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Chapter 147: Vampires and Orcs
🕑 Added 2025-01-11 05:20:14 +0000 UTCWhether they are true vampires or humans practicing Blood Glory, individuals of low to mid-rank can enhance their strength by consuming the life essence of others. However, for vampires aspiring to advance to higher ranks, the only path is through the formation of a Blood Core.
Each vampire clan has unique physiological traits. Although it is possible for them to practice the secret arts of other clans, such endeavors are inevitably slower compared to cultivating their clan's native techniques. As a result, vampires who pursue hybrid practices are seen as unconventional.
Most vampires form a single Blood Vortex and determine their rank based on the strength of their blood energy, akin to how human knights assess their rank. This differs from the Blood Glory created by Protagoras, where each activation of a Blood Vortex corresponds to an advancement in rank.
The process of advancing to a higher rank is, in theory, simple for vampires: compress and refine the Blood Vortex into a Blood Core, and the transition is complete.
High-ranking vampires are divided into two stages. Ranks thirteen to fifteen are referred to as Barons, while ranks sixteen to eighteen are called Viscounts.
The Byron Empire traditionally grants noble titles only to high-ranking individuals within their clans. The rule of "no ennoblement without reaching higher ranks" remains a cornerstone of their vampiric aristocracy.
Once elevated to higher ranks, vampires place greater emphasis on the purity of their blood energy and rarely consume prey with lower ranks unless for minor replenishment, treating it as a mere indulgence. Excessive consumption of life essence can cause them to devolve into monstrous forms, losing their human appearance and sanity. The term "vampire" is often used derogatorily to describe such degraded creatures.
There is a saying: "A vampire who can think and converse like a human is not a true vampire. The ultimate form is a beast devoid of human shape, reason, or restraint—an embodiment of pure instinct and destruction."
No vampire wishes to succumb to such a fate. Resisting the corrupting dark energy within them is a lifelong struggle for every vampire.
For humans practicing Blood Glory, the difference lies in whether they have undergone a mystical ritual or been embraced by a high-ranking vampire. At low and mid-ranks, there is little distinction between humans and vampires in cultivation, but at higher ranks, a critical disparity emerges—humans cannot form a Blood Core. Without this transformation, their Blood Vortex cannot evolve into the Heart Core of a true vampire.
The Protagoras Scrolls contain no methods for forming a Blood Core. It is widely known that despite his extraordinary lifespan, Protagoras, the great human philosopher, eventually succumbed to natural death, like any other human.
Why Protagoras never became a vampire remains a mystery. Perhaps he lacked access to the technique for forming a Blood Core, despised vampires, or had other reasons.
Charlot Mecklenburg possessed both the Arthur Clan's Secret Scroll and the Adonis Clan's Vampiric Scroll, both of which contained methods for refining a Blood Core.
Lord Leo once remarked that members of the Adonis Clan face slight complications when using the Arthur Clan's techniques to form a Blood Core, which could hinder their future growth. This is because the essence of Blood Glory derived from the Adonis lineage fundamentally differs from that of the Arthur lineage.
However, Charlot was not a member of the Adonis Clan. He was a human practitioner of Blood Glory, possessing six Blood Vortexes and the freedom to choose any—or even multiple—vortexes to form a Blood Core.
There was an additional point Lord Leo withheld: forming a Blood Core by consuming the life essence of others is an easier process, but the resulting core is of the lowest grade, effectively barring further advancement.
After reaching the mid-rank, Charlot indeed considered attempting to form a Blood Core. He felt no inner conflict about becoming a vampire or remaining human—it made little difference to him.
In both the Old Continent and the New Continent, vampires openly lived under the sun, founded nations, and enjoyed the allure of immortality—temptations nearly irresistible to anyone.
Of course, becoming a vampire came with unavoidable drawbacks: vampires could only reproduce through embrace, were despised by gods—both righteous and dark—and were protected solely by their progenitor. Additionally, they risked losing their vitality, succumbing to corruption, and degenerating...
Charlot leaped down from the city walls and landed among the group of Redback Bear Warriors, leading them to a market near Machubi. This was the West Wind Knight Order's commercial district, dominated by trade caravans under Louis Simy and Ross Bard.
Located just 200 kilometers from Strasbourg, Machubi was a key commercial hub.
Not only did Charlot avoid troubling the merchants, but he also encouraged members of the West Wind Knight Order to assist in repairing nearby buildings, transforming the area into a bustling marketplace. Houses were rented to merchants at minimal rates, and Charlot announced a tax-free policy for business activities.
Within days of this decree, the market began to thrive, even attracting a modest tavern.
Charlot casually ordered a table of food and invited the dozen Redback Bear Warriors to feast, even summoning Yellow Bear, a demon hunter.
Demon hunters require a Heart Core from a magical beast to assume their roles. Upon initiation, their appearance alters to resemble the beast they used, such as the White Wolf, who appears akin to a werewolf with exceptional speed and endurance. Yellow Bear, who used the core of a magical bear, is robust, heavily armored, and wields immense strength on the battlefield, rivaling the Blood Butcher.
Yellow Bear had experience disguising orcs as demon hunters.
Although the origins of orcs remain unknown, legends on the Old Continent claim that their ancestors were demon hunters. However, demon hunters cannot pass their strength through reproduction, and their offspring are no different from ordinary humans, casting doubt on this theory.
Regardless, disguising orcs as demon hunters is undoubtedly feasible.
The Hundred Bears Chieftain and Big Bear had not eaten properly for ages. Relieved to dine in the tavern with unlimited ale, the bear warriors indulged freely, consuming over 200 dishes and averaging a barrel of ale each.
After their feast, the Redback Bear Warriors lay down wherever they pleased, intending to sleep.
Charlot promptly kicked them awake and escorted them to an abandoned military camp nearby. The bears snored loudly, unbothered by being in enemy territory.
Charlot's thoughts drifted to Frederica, contrasting the refined assassins of the Orc Assassin Alliance with these bear warriors. The assassins, despite their orcish traits, were as cultured as humans, with Frederica even attending Gorgias University.
In contrast, the bear warriors epitomized the stereotypical orc: boorish, gluttonous, beer-loving, reckless, and thunderously loud when they snored.
Charlot left the bear warriors to their rest and returned to his quarters to train. He mused, "Having a personal guard like this would certainly be impressive. Unfortunately, the Fars Empire and the orc tribes are at odds, and these orcs have sided with Byron."
After considering several strategies, Charlot found them all impractical. Besides, he doubted whether the Redback Bear Warriors were trustworthy. For now, he dismissed the idea, thinking, "They eat too much. Clever Cats are far easier to care for..."
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