The Concern of the Tsundere Countess

The group fell into a brief silence.

Shir blinked her large eyes and curled up in Yi Bai's arms. Her small head rested against his chest, as if offering him comfort in her own way.

"Phew…" Yi Bai exhaled deeply, clearing his mind.

He gently stroked Shir's little head and spoke, "It's pointless to think too much. Even if someone is behind all of this, it seems I have no reason to resist for now."

"After all... for the time being, I'm just continuously growing stronger and reaping benefits."

"And I can clearly sense there's nothing wrong with me."

As a practitioner of the Red Robe, Yi Bai's Insight Eye could be said to have an unparalleled understanding of everything around him. In the terrifying world, he could view his own status through the player panel. However, now with his Insight Eye, he could observe himself more clearly, able to see a wealth of abilities far beyond what a player panel could describe.

Other than the slew of ominous marks that looked like death records, there was nothing particularly unusual.

After a moment of reflection, Yi Bai spoke again, "Once your game is done, let's visit the Vampire Clan. I'll try to convince Father and Selina to call a clan council."

"A clan council?" Yi Bai raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

The Rose Countess explained, "The Vampire Clan is, after all, a race with fierce gods. Our progenitor is no weakling among those gods. Even before the age of the gods' disappearance, they had sensed something. That's why our progenitor left behind a special avatar, sleeping deep in the clan's ancestral land."

"At certain times, we can awaken the avatar to help solve problems that even we can't handle."

So, that's how it is… Yi Bai quietly thought to himself.

The Vampire Clan's progenitor cared deeply for his own people. The blood magic that enhanced the power of their entire race was proof of that.

Before disappearing, leaving behind an avatar wasn't surprising.

However… awakening this avatar didn't seem like an easy task. There must be some kind of cost to it.

"You don't need to worry," the Rose Countess reassured him, sensing his concern. "While awakening the progenitor's avatar will have some consequences, they won't be harmful to us. They'll only affect the avatar itself."

"The existence of the avatar, in a sense, defies the laws of the age of gods' disappearance. Each time it awakens, the avatar's memories are gradually erased."

"To date, the progenitor has awakened three times, and much has been forgotten."

"Based on the avatar's estimates, after three more awakenings, the avatar will be left with almost no memory and will become a hollow shell."

As she spoke of the progenitor, the Rose Countess wore an expression of reverence. The progenitor's glory had always protected the Vampire Clan, and even though their body had disappeared, the avatar still watched over them.

Such an existence deserved the respect of every member of the Vampire Clan.

"Countess… should I…?" Yi Bai instinctively felt hesitant.

It wasn't that he was worried about the progenitor's avatar discovering something about him.

He just wondered whether the Rose Countess's actions might bring pressure on her. The Vampire Clan wasn't a single entity. Even the O'Connor family, with all their power, still played political games for their own gain.

For the Rose Countess to mobilize the entire Vampire Clan for his sake… It couldn't possibly come without consequences.

"Don't refuse." Before Yi Bai could finish, the Rose Countess placed a slender finger over his lips, silencing him.

"Given the talents you've shown and the events surrounding you, it's more than enough for the entire Vampire Clan to hold this council for you."

"Matters involving the gods are not something even the old-timers within the clan can ignore."

"You are my newly embraced fledgling. I expect you to grow strong enough to protect me in the future."

"Until you've fully grown, just listen to my arrangements!"

The Rose Countess flashed an assertive and unyielding expression, leaving Yi Bai no room to argue.

Yi Bai had no words to respond. The proud Countess, even when showing concern, always had to find a reason.

Ah… women. No, I mean, female vampires.

"Fine, I'll follow your arrangements, Countess." Yi Bai finally relented, unable to refuse after her words.

"That's more like it!" The Rose Countess shot him a "well-behaved" look, nodding in satisfaction.

"By the way, the rudimentary power of the Redemption Rule can indeed suppress the Shrine of the God of Greed, but can it really control it completely?"

Yi Bai still had some doubts about this.

Inside the Mirror Realm, there was a high-level shrine containing the will of a fearsome god. Could a mere rudimentary rule truly control it?

"Little one, did you forget what I just praised you for?" The Rose Countess gave him a look of disdain. "Your Painful Blood Hands—don't tell me they're just for scratching an itch. Do you think that's the only reason why this power is so infamous in the entire terrifying world?"

"There have been powers in space, time, and other special abilities that are stronger. But why is your Painful Blood Hands so well-known that even the most terrifying creatures avoid it?"

"Uh…" Yi Bai paused for a moment, trying to test the waters. "Because of the glorious deeds of that ancestor from the Vampire Clan?"

The Rose Countess: "…"

The poor old ancestor, once again being dragged through the mud.

"That's part of it. But the most important point—don't you get it? You've experienced that bone-chilling torment yourself, haven't you?"

At her words, Yi Bai instantly recalled the excruciating feeling he had when lying in a hospital bed.

"Ugh…" He involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.

It was hellish torment—an experience that, once endured, one would never want to relive. Only rare beings like Lilith, the Hantai succubus, could somehow find pleasure in it.

But recalling it now, Yi Bai's mind flashed with realization.

"Countess, are you saying that the unique agony brought by such torment is unavoidable, no matter how powerful one is? That's what makes Painful Blood Hands so special, right?"

"Not bad," the Rose Countess nodded slowly. "You should have realized it from the ancestor's deeds. Even the rule avatars will be tortured by extreme pain."

"No one ever said that the more powerful you are, the more you can endure pain. Especially with that kind of ultimate torment, where endurance alone can't help."

"When you delivered your gift to the Star God, didn't you realize this point yourself?"