Importance Of First Blood

Alvin sat up straight with a sudden jerk, almost hitting Elara and Vanessa in the face. He gasped for breath and coughed a mouthful of red mist shards that looked similar to the cocoon shell.

Watching the red mist dispersing coming out of his mouth, Alvin looked down at his stomach. "Argh!"

He felt like something was eating away at his stomach from the inside; an irresistible wave of hunger washed over him. Alvin pressed his hands against the ground, his nails slowly elongated, digging deep into the concrete floor.

"Arghh." Alvin threw his head backward, groaning in pain. His mouth was wide open as a pair of canine teeth elongated, pushing his lips from the inside.

He clenched his hands into a fist, crushing a huge chunk of concrete into sand; the pain became more unbearable with each passing second when he could practically feel teeth growing like someone was pulling them out forcefully.

That was not the end of it all; Alvin sniffed a faint, alluring scent drifting in the air that kept calling out to him with its aroma, inviting him to partake in the grand feast prepared for him.

"Calm down!" Alvin froze hearing a familiar voice from the side. His pain faded, but the throbbing pain in his mind did not disappear. "Take deep breaths. It will be a bit painful as it is your first time feeling hunger; all the pain you are feeling is illusionary. The ritual has already transformed your body into that of a vampire."

As she continued to speak, Alvin felt his mind becoming clearer and clearer. He could feel a faint energy that was fading from his mind.

Elara took Alvin's hand and gave it a firm squeeze; despite the lack of warmth in her body, Alvin felt himself calming down. Recalling the energy he felt, he could not help but look at her.

"Did you use that power again?"

Seeing the look of doubt in his eyes, Elara pursed her lips but shook her head.

"No, my power wore off the moment you turned," Elara's words echoed in Alvin's heart.

"That was our connection. I just sent my emotions through it to help you calm down."

With a light smile, she patted his shoulder and added, "I won't be using that power on you since you don't like it, but now I can only help you like it, even though it is just for a while."

Alvin felt a sense of warmth budding in his heart. 'So we are now bound for life— in death and life.'

He placed a hand over his heart, a bit moved by her actions. He had thought that she was merely using him for her gain and had no need to consider his thoughts but these slight actions spoke volumes about her nature. 

He could feel through his connection how genuine she was; it was like there was no veil of secret between the two of them anymore.

Before he could think any further, a wave of hunger washed over him once more making him growl.

"There is no time to waste right now; your hunger will only grow stronger unless you feed on someone." Elara hurriedly pulled the young man to his feet and pulled him towards the unconscious boy lying a little far away from them. "Trust me, the hunger of a vampire is worse than being stabbed; with time, you even start to lose rationality."

"Is it that serious?" her words alarmed Alvin. He realized where the pain was coming from—his whole body, with no particular starting point—which annoyed him a bit.

And his annoyance came out in slow, deliberate growls from his mouth. He could not tell if the pain was illusionary or not.

"Not if you can control your hunger or feed from time to time. I have prepared a meal for you; you can decide what to do with it by yourself." Alvin followed her gaze and looked at the young boy before him.

Looking at the teenager who was even younger than him by a few years, a wave of disgust washed over Alvin.

"Do I really have to… drink blood from him?"

Even though he had no problem with drinking blood, he did not feel good about harming an innocent kid.

Even if he died of hunger, there was no way he would treat a child as his 'food.'.

"I know that it is a bit challenging for you to get used to being a vampire all of a sudden. But you have to feed on him. He is not only the best meal you can find in China, but his blood is also crucial for your development."

Vanessa realized what he was thinking and slowly said, "You don't have to kill him; don't worry. You just have to drink enough blood from his body to complete your evolution."

"Isn't the evolution already complete?" Alvin looked at her with narrowed eyes wondering if she was lying to him.

"Not without the first feast. The higher the amount of energy in the first blood you drink, the faster you will grow strong." Elara explained calmly, "If you do not feast, you will die, for real this time."

Her words managed to convince Alvin; he did not want to die anytime soon, so he made his choice.

"Fine… Tell me, how do I 'feast'?" Alvin hesitated a bit, but he agreed nonetheless. "Do I have to only drink a bit of his blood, or do I have to suck… drink until he is dead."

"Come here; I will tell you how to feed on a human."

Elara took the lead and walked towards the unconscious boy; when she stopped, her eyes pulsed with red energy.

"Ummm~" Watching the boy showing signs of waking up, Alvin watched everything intently from the side.

"The best way to drink blood so that you can get the most out of it is to make sure your target is at peace with it." 

Elara acted like a high-level chef as she explained the process of drinking blood to Alvin. 

"The more they resist, the lower the blood quality and the lesser the boost of power you will gain from it."

"Wouldn't it be better to drink his blood while he stayed unconscious?" Alvin asked, "Or maybe using that enchanting power you used on me."

"It would have, but external factors make the power in the blood dormant and less likely to pass on." Elara shook her head while her gaze remained fixed on the boy who was slowly opening his eyes. "You can also use this as a way to make sure you don't lose yourself in hunger and kill the boy, living in regret later."