Success

Adel was keenly aware of the difference between a blood slave and a true vampire, and thus, after his escape, he embarked on his own experiments.His goal was to transform himself into a pure vampire, but unfortunately, he never succeeded.He was not a true sorcerer, his records were incomplete, the materials and conditions were lacking, and even the vampire who had originally captured him had failed—how could he possibly succeed?As a result, the latter half of the book consisted of Adel's wild conjectures, little more than fanciful speculation, devoid of any real value."Sorcerer..." Adam furrowed his brow. Some churches regarded sorcerers and witches as heretics to be eradicated, while others turned a blind eye.Some sorcerers were revered, having created invaluable works, while others had wrought calamity, causing countless deaths.Adel had once dreamed of becoming a sorcerer, but alas, his innate talent was insufficient, and he was thwarted at the very first hurdle."Integrating perception, meditating from perception, channeling spiritual power." Adam massaged his brow. It seemed he himself had a certain affinity for sorcery, though Adel's records offered no further insight.Even the first step was something Adam had accidentally overheard from that vampire.In the end, Adel's attempt at adventure yielded nothing of substance, aside from his identity as a blood slave."He's probably anxious now," Adam thought as he closed the skylight, reverting to his human form and lying on the bed, speculating on Adel's state.The discovery of his abnormalities, coupled with the theft of the treasures he had held dear, would surely deal a heavy blow to Adel's psyche. Meanwhile, the words Adam left behind would likely kindle a glimmer of hope in him.Amidst the anxiety, as Adel struggled to suppress his thirst for blood, his state would only deteriorate. Over time, he would analyze Adam's message repeatedly, his thoughts spiraling, fabricating details to add to Adam's mystery."In this anguish, he will instinctively choose to believe in me, to trust that I possess a method of concealing my abnormalities, for only in doing so will he have a way out.""My actions aren't ruthless enough. I should destroy all his remaining potions, sever all his hopes. Only then will he place his entire trust in me," Adam mused, reflecting on his own actions."The grotesque state of the corpse... it interfered with my thoughts to some extent, making me instinctively want to leave quickly without deeper contemplation.""And when I later mentioned the corpse, though it would increase his wariness of me, it also increased the risk of exposing myself."Though Adel had many flaws, he also had his virtues.First, his ruthlessness—he could endure excruciating pain to make a pilgrimage to the church, and even suppress his bloodlust without succumbing to hunting in such circumstances.Second, from the manuscript, it was evident that he possessed a strong will to survive and a keen ability to seize opportunities. The vampire had captured many to transform into blood slaves for experimentation, yet Adel alone had become a half-assistant, seizing his chance to escape.Lastly, his caution was remarkable. Upon returning to Roya, he had hidden in the forest for months, making contact with the otherworldly beings in the city before finally entering after acquiring methods to conceal his identity."Fear, if I can master his fear, I will control him."Having reached this conclusion, Adam fell into a peaceful sleep.The next day, Adam placed his crude wooden drawing in a corner and resumed working with Alva.Much of Adam's work remained physical labor—mixing materials, changing tools, and clearing waste.Alva occasionally examined the mural they had been working on, checking for changes in color, the solidifying of internal material layers, and how well they adhered to the wall."Such perceptive ability... could Alva truly not be a sorcerer?" Adam pondered, watching as Alva made adjustments.Alva did indeed have an eye for art, especially after his perceptive abilities had been honed—he was acutely aware of shifts in color.The mural's primary colors were divided by different layers of material. For instance, the background, depicting the sea, had a base layer of blue, which changed in depth and hue as it was carved.However, colors were not permanent; they would change over time. Given the church's lighting and humidity, the colors might subtly shift.Such changes were not always visible, but Adam's keen perception allowed him to detect the slightest imbalance.Alva could identify these discrepancies, adjusting them with a chisel and paint.Even the slightest shift in a gemstone's placement did not escape his notice, and he would correct it.These adjustments were minor, yet it was precisely these details that transformed the entire artwork.This confirmed to Adam that Alva had far surpassed him in terms of perception."The Holy Sound Church takes a neutral, yet slightly dismissive, stance toward sorcerers and witches, but it's still possible that Alva is one."From his observations, Adam could tell that Alva held significant status within the church, with a deep connection to the head monk.This was evident from the fact that, whenever Adam went to Brother Jim to submit materials, he would always ask Jim to check with Alva—Alva had never visited in person.Jim was a mercenary at heart. Adam was certain he had used his position as a procurement officer to extort countless benefits and maintained close ties with the nobility.That Lord Rupert had also been seeking out Jim, ostensibly to discuss supplies, but Adam suspected there was something more beneath the surface.This wasn't a mere sixth sense, but information Adam had overheard while eavesdropping on Baron Mansra's estate.It seemed Rupert was involved in smuggling operations, possibly linked to Mansra's illicit trade.Smuggling couldn't be openly discussed, and the most crucial issue was the need to secure the cooperation of the garrison at the border.Given the unique nature of the Holy Sound Kingdom, the garrison was controlled by the local church, with many officers being monks themselves.Jim, as the church's procurement officer in the southern district, was rumored to have good connections with the garrison—though this was merely hearsay.At this point, Adam shifted his focus back to observing Alva's work, continuing his studies.Not only did Alva excel in perception, but his hand was also steady as he carved away layer after layer of material, never applying too much or too little pressure, ensuring the layers remained intact.As Alva began to carve human figures, Adam started to suspect that Alva had studied the human form. Some of the textures were so lifelike that the figures on the mural seemed less like sculptures and more as though real people had been coated in paint and embedded.During their lunch break, Alva saw Adam's "artwork," weighed it in his hands, and set it aside. It was the first time he gave Adam guidance."You've reduced the amount of material per layer and divided the coatings according to the proportions. It's not bad, but..." Alva slouched in his chair, taking a swig from his flask, "Everything else is completely unworthy of notice.""You used wood, not stone. The material ratio is unchanged—within a week, the materials will peel off. Your painting speed is too slow. Fearing the materials will set, you added water. Now, the mixture has too many bubbles, and it may crack after a while.""Also, your tools are too poor. Dust from the stone shards and wood chips from the twigs got mixed in. You should discard these things soon," he said, before drifting into a deep sleep.Adam did not argue; these issues wouldn't vanish just because he protested."Thus, for someone like me to succeed, I must resort to methods others would never accept." Adam set the poor wooden piece aside, not discarding it despite Alva's criticism.After cleaning up, Adam approached the bookshelf and pulled out a book, beginning to read it attentively."More effort is required."