Viktor sat lazily in an old wooden chair, leaning back against it. One leg casually crossed, he was immersed in reading a heavy magic tome in his hands.

  Beside him, Pricis Nisse stood quietly, her bright eyes filled with curiosity as she stared intently at Viktor's serious profile.

  The stale, fishy smell that had lingered for too long permeated the air, but Viktor remained focused on his book. Each time he turned a page, the rustling sound echoed distinctly in the silent room.

  Sensing Pricis's constant gaze, Viktor looked up and turned slightly to ask:

  "What are you looking at?"

  Pricis shrank back, seeming somewhat afraid:

  "You're... handsome."

  What a straightforward girl.

  Hearing this, Viktor said nothing more.

  But Pricis continued to steal glances at him from the side.

  After a long while, she finally managed to ask:

  "My mother... can she really not be saved?"

  Hearing her voice, Viktor closed his book and looked up at Pricis.

  After he had explained everything earlier, Pricis, unable to accept it, had first cried for a long while.

  The fact that she had unknowingly killed her own mother was difficult for anyone to accept.

  But Viktor had also told Pricis that it happened because of her unconscious actions as a Blood Species.

  Therefore, it wasn't her fault.

  After this consolation, Pricis had felt somewhat better.

  Viktor continued:

  "Your mother no longer has a body that can sustain her existence in this world."

  "If you want to resurrect her, the price would be your own life in exchange."

  "Then I'll die in her place!"

  Pricis's voice rang out without hesitation.

  She placed a hand on her chest, her resolute eyes conveying her determination to Viktor.

  Hearing Pricis's words, Viktor suddenly turned his head toward the curtains and said:

  "The Blood Moon is coming."

  Pricis huddled to one side, not yet understanding what he meant.

  Suddenly, a fierce wind rushed into the mansion like a wild beast, surging into the room.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The curtains, driven by magical forces, flapped violently in the air, producing sharp snapping sounds.

  The chaotic wind made Pricis raise her hands to hold down her flying hair, while her other hand pressed down her black dress to prevent it from flying up.

  As the wind blew open the windows, she turned to look outside.

  A blood-red moonlight streamed through the broken window, falling upon Pricis's face.

  She stood there dumbfounded, staring at the Blood Moon that had appeared in the sky.

  However, she felt nothing.

  Being just a ghost, she wasn't affected by the instincts that existed within flesh and blood.

  But correspondingly, the monster within her body reacted.

  The red moonlight illuminated the entire room, its crimson glow covering the Blood Species.

  Its almost distorted head followed the crimson light, its gaze piercing through the window to fall upon the Blood Moon hanging in the sky.

  In an instant, its blood-red pupils seemed to be filled with obsession, an intense desire overflowing from its eyes, gradually consuming its entire body.

  Its eyes, like two gleaming ruby gems, reflected a scene of madness.

  Under the hanging Blood Moon, countless blood thralls were performing frenzied dances upon the crimson formation.

  They jerked their bodies, twisting in bizarre postures, their mouths emitting low moans.

  As if calling to something from the deep void or an alternate dimension.

  Guided by some mysterious force, the Blood Species monster slowly dragged its distorted body, attempting to reach out with its blurred limbs to touch the Blood Moon illuminating the night sky.

  As if yearning for its own power.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The crimson moonlight kept expanding in its eyes, its already twisted limbs convulsing even more severely.

  The broken bones made chilling cracking sounds.

  Under the blood-red light, its back began to writhe, the flesh underneath pushing up against the clothing.

  Slash--

  A huge tear was forcibly ripped open in the back of its clothes, exposing ghastly pale skin under the eerie crimson light.

  Then, a pair of bat wings grew from its back.

  Seeing this, Pricis was startled.

  Was this... herself?

  The blood-colored bat wings seemed to absorb all the moonlight along her body.

  Sharp fangs protruded from its mouth, while its twisted and broken body was forcibly corrected in an extremely uncoordinated way.

  Under the influence of the Blood Moon, everything about the Blood Species changed, as if forcibly accepting the transformation brought by the Blood Moon.

  Pricis watched in stunned amazement, and at this moment, Viktor's voice slowly rose:

  "You said you would die for your mother?"

  "Even if it means letting her live on forever as you, right?"

  Pricis came to her senses, turned back to Viktor, and nodded vigorously, her eyes full of determination.

  Viktor said:

  "Very well, now I want to see how much you're willing to do for your mother."

  Pricis asked nervously:

  "Can you... really save my mother?"

  Viktor gave a slight smile:

  "I came here specifically to cure your mother's madness."

  "Come with me."

  He stood up, and the crow flew to his shoulder.

  Seeing this, Pricis closely followed behind Viktor.

  As they left, Vega's deep single eye suddenly fixed upon the Blood Moon hanging in the sky.

  As if trying to completely lock the Blood Moon within its eye.

  ......

  The Blood Moon hung high in the sky, penetrating the thick clouds, like a passionate heart beating in the chest.

  On the ground, the blood thralls moved like puppets on strings, mechanically repeating some sort of cursed dance.

  King Augustus stood under this blood-colored moonlight, extending his arm like the only conductor in this chaotic dance.

  The nobles around him stared at Augustus, their faces blank but their eyes clearly revealing deep fear and shock.

  They were afraid, they were terrified, they were angry.

  But most of all, they were confused.

  Why had Augustus become like this?

  Perhaps it wasn't sudden, after all, this banquet was clearly a trap set up by Augustus long ago.

  The beastmen's attack on the city had damaged the royal city, forcing this banquet to be held at Count Laurien's home.

  At this moment, no one cared anymore why Augustus wanted to marry Count Laurien's deceased daughter.

  They were only curious.

  Why had Augustus suddenly become connected with the Blood Clan?

  The Blood Clan was a mysterious existence that those present knew little about.

  But they were definitely not human.

  However, as the king of a nation, Augustus was actually in league with the Blood Clan.

  This shocked and confused everyone present.

  They instinctively wanted to denounce Augustus, but...

  Count Cody's fate just moments ago was still fresh in their minds.

  One thing Augustus said was right.

  To become king, his strength couldn't be weak.

  Moreover, something was different about Augustus now.

  He had taken a direct hit from a fourth-tier warrior's sword, yet remained unscathed.

  But the next moment, something even more terrifying happened.

  The headless body of the count who had lost his head earlier suddenly began to twitch on the ground.

  His body writhed on the ground, his legs stomping hard into the earth, forcibly pulling up what remained of his original body.

  The next second, he suddenly stood up, and like the blood thralls, began dancing frantically, moving with mechanical motions.

  Only he didn't emit the low growls.

  Because this body had no head.

  Seeing this, one noble suddenly felt immense grief and anger, shouting to the other nobles:

  "Count Cody!"

  "Even Count Cody..."

  At this moment, everyone present became afraid.

  Under Augustus's power, there was no peace even in death.

  Augustus wasn't surprised by everyone's emotions, his pleased voice rang in their ears:

  "This isn't death, this is sacrificing oneself for the kingdom's contribution."

  "So, what are you afraid of?"

  Soon, he came back from his frenzied excitement and calmly said:

  "Now, beneath all of us, large amounts of gunpowder have been buried."

  "At midnight, everything will turn to ashes."

  "By then, all of your flesh and blood will become food for the Queen's rebirth."

  All the nobles present froze.

  They looked at Augustus and cursed:

  "Augustus, you've truly gone mad!"

  "How dare you! How could you do this!"

  He paid no attention to their curses.

  Augustus put on a smile again and said to Princess Aurelianne and the twelve foreign ministers beside her:

  "I sincerely apologize, Your Highness and ministers, for having you attend such an unfriendly banquet."

  "Before the gunpowder detonates, I will have someone escort you safely out of here."

  Hearing this, they felt no relief at escaping disaster, but rather found Augustus even more absurd.

  They too trembled, blood rushing to their faces.

  Finally, one foreign minister couldn't hold back anymore and said to Augustus in a trembling voice:

  "What... what exactly do you want to do?"

  "The Grand Duke won't allow you to do this!"

  Augustus returned him an icy stare.

  "To make the kingdom stronger."

  "Isn't that reason enough?"

  As his voice fell, the entire venue went quiet.

  Soon, Augustus turned around, his gaze wandering through every corner of the venue, as if viewing all the nobles present as audience members of this chaotic dance party.

  Seeing their terrified expressions, Augustus felt extreme pleasure.

  These people who usually only showed submission before the Grand Duke now felt immense fear toward him.

  This made Augustus more certain that everything he had done was correct.

  Augustus thoroughly enjoyed it, he even seemed intoxicated by the nobles' terror.

  "As for the Grand Duke? He won't interfere."

  Augustus squinted and smiled lightly.

  The more one deals with life and death, the further one moves away from it.

  Grand Duke Balo, who had long grown accustomed to all matters of life and death, was like an observer, a passive guardian of the kingdom.

  He wouldn't care about the kingdom's future, nor would he care about changes in power.

  As long as the kingdom didn't perish, he wouldn't intervene.

  Suddenly, Augustus felt something was wrong.

  Because the headless count who had stood up earlier had broken free from his control.

  "What's going..."

  His gaze focused on the headless count.

  A pale green flame suddenly climbed up from his body, reaching toward the top.

  The soul fire formed into a head, settling on the count's body.

  The flames consumed his body, the pale green fire devouring and peeling away his flesh, revealing stark white bones.

  Everyone who saw this was stunned, including Augustus.

  Because this power that emanated was the necromancy magic very familiar to the kingdom's people.

  However, Grand Duke Balo, the only one who could use necromancy magic, wasn't here.

  Suddenly, a green light flashed before Augustus's eyes, and he quickly turned to look.

  Princess Aurelianne's body was now burning with the same pale green flames.

  Her entire body was wrapped in a layer of deep green flames, with a layer of luminous green light floating on her surface.

  Green light reflected in her pupils, as if invisible flames burned in her eyes.

  Her pure white dress was consumed by the pale green flames, transforming into pitch black.

  Above her head appeared a pale green luminous crown, still emanating strange, intense green flames.

  At this moment, she seemed to transform into a witch.

  Her voice, ethereal and profound, echoed in everyone's ears.

  "I really hate entrusting my fate to others."

  "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  patreon.com/BZDXG - Unlock a HUGE stash of advance chapters now!

  Dive deeper into the story ahead of everyone else