In the minds of all the vampires present, even if Emlyn wasn't the most bizarre of their kind, he was definitely in the top ten.
As a member of a race born with a very long life, it was quite common to cultivate one or even several hobbies to pass the time. Emlyn was far from the only one who liked dolls, but the problem was that aside from buying new dolls, dressing them in new clothes, and going to the hospital to drink blood, he hardly ever went out. He didn't like interacting with his peers, and would basically never attend gatherings unless he was particularly craving fresh blood, needed to learn historical knowledge, or had to exchange materials and items.
Such a lifestyle was almost identical to that of several high-ranking elders who, due to extreme age, had to lie in special coffins just to barely survive. It was simply not the behavior of a newly matured young man. Naturally, Emlyn became the topic of gossip at other vampire gatherings.
In previous years, everyone just talked casually, joking privately, much like everyday discussions about various weirdos in
But this very disgrace to the race had managed to hunt down three followers of the Primordial Moon!
And they were all artificial vampires!
Had he hired clergy from the
Just then, Casimi cleared his throat and said:
"Emlyn collected the corresponding characteristic legacy on his own and has already become a 'Baron.'"
Baron… When the vampires looked at Emlyn again, their eyes were no longer filled with confusion and doubt; instead, they showed more shock, surprise, and astonishment.
For the first time in his life, Emlyn was looked at by his kin in such a way. He suddenly felt light, as if floating, and his brain was filled with euphoria. He had a strong urge to lift his chin proudly and say, "You should address me as Baron."
This feeling of satisfaction was just like when he had saved up money for a long time and finally bought a doll he had been longing for… Emlyn silently praised himself, held back the words that were about to spill out, wore a faint smile, slowly looked around the room, and then buttoned his coat, stood up, and walked over to Casimi Odra.
When the other vampires snapped out of it and looked at the two barons with complex expressions, Casimi finally spoke:
"The winner of this hunting competition will be directly included in the candidate list for 'Viscount' and will receive free ritual assistance."
"In addition, he will receive a ring made by the Founder."
As he spoke, Casimi took out a silver jewelry box engraved with intricate patterns from his pocket, opened it with a snap, and showed it to all the vampires present.
It was a ring that was semi-transparent all over, as if made from light red amber. On its top was set a blood-colored gemstone about half the size of a fingernail, emitting a faint glow.
"It's called the 'Ring of
Casimi paused and added:
"This door is the 'Gate of Summoning.' It allows beings from the depths of the Spirit World to come to the real world through it, but only once within a certain period."
"When a Spirit World being passes through this gate, it is equivalent to signing a corresponding agreement with the wearer. It can serve the wearer for a certain period, about five minutes. If it needs to be maintained longer, the wearer must personally communicate with that Spirit World being and renew the contract for a longer term."
"In normal circumstances, the summoned Spirit World being is equal to or slightly stronger than the wearer, but there are also possibilities of it being weaker or stronger. Once, a Viscount used this ring to summon a demigod-level Spirit World being."
"The stronger the Spirit World being, the more it can resist the contract of the 'Gate of Summoning,' endangering the wearer. If you encounter such a situation, you must decisively cancel the projection and abort the summoning."
"Its negative effect is 'blood thirst.' Every hour, you must drink at least one blood collection vial of human blood to relieve it. Otherwise, your own blood will start to boil and evaporate, and within no less than a quarter of an hour, it will cause the death of a Baron."
I don't mind this; in fact, I'm very eager to drink blood frequently, but the problem is, I can't get so much blood… Emlyn suppressed his joy and excitement and thought about how to deal with the negative effect.
Then, Casimi turned his head and looked at him:
"The additional blood requirements will be provided by the clan."
Then the problem becomes how to modify the vial and how to carry so much blood around… Emlyn glanced at the other vampires whose faces showed envy and jealousy, and took the initiative to ask:
"If I don't wear it, will there be 'blood thirst'?"
"No," Casimi shook his head firmly.
Emlyn stared at the "Ring of Lilith" and asked again:
"If I wear it for 59 minutes and then take it off, will there be 'blood thirst'?"
The muscles in Casimi's face twitched as he said:
"When you put on the ring, you contract 'blood thirst.' You need to drink one vial of human blood to quench it for one hour. During that time, if you take it off and put it on again, 'blood thirst' will be reactivated, and regardless of whether the hour has passed, you'll have to drink blood again. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Of course, it's not a complicated question," Emlyn clicked his tongue.