Success

Adel was well aware of the difference between a blood thrall and a true vampire. After escaping, he began his experiments, hoping to transform himself into a true vampire. Unfortunately, he never succeeded.

He wasn't a real sorcerer, lacked complete records, and didn't have the necessary materials and conditions. Even the original vampire had failed, so it was no surprise that he did too.

The latter part of the book was filled with Adel's delusional speculations, almost entirely worthless.

"Sorcerers..." Adam frowned. Some churches treated sorcerers and witch doctors as heretics to be eliminated, while others turned a blind eye.

Some sorcerers were revered for creating valuable things, while others caused disasters, leading to many deaths.

Adel had also wanted to become a sorcerer, but his lack of talent thwarted him from the start.

"Unified perception, starting with sensory meditation, to draw out mental power," Adam rubbed his temples, realizing he might have some talent in sorcery, though Adel's records ended abruptly.

Even the first step was something Adel had overheard from the vampire.

In summary, Adel's adventure had yielded nothing substantial other than his blood thrall status.

"He must be anxious now," Adam thought, closing the attic window and lying down to sleep, guessing Adel's current state.

Having his anomalies discovered and losing what he considered precious would greatly affect Adel's mentality. The messages Adam left would give him a sliver of hope.

In his anxiety, while suppressing his thirst for blood, Adel's condition would worsen. He would analyze Adam's message repeatedly, letting his imagination enhance Adam's mystique.

"In this torment, he will instinctively choose to believe in me, trusting that I have a way to conceal his anomalies, as that is his only hope for survival."

"I should have destroyed the remaining potions to cut off all his hopes, forcing him to rely entirely on me," Adam analyzed his mistakes.

"The condition of the corpse interfered with my thoughts, making me want to leave quickly without further consideration."

"And mentioning the corpse, while increasing his fear of me, also increased the risk of my exposure."

Despite his many flaws, Adel had his strengths.

Firstly, he was ruthless, able to endure extreme pain during church worship and suppress his bloodlust without hunting.

Secondly, his survival instinct was strong, and he seized opportunities well. Despite being captured by the vampire and used for experiments, he became a semi-assistant and later escaped successfully.

Lastly, he was cautious, hiding in the forest for months and making contact with other beings in the city before returning to Roya.

"By controlling his fear, I can control him."

With this realization, Adam slept peacefully.

The next day, Adam placed his wooden panel drawing nearby and continued his work with Alva.

Adam mostly did physical tasks: mixing materials, changing tools, and cleaning up.

Alva often observed the previous fresco, checking for color changes, material layer solidification, and adherence to the wall.

"Is Alva really not a sorcerer?" Adam wondered, watching Alva's adjustments.

With his enhanced perception, Adam noticed even the slightest changes in color and texture.

The fresco's main colors were divided into different material layers. For instance, if the background was the sea, the bottom layer would be blue, with varying depths achieved through carving.

However, colors mixed from materials would change over time due to light and humidity in the church.

These changes might not be visible to the naked eye, but Adam's keen perception detected subtle inconsistencies.

Alva could spot these inconsistencies and adjust them with chisels and paint.

Even the slight misplacement of a gem would be corrected.

These minor adjustments made the entire fresco different.

Adam was sure Alva had advanced far in sensory perception.

"The Holy Sound Church's stance on sorcerers and witch doctors is neutral to hostile, but Alva might still be a sorcerer."

Adam inferred that Alva held a significant position in the church and had a close relationship with the senior priest.

This was evident from the fact that Adam's material requests were always confirmed by Alva, but Alva never came in person.

Jim, the procurement officer, was corrupt and had close ties with nobles. The Earl of Rue often met with Jim, ostensibly discussing supplies, but Adam suspected more.

Adam's suspicions weren't based on intuition but overheard conversations at the mansion of Baron Mansla.

Rue seemed interested in some "goods" business, likely related to Mansla's smuggling operations.

Smuggling required military cooperation, as the army managed the border walls. Many officers were also friars due to the Holy Sound Nation's unique nature.

Jim reportedly had good connections with the military, though this was unconfirmed.

Adam stopped his wandering thoughts and continued observing Alva's work, learning more.

Not only was Alva's sensory perception advanced, but his hand was also steady, carving layers without disrupting the image.

As Alva began sculpting figures, Adam suspected he had studied human anatomy. The detailed textures made the fresco figures look real, as if people were painted and embedded into the wall.

During the midday break, Alva noticed Adam's "painting," weighed the wooden panel in his hand, and set it aside before giving his first lesson.

"You reduced the material layers and divided the coating proportionally, which shows some thought," Alva said, lounging in a chair and drinking from a flask. "But the rest is terrible."

"You used wood, not a wall. The material ratio is wrong, and it'll peel off in a week. You added water to slow down the setting, creating bubbles. It might crack over time."

"And you used poor tools. Stone dust and wood chips contaminated the material. Throw this away."

Alva then fell asleep.

Adam didn't argue, as his problems wouldn't disappear with arguments.

"So, for someone like me to succeed, some unacceptable methods are necessary," Adam placed the crude panel aside, not discarding it despite Alva's criticism.

After finishing the cleanup, Adam picked up a book from the shelf and began reading.

"Hard work is also needed."