Chapter 24: The Sovereign’s Request
"A noble vampire?" Jason stammered. "Me?"
He looked around questioningly, a confused look growing on his face.
"Yes!" Eve replied with a big smile. "Why not? We would be able to spar like we used to…only now, with our bloodline abilities!"
"But…but there are no risks, right?" asked the cautious hate reader hesitantly. "Like…if the process fails, do I become an ugly zombie? Or will I become bloodthirsty and try to suck everyone's blood?"
Afterall, he had read quite a bit about botched processes in his novels and didn't want to become one of the prime examples.
Eve tilted her head and glanced at her father expectantly, who nodded in response.
"Yes, my lovely daughter," he sighed. "I will explain a bit more about vampire society to better inform your decision making."
"For millennia, the royal vampires have reigned at the top of Garlacia and have managed the peace within the Southern region. Today, this includes me, my right-hand man, and my family, the last of which is her," Vlad said as he patted Eve's head.
"Next in command are the noble vampires, who retain bloodline powers in addition to the standard blood control abilities. These include mastery over fire, supreme mastery over blood, and in some rare instances, mastery over healing. These nobles rule over the common vampires, who lack solid blood control and fight mainly with their claws. Last are the ghouls, a mindless race of creatures that result from botched vampire transformations. They are hideous in appearance, have rotting flesh, and are forced to feed on living animals daily in order to survive. Because of their failed transformations, they have no access to power and have only a D-rank in physical prowess."
"Fortunately for us vampires, Zeus granted us the Blessing of Hierarchy under which no lower-ranking vampire is able to refuse a direct order from a higher-ranking vampire, and no harm can be done to a higher-ranking vampire even if the lower-ranking one is stronger or they shall be smited by thousands of lightning bolts. This blessing has helped ensure stability within Garlacia for thousands of years and guarantees that no back-stabbing treachery will occur within our own race."
"If only the Elves had this," Karl muttered under his breath to Jason.
Vlad ignored the monkey's snarky comment and frowned before continuing, "Unfortunately, the transformation process is not perfect, and there are two crucial things to be aware of. First, you have an 80% chance to become a noble vampire, a 5% chance of turning into a mindless ghoul, and a 15% chance of instant death."
"Second, you will acquire a weakness against holy elements such as holy water, purified bullets, or even cleansing skills," Vlad said as he lifted his crimson jacket to reveal a deep gash which looked like a bullet wound. His veins had been severed, and nothing but dead flesh remained.
"Normally," he snarled as he spit on the ground. "we can regenerate and heal flesh wounds with time. But these cursed weapons continue to plague our race even today."
"There is a chance that the Inquisition's hunters will also come after you once news spreads regarding the birth of a new noble vampire. As always, there is a great risk in obtaining new power, but if it makes you feel any better, you do not need to worry about losing control of your senses. Noble vampires can control their bloodlust and live for centuries without drinking blood, but having a source of blood will always be helpful in case you run into life-or-death situations."
"To accept, drink this vial of blood. There is no pressure though. If you decline, I will look in the treasury and find another method to repay you."
Jason stared blankly at the tall and handsome man, who had just dumped the entire vampire society's worth of information onto the poor boy. He glanced over at Eve, who grinned at the thought of them training blood spells together and noticed Karl in the back giving two thumbs up gestures as well.
"Shitty stupid master," the Doom Monkey said with a smile. "You were lucky enough to meet me, so I'm sure you'll be lucky again."
Jason flicked his servant on the forehead before thinking about his options. If he became a noble vampire, he would certainly have more tools at his disposal for the trials and for future enemies. But…would he ever be able to return to Earth as a vampire? What would his parents think? Would Alea hate him for changing who he was?
To date, the hate reader had obtained a bit of skill in basic martial arts, a few S-grade paralysis grenades, and high poison, paralysis, and fear resistances but relative to the majority of B-rank monsters and above, he was still considered pretty weak.
Jason thought about the probabilities once more as he looked at the varying options. Death was not a problem for him, since he still had a few lives to spare, but his main concern was the ghoul transformation.
Even if he tried to reset after he transformed into a ghoul, Jason was certain that he would not be able to escape his ghoul status given that his death counter works on his body's last saved condition. This meant that the 5% chance of turning into a ghoul would be a permanent curse to the black-haired teenager.
Jason looked again at Eve and remembered why he wanted to improve himself in the first place. He wanted to get stronger, strong enough to protect those who mattered to him and live on his own merits. He wanted to survive the deathly trials, however many there were, and was willing to struggle through the difficult days just for another chance to see his beloved, and he knew that his dirty tricks were powerless in the face of true strength.
The hate reader steeled his resolve and closed his eyes before swallowing the vial of blood.
Gulp.
Jason downed the vial like a shot and drank until the very last drop of blood fell into his mouth. He waited for a few seconds, expecting his body to feel heat, shock, or fear, similar to mushrooms he had eaten in the Curious Grove, but nothing happened.
He felt…nothing.
Jason opened his eyes and tilted his head. He stared calmly at Vlad and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Well, that's certainly an anomaly," the sovereign of all vampires said with a hint of curiosity. "Maybe the blood wasn't fresh enough?"
Wanting to experiment more, Vlad bit into his own forearm and watched as the blood fell slowly, drop by drop. In a commanding tone, he ordered,
"Drink, young one."
The teenager tilted his head upwards and opened his mouth wide. Drop by drop, the blood fell onto his tongue and rolled down his throat as Eve's eyes widened with shock.
To her knowledge, there was only one person on the Isles who had been allowed to drink blood directly from the King, and it was Vlad's childhood friend and right-hand man. Typically, to reduce the risk of overloading, the blood is drawn and preserved in an ice box for several days. This allows the vial to retain parts of the royal blood's power while ensuring that the dosage isn't too strong for normal humans. As a result, the vampire blood slowly corrupts the human's body and takes control, completing the transformation once and for all.
However, Jason's resistance to poison had almost entirely nullified the effect of the vial, and he was now drinking straight from the source. With great risk comes great rewards, and the adorable azure blue eyed girl looked with anticipation at the scene before her.
After a few minutes, the hate reader fell to the floor and clutched his throat with both hands. He felt a sharp burning sensation in his heart, which caused him to wiggle on the floor and shake uncontrollably.
Jason attempted to scream for help, but only a frail gasp escaped him as panic began to build in his mind.
'Was this it?' he questioned. 'Am I going to turn into a ghoul?'
He glanced around desperately and released a sigh of relief. Noticing a calm expression on Eve's face, Jason grit his teeth and vowed to endure the excruciating pain as the cells in his body fought for control, vampire versus human.
Minutes passed slowly, and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, a new notification popped up in the corner of his eye.
Ding!
Royal Vampire status acquired.
Jason looked around in confusion as his adorable little sister ran over to hug him.
"Yay!" she screamed as she helped the panting hate reader to his feet.
'R-Royal Vampire?' Jason wondered in shock. 'Is this a glitch? Vlad didn't say anything about —'
Seeing that the transformation was complete, Eve shook him out of his daze and whispered, "Big Brother, quick! Try to form a sphere of blood with your newfound powers. The more you practice with my father's blood while it is fresh, the more strength you can gain quickly."
Seeing his daughter's ecstatic reaction, Vlad smiled a bit and looked at the young teenager.
The black-haired teenager had grown two inches taller or five centimeters and now stood at 6 feet or 1.82 meters tall. His vampire transformation had made his muscles stronger, bulkier, and sturdier while also refining his facial features, showing off a more well-built and handsome individual.
The crimson-haired vampire looked down at his feet and coughed heavily as a pool of blood began to form. "I must have overexerted myself," Vlad murmured to himself as he rubbed his stomach. "This damned wound will be the death of me soon."
Jason, still disoriented from his body's sudden changes, stumbled to his feet and stared deep into the young girl's eyes.
In it, he saw a tall and handsome man, whose chiseled jaw and sharp gaze could swoon any woman with just a glance. Jason tilted his head with a puzzled look and noticed the handsome man mirror his movements.
Blinking rapidly in confusion, he let out a small gasp.
"No way!" he said aloud as he fell backwards. "This is me?"
Eve nodded joyfully and pointed to his finger.
"Now, your powers! Hurryyy!" she said excitedly like a kid in a candy store.
Jason bit nervously on his index finger in the same way he had seen Vlad do before and felt his teeth connect hard with the bone. Shaking his finger, he yelped in pain as Karl fell to the ground laughing and pretended to chomp on his pinky finger in a similar fashion.
Ignoring the playful monkey, Jason closed his eyes and imagined a stream of blood rotating slowly into a small sphere. He weaved the thread of blood around and around as Eve had taught him and opened his eyes to a perfect sphere spinning in his hands, causing him to jump back in surprise.
With his burst of surprise and his subsequent lack of concentration, the ball of blood quickly disintegrated and fell to the floor. Jason turned to Eve's father and bowed, eternally grateful for this new power and gift. Even in his moment of excitement, Jason knew to show his respects to his benefactor and said,
"Thank you for your gift, Vlad. I will utilize my new powers to protect your daughter on my travels and bring her home safe and sound every time."
"Thank you as well," replied the handsome red-haired vampire as a small, wholesome grin appeared on his face. It had been many years since he had experienced such warmth and happiness with his family.
Recalling how happily his daughter narrated her adventures with the little monkey, the pretty big sister, and the black-haired teenager, Vlad's heart melted as a realization hit him for the first time. Sure, he was the age-old ruthless ruler of the Vampire race and the Count of Garlacia, but above all, he was simply a father who had been worried about his daughter.
Vlad waved his hand and instantly materialized four blood thrones. He gestured for the hate reader and monkey to sit, and said with a vulnerable look on his face, "Jason, do you mind if I request a favor from you?"
"Sure, Vlad. I'll try my best," the hate reader said nonchalantly as he gently examined the blood throne, missing the anxiety in his voice.
"HAHAHA," the Count roared with laughter. "You seem to be fond of calling me Vlad, huh?"
"Yeah well, what's wrong with Vlad?"
"Nothing," the vampire count said, deep in thought. "It's just…on the Isles, only my wife and best friend have ever called me by my first name, and they were both Royal Vampires. No one else would ever dare." His eyes flickered blood red for a second before switching back to normal.
"Good thing you made me one then," Jason replied with a smirk.
Vlad paused for a bit and smiled. After a few seconds, the vampire sovereign stood from his blood throne and walked over to the newly-transformed vampire.
"Jason, please…?"
"Hmm?"
Immediately, the sovereign's countenance fell, and a gloomy expression covered his face.
"Can you save my life?"
Hate Counter: 515
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
TheHatedAuthor
TheHatedAuthor A/N: If it interests you at all, I actually did use a random number generator for fun to see if Jason's fate would be the same, and the final number was 37. I guess Jason was lucky after all!
1-80: Vampire
80-85: Ghoul
85-100: Death
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone