Chapter 242 Sanguinis Clan Conflict 02
Upon hearing her plea, the man allowed a cunning and malicious smile to spread across his face, satisfied with the success of his little scheme. He feigned his displeasure and turned toward Maria.
"Ms. Maria, according to our agreement, we require the presence of two more of your people before proceeding with the ritual to make all of you vampire thralls. Do you believe, perhaps, that the ritual comes without a cost? Having three participants undergo the ritual simultaneously is certainly more efficient than one or two at a time," the man explained, oozing disdain and displeasure, all while maintaining his lustful gaze on Maria's body, with no attempt to conceal it.
[Ugh… What does this self-important vampire want?] Maria thought, growing increasingly annoyed by his demeanor.
"Ms. Maria," the man began, "what if I were to tell you that you don't need to become a thrall of our clan to maintain your beauty and extend your lifespan? What if I offered you a chance to become an immortal vampire, to walk the night as one of us? Would you believe me?" He wore a self-assured smile, convinced of his charm.
For most ordinary humans seeking longevity and immortality, such an offer would be a dream come true. However, Maria, a vampire far more powerful than this man, had different thoughts.
Her primary concern was to convincingly deceive him, all the while planning how to arrange a meeting with the Sanguinis Clan's higher-ups without drawing attention from the Hightower.
Feigning a stunned and disbelieving expression, Maria inquired, "Re…really? Would this privilege also extend to my father? My lord? And would I have the opportunity to meet the elder of the Sanguinis Clan?"
Observing Maria's seemingly shocked and ambitious remarks, the man in the black suit couldn't help but smile. He had encountered ambitious women before, and in his mind, he ridiculed Maria for her audacity. Meeting the clan's elder, even for a regular vampire, was a nearly impossible feat, let alone for a vampire thrall. It would require a miracle.
He dared not turn Maria into a vampire without permission, and he couldn't admit her into the clan either, given his lowly status within the Sanguinis Clan. His intention was to engage in a one-night affair with Maria and then depart, leaving behind false promises, as he had done with many previous victims.
His actions were tantamount to breaking his word, but it didn't matter to him. Vampires weren't as concerned about upholding contracts as mages were. The clan showed little interest in what he did to a few powerless mortal women, even if they had money and meager influence. Maria wasn't the daughter of a prominent businessman with control over a significant portion of the world's economy.
As long as he delivered the clan's share of his gains, he could simply claim that it was the humans who got cold feet and didn't want to be turned into vampires themselves. The clan didn't care about the specifics; as long as he could clean up any mess himself and not trouble the clan.
"Of course, with just one night with me, you would..." the man in the black suit began, reaching his lecherous hand towards Maria's chest. However, his words were abruptly cut short as a shadow emerged from the darkness behind Maria.
Two figures emerged from the shadows, revealing themselves to be none other than Vlad and James. James wore a face that suggested he was on the brink of vomiting but couldn't quite manage it.
The moment Vlad fully materialized, he released his grip on James, who collapsed to the ground, utterly drained of strength.
lightsΝοvεl ?οm "Don't you dare throw up. Hold it for another hour, or else I'll feed you twice the amount of black pudding you just expelled," Vlad warned menacingly, his gaze fixed on James, who was on the verge of retching. James lay on his back, looking up at the stars and weakly waving his hand to indicate he understood and wanted to avoid being fed more black pudding.
As if a spell had been broken, Maria's act faded away. She walked toward her foster father, losing all interest in the low-class vampire who had tried to engage with her just moments earlier. Her father had arrived in all his vampiric glory.
"What did you do to him, Dad?" Maria inquired, her curiosity piqued as she crouched down to poke James's stomach, which had expanded to a frightening size. James made a face as though he might vomit again and waved his hand at Maria, signaling her to stop prodding his stomach.
"Oh, since I heard he likes British food, I decided to treat him to a generous helping of black pudding… with foie gras-farm style," Vlad explained with a sneer, a satisfied look on his face as he observed James's discomfort.
"Eww…" Maria commented, her eyes expressing both pity and a sense of justice served, as if to say, "You deserve it, you bastard."
"Who are you? You use shadows! Are you from the Umbra Clan?" The man asked in alarm. The Umbra Clan and the Sanguinis Clan were both vying for control over the vampire hierarchy in Germany, each striving to become the dominant force. It was clear that the Sanguinis Clan had no fondness for the Umbra Clan's presence.
"Umbra? What's that?" Vlad repeated, turning towards Maria with a puzzled expression.
Observing her foster father's lack of awareness regarding modern-day vampires, Maria sighed inwardly. It seemed that after her foster father had found a worthy master in Lord Daniel, he had become more immersed in his brutal and monstrous side. He retained his elegance and nobility only for the sake of civility, avoiding causing trouble for their lord.
This transformation had caused him to neglect his regal bearing as a count and ruler, overlooking many details and planning, content with being a loyal hound, ready to unleash his concealed monstrosity upon anyone their lord targeted.
Maria didn't intend to complain, as her foster father's current way of life appeared to be more carefree than when he ruled Wallachia.
"Dad, the Umbra Clan is a vampire clan that specializes in manipulating shadows at will. They are experts in assassination and often undertake commissions from the Hightower as hired assassins. Currently, they are in a power struggle with the Sanguinis Clan," Maria explained wearily to her foster father before adding, "Next time, please read the information I send you carefully, okay?" Her tone held a hint of admonishment.
"Oh, thank—" Vlad began to express his gratitude but was abruptly interrupted by a furious roar.
"You! Bitch! Did you work for the Umbra Clan!? Do you know what consequences you'll face!?" The man in the black suit bellowed in anger, pointing his gun at Maria.
She appeared completely disinterested in him. To the man, this was a humiliating experience, as he had always looked down on non-mage humans and had never faced such humiliation from a human before.
Hearing this, Maria let out a long sigh, her disappointment evident. "And here I thought I wouldn't need to cause a ruckus before meeting the Sanguinis Clan's higher-ups." As soon as Maria finished speaking, she unclasped a brooch pinned to her suit.
"What!? You're also a vampire!?" the man in the black suit exclaimed in alarm. The moment Maria, who went by the name Maria, removed the brooch, a unique vampire scent wafted towards him. This scent resembled the one he had detected on the elegant man in the red suit earlier.
It was the unmistakable scent of a vampire of higher rank, far stronger than all of them combined. At this moment, he realized that he and his group had been manipulated from the beginning.
"An ambush! This is a trap, retreat!" the man shouted, and all of his bodyguards attempted to flee towards the exit of the ruins. However, much to their surprise, shadows emerged from every corner, rising from the ground and blocking their path.
"Hey, who told you to leave? Stay a little longer," Vlad taunted the Sanguinis Clan vampire group. His smirk held both amusement and a feral edge, as if he were a cat toying with its prey before the final strike.
The man in the black suit paid little attention to Vlad's taunts. He and his goons began to exert their vampiric strength in a desperate attempt to escape the shadowy domain that Vlad had completely under his control.
"Arrrggghhh!" an agonizing scream escaping from one of the goons as a dagger impaled his heart from behind, instantly turning him into ash. It was Maria who had suddenly appeared, seizing the opportunity to eliminate one of the Sanguinis Clan henchmen before transforming into mist and vanishing once more.
"Shit! Keep her at bay for a few minutes. I'll call for backup!" The man in the black suit immediately issued orders to his remaining goons and reached for his phone to summon assistance from his clan.
Before he could dial the number, a sharp throwing knife struck both his hand and his phone, rendering it useless. The three remaining goons swiftly reacted, launching an assault on Maria.
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