6 Blood Essence

As Keith observed the blood absorbed by the violet tendrils, he withdrew his hands. The tendrils retracted to his palm as if nothing had occurred.

'What was that all about?' He scanned the surroundings once more to check if anyone had noticed his peculiar behavior. Grandpa Lex conversed with other elders, and the spectators had dispersed. Keith breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that no one scrutinized him suspiciously. He left the arena and headed for his room.

While making his way to his room, numerous vampires cast glances his way. As the future leader of the family, everyone began to take notice of him, unlike before.

He found amusement in the family members' behavior, knowing it took a little time to change their minds. Ignoring the stares, he reached his room. After entering and closing the door, he sat cross-legged on his bed.

Focusing his mind on the purple mark on his forehead, a hologram-like window appeared before him.

[ Keith Ennes ]

[ Blood Core: Baron ]

[ Gene: Vampire ??? Hybrid ]

[ Level 1.011 ]

[ Path: Blood Condense ]

Keith examined the status window and observed his level increase by one thousandth. After consuming Marvin's blood, the system notification indicated the absorption of one blood essence.

'What was that for?' he wondered. Recalling how the system had absorbed all blood essence in the blood pool, evolving him, the slight increase from Marvin's blood left him questioning.

'Does my power increase by absorbing blood essence?' he guessed correctly. However, he remained uncertain about blood essence, except that it was a type of energy within living beings, present in varying amounts and concentrations.

Unlike blood qi, blood essence didn't circulate within the body; it served as a power source like life essence. Keith speculated that blood essence might be an energy source within living beings.

Concentrating on the blood core, recently condensed and mahogany in color as a baron, he anticipated its transformation into lighter shades of red as he evolved. Circulating his blood qi, a warm sensation enveloped his entire body, flowing rhythmically and nourishing every part.

"So, is this the reason vampires can thrive without blood? The blood qi not only sustains them but also fortifies their organs and muscles, granting them a physique far superior to that of humans.

The inherent presence of blood qi in every vampire endows them with strength from the very beginning. While they do consume blood from various creatures, it is widely acknowledged that human blood provides the most concentrated and highest-quality nourishment. Thus, it has become a tradition among vampires to exclusively partake in human blood, eschewing that of other creatures.

Keith diligently circulated his blood qi for hours, inducing a state of profound relaxation in his body. His already subdued heartbeat reached an unprecedented low. This allowed him to perceive every inch of his body and the surrounding environment with heightened sensitivity. Even with closed eyes, the entire room unfolded before him."

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"Vampires boast an almost imperceptible heartbeat, and when a vampire with a blood core activates blood qi circulation, the pulse plummets to near-zero. This extraordinary ability enables them to extend their life force exponentially. Beyond the already remarkable lifespan of vampires, the infusion of blood qi further augments their longevity.

"What an incredible technique," Keith exclaimed with joy.

Now armed with an understanding of how blood qi operates within a vampire's body, Keith was eager to test his newfound abilities. He also harbored a curiosity about blood essence and its impact on him.

As these thoughts occupied his mind, a knock echoed on his door.

"May I come in, young master?" inquired the voice of the young maid.

"Yes," Keith replied in a stoic tone.

The door creaked open, and the maid entered, carrying a tray with a single glass of fresh blood."

" This is your meal for the night, young master" the maid announced as she placed the glass on the table beside the bed and bowed gracefully.

As she turned to depart, August seized her hand from behind.

"Young Master?" Rena, the maid, was taken aback by Keith's unexpected behavior, her gaze shifting to where he stared intently at her wrist.

Rena had served the Ennes family for six years, primarily as Keith's personal maid. Despite their closeness in age, Keith had become more reserved after the unsettling change in his demeanor. Rena concealed her inner sadness, understanding that Keith must have endured significant trauma and needed time to recover.

"Rena, I need your help with something," Keith said, meeting Rena's eyes. The blood-red hues reflected her figure before him.

"What do you need, young master? If there's anything I can assist you with, I'm willing to do whatever it takes," Rena replied with determination.

"I need your blood," Keith stated.

Rena glanced at the glass of blood and then turned her head to face Keith. A subtle flush appeared on her face. She didn't comprehend the reason behind Keith's request, but if it was his desire, she couldn't refuse. As a human maid raised in the Ennes family, she held a higher status than the humans owned by the Ennes family. While some humans were treated as cattle and mere sources of blood, Rena and others like her were placed on a relatively elevated tier. Despite new laws in favor of humans, unfair treatment persisted. Violence had decreased, but exceptions remained. Humans resided in confined colonies, contributing blood for the family's survival on a daily basis. They received basic necessities but were confined to their territories, unable to venture beyond.

"Don't worry; it won't be much," Keith assured as he made a slight cut on Rena's wrist. Blood trickled down slowly, and he touched it with his right hand. Purple tendrils crawled up, absorbing the drops falling from Rena's palm.

Rena, bewildered, watched as her blood disappeared inside Keith's palm. The pain was minimal, thanks to Keith's precise cut, and the wound was not substantial. After several drops fell on his palm without any apparent effect, Keith stopped, not wanting to weaken Rena's body by absorbing too much blood.

"Why is it not working?" Keith wondered to himself, sighing in frustration. He then grabbed Rena's wrist, applying his blood qi to the small cut. It was a basic application of blood qi taught to every vampire, accelerating the healing process for wounds. In Rena's case, the cut, being small and without visible depth, healed almost instantly without requiring much blood qi.

"Thank you, Rena. It was really helpful," Keith said, releasing her hand.

"It's nothing. I am your maid and a servant of this family. I am supposed to do anything you ask of me," Rena replied, though a tinge of discomfort lingered in her expression.

Feeling guilty for testing his hypothesis on her, Keith knew she was a good person. However, his curiosity and desperation drove him to proceed, yielding no results. At least now, he knew that not every blood type provided him with blood essence.

Keith opened his drawer and retrieved a gold-blood coin, the primary currency in the vampire continent. Imprinted by the royal treasury, these coins were strictly controlled and couldn't be duplicated. There were three types: copper-blood coins, the lowest unit; silver-blood coins, equivalent to 100 copper-blood coins; and gold-blood coins, equivalent to 100 silver-blood coins. Normal humans struggled to obtain gold-blood coins, which could cover their needs for months.

Keith handed Rena the gold-blood coin, making her nervous. "Take it. You've always served me with great care and listened to me. So, this is nothing much," Keith insisted, placing the gold coin in her hands.

"Forgive me, young master, but I don't need it. I don't have a family to take care of, and there is barely anything I need. The family provides all the necessary things for me, so I don't really need this much," she said with a flushed face, returning the coin to Keith.

Keith was taken aback by her response.