Cain stood quietly beside Cornelia while the hall buzzed with rising excitent, yet inside his mind there was no joy, only a slow burning disdain that curled like smoke behind his calm red eyes.
Just vampire lineage?
His lips almost twitched.
Are you insulting ?
He watched the elders and nobles look at Cornelia as if she were so rare treasure born from their ancient blood, as if the improvent in her aura was simply the natural fruit of Moonshade heritage.
That’s not just vampire lineage, he thought coldly. Cornelia has been nurtured by my Overgod presence through our blood pact. My blood circulates in her veins. My essence refines her from the inside. How dare they compare that to ordinary lineage evolution?
He almost laughed at the ignorance of it all.
These old fossils were cheering over a ripple when they had no idea an ocean stood beside them.
But of course, he said nothing.
He remained composed, tall and still, his expression unreadable.
Cornelia, aware of the storm inside his thoughts, covered her mouth lightly and let out a soft chuckle, unable to hide the warmth rising in her chest.
The fear from earlier had faded.
In its place was sothing fragile and bright.
Then one of the Blood Ancestors raised his hand for silence.
"The bell was rung for a reason," he said, his deep voice carrying across the vast chamber.
The cheering gradually subsided.
"We awakened not because of chaos, but because we sensed disturbance in the Moonshade blood."
A murmur spread again, but quieter this ti.
"Baron Rivik, whom we chose with our own judgnt, was injured," another ancestor continued. "The details were unclear to us, but his daughter Ivira sent a Blood Letter. She inford us that she would escort him for treatnt."
Several vampires exchanged uneasy glances.
Rivik injured? That was not small news.
"We were concerned," the eldest ancestor admitted openly. "The Baron is the pillar of this family. If he falls while we remain asleep, the Moonshade family may fracture."
A few nobles lowered their heads in sha, rembering how quickly they had begun accusing and scheming earlier.
"That is why we rang the bell," the ancestor said firmly. "We called you all here to stabilize the family."
He paused, and then his stern face softened.
"Who would have thought that instead of misfortune, we would witness great fortune."
His eyes rested on Cornelia.
"Rivik’s daughter has upgraded her vampire blood lineage."
A wave of sound exploded through the hall.
Cheers burst from every direction.
Vampires who had been trembling minutes ago now lifted their arms in excitent. So laughed loudly. Others clapped each other on the shoulders. A few even dropped to one knee again, not in fear this ti, but in gratitude.
"We are favored!"
"The Blood God has not abandoned Moonshade!"
"The Blood Moon shines upon us!"
Voices overlapped until the entire hall seed alive with pulsing emotion. Blood mana vibrated faintly in the air, responding to their shared joy. It felt like standing in the center of a storm made not of wind, but of pride.
Cornelia felt overwheld.
The sound pressed against her ears, yet strangely, it did not frighten her. It felt... supportive. As if the entire family, flawed and divided as they were, had suddenly found one direction.
Cain watched all of it silently.
Hmmm rotten dry bloods, he thought, though there was less edge in it now.
Suddenly, a bold voice rang out from the crowd.
"Ancestors! We must test her blood!"
The cheering faltered slightly.
"Yes!" another noble added quickly. "If her lineage has truly evolved, we must confirm it formally!"
"It is for the future of the Moonshade family!"
Soon more voices joined.
"We need to know the level!"
"Is it Marquis level?"
"Duke level?"
"Or perhaps even higher?"
The demand grew louder, though it was no longer hostile. It was urgent, hopeful.
The ancestors exchanged glances.
"There is no need for crude testing," one of them said calmly.
Murmurs of confusion rose again.
"Look at her," the eldest ancestor said.
All eyes turned toward Cornelia once more.
And this ti, they truly looked.
Under the dim crimson light of the chamber,
Cornelia stood with her back straight, her brown curly hair falling smoothly over her shoulders. Her skin, already pale as moonlight, now seed to carry a faint inner glow, like blood flowing with greater purity beneath it. Her eyes were clearer, deeper, their red hue richer and more refined.
There was sothing subtle but undeniable about her presence.
It was not rely beauty.
It was nobility that felt closer to origin.
Her blood aura no longer felt sharp and aggressive like before. It felt steady. Full. As if her veins carried sothing ancient and calm.
"She... looks different," a noble whispered.
"More radiant."
"Her aura feels cleaner."
"Pure."
The tone in the room shifted again. Where there had once been jealousy, there was now respect.
"She truly has beco more beautiful," an elderly vampire woman murmured sincerely.
"It is a clear sign," another said with conviction. "Blood lineage refinent always reflects outward."
Cain glanced sideways at Cornelia. She does look different, he admitted silently. The Overgod blood must have accelerated her transformation faster than I expected.
Then a sharp voice cut through the admiration.
"Ancestors!"
A tall vampire stepped forward, bowing respectfully before continuing.
"We do not doubt your judgnt. However, in the Crimson Blood Kingdom, under the rule of the Chira Ant Emperor, the Lycannis Family recently awakened an Emperor-level lineage."
A ripple of tension passed through the hall at the reminder.
"That has already caused pressure upon every vampire family," the noble continued carefully. "If Madam Cornelia’s lineage has risen, we must know its level. Only then can we prepare. The future of the Moonshade family depends on understanding the scale of this blessing."
His reasoning was hard to deny.
Soon others began agreeing.
"Yes, we must know."
"For strategy."
"For alliances."
"For war, if it cos."
"Test Madam Cornelia’s blood!"
The chant built slowly, then stronger.
"Test her blood!"
"Test her blood!"
The enthusiasm surged once more, filling the chamber with expectation.
The ancestors raised their hands again to calm them.
"Alright, alright," one said with mild amusent. "You are like children who have just discovered treasure."
The eldest ancestor looked at Cornelia directly.
"But this depends on her. We will not force our descendants."
The hall quieted imdiately.
All eyes shifted to Cornelia.
For a mont, she felt the weight of hundreds of gazes press upon her shoulders. Her heart beat steadily, though her palms felt slightly warm.
She turned her head slightly.
Her eyes t Cain’s.
It was only for a second.
In that second, she saw his calm, unreadable expression. She did not know about his internal disdain, nor about his thoughts regarding Overgod blood. What she saw was stability.
If she steps forward, I will stand beside her, his eyes seed to say.
Cornelia felt a strange comfort bloom inside her chest.
She turned back to the ancestors and spoke clearly.
"I am fine."
Her voice did not tremble.
"I want to see for myself too."
The hall erupted again.
Cheers filled the air louder than before. So vampires laughed openly in admiration. Others clapped enthusiastically.
"Madam Cornelia is bold!"
"She truly has the bearing of a rising leader!"
"Confident and unafraid!"
The ancestors nodded approvingly.
"Not only talent," one of them said with satisfaction, "but also temperant."
"She does not shrink from responsibility."
"She does not hide behind fear."
"A descendant worthy of Moonshade."
Cornelia felt her ears grow slightly warm from the praise, but she stood firm.
Cain watched her carefully.
The ancestors began preparing to conduct the examination, their blood mana stirring gently in anticipation.
And just as the energy in the hall reached another peak—
A sudden sharp flutter echoed from the massive doors at the far end of the chamber.
All heads turned.
A black bat, small but swift, flew through the doorway with frantic movents. Its wings beat rapidly as it circled once above the crowd before descending toward the center.
It carried a small crimson seal bound to its leg.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The bat transford mid-air, its form stretching and reshaping into a thin vampire ssenger who dropped to one knee the mont his feet touched the stone floor.
He was pale and breathless, eyes wide with urgency.
"Crimson Blood Kingdom and Chira Ant Empire news!" he shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the hall.
"News!"
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