novelraw Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Chapter 11. Adrian
“Tut tut tut~”
Kyle rubbed his smooth chin, not having expected those nobles to strike so ruthlessly—they had directly killed the representative who was the backbone of the Artisans’ Association.
He had originally intended to check on where his sister and her little boyfriend were, yet the moment he followed the thread of causality, the first thing that entered his sight was the headline on the front page of the newspaper in his sister’s hands.
He knew this Adrian as well, and had even bought his paintings. This artist, born of a fallen noble family yet possessing fine character, had earned his recognition.
‘Let’s take a look. Perhaps he can still be saved… The corpse is still here, basically intact… Not bad, not bad. There should still be a chance!’
“I’ll be leaving first. I’m very satisfied with this matter!” Kyle turned his head and casually praised the fat merchant—who had just climbed into the carriage and was about to claim credit—before dispersing like a phantom.
Mills, who had been ready to show off his achievements, suddenly froze with a stiff smile on his plump face. He blinked at the now-empty seat, then after a long moment let out a helpless sigh and called out of the carriage, “Back to the Chamber of Commerce!”
“Yes!” came the response.
————
Inside a secret chamber of the Artisans’ Association filled with blocks of ice, Adrian—his appearance tidied—lay quietly within a stone coffin.
A shadow slowly twisted and stretched out from a crack, eventually condensing into Kyle’s slender figure, while the warning runes and protective arrays in the room did not react in the slightest.
Kyle walked to the side of the stone coffin. Beneath the silver mask, his gaze calmly examined the corpse within.
“Turning him into a vampire is impossible, but transforming him into a corpse demon is no problem. With my blood added, he should become a blood fiend with decent potential. And if I add Blood Orchid as well…” He rubbed his chin, as though evaluating a modification plan for a work of art.
He gave a light snort and shook his head.
“Tsk, thinking too far ahead. Same old rule—forced melons aren’t sweet. He might not even agree… Better ask for his own opinion first!”
What Kyle needed were absolutely loyal subordinates with potential. A forcibly transformed subordinate, stripped of self, would basically have no potential left—merely a puppet that obeyed orders. Growth would depend entirely on him painstakingly cultivating it. There was no point in taking such a subordinate.
He raised his hand, fingers slightly spread. A barrier as thin as cicada wings, emitting a faint dark-red glow, unfolded and gently enveloped the entire stone coffin and the surrounding space, completely isolating it from the outside world.
Kyle bent down and lightly tapped Adrian’s cold forehead with his index finger, condensed with pure dark energy. A wisp of soul—so faint it was nearly dissipating into the void—was slowly drawn together and gathered by that power. It rose from the cold shell and condensed into a translucent, blurry human silhouette.
As a purer strand of dark power infused with the aura of life’s origin flowed in, the dull soul gradually regained consciousness. Even its translucent eyes seemed to regain a trace of color.
“I… wasn’t… already…” Adrian’s soul opened its mouth without producing sound, yet a clear wave of confused intent echoed repeatedly within the barrier.
He lowered his head, looking at his translucent hands, then at the familiar yet unfamiliar body lying in the stone coffin. Strangely, the anticipated fear, sorrow, or anger did not surge forth. In his soul state, his emotions seemed frozen, leaving only a detached calm.
“You’re awake?” Kyle’s voice sounded directly within Adrian’s consciousness, equally clear and composed.
Adrian turned toward the direction of the voice, though it seemed he no longer needed to turn to see clearly.
“Who are you?”
Kyle removed the mask from his face, revealing a pale countenance with refined features and a faintly youthful air, forming a strange contrast with the powerful pressure radiating from him.
“Mr. Kyle?” Adrian remembered the man before him—a collector introduced by the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce, who had purchased several of his paintings and was one of his important clients.
“Mm-hm. Let’s reintroduce ourselves, Master Adrian. I am Kyle Aiven, a Blood race Marquis, the founder and controller of the underground order of Coral Thorn City. Of course, you may also call me—‘Information Broker.’” Kyle gave a slight bow, performing an ancient and flawless noble etiquette of the Blood race.
“A Blood race… Marquis?!” Adrian’s soul fluctuated violently, like ripples spreading across water struck by a stone. His human instinctive vigilance was immediately awakened, yet due to his special soul state, it soon calmed.
Kyle paid no mind to his reaction. “As you can see, you are indeed dead. I am here to offer you a… choice. Adrian, I value your talent and potential, and I admire that ‘light’ in you that the mundane world has yet to erode.”
“A choice?”
Adrian’s mental fluctuations gradually steadied. That detached composure regained dominance. Death had stripped away the impulses of flesh; what remained of the soul was closer to essential thought.
“What must I give? And what can I gain?”
“Become my subordinate. Work for me. And absolute loyalty!” Kyle was very satisfied with his directness. Speaking with intelligent people had this advantage.
“In return,”
Kyle’s voice carried the composure of one in a superior position, “as long as it does not harm my core interests or violate my will, you will possess complete freedom of action.”
“You may continue teaching your students, caring for the children you have adopted, even running about for your Artisans’ Association. Any wealth or honor you gain outside your duties will belong to you. I have always been generous to capable subordinates.”
His tone suddenly turned cold, his attitude stern. “However! Adrian, when you choose to accept this ‘rebirth,’ you yourself will also become part of my ‘interests’! Your safety and your value will be tied to me!”
“Then what do you need me to do?”
“In your current state?” Kyle shook his head slightly. “You cannot help with anything for now. As for what I will do, I can only say that as long as my bottom line is not touched, I am an excellent partner. But if my bottom line is crossed, then…”
He paused. A killing intent like mountains of corpses and seas of blood spread within the barrier, causing even Adrian’s soul to feel a trembling chill.
“Then the price will far exceed your imagination.”
Although Kyle still retained many of his former-life personality traits and habits, after experiencing so much, he had long since grown indifferent.
Perhaps it was precisely because, after giving all the benevolence and righteousness he could and falling into disheartened clarity, he awakened in this life the talent to see through the causal threads of the world. It also made him understand why the kinder a person was, the more ruthless they became in the end.
The reason he regarded Adrian highly was, perhaps, because he saw a trace of his past self in him.
“I… need to think…”
Time passed second by second. Kyle did not rush him. A shift in one’s worldview required a journey of the heart.
Adrian’s remnant soul quietly gazed at his cold body.
Memories from the past rapidly flashed through the depths of his soul:
A difficult yet fulfilling journey of study; establishing the Artisans’ Association with companions who were both teachers and friends… The respect and expectations of students and subordinates; the unfinished works, the unpassed techniques… And that piercing pain through his back and heart, followed by endless darkness.
After a long while, he lifted his translucent head. His voice was as calm as a deep pool. “Mr. Kyle, if I agree… what kind of monster will I become?”
“Blood fiend.” Kyle raised a finger. At his fingertip condensed a drop of golden-crimson blood, emanating a heart-palpitating fluctuation.
“You will retain your memories, wisdom, and skills from life. But from now on, you may feed only on blood and soul energy. Your strength will directly leap to Master level.”
“If your will is strong enough, and your body has high compatibility with my blood, it’s possible to rise straight to high-tier Master level in one go.”
“Of course, the price is that you may never be able to walk under the sunlight. Your form may also change somewhat, though I will try my best to keep your appearance as it was…”
Unlike the Blood race, blood fiends were purer dark creatures, closer in essence to corpse demons. Sunlight restrained them more strongly, and correspondingly, night amplified them more. The Blood race, however, as their blood energy continuously increased, would be increasingly less restricted by sunlight until fully adapting.
The magic bracelet he had developed functioned based on the utilization of blood energy. For blood fiends, it could at most conceal their aura; it could not resist the erosion of sunlight.
“That doesn’t sound too bad.” Adrian looked at his own corpse with relief. “Compared to rotting in a coffin, at least I’ll have the chance to continue teaching those children… and personally drag out the one who killed me.”
“It seems you’ve made your choice.” Kyle nodded in satisfaction, and the drop of essence blood at his fingertip quietly vanished. “A wise decision.”
“However, now isn’t a good time to transform you. We’ll need to wait until a troublesome fellow goes surfing first!”