novelhk Page 34
Page 34
Then we had a great time.
Chapter 79: Research Findings
Another week has passed, and a dozen or so decorations flutter in the wind at the entrance of Thorn Manor. These are the spoils of war brought back by the vengeful female warriors. The vengeful female warriors, who have begun to gradually change into plate armor, have maintained absolute dominance over the "bandits." The merchants coming and going have gradually regained their courage, and some have even begun to hire vengeful female warriors from other places instead of following the group.
"Almost there..."
Zhuang Sen looked at his bloodline development level, which had just reached 60%, touched Dantalian and Nia sleeping next to him, and cast [Purification] on them and himself to cleanse his body and get up to prepare for a pleasant day.
First, we arrived at the restaurant, where I patted Hana's head, held her little hand, and casually inquired about the Sacred Scale Fruit Tree. Then, Dantalian escorted her to the chapel to prepare for morning prayers—because of the Sanctification Day, there were many more vengeful believers in Thorn Manor now, so we couldn't just give them a perfunctory service anymore.
After dealing with Hana, take her to her field and see the Sacred Scale Fruit tree in person; it's now grown to 1.3 meters tall. After dealing with the two monster girls, head to the blacksmith shop with Nia. Nia will naturally go and enjoy forging, while Zhuang Sen will supervise the workers from the Falao Merchant Guild installing the equipment needed for the blacksmith workshop, while also processing the various important documents delivered by the female treasurer from the Falao Merchant Guild.
“Jack and John got into a fight because of Mary, and John’s leg was broken… Jack was arrested and publicly whipped three times, and made to pay for John’s medical expenses.”
"Old Jack and Old Mary had a fight over watering the fields. Old Jack died of anger after he lost the argument... We asked Old Mary to pay part of the funeral expenses and also to expedite the digging of the irrigation ditch."
"The convoy transporting a new batch of equipment has been robbed by bandits, which will slow down the blacksmith's workshop's progress? It seems they're about to take action... The backup team should be arriving soon, right?"
The female finance officer, who had been handling other matters nearby, looked up and replied, "They are expected to arrive this afternoon, around the time this batch is finished."
“Thank you, Marnie.” Zhuang Sen took out this one separately. “These next few days, you can move to the main building and stay next to Hana. Also, send the girls out to search for those scum who dared to steal my equipment, and bring back their heads.”
Ordinary people are no match for those with bloodlines; staying at home will only increase their chances of being easily killed. It's better for them to go out and do some work. Anyway, with him, Nia, and Dantalian around, as long as no one awakens to the third time, they can kill indiscriminately.
"Yes, my lord."
The female financial officer nodded in confirmation, then continued calculating the documents filled with numbers in front of her.
Zhuang Sen buried the documents in front of him again, but he felt like he had missed something... Oh, right, there was also a vampire girl. Should he awaken her? Judging from her recent behavior, she seemed to be inseparable from his blood. Moreover, he needed more monster girls to increase the development of his abilities.
I'll ask tonight.
……
Meanwhile, Miss Mira was engrossed in her research.
Her room was filled with all sorts of strange devices, some of which even Zhuang Sen couldn't recognize. Bright red blood flowed through them, transforming into forms and data that only Mira herself could understand, and then into lines of records on white paper.
"Hana Flor, nature attribute, plant form? Human form?... Then what is this flame? And is this really human blood?"
“Nia Harper, earth element, human form… You call this solid stone human? Besides being red, what about this blood resembles human?”
"Dantrian, divine attribute, human form? snake form?... A single drop of blood can kill laboratory mice, and this is a divine attribute? Moreover, I've never heard of a half-human, half-snake form before. There's not even a single record of it in the Great Library. Where did Zhuang Sen learn about this bloodline?"
"Rom Harper, Earth attribute, Level 1 Iron-Eating Rat... Too ordinary. A typical human model mixed with rat form. He seems to have decent talent, with high performance values for various abilities, but compared to the ones above..."
Each line of summary was followed by a dizzying array of data; the elegant and clear font seemed to have been given some strange effect, causing mental overload at a glance. However, Mira was already used to this feeling; the exceptionally talented girl could quickly grasp the overall picture and then identify problems in her mind.
"As expected, Zhuang Sen's women all have problems; they don't seem like normal Awakened at all!"
No matter how strong a normal awakened being's bloodline is, they are still essentially human, with a significant "human" component in their blood. But none of Zhuang Sen's three women are human; even if they appear to have human parts, they cannot hide it from her, the master of the knowledge tower.
Compared to them, Rom Harper is like a person disguised as a tiger encountering a real tiger. They may seem similar, but their inner selves are worlds apart, and their abilities are also worlds apart. They are not the same thing at all, like fragments and the original!
"But in this case..."
Mira glanced at her wrist and gently bit her lower lip.
She had certainly studied her own blood, and the conclusion was that it was even worse than that of ordinary people. Her blood was essentially "dead." Although it looked red, it could dry up and become moist, but it had no extensibility and did not react to any attributes. It seemed to be a unique kind of blood... Yes, just like Zhuang Sen's three women.
Could it be that she really has a bloodline? But like Zhuang Sen's three women, it's a "complete bloodline"—different from those with normal bloodlines?
Mira's heart pounded. Of course, she wanted to become a bloodline user too. No one in this world didn't want to be one. As for being "not human"? Bloodline users weren't exactly "completely human" to begin with.
"But, can this result alone help Zhuang Sen awaken me?" Looking at her research records, Mira suddenly became dejected again. No one knew better than her how precious bloodline knowledge was. She had once had "opponents" with similar talents, but only she had achieved what she had today. This was because her teacher was the honorary chairman of the Thousand Towers Kingdom, a level four bloodline user who had awakened four times, and the librarian who had the authority to let her read all the books in the Great Library.
Others who want to enter the main library have to submit an application and then wait in line for a month.
But then Mira thought of Hana and felt courageous again: "Let's give it a try. After all, he helped Hana awaken, and I drank his blood twice. He should be trustworthy, right?"
"Yeah, there's no reason why Hannah can do it but I can't."
"Besides, wasn't it Zhuang Sen himself who said he would help me awaken in the first place? I was just responding to his invitation... The Church of War? What Church of War?"
Miss Mira, who was gradually taking the shape of Zhuang Sen's blood, convinced herself of this, and at the same time put all the research records and samples into her handbag, and left the room in the dim sunset.
She needs to awaken!
Chapter 80: The Awakening of the Vampires
As the sun sets, the silver moon gradually appears.
Johnson sat in his main seat with Nia in his lap, and Hana and Dantalian on either side of him. However, Hana was still a little nervous and did not get close to him, while Dantalian wanted to press herself against Johnson... or rather, she wanted to pull Johnson into her arms.
Below Hannah, Mira placed her research notes and samples on the table: "Lord Johnson, these are the results of my research over this period. Based on my experience and knowledge, as well as the actual comparison with Sir Rom Harper, my current conclusion is that the bloodlines of Priestess Dantalian, Lady Nia, and Miss Hannah are completely inconsistent with normal theoretical assumptions, especially in terms of abilities..."
Zhuang Sen listened attentively to Mira's research report. In short, she had discovered that the monster girls were no longer human, and that their abilities and numbers far exceeded those of those with normal bloodlines, though the exact number was still uncertain. Frankly, this was far beyond Zhuang Sen's expectations; he hadn't thought Mira would produce any results so quickly.
Are all bloodline scholars as outstanding as you? Or are you just special?
Faced with Zhuang Sen's question, Mira decided to lay her cards on the table: "Of course I'm special. My bloodline should be just as special as theirs, right?"
Zhuang Sen liked this straightforward style. He gently stroked Hana's hand and said bluntly, "It seems you're planning to accept my previous invitation, but what can you offer in return, Miss Mira?"
Mira looked at Zhuang Sen surrounded by women, and for a moment she seemed to see Zhuang Sen being bound and entangled by monsters, or she vaguely saw Zhuang Sen controlling and commanding monsters. She knew that this was a protective measure left on her by her teacher, but she had no choice now.
Even when not drinking blood, the elegant and intellectual scholar spoke firmly: "Loyalty and knowledge, Lord Zhuang Sen, I can no longer live without your blood. If I don't drink it for a day, I feel itchy all over, as if ants are crawling on me. I often fall into a daze when I recall the taste of your blood, and it takes me several hours to come back to my senses. And every time I think about never being able to drink your blood again, I panic as if the world is about to end. So I think my loyalty can be guaranteed."
"Moreover, I think you also need my knowledge. Even if you don't need knowledge of bloodline studies, I can provide you with advice on architecture, economics, agriculture, water conservancy, and other fields. If you don't need my advice, I can also invite my classmates and colleagues who specialize in these areas to work here. You only need to pay for basic food and lodging."
Zhuang Sen only listened to the part about blood before deciding that this could help.
But before that, he also had to be honest with the candid Miss Mira: "Miss Mira, before you awaken, I have to tell you something about your bloodline. It is indeed a special bloodline like ours, but even more special—its name is vampire, commonly known as a vampire."
Mira's eyes widened slightly: "Is it the same kind of vampire as the one in the Kingdom of Vania?"
“I don’t know what the Kingdom of Vania is like, but it is indeed a vampire species.” Zhuang Sen paused for a moment, then continued, “It is very powerful, with an infinite lifespan, can regenerate at high speed, transform into swarms of bats, and can use a variety of dark and blood magic. You could say that once you awaken, you will become an immortal, eternally youthful dark noble.”
"But it also has a fatal weakness: it fears sunlight, pure silver, and divine power. Sunlight is to it what flames are to ordinary people, pure silver can cut off its regenerative ability, and divine power can suppress all its abilities—so are you sure you want to awaken?"
Mira did think about it, mainly wondering if she had ever seen a similar bloodline—the dark bloodline nobles in Vania all seemed to be afraid of divine power, and some were afraid of sunlight and silver, but none of them seemed to be to this extreme degree, not even those who were also called "vampires".
So what are you waiting for?
"Thank you for reminding me, Lord Zhuang Sen. I think this is a good thing for me, so I can hide in the safe castle and do my research."
You're a shut-in, aren't you?
Zhuang Sen wasn't too surprised by Mira's choice. No one in this world would refuse to awaken their bloodline. In fact, if vampires really existed on Earth, would anyone really refuse immortality? Maybe some would, but there would certainly be more willing to accept it.
"Then, let me help you awaken now."
Zhuang Sen reached out, and Dantalian brought over a large silver cup from the table and handed it to him.
Mira paused slightly, "Lord Zhuang Sen?"
“Just call me Zhuang Sen from now on, Mira.” Zhuang Sen cut open his palm. “Your awakening potion is my blood—six hundred milliliters. Please use it.”
The moment Mira smelled Zhuang Sen's blood, she became excited, even ignoring Zhuang Sen's words that defied bloodline theory—after all, Zhuang Sen and those around him already defied normal bloodline theory. All she wanted now was to drink the delicious red liquid, to feel its warm vitality, and its exquisite taste.
Soon, the silver cup was filled.
Zhuang Sen handed his hand to Dantalian for treatment, and with his other hand pushed the silver cup toward Mira, who was trembling all over: "Please use it, Mira."
As the word "please" was uttered, the silver cup was already in Mira's hand; as the word "ra" ended, the empty silver cup fell to the ground. The last rays of the setting sun vanished at that moment, and the silvery moonlight had not yet arrived, leaving only pure darkness surrounding them.
In the darkness, Mira felt an indescribable comfort, like a bird returning to the sky, a fish swimming back into the sea. The blood in her mouth, throat, and stomach became even more delicious and stimulating, making her tremble uncontrollably. Driven by that blood, she felt her body changing. Her already low body temperature dropped further, to the point where she was no longer alive. Resilient bat wings extended from her sides, tearing through her luxurious black dress. Powerful energy surged from her soft body, and incredible abilities rushed into her mind with tremendous force, making her realize that she had transformed.
[Dark Vision], [Sound Detection], [Blood Servant Creation], [Blood Enchantment], [Boiled Blood Curse], [Bat Transformation]... These novel and eerie abilities momentarily captivated Mira. Then, the warm and sweet sensation vanished from her body, replaced by an overwhelming thirst that nearly drove her mad.
Blood! She wants blood!!
Her already crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness, locking precisely onto Zhuang Sen. Her small, delicate bat wings unfurled and expanded, flapping to lift her into the air. A flush of excitement and desire rose on her frighteningly pale skin. This fanatical appearance was revealed to Zhuang Sen and the others as the moonlight fell. Nia and Dantalian immediately became alert, while Hana shrank to Zhuang Sen's side, carefully shielding him.
But as time went by, Mira never pounced on the delicious child, Johnson.
After awakening, she craved blood even more, but she also gained stronger control over her body. More importantly, she had sworn allegiance, making her will to resist even stronger. Moreover, she was a smart person who could distinguish between a full meal and a regular meal, so she would never attack her only source of delicious food.
That's right. Although she could relieve her thirst with other blood after awakening, she still wanted to drink Zhuang Sen's blood.
Zhuang Sen looked at Mira and pointed to the ground: "Mira, do you have any other clothes?"
Mira, who was fiercely battling her desires, was puzzled by Zhuang Sen's inexplicable remark and looked over, only to see several pieces of torn fabric. Clearly, the appearance of wings had exceeded the limits of the dress, especially since they had grown so large.
The next moment, the bat wings that had been spread out instantly closed, hiding the girl's pale skin and the red plum blossoms that adorned it, but the blush on her face just wouldn't go away.
Drinking blood?
Mira just wants to drink poison right now!!
So embarrassing!
Chapter 81: The Headless Horseman, Undercurrents Gather (4136 words)
[The Bloodline of the Ancient Scroll Clan has been developed to the initial stage. You have randomly obtained the bloodline of Duraham (Headless Horseman)*1. The Bloodline Encyclopedia has been unlocked.]
The system's voice interrupted Zhuang Sen's regretful gaze, and the moment he felt relieved, a sense of weakness washed over him. Losing six hundred milliliters of blood in one go had taken a toll on Zhuang Sen's body, even with his second awakening; two healing spells couldn't alleviate the weakness.
“It seems this isn’t a good time to talk. Let’s call it a day. Hanna, could you please go and get Mira her new clothes?” With Dantalian’s help, Johnson got up. Nia jumped to the ground and took Johnson’s other hand, which he had pulled from Hanna’s.
Mira used her wings to shield her upper body and head, wishing she could burrow into the ground. Elegance, so-called so sophisticated; all she wanted now was to punch this damned world to pieces!
Zhuang Sen took a few steps, then turned back: "By the way, Mira, you can try transforming back into human form to see if you can develop some resistance to sunlight. You should be able to recall how to transform back."
Without waiting for Mira's reply, he went upstairs with Nia and Dantalian.
Once Zhuang Sen's figure had completely disappeared, Mira moved her wings, revealing her blushing face, and spoke to Hana, who remained standing there looking lost and forlorn: "Miss Hana, thank you for your trouble."
"Okay, okay." Hannah glanced at Mira quickly, her eyes filled with a mixture of envy and pity, before turning and walking towards her room.
……
Under the same moonlight, Ange Leon slumped into her chair, her eyes glaring at the messenger in his red robes: "Priest Nott, is that it? What urgent matter requires your presence at this hour?"
"Here's the thing, my lords, I've come on the orders of His Excellency Bishop Charles. I hope that you will assist us in launching an attack on Thorn Manor three days from now."
Priest Nott skillfully ignored Ange's dissatisfaction. Although it was his first time dealing with Ange, he had experienced the bad temper of such high-level bloodline individuals before. There was nothing he could do; he was only a level two bloodline individual, while Ange was not only a level three bloodline individual but also the daughter of a count.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ange's voice rose another octave: "What nonsense are you spouting! Attacking Thorn Manor? Do you want us all to lose our inheritance rights, or do you want us to be killed by that madman Zhuang Sen?"
The other members of the Leon group who had temporarily joined the meeting didn't interrupt, but their expressions showed their approval of Ange. Their reasons for targeting Zhuang Sen were twofold: primarily, to compete for the earldom, and secondarily, because they feared that the madman Zhuang Sen would kill them, so they decided to strike first.
Everything they did was for these two reasons. Now the Church of War is sending them to attack Thorn Manor. Even if they succeed, can they really hide it from Earl Cross? If they win, they'll all lose their inheritance rights. It would be better to just let Zhuang Sen take over. That way, they can avoid the risk of being killed and save themselves the trouble.
Nott shook his head and continued, "My lords, please let me finish. His Holiness the bishop does not want you to participate in the attack yourself, but only hopes that you can assist him, such as by concealing the intelligence of our people going to Thorn Manor, and by causing a disturbance when the plan begins to prevent anyone from rushing to the aid of Thorn Manor."
Ange sneered. Nott's words sounded nice, but in reality, he was just compromising and choosing the backup plan because no one supported his first plan. However, his second plan was worth considering; as long as it involved sending their people over and drawing attention, it shouldn't disqualify him from inheriting the position.
However, she didn't agree immediately. Instead, she looked at her allies and asked, "What do you think? What should we do?"
Tim was the first to stand up and say, "Of course, we've come this far, are we really going to give up?"
"That's right! We finally gained the upper hand, how can we let that guy turn the tables again!"
"Yes, but I think we should be paid for these extra requests, like design blueprints for new armor?"
With Tim starting, others quickly followed suit, until only Ange and her people remained silent, which also attracted the attention of the others.
Anjie seemed oblivious, casually glancing around before suddenly saying something unrelated: "Speaking of which, why are so many people missing? There must be five or six already."
"They went back to their manors, which are quite far from Starry Night City," someone replied, then urged, "That has nothing to do with what's going on now, right? Ange, what exactly are you planning to do?"
“Who says it doesn’t matter? What if they leak the news…” Anjie casually retorted, then shook her head amidst the disapproving looks of the crowd. “Fine, I’ll do it, but you guys need to explain the plan clearly.”
Nott nodded without surprise and said frankly, "The plan is actually very simple. In the next few days, all the priests of the Church of War, including myself, will go to the vicinity of Thorn Manor in batches—of course, ostensibly to carry out missions in or near your territories. Three days later, we will launch a night attack on Thorn Manor, destroy the blacksmith workshop that the young master is building, and kidnap the skilled blacksmiths and even Harper Knight. This will require the help of all of you, Lord Leon, to cover it up and prevent any guards or knights from going there to perform their support duties. This will take about two to three hours. Once all this is done, the Church of War and even the Blue Raven Merchant Guild can launch a brand new plate armor, completely destroying the young master's development plan and putting things back on track as you, Lord Leon, envisioned."
"It sounds pretty good, but what are the specifics?" Ange put her legs up on the table. "Who exactly should we prevent from going to the rescue, and how should we prevent it?"
Leon, who had initially intended to cheer, fell silent again upon hearing Ange's words.
Nott paused for a moment, his gaze toward Ange becoming somewhat unfriendly, but thinking of Earl Cross's reputation and the orders given to him by Bishop Charles before their departure, he still managed a smile: "Of course, it's to prevent the Church of Vengeance, the Falao Merchant Guild, and the sentry units of those two barons near Thorn Manor."
"Well, those two barons are easy to deal with; we can just send people to block the road in advance. But what about the Vengeful Warriors and the armed guards of the Falao Merchant Guild? Do you think they'll just obey? And putting aside the Church of Vengeance, what will happen to our future development if we offend the Falao Merchant Guild?"
Ange stared coldly at Nott, making no attempt to hide her displeasure. Nott remained silent for a moment before his tone became less polite: "Forgive my bluntness, gentlemen, if that young master continues on his path, what good will it do to maintain the best relationship with the Falau Merchant Guild? Does that lady expect you to abandon your son and support you instead? The same applies to the Church of Vengeance. It seems that many of the rumors about that priestess and that young master were spread by you gentlemen yourselves, haven't they? Is there any reason not to do so now?"
Nott launched into a long string of questions, his momentum surging, and he seemed to be assuming a righteous indignation. But Ange wasn't buying it: "So? What's the specific plan for stopping them? Kill them all? Enough with the nonsense, come up with a concrete plan!"
Nott finally showed his anger: "Do I need to teach you this kind of thing?"
Ange shouted even louder: "Nonsense! If you're not responsible for this kind of thing, are you expecting us to do it?! Why do you think Lord Charles and Lord Wall didn't come in person this time?"