A loud knock reverberated through the room as Lawrence woke up groggily. Looking at the window, it was still dark outside and the moon is still in the sky. Walking away from the bed, he opened the door to find Samantha and Luke in front of his door. A yawn escaped from his mouth as he looked at them for a while.

“What is it? Did Keiren bring his daughter?” Lawrence asked as Luke nodded

“The daughter…how can I explain this. Her veins are beating as blood is visible in her arms. If we don’t do anything, she would probably explode.” Luke explained with a straight face.

“I see…where are they?”

“Follow me..” Samantha was the one who replied as he followed the both of them. Heading downstairs, he saw Keiren staring at him. There was despair and hope lighting in his eyes. Vania is beside him appearing to be consoling him while Catalinna appears to be troubled. Noticing Lawrence, Catalinna made her way toward him.

“The child…she accidentally absorbed the bloodstone. There are only two choices we can give to Keiren.” Catalinna bit her lips while gripping her fist.

“Either she became a vampire and becomes a member of the Sanguine Family or she dies a horrible death. Both are torture for the child” she added with a heavy sigh. Lawrence didn’t reply. He briefly glanced at Keiren before following Samantha into the basement. Opening the laboratory, there laid a child covered with cloth soaking with her own blood. She looked like a mummy wearing a bloodied cloth. A faint gasp can be heard coming from the child as Catalinna’s expression hardens every breath the child takes.

“As you can see. The child is suffering from blood overload. As Catalinna informed, the bloodstone was absorbed by the child through unknown means. I have no idea how to cure this effect since anyone suffering from blood overload dies an hour after the symptom emerged.” Samantha explained with a heavy tone.

“A mercy kill is preferable.” She added while staring at the nearby dagger. Luke also nodded. Still, seeing that Catalinna definitely doesn’t want that to happen, both of them didn’t do anything other than observe the child suffer from her blood turning akin to needles. Slowly piercing her veins and organs from the inside.

‘What happened? This didn’t happen in the novel. Did the Sanguine family do something? No, they aren’t that malicious to do something to a child just for a piece of blood stone. I can’t allow Keiren’s daughter to die here. He would never work for me. Will turning her into a vampire be the only way?’ Lawrence wracked his head for a minute about what to do but there was nothing he can do. The barely audible gasp of the child woke Lawrence up as he gritted his teeth. He slapped his face before deciding that it was not worth the pain and suffering the child will go through just for his greed for information.

Making a vampire is something only the Sanguine Family can do. They would bring any child that was an orphan to be one of them. They have the spell called Turn Vampire and they would need a bloodstone for it to activate. A child turning into a vampire is torture according to the novel. First, they would need to recreate the child’s meridians and heart, basically breaking their body and piecing it back slowly under the control of a head member. What the child is going through right now is not as bad as becoming a vampire is. Additionally, they need to consume the bloodstone in its entirety and allow it to change their blood and muscles into something different. Their blood would boil and their muscle would twitch in pain nonstop for a whole day, the worst thing is that the technique has been perfected so that the child wouldn’t die no matter how much pain he/she received. Their mind will be branded with a mission and goal they need to achieve under the orders of the monarch. Only after finishing the mission would they regain their will and conscience and be born as a new member of the Sanguine Family.

Not only Lawrence but Catalinna noticed that the child is already half vampire meaning she absorbed almost half of the bloodstone. In the novel, Keiren was able to get the bloodstone but it didn’t activate and his daughter wasn’t this ill. The cure was supposed to be the by-product of the cure for red rot but seeing how the vampire’s blood is already running in her veins. It’s already meaningless.

Out of nowhere, Samantha’s expression turned somber. A troubled expression appeared on her face as she sighed before turning around to face the three of them.

“Two bloodsuckers are in front of the gate” she said as Luke tighten his fist and his eyes turned cold. Lawrence meanwhile went outside only to be grabbed by Catalinna.

“Let me meet them” she said under her breath. Her head is facing downwards while her fist is shaking. Flames flickered all around her. Lawrence grabbed her by the shoulders as she winced before staring into him. Unfiltered rage and anger are seen in her eyes as Lawrence can only sigh.

“Don’t..Only me and Luke will meet them. I know you’re angry but you have to understand that going into rage will solve nothing. Even if you kill them, it wouldn’t fix anything. Please, you have to believe in me” Lawrence stared at her with a helpless smile. The flame started gathering at her fist as he readied his body for the impact. Although he doesn’t know Catalinna that well to know what her morals are, he knows how she hated if an innocent gets hurt, especially a child. He waited for a while but nothing happen, a sweet smile appeared on his face.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way” Lawrence left the basement with Luke, leaving the stunned Catalinna as she stared at her fist burning with fire.

In front of the gate, Keiren is already there with Vania by his side. She seems to be fidgeting with no idea what to do. The two members of the sanguine family simply stared at Keiren with a cold expressions stuck on their faces.

“You fuckers! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGTHER ?!” Keiren roared as their clothes fluttered with the force exerted by Keiren. His fist is slowly being coated with qi as a sharp transparent claw is slowly emerging from his knuckles. A red tail made of aura sprouted on his back as Keiren’s expression slowly turned to a savage beast. With a predator’s eyes and a savage smile attached to his face. If it wasn’t for the gate, Keiren would have ignored everything around him and will kill anything he lays his eyes on.

“Forgive me, I didn’t think that your daughter would be affected by my magic. It seems that the blood from the bloodstone was absorbed by your daughter when I used the Blood Barrier. This is something that wasn’t included in my plans. Please, we are the only ones who can help your daughter” the black-haired lady replied as Keiren charged forward only to be bounced back by the gate.

“Will you turn her into a vampire?” Lawrence walked towards the gate while keeping a space away from Keiren in case he attacks him.

“Yes….I have a lot of questions I want to ask but now’s not the time.” she replied to Lawrence before staring at Keiren and putting her two fingers up “You have two choices, give your daughter to us or watch her die a painful death”

“YOU! WHAT WILL YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER?!” Keiren roared with enough force strong enough to push back both Lawrence and Luke a couple of meters away. Vania flew farther away as Luke immediately appeared by her side and grasp her by the wrist. To avoid her from falling to the ground.

“Don’t worry. Your daughter will be safe in our hands.” The black-haired lady replied with sincerity in her tone. Keiren glared at her before turning his head to face Lawrence.

“Is she telling the truth?”

“Yes…but the procedure will be much more painful and she will be forced to work for the monarch unless she finished the mission tasked to her” Lawrence explained with no truth held back as both of the members of the Sanguine Family widened their eyes before suspicion flashed in their red eyes.

“OPEN THE DAMNED GATE! I’LL RIP BOTH OF YOU TO PIECES!!!” Keiren yelled into the night sky as the ground shook and the air flowed away from him. An overwhelming aura ravished anything that was even a few meters from Keiren.

The black-haired lady looked at Keiren with pity as the young man beside her cracked his knuckles, clearly eager to fight. Lawrence knows that if they fought, knights would storm this place and investigate them. Both members of the Sanguine Family have a strong hold all over the majority of the continent with their influence added by their elusiveness. The only one who will suffer is Keiren and the rest of them. He glanced at Keiren as rage is slowly overtaking Keiren’s mind.

Suddenly, a soft and gentle voice resounded in his mind “Please, stop that’s child father. We only want to help and I want to resolve the mistake that I made. Please, I beg you” Lawrence looked at the young lady for a while before nodding.

“You better help her recover or else. Even the Sanguine Family won’t be able to save you” Lawrence muttered under his breath. The young lady nodded. Their senses are greater than he thought but he shakes his head. Removing the useless thought out of his mind. He needs to stop Keiren from rampaging and to make sure that his child becomes a part of the Sanguine Family and survives.

He summoned the Gungnir before charging forward towards Keiren while activating the necklace of invisibility. He used the spell Whirl on the tip of the spear as Keiren didn’t even notice that Lawrence was already gone. A sickening sound of a spear digging through the flesh surprised everyone as Keiren widened his eyes before flying into the air and crashing to the ground.

“B-boss? What are you doing?” Vania asked with her hand touching the mask. Luke also stared at Lawrence.

“We need to-Lawrence was interrupted as he noticed that he was already lying on the ground with a large wound on his stomach. He looked around only to find Keiren’s aura tails lashing toward Lawrence at an extreme pace. He immediately teleported away as the ground where he was a second ago was punctured with each hole deeper than a human’s body. Lawrence looked around only to receive a kick coated with qi as the gravity barrier around his body cracked under the force of the kick. Keiren’s eyes is already full of madness as he opened his mouth widely before a ferocious roar escaped from it. Destabilizing Lawrence immediately as the world around him started spinning and he can’t hear anything. He touched his ears as blood appeared on his hands.

He used the spell Lighten as he immediately retreated only to be followed by Keiren who appears to be faster than him. He saw Keiren’s clenching his fist as Lawrence stopped in his tracks before Keiren’s fist slammed toward him. A bloody smile appeared on Lawrence as he saw Keiren’s hands being blocked by the gravity barrier he concentrated on a small area where Keiren’s fist landed. That one punch alone took almost half of his mana but he nonetheless blocked it. He looked down only to notice that the place where Lawrence stabbed Keiren already healed and has closed its wounds.

“Having a Regeneration Ability really isn’t fair” Lawrence smiled before teleporting away, appearing beside Luke. Keiren immediately changed his direction and charged toward Lawrence only to drop to the ground.

“but it isn’t that effective against debuffs” Lawrence continued before dropping to the ground. He actually coated his spear with a strong sleeping potion from Samantha. That’s why he only needs Keiren to move around so the sleeping potion that was absorbed by Keiren’s body gets circulated in his system effectively.

The gate swings open as Luke wielded both of his daggers while coldly gazing at the young man who didn’t even look at him.

The black-haired lady walked toward the three of them as Luke steps forward with Vania behind him. No one was lowering their guard up except for the lady who smiled gently at Lawrence “Thank you for your help.” The young lady looked at Keiren who is snoring loudly before opening her lips “Tell that man that I will bring his daughter as soon as I can. I stake my heart and I will promise you that I will take care of the child. Her will and conscience wouldn’t be erased and she will be able to return to a healthy normal life.”

“I see. You can take her” Lawrence replied while breathing heavily from the fatigue. His senses are still jumbled so he can barely hear her or see anything clearly.”

“I will be following you if you don’t mind” Luke said as the young lady nodded

“Stay here Lazarus. I’ll be back” the young lady ordered the young man

“Of course sister” Lazarus replied

Luke and Vania followed the young lady inside the mansion, leaving Lawrence and Lazarus who stared each other down.

“How do you know that much information about my family? Are you one of those so-called vampire hunters? If so, good luck” Lazarus scoffed as Lawrence shrugged. Lawrence ignored Lazurus as he hoped that Catalinna wouldn’t fight the young lady or else everything he did would be useless. A few minutes passed as Lawrence saw the young lady holding a child in her arms. The child has no injuries and even her skin and veins have returned to normal. Lawrence released a sigh of relief upon realizing that Catalinna didn’t fight the young lady. Walking towards Lawrence, the young lady nudged the child awake who rubbed her eyes while looking around confused.

“W-who are you?” the child muttered

“I’m someone who will save you, now say goodbye to your father since you will be away for a year to cure your disease.” the young lady smiled gently as the child meekly nodded before running towards her father who is asleep on the ground.

“Papa, a pretty lady says that i will be taken away for a year..I know after mama died, i was nothing but a burden but…but..Emma will be a good girl. The kind masked lady and the red pretty lady told me that it was for my safety. Goodbye papa” a tear escaped from the child’s eyes as the young lady beside her is holding her hand gently.

“Don’t worry…your father will be alright. Come with me and I will stake my heart and save you” the young lady told the child who nodded. Lazarus was already beside the both of them as a red fog appeared just in front of them. The young lady looked back at Lawrence before smiling once more “Thank you for trusting me. I will not betray your trust.” The three of them walked inside the smoke before dissipated in the wind. Leaving the sleeping Keiren on the ground.