128 The New Progenitor (1)

Something is wrong…

It's been over six hours since I've pushed that brat into Father's coffin. By my estimates, the ritual to resurrect Father should take four hours at most. No, given our endless preparations and resources, the resurrection should have been completed within the hour.

Over the centuries, our Bloodborne House has prepared millions of lives to sacrifice. The amount of magic power gathered was obscene as well, as it rivalled that of a Demon Lord. We even placed a worthy vessel, a Vampire that was bred solely to be Father's body when he undergoes his rebirth. Not to mention, that brat's soul was the cherry on top of the cake.

There were more than enough resources to complete Father's awakening.

And judging from the ritual, everything was going smoothly. There weren't any unforeseen circumstances that could hinder the rebirth, and I didn't see any issue with the runes we'd painstakingly carved. The fact that the sarcophagus was still absorbing our magic power and blood was proof of that.

Yet, I can't shake off this uneasy feeling.

Should I stop the ritual and check on the body?

No, I shouldn't be paranoid. Not having hiccups was a good thing. It means that the ritual was working swimmingly well, and there was nothing to be concerned about.

Yes… I shouldn't doubt my judgement.

I have been preparing for this day for hundreds of years. All the sacrifices our Bloodborne House had made were for this moment. The humiliation we suffered, the vast amounts of wealth we'd lost and the numerous Bloodborne lives I'd sacrificed… They were all going to be worth it.

Once Father… No, the Progenitor awakens… The Bloodborne House will rise to the top once more.

BOOOMMMM!!!

Echoes of battles resonated throughout the Elven Forest as pillars of smoke billowed from a distance. Tremors were sent throughout the grassy patch of land, and if one strained their ears, they could hear the occasional screams from Elves and Vampires as they clashed violently against each other.

And from the looks of it, my Bloodborne House was being pushed back. While we used the element of surprise to our advantage and we had a substantial force with the consorts and various other ancient Vampires, there was no way we could win a prolonged battle against the Elves in their home territory.

The Elves were masters of the forest, and they were blessed by the World Tree. Not to mention, the Shadowgarden House was secretly helping them, cutting down our forces from the sidelines.

However, that didn't matter to me.

Just like our invasion into the Moonreaver Dimension, our objective was never to destroy the enemy or to take over their territory. We only needed some time. Time for the ritual to be complete and for Father to return from the dead.

It didn't matter if our entire clan was wiped out. As long as Father could return… We would rule the world once more.

And as I'd anticipated…

BOOOOOMMMMM!!!

A pillar of red light shot up from the ebony coffin and pierced through the heavens with a righteous vengeance. The gallons and gallons of blood we'd prepared from the sacrifices evaporated instantly as the majestic pillar absorbed all semblance of life into its imperial dignity. And at that moment, I felt my body shiver for the first time in centuries.

My bloodline… It was resonating with the exalted beam.

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No, it was bowing down to its infinite grandeur.

There was no doubt about it… The ritual was complete! Only one person in history could make my body tremble this much. The thousands of years we sacrificed… It has finally paid off!!!

Fighting off the urge to kneel, I clasped my hands together and waited in earnest for Father to return. My subordinates didn't have that patience, with many already falling to the floor on their knees. Tears fell from my eyes as my face relaxed ever-so-slightly.

How long have I dreamed of this moment? How often have I doubted and questioned whether I was on the right path? How long… have the Bloodborne House endured without its master?

Now…

We will once again rise.

Like the emerald pillar that split the heavens, we will…

Wait a minute… When did that pillar change colour?

As I was questioning if I was colour blind, magic power far beyond anything I'd ever felt before poured straight into the ritual coffin, dialling the emerald light up to eleven. The brightness of the foreign power blinded my eyes, even after I used my arm to block the luminous rays.

During my confusion, something outside my calculations occurred right before my face. The World Tree, which had been quiet until now, suddenly swayed like a jovial little child who had just seen its mother for the first time. A mysterious energy that was similar to magic and yet felt all too different flowed into Father's coffin in the shape of fallen, ephemeral leaves.

Each of those leaves contained the essence of the World Tree, and it seemed like the ancient life form was trying to strengthen Father's corpse. Just one of those illuminated leaves contained enough life force to create an entire ecosystem, yet… The World Tree was willingly pouring thousands of them into the unmoving coffin.

Hold on a minute… Why would the World Tree help us?

I'd never heard of the World Tree interfering in such a direct manner, even when it came to protecting the Elves that worshipped it. While Father was born an Elf as well, he had created a new race through his pursuit of magic, effectively renouncing his Elven roots.

So why is the World Tree helping us in his resurrection? Unless…

"Stop the ritual! We have to stop the ritual now!"

"B-But, H-High Elder?! Our Ancestor is waking up! I can feel his breath growing stronger! Even the World Tree is helping him wake!"

"We need to stop it now, you morons!"

It's useless. These guys were so drunk on the possibility of Father's resurrection that they were not thinking with their rational minds. We need to stop the ritual now, or else…

PFFFFTTTTT!!!

The pillar of emerald light settled down as a shockwave of pixie dust was sent flying in all directions. Magic power filled up the empty space underneath the World Tree as everything was concentrated into the luxurious coffin we'd prepared for Father. Vines from the World Tree emerged from the ground as they lifted the coffin into a thorny bed of roses. With one final push, the vines gradually opened up the heavy lid, revealing the only person that remained within the empty box.

No… This was not how I'd envisioned my dream to come true.

Father was meant to rise from the dead in a pillar of blood as he turned the sky into a crimson nightmare. Raindrops of blood would descend down from the heavens, tainting the planet in his colour as he proudly declared the return of the Bloodborne House. Vampires from all over the earth would rush to his side, kneeling down to swear fealty as they admitted their sins from the past.

And yet…

The face that appeared out of the coffin…

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Wasn't Father's.

❖❖❖

I felt like I had just woken up from a long dream.

I saw everything in that dream. From the moment I was born to the days I'd spent playing with Irina and the rest, to the fateful day where I'd lost my powers and fell from grace to the day Irina turned me into a Vampire and finally… To this very moment.

Everything felt like a movie. Like… I was watching someone else's life.

No, it was someone else's life. With my new powers, I had given myself the gift of rebirth. I had morphed my body to suit the massive amounts of magic power contained within the coffin and reconstructed my soul into a perfect one. With this new body and soul, I will no longer have any issues as I did in the past. None of my memories would be wiped away, and I will never get sick, no matter how hard I tried.

Oddly enough, there was a sudden surge of life energy, and I fully capitalised on it. Using the power of Vita, I created the most perfect body and soul to construct the most complete life form.

I was still Jin Valter. I had all of Jin Valter's memories, emotions, and powers. But at the same time, I was something above Jin Valter. I was a completely different life form. No longer a human or a Vampire.

I was…

A Progenitor.

"Jin! Jin! You're finally awake!"

"... Sora?"

"Yes, it's me!" The pesky little fairy floated right before my eyes and pinched my cheeks. "You had me worried there! I'd thought that you would never wake up! I'd even given a thousand years' worth of life force to wake you up!"

"... You were responsible for that sudden surge of life energy?"

"Huehue! Are you touched?!"

So Sora was the one who gave me that final push… If I thought about it logically, only the World Tree could give me that much energy. Who would have thought that this fairy would actually be helpful for something?

"How did you…"

"JIN VALTER!!!"

Before I could ask the question, a resonant, angry voice echoed through the forest. I looked down from my position, only to see the same few Bloodborne House members raging with their faces completely red. Especially the man up in front.

"Julien Bloodborne."

"JIN VALTER!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU SABOTAGED OUR RITUAL AND NOW YOU'RE TALKING TO YOURSELF?! ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF THE BLOODBORNE HOUSE?!"

Talking to myself? Ah, these morons couldn't see Sora, right?

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE ANCESTOR?!"

"COME DOWN HERE AND FACE YOUR DEATH!!!"

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"DIE, JIN VALTER!!!"

The entire Bloodborne House started to scream at me, all in a chaotic mess. The voices looped over each other, making it impossible for me to think, especially since I'd just woken up. Perhaps I was not used to this body yet, but my hearing was enhanced far beyond that of a normal Vampire. I could hear a pin drop from a hundred miles away, so one could imagine the pain that was going through my ears as these assholes screamed at the top of their lungs.

"Urgh… [Silence]."

Unwittingly, my Soul Armament heard my wish and resonated with my desires. My words turned into a spell, and the next moment, every single Bloodborne member's mouth was stitched together by a mysterious force, rendering them unable to speak without my permission.

"Woah… Your spells have become stronger."

"It's only natural," I replied to Sora with a bored voice. "Right now, my life magic has to be the strongest. As long as their souls are significantly weaker than mine, I can easily control them with my fourth ring."

"Isn't your soul in its most perfect state? Does that mean you can dominate any living creature now?"

"Not necessarily. Against Demon Lords and powerful Vampires, such a simple spell wouldn't work. Case in point…"

"JIN VALTER!!!! YOU FUCKING BRAT!!!"

The High Elder of the Bloodborne House roared angrily, even though he was under my complete influence. However, breaking free from my spell didn't come cheaply. Huffing and panting, the man looked like he'd run a full marathon without taking any breaks. But even with his newfound fatigue, that didn't curb his enthusiasm when facing me head-on.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE, JIN VALTER?!"

Wasn't he supposed to be the composed one? Did the shock of losing his Father fry his brain or something? Well, either way, it was convenient for me. If he'd lost his mind, then…

"Nothing much, actually," I opened my mouth and pointed my index finger into the gaping hole. "I just ate your Ancestor, that's all."

"... W-What?"

The High Elder paused and took two seconds to fully comprehend my words. I could see the five stages of grief running through his eyes. First, denial of my words. Second, a fiery rage that burned so hot was clearly visible from the fumes escaping his ears. Third, he bargained through, mumbling to himself. Fourth, he fell to his knees, clearly depressed, as it wasn't the outcome he hoped to have. Until finally…

"I see… That explanation makes sense."

The High Elder accepted the facts. He wasn't a dumb idiot; he could connect the dots by tracing back the events that transpired. But alas, just because he accepted that fact doesn't mean he wouldn't fight against it.

"You've ruined everything… Everything that the Bloodborne House had worked for."

"That was the plan."????????nr????????d. ????????????

"Haha… Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHHAAHA!!!" A maniacal laugh escaped the High Elder's lips. "To think that my master plan would be foiled by a baby Vampire! HAHAHA, fate sure is cruel isn't it, Father?" Perhaps lost in madness, the High Elder started talking to himself.

"Julien Bloodborne… Surrender now, and your life may be spared."

"HAHAHA, what good is my life if I can't resurrect the Bloodborne House?!"

"... Are you choosing death?"

"No," the High Elder shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm the High Elder of the Bloodborne House. The prideful and mighty Bloodborne House. We are the original Vampires who were supposed to spearhead the entire Vampire race. Even if we've lost… I will not go down without a fight."

"I see… I can respect that."

"Jin Valter…"

The High Elder raised his arm, and a slit appeared on his wrist. Blood splattered all over the place and congregated into a magic staff with a human skull gracing its top. And with one final smile, the High Elder declared:

"I'll kill you."