Back at the Lionheart clan grounds, as the old man exited the teleportation platform, a group of elders awaited him. They silently joined his side, escorting him toward the meeting hall. Just as his daughter and grandson were about to leave, he called out without turning,"You two—come with me. And bring someone from the R'T Department."
Ignoring the surprised looks from the others, he kept walking.
They entered a grand chamber, circular and vast, with a large round table bearing the Lionheart emblem in the center. Thirty-three unique chairs—each with a different design and emblem—circled the table. Most were already occupied.
These were the thirty-three elders, leaders of the clan's branches, each ruling a different region. The pride's elite—its oldest, most powerful members.
The old man took the central seat and gave a nod. "Since this is urgent, let's skip the formalities."
One of the elders stood and tapped on a tablet. A projection appeared in the air above the table: a video feed showing two guards stationed in a forest post. They appeared agitated, pacing nervously—then, suddenly, their bodies shimmered and shifted. They transformed into tigers and bolted into the woods.
The feed ended.
"That was the first case," the elder said grimly. "But similar events happened rapidly afterward. Within three hours, everything returned to normal. The individuals returned confused, with little memory of their actions."
The old man's eyes narrowed. "There's a 'but' coming…"
The elder nodded. "Yes. They returned stronger, two ranks up. But their control is… unstable."
The old man sighed. "I had my suspicions… It's true." His tone hardened. "The old blood is awakening."
Gasps and frowns passed among the elders. One stood, his face stern.
"We suggest bringing him back. Someone with that kind of power—even if in chains—is a treasure."
The old man's gaze turned to ice. His killing intent filled the room."Chains? My descendant—in chains?" His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "Have you lost your mind—or has age dulled it? Do you think he'd ever return willingly, after what you did to him?"
A crushing aura swept the room. Many elders flinched, forced down by the sheer pressure.
A younger man chuckled dryly. "Don't bother with them. The greedy always end up as food for the beasts they chase."
The old man exhaled, nodding. "At least someone understands."
Confused, the elders looked toward the speaker's companion—his daughter—who stepped forward, explaining ther little trip.
"As my dauter said, we were being monitored. The defense systems around his home weren't simple—they were cutting-edge. Now ask yourselves: how long would it take an ordinary mortal to build something like that, let alone something capable of harming us—and all before his awakening?" said the old man eyes sweping the room with disdain.
"You talk about forcing him to submit, but let's set aside his power. Even before awakening, he could already take down entire factions. Add his natural gifts now? Catching him would be suicide. And don't forget—he will know your secret sooner or later at that time...." stoping without continue as his meaning is clear.
The hall fell silent.
Just then, the door opened, and a man in a lab coat strolled in. "Someone called for me?"
The old man nodded, sliding him a phone. The scientist examined it—and his eyes widened.
"Well damn. First, congratulations. Second, I hope I wasn't summoned just for bragging rights?"
The elders stared, confused.
He rubbed his forehead. "Please tell me you recognize this?"
Blank stares.
He groaned. "Do you all live under rocks? That's a seal from the White Lion—Colossale's inner division. Cutting-edge biotech, engineering, energy—everything. Their top-tier tech is only accessible through deep internal connections. The techsealed on this phone? You don't get that unless you're part of their core. Not even their CEO has public access to it. meaning having this you already one of them."
He started walking away, then paused."Oh, and by 'inner circle,' I don't mean executives. I mean the brains behind the company—the creators. No one even knows their identities. Not even on our side of the world."
He left, signaling his escort to remain for the questions that come after.
Back in the present, Leo had been dodging turret fire for nearly an hour before finally calling it.
"Boring," he muttered, rolling his shoulders as the final round clanged harmlessly off the reinforced wall. "Haven't learned anything new in the last thirty minutes."
He stepped into the shower, letting the steam clear his thoughts. Even with reflexes under control, he thought, this environment isn't helping me figure out my standing. I'm geting noting.
Dressed and caffeinated minutes later, he walked into his lab, eyes scanning the stats from his last session.
"Nothing I've created so far could do real damage to me," he muttered while heading for the garage.
"Alfred, pull everything we have on energy sensing and detection. Also, search for anything involving metal resonance with raw energy."
[Affirmative, sir. Should I place the garage under service lockdown?]
Leo shook his head. "No need. Just put a sound-dampening field around my desk. If she shows up, let her tinker in peace."
[Understood.]
What followed were hours of deep research. Between sips of strong coffee and steady streams of data, Leo dissected theory after theory—until finally, something clicked. A new alloy composition that could hold mana, stabilize it, and enhance scanning. From there, the rest flowed like water. Within minutes, he was redesigning his detection drones.
Stretching, Leo grinned. "Alfred, begin fabrication and deployment. Start with the Fork region—especially the forests."
[Confirmed. Also, sir… you have company.]
Leo blinked.
The moment he activated his Haki, he felt several presences—close.
Turning slowly, he saw them: a group of strangers standing in his lab, eyes wide in shock. All except one who wore a small, knowing smile.
Leo offered a calm, crooked smile. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you all. I've read about you… in my father's journal."
There was a long pause. Then he added with a wry grin, "Was going to invite you for a drink… but knowing your kind, let's change the location."
—
They relocated to the living room.
As they settled in, Alice stepped beside him, still grinning. "Good to see you again. Cool house, by the way."
Leo raised a brow. She wasn't confused. Not even cautious. Whatever Emma had done to veil the house, she'd felt it—and adjusted. Impressive.
"Good to see you too, car-wrecker," Leo said dryly, glancing at her mate. "How's your holding up?"
Alice puffed her cheeks. "Rude."
Her partner just offered a polite smile.
Under the watchful eyes of the Cullen family, Leo pulled a bottle and several cups from a cabinet. As they sat, he poured carefully and evenly.
"Before we talk," he said, "let's get that trust of yours out of the way."
They exchanged surprised glances. Then their expressions turned wary. The scent from the liquid hit them hard—not blood, and yet… not not blood. It didn't register as animal or human. But the pull was undeniable.
Like a blood singer.
Charlie and Emma tensed simultaneously."Blood-Yauger," they said at the same time.
An aged alchemical brew made from the blood of thirteen apex predators. Rare. Almost extinct.
Leo's eyebrows lifted. "So you really did know my old man."
Charlie gave a sad smile, lifting the glass and swirling it. "He was a good friend. Like a brother. Crazy at times—but always loyal to his people."
Leo smirked and raised his cup. They followed suit. As the drink touched their lips, a subtle golden glow lit their eyes. Their pupils shimmered like polished honey before settling.
The large man let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's something."
Then, sheepishly: "Mind if I get another?"
A sharp elbow jab from his mate shut that down quickly.
Leo chuckled. "Be my guest. I brewed it for you, anyway."
As he refilled the glass, Charlie leaned forward. "What did you mean by that?"
Leo tilted his head toward the ceiling. "Alfred, bring me the bloodcrafting research. The book—and the drive."
[On its way, sir.]
He turned back to Charlie. "While going through my father's notes, I found a series of studies focused on 'coldbodies' and their blood intake. He didn't find a full alternative… but he discovered ways to enhance the potential of animal blood."
He looked up, voice quiet but firm. "And since you're the only vegetable vampire I've met—probably the only one my father trusted this much—I thought you deserved to see his work."
Silence followed—until the faint mechanical hum of drones filled the room. One carried a thick, aged book and a flash drive. The other—a small, golden orb.
Before Leo could say anything, Alice vanished in a blur and reappeared mid-air, snatching the orb. Her eyes sparkled. "Kyaa! Is this a snitch?! like the Harry Potter's?!"
Everyone stared. Leo winced, letting out a low growl that sounded suspiciously lion-like."Hey! Car-wrecker! Volume control! I like my eardrums intact!"
She grinned unapologetically. "Can you blame me?! It's a snitch!!"
Leo sighed. "It's not. It's a Golem Eye. Surveillance drone. Weird that you didn't notice them sooner."
He pointed toward the window.
Outside, a swarm of tiny golden orbs hovered like bees.
Alice vanished again.
Leo sighed. "Alfred, keep her busy, will you?"
[Define 'busy,' sir?]
"Let the drones run. She'll chase. It'll make her happy."
[Affirmative. Shall I log this as a field test?]
"Please."
He turned back to the others, who were now giving him the kind of look usually reserved for people who walk into boardrooms barefoot.
Leo rubbed his face. "Have I sighed this much all week? Alright. Let's reset."
He stood, hand over heart. "As you know, my name is Leonardo Ragheart. I'm a shapeshifter. And it's an honor to meet the Olympic Coven."
Charlie smiled back, genuine now. "Name's Charlie. This is my wife…"—he gestured—"…and my kids: Emmett, Jeff, Sara, Edward… and finally, Rosalie."