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At this point, Blade added, "There is one issue. The duration that garlic extract suppresses my bloodlust is getting shorter and shorter. I'm worried that one day, it won't be able to suppress my instincts at all."
"And what happens then?" Black Superman asked casually. "Do you become a full vampire and lose the ability to walk in sunlight? Or do you turn into a mindless beast that bites anyone it sees?"
Blade answered seriously, "I don't know. And I don't want to find out."
Under the microscope, Blade's cells reacted to garlic extract differently from typical vampire-infected cells.
Some cells, like those infected by the vampire virus, ruptured and died upon contact with the extract. But others reverted back to their normal human state.
The most critical component—the red blood cells—showed an even clearer pattern.
Once infected, red blood cells gradually shifted from their normal biconcave shape into a biconvex form.
Since vampires lose the ability to produce new blood through stem cells, once all red blood cells become biconvex, their oxygen-carrying capacity drops sharply. At that point, they must consume external blood to prevent systemic cellular suffocation.
Garlic extract, however, partially reversed this process in Blade—turning some of the biconvex cells back into functional biconcave ones.
But the extract didn't act exclusively on red blood cells—it also affected other body cells.
That explained why Blade experienced intense pain when injecting it.
And because more and more red blood cells were becoming nonfunctional over time, while only a limited portion could be restored, the suppression window kept shrinking.
After completing the initial examination, Black Superman lifted his head from the microscope.
Though Blade and Whistler appeared occupied, their attention snapped back to him instantly.
"Got something?" Whistler asked.
"I have a rough idea," Black Superman said, explaining his findings before continuing:
"With a blood sample and enough time, I'm confident I can develop a cure that removes the vampire virus from Blade entirely.
"But doing that would turn him into a fully normal human. No vampire weaknesses—but also no vampire enhancements."
"That's not acceptable!" Whistler cut in before Blade could speak. "Our feud with vampires runs deeper than you can imagine. If they find out Blade's become human, they'll throw everything they've got at him—turn it into a damn feast."
Blade, hidden behind his sunglasses, looked helplessly at the old man—clearly not thrilled about decisions being made for him.
Whistler didn't care.
"What're you looking at me like that for?" he snapped. "If I were a vampire, I'd sure as hell do it. You think they like you or something?"
Then he turned to Black Superman.
"So yeah, that option's off the table—unless we wipe out every vampire on Earth first."
Black Superman nodded. "Fine. Then there's another approach."
"I can create a restoration agent that temporarily converts your red blood cells back to their normal state.
"But it won't be permanent. As your blood circulates, the virus will gradually affect them again—so you'll need repeated doses."
"The downside is obvious: you'll be dependent on this drug for life. And I can't guarantee whether resistance will develop, forcing higher and higher doses."
"The upside is also clear—you retain your vampire physiology: enhanced strength, speed, reflexes."
"As for the bloodlust, it might be a physiological trigger causing psychological effects—or something else entirely. Until we encounter it directly, I can't say for sure. You'll have to rely on your own willpower."
"I'll take the restoration agent," Blade said immediately, cutting off any further input from Whistler.
Black Superman nodded. "If you won't let me take your blood samples out of here, I can work on-site. But I'll need various chemical and biological materials to synthesize it. I'll give you a list."
These two vampire hunters had already accomplished plenty before his involvement—they had their own channels to acquire restricted materials.
Black Superman didn't differentiate between controlled substances or not—he dumped the entire list on Whistler.
Better that way.
If he made things too easy, they might start thinking his help was a given.
After a moment's thought, he added:
"If you want to improve the chances of success, I'd like a blood sample from a pure vampire—for comparison with Blade's."
"Turned or born?" Whistler asked.
"Either. If there's a difference, then preferably one of each," Black Superman replied, then added curiously, "There are vampires born that way?"
Whistler nodded. "It's rare, but vampire reproduction does happen. If the mother is human, it increases the chances. Those born with vampire traits are considered 'purebloods.'"
Black Superman considered this.
"So the classification isn't really about lineage, but just a label to elevate certain individuals. Even turned vampires could produce 'pureblood' offspring under this definition."
Whistler shrugged. "There's another problem. To get a blood sample, we'd have to capture a vampire alive. That's risky—and complicated."
"Why? I only need a vial of blood," Black Superman said.
Blade explained, "Vampires have some kind of unknown linkage. Even if you take blood out of their body, once the vampire dies, the sample turns to ash along with them."
"That's… unusual," Black Superman muttered. "Can the ash be analyzed?"
"No," Whistler replied. "It's just dust. No trace of human biology. Like they never existed."
"I see…" Black Superman said. "It behaves like a virus, but doesn't mutate like one. So a few extra strange properties aren't that surprising."
Blade asked, "So do you still need the sample?"
Black Superman continued writing his materials list as he thought.
"If you can get one, it would help for comparison. But if not, I can work with your blood alone."
That was enough.
Blade and Whistler had already decided—they'd capture a vampire alive.
Otherwise, what kind of hunters would they be?
And it wasn't like they needed a high-ranking target.
Just grabbing some low-level grunt wouldn't be a problem.
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