Chapter 16: Dream God Slayer! The True Power of the Progenitor Bloodline!
Falling.
Endless falling.
Li Heng felt as if he had been thrown into a bottomless abyss, surrounded by endless darkness and howling winds. The soul link of the blood pact ring turned into a golden-red filament of light, pulling his consciousness and plunging deeper into Wanda's dream.
Three seconds later——
"Bang!"
His feet landed firmly on the ground.
The scene before him made his pupils shrink violently.
This was not an ordinary dream.
This was a—ruin.
Endless ruins.
Shattered cities, collapsed high-rises, cracked highways, burning cars—everything was crimson, as if someone had soaked the entire world in blood. There was no sun and no moon in the sky, only a rolling mass of purplish-black clouds, within which twisted lightning flashed from time to time, illuminating this dead, apocalyptic scene.
In the center of the ruins—
Wanda was nailed to a huge black stone pillar.
Countless dark purple energy tentacles stretched out from the stone pillar, wrapping around her limbs and torso, firmly fixing her in place. Her eyes were tightly closed, her face full of pain, and a dark purple mark was slowly forming on her forehead—
That was Chthon's dimensional mark!
Once the mark was completed, Wanda would become a living "dimensional gate", and Chthon would use her body as an anchor to directly descend upon Earth!
[Ding! Host has entered the dream dimension!]
[Dream Dimension Overview—]
[Nature: Chthon's consciousness projection space, Old Gods home turf!]
[Rule Suppression: Host's overall attributes reduced by 50%! Current actual combat power: A-Rank!]
[Dimensional Mark Progress: 47%... 52%... 58%... Continuously accelerating!]
[Remaining Time: About 11 minutes!]
"Wanda!"
Li Heng shouted and rushed towards the stone pillar—
"Hum—"
A purplish-black light barrier appeared out of thin air in front of him, blocking him.
Behind the light barrier, a voice sounded—
Ancient, cold, carrying archaic mockery.
"You came so fast."
"I thought you would need at least thirty seconds to find this place—unexpectedly, the link of the blood pact ring is stronger than I imagined."
The purplish-black light barrier slowly dissipated, revealing the existence behind it—
That was not a person.
That was a—shadow.
A humanoid shadow up to ten meters tall, condensed from pure dark purple energy. It had no face, and its head only had two ancient eyes burning with eerie, cold flames—exactly the same as the pair of eyes Li Heng saw in the dimensional rift before.
Chthon's projection of will.
The Old Gods' avatar in the dream dimension.
"Inheritor of the Progenitor Bloodline." Chthon's voice came from the shadow, carrying a condescending indifference, "You used the power I created to shatter my rift, and used the mark I left behind to resist the Mind Stone—your performance surprised me."
"But that is all."
"In my dimension, your insignificant power—"
"Not worth mentioning."
Chthon raised a giant hand made of dark purple energy and gently pressed it down toward Li Heng—
"Boom——!!"
A terrifying, suffocating pressure descended from the sky!
Li Heng felt as if he was being pressed down by a huge mountain—his knees bent, his spine creaked, and the ground under his feet cracked and sank under the heavy pressure!
This was the power of the Old Gods!
In the dream dimension, Chthon's projection possessed combat power close to the Father-God level—this far exceeded Li Heng's current limit!
[Warning! Host is suppressed by the Old Gods' will! Overall attributes additionally reduced by 20%! Current actual combat power: B+-Rank!]
[Combat power gap with Chthon's projection—huge!]
[System suggestion: Do not confront head-on! Look for a breakthrough!]
"Ugh—"
Li Heng knelt on one knee, blue veins bulging on his forehead, but there was no intention of retreating in his dark golden slit pupils.
"Is this all you've got?"
He gritted his teeth, squeezing out a taunt from his throat.
"You want to make me kneel just by pressing me down? Keep dreaming!"
"Boom!"
He suddenly burst forth with the power of the Progenitor Bloodline, dark golden light gushing out from his body, forcibly pushing back Chthon's oppressive force!
"Oh?" There was a hint of playfulness in Chthon's voice, "Still have the strength to resist? Interesting."
"Then—"
He raised his other hand, and both giant hands pressed down simultaneously!
The pressure doubled!
Li Heng's knees hit the ground completely, his arms supporting the ground, and his entire body's bones were making dangerous creaking sounds. A trace of dark red blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth—
The damage received in the dream dimension would be fed back to the soul level of the physical body in reality!
Although it would not directly cause death, the recovery speed of soul damage was much slower than that of the physical body!
"Struggle," Chthon said indifferently, "The more you struggle, the faster the dimensional mark will be completed. Because your emotional fluctuations will activate the Chaos Magic within her, and Chaos Magic is precisely the fuel I need."
"Your anger—is helping me."
Li Heng's pupils S-Rank violently!
He turned his head to look at Wanda on the stone pillar—sure enough, with Chthon's pressure and her own fear, the Chaos Magic in her body was accelerating its leakage, being absorbed by those dark purple tentacles!
The progress of the dimensional mark—
71%... 76%... 80%...
Getting faster and faster!
"Damn it—"
Li Heng's mind spun rapidly.
He couldn't fight it head-on—the more he resisted, the faster Wanda's mark would be completed.
But he couldn't not fight—if he didn't resist, Chthon would directly crush his soul and then complete the mark without any obstruction.
He couldn't win head-on, couldn't not fight, and resisting actually helped the enemy—
What the hell kind of dead end was this?!
[Ding! System urgent analysis in progress—]
[Detected that the host has fallen into a dilemma! Calculating breakthrough plans—]
[Option 1: Give up resistance, let Chthon complete the mark, and then seek help from Sorcerer Ancient One in the real world—Rejected! Once the mark is completed, Chthoncan descend upon Earth, and by then even Ancient Onecannot easily banish him! Unacceptable!]
[Option 2: Make a desperate gamble, burn all Progenitor Bloodline power to launch an ultimate attack—Rejected! The host's current combat power is suppressed to B+-Rank, and even if all power is burned, the damage to Chthon's projection will not exceed 15%! Meaningless!]
[Option 3—]
The system paused for a moment.
[Option 3: Utilize the 'Chthon's Curse' mark to reverse-invade Chthon's projection of will!]
Li Heng was stunned for a moment.
"Reverse-invade? What does that mean?"
[Explanation—'Chthon's Curse' is essentially a trace of a will seed left by Chthon within the host. Its original purpose was marking and monitoring—but this also means that a 'channel' exists between the host's soul and Chthon's will!]
[If the host pours their own consciousness back into Chthon's projection through this channel—they can disintegrate his will structure from the inside!]
[To put it simply—he can leave a backdoor in your body, and you can hack his system in reverse through the backdoor!]
Li Heng's eyes lit up!
That's right!
Chthon left a mark in his body, and this channel was two-way—it's just that no one ever thought of reverse-invading from the direction of the "marked one"!
Because no one ever had enough courage and power—to dare to pour their own consciousness into an Old God's soul!
This was equivalent to—
An ant trying to reverse-devour a spider through a spider silk!
Crazy!
Absolutely crazy!
But—
Li Heng glanced at Wanda on the stone pillar.
Dimensional mark—88%...
There were less than two minutes left!
"There is no third choice."
Li Heng took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He no longer resisted Chthon's oppression—instead, he actively relaxed his own soul barrier!
"Oh?" Chthon sensed the abnormality, "You are—giving up resistance?"
"Wise choice. Kneel and surrender, I can—"
"Surrender to you?"
Li Heng opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling into a crazy arc.
"You're thinking too much."
"I am—returning a gift."
"You left a backdoor in my soul—"
"Now, I will kick this door open—from the inside!"
"Hum——!!"
The "Chthon's Curse" mark inside Li Heng's body suddenly burst out with dazzling dark purple light!
But he did not release this power outward—instead, he let his consciousness follow the channel of the mark, like a red-hot iron awl, fiercely piercing into Chthon's projection of will!
"What—!!"
Chthon's voice showed panic for the first time!
Because in the long years, no "marked one" had ever dared to do this—those marked by Chthon either became puppets or waited for death in fear, and no one ever thought—
To use the mark as a weapon and stab it back into the Old God's soul!
Li Heng's consciousness, like a dark golden blade, rampaged through Chthon's will structure!
He saw—
Chthon's memories.
Hundreds of millions of years of loneliness.
Battles across countless dimensions.
The writing of the darkhold.
The birth of the first-generation vampire Varna—that was the process of him using the magic in the darkhold to transform a wizard of Atlantis into the vampire progenitor.
Varna ruled the vampire clan for thousands of years, later grew tired of his long undead life, passed his power to Dracula, and finally self-destructed under the sun.
And Dracula inherited all of Varna's power, becoming the second-generation progenitor—and precisely the ultimate source of the bloodline inside Li Heng's body!
All of this—
All originated from Chthon!
He was the "creator" of the vampire clan!
And the "source" of Chaos Magic!
And now—his "creation" was biting back at him!
"You—how bold—!!"
Chthon frantically contracted his will, trying to crush Li Heng's consciousness!
But Li Heng did not retreat at all!
He bit onto Chthon's will core like a mad dog, the power of the Progenitor Bloodline fully erupting in his consciousness—
"You created vampires—so you think we should submit to you forever?"
"You injected Chaos Magic into Wanda—so you think she should always be your vessel?"
"Dream on!"
"Varna would not submit to you—so he chose to commit suicide under the sun, unwilling to be your puppet!"
"Dracula would not submit to you—so he established his own vampire empire, standing toe-to-toe with you!"
"Neither will I!"
"Because—"
Within Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils, a bloody crescent moon suddenly bloomed!
"I am the inheritor of Dracula!"
"I am the Master of the Progenitor Bloodline!"
"My power—is not your bestowal!"
"It is my—"
"Inheritance!!!"
"Boom!!!!"
The dark golden light exploded inside Chthon's will structure!
That was not a simple energy burst—but a "stripping" at the root level!
In the process of invading Chthon's will, Li Heng found a hidden information chain—
That was the control circuit connecting the "Chthon's Mark" and the "Dimensional Mark"!
The reason Chthon could apply the dimensional mark to Wanda was because there was real-time communication between the mark and the control circuit—the mark provided positioning, and the circuit executed the marking!
As long as this circuit was cut—
The marking would be aborted!
"Break—for me!!!"
Li Heng poured all the power of the Progenitor Bloodlineinto that circuit—
"Snap—"
The circuit—was broken!
"No——!!!"
Chthon let out a heaven-shaking roar!
The progress of the dimensional mark suddenly stalled at the 89% position—and then began to rapidly recede!
89%... 82%... 73%... 61%...
The dark purple tentacles trembled wildly on Wanda's body, like a flock of out-of-control snakes, peeling off her body one by one!
And Wanda's tightly closed eyes—
Suddenly opened!
"Li Heng!"
She saw him—saw that man wildly burning himself inside the Old Gods' will.
Dark golden light enveloped his consciousness, like a raging fire burning his body. His soul was dissolving at a speed visible to the naked eye—every time he attacked Chthon's will structure, his own soul was also enduring equal backlash!
But he was smiling.
That smile—was exactly the same as the night he said "You are mine".
"Are you awake?" His voice came from the soul level, weak yet warm, "If you're awake, get moving quickly—smash this damn dream!"
"You have Chaos Magic inside you—in this dream, your power is no weaker than mine!"
"Believe in yourself!"
"You can do it!"
Wanda's tears welled up instantly.
But she didn't hesitate.
She closed her eyes, feeling the crimson power inside her that had been suppressed by fear for too long—
But this time, she was no longer afraid.
Because—someone was helping her.
Not blocking everything for her, but creating an opportunity for her to break the shackles.
"I can do it," Wanda whispered.
Then—
She released the Chaos Magic.
"Boom—!!!!"
The crimson energy surged out from Wanda's body like a volcanic eruption!
But this time, it was no longer an out-of-control rampage—but a conscious release!
Those crimson energies turned into countless sharp red lines, precisely cutting off every dark purple tentacle wrapped around her body!
The mark receded—
47%... 31%... 18%... 5%—
"0!"
Dimensional mark—completely cleared!!!
"Impossible—!!!" Chthon's voice was filled with shock and anger, "You are just a mortal—how could you control Chaos Magic—this is the power I bestowed upon you!!"
"Bestowed by you?"
Wanda opened her eyes, her green eyes flashing with crimson light—not the crimson of madness, but the firm, clear crimson belonging to Wanda herself.
"You're right, this power originates from you."
"But it took root, sprouted, and grew inside my body—it is no longer just yours."
"It is mine."
"Just as Li Heng said—power is power, and I am I."
She raised both hands, the crimson energy condensing into a ball of light in her palm—
"Now—get out of my dream!"
"Boom!!"
The ball of light suddenly exploded, turning into a crimson shockwave that swept across the entire dream dimension!
The ruins collapsed, the purplish-black clouds were torn apart, and the stone pillar that imprisoned Wandashattered into dust—
Chthon's projection of will was like snow meeting fire before this power, and the dark purple energy structure began to rapidly disintegrate!
"This is impossible—I am an Old God—I am the source of all dark magic—how could you—"
"So much nonsense."
Li Heng's voice rang out from inside him—
Because his consciousness was still inside Chthon's will structure!
And at this moment—he was going to do one last thing.
"Chthon." Li Heng's voice was cold and calm, "You left a backdoor in my soul, and I should have cleared it out. But I've changed my mind."
"I'm going to leave this path open."
"Next time you come, I won't need to waste effort finding you."
"I'll go straight down this path—right to your doorstep."
"You—!!"
Li Heng stopped talking nonsense and abruptly pulled his consciousness out of Chthon's will—
But at the same time, he casually—
Tore away a small fragment from Chthon's will structure!
That was basic rule information regarding the Dream Dimension—with this fragment, the next time Li Hengentered the Dream Dimension, he would no longer suffer a 50% attribute suppression!
Because—he had already "stolen" partial authority over this dimension!
[Ding!!!! Epic achievement unlocked!!!!]
["Bud of God-Slaying"—The host confronted the will projection of the Old Gods Chthon head-on in the Dream Dimension and successfully:]
[① Prevented the dimensional mark!]
[② Severed Chthon's control circuit!]
[③ Stole dimensional rule fragments from the Old Gods' will!]
[Evaluation Grade—SSS+! Exceeded the rating limit!]
[Massive Reward Burst—]
[1. Dracula bloodline awakening degree: 0.1% → 0.5%! All attributes increased by 200%! New ability unlocked—"Progenitors Will" (Passive): Absolute mental suppression over all vampire descendants! B-Rank and below vampire creatures will be unable to disobey the host's orders!]
[2. Dimensional rule fragment (Dream) has merged into the soul! When the host enters the Dream Dimension next time, they will no longer be subject to attribute suppression! And in the dream, they can obtain the "Dimension Master" buff—all attributes +30%!]
[3. "Chthon's Curse" mark mutated—evolved into "Chthon's Channel"! The host can actively enter the dimensional abyss where Chthon is located through this channel! But warning—the host's current strength is not enough to survive in the dimensional abyss, please do not try!]
[4. Wanda Maximoff's favorability soared—"Heartbeat" value +5! Current: 86/100!]
[5. Special reward—"Tears of the Old Gods" × 1! After use, it can permanently upgrade one attribute to S-Rank! Recommended to keep, use at a critical moment!]
Li Heng's consciousness exited from the Dream Dimension and suddenly returned to the real world—
"Hoo—!"
He was panting heavily, his back already soaked in cold sweat.
Battles on the soul level consumed far more than physical combat—he now felt like his head had been beaten a hundred times with a hammer, hurting so much it was almost splitting open.
But—
He won.
He really won.
He turned his head to look beside him—
Wanda had also woken up.
She sat on the bed, trembling all over, with tears hanging from the corners of her eyes, but—
She was safe.
The dimensional mark was cleared, Chthon's tentacles disappeared, and the purple-black pillar of light had also dissipated.
The sky outside the window returned to its normal dark blue.
Everything—was over.
"Li Heng…"
Wanda looked at him, her lips moving slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
She simply threw herself into his arms.
Tightly, desperately, as if she wanted to embed her whole body into his—she hugged him.
"I'm so scared…" Her voice was muffled against his chest with a crying tone, "I wouldn't even dare to imagine in my dreams, if not for you…"
"I'm here." Li Heng gently patted her back, his voice hoarse yet firm, "I'll always be here."
"No matter who it is—whether it's Chthon, Hydra, or Thanos—"
"If they want to touch you, they'll have to get past me first."
Wanda cried in his arms for a very, very long time.
Li Heng just sat like that, motionless, letting her tears soak his hoodie.
His head was still hurting, his soul was still faintly aching, and his whole body felt as weak as if he had run three marathons—
But he didn't want to move at all.
Because at this moment, he clearly perceived—the emotions transmitted by the blood pact ring.
Not fear, not sadness, but—
A bone-deep reliance, trust, and... love.
That emotion was so intense and pure, like a warm fire roasting his tired soul bit by bit, slowly healing those scars.
"Thank you, Li Heng." Wanda finally raised her head, her eyes red, but the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.
"You're welcome." Li Heng rubbed her hair, "Protecting you is my duty."
"It's not." Wanda whispered, "You have no obligation to protect me—you're just... willing to."
"That's because—"
Li Heng paused, wanting to say something, but ultimately just smiled.
"Because you are you."
These three words carried more weight than any fancy confession.
Wanda's face turned slightly red, and she lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the dark golden ring on her ring finger.
"Hum—"
The ring vibrated gently, emitting a warm and gentle glow—that was the blood pact ring responding to the emotional resonance of the two.
[Ding! blood pact ring resonance detection—Host and heroine's mental synchronization rate broke through 90%! Current: 93%!]
["Heartbeat" value continues to rise—Current: 88/100!]
[System lament: Host, that line "Because you are you" you just said was more lethal than the Ancestors Fist! The heroine's favorability directly surged by two points! Keep it up!]
Li Heng rolled his eyes in his heart: "Can't you be serious for once?"
[System's nature is hard to change! But host, rest assured, the system will only mutter here and won't go out talking nonsense!]
...
Meanwhile—
Above Brooklyn.
A few minutes after the purple-black pillar of light disappeared, a red-gold figure flew over at high speed from the direction of Manhattan, hovering above the Villa.
Tony Stark.
Iron Man.
His mask opened, revealing that iconic bearded face with an expression that was three parts curious, three parts vigilant, and four parts "I'm here to watch the show."
"FRIDAY, what are the analysis results of that pillar of light just now?"
"Sir, analysis complete. That was a dimensional energy fluctuation, and its peak intensity reached the Sokovian level—which is close to the energy level of the dimensional rift in the last New York battle."
"But strangely enough—this energy fluctuation suddenly disappeared after reaching its peak, and it vanished completely without leaving any dimensional radiation. It was as if—someone closed the dimensional channel from the inside."
"From the inside?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Who did it?"
"Cannot be confirmed. But the center point of the energy fluctuation is the Villa below."
Tony looked down—
An ordinary three-story red brick Villa, with an old oak tree in the backyard and a second-hand Toyota parked at the entrance.
It didn't look like a place where someone capable of closing a dimensional channel lived by any stretch of the imagination.
"Let's go." Tony was about to turn and leave—
"Wait a minute, sir," FRIDAY suddenly said. "I detected an anomaly—there are two figures at the second-floor window of the Villa, and one person's vital signs match the characteristics of 'unknown vampire energy'. Additionally—"
"Additionally what?"
"The other person's energy signature—highly matches the 'Chaos Magic' signal detected in that dimensional fluctuation just now."
Tony's expression changed.
Chaos Magic.
That was a top-tier dangerous energy of which even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database only had a few records.
And someone with Chaos Magic, and a vampire—living together?
"...This is getting more and more interesting."
Tony's mask closed, and the thrusters hummed slightly.
He landed in front of the Villa's door—
Then he raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The house was silent.
Then—
An extremely exhausted voice came from inside the door:
"Who is it? In the middle of the night—don't you know someone just finished fighting an Old Gods and needs to rest?"
Tony: "...?"
The door opened.
Li Heng had two huge dark circles under his eyes, wore a wrinkled gray hoodie, his hair was messy like a bird's nest, and his face was plastered with the words "Don't bother me."
He glanced at the red-gold armor at the door—
"Oh, Iron Man."
"What is it?"
Tony Stark, billionaire, genius inventor, and founder of the Avengers—was currently looking at the young man in front of him, who looked like he had just crawled out of a dumpster, with an extremely complicated expression.
"You... are the source of that dimensional fluctuation just now?"
"It wasn't me, it was some Old Gods who didn't want me to sleep." Li Heng yawned. "I've already driven him away. If nothing else, you can leave now, good night."
He started to close the door.
Tony reached out to block the door: "Wait—you haven't told me who you are, why you possess vampire energy, and—"
"And who is that person in your house with Chaos Magic?" His voice lowered a bit, with a hint of seriousness in his tone. "Do you know how dangerous Chaos Magic is? The last time someone released this level of dimensional energy was—"
"The Battle of New York." Li Heng finished for him. "I know. Loki opened the door using the Tesseract."
"But my situation is different—the person with Chaos Magic is not a villain, she is—"
He paused.
"She is my family."
Tony was stunned.
"Family?"
"Right." Li Heng's gaze was calm and firm. "I don't know if you received a signal from S.H.I.E.L.D. or somewhere else, but let me make this clear—"
"She is not contraband, not a target that needs to be monitored, and certainly not an object that you Avengerscan investigate at will."
"She is an ordinary girl—just happens to possess extraordinary power."
"If you are here to look for trouble—"
Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils flashed slightly in the night.
"Then you've found the wrong person."
The two stared at each other for a full five seconds.
Then—
Tony smiled.
Not a sneer, not a taunt—but a heartfelt laugh of being amused.
"Interesting." He took off his helmet, revealing those eyes full of wisdom and curiosity. "You are the first person I've ever seen—who dared to say 'you've found the wrong person' to Iron Man's face."
"I admire you."
He took out a business card and handed it over—
"Tony Stark. Next time there is a dimensional creature invasion, you can look for me. Although I think you probably don't need help."
Li Heng took the business card and glanced down at it—
There was only a phone number and a line of text on the business card:
"Call Iron Man, enjoy a 10% discount. (Limited to saving the world)"
"...You even have discounts on your business card?"
"Business acumen, understand?"
Li Heng shook his head speechlessly and stuffed the business card into his pocket.
"Alright, good night."
"Bang—" The door closed.
Tony stood at the door, looking at the closed door, the smile on the corners of his mouth not fading for a long time.
"FRIDAY."
"Here, sir."
"Help me check this person's information—all channels."
"Yes, sir. Also—I just detected a weak energy signal inside the Villa, with characteristics similar to... Asgard's Eternal Flame."
Tony's pupils S-Rank sharply.
"Eternal Flame? Are you sure?"
"90% match rate. But the signal is extremely weak, seemingly sealed inside some object."
Tony was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath.
"This matter—do not tell anyone for now. Including Fury."
"Yes, sir."
Tony took one last look at the Villa and turned to fly into the night sky.
Meanwhile inside the Villa—
Li Heng leaned against the door panel and let out a long breath.
"Finally left."
He dragged his tired body back to the bedroom, stopping for a moment when passing Wanda's room—
The door was open a crack, and Wanda was already asleep.
She was curled up under the quilt, and the dark golden ring on her left ring finger flickered slightly in the moonlight.
The tear stains on her face had not yet dried, but a faint smile lingered at the corners of her mouth.
Li Heng looked at her for a few seconds, gently tucked her in, and then returned to his room, collapsing headfirst onto the big bed.
"Today is really too exhausting..."
He closed his eyes, preparing to enjoy a long-awaited sleep without any interruptions—
But at the very moment his consciousness was about to sink into darkness—
A system prompt suddenly popped up in his mind.
[Ding! Host please note—the system discovered an anomaly in the combat data just now!]
[When Chthon's will projection was repelled, an element that did not belong to "anger" or "unwillingness" appeared in his emotional fluctuations—]
[Instead—]
["Expectation".]
[What was he expecting? Why did he feel expectation instead when he was defeated?]
[System in deep analysis—the analysis result makes the system uneasy!]
[Chthon seemed to—deliberately let the host "steal" that dimensional rule fragment!]
[He wasn't defeated—he retreated voluntarily!]
[Because—he needed a sufficiently powerful "vessel" to carry the full awakening of Chaos Magic! And the blood pact resonance between the host and Wanda was precisely the condition he had waited thousands of years for!]
[When the "Heartbeat" value reaches 100 and the blood pact link fully matures—]
[Chthon will—]
The prompt stopped abruptly here.
Because the system itself could not deduce the final conclusion.
But deep in Li Heng's subconscious—
The "Chthon's Channel" mark grew slightly warm.
That Old Gods' voice, like an ancient echo, softly rang in his mind:
"Well done... successor..."
"Keep getting stronger..."
"The day you stand at the peak—"
"I will come... to collect my... reward..."
The voice dissipated.
Li Heng suddenly opened his eyes!
He sat up, panting heavily, cold sweat soaking his back once again.
The moonlight outside the window was still bright, and everything in the Villa was quiet as usual.
Wanda's even breathing came from the next room, gentle and steady.
Everything looked normal.
But Li Heng knew—
Starting tonight, his path of "lying flat" would probably no longer be so simple.
Because—
The Old Gods' chess game had been laid out long ago.
And he, unconsciously—
Had already become the most crucial chess piece on the chessboard.
The question is—
Can a chess piece overturn the chessboard?
Chapter 17: Progenitors Will Awakening! All vampires in New York... Kneel!
Early morning.
Sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the curtains, like an uninvited alarm clock.
The moment Li Heng opened his eyes, his brain felt like it had been stuffed with paste—the aftereffects of going head-to-head with Chthon in the dream dimension last night had not completely faded yet, his soul ached faintly, and he felt groggy all over.
"Headache..."
He reached out to rub his temples, just wanting to turn over and continue sleeping—
"Hum—"
His left chest suddenly grew hot!
It wasn't the warning of the blood pact ring, but rather—a brand-new, never-before-felt sensation!
It was like countless invisible threads extending outward from his body, passing through the walls, through the earth, spreading in all directions—
The other end of those threads connected to—
Living creatures.
They were... of the same kind.
vampires!
Li Heng sat up abruptly, his dark golden slit pupils contracting sharply!
He could feel it—within the entire scope of New York, at least thirty-seven faint "nodes" were resonating with him!
Those nodes were distributed in every corner of the city—the abandoned church in the Bronx, the underground bar in Queens, the luxury apartment in Manhattan, the old warehouse in Brooklyn—
Every single node was a vampire!
[Ding! 'Progenitors Will' passive ability activated for the first time!]
[Ability Details—Progenitors Will: As the inheritor of Dracula's bloodline, the host possesses absolute mental suppression over all vampire descendants! vampirecreatures of Grade B and below will be unable to disobey the host's commands!]
[Current Trigger Condition—After the host's bloodline awakening degree breaks through 0.5%, Progenitors Willautomatically establishes a mental link with all vampiredescendants within the range of New York!]
[Link Range: Centered on the host, with a radius of 50 kilometers!]
[Current Link Count: 37 vampire individuals!]
[Grade Distribution—Grade C × 31, Grade D × 5, Grade B × 1!]
[System Prompt—Host, you are now the... ancestor of all vampires in New York. They can feel your existence, just as you can feel theirs. And—they are very scared.]
Li Heng was stunned.
Thirty-seven vampires?
There were so many vampires in New York?!
He had always thought vampires were legendary creatures, and even in the Marvel Universe there wouldn't be too many—after all, the movies never mentioned this matter.
But upon careful thought...
Dracula had ruled the vampire clan for over five hundred years, establishing lairs all over the world. As one of the largest cities globally, it was entirely reasonable for New York to have a few vampire strongholds.
What's more—
According to Marvel's settings, the reproduction methods of vampires were not just "the Embrace." There were also various paths such as magical transformation through the darkhold and scientific experimental mutation.
For instance, that Morbius—a Nobel Prize winner, due to a rare blood disease, experimented with vampire bat DNA and electric shocks, ultimately turning himself into a "living vampire."
vampires produced by this kind of scientific mutation, although not belonging to the "orthodox vampire" lineage of Dracula, still carried the basic coding originating from the darkhold within their genetic structures—
And the darkhold was written by Chthon.
Chthon was also the ultimate source of the Progenitor Bloodline.
Therefore—whether orthodox vampires or mutated vampires, at the root level, they were all governed by Progenitors Will!
"This..."
Li Heng digested this sudden information, his mood quite complicated.
He originally only wanted to be a quiet, lying-flat vampire, eating instant noodles, sleeping in, accompanying Wandato practice meditation—yet now he was told that he woke up to become the ancestor of all vampires in New York?
This wasn't lying flat; this was being roasted on a fire!
"System, can you turn off this Progenitors Will?"
[Cannot. This is a passive ability, permanently active. Unless the host abandons the Progenitor Bloodline, they will always maintain a mental link with vampiredescendants within range.]
"..."
Li Heng was silent for three seconds, and then made a decision—
Ignore it.
Ignore it for now.
Anyway, those vampires didn't dare to come and cause him trouble—vampires below Grade B could not disobey his commands, what was there for him to fear?
First wash his face, brush his teeth, and eat breakfast.
Other matters, talk about them after eating.
...
The aroma of fried eggs wafted from the kitchen.
Li Heng walked downstairs and saw Wanda already busy in front of the stove wearing an apron. She wore a loose white T-shirt and denim shorts, her red hair casually tied into a ponytail, revealing a section of fair neck.
Sunlight shone through the window, plating her body with a faint golden rim.
"Morning." Wanda turned her head back, smiled at him, and then her expression changed slightly, "Your complexion doesn't look too good... Didn't sleep well last night?"
"Fairly well." Li Heng sat down by the dining table, "Had a bit of a nightmare."
"What nightmare?"
"Dreamed that some immortal old thing left a backdoor in my soul, and even told me to keep growing stronger, and then come back to collect the reward later."
Wanda's hand paused for a moment, the egg spatula suspended in mid-air.
"...Chthon?"
"Yeah." Li Heng took the fried egg handed over by Wandaand took a bite, "But don't worry, he won't come again anytime soon. Last night he lost a lot of will power, and recovery will take at least a few months."
"As for what that 'reward' actually is—" he mumbled while chewing the egg, "We'll talk about it later. I have a headache right now, and I don't want to think about such philosophical questions."
Wanda looked at his feigned relaxed appearance, feeling somewhat heartbroken inside, but didn't show it.
She knew Li Heng was just like this—the heavier the matter, the more he brushed it past in a lighthearted manner. It wasn't because he didn't care, but because he didn't want her to worry.
"Then what are your plans for today?" Wanda sat down opposite him.
"Meditation." Li Heng didn't hesitate, "Then sunbathe. Then take a nap. Then—"
"Hum—!"
His left chest grew hot again!
This time it wasn't the routine resonance of Progenitors Will—but a concrete, urgent signal!
Coming from that single Grade B node!
Location—Manhattan, west side of Central Park, an old apartment building.
The emotion transmitted by that signal wasn't fear—but rather—
Pain.
Extreme, on-the-verge-of-losing-control pain!
And a vague vocabulary—
"Save me..."
Li Heng's fried egg stopped in mid-air.
"What's wrong?" Wanda keenly perceived his abnormality.
"...A vampire is asking me for help." Li Heng frowned, "Grade B, in Manhattan."
"Asking for help?"
"Yeah. He is in great pain—as if experiencing some state of losing control." Li Heng put down his fork, closed his eyes and felt the details of that signal—
Chaos, hunger, fear, self-loathing...
These emotions intertwined, forming a soul on the verge of collapse.
This person—didn't want to be a vampire.
But he couldn't control himself.
"I'll go take a look." Li Heng stood up.
"I'll go with you—" Wanda also stood up.
"No." Li Heng pressed down on her shoulder, "Your Chaos Magic is not stable enough right now. In case the other party loses control and goes berserk, I won't be able to protect you and subdue him at the same time."
"And—" he pointed to the dark golden ring on Wanda's left ring finger, "With the blood pact ring, we can perceive each other at any time. If there's danger, I'll come back to find you at the first moment."
Wanda hesitated for a few seconds, and finally nodded.
"Then be careful."
"Rest assured. I am the ancestor of New York vampires after all—just going to teach a disobedient junior a lesson."
Li Heng changed into a hoodie and sneakers, walked to the door—
"Right," he looked back at Wanda, "Help me save that portion of fried eggs. I still want to eat it when I come back."
"Got it!"
...
Manhattan, west side of Central Park.
Hyde Apartments—an old red brick building built in the 1960s, with mottled exterior walls and a rusted fire escape, forming a glaring contrast with the brand-new luxury apartments next to it.
Li Heng stood in front of the apartment building, looked up at that tightly closed fourth-floor window—the curtains were drawn tightly shut, and a trace of dark red light faintly leaked through the door crack.
It was the vampiric energy leaking out of control.
He walked up the stairs—the old wooden steps creaked under his feet, and the air was filled with an indescribable fishy-sweet odor, growing thicker the higher he went.
Reached the fourth floor.
At the end of the corridor, a door was ajar.
There were scratch marks of something on the door frame—five deep gullies, like a Beast's claw marks.
Li Heng pushed open the door—
The room was in complete disarray.
Furniture was overturned, dark red handprints and scratch marks were everywhere on the walls, and the curtains were torn into strips of cloth. The air was filled with a strong bloody smell, mixed with the pungent aura of chemical reagents.
In the corner of the room—
A person was curled up in the corner.
Male, about thirty-something, with black hair, a complexion pale as paper, and deep facial contours—but right now these facial features were undergoing a terrifying distortion and deformation. His nose became flat, his lips split open to reveal two sharp fangs, and dark purple spiderweb-like blood vessels emerged on his skin—
This was the typical symptom of a vampire losing control.
But on him, Li Heng also saw something different—
There were tear stains at the corners of his eyes.
His hands tightly hugged his head, nails deeply embedded in his scalp, fresh blood flowing down between his fingers—that was his own blood.
He was desperately resisting that out-of-control power within his body.
It wasn't enjoyment, it wasn't indulgence—it was using all his strength to suppress a monster that was devouring him.
"Don't come over—!" That person perceived Li Heng's presence, abruptly raising his head, a pair of scarlet eyes filled with madness and fear, "I—can't control it—hurry up and leave—!"
"I will hurt you—I will hurt everyone—"
[Ding! Target information identification—]
[Name: Michael Morbius]
[Race: Living vampire (Scientific Mutated Type)]
[Grade: Grade B]
[Status: Out-of-control berserk! The reason is that the conflict between the bat DNA in his body and his blood disease caused the bloodthirsty desire to reach a critical value!]
[Threat Assessment: If left unmanaged, the target will completely lose rationality within 2 hours, turning into a purely bloodthirsty creature! At that time, a large-scale vampire injury incident will occur in Manhattan!]
[Remarks: Morbius was originally a Nobel Prize winner. Due to suffering from a rare blood disease, he used vampire bat DNA and electric shocks for experimental treatment, accidentally mutating into a living vampire. He has always tried to control his bloodthirsty desire, but falls into an out-of-control state every once in a while!]
Morbius!
Li Heng's pupils contracted slightly.
Doctor Michael Morbius—one of the most famous vampirecharacters in the Marvel Universe!
Unlike the "orthodox vampires" of Dracula's lineage, Morbius was a "pseudo-vampire" mutated through scientific experiments—he didn't possess many characteristics of orthodox vampires (such as being unable to create descendants through the Embrace), but similarly possessed enhanced strength, speed, healing power, and a craving for blood.
And right now—he was being devoured by that craving.
"Progenitors... Will...?"
Morbius suddenly stopped struggling, his scarlet eyes staring fixedly at Li Heng—he felt that irresistible mental suppression emanating from Li Heng's body.
That was an instinct carved deep within the bloodline—
Even if he wasn't an orthodox vampire, even if he was the product of scientific mutation, the bat DNA inside his body still originated from the lowest-level coding of the darkhold—and the highest authority of that coding was in the hands of the Progenitor Bloodline.
"You... are..." Morbius's voice trembled, a flash of clarity crossing his eyes, "Dracula's... inheritor...?"
"Not an inheritor." Li Heng walked toward him step by step, his voice calm and powerful, "It is transcendence."
"Dracula is my predecessor, not my ceiling."
He walked up to Morbius, squatted down, and looked eye-to-eye with that pair of scarlet eyes.
"What is your name?"
"Mi... Michael... Morbius..."
"Doctor Morbius." Li Heng nodded, "I know you. Nobel Prize winner, hematology expert, turned yourself into a vampire to save yourself—and then spent half your life regretting it."
A trace of bitterness flashed in Morbius's eyes.
"You... know about me?"
"More than you imagine." Li Heng straightened up, "You have two paths right now—"
"The first: continue losing control, turn into a monster that only knows how to suck blood, and then be eliminated by my own hands."
"The second—"
He reached out his hand.
"Kneel. Submit to me. I can help you suppress your bloodthirsty desire."
"Not a permanent solution—but at least it can let you regain control of your own body."
Morbius looked at that hand extended toward him, his scarlet eyes full of struggle—
He was a proud man.
A Nobel Prize winner, a world-class scientist, a man who once stood at the pinnacle of human wisdom—to make him kneel to a stranger?
But—
His body was already out of control. Dark purple blood vessels squirmed wildly beneath his skin, and the bloodthirsty desire washed over his reason wave after wave like a tide. He could feel his consciousness being nibbled away bit by bit by that "monster"—
If he didn't make a choice now—
He would become a monster.
Completely and irreversibly.
"I..."
Morbius closed his eyes.
A drop of blood tear slid down from the corner of his eye.
Then—
He bent his waist.
Both knees touched the ground.
His forehead pressed against the instep of Li Heng's foot.
"Greetings—Progenitor."
This kneel—
"Boom—!"
Progenitors Will was fully activated!
Dark golden light burst forth from Li Heng's body, pouring into Morbius's body along the mental link between the two!
That light was like a red-hot branding iron, precisely scorching those out-of-control bat DNA inside Morbius's body—not eliminating them, but—reshaping them!
Rearranging those chaotic, crazy, out-of-control genetic codes into an orderly, stable, controlled structure!
This was the absolute authority of the Progenitor Bloodline over vampire descendants—
Reshaping!
"Ahhhhh—!!"
Morbius let out a painful roar!
His body convulsed violently, the dark purple blood vessels on his skin fading at a speed visible to the naked eye, his fangs retracting, his facial features returning to normal—
Ten seconds later—
Everything returned to calm.
Morbius lay prone on the ground, panting heavily, his whole body drenched in cold sweat—but his eyes had recovered from scarlet back to their original dark brown.
Clarity, rationality, the eyes belonging to "Doctor Michael Morbius" had returned.
"You... you did it..." He looked at his own hands in disbelief—no longer trembling, no longer out of control, "The bloodthirsty desire—it's still there, but—"
"But it no longer controls you." Li Heng withdrew his hand, "I just helped you re-establish control. Desire is a part of your body, and it's impossible to eliminate it completely—but from now on, you are riding it, not it riding you."
Morbius was silent for a long time.
Then he slowly stood up, tidied his tattered clothes, and bowed solemnly toward Li Heng.
"Thank you — — Progenitor."
"Don't call me Progenitor." Li Heng waved his hand, "Just call me Li Heng. I have no interest in being any kind of vampire King."
"Then you... why are you helping me?"
Morbius didn't understand at all — — in his cognition, the vampire Progenitors were all ambitious rulers, and Draculahad even established a massive vampire empire.
Yet the person before him — —
looked every bit like a college student who had just crawled out of bed.
"Because you called out to me for help." Li Heng's answer was ridiculously simple, "My Progenitors Will received your signal — — pain, struggle, not wanting to harm anyone."
"A vampire who doesn't want to be a monster — — that kind of person is rare among the vampire race."
"Saving one counts as one."
Morbius was stunned.
Having been a vampire for so many years, hunted by demon hunters, besieged by X-Men, threatened by Blade— — no one had ever said such words to him.
Everyone only saw the terror when he lost control — — no one saw the pain when he struggled.
Except for the person before him.
"You... are a good person." Morbius said in a low voice.
"Not really." Li Heng flatly denied, "I just can't be bothered to watch others lose control and go berserk in front of me only to clean up the mess afterward. Helping you solve it beforehand is much less troublesome than dealing with it afterwards."
"This is called — — efficient kindness."
Morbius: "..."
The way this person spoke was really very strange.
But inexplicably — — it gave people peace of mind.
[Ding! Morbius has submitted to the Progenitors Will! He has become the host's first vampire dependent!]
[Dependent Bonus — — Morbius's 'B-class' combat power will be incorporated into the host's faction evaluation! The host's comprehensive faction rating is upgraded from 'Individual-class' to 'Team-class'!]
[Morbius Unique Skill — — 'Biochemical Blood Toxin': Morbius's blood contains a special biochemical toxin, which can be used to develop specific medicines for blood-related diseases! If combined with the host's Progenitor Bloodline, it is expected to develop — —]
['vampire Purification Potion' — — Can restore rationality to low-level vampires who have lost control and gone berserk! It might even cure certain types of blood diseases!]
[System Evaluation: Host, you probably don't know what a huge treasure you picked up so casually! Morbius is a Nobel Prize laureate! His scientific research ability paired with your Progenitor Bloodline — — might just solve the vampire clan's 'Bloodthirsty Curse'! By then, you will be the greatest Progenitor in vampire history — — second to none!]
After reading this prompt, Li Heng's heart stirred slightly.
Solve the Bloodthirsty Curse?
Make vampires no longer need to drink blood?
This — —
If he really achieved it, then all vampires wouldn't have to live lives that couldn't see the light anymore. No need to hide, no need to be hunted, no need to struggle in pain like Morbius — —
But — —
This was a big deal.
It wasn't something that could be done overnight.
"We'll talk about it later." He prioritized this matter in his heart — — ranking it fourth after "protecting Wanda", "sleeping well", and "learning how to cook".
"Doctor Morbius." He looked at Morbius, who was tidying up the room, "What are your plans for next?"
"I..." Morbius hesitated for a moment, "I want to continue my research. To find a way to cure blood diseases — — not just for myself, but also for everyone like me."
"Alright." Li Heng nodded, "You go ahead with your research. If you need help — — contact me through the Progenitors Will."
"However — —" He accentuated his tone, "Three rules."
"First: You are not allowed to harm innocent civilians while out of control. If you can't do that, don't go out."
"Second: I have the right of priority use over your research results. Especially those related to blood diseases and vampire purification."
"Third: If one day I need you — — you must come. Unconditionally."
Morbius nodded without hesitation: "I promise you."
To him, these three rules were not a restriction — — but a guarantee.
The first was something he had always been striving to do.
The second was a guidance for his research direction — — he was already striving in this direction anyway.
The third — —
Being able to serve the Progenitor was an honor for the vampire race.
"Alright." Li Heng turned and walked towards the door, "I still have to go home to eat fried eggs, so I won't chat anymore. Clean up yourself — — this room is as messy as my last apartment."
Morbius looked at his back, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curling into a wry smile.
This Progenitor — —
was truly the most unreliable and most incredible vampirehe had ever seen.
But inexplicably — —
made people want to follow him.
...
Brooklyn, Villa.
Li Heng returned home and pushed open the door — —
The fried eggs were still on the table.
But Wanda wasn't in the living room.
"Wanda?"
"Upstairs!"
Li Heng walked up the stairs and pushed open Wanda's bedroom door — —
Wanda was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her hands hovering in front of her, scarlet energy sparks dancing between her ten fingers!
But unlike that dangerous, out-of-control berserk state from before — — the scarlet energy at this moment was gentle, orderly, and under her control!
The sparks rotated, wove, and transformed at her fingertips — — sometimes turning into butterflies, sometimes into flowers, and sometimes into a beating heart.
"You're practicing your control?" Li Heng leaned against the doorframe.
"Mmm!" Wanda opened her eyes excitedly, "The meditation Mordo taught is so useful! I can now sense the Chaos Magic inside my body — — and I found that as long as I stay calm, it will obediently listen to me!"
She raised her hand, and a scarlet butterfly flew out from her fingertips, circled around Li Heng's head, and then gently landed on the tip of his nose, dissipating into a wisp of warm red light.
"Did you see that?! I did it!" Wanda's eyes shone as if they hid stars.
Li Heng looked at her jubilant appearance, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curling up.
"Not bad. Much faster progress than me — — I went out for a bit just now and took in a Nobel Prize laureate as an underling."
"What?!" Wanda widened her eyes.
"It's a long story — —" Li Heng walked over to the table and sat down, eating fried eggs while briefly explaining Morbius's matter.
After listening, Wanda fell silent for a moment.
"You helped him because he could be of use to you? Or because — —"
"Because he was asking for help." Li Heng swallowed a bite of egg, "I read a word in his mental signal — —'Save me'. Not 'Give me power', not 'I want revenge' — — just simply'Save me'."
"A person on the verge of losing control, using their last shred of sanity to ask a stranger for help — — such a person shouldn't die."
Wanda quietly looked at him, the light in her eyes turning soft and warm.
"You know," she said softly, "you talk about lying flat and not caring on your lips — — but everything you do is more like a hero than those who call themselves heroes."
"Don't flatter me." Li Heng turned his face away, his ear tips slightly red, "I'm just too lazy to watch others get into trouble in front of me."
"Mmm — —" Wanda drew out her ending note, her smile deepening, "You're just lazy. The kindest lazy person in the world."
"If you praise me any more, I won't wash the dishes."
"You don't wash the dishes in the first place!"
"Then I won't wash them even more in the future!"
The two bickered, their laughter drifting all the way from the bedroom to the living room, warming the entire Villa.
...
Evening.
Li Heng lay on the lounge chair in the backyard, watching the setting sun slowly sink into the skyline.
The connection of the Progenitors Will was still active — — thirty-seven vampire nodes were quietly distributed throughout New York, like faintly twinkling stars in the night sky. That B-class Morbius node was especially stable, much gentler than the morning's signal — — indicating that he had fully recovered his rationality.
Everything was developing in a good direction.
But in Li Heng's heart, a stone was always weighing down.
Chthon's words — —
"The day you stand at the peak, I will come to collect my reward."
That Old God was not bluffing. He deliberately let himself "steal" the dimension rule fragments, deliberately making the blood pact resonance stronger — —
This meant — — he needed Li Heng and Wanda to become stronger.
Why?
An Old God, why would he help his own enemies grow stronger?
Unless — —
The "reward" he wanted could only be collected when Li Heng and Wanda reached a certain specific state.
What was that state?
"Hum — —"
The Progenitors Will suddenly transmitted a new signal!
Not from New York — —
But from — — Europe!
The signal was extremely weak, like an echo across thousands of mountains and rivers, but it could still be captured by the Progenitors Will — —
That was another vampire individual above B-class!
Location — — Eastern Europe, Romania, the Transylvania Mountains!
And the emotion conveyed by that signal — —
Not asking for help, not fear — —
But rather — —
Awe.
Fanatic, almost religious-like awe.
Accompanied by a clear vocabulary — —
"Progenitor... returned...?"
"My Lord Dracula — — have you returned?!"
Li Heng suddenly sat up!
Transylvania — —
That was Dracula's hometown!
The holy land of the vampire race!
There — — vampires still existed!
Furthermore — — judging from the strength of that signal, the other party was at least B-class — — or even higher!
"System, analyze this signal!"
[Ding! Long-distance vampire signal analysis in progress — —]
[Signal source: Romania, Transylvania, deep in the Carpathian Mountains!]
[Signal strength: B+ class!]
[Identity speculation — — highly likely to be Dracula's direct dependent during his lifetime — — a descendant of the Blood Baron lineage!]
[System reminder — — according to Marvel settings, Dracula established a massive vampire empire centuries ago, and his direct dependents spread across Europe. Although Dracula was subsequently killed by heroes many times, he possessed a special ability — — no matter how he was killed, he could resurrect perfectly!]
[And Dracula's most recent "death" was three years ago — — killed by Blade. According to past patterns, he should have already resurrected — —]
[But — —]
[System scanning the entire region of Transylvania — — Dracula's resurrection signal was not detected!]
[In other words — — Dracula didn't resurrect this time!]
[The "Progenitor's return" perceived by that vampiresignal did not refer to Dracula — —]
[Instead, it referred to the host — — Li Heng!]
Li Heng's breathing paused slightly.
Dracula — — didn't resurrect?
And his old subordinates in Romania — — had already begun swearing allegiance to the new Progenitor?
What did this mean?
[System deep analysis — — Dracula's resurrection ability is essentially a dimension rule — — the "Undying Curse" bestowed by the darkhold. But this rule has a prerequisite — — a sufficiently powerful "Progenitor-level bloodline anchor" must exist in the world to serve as the resurrection coordinate!]
[And now — — the awakening degree of the Progenitor Bloodline within the host has reached 0.5%, far exceeding the level of 0.3% during Dracula's lifetime! This means — —]
[The host's Progenitor Bloodline has "overwritten" Dracula's bloodline anchor!]
[Dracula's resurrection coordinate — — has vanished!]
[He can no longer resurrect — — because the new Progenitor has replaced his position!]
[To put it commonly — — the host is not Dracula's successor, but rather — —]
[Dracula's replacement!]
[The loyalty of the entire vampire race — — will transfer from Dracula to the host!]
Li Heng stood blankly under the setting sun, a thunderclap exploding in his mind!
He wasn't Dracula's heir — —
He was Dracula's terminator!
The new Progenitor of the vampire race!
And at this moment — —
The old subordinates far away in Europe had already begun swearing allegiance to him.
This meant — —
On a global scale, all of Dracula's dependents, descendants, and subjects — —
would all feel the birth of the new Progenitor!
would all — —
come before him!
"Wait — —"
Li Heng's expression changed slightly.
He looked down at himself — — a wrinkled hoodie, dust-stained sneakers, and hair unwashed for three days — —
and then looked at the three-story small Villa behind him — —
An ordinary residential house in Brooklyn.
He was going to receive the worship of global vampires in this place...?
"What the fuck — —"
"I can't even clean up my own home, and you want me to clean up an entire race?!"
[The system says: Host, don't panic! These are all matters for the future! The most important thing right now — —]
[You eat the fried eggs first.]
[They won't taste good if they get cold.]
Li Heng: "..."
He took a deep breath and turned to walk into the house.
Eat the fried eggs first.
Other matters — —
We'll talk about later.
But what he didn't know was — —
At the exact same moment when the Progenitors Willsignal spread across the globe — —
Romania, deep in the Carpathian Mountains, an ancient castle hidden among the cliffs and precipices — —
Dracula's Castle — —
the gates were slowly opening.
Behind the gates, hundreds of vampire members wearing black cloaks lined up neatly, kneeling on one knee.
They shouted in unison — —
"Respectfully welcoming — — the new Progenitor!"
And at the very front of the kneeling crowd — —
an elderly person with white hair slowly stood up.
On his chest was pinned a silver badge — — engraved with a Baron's crown and a bat spreading its wings.
Blood Baron.
Dracula's most loyal direct dependent.
He raised his head, his aged face full of piety and determination.
"Pass down the order — —"
"All vampire strongholds globally — —"
"The new Progenitor has appeared in New York!"
"Immediately — — set off on a pilgrimage!"
"No one — — is allowed to disobey!"
His voice echoed in the castle, reaching the ears of every vampire member.
And deep inside the castle — —
a secret chamber sealed layer by layer — —
in the gaps of the seal, an extremely faint dark red light was flickering.
That wasn't the light of the Progenitor Bloodline — —
That was — —
Dracula's lingering will.
He was still alive.
In the weakest form — — living within the seal.
He was waiting.
Waiting for an opportunity.
Waiting for a — — chance to converse with the new Progenitor.
Because — —
Only the new Progenitor could lift this seal.
And the secret hidden within the seal — —
concerned the destiny of the entire vampire race.
Concerned — — the final page of the darkhold.
On that page was written the final spell left behind by Chthon — —
"When the new Progenitor replaces the old Progenitor — —"
"The Blood Moon will rise once again."
"And beneath the Blood Moon — —"
"The Old Gods will walk among mortals."