"Well, I'd like to say you're right but it's not that simple." Magnus denied right away. "As you already know Cursed Races have the word curse in their name. It's not for nothing. As our bloodline grows stronger, so does our curse, but it grows faster than the benefits it grants us. In this respect, it's similar to the Divine Spark. At a certain point, our natural progression curve can no longer compensate for the detrimental effects. It also becomes an unmanageable burden as our need for blood increases.
"While a lesser Vampire could survive on a small amount of animal blood on a daily basis, a Vampire Emperor such as myself requires astronomical amounts of prime human blood to satisfy our hunger when it arises. One drop of human blood is enough to make a Vampire addicted. The following time, the same Vampire will want four, then sixteen and so on. You can guess where this is going.
"Keep in mind a truth that could save your life in the future: All powerful specimens of the Cursed Races are time bombs. Some die of old age or casting an ultimate spell like me, but most are jointly murdered under orders from or by the Confederation after falling into madness."
Ikaris could well imagine the scenario described by Magnus. Even on earth there were drugs capable of making one instantly addicted like Crack. Withdrawal, even after a single accidental consumption, could not be done without medical assistance and would quickly destroy the sanity of its users.
Willpower and mental strength had nothing to do with it. Even a hardened military veteran would have the greatest difficulty resisting the urges generated by such a drug. And even if his mind could somehow handle it, his body would not.
When he was alive, with his Soul Strength and numerous Secondary Sparks, Magnus could resist his urges to a certain extent, but he could not ignore them completely. Once in a while he had to consume blood and not to overdose himself required all his brain power every time. And that was taking into account that he was one of the more gifted Sorcerers or he would never have reached the venerable stage of Archmagus.
"Actually," Magnus mentioned suddenly, "Some Vampires eliminate their rivals by tricking them into consuming far more blood than their self-control would allow. This is a common occurrence among the Cursed Races. Once the blood addict has reached the point of no return, he becomes a bloodthirsty beast that cannot be reasoned with and can only be reported to the Confederation. If he is lucky, the killing order will be given to the neighboring kingdoms and he may survive for some time. If the Confederation takes the matter into its own hands by mobilizing a squad of Hunters, then he will be disposed of within three days."
While Ikaris ate his breakfast in silence along with Malia and Ellie, he continued to pay attention to the old Vampire's anecdotes. The late Archmagus was a treasure trove of information.
During the meal, the two women regularly threw him puzzled glances, but each time he met their gaze they would immediately avert their eyes with a flustered look. Especially Malia who was constantly rubbing her nose as if it was itching...
'Since when did I become so intimidating?' The teen lampooned bitterly as he gobbled down his meal in a few bites.
When he was about to get up from the table, Malia finally gathered her courage and blurted out,
"Your smell has changed again. You smell a bit like Liam and the others now but there's something different..."
Ikaris's face twitched as he received this remark. 'Does she mean I smell like a wet dog?'
Then he remembered that he had not yet bathed in the lake as he had planned. Although he didn't stink as much as he had before bathing last night, he was still covered in grime.
Malia's sensitive sense of smell couldn't miss it and he immediately got a better idea of why she was constantly tweaking her nose. If he wasn't mistaken, she had to be extremely disciplined to stay in the same room as him without blacking out or retching.
Seeing the change in the boy's expression, the Vampire Kitsune hastily corrected herself,
"I-I mean you don't smell bad, but I-"
"Say no more." Ikaris cut her off by raising his hand. "You're right, I am now a Werewolf."
An angry expression then contorted Malia's beautiful face.
"Did a lycan injure you yesterday? Tell me who it is and I'll kill him."
"Stop doing that. I'm fine." Ikaris sighed wearily. "I did get hurt, but things aren't as you think. If you trust me, just wait a little longer and I'll tell you the whole truth."
Ellie, who had remained silent as a grave until now, was incredibly shocked deep down to learn that the teenager was now a lycan. Remembering that Kellam, Marvin, and even Taguchi had become Werewolves, it made her realize that there were indeed shortcuts to becoming stronger.
"I-Ikaris, could you turn me into a Werewolf?" She asked anxiously. "O-or Malia turn me into a Vampire or a Kitsune?"
She no longer wanted to live in terror unable to defend herself and fight while others risked their lives. The boy was startled, but inwardly he was not so surprised by her request.
On Earth, Vampires and Werewolves did not scare anyone. Quite the opposite, these nocturnal creatures were popular in women's literature, their twisted natures being the perfect breeding ground for convoluted romantic stories appealing especially to teenage girls and young adults.
"The only person I turned into a Vampire was my Aunt Grallu but she was never the same after that." Malia confessed with a rueful smile. She was not ready to repeat the experience.
Ikaris was more pragmatic and because Ellie had a higher than normal Soul Strength he was willing to give her a chance. On the one hand it would allow her to train harder and therefore develop her Sparks faster, and on the other hand she would no longer be defenseless.
The other attractive point for him was that by turning her, she would become the first official member of his pack and he would become her Alpha. Provided that he himself did not lose control, he could easily prevent her from making mistakes that she would otherwise never be able to forgive herself.
"It's possible, but it's not without its drawbacks..." Ikaris finally answered.
He explained the advantages, disadvantages and risks, including the mental link between them and the fact that she would find herself forced to obey him. Ellie's face was immediately less enthusiastic and she became silent again.
"I'll let you think about it. You know where to find me if you change your mind." The teenager said as he left the house.
This morning he was not the first one up and he realized he had missed the daily invocation. Fortunately, Plume had taken matters into her own hands. As a native Sorcerer she knew what an artificial Bloodspark was and she had immediately understood the function of the pale grey bead as she listened to the unintelligible gibberish of the new Otherworlders.
"I took the liberty of using one of the Language Pearls stored in one of these boxes. You don't mind, do you?" The Fae smiled innocently as she saw him walk over with a frown on his face.
"It's okay..."
Today, there were 17 new villagers, a new record only possible due to Last Saint Village's promotion to Grade 2. Their talents were ordinary except for a dark-skinned Orc named Xuk.
[Name: Xuk]
[Race: Desert Orc]
[Occupation: Raider/Warrior/Warlock]
[Loyalty: 71 points]
[Realm: Novice Sorcerer]
[Life Spark lvl1: 8.2]
[Soul Spark lvl1: 8.17]
[Divine Spark lvl1: 0.13]
[Talent: A+]
[Evaluation: A versatile Orc who can use both his brawn and his wits. His talent is not limited to combat or shamanic sorceries. He is the repository of his tribe's knowledge and can make himself useful in all sorts of ways. His orcish temperament, ambitious nature and high Soul Strength make him harder to influence.]
Ikaris' eyes sparkled with appreciation as he scanned the Orc. He was also an innate Novice Sorcerer like Kellam and Ezrog, but unlike the Oni he was a learned and experienced Warlock.
His loyalty was not that low despite the evaluation given by his status but he knew why. When Last Saint had been upgraded, the loyalty forcibly instilled in the minds of the new villagers by the Stele had been slightly strengthened.
Ikaris greeted the new arrivals, then left Liam to organize the wood felling to finish the construction of the palisade. This time they had 14 Werewolf Warriors and plenty of Beastmen volunteering for this risky task and now that the Hellhound Pack had joined them their only immediate threat was no more.
Liam reacted exactly as Ellie and Malia did when they saw him, only worse. His eyes went wide as saucers and he sensed a faint pressure that wasn't there the day before. He sniffed the air subconsciously and his mouth dropped.
"You... You're a Werewolf too?"
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