Jonathan was inside Tobias’s laboratory, the domain of the one who occupied the Twelfth Seat of the Reaper Court. Grandmaster Dmitri had left him there while attending to other matters for the Church of Lasiurus.

  More than twelve hours had passed since Jonathan had been forced to read ancient documents and study without pause. In one corner of the room stood the lich. The creature sent chills down Jonathan’s spine. Tobias muttered strange things to himself, fragments of thought spoken aloud, as if the concept of humanity barely existed within him anymore.

  Despite all his doubts, Jonathan never dared interrupt him. The lich remained in his corner, alternating between two activities. Sometimes he read old tomes. Other times, he picked up dead rats and practiced magic on them.

  As Jonathan read, his thoughts drifted to the darker side of being a vampire. He had accepted the transformation for the power and the opportunities it offered. Now, with time to think, he understood the cost more clearly. He did not regret the choice, but he knew he would need to be careful.

  “Drinking blood… that’s the real problem,” he muttered.

  It was not the taste. The taste was indescribably good. Like biting into the best burger in the world, rich, perfect, addictive. That was the problem. The craving. The desire for more. That part did not bother him as much.

  The real issue was the Blood Core.

  [Blood Core: 91/100]

  Vampires could only feed on human blood, taken from living humans. There were methods to store blood in special containers and drink it like wine, but that drastically reduced the amount of Blood Energy gained. In the end, it still had to come from a human source.

  “Feeding really is a problem,” Tobias said from nearby. “But it’s no different from what humans already do. They eat animals to survive, don’t they?”

  Jonathan flinched slightly. He had been so lost in thought that he had not noticed the lich standing in front of him.

  “A level one human can fill a Blood Core to one hundred percent,” Tobias continued calmly. “But the human will die in the process. You will need to learn how to maintain a human farm. Or kill a human every ten days. Keep that in mind at all times.”

  “Yes, but that’s exactly what bothers me,” Jonathan said, frustration creeping into his voice. “Even with a full Blood Core, I only have ten days before I need blood again. After that, I start wasting away, consumed by Vampiric Hunger. It’s suffocating. I want to enter a dungeon. How am I supposed to handle a damn task if I have to drag a human idiot around with me? I know I’m superior to them, but this part still pisses me off.”

  The lich stepped closer and placed a finger on the open book.

  “That is why you must study, Jonathan. You must grow powerful enough to acquire more vampiric skills." Tobias said. “Skills that reduce the Blood Energy you need simply to remain alive. And you must work toward awakening a second class with vampiric synergy.”

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  This was Jonathan’s greatest concern. Tobias, on the other hand, seemed entirely untroubled. He trusted completely in his own power.

  That kind of power was exactly what Jonathan wanted.

  “You’ll have underlings serving you, followers at your feet. You won’t have to worry about securing blood ever again. The 51 is set to happen within the next few months. Until then, focus on becoming strong enough. Who knows… you might even manage to carry out your revenge before 51 begins. The Path of the Vampire can grant you many skills. Maybe even flight.”

  “Flight? I hadn’t considered that,” Jonathan admitted.

  “That’s exactly why I keep saying this, Jonathan. Study. You need to choose a Lasiurus vampire power specialization and aim for it as your second class,” Tobias replied.

  Jonathan looked back at the books, his understanding of the different vampire bloodlines deepening. Each bloodline had its own tendencies, and choosing the right one could create powerful class synergy. A vampire could shape their path around their bloodline, unlocking a class that amplified their innate strengths.

  The Nycteris bloodline excelled in necromancer and death-caster paths. Antrozous favored spatial and dimensional magic. Barbastella leaned toward stealth-based classes infused with shadow powers. Lasiurus was the most versatile of them all, offering advantages to both hunters and mages. And then there was Vespertilio, the bloodline shrouded in mystery.

  There was almost nothing written about it. What little information existed had been deliberately crossed out.

  “Forgive me for asking, Lord Tobias,” Jonathan said, adopting a tone of practiced respect. “The Nycteris bloodline grants advantages to necromancer classes. Wouldn’t that be ideal for you?”

  The lich shook his head. “One of my two vampire classes will follow a path made powerful through bloodline synergy. I already possess a formidable sorcerer path aligned with my existence as a lich. Why would I overlap two paths? Isn’t it better to be powerful in two different ways?”

  Jonathan understood immediately. The man, or rather the creature, was clever. Very clever. He had secured an exceptional magical path as a lich and now intended to change race to evolve a second class just as potent.

  In the game of power, Tobias was exploiting every possible advantage.

  “The Lasiurus bloodline is the most diverse,” Tobias continued. “These vampires can become exceptional hunters, developing combat and tracking abilities, or powerful mages with some very interesting techniques. It complements me well. They also unlock a powerful Vampire Form at higher race levels.”

  “Vampire Form?” Jonathan asked.

  The lich fixed him with a steady gaze, pointed at the book, and spoke with unmistakable seriousness. “Study, Jonathan. Knowledge is power.”

  Jonathan returned his attention to the texts.

  “You need to think about what kind of power you want as a Lasiurus vampire,” Tobias went on. “Look at the bloodline’s potential, decide what resonates with you, and pursue classes that align with it. The bloodline grants you talent in any of its specializations. Make your choice, and you’ll be able to awaken a second class compatible with your vampire self.”

  Jonathan continued reading, studying the other bloodlines. There were other vampires in the world, hidden among humanity, each belonging to a different bloodline. The only one still wrapped in near-total obscurity was Vespertilio. And even there, most of the text had been erased.

  In the book Jonathan was holding, there was only a single line that hadn’t been scratched out:

  “The Vespertilio vampire possesses two methods of feeding. One of them is exclusive and can only be unlocked at race level 55.”

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