly was. Just by sheer magic power alone, it towers over me, but it also has a power that I was wholly unfamiliar with. A power that counters all of my spells and abilities.


    Death.

 Chapter 182 Death (2)

    Thanatos, Lord of Death.


    The third-ranked Demon in the Demon Realm behind the Demon Sovereign and the Goddess of Destiny. But unlike his other kin, Thanatos wasn''t a regr Demon.


    Thanatos was an existence that had existed for thousands, if not millions of years. Even the Demon himself couldn''t tell how long he''s been alive. Call him a spectre, a ghost, or an astral being; Thanatos was a special existence.


    He wasn''t born through conventional methods. He wasn''t a pulse of energy that grew into massive Demon Lords like Baishe or Cthulhu. Neither was he a brainless machine like Eyghon. Thanatos was just a soul that wandered through the Demon Realm endlessly and mindlessly, forever cursed to never feel warmth and to suffer inplete solitude.


    Everything it touched died instantly. Everything that came near to it withered away like brittle ash. Everything that it dared to love¡­ dissipated away into nothingness.


    Years, centuries, millennia passed within a blink of an eye. Without purpose, the brainless spectre continued its existence without any purpose. No one cared about the poor soul; no one even thought toe near it. Throughout its years, the ghost never once felt anything butplete emptiness and mncholy.


    But one day¡­


    A ray of light illuminated its darkness.


    A beautiful soul found it. A woman of immacte purity and resplendence. She wasn''t afraid of the poor ghost. She didn''t run away at its abhorrence, and¡­ She didn''t die to its touch.


    She brought it into her arms and nurtured it. She taught it how to harness its power, to control its existence to be the strongest version of itself. She blessed it with powers beyond its own imagination, turning it from a lonely spectre to a Demon with a sense of belonging.


    The woman was its everything.


    But one day, the woman started having dreams. Nightmares that would traumatise her, giving her sleepless nights and endless paranoia. She became obsessed. Obsessed over the fate that was to befall her and all Demonkind. Ever since then, the woman has barely slept. She tortured herself endlessly, formting ns and creating Gates for the Outer Demons to invade.


    The woman had no qualms about sacrificing her own health if it meant evading the terrible fate she saw in her dreams.


    In the end, no matter how much she prepared and how much she tried, the nightmares wouldn''t go away. The threat that loomed over her neck still tortured her night in and night out. Thanatos couldn''t watch as she continued to self-destruct, knowing full well that it was for the greater good.


    The Demon repeatedly tried to help the woman, but she always declined it. She buried herself deeper in self-torture with every failed move they''d made and spent much of her life energy and essence to create counter-strategies.


    The woman always said Thanatos was the key to liberating her from her misery, the Demon that could end the nightmares and liberate Demonkind.


    But Thanatos always felt so useless. The woman he loved was suffering, and he could not do anything to help her. The woman that saved him couldn''t be saved. So, with nowhere else to channel his emotions, Thanatos targeted his rage on the invisible enemy of the woman.


    Thanatos came to hate the man responsible for the Goddess of Destiny''s nightmares. Thanatos'' rage bottled up with every failed campaign, and every time he saw Uriel''s saddened and forlorn expression. Thanatos came to resent the person responsible for making Uriel fall from grace and turn into a maniac who only sought one thing.


    Ultimately, Thanatos'' rage toward the man exceeded his other emotions. Be it rationality or love. He wouldn''t even listen to Uriel''s orders to kill the man immediately. What he wanted¡­ was revenge for all the years of torment that Uriel was subjected to.


    And when Thanatos finally met the man for the first time¡­


    "Jin¡­ Valter¡­"


    "... You know me?"


    Jin was surprised by the Demon''sprehension and ability to articte his name. But it didn''t take long for his surprise to be reced with caution. Standing before his precious wives, Jin opened his palm and channelled magical energy through his fingers. Almost instantly, numerous meteors started to fall from the stars and made a beeline straight to the unsuspecting Demon.


    "It doesn''t matter," Jin spat. "You shouldn''t havee on my wedding day, you monster."


    ''Monster?''


    Thanatosughed to himself.


    Who was the actual monster here?


    Thanatos felt a feeling of euphoria creep up its entire ephemeral body. How long has he waited for this day? How many millennia had passed since he''s seen Uriel''s smiling face?


    It all ends today.


    Swinging his scythe, Thanatos turned the falling rocks into mere ash. Jin gritted his teeth and attempted to cause even more destruction to hopefully deter the spectre of death. s, every time a meteor came close, all the Demon needed to do was swing his scythe once, and the entire attack crumbled away as if it didn''t exist in the first ce.


    "It''s useless," Thanatos snorted derisively. "All of your attacks are meaningless against my power."


    ''That was how I was designed.''


    The Demon thought to himself.


    All these years, the Goddess of Destiny had warped Thanatos to be the ultimate weapon against Jin. Cthulhu''s ck goo was just a precursor for the perfected ability of Thanatos. Thanatos'' ck mist had the capability of causing the ''death'' of anything. Be it a tree that had lived for a thousand years or a mere rock floating about in space aimlessly.


    Thanatos could cause their ''deaths'' with just a single touch.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Weaker existences that couldn''t resist the mighty Demon''s power would go mad simply by looking straight at it. Their souls would be reaped, and their bodies would dpose. Just his aura was enough to destroy entire civilisations, and the moment he swung his deadly scythe¡­ There was nothing in existence that could resist his power.


    The only reason the Goddess of Destiny had never sent Thanatos over to Earth was the bottomless energy needed to break open a Gaterge enough to fit him through. To sessfully send Thanatos through the dimensions, Uriel must sacrifice over half her lifespan. Not to mention, she wouldn''t be able to open Gates once she''d expended that much energy.


    Therefore, sending Thanatos over was herst resort. A card she was forced to y when Baishe and Cthulhu died at Jin''s hands.


    "I would never waste my time killing prey, but you¡­"


    Thanatos'' annoyance could be felt by his rising, agitated voice.


    "I''ll take my time to kill you. The monster who made Uriel suffer."


    It''s funny.


    Jin considered Thanatos, the Demon who invaded Earth and gate-crashed his wedding, a monster he needed to defeat. The Outer Demons had, for generations, murdered humanity and all of Earth''s inhabitants in cold blood. They had forced humanity to a standstill, and the world had to be on its toes whenever an Outer Demon invaded. In fact, Jin was a victim of one such attack.


    On the other hand, Thanatos considered Jin as the nightmare that had gued Uriel and, therefore, the entire Demon race. A monster that could never go away, no matter what the Demons did.


    Both of them were right in their opinions.


    And yet, both of them could never see eye-to-eye.


    Therefore, they could only fight it out¡­ to the death.


    "Fuck off!!!"


    Jin yelled out with increased agitation while mass-casting his spells. If meteors didn''t work, he''d use fire. If fire doesn''t work, he''ll use Spirits. If Spirits didn''t work, he''d cast beams of destruction.


    Everything in his arsenal was being fired out at a rapid rate. As a Progenitor, the man had near-bottomless amounts of magic power. And the diversity of his spells had increased ever since he''d ascended to a higher existence.


    It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that Jin could cast every spell conceivable. But s, no matter what Jin attempted, all Thanatos needed to do was swing his scythe, and everything would be countered.


    Death was an inevitability for all existence.


    Whether it was a tiny ant who only lived for a few short weeks or a fully grown whale who lived for hundreds of years. Fire will eventually burn out. Rocks would dpose. The ephemeral lives of humans¡­ They will always flicker and disappear once their timees.


    Even stars, gxies and the universe¡­ They weren''t immune to death.


    And all of Jin''s magic wasn''t an exception.


    Thanatos countered all his spells, and eventually, the Demon finally got bored of defending. With one swing of his mighty, deathly scythe¡­


    "ARGHHHH!!!"


    "JIN!!!!"


    "BROTHER!!!"


    Thanatos severed Jin''s right arm, and a ckened mist began to corrode his body. Biting down on his lips so hard that they started to bleed, Jin transferred his Soul Armament from his severed right arm onto his left and desperately attempted to slow down the deathly mist.


    Fortunately, with his immortality and endless amounts of life essence, Jin could somehow stop the ck mist from spreading, containing it to only his severed arm. But s, the damage was done.


    From that moment on, Jin knew he was outmatched.


    His wives rushed over to his side, and even unconcerned parties like Matriarch Innocence and Sirius Moonreaver attempted to save their new Progenitor.


    s¡­


    "Don''t interfere¡­"


    Thanatos swung his scythe with one brutal swing, creating a circle of ck mist that encircled them. Anyone who dared to cross the threshold would be dposed into atoms, leaving their ashes behind. And with the pair alone, Thanatos let out an exuberant cry.


    "Yes¡­ You can''t die yet." Thanatos flew straight at the groaning Vampire, and with one finalugh, he said: "Endure you monster. Endure the pain until I get my vengeance. And when my revenge isplete¡­"


    Thanatos pierced his arm straight through Jin''s chest. Cries from Irina and Rosa could be heard in the backdrop as Jin fell down while gasps of shock resonated throughout the dead meadow.


    "Then, I shall grant you a merciless death."

 Chapter 183 Death (3)

    Fuck!!!


    I held my tongue as blood spewed out from my mouth. I could hear the concerned cries of my four wives echoing while my body was gradually falling apart. Most of my allies, Matriarch Innocence, Sirius Moonreaver, General Enzo and Eminence Veralyn, leapt to my aid as they attempted to separate me from the dastardly Demon.


    Biting down on my lip, I teleported myself far away, seeking refuge next to the safest ce I knew.


    "B-Brother! Y-You''re hurt!"


    "Jin! Hold on! Let me heal you!"


    Irina and Rosa were the first to react. Irina moved forward to block me from the Demon of Death while Rosa channelled life essence from the World Tree into my wounds. My mind was getting a little hazy, but at the same time, my thoughts had never been so clear.


    I''d severely underestimated the Demon that descended from the massive Gate.


    I''d never encountered an opponent I couldn''t defeat throughout my journey. In the past, even though I was overwhelmed by ancient Vampires like Matriarch Innocence or Sirius Moonreaver, I could feasibly devise a n to beat them. Even more recently, I''d never thought I would lose to Cthulhu or Baishe, even though they were Demon Lords with thousands of years behind them.


    But I had becent.


    Just because there wasn''t anyone capable of matching me thus far, it didn''t mean there wouldn''t be in the future.


    The Demon I was facing¡­ What in the world is he?


    None of my magic worked. My signature meteor strike was a joke to it. The Purple Martial God that decimated my opponents thus far was rendered obsolete. Even non-tangible magic, like my destruction beam, had no effect on that monster.


    It was as if¡­ It was built to counter mepletely.


    "J-Jin, are you okay?"


    Ysabelle asked with a stammer in her voice. She raised her sword in preparation to receive the Outer Demon should it continue its assault, but her eyes couldn''t decide between being on guard or watching my wounds.


    The two injuries I''d gotten from the Demonic being didn''t seem to heal, even with my superior healing factor and over-abundance of life essence. My right arm wouldn''t regrow, no matter how much healing power Rosa added to it while the hole in my chest gradually grew.


    Every time I poured life essence into the injuries, the dark mist surrounding them started eating it all up. Like an insatiable parasite, the ck, unholy power blocked my healing and was even on the verge of eating me whole.


    If nothing was done, it was only a matter of time before my entire existence was devoured by the Demon''s power.


    "F-Fuck¡­ W-What s-should we do?!" Lilith yelled out with panic in her voice. She was the only one who saw the resemnce between the ck goo and ck mist; she knew how annoyingly powerful that substance was. "J-Jin, s-should we run?"


    "... Yes, let''s run away."


    The one that answered Lilith wasn''t me, but the woman who desperately held onto my hands while pouring in healing and life essence.


    "That Demon¡­ Is the embodiment of Death."


    "D-Death?"


    "Yes," Rosa continued to exin, her expression getting grimmer by the second. "I am connected with the World Tree, so I''m sensitive to its power. If the World Tree embodies all of life, that monster is an abomination with the power of Death. It''s our counter, our only weakness."


    Rosa bravely looked straight at the monster while examining all of its details.


    The four powerful Vampires that attacked the Demon in my stead, were doing an excellent job of distracting the ck-cloaked monster. With the power of the Winter Sovereign Aspect, Matriarch Innocence created an endless Winter with an ice prison to contain the Demon.


    Sirius Moonreaver, while the youngest and technically the weakest, could hold his own with the Moonreaver''s prized weapon, the Stardevourer. Containing the memories of every ancient Vampire who had once wielded the glorious weapon, Sirius could create an array of lightning and dimensional magic to trap the Demon in ce.


    General Enzo and Eminence Veralyn weren''t cking either. Using their signature powers, they forced the Demon to create ck mist to defend itself, slowly but surely chipping away at its massive magic power ocean.


    But s, just as I was, the four experts were outssed.


    With one swing of its scythe, the Demon broke free of its restraints and wed its way through the seasoned professionals. The four elite Vampires did their best to slow the monster down, but its power was inevitable.


    Against certain Death, no magic, shield, or immortal Vampire could stop it. Ploughing through the defences as if they weren''t there, the Demon charged right at me to inflict more pain and suffering onto my body.


    "Tch, brace yourselves!!!"


    With one shout, I grabbed all of my four wives and teleported us in the opposite direction. The Demon''s scythe didn''t touch any of our flesh and instead sliced the ornate cathedral I''d created in half, and the ck mist that came out from the Demon disintegrated the rest out of existence.


    My heart almost stopped at that moment.


    What if I were a little toote? None of us would have been able to survive that deadly sh, and I would have lost the ones I loved the most.


    "The power of Death¡­"


    How terrifying.


    With one movement, that Demon could end all of life and creation. Compared to the enemies I''d usually faced, this was the most overpowered foe.


    "J-Jin, we need to run!" Rosa emphasised once again.


    The Goddess of nature shook wildly, her soft white hands turning cold as ice. This was the first time I''d ever seen Rosa this afraid. She wasn''t scared of dying or the annihtion of the World Tree¡­ Rosa was afraid of losing me.


    But s¡­ I couldn''t ept her plea.


    "No, we can''t run."


    "J-Jin!"


    "Even if we run, it''s useless," I sighed. "This Demon can spread Death. If we hide in the Valter Realm, he''ll spread Death until nothing remains. We''ll be trapped in the Valter Realm for the rest of time, with no ce to run or hide."


    "T-Then let''s do that!" Lilith exploded with exceeding fervour. "Fuck this and everyone on it! If we''re safe¡­ If you''re safe, that''s all that matters!"


    "Y-Yeah, your safety is the most important! We can hide there for eternity as long as you''re alive!" Ysabelle added with tears in her eyes.


    How touching¡­ These girls were willing to sacrifice the entire world to keep me safe. No, I would have done the same for them too. But unfortunately, that wasn''t the only reason I couldn''t run.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Girls¡­ Even if we did that, my wounds wouldn''t get better."


    I nced at my two injuries and felt my power slowly wilting away. My severed arm had yet to recover, and the hole in my chest was gradually erging. The only thing stopping its spread was my life essence, and Rosa''s healing magic backed up by the World Tree.


    In time, my entire body would be engulfed by the ck mist, and I would cease to exist.


    "I have, at best, fifteen minutes left."


    "DON''T SAY THAT!!!"


    "FUCK!!! THAT FUCKING OUTER DEMON!!!"


    Irina''s rage exceeded its normal threshold, and she was ready to act.


    "No¡­ Not again¡­ Must we watch helplessly as you pass away?!"


    Ysabelle held her head as the past trauma arose in her mind. Rosa''s face had be entirely ashen as her world came crumbling down.


    That''s right¡­ This scene was simr to the past.


    An Outer Demon attacked me to the verge of death. With no one to rely on, the four girls sacrificed a piece of their souls to protect me and keep me from fading to the afterlife. They''d watched over me, nurtured me, loved me¡­ All as I forgot who they were.


    ¡­ I''m not going to let that happen again.


    ¡­ I''m not going to let them suffer.


    Not anymore.


    From the day I''ve revived as a Vampire, from the day I''d be a Progenitor, and on this day¡­ The day when I be their husband. I was going to take destiny into my own hands. I will not let history repeat itself.


    "Girls¡­ Listen closely. I have a n."


    "What n?!"


    "During these few months, I''ve experimented with different spells. With my four rings and the unique powers, they gave me. And I''vee up with one hypothesis. I can cast a dangerous spell with my Spacetime and Life rings. A spell that transcends all thews of nature."


    Truth be told, I didn''t want to cast this spell. I didn''t even attempt to test the hypothesis. It would be, without a doubt, the most powerful spell that I''ll ever cast. But, the repercussions would be severe.


    I could even¡­ potentially lose my four lovers.


    s, I had no choice now.


    If I died here, I would be letting them down even more. I must stop this Demon, even if it means signing a contract with the devil.


    "So girls¡­ Help me buy some time to cast this spell. And the moment Iplete it¡­ please stay as far away from me as possible."


    "W-What is this spell?"


    "I don''t have the time to exin everything! P-Please!"


    I coughed out a few mouthfuls of blood as I felt the ck mist in my chest spreading and reaching closer and closer to my heart. I was on the verge of copsing, but my mind had never been more clear.


    "P-Promise me! When I cast the spell, the four of you will run far away!"


    "O-Okay! We promise!"


    Affirming that the four have agreed to my oundish request, I prayed inwardly to my heart. My body was about to disintegrate through the Demon''s power of Death while my soul desperately fought off the ck mist that corroded me from the inside out.


    But at that moment, I ignored all of those troubles.


    I poured all my attention and energy into the two rings representing Spacetime and Life. All of my remaining magic power, the essence of the World Tree, the Faith Energy I''d acquired and all of my Progenitor''s power¡­ They were all poured into those two rings.


    And as if resonating with my prayers, the two rings were illuminated with the brightest glow one could ever hope to see. It was as if two stars had appeared on my fingers, and the world responded in kind. Earthquakes beyond any in history shook the while the skies split apart. Every form of energy was spiralling into one ce as they were absorbed by the whirlpool of cosmic radiance.


    The spell¡­ It seeded.


    I didn''t think it would have gone this smoothly.


    At this point, everyone''s eyes were on me.


    My four lovers, Matriarch Innocence, Sirius Moonreaver, General Enzo, Eminence Veralyn¡­ And most importantly¡­


    The Demon of Death.


    Perhaps it finally felt a sense of urgency after experiencing my excess energy and attempted to stop me once and for all. Its scythe was swung, breaking free of all the restraints that it was under. Flying over at breakneck speeds, the Demon aimed for my neck to end my existence.


    But before it could finally draw blood, Lilith raised her fingers and warped us away to evade that strike.


    I''m sorry, Demon¡­ That was yourst chance.


    You shouldn''t have yed with your food. You should have ended me when you had the chance. Now, it''s toote.


    Because from now on, you''ll be facing a greater threat than me.


    The two stars on my fingers were absorbed into my soul, causing a pir of incredibly radiant light to erupt from my core. The pir pierced the sky and spread all throughout the gxy. And at its peak, a magical clock descended down. It continued to fall rapidly until it was just a few hundred metres above my head. Before long, the clock will m down on my soul, and my consciousness will fade away. So before that happens.


    I turned my gaze back to my four lovers. Catching their eyes, I whispered the only thing I wanted them to do:


    "Run."

 Chapter 184 The Hegemon (1)

    I, Sirius Moonreaver, have only been afraid three times in my life.


    The first was the day I earned the title of Sirius. The Stardevourer and Sirius were synonymous with the cream of the crop. The best the Moonreaver House could offer. The day I epted that title, I felt an innate fear of losing everything I''d earned and living up to what was expected of me.


    The second was the day I became the Lord of the Moonreaver House. Not many could be a n Lord at such a young age, and I felt utterly alone. There weren''t many in the Moonreaver House that I could trust, and I feared being isted.


    And finally, the third time¡­ was right at this moment.


    This fear I had¡­ It wasn''t the fear of disappointment or the fear of ending up alone¡­


    No, this was a far more primal fear.


    My soul was quaking, and my knees failed to hold my body up. Falling down, I felt an endless void appear in the pits of my heart while my bodily functions were failing one by one. My chest was constrained, and my mind could barely string a coherent thought together. But the most shocking part of it all was¡­


    The Stardevourer was panic-stricken too.


    Vibrating wildly like an autumn leaf on a windy day, the Stardevourer was desperately trying to leave my grasp and escape through the dimensions.


    The apex weapon of the Moonreaver House, crafted with the blood and souls of all the past Sirius'' before it. A weapon that never once felt fear, even when facing monsters like Drac Bloodborne, the first Vampire or the Demon Lords of the other realm. The reaping ive was forged to protect the Moonreaver House, even if it meant self-destructing itself.


    Even when I pointed the Stardevourer at the mysterious Demon that could spread Death with every swing of its scythe, it stood firm.


    But the moment that massive clock appeared above Jin Valter''s head¡­ The Stardevourer reacted like it was a baby in front of a tiger.


    This¡­ hadn''t this happened before?


    The first time I fought Jin Valter¡­ The moment I pierced the Stardevourer through his chest in an effort to defeat him¡­ Fear overwhelmed us. There was ''something'' special about the boy, and it wasn''t his bloodline. Neither was it his power as the Progenitor. There was always ''something'' hiding within Jin Valter, ''something'' that the Stardevourer was deathly afraid of.


    And now, that ''something'' was finally baring its fangs.


    My soul and body were crushed as I fellpletely to my knees. I didn''t dare to look up, fearing the further repercussions that may follow. But somehow, my gut was screaming at me to take a peek. It was as if¡­ If I didn''t look now, I would regret this moment forever.


    Therefore, I stared directly at the Sun against my primal instincts to run and look away.


    Blood trickled out from my eye sockets, and my brain was turning heavier by the second. The Stardevourer had already run away, abandoning the Moonreaver House and me as it feared that ''something'' of Jin Valter''s. Groaning in agony and pain, I resisted the immense pressure I was under and finally raised my head.


    And there I saw¡­


    ???


    What''s this?


    As the Matriarch of the Everwinter House, I''d thought I''d seen everything.


    I''ve seen the rise and fall of nations. The birth of the Vampire race. Fought wars with the Holy Church and lived through the crusades. I was there when the Outer Demons first invaded, and the world put aside their differences to sign a peace treaty. I''ve killed millions and witnessed the birth of billions. I''ve lived a thousand lifetimes, and yet¡­


    I''d never felt this emotion before.


    Complete terror.


    When Jin, the strongest Vampire and Progenitor I''d ever seen, was losing to that mysterious Outer Demon, I thought I''d lost my mind. When I saw the destructive ck mist of the Outer Demon that could end all of life and creation, I thought I was hallucinating. And finally, when I saw Jin fall to the Outer Demon, I thought all hope was lost.


    But then¡­


    Jin cast a strange spell.


    It possessed far more magical energy than I had ever witnessed. It felt like the world''sws were rewritten, and everything was going out of hand. The magic that Jin had cast¡­ wasn''t normal. It had surpassed the realms of man and had entered the domain of the Gods.


    My entire existence was screaming at me to run away. My soul was overwhelmed as I feltpelled to bend the knee. I was dominated by the overwhelming presence, and my body was shaking like a terrified puppy.


    I''d never felt this feeling before¡­ Even Drac couldn''t make me feel this way, feel this¡­ afraid.


    It took everything I had to just look straight at Jin, the man who descended. Pure magic power shrouded the man in gold and red while an aura far stronger than the Blood Moon was emitted from his body.


    That was it.


    I couldn''t stare at the man for a second longer. My eyes were burning hot as blood was forced out of my sockets. Falling to my knees, I covered my face in the grass like an ostrich trying to escape its predator. My instincts were screaming out at me¡­ The only way I could survive was to look away and pray that the man didn''t notice me.


    For if he so chose¡­ He could end me with a thought.


    Was it urate to call that power magic?


    It felt like a higher power. A higher existence. It was as if I was witnessing the descent of God himself. Even without looking straight at the man, I felt like I was looking into an abyssrger than all thebined ck Holes in the universe.


    The power right before me couldn''t be measured by human standards.


    It couldn''t even be measured by astronomical standards.


    There was only one word to describe the man and the power he wielded¡­


    Godly.


    ???


    What happened?


    I was supposed to kill Jin Valter with ease. My power was specially designed to counter the menace, the monster that gued Uriel''s dreams. And to prove that fact, I''d easily defeated him and inflicted a fatal wound.


    He would die within the hour if I didn''t attack him anymore.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So what was this power?


    What was this emotion that was rooting me to the ground?


    Why am I¡­ shaking?


    I didn''t know what I felt but I knew I couldn''t let this continue. If I allowed that monster to finish his spell, my life might be in danger. With every ounce of strength I had, I charged right at the man and the falling magical clock. However, with each step I took, it felt like the weight of the universe was up against me.


    My body was breaking from within, and pain of the likes I''d never experienced overwhelmed my senses. If I had a mortal body, my eyes would be bleeding, and my bones would have been crushed. Fortunately, due to the unique state of my physical form, I could somehow resist this mysterious power.


    One step¡­


    Two steps¡­


    Three steps¡­


    Bit by bit, I edged closer to the monster with my scythe. I wanted to end him now, end him immediately before he could do any more harm to me. And eventually, I reached him.


    I was standing right in front of the monster. With one final swing, I could end it all now. The nightmares of Uriel, the sacrifices of our species, the revenge of Baishe, Cthulhu and Eyghon¡­ They could all be ended with one final swing.


    But¡­


    I was powerless to do so.


    The spell waspleted, and the clock mmed into that monster''s soul.


    In mere milliseconds, his body transformed. His ck hair started to grow, and his features became more defined. A pure energy radiated with red and gold emerged from his body, causing a dread I''d never experienced before.


    This is¡­


    Fear?


    I''m feeling fear?


    Thanatos, the God of Death and the trump card of the Demon Race¡­ I''m feeling fear? Even the Demon Sovereign had never made me feel this way before. My soul was aching, and my entire existence was screaming at me to run away. Looking at the radiant aura, I felt like a firefly against the Sun, a rock in front of a, a water droplet amongst the entire ocean.


    That power¡­ It is not something that mere mortals couldprehend.


    It''s not something any living creature can understand, just like how three-dimensional beings couldn''t perceive four-dimensional ones. And when he finally opened his golden-red eyes¡­


    Ah¡­ I see¡­


    Uriel, so that''s why you wanted me to kill him immediately.


    ???


    Brother changed.


    The moment hepleted that spell and the clock mmed down upon his soul, I felt the world change. The atmosphere changed, the changed, and most importantly¡­ Brother changed.


    Before Brother had cast the spell, he warned us to run. I didn''t know why he said that, but my legs naturally fulfilled Brother''s request. However, I couldn''t run two steps before my body stopped moving.


    Captivated by the warm, golden-red light, my body naturally gravitated towards Brother. That power that he was creating¡­ It felt so familiar.


    It felt like I was drowning in his essence. I was embraced by his love. Intoxicated by his feelings.


    The other three girls were in the same state. Our souls were being refreshed, and we''dpletely forgotten Brother''s warning. We were drawn to him like moths to amp, and we couldn''t keep our eyes away.


    Brother''s hair started to grow. It was handsome and short before, which I wholeheartedly loved, but this new hairstyle grew on me. It was as if he was an ancient Emperor reincarnated. The glossy and impable shimmer of his hair was only overshadowed by his ster two eyes.


    Turning golden-red, two Blood Moons appeared in his sockets as a regent aura pulsated around him. His features had be sharper, and his already perfect body somehow became even more perfect. Brother didn''t look weak even with his chest pierced and arm severed.


    On the contrary, it felt like he had never been stronger.


    And as if he had been awoken from a night of bad sleep, Brother''s resonant voice sounded.


    "Noisy¡­"


    Flicking his finger, Brother sent the Death Demon flying at hypersonic speeds. Like he was swatting a fly, Brother dispatched the Demon that had been causing him so much trouble with nothing more than a yawn.


    Was this Brother?


    How could he be this strong this quickly? Did Brother sell his soul to the devil in return for extreme power?


    Many questions emerged in my mind before any of them could be answered¡­


    Our eyes met.


    Brother''s ndestine Blood Moon eyes were reflected in mine. For that brief moment, it felt like time had stopped. Countless emotions emerged from my core, and I was unable to breathe. The man had literally taken my breath away.


    What should I do? Was this version of Brother going to harm me? Will he still recognise me? Will Brother still be himself?


    I was desperate to seek answers, but luckily, I didn''t have to.


    "Irina, my love¡­ Why are you wearing your wedding dress? Is it time for our newly-wed cosy night again? You know I''m always happy to bed you, but I was just in the middle of something. No, you''ve be younger, haven''t you? Did you make yourself look younger tonight? Ah, it reminds me of the night of our wedding. The amount of love-making we had!"


    Yeap¡­ Brother is still the same, alright.

 Chapter 185 The Hegemon (2)

    "B-Brother¡­ I-Is that you?"


    "Of course, it''s me," Jin scoffed while folding his arms. Irina felt odd, seeing her beloved brother and now husband wreathed in a divine aura that could cause most mortals to go insane. Yet, deep down, she knew¡­


    The man that was standing in front of her was undeniably Jin Valter. His smell, his appearance, his soul, and most importantly¡­ His emotions towards her. Everything about the man screams out ''Jin Valter.''


    But whether it was the ''Jin Valter'' she knew¡­ That was a different story.


    "Wait a minute¡­"


    ''Jin Valter'' finally noticed something was amiss and looked around his immediate vicinity. Moving his eyes away from Irina, he scrutinised the area, and a knowing smile crept up.


    "Lilith, Ysabelle, and even Rosa¡­ The four of you are in your wedding dresses too! And you look so much younger¡­ Ah, I get it now. It''s not cosy night. I''ve just returned to the past."


    ''Jin Valter'' smiled while stroking his non-existent beard. His body started to shake wildly, and his shoulders were quivering. Grinning from ear to ear, the man let out a deafeningugh.


    "HAHAHAHA!!! How many aeons has it been?! One billion years? No, it should be over two billion years now. Ah, how I dreamt of returning to this moment and seeing my pure wives!"


    Intoxicated by the situation, future Jinughed wildly and didn''t stop once to breathe. It took him a full minute topose himself, and everyone in the immediate vicinity froze, not knowing what to do.


    The great Vampires of the Guardian Houses were all forced to kneel and press their heads against the dirty ground. They didn''t dare, or rather, they couldn''t look at the man directly. When they raised their heads, blood would drip down their eye sockets, and their bodies would likely copse from the inside out.


    Jin''s four wives were clueless on how to proceed either. If they wanted to honour their husband''s wishes, they should have fled far away from this version of ''Jin Valter.'' But they were too enamoured by the charming man, who also seemed to possess a mysterious power thatpelled them to stay.


    And finally, the Demon of Death sent by Uriel, Thanatos. After recovering from Jin''s finger flick, he returned, only to be dumbfounded by the current scene. Fear was still ingrained into his soul, and every fibre of his being was screaming to run away. But he could only watch helplessly as ''Jin Valter'' finished his heartyughter.


    "Ah,e! Let me touch you! You girls are still beautiful two billion years from now, but nothing beats a girl in her twenties!"


    ''Jin Valter'' attempted to reach out to Irina with his right arm, but he was hindered by one simple fact.


    "Hmmm? It isn''t there?"


    ''Jin Valter'' examined himself, mainly the severed arm and hole in his chest. He was a little taken aback by the odd situation, but he took a deep breath and soon shed a face showing that he''d figured everything out.


    "Ah, this did happen. It has been two billion years since I wasst injured like this. This sure is refreshing."


    Future Jin wasn''t deterred by hisck of limbs or the massive hole that seemed to be growing in his chest. Rather, he had a refreshed look on his face as if he was sightseeing at a beautiful attraction. Beaming with pure jubtion, he ced his left hand over his right shoulder like a dog licking his wounds.


    Typically, the ck mist would eat at anything it encountered. Be it an immortal body like a Vampire or an inanimate object like a falling meteor. However, ''Jin Valter'' wasn''t afraid of that. He allowed the ck mist to move around his fingers, carefully twirling it with surgical precision.


    "You call this the power of Death? Uriel was a fool to think that she could harness actual Death."


    "... you!"


    While ''Jin Valter'' was talking to himself, Thanatos could not hold back his anger, especially when future Jin was degrading the woman he loved the most.


    s, that was a mistake¡­


    If he had kept quiet and silently disappeared back to the Demon Realm, ''Jin Valter'' wouldn''t have noticed him. But Thanatos had sealed his fate with his senseless and stupid need to defend the Goddess of Destiny.


    "Thanatos¡­ Right, you were the one who caused this injury to me."


    "... you know who I am?"


    "How could I not?"


    ''Jin Valter'' let out a sinister smile. He yed with the power of Death in his hands and interchanged his eyes between the ck-robed Demon and the ck mist that shrouded him.


    "After all, I was the one who created you."


    "H-Huh?"


    "Ah, perhaps I''ve said too much. You don''t need to know anything. You''re just a tool to keep the timeline in check and deliver the final piece."


    "W-What are you talking about?"


    "Silence."


    As he couldn''t be bothered to answer Thanatos'' questions anymore, ''Jin Valter''manded the Demon to keep quiet. And sure enough, the Demon''s soul was dominated by his order, and his mouth was sealed.


    And with that nuisance gone, ''Jin Valter'' now focused on the Soul Armament in his left hand. Four rings were lit up, each representing one power unique to Jin''s Vampire Aspect.


    The Azure ring on his middle finger represented Spacetime. The Rainbow ring on his thumb, Creation. The Crimson ring that covered his index finger possessed the power of destruction. The Emerald ring on his fourth held the power of life.


    However, there were five fingers on a hand.


    "Fate is a peculiar thing. To think that I would have to live through this experience twice."


    ''Jin Valter''ughed as he brought the dark mist from his wounds onto the final ring. With the ck mist gone, Jin''s regenerative factor could finally kick in, fully healing the hole in the middle of his chest and regrowing his lost limb. However, no one was focused on the rapid healing of the Progenitor.


    The ring on his pinky finger, which had been dormant until now, finally resonated. Absorbing the ck mist like a hungry beast, the gem on the ring turnedpletely ck as a strange power erupted from within.


    Irina felt it. Matriarch Innocence felt it. Even Thanatos felt it.


    A strange power had awoken, and it wasn''t just copying the attributes of the dark mist. It was something far more unique. Something far more powerful. And something¡­ That even Thanatos feared.


    "Imperium, the power of Spacetime. Genesis, the power of Creation. Interitus, the power of Destruction. Vita, the power of life. And now finally¡­"


    Jin raised his left hand into the sky and examined all five rings. He marvelled at each and every one of them, and his eyes zoned in on the final one on his pinky. A ck colour that reflected the nothingness of the void. A despondent power that brought dread to anyone who dared to stare directly at it. And a Godly attribute that no other mortal could ever hope to reproduce.


    "Letum¡­ The power of Death."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "How nostalgic¡­ This Soul Armament, I''d almost forgotten I had it."


    ''Jin Valter'' continued to look at the five rings with great sentimentality. And this longing action didn''t go unnoticed, particrly by the four girls who knew Jin more than anyone else.


    However, just before they could voice their questions, Thanatos swung his scythe like a madman and finally broke the spell he was cursed with.


    "Y-You! How dare you?!"


    "Hoh? You broke free from my spell? Tch, my control over this body still isn''t absolute. To think that a mere failure like you could break my spell."


    However, Jin wasn''t deterred; rather, he was amused. Treating this entire situation as a joke, Jin continued to taunt Thanatos like he was a child.


    "Failure?! You dare insult me?!"


    "Hmmm¡­ Did I design your setting that way? No, it must have been Uriel. That bitch¡­"


    "Not only do you dare insult me, but you also dare to insult the Goddess?!"


    "Ah," Jin smiled and looked back at Thanatos. "Has the fear gotten to your head? Ignorance sure is bliss. Well, you weren''t created with brains, after all."


    "Y-You¡­"


    Thanatos didn''t answer, but that was all Jin needed. Future Jin''s power was beyond that of mortals and was in the realm of the Gods. It took everything in Thanatos'' strength to stand before the hegemonic being and resist the urge to tunnel back to the Demon Realm.


    But¡­ Its pride had clouded its judgement. Its love for the Goddess of Destiny had made the poor Demon a fool.


    He was an existence that stood at the top of the Demon Realm for aeons. An existence that was well-considered to be the strongest in history. And yet, he was being belittled by this man who was grovelling at its feet just a few moments prior.


    Thanatos couldn''t ept it. He didn''t want to ept it. Which was why¡­


    "I''ll kill you!!!"


    Mustering all of its courage to ovee the fear, Thanatosunched itself forward with the power of Death stored within its scythe. Thanatos thought that maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­ If he could slice Jin''s head off with his ck mist, he would be able to win. He would be able to live up to Uriel''s expectations and end the nightmares. He would end the terror and change the destined future of all Demons.


    But s¡­ That was just a wish¡­ That could never be granted.


    "How weak."


    ''Jin Valter'' grabbed onto the tip of the scythe with his index finger and thumb like he was pinching a grain of salt. Wholly unimpressed by the attack, the Hegemon flicked the ck scythe away with the power of Death and let out a bored yawn.


    "Y-You¡­ How can you touch Death?"


    "This is why I called you stupid, Thanatos. Did you really think that your paltry power is true Death?"


    "W-What?"


    "Have you witnessed the death of a Star? Have you caused the River of Life to dry up? Have you killed sr systems? Have you decayed gxies? And have you¡­ seen the death of our universe?"


    "W-What?"


    "Hah¡­ Like I said, you''re a defective product."


    ''Jin Valter'' shook his head, almost like a disappointed father who had failed to guide his child.


    "But you''ve served your purpose. The moment you imnted your ck mist on me, fate was sealed. The timeline has been secured, and there''s nothing left to interfere with my destiny. In a way, I have to thank you for your service, even though you''re ignorant of your sorry fate."


    "W-What are you talking about?"


    "As a reward for your deeds, I shall grant you knowledge. Let me show you what true Death is."


    ''Jin Valter'' raised his hand, and the ck ring erupted with vigour. Obsidian light overwhelmed the entire continent as the itself quaked in fear. The World Tree almost uprooted itself in an attempt to escape, while millions, if not billions, of lifeforms, perished instantaneously.


    However, none of that mattered to Thanatos.


    The moment he saw the ck light, he knew he couldn''t win. It was a power beyond anything he''d ever experienced or imagined before. A power that made him feelpletely helpless, like an ant staring at a gxy. As someone who had imed to be the God of Death, Thanatos instantly understood¡­


    The Death Thanatos held was nothing like the Death that Jin had shown.


    If Thanatos'' power could kill millions, Jin''s power could cause the deaths of every living creature in the universe. If Thanatos could destroy meteors and ends, Jin''s power could end entire gxies with a single thought.


    There was simply noparison.


    Thinking he could hold a candle against the Overlord of Death was a joke.


    And therefore, Thanatos epted his fate.


    ''I''m sorry, Uriel¡­ I have failed you.''


    With his final thought, Thanatos opened his arms wide and weed the supreme power. Thanatos felt warmth within the ck energy like a baby entering its mother''s embrace. It felt like¡­ it had finally returned to where it was meant to be all along.


    True Death.


    "Letum: Oblivion."


    With Jin''s final spell, the Demon of Death was no more. Gone like an ember in the wind, thest and final hope of the Demon Race, the trump card that the Goddess of Destiny had yed¡­


    Had faded into dust.

 Chapter 186 The Hegemon (3)

    The Demon Realm.


    Uriel, the Goddess of Destiny, watched silently over the Gate she summoned. Unlike her previous, dignified self, the poise of the Goddess was nowhere to be seen. Her dress was in tatters, and her entire body dripped with sweat. Her legs crumbled under her weight, and she barely had the strength to move.


    It was the aftermath of sending Thanatos over to Earth. For the sake of altering the future, Uriel had sacrificed her power, her lifetime, to open a Gate massive enough to send Thanatos through. Easily the most powerful Demon to ever invade Earth, the cost of opening the Gate was high.


    Therefore, this final invasion had to seed.


    It must seed.


    Else¡­


    One minute passed. Uriel wondered why Thanatos hadn''t returned yet. It was meant to be a simple mission. The Demon of Death would appear in front of Jin Valter and slice his scythe through his throat. The death mist she''d developed over the years by harnessing Thanatos'' power should be enough to end Jin, who hadn''t finished growing yet.


    Two minutes passed, and Uriel''s mind went haywire. She considered all of the possibilities of failure, and maybe Thanatos hadpleted his mission but was unaware of how to return.


    Three minutes passed, four minutes passed, and eventually¡­


    "Thanatos¡­ You moron¡­"


    The Gate Uriel created, the Gate that was meant to bring Thanatos back home, had closed shut. Uriel''s connection with the Demon ghost was severed, and the bacsh whipped her head around, causing a minor concussion. And within the bacsh, something else invaded her mind. Something so immense that her soul couldn''t withstand the pressure, and her eye sockets started bleeding.


    For one final time, Uriel used her power to ''look'' into destiny. Darkness overcame her inner world as a Blood Moon rose from the edge of the horizon. The sacred light mesmerised the Goddess of Destiny, and she stood motionlessly as a divine being descended.


    Long ck hair that seemed too perfect to exist in the mortal realm. Golden crimson eyes that seemed to be just as dazzling as the Blood Moon above him. And a Godly aura that forced all lower beings to kneel and pray in reverence.


    It was the same¡­


    It was precisely the same in her dreams, her nightmares¡­


    ''He'' was born.


    ''He'' wasing to fulfil his destiny.


    ''He'' was going to rule over all Demonkind.


    The rise of the Hegemon, the Overlord of the Universe, was now inevitable.


    "ARGHHHHHH!!!"


    Uriel let out a soul-piercing shriek as she convulsed on the floor. Spasming out of control, Uriel suffered a panic attack and a deathly cry for help. She felt her entire soul being devoured by the remnant of the Hegemon, and if nothing was done, she would have fallen insane right then and there.


    "Uriel, wake up!"


    Fortunately, before the Goddess crossed the point of no return, a warm, sturdy hand grabbed her shoulders.


    That warmth instantly woke Uriel from her nightmare, and what little she had left of a soul was now steadily recovering. The lifespan she''d lost was recovering rapidly as well, as her destroyed and weakened body soon showed signs of returning to her hallowed past.


    There was only one entity in the entire Universe that could help Uriel in this manner.


    The Demon Sovereign, Igni.


    "Sovereign¡­ You''re out of seclusion."


    Still drenched in sweat, Uriel attempted to kneel before her leader but was stopped by Igni''s warm, everpassionate hands.


    "Don''t, Uriel. Focus on your own recovery first."


    "Thank you, Sovereign."


    Uriel smiled and couldn''t help but look at her charismatic leader. Standing at five metres tall, the Demon Sovereign was massive by human standards. Well-built with defined muscles that would make a bodybuilder on steroids feel ashamed; the Demon Sovereign had the peak physique.


    Red-hot, eternal mes burned wildly over the Demon Sovereign''s head and eyebrows, making Demon far more terrifying than it already was. And most importantly, the amount of magic power that hid within thatpact body was staggering.


    Easily housing a thousand times more magic power than Cthulhu or Baishe, the Demon Sovereign was akin to a force of nature. Given his power, the Demon Sovereign could end the Demon Realm whenever he chose. Even a single sneeze from the monster was enough to level mountains and split apart the ocean.


    And yet, even with all that power, the Demon Sovereign was no match for the Hegemon.


    "So¡­ Thanatos has failed, huh?"


    "I apologise, my lord!" Uriel burst out in tears while struggling to keep her emotions in check. "If only I had raised him better and apanied him¡­ Perhaps we could have prevented the birth of the Hegemon."


    "It''s not your fault," the Demon Sovereign said. "We''ve done everything that we could. Thousands of years of nning and preparation, yet we couldn''t prevent the Hegemon''s birth. As you said, it was destiny."


    "My lord¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "..."


    The tworades remained silent, neither daring to say the first word. They knew the wheels of fate couldn''t be stopped when Thanatos failed on Earth. The Hegemon has not only been born but he''s grown to the point where he could annihte Thanatos. If that''s the case, the Demon Realm had little hope left.


    "How much time do we have?"


    "... I don''t know," Uriel shook her head while sobbing. "Now that he''s awakened, I can no longer see any future where he''s involved. He maye in a few minutes or a few years. I can''t tell. But one thing''s for certain¡­"


    "He will invade the Demon Realm?"


    "Yes, he will. And we''ll all be his ves."


    "I see¡­"


    A grim atmosphere hung over the two demigods of the Demon race. Knowing that they would be enved wasn''t a pleasant feeling, and knowing that they were helpless to stop it, the two Demon Lords felt a tight knot strangling their throats.


    "Is there a possibility that your predictions are inurate?"


    "You know full well how urate my visions are," Uriel somehow managed to calm herself and reaffirm her abilities. "My visions are why you became the Demon Sovereign and unified the Demon Realm."


    "I apologise," the Demon Sovereign shook his head. "I was just trying to find some semnce of hope."


    "No, I understand¡­"


    They were scraping the bottom of the barrel. Uriel''s visions were never wrong, and her power led Igni to rise to the top and dominate the Demon Realm. The only time Uriel failed to predict the future was when Hegemon became involved.


    That was why the Goddess of Destiny attempted to tamper with fate. Desperately praying to change the future of Demonkind, she concocted a plot to invade Earth. Initially, the first n was to eliminate all of humanity, but given their limitations, Uriel could only aim for the moment they''d identified Jin and pray that Thanatos could kill him immediately.


    s, with that n falling through the cracks, there was no stopping the Hegemon now.


    The worst part of it all was Uriel could no longer open Gates to Earth. After sending Thanatos over, the Goddess was rendered powerless. She wasn''t even able to predict her own future now. Essentially, the Outer Demons were now sitting ducks at the mercy of the Hegemon''s pleasure.


    "How powerful is he?"


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "How powerful is the Hegemon?" The Demon Sovereign asked with trepidation in his voice. "Do you think I can win if I go against him with my ascended form?"


    The Demon Sovereign burned up with red mes while turning multiple colours. First orange, then blue, and finally¡­ ck.


    "I-Igni, you¡­"


    "I wasn''t idling during my seclusion, you know?" The Demon Sovereign smiled. "I mastered the ck power you''ve cultivated from Thanatos. Also, my skin and body have been altered to deny his magic. In this state, do you think that we stand a chance?"


    The Demon Sovereign asked Uriel with some semnce of hope. Now that he had cultivated his final form, Igni believed that he could at least put up a decent fight against the newly-born Hegemon.


    "... If he''s in perfect form, we won''tst a single nanosecond with him."


    However, Uriel''s reply immediately doused that tiny sliver of hope that the Demon Sovereign had with freezing cold water.


    "The Hegemon is an existence beyond that of Gods. In the future, he will unify the Universe and conquer every worth conquering. He will ovee thews of the Universe and create a dynasty that willst for millions of years. To him¡­ We''re nothing more than ants."


    "How terrifying."


    The Demon Sovereign almost gave up all hope after Uriel''s assessment. She was the one who knew the Hegemon the best, after all.


    "But¡­ That''s many years in the future." Not willing to give up on Demonkind just yet, Uriel''s mind came up with one morsel of hope. "Right now, he isn''t in his peak form. If we fight him now, there''s a slim chance that we can kill him."


    Perhaps she was too optimistic about it, but Uriel was trying to find one ray of light to help the Demon race resist the Hegemon.


    "But it all depends on our luck. If the Hegemon invades us immediately on an impulse, we might have a shot. However, if he develops his skills and attacks a year, no, a monthter¡­"


    "We lose?"


    "Yes," Uriel sighed heavily. "We will be his ves."


    "I see¡­"


    The Demon Sovereign released his ascended form and returned back to normal. Gazing into the distance, he muttered out:


    "Then I shall pray he''lle sooner rather thanter."

 Chapter 187 The Wedding Night (1)

    Future Jin stood over the defeated remains of Thanatos like the rightful victor of war. His feet were firmly lodged over the ck cloth while he stared down unimpressed. Defeating Thanatos was said to be an impossible task. That was how the Goddess of Destiny had designed the Demon of Death.


    Thanatos was immortal, with an incorporeal form and a power that could instantly kill all his foes. Even if every living creature on Earth banded together to deal with this threat, they would have been annihted with no room to despair.


    Yet, when Jin summoned his future self to possess his body, Thanatos was dispatched like one would y with a kid or a puppy. There was just noparison between the two.


    It wasughable to think that Thanatos even stood a chance after watching Jin''s majestic disy. All the time, the man didn''t even unleash his full power. He yed with Thanatos, and when he eventually got bored, future Jin annihted the Demon with a single spell.


    An apex Demon, a Demon that governed Death and caused problems for Jin just moments prior¡­ Was now gone. As for the person responsible for Thanatos'' death¡­


    "How interesting; even though I''ve returned to the past, I''m able to use my powers. Time travel sure is a miraculous thing."


    Future Jin was examining his own body with eyes of wonder. He touched his chest and hair, eventually creating a mirror to examine every nook and cranny of his body. Like a narcissist posing in front of a crowd, future Jin smiled and was lost in his own eyes.


    "Regression? No, body possession? Wow, this does feel good! I''m living the dreams of a novel protagonist!"


    Future Jin continued to ignore the defeated Thanatos and everyone who was staring at him with befuddlement. Matriarch Innocence, Sirius Moonreaver, Enzo ckburn, Veralyn Shadowgarden and the Elven High Priestess¡­ They were all nothing but ants in his eyes. However, some people caught his eye. Four to be exact.


    "With the sideshow gone, we can continue with our reunion!"


    Future Jin smiled as he approached the four dazzling brides on their wedding day.


    "S-Sideshow?" Lilith muttered with apprehension.


    "Yes, Thanatos has served his purpose in preserving the timeline." Future Jin exined with a mesmerising smile. "This whole charade was nned toplete the loop. To make sure I stay on track to gain my powers."


    However, the gorgeous man''s smile soon turned into a remorseful groan as he looked at the four girls with pity: "I''m sorry because we had toplete the time loop; the four of you have suffered. You were forced to rip your souls to save me that fateful day and sacrificed so much for my sake. Don''t worry; you won''t suffer anymore! I can guarantee that because I''m from the future!"


    "W-W-Wait, my mind can''t keep up!" Ysabelle yelled out with befuddlement. "W-What do you mean you''re from the future?! And what is this time loop you''re talking about?!"


    Instead of answering the ck-haired beauty''s questions, future Jin shot the girl a warm gaze filled with love and joy.


    "Ah, as expected¡­ A flustered young Ysabelle is still the best to watch."


    "Y-You! H-How are you still in the mood to tease?!"


    "Haha, it has been two billion years since I saw your faces! Of course, I will tease you! Ah, I don''t mean you guys aren''t cute in the future! In fact, you will grow to be elegant beauties that are unrivalled in the Universe!"


    "Y-You!!!"


    Ysabelle''s face turnedpletely beetroot as she couldn''t handle future Jin''s teasing. In the end, she shyly looked away while stealing nces at the exquisitely handsome man, who seemed to be a more mature version of the man she loved.


    "J-Jin, if I can call you that."


    "Of course you can, sweetheart." Future Jin smiled back at Lilith. "Even two billion years from now, you''ll still be my Bloodmate. Well, we call it something else in the future, but that''s unimportant."


    "Y-Yeah¡­" Lilith did her best to restrain herself from exploding andposed herself to ask her questions.


    "I-If you''re really from the future, aren''t you afraid of the butterfly effect?"


    Lilith''s concerns were valid. The butterfly effect was a widely known science fiction theory that should one person return in time to change the past; one action would demonstrably have bad effects on the future. Even a butterfly pping its wings might cause a tornado that could wreck the lives of millions.


    However, future Jin''s response was far from being concerned.


    "Ah, there''s no need to worry about that."


    "W-Why not?"


    "You see, the butterfly effect only works when you''re changing the past. But what''s happening right now is the original and correct timeline. It was my destiny to be born to Jael and Elna Valter. It was my destiny to meet the four of you at that vi. It was my destiny to be mortally wounded by that Outer Demon. It was my destiny to turn into a Vampire. It was my destiny to be a Progenitor. And finally, it was my destiny to fight Thanatos and summon myself from the future."


    "S-So you''re saying¡­ That everything was preordained?"


    "That''s right!"


    "W-Who on Earth would have the power to do that?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Who else?"


    Future Jin chuckled and pointed his index finger to himself.


    "I was the one who nned everything. Well, future me, that is. Referencing your moment in time, I did it a billion yearster? I altered time and destined fate to ensure the time loop wasplete. Everything starting from the Genesis of the Universe to this very moment. I''ve nned it all."


    "N-No way¡­ This kind of Godly power¡­ How is it possible?"


    "It is possible. With my true power, that is."


    "Your true power?"


    Future Jin smiled and didn''t give a straight answer. Instead, he gave Lilith an instruction.


    "I can''t tell you. It''s something past me will have to figure out on his own. If I tell you now, it will be meaningless. But, there is something I want you to tell him¡­ Think about what your Vampire Aspect really is."


    "H-Huh?"


    At that moment, Lilith finally realised. None of them truly knew the true nature of Jin''s mysterious Vampire Aspect. In the beginning, they were intrigued by the unique Soul Armament andpletely neglected identifying the Vampire Aspect. And as Jin grew exponentially, it almost didn''t matter if they knew what his Vampire Aspect was.


    "Okay! Now that all the boring stuff is out of the way¡­"


    Future Jin let out ascivious smile while raising both his hands. His fingers wiggled like worms while his tongue was sticking out like a starving beast.


    "I''ve always wanted to relive my wedding night. Oh, the fun we had! I was the one who saved the day, so why should I let my past self enjoy the spoils of war? Hehe, don''t worry, girls. I''ll make sure to take you to heaven!"


    The four girls were stunned by those words. If it was their Jin making thosements, they would have unquestionably jumped at the chance to bed him immediately. However, the man before them was future Jin, a man that had lived for two billion years.


    Even though they had the same body and soul, they weren''t the same Jin. So should they ept their husband''s earnest request? And¡­ With two billion years of experience behind him, the man was sure to bring them to ces they didn''t even know existed.


    Gulping their throats, they were torn between epting future Jin''s request and staying loyal to their original Jin. Fortunately, they wouldn''t need to make the choice.


    "Fuck off¡­"


    At that moment, a pained voice echoed out from future Jin''s mouth.


    "Y-You¡­ You were awake?"


    "I knew it¡­ You were a bigger threat than the Demon!"


    "Hey! You were the one who summoned me!"


    Like a schizophrenic, Jin started talking to himself. While the future Jin was inhabiting his body, it didn''t mean that the original Jin had disappeared. The original Jin stayed slumbering and waited for the best opportunity to wrest back control over his body. Although future Jin''s power was infinitely more powerful, he was ultimately possessing someone else''s body.


    And the moment future Jin talked about sleeping with his wives, the original Jin woke up and attacked with a vengeance.


    "I won''t be NTRed! I won''t be made a cuckold and let anyone else sleep with my wives! Even if it''s by myself from the future!"


    "F-Fuck! That''s right, I remember now! I did the same thing in the past! Fucking hell, my love for my wives is too strong! To think that I could fight a Hegemon with that measly power!"


    Like a sketchedian, Jin had a fight with himself. The original Jin and future Jin argued endlessly as both of them attempted to obtain full control over the body, but eventually¡­


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah¡­"


    Jin fell to his knees while panting and breaking out in cold sweat. The mysterious aura that suppressed anyone within his range had disappeared, and a familiar smile followed suit in its ce.


    "J-Jin? I-Is that you?"


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ I knew that spell was dangerous."


    Jin returned with a dazzling smile, like a general who had won a war single-handedly. And while watching his four wives gathered around him, he said:


    "Finally¡­ We can start our wedding night."

 Chapter 188 The Wedding Night (2)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don''t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    I knew it¡­


    That spell was far too dangerous. What was I thinking? Summoning my future self to possess my body. So what if I won the battle against the Demon? So what if he saved my life? Looking at the ashamed and red faces of my wives who were thinking of cheating on me made my heart wince.


    In truth, I had never once worried about the four girls falling out of love with me and leaving to find someone else. After all, I knew the full extent of their emotions. Irina was crazy over me, so much so that she would steal my fingernails and strands of hair. Lilith was obsessed and would do anything to spend one more second with me. Be it in the bedroom or in theb.


    Ysabelle was willing to put her life on the line to save me, and her love was equally as heavy as the rest. And finally, Rosa would never even think of cheating and would trap me in a prison of her making.


    Those four girls would never cheat on me, and no man on the could steal their hearts.


    But there was one other person that their hearts would move for¡­ Future me.


    Since I was slumbering within my soul, I didn''t know the full extent of his powers or charm. And right now, I hardly even cared. I dragged the four girls away from the wedding venue and straight into the bridal room.


    "J-Jin, what are you doing?" Lilith gulped and watched my every move hesitantly. "We can''t just leave the guests unattended, right? I''m sure they''re still in shock after that whole affair."


    "Y-yeah! Brother, we should return and finish the ceremony. Technically, we aren''t married yet!" Irina followed up with shifty eyes.


    "J-Jin¡­ I-I''m sorry! I-I-It won''t happen again!" Ysabelle, feeling the most guilty of the four, attempted to apologise and make up for her cheating heart.


    "..."


    As for Rosa¡­ Well, she''s given up. Closing her eyes, sheid down on the silken sheets and with eyes like a dead fish, she spread her legs.


    Ah¡­ The n was ruined¡­ I wanted to make our wedding night special. I wanted to give them the grandest wedding in the history of mankind. I wanted to make this night a night to remember. I wanted to provide them with the best wedding and, immediately after that, give them the best sexual experience we would ever have.


    This entire bridal room was designed for that purpose.


    A bed big enough to fit a dozen humans was decorated with an assortment of beautiful flowers and scented candles. Numerous sex toys were spread throughout the room, even a chamber with special ''tools'' that would enthral Rosa. Romantic music yed in the backdrop as vitality pills were prepared for the five of us.


    I was nning on making this a night that we would all remember for the rest of our lives, yet¡­ It was all ruined!


    All because of that stupid spell.


    "No, I was a fool. I shouldn''t have yed with time."


    "B-But, you saved us, Jin!" Lilith eximed with joy in her heart. As if trying to appease me, the girl approached my side and gently drew a circle on my chest. "If you didn''t summon yourself from the future, we would have been doomed. And besides, future you told me to tell you this!"


    "I don''t want to know what that thief said," I scoffed and grabbed Lilith''s shoulders. Flying her up into the air, I pinned her down onto the bed and stole her lips.


    My tongue ravaged the stunned blonde beauty, and my hands moved wildly over her lovely wedding dress. I didn''t care about how expensive her goddamned clothes were. Treating her rougher than I''d ever done, I rubbed her chest and broke the diamonds ingrained in the cloth. Two of my fingers grabbed her cleavage, and with a single yank, I pulled down her ivory dress, revealing the two perky peaches all men desired.


    I released my grasp on her lips and looked down at those scrumptious breasts. The desire to conquer and nt my seed into the woman underneath me almost immediately filled my veins. My manhood was already starting toe alive, and my chest erged from my heated breaths.


    "W-Wait, j-just wait a minute, Jin!"


    Once again, Lilith made a plea for innocence. No, she was trying to distract my mind away from her previous infidel thoughts.


    "D-Don''t you want to know how the Outer Demon was defeated? Don''t you want to know the truth behind your power?"


    "The truth behind my power?"


    "T-That''s right! W-We can work that out together! You can be even stronger than you are now! If you can''t remember, we can share our memories! In the future, you will be so strong that no one can stand in your way! Isn''t that your goal? To be stronger?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Lilith''s proposal did sound tempting.


    While I had summoned future me, I wasn''t in control of my body. Therefore, I didn''t know what urred during the time I cked out. However, my consciousness was immediately awoken when future me intended to take my wedding night away from me and steal the girls I loved.


    If I reviewed their memories, I could figure out how to escape this bottleneck I was under and ascend into a higher tier of power.


    But that didn''t matter to me now.


    "I could care less about that," I snidely snapped.


    Why did I want to be stronger? Wasn''t it because of my four beautiful wives? I wanted to be strong enough to be worthy of them. I wanted to be strong enough to ward off potential thieves who might steal their hearts. And¡­ I wanted to be so strong that no one could ever pose a threat to them.


    That was why I was so reluctant to use that spell.


    I feared I would lose my wives forever if I summoned future me. And my fears weren''t unfounded. If I were just a few secondste, perhaps¡­


    I unmounted Lilith and looked around at the other three girls. Irina and Ysabelle were still standing behind me, unsure of what to do or feel. Therefore, I helped them.


    Pulling them onto the bed, I abruptly pinned the four down, standing over them like a shepherd watching his sheep. In one whole movement, I tore my tuxedo and pants, leaving me with nothing but a bulging underwear. But even that was too much, as my manhood had slowly gotten big enough to erupt through that single piece of cloth.


    The four of them looked at me shyly as if they knew what was toe.


    In the past, it was hard to get all four of them onto my bed at the same time. They all wished to monopolise me, and the thought of sharing their lover willingly in bed was apprehensive to them.


    But this time, I was the one who wanted to monopolise them.


    "You four were naughty girls¡­ To think you would even consider cheating on your husband on your wedding night."


    "T-Technically, that man is also you, so¡­"


    "Oh? So your heart has been captured by him?"


    "N-No, o-of course not!"


    Lilith quickly looked at her fellow sister wives, praying that none of them would throw her a saving line. s, none of them talked, and they desperately avoided eye contact. I could feel Lilith''s heart shatter as she lost all hope.


    "It seems like I must teach you all how to be faithful again."


    I pulled down the final piece of cloth holding my manhood back in check. Channelling magic from my life ring, I increased my vitality and enhanced my essence a thousandfold. With that magic in y, I had essentially a gun with infinite bullets locked and loaded.


    The meaty rod flung out with a vengeance and stood just as erect as the tallest mountain on Earth. Blood pumped into the shaft as it grew bigger by the second. Turning as hard as diamonds themselves, my dragon roared angrily, and the little kittens on the bed meekly stared at it.


    Flicking my fingers, I sent magic down their bodies, abruptly disrobing them from the neck down. Their intricate white bodies were now ready for my eyes to feast on. Irina''s immacte white thighs, Lilith''s mesmerising breasts, Ysabelle''s perfect hourss figure and Rosa''s adorable bush¡­


    They were all mine!


    I was not going to let another man steal them!


    I need to ingrain it into their souls so that they will never have such infidel thoughts ever again.


    "Girls, you better be prepared. Tonight is going to be the longest night of your lives."

 Chapter 189 The Wedding Night (3)

    [NSFW: Warning! There will be an R-18 scene in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you don''t want to read stuff like this. All chapters with R-18 scenes will have this warning tag to help your reading experience. Otherwise, to the ones who stuck around, please enjoy! ;D]


    Looking down at the four naked girls on my bed, the lust that burned inside me raged. They weren''t just four beautiful girls transcending regr humans but also my wives. There was something innate and carnal about being married to the person you loved.


    Before, having sex with the four of them was filled with lust and pleasure. We would go all night with our desires maxed out without a care in the world. But now that they were my wives, I felt a stronger, spiritual connection. Making love with them wasn''t just about pleasure now; it was about deepening our connections as husband and wife, it was about affirming the sacred vow that we''d sworn, and it was about proving that I was theirs, and¡­ they were mine.


    That was why I reacted so strongly when I''d thought future me may have stolen my wives away.


    Irina, Lilith, Ysabelle and Rosa¡­


    They were my everything. My eternity. The love of my life.


    And I was going to ingrain that into their bodies.


    "I''ll start with you, Irina."


    "B-Brother! W-Wait!!!"


    I didn''t wait for a single second, even after hearing Irina''s tearful plea. I plunged my dragon into her fairy cave, instantly reaching all the way into her womb. In the past, I would have done some simple forey to stimte the girl and lubricate the sticky, tight hole, but I refrained this time.


    And fortunately, there was no need. Irina herself had be wet enough, and her sweet hole embraced me warmly. Though, the fact that she was already stimted did rub me the wrong way. Did she really like how future me looked like?


    Tch, I''m getting annoyed again.


    Erect like a tree and hard like diamonds, I mmed into Irina with all I had. My dragon roared as my hips moved violently like a piston. My tongue reached for Irina''s neck, licking the honey nectar sweat from her chin. Absorbing her sweet fragrance, I lost myself to lust, and my fingers naturally moved downwards to her chest.


    I groped those honey fruits like a farmer plucking mangoes vigorously and rubbed on them till her nipples were standing up. At the same time, my lower half was doing a fair bit of work, stimting her waist and plunging deep into her most sacred garden.


    "B-Brother!"


    "You''re still calling me that?" I scoffed and scolded the moaning Goddess beneath me. "Am I your brother or your husband?"


    "B-Brother? H-Husband?"


    "Yes?"


    "H-Husband!"


    "That''s right," I leaned in for the kill.


    My fangs protruded from my mouth, and I ripped into Irina''s soft and sulent nape. Blood flowed out from her veins and dripped onto the silken mattress. Intoxicated, Irina''s body was naturally handed over to me. Her legs would wrap around my waist, and her arms held me closer to her chest. She attempted to take a bite from my neck and share the sweet taste of blood, but I stopped her with magic.


    Irina looked at me with shock and fear. She didn''t understand why I stopped her from partaking in the one thing she loved the most.


    Smiling, I took a break from sucking her blood and said:


    "I''m your husband, and you''re my wife. Say it, Irina. Who do you belong to?"


    "Br¡­"


    "No," I shook my head and repeated, "Irina, who do you belong to?"


    "H-Husband."


    "Good girl."


    And with that, I fully unleashed the inner beast and went all out on the poorss. Irina''s womanhood absorbed my manhood, and we celebrated our first time together as husband and wife in matrimonial bliss. Irina''s moans continued to echo within the bed chambers as I violently thrust myself repeatedly. Before I knew it, we both were sweating from head to toe and on the verge of climaxing.


    "Receive my seed, Irina!"


    "Y-Yes, H-Husband!!!"


    Ejacting like a volcano that hadn''t erupted for centuries, my dragon unleashed its milky breath and painted Irina''s insidespletely white. I stayed in that position for two minutes as my meat rod continued pouring out ungodly fluids.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Once I was done, I slowly pulled my manhood out from Irina, only to see her sprawled out like a dead toad. White liquids drained from her woman hole, stunning the other three girls who watched my carnal deed and me.


    Due to the wedding, the four of us had been abstaining from going to bed together. Our busy schedules were one reason, but the main reason was to give me time to rest before the big night. Although a Vampire has transcendent regeneration, we couldn''t heal an empty tank. Not to mention, if I continued doing it every night, it wouldn''t make our wedding night any memorable.


    And the result was my first load being the mother of all loads.


    "How refreshing¡­"


    After knocking Irina out ofmission, I looked at the other three girls, who were ''happily'' waiting their turn. Their bodies were shaking, and their faces werepletely abashed. Much unlike the other times we made love, the girls showed a tinge of fear in their eyes and, at the same time, a yearning anticipation.


    "This time, I''m taking two."


    "H-Huh?"


    "W-Wait, J-Jin!"


    I pulled Lilith and Ysabelle, irrespective of their protests and ced them on each other. Ysabelle, the bigger and heavier one, was on the bottom while Lilith was on top. The result was an absolutely divine sight. Two little kittens pressed against each other, both equally delicious and enthralling.


    I ced my manhood between the two girls and moved my hips ordingly. The two meat ps danced in euphoria as they lubricated my long, meaty rod and unknowingly, the two girls were also moving their hips. I rubbed my penis in between their clits all the way to their belly, thoroughly enjoying their soft skin and spectacr touch.


    Simultaneously stimting them, I pounded the two girls in the middle like a sandwich and pressed my lips against Lilith''s neck. At the same time, I moved my hands under Lilith and rubbed Ysabelle''s breasts with incredible pleasure.


    Somehow, amid the chaos of the sudden act, the two girls started losing all sense of rationality. They were chasing the thrill and pleasure, and unknowingly, their lips met, and they were french-kissing in glee, just like they would with me.


    That sudden move briefly froze me before I broke into a wide smile.


    Who said these girls didn''t like to have threesomes?


    As per usual, the great master Issei who wrote ''How to train your harem'' was right. I just needed to get them to the bedroom together, and we could all have a fun time.


    The two girls kissing further aroused me as my member twitched agonisingly. Unable to resist the temptation anymore, I stopped rubbing their clits and plunged myself into one of their vaginas. I didn''t know whose one it was in the beginning, but the familiar tightness and intense pleasure made it apparent after one second inside.


    "J-Jin, w-wait¡­"


    "I''m not waiting, Ysabelle." Iughed as I continued to plunge my penis deep within her. "This is our wedding night; I''m going to overdose you with pleasure."


    So much so that your mind will only be filled with thoughts of me.


    I started to thrust with even more vigour stimting both of us with increasing intensity. Ysabelle happily epted my manhood, and her thighs naturally attempted to find mine. Lost in our thoughts, the two of us bonded even more, with my manhood increasing in size with every thrust.


    Feeling lonely, Lilith rubbed her secret garden against my stomach like a temptress. Her womanly fragrance intoxicated my senses, and unknowingly, I shifted my manhood out of Ysabelle''s hole and plunged it into Lilith.


    Likewise, Lilith started moaning wildly. The feeling of our genitals connecting invigorated our minds, and we continued while fully relishing in the pleasures. From time to time, I would switch between the two girls, and sometimes, I would pleasure them both at the same time.


    Having sex with two girls at the same time was every man''s dream, and I was living it with every fibre of my being. The juxtaposition between the two girls was enthralling, and their reactions to my manhood being in them were too adorable. Not to mention, I was having sex in two different positions simultaneously, which made it all the more refreshing.


    Missionary for Ysabelle, doggy for Lilith. I would asionally switch things up, sandwiching myself between their fragrant bodies and attempting different threesome positions. There were times when both of them were on top of me, one hogging my manhood while the other would use my mouth. Other times I was fucking one of them while the other kissed me. And sometimes, I would just do both of them at the same time.


    Words couldn''t describe the amount of lust and pent-up sexual emotions I''d unleashed upon the two unsuspecting girls.


    "F-Fuck¡­ Cumming!"


    In time, I could not hold back myself and sprayed my seed all over their faces and bodies. They embraced while kissing, all while white liquids flung over them and painted their already beautiful bodies white.


    The two girls continued to pleasure themselves with joy until they finally passed out.


    Which means, there was one more victim¡­ I mean lover left.


    "Rosa¡­ Now it''s your turn¡­"


    "Jin, no¡­ Hubby¡­ Please have mercy."

 Chapter 190 Jins True Power (1)

    Our wedding night soon turned into a wedding week.


    All five of us were stuck in the bridal chambers experimenting on various sexual positions and ways to pleasure each other. Rounds turned into hours, and hours turned into days. And before we knew it, a whole week had passed.


    Throughout the week of debauchery, I made sure to instil as much pleasure as possible to my four blushing brides, and they were filled to the brim with my essence, both mentally and physically. After those nights, I was confident that none of them would ever consider cheating ever again, as they''d reconfirmed their devotion and love towards me.


    And with our little wedding tryst concluded, my mind was now clear from jealousy, and I could reflect on everything.


    Firstly, our wedding was gate-crashed by a mysterious Outer Demon, one that was stronger than all of the past Demon Lords I''d facedbined. Since I could not find a method to defeat the monster, I had no choice but to go for myst resort. Using the Space and Life rings, I managed to summon myself from the future and possess my current body.


    It was a gamble on my part. I had no way of knowing if it would work.


    My future self might have been strong, or he might have passed on. After all, I couldn''t peer into the future. I could only pray that future me was strong enough to handle the new Outer Demon that threatened my life.


    However, what happened next exceeded my wildest imagination.


    Due to my connection with my four wives, I could peer into their memories easily, giving me a chance to relive that experience all over again. But this time, through my wives'' perspectives. The man I summoned was far stronger than I''d ever thought.


    Descending like a God, future me possessed the power to force every living creature onto its knees. Even powerful ancient Vampires like Matriarch Innocence weren''t an exception. Their eyes would bleed if they dared to gaze upon my visage, and their souls would be overwhelmed by my presence. Controlling the power of all life and death, I could destroys with a thought and ultimately, cause the decay of our Universe.


    That was how powerful I would be in the future.


    I had mixed feelings while watching the memory of future me dominating the battlefield.


    On the one hand, I was ted to see how powerful I would be. I''d always known that I had the potential to turn into something great, but actually seeing it in person affirmed that my path was right. If I continue to grow at my current pace, I will unquestionably turn into that monster and live to dominate the world.


    But at the same time¡­ I was conflicted.


    ording to the memories I''d seen, everything had been preordained by my future self. My birth to my parents, meeting with Irina and the other girls, the Outer Demon that attacked me¡­ Everything was controlled by fate and the ''timeline'' he''d written.


    Heck, future me even said that I was the one who created that mysterious Demon that possessed Death. The more I listened in, the more confused I got.


    Does that mean I was living a script I wrote for myself all this time? I didn''t have freedom of choice, and all my actions were predetermined in the future? And what did future me mean by him creating the Outer Demon? Was I responsible for mortally wounding myself in the past? That didn''t make much sense¡­


    Also, what did he mean by my true power?


    I stared at the five rings, now glistening with life and power, particrly the one on my pinky. I''d been trying to awaken the fifth ring for the longest time and tried various methods to rouse it into being. However, no matter what I did, the final ring remained stagnant.


    Until my future self absorbed the power of Death from the Outer Demon¡­


    I sat solemnly alone in my office, brooding over the possible implications. Future me¡­ Preserve the timeline¡­ Thanatos was created by me¡­ My existence in the future¡­ Everything was looming over my head, and I couldn''t quite figure out the final piece of the puzzle.


    "Jin? What are you doing here?"


    As I was busy contemting what my true power was¡­ A serene voice resonated within my office walls.


    Peering my eyes up, I saw a blonde, transcendent beauty walking in with sheepish eyes. Her white nightgown had been worn out and loosened, a relic of the nightly battle I had with her over the past week. Though, that didn''t mean she was dirty. Washed clean and holding up a beautiful pose, the Goddess sashayed to my side and ced her arms around my neck.


    Digging her face down into my nape, Lilithzily rested her body on mine while taking in the asional sniff or two. Smiling at her coquettish behaviour, I wrapped my arms around her waist and dragged her down onto myp. The two of us cuddled for a few seconds before one of us finally broke the silence:


    "Where are the others?"


    "They''re still sleeping," Lilith replied shyly. "You''ve worn us down over the past week, after all. Seriously, how good is your stamina? You actually made four transcendent Vampires faint from exhaustion! Even Ysabelle couldn''t keep up with your lust!"


    "I had to teach you girls a lesson," I smiled in jest. "That way, you won''t ever think of cheating on me again."


    "W-We won''t ever cheat on you!"


    "But the thought did cross your mind, right?"


    "Y-you¡­"


    Lilith beat my chest with her tiny fists adorably.


    "Alright, I''ll stop messing with you." Laughing with a wide grin on my face, I held onto Lilith''s wrists and calmed her down with head pats.


    "If you''re not too tired, I wish to discuss something with you."


    "... Is it about your future self?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes," I sighed and raised my right hand. "He said something about my true power, and I should figure out what my Vampire Aspect really is. But the more I think about it, the more I draw nk. Am I really in control of my actions? Is everything just ying out on a script written by a higher power? I''m starting to have second doubts about my origins¡­"


    The events that led to this moment were far too coincidental to be attributed to pure luck.


    "But if everything was written on a script, why did it y out this way?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "If future me wrote my destiny, why did he make us suffer? Why did he choose such a roundabout method of awakening my power? Why did he almost kill me in the past? Why did he force the four of you to tear pieces of your souls to save mine? I don''t understand why it must pan out that way."


    "Ah, I see what you mean¡­"


    As expected of my muse, Lilith instantly understood my doubts. Scratching the bottom of her chin, the intellectual Goddess started thinking, twirling her head around.


    "Hmmm, what if that was the only way to awaken your power?"


    "Huh?"


    "Have you ever thought about the true nature of your Soul Armament? Why you''re able to use the power of Spacetime, Creation, Destruction, Life and Death?"


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Come to think of it; I hadn''t given it much thought. I was content with using such overpowered powers that I''d never really investigated deep into the root cause.


    "I have thought about it, but I believe the reason why you could awaken such powerful abilities was due to the special circumstances that you were created in."


    "Created?"


    "Yes," Lilith nodded her head. "Do you remember the ritual that made you into a Vampire?"


    "Of course I do," I chuckled. "Irina used the Contract of Equals to elevate me into a True Vampire, right?"


    "That''s right, but you''re forgetting one major thing. Before you became a Vampire, your soul was shattered by the Outer Demon that attacked you. And because of that, your body became a vessel for a piece of our souls. We did that to mend your soul, but unknowingly, it may have altered itsposition."


    "Altered itsposition?"


    "Yes," Lilith continued to theorise. "And during the night that you were in the hospital, the night of the Blood Moon, your transformed soul resonated with ours and created something special¡­ It created a soul that was impossible to make even if we recreated it step-by-step¡­ A soul that could create a miracle."


    "..."


    I listened intently to Lilith''s words. As if a key was created in my mind, I waited patiently for her words to finally make sense and turn into the final piece of the puzzle that I was missing.


    "And Irina''s Contract of Equals was the final step¡­ The final key to creating your unique soul¡­ What if¡­"


    "..."


    "What if¡­ In your desperation, you made a wish? A wish that could only be granted when you''re in possession of such a soul? Perhaps¡­ That''s your true power¡­"


    "!!!"


    I see¡­ I finally understand!!!


    What I was missing all this time!


    My true power wasn''t Spacetime. It wasn''t Creation or Destruction. Neither was it life or death!


    Imented the fact that I was a cripple. I hated that I was dependent on others to survive. I was angry that¡­ I had no control over my life.


    And so, in that very bed those many moons ago, while on my deathbed and struggling for my final breath¡­ I made a wish.


    I will not die¡­ without any control over my life.


    What I yearned for, what my Vampire Aspect was, what my true power was¡­


    ''Control.''

 Chapter 191 Jins True Power (2)

    Control¡­


    How could I not realise something so simple?


    From the beginning, I never yearned for power over Spacetime. Creation and Destruction, Life and Death¡­ They were all a byproduct of my true power. The power to control my own life. The ability to change my fate and rewrite my Destiny. And most importantly, the power to protect the ones I loved the most.


    That''s right¡­ The five rings were just catalysts for me to focus my power. To concentrate on it so that I wouldn''t run out of control.


    I stepped away from Lilith, ignoring her befuddled expression as I did so. I raised my right hand and focused on the five rings. They were connected by a metallic chain and congregated onto the single bracelet on my wrist. Glistening and glimmering, the five rings resonated with my heart''s desire, and they each unleashed their auras.


    Imperium, the Spacetime ring. It glowed with the azure light of a bright afternoon sky. Space warped around its azure hue, creating an oppressing pressure for anyone who couldn''t withstand my power.


    Genesis, the Creation ring. Colours of the rainbow brought a harmonious essence to that single ring. When one peered into its gem, they would be enthralled by its miraculous hue and feel like they were staring into the birth of the Universe itself.


    Interitus, the Destruction ring. Crimson, turbulent energies spewed from my index finger as the embodiment of chaos and destruction resonated from the simple ring. Dyed red through constant interaction with my magic power, the ring itself felt like wearing red hot magma that burns and destroys anyone who isn''t strong enough to control it.


    Vita, the ring of Life. Soft and filled with vitality, this beautiful ring glowed with a deep emerald colour which gives a vibrant, life-like appearance. Its aura was just as sweet as it was tender, while anyone who approached this ring would instantly be filled with vitality and healed of their wounds.


    And finally¡­


    My newest ring.


    Letum, the ring of Death.


    Dyed entirely ck, it was the final key to unlocking my powers. As if it was doused in a putrid soup of liquid death, the ring was just as terrifying as it was dangerous. Darkness and fear would overwhelm any who dared snatch a peak, and their souls would be harvested without me knowing.


    These five rings worked in harmony and unison to create the entity that was Jin Valter. They were all part of my soul; their powers came from my unique Vampire Aspect. In the past, when I was unaware of my power, these five rings had proved helpful in channelling and controlling my nascent power.


    But now that I have figured out what it was¡­ There''s no need for me to use this devolved version anymore.


    "Jin? What are you doing?"


    "Lilith, stay calm and watch."


    "Huh?"


    I closed my eyes and said nothing else.


    Raising my right hand straight up, I ''looked'' into my soul. All this while, I had been simply looking at the surface. I wasn''t going deep into the true nature of my power, and I had only been dabbling with what I thought was my true power. But that all changed today.


    Delving deeper, I found a mysterious phenomenon. My soul was essentiallyplete, but there was a single seal at the deepest recesses of it all. A seal that was held together by five chains.


    I''d never noticed this abnormality in my psyche before. Perhaps, I didn''t know where to look, or it was subconsciously blocked out to protect my mind from copsing. No, it should be thetter.


    The power to control everything, from Spacetime to one''s Destiny itself¡­ It was an overpowered and broken ability that no sane person could ever begin toprehend, let alone take control of.


    But I was different.


    I had the body of the Progenitor. A soul of a monarch. And the support of four transcendent Goddesses. My future was already set in stone.


    I would rise above everyone else and be a hegemonic being in the Universe. I would take control over my fate and dictate how my life would be. I was going to¡­ control everything.


    Without hesitation, I pierced my fingers into the seal and started the destruction process. Bit by bit, the chains on the seal were shattered, and in the physical realm, the chains on my rings were being broken too.


    "J-Jin! Your rings!"


    "..."


    Lilith was attempting to warn me, but I didn''t take heed. As a Vampire, willingly breaking one''s Soul Armament was tantamount to suicide. It was akin to severely injuring your soul and, at the same time, crippling the source of your Vampiric powers.


    But I didn''t care about that.


    The Soul Armament was simply a means to an end. It wasn''t the true identity of my Vampire Aspect. It was just a manifestation, an illusion¡­


    What I wanted¡­ was the real thing.


    "Break for me!!!"


    Sweat dripped down my forehead and drenched my clothes with a horrid stench. At the same time that I was breaking the seals, impurities were being expelled from my body. Grime was collected on my skin and discharged rapidly as my body deconstructed and reconstructed.


    If I weren''t a Vampire with transcendent healing, what I was doing would have killed me.


    But even if I wasn''t, that wouldn''t have stopped me.


    Putting all my strength into that seal, I made one final push. And sure enough¡­


    Clink!


    Something cracked.


    I wasn''t sure if it was my body or my soul, but something within my consciousness snapped. With my eyes closed, I entered a dreamlike trance. I felt like I was drifting with the motions, dragged down by the river of the Universe.


    I could feel everything.


    From the Genesis of time to the end of Creation. The movement of the dimensions and how the Universe governs itself. In the face of the Universe''s grandeur, I was nothing more than a speck of dust. And yet¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    I reached my hands out and touched the ''flow'' of everything. If it were any mere mortal, they would have gone insane from overexposure.


    Everything was at my fingertips.


    The dawn to the end of the Universe. It was all there.


    I now understood what future me meant bypleting the time loop. Everything has been preordained through this mysterious ''flow.'' Me being born to Jael and Elna Valter. My meeting with Irina and the four girls. The Outer Demon that damaged my soul¡­


    Everything was preordained by this ''flow.''


    And with Thanatos delivering the final key, my soul wasplete. The time loop has been sealed, and nothing can change fate anymore.


    I raised my fingers to the sky and allowed all of the Universe''s energy to gather at my fingertips. My soul was soothed, and my body was refreshed. Fate haspleted its loop, and my timeline was secured. I looked all over the serene yet glorious ''flow'' and couldn''t help but remark:


    "How beautiful¡­"


    Closing my inner eyes, I awoke in reality with Lilith''s concerned face pressed against mine. Looking like she''d just seen a ghost, Lilith wiped the tears from her face and screamed:


    "Jin Valter! Are you crazy! Do you know you could have died?! What are you thinking?! Breaking your Soul Armament like that?!"


    "Alright, alright¡­" I whispered softly into her ears while giving her a gentle caress. "You don''t have to worry; I won''t do it again."


    "Of course you won''t do it again! I won''t let you!"


    "Haha, more like¡­ There''s no more Soul Armament to get rid of."


    "H-Huh?"


    I chuckled and raised my hand, revealing the broken chains of my Soul Armament. Only the five rings remained after I''d destroyed the seal. They were still glistening with light, but there was no power hidden within the gems. Right now, they were nothing more than glorified jewellery that served only one purpose.


    "W-What did you do?"


    "I awakened my true power. The Vampire Aspect that you''ve been talking about."


    "H-Huh?"


    "Have a look!"


    I gestured with the back of my right hand, allowing Lilith to see the engraved mark on it.


    A circle of light.


    At times, it was mesmerising blue. Others, it possessed the colours of the rainbow. Sometimes, it flickered wildly with the fiery hot colours of magma; sometimes, it was peaceful and emerald. There were even times when it glowed with the ominous colours of death. But that wasn''t all¡­


    Magenta, beige, yellow, tuscan¡­


    Every colour in the book was hidden within that perfect circle.


    "... This is your Vampire Aspect?" Lilith looked confused for a moment.


    Every Vampire Aspect was meant to be unique and special. Irina''s Winter Sovereign mark boasted a unique design of a snowke with the dominance of a monarch. Lilith''s Elysian Melody was intricate yet dominant, making it beautiful to watch and touch. Even Ysabelle''s ''Obsidian Phoenix'' and Rosa''s ''Dreaming Forest'' had beautiful designs everyone could admire.


    And yet, mine was just a simple circle.


    "Look closely."


    Adoring her frustrated and confused look, I gestured for her to look closer. While unsure of my intentions, Lilith did as I said, and her eyes gazed deeper into the glorious colours of my Vampire Aspect.


    Unknowingly, Lilith''s consciousness got sucked into the majestic power, and she was gradually mesmerised by the power that hid within. Her head wobbled around like she was being hypnotised, and she gradually became drowsier by the second. Ultimately, I had to snap her awake with a kiss, allowing her to recover from delving deep into the abyss.


    "W-What was that."


    "That''s my Vampire Aspect. The power to control everything," I exined very briefly. "Everything in the Universe is mine to control. Spacetime, Creation, Life, Death and Destruction¡­ They are just one part of my power. In the future, I should be able to control Destiny, reality, and much more¡­"


    "That''s just¡­"


    "Broken? I think so too."


    I almostughed at the absurdity of it all. Now, it made sense why future me could dominate the Universe. If this was my current power, imagine how strong I would get in two billion years?


    "But there are more important things to handle now."


    "... More important things? Like what?"


    I smiled and removed the five rings from my finger. I think I understood why my Soul Armament took this shape in the first ce. I ced them on the desk one by one until the one representing Creation remained.


    When I returned Lilith''s soul to her at the Moonreaver Dimension, this ring activated. It was the ring that gave me the strength to defeat Sirius, and it was also the ring that represented my love for Lilith.


    Pulling out her left hand, I happily resized the ring to fit her fourth finger and said:


    "We have yet to finish our ring ceremony, my dearest."

 Chapter 192 The Demon Realm (1)

    Five rings.


    One for each one of us.


    When I first awakened my Vampire Aspect, I wondered why it took the shape of this odd Soul Armament. Five rings, each representing one aspect of control over the Universe. The Azure ring was the first one to be awakened.


    The day Irina performed the ritual and made me into a True Vampire, my first ring awakened. As I reflected on that day, perhaps my desire to gain control over my crippled life triggered the awakening of the Spacetime ring. With that power, I could pull my weight within the Everwinter House and earn the respect of Matriarch Innocence.


    The next ring to awaken was Lilith''s. Creation, an ability reflective of Lilith''s creativity and beautiful mind. Using the power of Creation, I defeated Sirius Moonreaver, a Vampire standing at the top of the food chain.


    Reuniting with Ysabelle and awakening the ring of Destruction was likely to be one of my most cherished memories. Struggling with the cold of Eyghon''s stomach, we bonded andughed in the face of a desperate situation. And the only way out of the helpless situation was to awaken a power that could plough through any obstacle in my way.


    The Life ring¡­ A ring that was dedicated to Rosa and her unrelenting dedication to me. For decades, she had been watching over me. Protecting me with her vision and never leaving my side. With the power of the World Tree, she would guard and protect me. Only stepping in when my life was in severe danger.


    These four rings didn''t just represent the connection to my power but also my rtionships and love for my four wives.


    Which was why¡­


    "Let''s finish our wedding ceremony."


    I dragged the four girls out of their beds and redressed them in their wedding robes. Although the wedding venue had been partially destroyed by Thanatos, I could easily recreate the entire ce in a blink of an eye.


    However, I opted not to invite any of the guests back.


    I didn''t see the point of inviting them on such short notice, and besides, this was an intimate affair. There was no need to get irrelevant parties involved.


    Bringing the four girls back into the wedding chapel, I recreated the fantastical scene of the past. Sanctified halls filled to the brim with ornate pirs and painted ss. Marbled floors and ceilings with immacte designs depicting our shared past experiences¡­ And most importantly, I had regrown a sprout of the World Tree and summoned Sora out to be our official minister of marriage.


    "I didn''t expect you to want to start yet another wedding. Aren''t you afraid of another wedding crasher?"


    The quirky fairy, seemingly annoyed about being awakened from her slumber, frowned and protested.


    "Don''t worry; no one can disrupt my wedding anymore. At least, not from this Universe."


    "Wow, someone has be a Universe-level powerhouse now, huh?"


    I chuckled and looked back at the floating fairy.


    "... Sora, didn''t you already know that?"


    "I knew you would lead the World Tree to eternal life, but I didn''t expect you to be the future Hegemon." Sora folded her arms and pouted. "Now I understand why we were so desperate to preserve the timeline. Your powers werepelling us to do so."


    "Haha, sorry about that."


    Sora spoke the truth. Due to the ''flow'' of the Universe that was altered by future me, everything that happened was destined to be. Even the World Tree and Sora''s desire to force Rosa to watch me get mortally wounded by the Outer Demon was all by my own will.


    It was essential for my birth and growth, but even then¡­ It left a sour taste in my mouth.


    Which was why¡­


    "I''ll spend my lifetime repaying this debt."


    "Hmph! Of course, you will!"


    Sora smiled with radiance, not knowing my words weren''t meant for her. However, I didn''t bother correcting the Spirit of the World Tree. Smiling with glee, I looked away from the jubnt little fairy and at the four beautiful Goddesses walking down the aisle.


    All four were glowing with the brilliance of a thousand suns, each more lustrous than the other. My breath was taken away, and my face froze without thinking. I''d seen their naked bodies a million times before, but nothing beats seeing them in that signature white gown¡­


    A gown that proves that they were mine.


    "Brother¡­"


    "Jin¡­"


    "J-Jin¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "... Jin"


    All four of them called my name with sheepish eyes. Thest time, we were stopped by a dastardly gatecrasher and several curious eyes. But this time, we were all alone. My eyes met theirs, and they met mine.


    Stuck in an infinite loop, none of us wished to look away and destroy this moment. But ultimately, Sora''s annoyed voice woke us free from our stupor.


    "Ahem¡­ Can we begin now?"


    "Hah, yes."


    Sighing, I gestured for the four to finish their wedding march. In no time at all, all five of us were standing at the altar, staring at the sapling of the World Tree with fervent eyes. Sora, the officiant of it all, gulped once before starting her short monologue.


    "Ahem! We are gathered here today¡­"


    The little fairy started talking, but unfortunately, we were not listening. We were entirely focused on each other, and for the girls, their eyes were stered on the four ringsid out on the altar. Because it happened so suddenly, only Lilith knew how I awakened my Vampire Aspect and what I nned to do with those rings.


    But it didn''t take long for the rest of the girls to figure out what had happened without my exnation.


    "Do you like my surprise?" I winked at them yfully.


    "I-It''s¡­ The best wedding ring ever." Irina gulped and reached out for her ring. Instinctively, all of them knew which one belonged to them.


    "Ahem! I''m not done yet!" Sora sharply protested as she was cut from her monologue, drawing groans from the four girls.


    "There''s no need for that," Iughed and waved the little fairy off. Standing before them, I grabbed the rings and started my monologue.


    "I, Jin Valter, solemnly swear¡­"


    Taking the first ring, I approached Irina and raised her dainty little hands. Rubbing her white, soft skin, I nted a little kiss and greatly enjoyed the warmth that came with her body. Then I gently fitted the former Spacetime ring onto her marriage finger, affirming our vows and making us husband and wife.


    "... to love, honour, and cherish you forever¡­"


    Then, I took out the ring that once gave me the power of Creation and walked over to Lilith. Touching her immacte fingers, I gave yet another kiss on her hand while fitting the ring on her. Watching her solemn face bloom into a resplendent smile greatly warmed my heart.


    "... even if the Earth stops spinning or the Universe stops beating¡­"


    Next was Ysabelle. She was the most nervous of the four, so I caressed her beautiful face and leaned in for another kiss. Bringing the former ring of Destruction with me, I fitted it onto her ring finger and greatly enjoyed the view of an Amazonian warrior turn into a coquettish bride.


    "... I swear always to be true. To always protect you. As your husband."


    And finally, Rosa. The one who sacrificed the most for me and deserved this final ring the most. The ring of Life. cing it onto her fourth finger, I made my final oath before the World Tree and, more importantly¡­ To my four beloved wives.


    "I give you this oath, darlings. Will you ept me as your husband?"


    "..."


    The four girls started shaking. For a brief moment, a split second, a fear that they would reject my proposal doused my heart. However, it was fortunate¡­ I didn''t have to worry at all.


    "Of course, we do!!!"


    All four shouted in unison as they leapt from their positions and into my loving arms. They ripped open my suede tuxedo and began the unromantic deed of consummating their marriage in a sacred chapel.


    Well, not that I wasining.


    Be it a thousand years from now or a million, I will always answer my wives'' desires.


    Why?


    Because I''m their husband, after all.


    "Urgh¡­ What am I even doing here?"


    Sora''sint was drowned out by the sexual noises tainted this sacred ground. Not that any of us would listen to her either way.

 Chapter 193 The Demon Realm (2)

    One month has passed since Thanatos invaded Earth. While most of the world remained oblivious to the foreign threat that hade and gone, many firmly remembered the Outer Demon of Death.


    The leaders of the great Vampire Houses in particr. They witnessed the battle between Jin and Thanatos firsthand. They couldn''t shake off their helplessness when experiencing the two monsters, especially¡­


    "Thank you all foring on such short notice¡­"


    General Enzo opened his speech in the ckburn House conference chamber solemnly addressing his peers. Matriarch Innocence, Sirius Moonreaver and Eminence Veralyn sat silently at the round table at their allocated chairs without much protest.


    In the past, it would take months of nning to get the four of them in the same room, and it was rare for them to meet up even once a decade. Yet, they were allpelled to join the meeting for a straightforward reason.


    "No, you mentioned it was an emergency regarding the Lord. We will heed the call."


    Matriarch Innocence answered like a faithful servant who served an Emperor, causing the eyebrows of the other three individuals in the room to flinch.


    "Oh? So you''re calling him Lord now?" General Enzo couldn''t pass up this opportunity to tease the oldest Vampire in the room.


    ? "The Everwinter House and I have sworn fealty to Lord Jin. I will naturally address him as such."


    "Sworn fealty, huh? I never thought I would see the day when the mighty Matriarch Everwinter would voluntarily bend the knee."


    "I''m just doing what it takes to survive," Matriarch Everwinter smiled and didn''t answer afterwards.


    The two great leaders of the Guardian Houses shared a nce for a brief moment before finally agreeing to stop their fruitless conversation. They were here on official business, and not to mention; they were now firmly on the same team. With the appearance of the Valter House and a Progenitor far surpassing Drac, the Vampire race was set to prosper for generations toe.


    But what if¡­ That Progenitor was to disappear.


    "Let me cut the bullshit and get straight to the point," General Enzo''s tone got sombre. He double-checked the room to ensure no one could eavesdrop on their conversation before finally revealing the harrowing truth he''d learnt.


    "Jin¡­ My son-inw is nning to invade the Demon Realm."


    "... What?"


    The sudden news dropped like a bomb in the conference room. Most of those present didn''t expect this piece of intelligence, and even Veralyn Shadowgarden, the queen of intelligence, couldn''t believe her ears.


    "Where did you hear this from?" Sirius Moonreaver asked with a grim voice.


    "From Ysabelle," General Enzo folded his arms while replying. "And she heard it from Jin himself, so it can''t be wrong."


    "Tch, that brat Irina¡­ Why didn''t she tell me about this?"


    "..."


    Matriarch Innocence cursed her blood granddaughter for being callous while Sirius and Eminence Veralyn remained silent. Unlike the good father-daughter rtionship that General Enzo and Ysabelle had, none of them was on speaking terms with the other three girls. None of those girls would leak ns regarding Jin to them, even if they were.


    "... What is he nning?" Eminence Veralyn wondered out loud, not expecting anyone to reply. But to herplete surprise, General Enzo said:


    "He''s nning on conquering the Demon Realm."


    "I''m sorry¡­ What?"


    "As I said," General Enzo gave a wry smile and repeated: "He wants to conquer the Demon Realm on his own."


    "Is that even¡­ No, what am I saying?"


    Eminence Veralyn was about to question the man''s sanity, but she shut her mouth. She firmly remembered the fateful day. The powerlessness she''d felt when Outer Demon of Death appeared. How she''d thought it would be thest day of her life¡­


    And then¡­


    The power that Jin showed.


    Her soul was constricted, and her entire body couldn''t move an inch. She wanted to raise her head but feared what it would do to her body. That power that Jin had¡­ It wasn''t normal. It wasn''t of this world. It was nothing like anything she''d experienced before.


    If Jin wished to invade the Demon Realm all on his own¡­ Eminence Veralyn firmly believed that he could end the Demon race alone.


    "Ysabelle asked me to convince him not to go on this suicide task. And if we can''t convince him, she asked us to support him. While he has be strong, she believes he can''t take on the entire Demon Realm alone."


    "That I agree," Sirius Moonreaver answered, unimpressed. "Even if he''s be strong enough to take on Demon Lords, fighting the entire Demon race alone is suicide."


    "Is it, though?" Matriarch Innocence cut in with her own thoughts. "You''ve seen what the man can do against the Demon Lord of Death. And some of you may have passed out during his descent, but I still remember it clearly."


    The ancient Vampire leaned back on her chair as she recalled that fateful encounter.


    The Hegemon, the peak of all existence. He was a powerhouse that could force her to her knees with his mere presence alone. His sanctified aura made anyone who wasn''t worthy of his grace bleed from their eyes. His power made everyone in existence feel like an ant. That man wasn''t just a Hegemon¡­ He was the entire Universe itself.


    "I heard their conversation, albeit in pieces. That power Lord Jin summoned¡­ That was his future self. If that''s what he''s turning into, there''s no point in us resisting his will, right?"


    "His future self¡­ Yes, I heard that was the case." Eminence Veralyn frowned as she made a remark. "He will live to dominate the future. And since he could summon his future self, everything he ns to do will work out."


    "Yes, because if he dies in this timeline, he wouldn''t be able to summon his future self."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Was there a sense of helplessness? Or was it a relief? Nheless, if future Jin could be summoned, that could only mean one thing. Jin was going to seed in every endeavour he sought.


    There was no point in denying his will as his future was already ascertained. However, while they knew that Jin would still exist in the future, they knew nothing of their own fates. Therefore, to survive¡­


    "Let''s swear our unyielding obedience to the man. If he wants to invade the Demon Realm, we''ll give him every bit of support we can muster."


    "Agreed."


    For the first time in a long time, the four figureheads of the generation agreed on one thing. They would swear their eternal allegiance to the Progenitor and the future Hegemon of the Universe.


    "But¡­ Why does he want to invade the Demon Realm?"


    "That''s the million dor question¡­"


    ???


    "Brother! Won''t you reconsider?!"


    I stood awkwardly in front of my massive mansion while digging my ears from all the shouting I was subjected to. It has been a week since I''d expressed my interest in invading the Demon Realm to my four wives, and ever since then, it has been chaos after chaos. All four were firmly against me entering the Demon Realm alone, and they''d even begged me not to go.


    Ysabelle even suggested we go to the Demon Realm together, but I firmly rejected that plea. While I hadplete confidence in protecting myself and my ability to escape should anything go awry, I didn''t know the full strength of the Demon race.


    How many Demon Lords were left? How powerful was the Demon Goddess? Everything was still a nk to me.


    I also didn''t want to subject my freshly married wives to the dangers of the Demon Realm.


    So we had reached an impasse.


    Neither party wished to budge, and we had been arguing for a week since. I could give up on invading the Demon Realm alone, but¡­


    "Trust me on this, Irina. I know what I''m doing."


    "But you''ve just fully awakened your Vampire Aspect! Shouldn''t you train with it for a few more years before attacking the Demon Realm? Didn''t you say so yourself? The Outer Demons are incapable of invading us for the foreseeable future!"


    "Yes, they won''t be able to invade us, but¡­"


    I looked down at the glowing circle at the back of my right hand. It was beating with every colour known to man, and it seemed calm and peaceful, but I knew the truth. My Vampire Aspect¡­ was itching for battle.


    "I have a feeling that¡­ If I don''t invade now, I will lose something. If I want to be the Hegemon in the future, I have to do this alone."


    "... What kind of stupid feeling is that?" Lilith interjected with an annoyed tone. "I know what your power is and how broken it can be. But you''ve only trained with it for a month. Plus, half of that time was spent in the bedroom with us. How can you be confident that you can defeat the Demon race?"


    "I just know, my darling."


    "Tch, this fucking sweet talker¡­"


    Lilith shook her head as she''d finally given up and punched my chest: "Let me warn you, if you make me a widow, I''ll chase your ass all the way down to hell!"


    "Haha, don''t worry about it. I wouldn''t dare."


    I reassured Lilith before turning to the final two in my way. Of the four girls, Ysabelle was the one who made the most noise about my decision to invade the Demon Realm. Perhaps my recent close shave with Thanatos had triggered the bad memories she''d hidden deep within the recesses of her mind. Therefore, she didn''t want me to take such a big risk, especially since we''d recently gotten married.


    "Ysabelle¡­"


    "Jin¡­ Really, must you go?"


    "I must, my love." I gently stroked her face and leaned in for the kiss. "Don''t worry about it. If I truly feel like I am in danger, I''ll immediately run back crying into your arms."


    "... I can''t imagine you in tears, Jin."


    "Haha, shall I cry once for you to see?"


    "There''s no need¡­"


    Ysabelle held onto my hands firmly, seemingly unwilling to let me go. However, after much persuasion, the girl finally released her grip and said:


    "Come back to me¡­ Safe."


    "Of course."


    With that done, I nced straight at the final girl who stood by my side. Rosa and I shared one loving gaze; that was all we needed. Rosa trusted me unconditionally, and I trusted her. No matter the situation, she would support my decision, and I would do my best to meet her expectations.


    "I''ll be back."


    "I''ll be waiting."

 Chapter 194 The Demon Realm (3)

    Humans have often wondered¡­ How was it so easy for the Outer Demons to invade Earth?


    No matter how many researchers studied this topic and how much time and money was spent, no one on the could replicate the Outer Demon Gates. That was one of the main reasons why during the entire Outer Demon invasion, there was no significant conquest into the Demon Realm.


    No one knew how to travel through the Gates, and everyone feared the repercussions of using them. Replicating the Gates was even harder, as no one had a clear view of how Spacetime actually worked.


    But¡­ For me, creating a Gate was easy.


    With my Vampire Aspect fully awakened, I now understood the flow of Spacetime itself. I understood how the Outer Demons, or more specifically, the Goddess of Destiny, was able to create Gates connecting our two worlds. And more importantly¡­ I think I understood why she had that ability.


    Which was why I had to verify it with my two eyes.


    Snapping my fingers, I smashed a portal open and confidently stepped through it as it closed behind me. Mine was different from the other Gates that the Goddess of Destiny opened. I didn''t need to keep the Gates open since I could move through Spacetime without help.


    Moving through the void, I stepped into a wormhole and was tunnelled across the gxy faster than the speed of light. I saw various stars and sr systems pass me by and even sped past some ck holes on the way.


    Even as someone who could control the Universe and likely witness the end of time, experiencing this wormhole phenomenon made my eyes sparkle with wonder. The Universe was a marvellous ce with many beautiful phenomena urring daily. Supernovas, copsing stars, ck holes and colliding gxies.


    It was like the entire Universe was a living, breathing organism, and we''re all cells in its vast system.


    And just with everything that was alive¡­ It would one daye to an end.


    The expansion of the Universe was elerating, and one day, gxies would be so far from each other that the stars of the night sky wouldn''t reflect them all. The Universe won''t end with a bang but with a big rip. And once that happens¡­ All life will cease to exist. Humans, Vampires, even Demons¡­ We will all be subjected to eternal damnation.


    So before that happens¡­


    "I''ve arrived."


    Entering the Demon Realm was a simple affair. Stepping out from the portal of my own making, I cautiously examined the foreign with added interest. Oddly enough, the airposition was simr to Earth''s, and I didn''t need an oxygen mask to easily breathe. Taking one deep breath, I absorbed the atmosphere with a pleasant smile as a breeze blew my clothes and hair.


    The skies were filled with fluffy white clouds, and the ocean''s water was the same blue I''d always remembered. Looking further, I could see green trees and plenty of interesting geographic features like mountains and valleys.


    The Demon Realm¡­ was eerily simr to Earth.


    If I didn''t know any better, I would have thought that my Gate failed and I had returned to Earth.


    But my suspicions were soon corrected as sinister energy charged right at me.


    A ming ball of molten hotva was hurled at my unsuspecting body, seemingly trying to take me out when I arrived. The mes were burning hot enough to make the Earth''s core feel cold, and it felt like the Sun itself was being thrown in my direction. If it was just one month back, I may have had trouble destroying that searing hot star and would have been forced to teleport away.


    But now¡­


    "Disappear."


    I pointed my finger at the fiery sphere, which disintegrated into atoms. As if it had never existed, the mes and heat that permeated my body were gone, and I was left with a distinct sense of satisfaction.


    I had gotten far stronger than before; that was the most definite proof. And well¡­ My very weing visitors felt the same way.


    "That''s a fun way to wee someone to your."


    I teased in jest as the two figures descended from the skies. A demonic humanoid wreathed in yellow and red mes that burned as painfully as the fires from Hell led the charge. Well-built and massive, the Outer Demon seemed more human than Demon, ignoring the fact that he had intense mes encircling his entire body. However, the most telling sign of his Demonic roots was the massive amount of magic power he hid within himself.


    Eyghon, Cthulhu and Baishe couldn''t even begin to match the magic power this Demon possessed. Even if theybined their magic power pools, it would only be a fraction of this Demon''s power.


    But s, even though this Demon was likely the Demon Lord that all Demons served, my attention was on someone else entirely.


    The second Demon that appeared¡­ She was far more subdued.


    Draped in white garb, she seemed like a Saintess or a Priestess that wasn''t meant to see the mes of battle. She was a support character in an RPG, a woman who would never willingly enter the battlefield even if a thousand swords werepelling her.


    But at the same time¡­ She was the Demon I was looking for.


    "You must be Uriel, the Goddess of Destiny."


    "... Hegemon, we meet atst."


    "Hegemon¡­ That''s how you see me in your dreams, huh?"


    Uriel flinched when I eerily called out her nightmares. A cloth was wrapped around her eyes, not giving me a chance to see her full expression, but I could tell¡­ The Goddess was rattled.


    "If your sight can see the future, then you should know why I came here today."


    "... you wish to enve the Demon Race."


    "Hoh? So that''s what your dreams are telling you, huh?"


    Was that why the Outer Demons were so intent on killing me? Did I be a tyrant in the future? That''s why they wanted to end me before I was born? No, that makesplete sense. If I were the future Hegemon and the one who ruled the Universe, perhaps I would enve the Demon race. Maybe I went one step further and enved the entire human race too.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But one thing was for certain¡­


    "I see¡­ In those dreams, what did I do to the Demon race?"


    "W-What?"


    "How did I enve you? What did I do to you? I''m just curious¡­ What did future me do to elicit such rage and prejudice?"


    "Y-You¡­"


    The Goddess of Destiny was unable to control her anger. Seething from her teeth, the Demon''s voice turned utterly demonic, like she was possessed by a higher power. Bleeding from her eye sockets, she unleashed an aura equally as frightening as it was despondent.


    "You¡­ Enved us all! Forced us into battles where we would die by the billions! yed with our descendants and forced us to do your bidding! We would be caged and toyed with for your entertainment as you pige and conquer your way through the Universe! Our lives will be made into a living hell, and we will all be your subjects until the end of time! And you dare ask me if my rage is just?!"


    Oh¡­ No wonder she hates me so much.


    If that was what her visions showed her, I could understand why she wished to kill me. But unfortunately, just like how I was yed by the original timeline, so was Uriel.


    "Uriel¡­ I will do no such thing."


    "You bastard, how dare you try and-?!"


    "Listen," I sighed while rubbing my forehead. "Where does your power of foresighte from?"


    "W-What?"


    "Did you really think you could change Destiny and time with your own power?"


    I stared at the stumped Demon Lord with a wry smile. I had this lingering suspicion ever since I''d realised all of reality was ying on a time loop. If the original timeline had been altered by future me, there was no way I wouldn''t have known about the Goddess of Destiny and her ability to change fate.


    And as I thought about it, the power of foresight was essentially the power of Spacetime. The ability to see and alter the future, the ability of time itself.


    Only one person I knew could give such an overpowered ability to someone else.


    "Uriel, your visions are a lie."


    "There''s no way that''s true! You will enve us! I saw it in my future!"


    "You''re right; you saw a vision of my making. Well, future me, that is. I had to make you hate me to preserve the timeline and ensure that you would invade Earth and send an Outer Demon to kill me. Therefore, what you saw was a false vision. A vision catered to start the time loop and ensure my ascension."


    "W-What are you saying?"


    "I''m saying your entire purpose, your life''s mission¡­ It was just a big fat lie."


    Uriel nearly copsed from the sudden revtion. The entire Outer Demon invasion of Earth was part of the timeline that gave birth to the Hegemon. There was no way Uriel would have known that.


    "Ah, you might be right about one thing, though."


    At my change of tone, the woman''s ears perked up, seemingly intent on finding onest straw to grasp. But s, I didn''t intend to rule the Universe as a tyrant or enve the entire Demon race. However¡­


    "I will put a suggestion in the psyche of all living creatures. That includes humans and Demons. ''Do not harm Jin Valter, any of his four wives and anyone from the Valter House.'' That will be my first and final order to all of you."


    With my power to control everything in the Universe, making this slight change in their minds was a simple task. It didn''t matter if they were humans, Demons, Elves or Vampires. All of them would bepelled not to harm anyone from the Valter House.


    "Whether or not you decide to serve under me, well¡­ I don''t really care. As long as you don''t harm me or anyone I love, the Demon race will never be enved. This, I swear."


    "Y-You¡­"


    Unable to hold back her emotions, Uriel exploded. Blood dripped down her eyes as her body copsed like a broken puppet. The Demon Lord standing beside her grabbed Uriel by the waist and cautiously brought her to a safe ce.


    I did nothing to stop the massive Demon. After all, I didn''t see the Demon race as a threat anymore. They were just being manipted by the flow of the Universe, a timeline that future me had created. But unfortunately, the same couldn''t be said about the Demon Lord.


    "Jin Valter¡­ My enemy¡­"


    "Even after hearing all that, you still see me as a threat?"


    "Am I to believe the words of an enemy? Even if you''re right, what''s stopping you from changing your mind in the future? What if you decide to betray our trust and enve us all? You would have grown too strong by then for us to stop you."


    "..."


    I see¡­ So they wouldn''t believe me even if I extended my goodwill to them. That was the burden of the strong. As the one in power, they will always fear me. Even if I chose not to kill or enve them, the mere threat of my existence was enough for them to fight.


    If that''s the case¡­


    "So be it."

 Chapter 195 VS Demon Sovereign (1)

    "So be it¡­"


    A fight with this Demon Lord seemed inevitable. To them, I was an enemy that couldn''t be trusted. And if I were in their position, I would feel the same. If the roles were reversed and the Demon Lord was the Sovereign of Earth, I wouldn''t trust him in the slightest. After all, how could I trust someone who could destroy my family, kill my wives and toy with my existence if he chose to? Perhaps the only way to get the Demon Lord to trust me was to ce a hex on myself, but even then, I wouldn''t go through all that trouble.


    Which is why¡­ I had to beat this Demon in a head-to-head battle.


    "What''s your name?" I asked while getting into my stance.


    "Igni!!!" The ming man eximed. "Igni, the Demon Sovereign!"


    "Igni¡­ I shall remember that name."


    Spreading my hand out wide, I felt magic power rise up my skin. No, could this power even be called magic anymore? The Universe seemed to bend to my will whenever I used this power. I wasn''t creating magic¡­ I was creating miracles.


    Space folded, and the environment around me rapidly changed. Dimensions wereyered upon each other, and the skies and oceans switched ces. Just by using one aspect of my power, the entire seemingly changed, stunning my opponent and all of the nearby Demons.


    Usually, if an opponent of mine saw such a surreal scene, they would have given up instantly and begged for forgiveness. Even the staunchest of my mortal foes knew when death was quickly approaching them. However, the Demon Sovereign didn''t give up so easily.


    "No, I will engrave it in your memory!!!"


    Burning with the fuel of a thousand Suns, Igni exploded into mes. Orange, purple and blue tongues of embers engulfed his body like coiled serpents, and they congregated into arger entity altogether. The Demon Sovereign, a monster already massive in his own right, was now the size of a Giant. Not just any Giant, a Fire Giant that possessed the fiery desires of Demonkind.


    Anger, sorrow, agony¡­ I could feel it all in his mes.


    How many Demons had to die under his mes to create such a mesmerising sight? How many aeons had to pass for his power to grow this strong?


    Unknowingly, I was captivated by my opponent. After learning the truth about the Outer Demons and the timeline, I didn''t see the Outer Demons as my mortal enemies anymore. Instead, they were just like regr humans. Struggling to survive with the cards they were given. And the more I thought about it, the more pity I felt for the Outer Demons and their Goddess.


    They were yed by Destiny, by the timeline that I wrote myself. They were pawns essential for my growth and valuable tools that had given me my powers.


    So I could feel sympathy for them¡­ However, I didn''t intend to indulge myself in pity.


    "Dissipate."


    I pointed my finger at the ming Demon and extinguished his mes like a flickering candle on a birthday cake. The Demon Sovereign clicked his tongue in annoyance, yet he wasn''t surprised. As if he''d been expecting this turn of events, Igni ignited himself again, but this time, I could not follow his movements.


    Moving faster than my eyes could follow, the Demon Sovereign reappeared behind me with his fist millimetres away from my face. I was certain my head would fly if that fist collided with me. The force hidden within that punch surpassed that of a million volcanoes erupting simultaneously, and the mes on his knuckles emitted so much heat that my eyebrows had been burnt off.


    It truly was the most destructive punch I''d ever encountered.


    But¡­


    BOOOOMMMM!!!


    It wasn''t my head that flew a thousand miles away¡­ Igni''s body was reflected back and flung thousands of miles away. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the massive Demon Sovereign,pletely confused by the turn of events. The Fire Giant looked down at its fists and looked right at me, only to see an invisible mirror shatter.


    "Hoh¡­ You really are the greatest foe I''ve faced. I didn''t think you could break my first level of defence." I praised the Demon Sovereign from the bottom of my heart.


    After awakening my Vampire Aspect and learning I could control everything, I didn''t think anyone could threaten me. Yet, the Demon Sovereign could shatter my mirror barrier with one hit.


    "Your praise means nothing to me," Igni growled.


    Agitated by myments, he stretched his arms and channelled his magic into a single fireball. No, to call it a fireball would be an underestimation. mes bubbled out from its inner core as sr res asionally burst through its surface. The density of the fireball warped Spacetime with it, and its external heat was strong enough to evaporate entire oceans into mist.


    Igni didn''t just create a fireball; he made a newborn star with his own two hands.


    "Burn!!!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Throwing the fiery miniature Star like a baseball, the Demon Sovereign didn''t care for the destruction of his. All he wanted to do was melt my entire body and destroy the threat before him.


    Audable attempt, but¡­


    "Disperse."


    I flicked my fingers, and the Star disappeared again like it didn''t exist in the first ce. Igni''s mes wreathed around me like my children, slowly turning into nothing but smoke and mist.


    The Demon Sovereign froze at the sight of his ultimate ability being brushed off so easily. By my calctions, that attack alone was enough to destroy entires and kill off any Demon Lord or Progenitor that came before me. Unfortunately, Igni wasn''t dealing with any mere opponent.


    He was dealing with me.


    "Have you given up yet?"


    "Y-You!"


    "I''ll take that as a no," I sighed. Truthfully, I wanted the Demon Sovereign and the Demon race to willingly submit to me. But if they were going to be this stubborn, I had no other choice.


    "Let''s take this battle elsewhere, shall we?"


    I snapped my fingers, and instantly, our bodies were warped by Spacetime and sucked into a wormhole. The Demon Sovereign attempted to resist, but my control over Spacetime was absolute. I could move entire gxies if I wished to, let alone a mere stubborn Demon Sovereign.


    The two of us exited from the wormhole in the void of Space on a distant at the very edge of the Demon Realm''s sr system. Igni looked around like a confused puppy as the mes on his body turnedpletely blue. The ming Giant shrunk just a little, but at the same time, I could feel his energy being condensed to preserve his life.


    [Wow, so you can survive in the void of Space too? Have you Demons evolved to reach that point?]


    I sent a telepathic message expressing my awe.


    Cthulhu was the same way. Even without air, Demons could survive in the vacuum of Space. Humans have naturally not evolved to that point, but even Vampires couldn''t survive without turning into a meat balloon. I could survive easily since I was a Progenitor, but the same couldn''t be said about the rest of my kin.


    [You¡­ Are you treating this like a game?!]


    [Game? I see, so that''s how you see it. If that''s how you feel, I can''t stop you. Let''s put it this way, I intend to use and rule the Demon Realm in the future. If we continued fighting there, we would destroy your home and all the precious resources there.]


    [You bastard¡­ You wille to regret your arrogant choice!]


    Igni burst into a rage as a me ten times hotter than the ones he had shown before exploded. As I''d expected, the Demon Sovereign was holding back as well. He didn''t wish to destroy his and could only use a weaker version of his power. And now that we''re millions of kilometres away from his¡­ Igni was going to show everything he had.


    [I am the Demon Sovereign, Igni! The Lord of Fire and Hell! And my power¡­]


    The Demon Sovereign raised his fist up high. The fire coiled around his body soon congregated above his head and condensed into a massive sphere of intense heat. Anything that approached the ball would melt away, and the gravity of the globe was enough to pull entires closer in.


    And when the fiery ball was at its maximum size, Igni crushed it into the palm of his hand and turned it into a singr point of gravity and fire. Condensing even more energy into his fist, the Demon Sovereign extended his fist with everything that he''d got and sent a beam of hellfire straight in my direction.


    Instinctively I knew¡­ My defences weren''t enough to get me out of that attack unscathed. Therefore, before the fire beam could hit me, I warped myself away and allowed the beam to charge straight at the behind me.


    With the force of a supernova condensed into one single ray of pure energy, Igni melted the into atoms in seconds. While it was a barren wastnd with no atmosphere or chance to hold life, the was twice the size of Earth or the Demon Realm. Yet, Igni was strong enough to destroy it with one punch.


    I interchanged my head between Igni and the remnants of the burnt, unable to hide my surprise and awe. And to meet my expectations, the Demon Sovereign looked back at me as his body continued to burn with a light brighter than any star in the night sky.


    Proudly, he said:


    [My power¡­ Is the power of the Sun.]

 Chapter 196 VS Demon Sovereign (2)

    [My power¡­ Is the power of the Sun.]


    Those words rang in my mind like a screeching bell. The Demon Sovereign was burning like a ming torch, his entire body growing more resplendent by the second. Fireballs congregated around him and orbited the Demon Sovereign likes orbiting the Sun. No, it wasn''t a metaphor.


    Igni had be the Sun.


    There was a reason for his near-infinite magic pool and endless energy source. The Demon Sovereign had evolved to house an entire star in his body, strong enough to match the Sun of our sr system and any other stars.


    Calling the Demon Sovereign a living creature would be an insult. Right now, he is a living Sun.


    Although I had the power to control everything in existence, I didn''t have a deep magic pool yet. Given enough time, I could increase my energy to reach the Hegemonic status of my future, but right now, I am still inferior to the Demon Sovereign.


    [How interesting¡­ How much did you have to sacrifice to reach this level? How many centuries, no, millennia, did it take to store this much energy?]


    The Fire Giant paused momentarily and raised his burning hand to his chest. The balls of me around him were drawn into the palm of his hand like a ck hole, condensing into a miniature star once more.


    [This¡­ Is the wrath of the Demon race. The burden I carry on my shoulders.]


    The Demon Sovereign turned the miniature star into a deadly beam of ming light once more and sent it flying in my direction. The searing heat and intense pressure of the ray were enough to destroy entires and erase them from sr systems. And naturally, my Vampire body wouldn''t be capable of taking such an attack head-on. This was why I warped away again, dting Spacetime and creating an empty space where I could hide.


    While the first time came as a surprise to him, Igni was quick to adapt. Seeing that I warped away, he summoned even more ''Suns'' behind him. A neb of ming balls coloured the dark and empty void of space, each one possessing enough energy to provide for the human race for a thousand years. But Igni had no intention of using that energy for good.


    The Demon Sovereign threw one punch and consumed one ''Sun,'' turning it into a-destroying death ray.


    I was tempted to escape again, but that would defeat the purpose of this battle. I wanted topletely break Igni''s will and make the Demon race voluntarily surrender to me. And if I were to evade all of his attacks like a coward, I wouldn''t earn his respect.


    Which was why I stood my ground.


    Spacetime warped around me, creating a protective coat that was invisible to the naked eye. The death ray, which evaporateds within seconds now, just passed through me as if I was an immaterial ghost and was warped to the other side of the barrier.


    The Demon Sovereign saw my move and instantly bit down on his lips. He attempted to throw more punches at me, each with the power to decimatespletely, but they were to no avail.


    My Spacetime barrier warped all those attacks, and I didn''t even feel a breeze. Watching my defences stop his every move, the Demon Sovereign''s thoughts increasingly got agitated as he cursed at me.


    [What burden do you carry?! What torment have you been through?! You''ve been tormenting our nightmares for thousands of years, and for what?! To enve us?! To make us into your ythings?! I will never allow that!!!]


    Igni threw everything he had with a righteous fury guiding his punches. I was a menace to the Demon race and an entity that had gued their future. If I wasn''t eradicated, they would forever be tormented by my existence and memory.


    They had sacrificed billions of Demons over the years. The Outer Demon invasion was remembered for the enormous human cost, but no one knew how many Demons had passed on. Not to mention, I''d kill all the Demon Lords they''d sent my way.


    Their loss was exponentially worse than ours, therefore¡­


    [I will end you and the eternal nightmare! I will reim the Demon race''s destiny!!!]


    Igni exploded with the power of a thousand Suns as miniature stars decorated the void. mes and stardust were absorbed into one extreme point, creating a singrity with crushing gravity and an infinite dread. The thousand Suns turned into a condensed neutron star, and white pulses rippled through the fabric of Spacetime.


    I could feel my Spacetime barrier fluctuating as the neutron star grew in size, and the extremity of that stunning white scorching sphere was enough to throw rm bells in my head.


    The Demon Sovereign''s next attack¡­ was something I couldn''t block.


    I knew that by instinct. If I remained in this barrier, I would be burnt alive, and the neutron star''s gravity would be enough to crush my innards before they left my body.


    And because of that¡­ I was forced to act.


    Awakening my Vampire Aspect fully and unlocking the power of control wasn''t just something that enhanced my existing abilities. It gave me a new outlook on how my power could be used. And what my power truly was.


    I could control everything.


    The Earth. The void of space. Stars in the gxy¡­ Even the gxy, nay, the Universe itself.


    I could manipte it all.


    Igni¡­ Oh, Igni¡­ If you had the power of the Sun.


    I had the power of the whole Universe at my disposal¡­


    [Gctic wind.]<novelnext></novelnext>


    I raised my hand and allowed my Vampire Aspect to do the rest. Glowing like a kaleidoscope, the circle on the back of my hand opened up a tear in the fabric of Spacetime. And inside the tear¡­ was an entire gxy.


    A gxy twice the size of the milky way. Fumes from dying nebs gushed from the gxy''s core and rushed out of the portal I''d created in the fabric of space. Just a fraction, a tiny fraction of the gctic wind was enough. The power of the spewing gas resulted in an intense amount of kic and thermal energy that was enough to turn a sr system into ashes.


    The winds rushed out from the gctic halo and created a small neb above our heads. It continued to grow and grow, even though I had closed the rip in Spacetime to prevent the entire gxy from breaking through. And the energy in my hands now far surpassed that of any neutron star and possessed multiplicative more mass.


    And that power was enough to burn Igni''s neutron star.


    The gctic superwind violently crashed with the Demon Sovereign, blowing apart the neutron star and all of the conserved energy that he had. Tossed through the fabric of Spacetime, Igni lost much of his previous fire and was reduced to his original, Demon self. The sh of the two energies created a residue neb the size of a thousands, painting the entire ce with a beautiful blue, red and green. It was a mesmerising sight, to say the least.


    But the Demon Sovereign couldn''t enjoy the same scenery as I did.


    Huffing and panting, Igni''s entire body slumped in fatigue. Creating a neutron star was taxing enough, but he''d spent energy to resist my gctic wind. Even if he had a bottomless amount of magic power, it wouldn''t be enough to escape unscathed.


    [You survived that? Colour me impressed.]


    [... I threw a Sun at you, and you threw an entire gxy. Are you mad?]


    [You started it first.]


    Exasperated by my reply, the Demon Sovereign cursed with a defeated sigh.


    [... Uriel was right; I was insane to think that we could beat you in open battle.]


    [Hoh? I''m curious, what did she say to you?]


    [She said¡­ If we didn''t stop your ascension and kill you before you had the chance to grow, we would stand no chance against you.]


    [I see¡­]


    The Goddess of Destiny did have a point. Against my control over the Universe, there was nothing the Demon Sovereign or the Goddess could do. Even if the Demon Sovereign had the power of a thousand exploding stars, it was far from enough topare with my gctical power.


    [I''m left with no other choice¡­]


    [No other choice? Do you still have a trump card to y?]


    [... Uriel, I leave the Demon race in your hands.]


    Closing his eyes, the Demon Sovereign spread his arms out wide. Magic power erupted from every pore of his body, creating a pressure I''d never experienced before. It felt just like the gravity of a ck hole but at the same time¡­ It felt demoralising and dreadful.


    The colours of his mes gradually shifted from orange to blue and then purple until finally¡­ It reached a void ck. The void ck mes condensed into a singr point and turned into a supermassive ck Sun.


    This¡­ I''d seen this before.


    Cthulhu¡­ Thanatos and now, Igni.


    They were using the same power from the same root. The anti-magic that all Vampires and magical beings feared. But this was on a whole other level. Rather than bing ck goo like Cthulhu or ck mist like Thanatos, the Demon Sovereign''s anti-magic was a ck Sun.


    An entity that devoureds and changed the gravity of entire sr systems.


    And all that power¡­ Was consuming the Demon Sovereign.


    Absorbing the ck Sun back into his body, Igni had be the embodiment of anti-magic. Any Demon, let alone an entity like the Demon Sovereign, would have exhausted their lives just to house the ck Sun. And with each passing second, I could feel Igni''s life force corroding away. Yet, the Demon Sovereign showed no signs of pain or agony. Instead, with a satisfied smile, he clenched his fist and sent a wave of ck fire flying in my direction.


    Usually, nothing could breach my Spacetime barrier. Even when Igni threw the energy of an entire star in my direction, it would have been warped away without harming a single hair on my body.


    However, this ck fire pir was different. The moment it came into contact with my Spacetime barrier, my control over the fabric of space was voided, and I was forced to make an emergency teleport.


    [This¡­]


    I gulped, and for the first time since I''d warped into the Demon Realm¡­ I felt danger. Looking back, I could see the Demon Sovereign smiling from ear to ear, unable to hold back his glee.


    [Hegemon¡­ This will be the ce where we both die!]

 Chapter 197 VS Demon Sovereign (3)

    Igni, the Demon Sovereign, did have a thing or two up his sleeve. An anti-magic Sun¡­ I''d never thought that was even possible. Just that alone was enough to alter my fighting tactics, and yet, the mad Demon had absorbed it all into his body, directly corroding himself from the inside out.


    Left to time, Igni will perish under the decay of his own power, and the Demon Sovereign that reigned over the Demon race for thousands of years will be no more. However, Igni didn''t care. In this short time window, he would fully use his newfound power.


    [Die, Hegemon!!!]


    ck, inextinguishable mes tore through the fabric of Spacetime and ''burnt'' down everything in their path. Every little magic power I''d used to twist and warp Spacetime disintegrated until nothing was left. I gasped in horror as the ck fire continued to burn, even though it had already aplished its goal. Not only that, it spread like wildfire, eventually burning the void of space itself.


    I was appalled. Destroying me was one thing, but what the Demon Sovereign had created was an insatiable beast that would devour everything in its path. Matter, Spacetime, and even the dimension itself. If it continued to spread, our lives and the entire sr system would be in danger.


    [You''re really crazy!!! Do you want to break the dimension?!]


    [If it means killing you, everything is worth it!!!]


    [Fucking¡­]


    There''s no stopping this madman now. He was hellbent on killing me, even if it meant destroying the sr system where the Demon race lived. There''s no choice now¡­ I had to end this battle.


    I raised my right hand and allowed my Vampire Aspect to shine in all its glory. Since I''d shattered my Soul Armament and awakened my true Vampire Aspect, I''d never used its full power. I''d reached a point where I had be too strong, and everything seemed so brittle. I could destroys and end entire sr systems with one gentle touch. I could bring forth enough energy to power mankind for the rest of history and copse gxies with a thought.


    Therefore, I''d never once used my full potential¡­


    Until now.


    The ck Sun. The epitome and most extreme of anti-magic. s, I knew it was counter. I''d extensively studied Cthulhu and Thanatos'' ability to counter me, and I knew their limitations.


    Even if they could counter my magic¡­ They couldn''t counter my miracles.


    I had ascended from a regr plebeian and was on another ne of existence. Magic, anti-magic¡­ It didn''t matter to me. From now on, I was going to change phenomena directly. Alter Spacetime and Destiny with my own two fingers. Iste reality and create miracles that no one could even fathom.


    And with one final move of my fingers, I created a miracle:


    [ck Hole.]


    The most extreme star. An extremity of pure darkness where nothing could pass through its event horizon. A gravity field so strong that light itself couldn''t escape. Spacetime, matter, light, magic¡­ No matter what it was, it couldn''t escape the gravity of a ck Hole.


    Not even the ck Sun.


    Igni was consumed by the pulsating gravitational waves, and all his mes were devoured. Nothing escapes the gravity of a ck Hole, and once the ck Sun entered the event horizon, there was no turning back.


    Once the Demon Sovereign''s power was consumed, I hurriedly closed the ck Hole and dissipated it away. Creating a ck Hole was hard enough, but stopping it was another level of difficulty. But against all odds, my Vampire Aspect was enough to control the ck Hole from devouring the Demon Sovereign and, likely, the entire sr system.


    Bit by bit, the Demon Sovereign was losing all of his power. Consumed from the inside and out, there was no chance for Igni to escape death. But the Demon Sovereign didn''t whine orin¡­ He didn''t shout any stereotypical viinous line at the end of a boss battle. Igni, he¡­ epted his defeat.


    With a face that seemed to have made one with peace, the Demon Sovereign smiled.


    [Unfathomable¡­ Creating a ck Hole andpletely isting it¡­ You really are on a whole other level.]


    [... Have you epted your defeat?]


    [Hegemon, from the moment Uriel told me Destiny couldn''t be changed¡­ I have epted my defeat.]


    The Demon Sovereign was now bare of his ck mes, and his magic reserves had reached zero. With his body corroding from his inner organs, Igni wouldn''tst half a minute. But, the Demon Sovereign held onto his dignity as he conversed with me as equals.


    [If I couldn''t kill you in this battle, I just hoped you would see the value in the Demon race. Given enough resources, they could all be a second Demon Sovereign. I hope you won''t enve my people and, instead, help nurture and develop them. That''s my purpose for this battle.]


    [... You just wanted to show me the Demon race''s worth?]


    [Precisely.]


    The Demon Sovereign smiled radiantly as if arge burden had been lifted from his chest. No, given that he was the leader of an entire race worth billions, if not trillions of lives, it was natural for him to feel this way. He wanted the best for Demonkind, even if it meant killing himself in a show of force and potential.


    [The Demon race can be helpful to you¡­ They can help you conquers and destroy gxies¡­ But I beg you¡­ Please do not enve or annihte them.]


    [Is that all you have to say?]


    [As the loser, I have no right to demand anything¡­ I can only beg and pray you will make the right choice.]


    [The high and mighty Demon Sovereign is actually begging on his deathbed¡­ How unsightly.]<novelnext></novelnext>


    [As unsightly as it may be, this is my only hope.]


    [No, it isn''t.]


    I raised my hand again and allowed magic to flow out of my hand. No, my power wasn''t magic anymore¡­ It was miracles. Azure and emerald light escaped from my Vampire Aspect and brightened the entire void. A clock wrapped around my wrist, and the minute hand gradually twisted backwards in an anti-clockwise direction.


    And with that, yet another miracle was performed.


    All of the events that transpired thus far passed us by. The ck Hole I''d created and sent away. The ck Sun consumed all magic. The gctic wind and the neutron star. The multiple punches contained the power of an entire star to the that was destroyed by Igni when we''d first begun our battle. Everything was being reverted back in time, and eventually, the two of us were transported back to the Demon Realm.


    Igni''s jaw dropped as he carefully examined his pristine hands and feet. None of his internal organs was destroyed, and his near-infinite magic pool was restored.


    It was as if¡­ our battle had never happened in the first ce.


    "You reversed time¡­ You¡­ Are you God?"


    The Demon Sovereign doubted his own senses. He was clearly on the verge of death just moments before, yet he was standingpletely fine. Clenching his fists, he let out a confused moan and consciously tapped his body in fear.


    "God¡­ Perhaps I am," I joked in good fun. "Igni, I told you, I don''t need to fight you. I control everything, thes, the skies, the stars¡­ The Universe. Everything is under my control. We didn''t even need to fight as¡­"


    I pointed my finger, and instantaneously, the Demon Sovereign clenched as if he was wrapped in tight bindings. Moving against his will, Igni waspletely helpless against my tight control, and he was just like a pinata waiting to be hit.


    "I could control your body and alter your Destiny. With your powers, it''s impossible to defeat me, Igni."


    "This¡­"


    The Demon Sovereign was enveloped by a mixture of feelings. Distraught that everything he''d done was being orchestrated in the palms of my hands. Fear of my power and how it could destroy Demonkind if I so chose. And finally¡­ relief. Relief that he was still alive.


    "I know that nothing I say will convince you, and it''ll take time for you to trust me fully. But I will make you this promise. I will not enve the Demon race." I reaffirmed my will determinedly. "I will not be the tyrant in your nightmares and will not exterminate your kind."


    "W-Why?"


    "Why? I simply don''t have the interest to do so."


    What fun would it be to exterminate an entire race of living creatures? As long as I had my four wives, I was content. Ruling the Universe or conquerings was secondary to me. As long as my family was safe and happy, I had no interest in enving others.


    "Why¡­"


    Uriel, who had been out cold, finally awakened and limped her way towards Igni and me. She was pale and gaunt, unlike her status as the Demon race''s Goddess. But she still stood tall as she asked:


    "Why are you going so far for us? With your power, you could have enved us all."


    "Why, huh? Call it myst bit of humanity."


    I chuckled and shook my head inwardly. Looking back, it has only been two years since that fateful night in the hospital. I''de so far since abandoning my humanity, but at the same time, it felt like it was just yesterday.


    I knew what it was like to be a broken cripple, to be a victim of the cruel Universe and to count the days to my death. And I wouldn''t wish that on anyone, not even my enemies.


    "Besides, the two of you have a part to y in my story."


    "W-What?"


    "I believe that our meeting was nned by future me as well. Especially you, Uriel. You will be a lieutenant or an advisor of mine. That''s why future me gave you a portion of my Spacetime abilities."


    "You mean¡­ We wille to serve you willingly?"


    "That''s right," I smiled gleefully. "The Demon race will be my loyal subjects even without me enving anyone. I know it."


    "How ludicrous¡­"


    The pair were hesitant to believe their ears. But as with everything, it will take time for them to ept their reality.


    "Just think about it," I chuckled. Looking up at the Demon realm''s beautiful blue sky reminded me of my ultimate goal. It would take millions, no, billions of years to aplish it, and bringing the Demon race into my fold was the first step.


    "We have all the time in the Universe, after all."

 Chapter 198 The Final Boss (1)

    The Demon Sovereign and the Goddess of Destiny looked at me dumbfoundedly. They didn''t know what to feel or believe if I were in their shoes¡­ I would likely feel the same way. s, I was expressing my true feelings, and it was irrelevant if they believed my words.


    "I¡­ cannot trust you."


    "Understandable," I replied to the Goddess without any hesitation. "But it doesn''t matter if you do. Because the timeline has been secured, there''s nothing you can do to change it. The Demon race will serve under me, not as ves, but as my subjects. And to do so, your help is essential. After all, you possess a portion of my powers."


    "..."


    "I shall give you free rein on how to rule the Demon race," I exined my terms to the Demon Sovereign. "The only thing I want from the Demons is this¡­ Do not harm my family and me from this day to the end of time. As long as you follow thisw, you will be safe from any oppression."


    "... It''s not like we''re given a choice, are we?"


    "No, you''re not." Iughed in reply.


    Raising my hand to the sky, I channelled my will into my Vampire Aspect. Magic power, no, I no longer used magic power anymore¡­ What should I call this new power of mine? Miracle power? True power? It didn''t matter. Vast amounts of energy formed within the circle on the back of my hand, and a golden halo rose from the depths of my soul up to the clear blue sky.


    The halo grew exponentially, turning ever sanctified and holy with each passing second. Eventually, the golden ring exploded into life and grewrge enough to envelop the entire. Northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere, it didn''t matter. Every part of the Demon Realm was embraced by my magic. A thick golden-red aura enveloped my body and ascended me to the realm of the Gods in the Demons'' minds.


    At this point, I felt like I''d ascended to a different realm. Every single living creature was in the palm of my hand. I could snap my fingers and kill them all or alter their destiny with a single thought. I''d basically be a God. I wasn''t Jin Valter the Progenitor¡­ I had taken my first step towards bing the Hegemon.


    Demons flying in the sky fell to the ground while Demons burrowing deep in the earth were expelled out and forced to kneel. Even marine creatures weren''t spared from the glorious light and floated to the surface, mesmerised by the godly sight.


    Enamoured by my presence, every Demon ''knelt'' down in reverence. The Demon Sovereign and the Goddess of Destiny weren''t exceptions either. Unknowingly and unwillingly, they went on their knees with their hands on their chest like subjects obeying thews of nature.


    That''s it¡­


    That was my power.


    I could control everything in existence... to rewrite thews of nature. What I had wasn''t magic; it was a higher version of magic itself.


    It was the power ofw.


    [All living denizens of the Demon Realm, heed myw!]


    My voice boomed in the minds of every living creature. There weren''t any who could resist or even attempt to resist. Neither the Demon Sovereign nor the Goddess of Destiny had the capability, let alone the low-level Demons.


    The power of myw pierced through their bodies and reached deep within their souls. Not only were all living Demons affected, but it also altered their DNA. Their descendants, even those unborn for generations toe, will be affected by thisw, and they will never break free from this restraint as long as I remain standing.


    [No living Demon or their descendants will ever hurt a member of the Valter House from this day to the end of time! Any Demon who disobeys this order will be smited with my vengeance!]


    My golden words resonated within their souls, causing the weaker Demons to convulse wildly. Their entire DNA makeup was being altered to my liking, and none of them will have the guts to harm my bloodline in the future. No, hurting anyone from the Valter House wouldn''t even cross their minds. Even if someone pointed a gun to their head and threatened their entire family, the Demons affected today will never harm a single hair on my four wives or anyone I loved.


    That was the power of myw.


    [Myw is absolute!!!]


    The Demons'' minds and souls were changed. Myw had imprinted on them a spell that will never break, even to time itself. All of their descendants will be under the samew too. This was my true purpose for arriving in the Demon Realm. To eliminate the Demonic threat and bring peace to the Valter House.


    My holy golden-red aura gradually dissipated like a mist, revealing my weakened state.


    Future me could maintain this Godlike state perpetually without feeling any strain, but I wasn''t at that stage yet. My mind and soul weren''t ready to withstand the Godlike power, making me absolutely exhausted afterwards. It didn''t help that I''d spent so much of my energy on fighting the Demon Sovereign and reverting time for both of us just moments prior.


    "We''re done here."


    Even though I''d used the power ofw, and there was no threat of the Demon Sovereign or any Demons attacking me, it was ufortable to stay in enemy territory when in a weakened state.


    But just before I could rip a tear in Spacetime to warp back home¡­


    "Wait!"


    The Goddess of Destiny stopped me. I nced over my shoulder and stared her down with my golden-red eyes, and the woman shivered on the spot. Sensing that she''d drawn my ire, Uriel hesitated to continue.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What is it?" I urged the woman, not hiding my annoyance. However, Uriel was undeterred. Taking one deep breath in, she asked:


    "W-What are your ns now?"


    "My ns now?"


    I furrowed my brows and frowned. Before my fight with the Demon Sovereign, I hadn''t given it much thought. I believed that eliminating the threat of the Demon race was the most paramount and focused all my attention on that one goal.


    However, after fighting Igni and talking with Uriel, I understood one thing. Demonkind and humanity weren''t too much different after all. They both felt emotions, desired freedom and hoped to improve their world by any means necessary.


    They shared the same goals and were both worthy of praise. They weren''t monsters who killed for fun or nightmares that terrorised children¡­ Demons were¡­ just like humans.


    Or should I say¡­ humans were just like Demons.


    And the threat I''d faced from the Demons, I would likewise face the same from humans. That''s why¡­


    "I''m going to conquer humanity."


    ???


    One week has passed since Jin conquered the Demon Realm.


    Few knew that the Outer Demon threat and Jin''s exploits on the foreign had beenpletely quelled. Even those who knew about his invasion knew little of what happened there. Therefore, they all believed that Jin didn''t do much and returned from the Demon Realm unsessfully.


    Only Jin''s four wives knew how powerful the Progenitor had gotten. How he''d destroyed entires and summoned a gctic wind. How he toyed with the Demon Sovereign and showed him mercy by reversing time. And finally, how he''d restricted the Demon race to prevent Demons from harming himself or his family.


    And due to his exploits, Jin Valter stayed hidden for two days, seemingly to recover from his exhaustion and to celebrate with his newlywed wives.


    But on the third day of his return, the Valter House dropped a bombshell.


    "Jin Valter wages war on humanity! The new Vampire Progenitor intends to enve the human race and everyone living on Earth! The head of the Valter House wees any and all elites to challenge him in a final battle; else, he will take over the as its sole sovereign!"


    Headlines like these dominated the newspapers and news websites.


    Rather than passively gaining power and influence as he''d always done, Jin did the unthinkable. He sent correspondents to every major nation on the and to every race, including the Vampires.


    "The Valter House intends to rule Earth as the sole Hegemony."


    When that statement was published, most entities didn''t know whether to believe it or not. Most of them brushed it off as sheer insanity, but Jin''s following actions shocked the world. Flying over the tallest mountain on the, he lifted the massive rock into the sky and inverted it into a battleground. And on the mountain, he wrote:


    "Send in your best¡­ Else, the world will end."


    That deed stunned the world. Governments went into a frenzy, condemning the new Progenitor and stopping all trade with the Valter House. The Holy Church invoked the Holy Doctrine and condemned Jin to death. The Werewolves took advantage of this situation to escape the dark and joined hands with their respective countries.


    All governments and races condemned the new Progenitor and his arrogance. But that didn''t mean Jin didn''t have his supporters.


    The Church of Valter loved the move and wholeheartedly supported Jin no matter what. As for the Elves and the Vampires¡­ They remained utterly silent.


    They weren''t ignorant. The top Vampires and the High Elven Priestess witnessed Jin''s powers firsthand at his wedding. They knew if Jin wished to rule the world, nothing could stop him.


    In the end, the world was divided in two.


    Humans, the Holy Church, Werewolves¡­ They all banded together and brought all of the elites in their fold together to fight the arrogant young Vampire.


    As for the Vampires and Elves¡­ They chose not to join the crusade and strayed far from the battle.


    And as D-Day fast approached, the entire world was on edge, waiting for Jin Valter''s next move¡­

 Chapter 199 The Final Boss (2)

    "Is it time?"


    I sat atop the Valter Throne, a seat of my own making, while addressing the two servants by my side. The two androgynous young humanoids had their faces perpetually facing the floor, and only when I spoke to them did they dare to raise their heads.


    Two ck wings spread out wide from their backs as they spoke with a revered tone:


    "We have received word that the four High Ladies will arrive soon, my Lord."


    "Good."


    Izily waved them off, and the two reset to their default bowing form. Feeling bored from all the waiting, I carefully examined the two ''Angels'' I''d created.


    Both of them looked like young teen girls with porcin skin and beautiful features, yet at the same time, they had a certain masculine look to their eyes and rough chin. It seemed impossible to determine whether they were males or females just by looking at them, and it was done deliberately.


    Initially, I intended to make them look exactly like young servant girls. However, that decision was heavily vetoed by my four wives. They were afraid I would create an Angel so gorgeous that it would seduce me and take my attention away from them.


    While I felt that it was ludicrous, I could see their concern. If I created handsome male Angels that served the four of them¡­ I would be uneasy too. Therefore, we came up with apromise.


    The Angels will neither look like a man nor a woman. Just a regr-looking androgynous humanoid that you could encounter while walking down the street.


    But, of course, the insides of the Angels were anything but ordinary.


    Empowered by my Vampire Aspect and the Faith Energy I''d gathered, the Angels were in many ways a thousand times better than the ones of the Holy Church. They were perfected to fight in any condition or weather. Be it in the ocean''s depths or high up in Outer Space. Given their endurance and tenacity, they could fight on the surface of the Sun.


    They also had a near-endless amount of Faith Energy to pull from as the Faith Dimension I''d created grew exponentially by the day. In time, the Angels under mymand will be strong enough to rival an entire''s army, and I could single-handedly defeat the entire world without even lifting my finger.


    But my army will take a few decades to reach that point.


    "Brother, we''re ready."


    Whilst I was lost in my thoughts, a lustrous voice woke me from my stupor. I raised my head from the throne and gazed at the hall''s entrance.


    Four divine beauties sashayed, their hips swaying from left to right, their bodies immacte and pristine. Dressed in their signature colours, my four wives highlighted their unique traits as they sauntered to my side.


    Irina, that little minx, was dressed in a white gown with crystal snowkes decorating her corbone and waist. Weeks have passed since our marriage, and I couldn''t see the impish, immature youth that once yfully stored my nail cuttings and strands of my hair in a secretive box. Right now, the woman standing before me was a well-toned beauty with a maturity only found in the most experienced women.


    Lilith, the next Goddess who walked up, was much the same. Wearing a lc off-the-shoulder blouse and a dark blue skirt with ck stockings, Lilith seemed far more mature than usual. Like a high-rankingwyer or executive, shepleted her intelligent look with a gentle smile and warm, tender loving eyes.


    Ysabelle slipped on a ck camisole highlighting her natural curves, including the massive fruits almost splitting from her dress. She''d fullypleted her metamorphosis from a budding Amazonian warrior to the Goddess of War over the past few months, turning into a jaw-dropping perfect athlete with not an ounce of excess fat beneath her skin. She was, by all ounts, the most physically fit woman on the, and the ease with which she held her ymore showed her innate strength. Yet, simultaneously, there was a gleeful innocence behind that facade, and that dichotomy was Ysabelle''s biggest charm.


    And finally, there was Rosa. Cautiously wearing her conservative emerald A-line dress, that was all one needed to know about her character. On the surface, she was cold and indifferent, but beneath it all¡­ She was a young gentlemb.


    All my wives were unique in their ways, and I would never wish to change any of them.


    "I''m sure you''ve guessed, but I''ve gathered all of you here to witness my fight against the united coalition of humanity."


    "We know that," Irina pouted her lips and replied in haste: "And we''re here to counter that."


    "Counter that?"


    "Yes," Lilith replied in Irina''s ce. "We''ve had enough of standing on the sidelines while you fight for us."


    "We want to fight too!" Ysabelle dered with her hands on her chest. "We''re stronger now! We''ve been training too! Plus, we don''t want you to carry all the burdens! Y-You''re¡­ Our husband now!"


    "Let us fight too¡­" Rosa grabbed onto my sleeves in a yearning manner with her eyes resolute.


    I see¡­ So they weren''t willing to remain as trophy wives for a powerful husband¡­ They were proud women with their own powers and skills. Even before I''d arrived in the Vampire World, the four girls were already famous for their genius. Irina was Matriarch Innocence''s favourite heir, Lilith was the future leader of the Moonreaver House, Ysabelle was widely considered the greatest talent in the ckburn House, and Rosa was already the strongest Vampire in the Shadowgarden House.


    All four had their own pride and weren''t willing to sit on the sidelines for long. Especially since I was facing thebined force of mankind alone.


    I watched the four women with a gleeful smile and said:


    "Okay, I ept."


    "W-Wait, really?!"


    The four girls opened their eyes wide, seemingly unable toprehend the words that came out of my mouth. And well, it was natural that they would feel that way. I have been overprotective of the girls and wouldn''t let them lift a finger for my sake. In the past, I was just afraid of scaring them or risking their lives. But now that I''ve taken one step towards the Hegemon¡­


    "Yes, I''ll let you fight alongside me. In fact, why don''t you start the battle for me?"


    "Y-You''re serious?"


    Lilith dug her ears for earwax, thinking her hearing had gone impaired. The rest of the girls were dumbfounded too, and they struggled to find words to reply to my nonchnce.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ah, but there is one condition though¡­" I walked over to the four stunned girls and grabbed their hands.


    As expected, their wedding rings were still firmly attached to their fingers, each glowing with their unique majestic colours. Since losing my Soul Armament, the rings were nothing more than colourful ornaments that shimmered like any other jewellery.


    But I''m going to change that¡­


    "I know the four of you are strong, and few can challenge you, but I worry for your safety¡­ So, let me give you one final blessing."


    First, I pulled Irina''s ring closer to my face, drawing a blush on her snowy white cheeks. I resisted the urge to tease the girl and gently nted my lips on the azure gemstone.


    "For my precious little sister and my first wife who awakened my power, I shall grant you the power to freeze all of Spacetime."


    Heeding my words, a mysterious power engulfed the ring and absorbed my ''miracle''. Satisfied with the result, I headed to Lilith and did the same to her hand and ring.


    "For my Bloodmate and the one who opened my eyes to how creative I could be, I shall grant you the power of Creation."


    The same thing happened to Lilith''s ring. A rainbow light burst through the gem, wrapping Lilith and me in a warm, all-epassing light.


    "For my sweet Ysabelle, the woman who showed me what power must be used for and how I could use it to destroy my enemies¡­ I shall grant you the power of Destruction."


    Ysabelle''s wedding ring exploded into life, with the second absorbing vast amounts of crimson energy. Usually, it would take a special type of person to sustain the massive, destructive energy, and fortunately, Ysabelle''s high endurance and special body type were made for just this instance.


    And finally¡­


    "For the keeper of my dreams, and the one who has protected me all my life¡­ Rosa¡­ I grant you the power of Life."


    Rosa closed her emerald eyes and epted my power injection with a loving smile. Rosa, who was already the vessel of the World Tree and the woman who controlled every nt in the world, has now reached a new threshold.


    The four girlspleted their final blessing and awakening without a single risk to their lives and were now the undisputed strongest women on the. No, they were the strongest women in the gxy.


    Only the Goddess of Destiny, who had absorbed a portion of my powers for her prophetic dreams, couldpare to the four Goddesses standing before me.


    And I knew¡­ With these four by my side, no entity in the Universe could ever harm me.


    "Let''s defeat humanity, shall we?"


    ???


    The day of destiny had arrived. Jin Valter had waged war against the World, and the Earth had sent their best to the battlegrounds that Jin had prepared. If it was anyone else, humanity would have ignored the ludicrous request for a final battle to determine who would control the. However, the person who dered war wasn''t just any random person.


    Jin Valter.


    The new Progenitor of the Vampire race. The strongest living creature on the and the person who killed three Demon Lords on his own. An existence so terrifying that every Vampire House now revered him, and there was a religion made just to worship him. A monster that went far beyond any danger rating and was indisputably, more dangerous than the Outer Demon threat. Not to mention, Valter Inc was now responsible for ten percent of the world''s energy and in time, thepany would monopolise the energy market and dominate humanity anyway.


    Humanity knew that they had to ept this challenge.


    It would be the most televised event in living memory, and everyone above S-ranked was invited to join the battle.


    Hunters, Werewolves, Exorcists¡­ They were all gathered in this one ce to face the existential threat. Over ten thousand of the world''s elites stood cautiously over the inverted mountain, and the tension in the air was so palpable that one could cut it with a knife.


    And as the clock struck noon¡­


    A tear in Spacetime opened up in the distance, enabling five individuals to walk through.


    Four of the world''s, no, the Universe''s most beautiful women were the first to step out. They wore thin clothing with light armour to protect their modesty and vitals. Yet, even though they weren''t dressed for battle, the ferocious looks in their eyes were enough to kill a million soldiers.


    s, even though the girls were jaw-droppingly gorgeous, no one paid much attention to them. Their eyes were stered on the man behind them, who walked casually as if this was this routine evening walk.


    And yet, no one could shake the uneasiness in their hearts. Feeling his presence, their souls trembled, and their bodies refused to move. Many fought off the urge to escape, while others copsed on the spot. Only those with tremendous wills could stay conscious in front of the beast, and at the same time, they all had one thought in their mind.


    ''So this is Jin Valter¡­''


    Jin observed the gathered participants and could identify some familiar faces. The Alpha Werewolf that crossed his path many moons back, Father Amorth of the Holy Church, and a plethora of other famous S-ranked Hunters.


    They were all here to challenge his hegemony.


    And that simple fact was enough to make the man break out inughter.


    "Struggle all you want¡­ For your destiny has been sealed."

 Chapter 200 The Final Boss (3)

    "Struggle all you want¡­ For your destiny has been sealed."


    I''d unwittingly mumbled out my honest thoughts for the world to hear. Even though it was barely more audible than a soft whisper, the entire army spread out before me trembled violently, with many falling straight to the floor. The vast majority of those present were S-ranked Hunters, and each could fight toe-to-toe with seasoned ancient Vampires. Not to mention, several Exorcists specialised in hunting Vampires mixed within the vast army.


    This army alone would be enough to wipe out the Vampire race in any other era. Multiple crusades were fought in the past just for that one reason. But this time, the crusades won''t end with great Vampire death. Rather¡­


    "Come to me¡­ My servants."


    I clenched my fist and summoned a dark cloud of shade and smoke. The smog buried itself under my feet and spread out behind me like a steep cliff reaching into an ocean. At the start, the army was confused and readied themselves for imminent battle. However, their caution soon turned intoplete shock and fear after the first being of darkness escaped from the ck smog.


    ck wings with angelic-like faces. My own created Angels made their debut on the world stage with a huge bang as multiple ''Angels'' flew up into the sky. They spread their wings while holding an array of different weapons. Swords, spears, machine guns¡­ The ck Angelspletely took over the skies, with over a thousand of them ready to battle.


    And that sight spurred the coalition''s army into action, particrly the Holy Church.


    "sphemous! To deface the creation of God!" One of the Exorcists shouted out in anger. His veins popped out of his forehead as he held tightly onto his rosary. "Lord, give me the strength to smite our deranged enemy and the power to execute your will!"


    Holy energy erupted from the priest''s soul, creating a light pir piercing through the clouds. Holy magic was rapidly being absorbed from the Faith Dimension until yet another Angel was formed within the sanctuary of light. The exorcist''s bold deed was the first ball that rolled down the hill. In time, the others in the coalition army followed suit.


    The members of the Holy Church banded together to summon even more Angels, all ripe with Holy power from the Faith Dimension and ready to sh with my own created Angels. The Werewolves in the army turned from their human forms into their depraved, muscr wolf forms and threatened to charge at a moment''s notice. And finally, the humans began their overwhelming charge towards me. Hunters moved into their groups of tanks, mages and fighters, and in a rare show of unity and cohesion, they started the most spectacr, coordinated siege I''d ever seen.


    Tanks would stop the charge of my Angels while supported by buffs and healings from the Priests or Clerics. Mages would rain a symphony of spells down from the heavens, none of which would interfere with the other. While fighters danced splendidly across the spells and attacks, all aiming for the vital points of my created Angels.


    The ster movements of the hastily put-together army were a marvel to watch, and I was once again reminded of how dangerous the human race could be and why they were still the dominant race on the.


    They weren''t the best physical fighters like the Werewolves, nor did they have superior magic capabilities like humans. But they had one aspect that surpassed any of the other races¡­ Their ceaseless desire to adapt and improve.


    I should know since I was once a human too.


    It was the main reason why I''d ascended so quickly over the past two years.


    They were powerful, adaptable and tough to manage¡­ Which was why they were so dangerous.


    However, just as I was about to use my next move, an irritated cry sounded out from the corner of my ears.


    "Jin¡­ Didn''t you promise us something?"


    Lilith folded her arms and tapped her feet in annoyance. I nced back and saw my four wives pouting while sighing, wholly unimpressed by the turn of events. Realising my mistake, I chuckled and attempted to gloss over my error.


    "I was just setting the stage for you guys."


    "Don''t think you can distract us with your silver tongue."


    "Haha, of course, of course¡­" Stepping away from the scene, I gave the girls some space to do their magic. "The battle is all yours, my dears."


    "Now that''s better!"


    Lilith cracked her knuckles while rotating her neck. After taking a deep breath, the blonde femme fatale stretched out her arms and proudly disyed her rainbow-coloured wedding ring. A torrent of magic power burst forth from the crystal, and it mixed with her Elysian Melody to create a symphony of elemental light.


    p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® The dimensions shattered behind her, and a void beyond the dimensions could be seen within the cracks. Harnessing the power of the void, Lilith manipted her newfound power as if she''d always had it, and aary tempest descended from the heavens. Lighting fell while winds strong enough to uproot mountains howled.


    It was a catastrophe powerful enough to end nations and make an entire continent inhospitable. But strangely enough, it was contained in one area¡­ Most of the Holy Church''s Angels were devastated by the storm, and thend dwellers were forced to hug onto the tform while praying for dear life that they wouldn''t fall.


    More powerful S-rankers could hold their ground through sheer force of will, while the elites of them all attempted tounch a counterattack. Particrly the martial artists that reached the pinnacle of the human race and the Werewolves that had evolved to be the peak of physical form. They fought through the elemental storm, cutting lightning bolts in half while splitting the wind with one swing of their weapon while the Werewolves braved on with their hard skin and impressive vigour.


    Most couldn''t withstand the pressure and were blown away by the storm, but a number managed to reach within a hundred metres of Lilith''s immobile body. However, just as they''d thought they''d seen the light at the end of the wind tunnel¡­


    BOOM!!!


    Reality hit them straight on the nose. Quite literally, in fact.


    Ysabelle''s greatsword mmed them inly on the face, sending them flying all the way down the tempest and back to the battlegrounds. The martial artists that somehow remained watched in shock and horror as the Goddess of War spun her massive sword around like it was a toy while a ruby, crimson light erupted from her wedding ring.


    Crimson lightning coiled around the ck-haired beauty like an unrelenting serpent, strengthening the woman with each passing second. And by the time the Hunters and Werewolves could react¡­ It was toote.


    A massive ruby sword hung over the entire arena with its hilt pointed down. Made with pure destructive energy, just one percent of its power was enough to destroy an entire mountain. As the heir to my destruction magic, Ysabelle knew full well how to utilise and control that rampant power. Which was why¡­


    "Fall."


    Ysabelle''sckadaisicalment was enough to send shivers down everyone''s spine. All of my enemies either rushed to stop the Sword of Destruction from falling or ran away, seeking cover. s, against the power of Destruction, you only had one choice if you hoped to survive.


    Defend and pray for the best.


    And sure enough¡­


    BOOM!!!!


    The crimson sword plunged deep into the inverted mountain, smashing it into smithereens instantly. The sword dissipated into energy, and a catastrophic sight of dust and rubble remained in its wake.


    "You overdid it, Ysabelle. Now I can''t see anything."


    Irina was the next to move. She snapped her fingers and blew away the smoke and dust with her control over Spacetime as she elegantly warped herself down to the broken remains.


    Surprisingly, over half of the elites sent to kill me remained after Lilith and Ysabelle''s attacks. They weren''t called the best of the best for nothing. Even after seeing the two deadly strikes, the Hunters, Exorcists and Werewolves were still determined to fight. And they saw Irina''s careless move as an opportunity to act.


    The most agile of elites rushed over, backed up through a series of supportive magic and enhancement spells. Assassins that specialised in killing their opponent before they even realised what was going on were the first to reach Irina.


    Their knives and daggers wereced with special poison that was explicitly designed to kill Vampires. As long as they couldnd one hit on Irina, they could turn the tides of this battle and possibly aplish their goal.


    But s, Irina wasn''t the same weak little sister I remembered.


    The assassins froze in midair, unaware that their fates had been sealed. Their eyes moved for a brief moment to highlight their confusion, but their ends had been met. Frozen in time and space, the men who attempted to kill Irina fell to the floor motionless like statues of ice, and yet, not ayer of frost could be seen on their bodies.


    "Useless, did you think you''d really stood a chance against me? Even after Brother gave me his power?" Irina spat.


    The power to freeze all of Spacetime¡­ That was my gift to Irina; she''d immediately made full use of it. The frozen mind would never wake, and those in a stasis in Spacetime¡­ would be trapped for eternity, not knowing what had happened to their bodies.


    However, Irina didn''t care about their miserable fates. None of my four wives did. Even Rosa, the most loving and emphatic of them all, only frowned and said:


    "Girls¡­ Slow down a little; I can''t tether my magic to you¡­"


    More worried about providing support using her Life magic and keeping their magic power levels high, Rosa ignored the fallen humans on the floor while the rest of the girls continued their carnage.


    As I watched the four girls easily dispatch the coalition army, one thought ran over my mind. A thought that I''d never imagined I would have.


    ¡­ Am I really needed here?

 Chapter 201 The Final Boss (4)

    My four wives continued wiping the floor with the coalition army like young girls ying with dolls. With her time-stop capabilities, no enemy on Earth could even reach within ten metres of Irina. Even if they couldunch an attack from range, Irina''s ability to reverse time simply made the attacks redundant.


    And when she was bored of dealing with her enemies one by one, Irina would expand her Winter Sovereign domain, freezing everything and anyone within her line of sight. She didn''t need to cast a spell; anything she targeted with her eyes would be frostbitten by icy flowers or frosty snowkes.


    Lilith''s dominance over the battlefield was a little different from Irina''s. Controlling both Dimensional magic and the power of Creation, she could wipe entirendscapes off the map without blinking an eye. Lightning bolts, each powerful enough to level a skyscraper, rained down like the righteous fury of Gods while a heavy tempest ruled the atmosphere.


    Not a single soul could get near Lilith''s zoning prowess, and hundreds of the world''s elites were being brushed aside like they were extras. The only problem with Lilith''s power was how huge the area of effect was. Both the Holy Church''s Angels and mine were caught up in the massive whirlwinds, and many had their lives reaped away in the process.


    Fortunately, Ysabelle''s rampage on the battlefield was much more contained. Swinging her greatsword like it weighed nothing, the Goddess of War easily dispatched the world''s greatest martial artists and Werewolves with a single sh. Ysabelle''s own Obsidian Phoenix aspect was strengthening her physical prowess, but the primary damage dealer she had was the power of Destruction.


    Even the most muscr of men and toughest of Werewolves were nothing against Ysabelle''s sword. Each time the Goddess of War swung her sword, a hurricane of phantom des followed, each possessing the power to sever multiple bodies in one go. Hundreds of martial artists failed to counter the attack, and many had their bodies sliced off from their torsos.


    And finally, there was Rosalyn. Before we reunited, Rosa was already a Progenitor-level Vampire and could efficiently dispatch thousands of S-ranked Hunters on her own. Now that she''s increased her personal power and obtained my former Aspect of Life, the Goddess of Life has ascended to another level entirely.


    After establishing a connection with the other three girls, Rosa could constantly supply magic power from her bottomless well of energy, giving the girls free rein to cast any spell they wished without drying up. At the same time, with the gift of life, none of the girls was at risk of dying. Even fatal injuries would be healed instantly, while their form would never deteriorate.


    Rosa was even ''cleaning'' up the corpses the girls had created with her World Tree vines. In the end, I didn''t even need to do anything. The girls had grown strong enough to handle an entire army alone while I twiddled my thumbs at the back.


    But naturally, there was no way the elites of the human race didn''t have an ace up their sleeves¡­


    "Oh blessed Lord above¡­ Give us the strength to fight against evil and smite those who go against your will!!!"


    While my four wives were cleaning up against the weaker opponents, the Holy Church finally made its move. Eighteen pirs of light descended from the sky and merged into one. Holy magic dominated the battlefield, healing all the injured and giving strength to the clergymen from the Holy Church. And most crucially¡­


    Arge white-robed humanoid with eighteen wings flew overhead. A sanctified aura dispersed the blood and smoke which reigned over the battlefield giving the defeated one final ray of hope. Even those that didn''t believe in the doctrines of the Holy Church began the pray desperately, giving additional faith energy to the massive white Angel.


    "Archangel¡­ We plead thee¡­ Kill the Progenitor!!!"


    Revitalised, the coalition army got their spirits up. Awakening from their stupor, they regrouped under the Archangel''s banner and attempted to make one final push to defeat my wives.


    "Annoying¡­"


    Seeing the danger in their revitalised charge, Rosa got up and was ready to join the fray. However, before she could cast a single spell, I grabbed hold of her wrist and said:


    "Hold on, there''s no need for you to move."


    "Jin?"


    "Don''t misunderstand; I can see the danger of the Archangel as well."


    An Archangel was a challenging foe to handle. In the past, it had fought against Drac, the First Progenitor and even held back the Demon Lords. And with its fight against Baishe, I knew full well how tricky it was; letting the girls fight it alone would be taking an unnecessary risk.


    Now, I fully believed in their capabilities, and given enough time, I was confident that the three of them would have defeated the Archangel while holding back the coalition army. But there was no need to take that risk. Besides, there was one thing I wanted to try.


    "Just look at them, celebrating just because of one mere Archangel¡­ Don''t you think we should give them despair?"


    "Jin¡­"


    "Step aside, Rosa. I''ll be taking over now."


    "Okay¡­"


    As expected, Rosa was the most submissive of all my wives. Rather than argue against me, the ethereal beauty stepped back and watched me with warmth in her eyes. And with those eyes firmly stered onto me¡­ I felt like I was invincible.


    Raising my arms, my Aspect of Control gleamed with a blinding light. I felt a searing heat on the back of my arm as magic power rapidly rushed out from my core and onto the battlefield. Sensing the change in atmosphere, every elite in the army snapped their heads in my direction, with many shouting orders to target me.


    s, they were far toote. No, they never stood a chance in the first ce.


    My magic was longpleted, and the ck billowing smoke behind me increased tenfold. And from the darkness came my most prided creations. Abominations that the Holy Church despised and humanity woulde to fear for the rest of their existence.


    "N-No way¡­"


    "... How are we going to fight against that?"


    "Is this¡­ the power of the Progenitor?"


    Many gave up right then and there. Dropping their weapons and falling onto their knees, ny percent of humanity''s best threw in the towel and epted their fates. Even the Exorcists from the Holy Church couldn''t believe their eyes and stopped their prayers at the sight.


    Over a hundred neen-winged Archangels rose from the ck smog, each possessing just as much, if not more, magical energy than the Archangel from the Holy Church. The Holy Church''s Archangel uses Faith energy to fuel its power, but my Archangels were a different breed. One could say they were the improvements of the Holy Church''s most valued possession.


    Mixing the standardised Faith energy I obtained from my own Faith Dimension and the anti-magic properties that the Outer Demons had shown me, I''d made the ultimate killing machine. Just one of them could defeat Cthulhu or Baishe, and now there were hundreds of them on the battlefield.


    It was natural for the coalition army to give up.


    And now, to rub salt onto the wound.


    "Know despair¡­"


    I pointed my finger at the heart of the Holy Church''s forces, and Father Amorth, the Holy Church''s strongest Exorcist and most trusted clergyman spun his guns around and began to snipe everyone around him.


    It didn''t matter if they were members of the Holy Church, S-ranked Hunters or Werewolves¡­ None were spared by the elite Exorcist''s bullets.


    "F-Father Amorth?! Have you lost your mind?!"


    "T-The Head Exorcist of the Holy Church has defected!"


    "He''s killing everyone! W-Will defecting spare our lives?"


    "FUCK!!! Let''s run away! This battle is hopeless!!!"


    Finally, thest bit of morale humanity had crumbled away. Ever since our first meeting, Father Amorth had been brainwashed to be my loyal ve and acted as a mole within the Holy Church all this time. Spying on their every move, I knew all the ns beforehand and how to clone the Archangel efficiently. And more importantly¡­ I learned how to stop the Archangel without lifting a single finger.


    Father Amorth shot his way into the final barrier of the Holy Church and gunned down all the Priests controlling the Archangel. And with their connection severed, the sacred white being in the skies faded into the darkness, leaving behind the hundreds of towering neen-winged monsters just as terrifying as the Demon Lords.


    "T-The ritual has been cut!"


    "H-Has God forsaken us?!"


    "R-RUN!!!"


    It wasplete mayhem. The human race''s best scattered like the wind, wishing to escape before any of the Archangels could reap their lives. s, how could they stop destined death? Half of the survivors were wiped clean in mere seconds, and the other half were quick to follow. Ultimately, the battle for humanity ended just as quickly as it started.


    As aplete defeat.


    "Jin¡­ Didn''t you say that you would leave it all to us?"


    "I didn''t promise that," I chuckled at Lilith''s adorable pout. "I only said I''ll let you start the battle; I didn''t say I''ll let you finish it."


    "You''re such an ass!"


    "Haha, the purpose of this battle is to inspire fear in their hearts. If I let my wives do all the killing, what''s the point?"


    "That''s true, but¡­"


    "Don''t worry; if you want to test out your new abilities, I''ll indulge you in the future."


    "Okay¡­ I guess that would do."


    Like children who had gotten their new toys, my wives wished to test out their new powers. And a battlefield such as this one was the prime opportunity for them to do so. s, I had other ns for the rest of mankind.


    After appeasing my irritated wives, I nced at the numerous cameras and dumbfounded spectators around the arena. Most of them couldn''t breathe a single word, and I was confident that everyone watching from their homes felt the same way. Smiling with quite possibly the most disgusting grin on my face, I happily dered:


    "With that done¡­ Let''s move on to the closing act, shall we?"

 Chapter 202 The Final Boss (5)

    "Let''s move on to the closing act, shall we?"


    With the world watching, I gazed down at the battlefield filled with corpses and rivers of blood. My four wives went overboard, and most of the coalition army was mangled beyond recognition. A number of them had their torsos severed, while a good number left no trace of their existence, not even a single strand of hair.


    The carnage was beyond anything the world had ever seen since and in the future. And it was for a good reason.


    If I wished to rule over the human race or dominate Earth, I needed to inspire fear. Enough fear so that no one would ever fathom rising up against me. And while I could also control their minds, just like I did with the Demon race, the human race had unique uses.


    And now that I had given them the stick, it was time for the carrot.


    My Aspect of Control glimmered ever so brightly as the power of miracles resonated from my soul. Unlike most of my previous spells, vast amounts of energy decorated the entire sky with a glorious light. A massive clock created by pure miracle energy encircled the clouds, and as the minute hand ticked backwards, so did time itself.


    All the destruction and death my wives and I caused melted away, reverting everything back to its original state. The thousands of dead elites, the mountain that had been destroyed, thendscape that had been changed, everything was reverting to the way it all was.


    "W-What just happened?"


    "... Didn''t I die? Why am I still here?"


    "P-Paul, your head was gone?! J-Just how?!"


    All those who had their lives reaped away slowly awakened as if they had just encountered a bad dream. Even the sanctified members of the Holy Church couldn''t believe their eyes as they saw theirrades reviving from the dead. Father Amorth, who had long defected to my side, watched over the lostmbs with a beaming smile.


    "My brothers¡­ Now, do you see? Who is our true God?"


    "A-Amorth¡­ Am I dreaming?"


    "No, resurrection is real. With the power of the true God, we will never fear death again."


    "T-This¡­"


    Raising people from the dead was nigh impossible even for the Holy Church. After all, their God wasn''t real, but an amalgamation of Holy energy built up in the Faith Dimension. But for me, the man capable of controlling everything in existence, it was a simple matter.


    A golden-red aura enveloped my entire body as I descended from the heavens. Everyone who raised their eyes at me was captivated by the sight, and many were turned into instant believers. Fanatic fervour could be seen in their gazes as they voluntarily bent the knee. Even the most ardent of Holy Church worshippers couldn''t help but get captivated by my sacred grandeur.


    Rewinding time for so many people wasn''t an easy feat to aplish. Adding to the fact that I''d created hundreds of Archangels to scare the poption, I''d expended over half of my internal energy. s, there was one more deed I had to aplish.


    [Listen to my Law.]


    My voice resonated like a booming wave of energy, shaking the and entering the minds of every living creature. Golden light descended from the edges of Outer Space and condensed into a massive halo which captivated all who looked straight at it.


    Humans, Vampires, Werewolves¡­ It didn''t matter.


    They were caught under my spell¡­ My Law.


    [No denizen of Earth or their descendants will ever hurt a member of the Valter House from this day to the end of time! Anyone who disobeys this order will be smited with my vengeance!]


    I''d repeated the Law I''d ced on the Demon Realm, but this time, I''d cast it Earth. Deep in their subconscious, every living creature under the influence of the Golden Halo was bound by an eternal doctrine, a Law that they could never escape from unless their bloodline ended.


    At that very moment, the world came to a stop. Those with weaker minds copsed on the spot, while the stronger ones felt their mental and physical state entering a metamorphosis. Many entered into a deep slumber in an attempt to prevent their brains from overloading while some fought through the difort.


    But one thing was for certain¡­


    At the end of it all, I was going to be the sole Hegemon of the.


    "Is it done?"


    Irina came over with an inquisitive look on her face. The other three weren''t that different, either. This was the first time they witnessed my power of Law and were naturally interested in how I managed to create a miracle out of thin air.


    "It''s done," Iughed decisively. "Our family is safe forever. Neither the Humans nor the Demons will pose a threat to us. We will live the rest of our lives in bliss."


    "You know¡­ If you had the power to do that, why didn''t you do it in the first ce?" Lilith came over with her brow raised. "Did we actually have to go through that show of power?"


    "Like you said, dear¡­ It''s a show of power."


    I nced down at the thousands of elites. Behind each of them were millions of humans, and they represented the best that humanity could offer. While I defeated them with ease today, their adaptation and improvement will one day reach astronomical levels, and if they were fiercely loyal to me¡­


    "I don''t want mindless ves. While I have infinite power, no man rules alone. I don''t want to conquers one by one or create governments to rule over our people. I want to be a Monarch, but without the crown. A leader that remains unseen, and yet, everyone fears."


    "You wanted to inspire the people?"


    "Bingo."


    I''d shown them the peak of evolution. With that disy of power, they would revere and fear me. While there may be some dissidents, they won''t be able to escape the control of my Law. Ultimately, it was a winning y with no demerits to my actions.


    "Now that you''ve conquered the world, what do you n to do next?"


    "What do I n to do next?"


    I rubbed the bottom of my chin and started to think. I''d conquered the world, defeated the Outer Demon threat, married my four wives and protected my family for the rest of time. I''d even discovered the arcane secrets of Life and Death and had found the origin of all magic.


    I''d aplished all of my goals¡­ All except one.


    "It''s a secret."


    "Ehhh, why?!"


    "Hahaha, don''t worry about it. I won''t be able to fulfil that goal until millions of yearster anyway."


    I shook my head and brought the four girls into my arms. My final goal wasn''t easily aplished anyway, so for now, let''s do the one thing I had on my mind.


    "For now, why don''t we return to our room?"

 Chapter 203 Epilogue

    In a dimension suspended in Space and Time, there stood a single Citadel.


    The Citadel was ced upon a floating ind that didn''t move ording to the gravitational pull ofs or stars. It was suspended in ce like a static photograph, never once impaired by the numerous gravitational bodies around it.


    And there were several.


    ck holesrger than any stars in the night sky could be seen orbiting the ptial Citadel. Gxies that contained billions of stars and an unfathomable number ofs were orbiting the massive pce.


    It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that the Citadel was at the heart, the centre of the Universe.


    The interior of the Citadel was just as impressive as its exterior. It looked like it only had enough space to house a thousand people from the outside. However, one would quickly dispel that illusion the moment they stepped foot into the ornate castle. Massive halls that seemingly never ended and ceilings that no one could see the roof off weed any guests who came in. Thousands, if not millions, of pirs, each with their own unique design, held the Citadel together while billions of trophies from every culture known in the Universe were gathered in one ce.


    Rare metals from extincts¡­ Bronze weapons from an ancient age¡­ Unique flowers that only bloomed under extreme conditions¡­ Fishes that swam in pits of fire¡­


    The list was endless.


    The Citadel wasn''t just a pce for a King to live in; it was a living museum to record the aplishments of those who built it. In it was the recorded history of everything in existence. Wars fought between Gods and Goddesses.s and entire gxies destroyed. Nebs birthing new stars while supernovas ended them¡­


    Everything in the Universe was recorded in this Citadel. And the person responsible for it all¡­


    At the heart of the Citadel, there stood a singr throne. Made with the rarest materials in the Universe, the throne was fit for the undisputed sovereign of the entire Universe. Streams of gctical energy were concentrated into this one throne hall giving the person within the power to travel anywhere in the Universe in a blink of an eye.


    In this isted Citadel outside of Space and Time, the man who sat on the throne was capable of controlling everything. From the bustling hubs to the most remote ces in the Universe. Viewing alternate timelines and observing changes in every corner of Spacetime.


    It was truly an omnipotent and surreal ability.


    And the only one capable of using that ability¡­ was soundly asleep on the throne.


    Cloaked in a crimson-golden robe, the man was the living embodiment of a regal God. Even in his deep slumber, no one dared to assassinate him. Just by approaching his body, those who didn''t have the power to destroys would instantly be eviscerated by his aura. The power of Law was wrapped around his unconscious self, and no one dared to awake his slumber.


    The servants who were hand-selected to protect and serve him all knelt down with their faces ashen, patiently waiting for their sovereign to awaken on his own ord.


    And he had to wake up¡­ Otherwise, something terrible was about to happen.


    "L-Lord Jin! Y-you''re finally awake."


    Fortunately, it wasn''t long until the godly man''s eyelids flickered. He looked around and saw the numerous advisors and servants staring him down with trepidation and relief, but the man didn''t remember why he was in this position. Twitching his brows, Hegemon Jin rubbed the temples of his forehead and yawned:


    "I fell asleep?"


    "Yes, Lord Jin. We were in the midst of our briefing session when you fainted for fifteen minutes!"


    At his question, a firm yet sonorous voice sounded from the side. Jin turned his head around, only to see a white-robeddy with a blindfold around her eyes looking at him with caution and worry. Jin had seen this woman billions, nay, trillions of times in the past and had long gotten ustomed to her presence near his throne. However, at that very moment, Jin flinched in disgust and spat:


    "Uriel¡­ You were here?"


    "??? What do you mean? I''ve been faithfully serving at Lord Jin''s side since you conquered the Demon Realm."


    "Ah, yes¡­ Of course, you did."


    Jin rotated his neck and gently stretched out his stiff body. Shaking his head, the Hegemon started to reflect back on what he''d just gone through. Returning back to the past toplete the loop¡­ Being summoned by his past self to deal with Thanatos and deliver the final message to allow past Jin to discover his true Vampire Aspect and awaken the journey of the Hegemon.


    He''d always known that it was going to happen. But he just didn''t know exactly where or when.


    "Lord Jin, if I may be so bold to ask¡­ What happened to you? You never had a health issue in your two million-year reign as the God of our Universe. Did something go wrong?"


    "Me? Haha, nothing happened. I''d just returned to the past."


    "... I beg your pardon?"


    "I returned to the past, Uriel." Jinughed out loud and stared the former Goddess of Destiny in the face. "Come to think of it; you really caused a lot of issues for me in the past."


    "!!! I did it under your direction! You wrote the timeline so that I would behave that way!"


    "I know, I know¡­ I didn''t punish you then and don''t intend to do so now. I was just reminiscing about the past."


    Jin waved off the frantic Uriel andughed it off. It had been over two million years since he conquered the Demon Realm and expanded his Empire all over the Universe. Now, there was only one true master of the Universe. But even though he''d practically had the power to destroy entire gxies, Jin remained out of politics and the affairs of his Empire for the most part.


    Jin never wished to be a tyrannical ruler, allowing every he ''conquered'' to remain autonomous and rule themselves. Whether they wanted to form democratic republics or one-person monarchies, Jin didn''t care. As long as they flew under his banner and kept the peace of the Universe, Jin wouldn''t interfere with their affairs.


    Most of his time was spent furthering his research and expanding his sphere of influence. And, of course¡­


    "How are my children faring?"


    "Hmmm? Why are you concerned about them now when you''ve never asked about their well-being?"


    "Well¡­ After I fathered a thousand of them¡­ I couldn''t be bothered to keep track of them."


    "So you want to y the good father now?"


    "No, just leave it¡­"


    Jin was a victim of his own sess. With peace over the entire Universe and four loving wives who would do anything with him in the bedroom, he''d father thousands of children over the two million years. His children went on to have grandchildren, and their children had grandchildren too. In the end, he was the head of a household with multiple generations, and since they were all Vampires with eversting lives, it was near impossible for Jin to keep track of them all. Therefore, he''d sequestered himself in the Citadel outside of Time and Space, giving the keys of the Empire to his descendants and their descendants.


    But even though he was isted, Jin did hear news of his children''s misdeeds from time to time.


    On asion, there were civil wars where Valter children fought other Valter children. Their small spat would turn into a multi-gctic war, where allegiances were created and destroyed through an intricate of betrayal, trust and war. It had be soplicated that Jin didn''t even bother to remember the names of his children anymore, as they would constantly fight over one small part of the Universe, which was trivial in the Hegemon''s eyes.


    "But do you have the luxury to worry about your children now?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Since you''d fainted mysteriously, we didn''t know what to do, therefore¡­"


    "Shit¡­ You called them?"


    "Yes!"


    "Fuck¡­"


    Jin felt a massive throbbing headache off the horizon once again. He was even tempted to go back into a slumber forcibly to avoid the hurricanes that were approaching. But s, he was far toote.


    Four portals broke the dimensional barrier surrounding the Citadel and tore straight into the throne room. No gctic leader, merchant executive or even Jin''s own flesh and blood would dare break into the throne hall of the Hegemon in such a tant manner. Of course, all but four¡­


    "B-Brother! We heard that you fainted!"


    "Jin! What happened to you?!"


    "A-Are you feeling okay?!"


    "JIN!!!"


    Four of the Universe''s most beautiful women broke through Spacetime and found their way onto Jin''sp. They carefully examined the Hegemon''s body, unperturbed by the oppressive aura that would have ttened anyone who had gotten too close. Watching the four women, Jin was reminded of how they looked two million years ago.


    All four of them were young beauties and were already more gorgeous than anything he''d ever seen then. But with two million years behind them, they possessed a certain charm and maturity which captivated his eyes and brought him under an unbreakable spell.


    Even after two million years, Jin still loved his wives dearly¡­ It was just¡­


    "Don''t worry; I''m feelingpletely fine! I''d just returned back to the past, that''s all!"


    At his sudden revtion, the four women froze. No, it was more urate to say that the entire Citadel froze. Even as a floating ind at the centre of the Universe suspended in Time and Space, the entire dimension froze even further with Jin''s words.


    And the words out of Irina''s mouth broke the silence.


    "So¡­ You were brought back to the past to see our younger selves? I see¡­ So that''s why you stayed there for so long; you wanted to cheat on us with younger girls, didn''t you?"


    "Emmm, Irina? You do know that the girls you''re talking about are your past selves, right?"


    "No¡­ Irina has a point. If I remember correctly, you tried to seduce us on our wedding night. Aren''t you a bold one? Trying to cheat on your wives when we bore thousands of your children?"


    "L-Lilith?"


    "Jin¡­ I can''t condone cheating."


    "Cheating is bad¡­"


    "Ysabelle¡­ Rosa¡­ You too?"


    The four wives of the Hegemon bared their fangs out as the temperature dropped precipitously. Knowing their ce, the advisors and servants willingly stepped out of the throne hall and were ready to abandon their liege at a moment''s notice. Even Uriel, Jin''s most trusted advisor after his wives, ran away with her tail between her legs. If not for Jin''s sudden order, the former Goddess of Destiny would have disappeared through the dimensions by now.


    "H-Hold on! Now''s not the time! With the timeline closed, we can move on to the final n!"


    "The final n?"


    All four of his wives cocked their heads to a side as question marks appeared all over their foreheads.


    "Yes¡­ Our preparations werepleted centuries back¡­ However, because I didn''t know when I was going to be summoned to the past, I couldn''t initiate the n. But now that my past and present have been secured, we can now look forward to the future."


    Jin smiled and raised his palm out. A halo of pure golden energy rose from his soul and levitated up a few centimetres. It contained the Aspect of Control, the power of his Law¡­ Everything in the Universe was subservient to the energy in his hands, and it was the sole reason why the entire Universe served the Valter House. But in a twist of events, Jin crushed his palm and the halo with it.


    "B-Brother! What are you doing?!"


    "Don''t worry, Irina¡­ We won''t be needing this anymore."


    "H-Huh?"


    "Lilith¡­ Do you remember the oath I made to you? The oath where we will be together even if the Universe dies?"


    "Y-Yes?"


    "I''m going to fulfil that promise now."


    For the first time in thousands of years, the Citadel suspended in Time and Space, showed signs of movement. The ck holes, gxies and innumerable neb surrounding the Citadel were meshed together by dimensional magic as new energy emerged from the void.


    "I''m not going to wait until thest star dies out or if the Universe kills itself in the Big Rip¡­ I will live happily ever after with all of you, and to do that¡­"


    Jin''s power reached a new threshold for the first time in thousands of years. Ascending to his mostplete and final form, Jin threw away his Hegemonic power over the current Universe in favour of a new one¡­


    "I''ll create a new Universe for us to live in."


    ~~~ End ~~~


    Hello! Thank you so much for picking up "My Vampire Little Sister!" and reading it to its conclusion! I''m eternally grateful to all of you who started this journey with me and keeping up with the antics of Jin and his four wives!


    Unfortunately, I will take a break from writing for the foreseeable future to focus on my newmitments, mainly my new job. But I will be back with a new story soon! Writing is like an addiction for me, and I don''t think I can ever stop. Once the hectic part of my life is over, I''ll be back with a new and improved story, which I already have the overall plot in the back of my head. All it needs is a little storyboarding and proper nning, and I''ll release it here for all of you to read.


    Once again, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout this journey! I can''t name everyone, but I hope you guys know that your support is what kept me going throughout andmitted to finishing the story!


    So¡­ Thank you, everyone!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!