Flesh Dedication and Blood Therapy

"Miss Bayard."

Just then, a young man with black hair who also looked young walked over.

He raised his ceramic cup in a friendly gesture; it was filled with blood.

A beautiful girl with long blonde hair followed closely behind him— Iver had just seen her in the lounge; she was No. 15. Her deep Deep Blue eyes, too, held a captivating allure and longing, making them appear hollow.

Sir Linde.

Bayard's enthusiasm was interrupted, and he appeared rather unhappy.

She raised a finger to push up her glasses and replied indifferently, "What are your instructions?"

"Not at all, Miss Bayard. How could I dare to instruct you?"

The handsome, dark-haired young man smiled and personally poured Bayard a glass of aperitif. Then, as Bayard picked up the porcelain glass with one hand, he gently clinked glasses with Bayard's, producing a crisp sound.

"We're not talking business here on the estate," Bayard warned.

"Certainly."

Sir Linde smiled and nodded, patting the girl beside him. "I'll trade this girl for one night on the No. 14... Is that alright? I haven't drunk her blood yet tonight, and she's been recuperating for a week, her blood is plentiful. Unlike this child... She's only been here a short time, and you've already used her three times in a row, her blood must be almost depleted."

"As you can see, I only want to take a small taste—how delicious must the blood be to make you so attached? I am curious and I want to share the same feelings with you and have a common language with you."

Linde spoke in a polite and melodious voice, like that of an aristocrat.

Upon hearing Lynd's words, the girl beside him looked at Sir Linde with a heartbreaking gaze, her empty eyes filled with the resentment and pain of abandonment. But she, too, made no move to resist.

"Don't want."

But Bayard refused without hesitation. "She is mine, until death do us part."

"If you keep inhaling," Lind looked at Iver with a look of pity, "She might really die."

Bayard merely smiled sarcastically and repeated his words: "Until death."

A sweet and intoxicating feeling welled up in Iver's heart—yet deeper, he coldly observed it all. This gave him a strange sense of separation, an irrational emotion swelling uncontrollably and flowing freely like overflowing wine. But his deeper self simply held the wine glass, letting the wine flow down his arm and seep back into his body.

Lind was rebuffed, and her tone became less friendly. "You love her too much, Miss Bayard. That's not good for her."

"This is the best."

Bayard replied.

Sir Linde sighed, bent down, and bit the girl's neck beside him. Her pupils instantly filled with the black smoke of Path of Love, her body trembled violently, and she let out a heart-wrenching sob.

Her face turned pale at a visible speed, while Lind's eyes were filled with a wild, almost uncontrollable ecstasy.

His handsome, slightly sinister, pale face broke into a captivating smile, even revealing two dimples. The girl in his arms gradually quieted down—or perhaps she nearly fainted.

As he released the girl, two men in black wearing animal masks immediately came over and helped her up—or rather, supported her. When Lind, satisfied, looked back at the "pre-dinner drink" he was holding, his eyes were filled with disgust.

He casually handed the glass to the waiter beside him. "For Cody."

"Yes."

"That's what the man in black said."

A question flashed through Iver's mind—who is Cody? And she soon found the answer.

A jet-black, agile hunting dog emerged from the shadows. Its pupils were crimson, and a ring of smoke, like black tentacles, slowly emanated from its body.

It seemed to understand human speech, wagging its tail and nuzzling against Sir Linde. It then glanced at the girl in his arms and circled around him ingratiatingly.

"I can't give this to you, Cody. This is mine."

Sir Linde smiled, his face flushed from drinking blood, looking full of life, as if he were still alive. "That's yours."

The hound named Cody understood his words and went to the waiter. The waiter then fed the cup of blood to Cody.

Its lips were covered in blood, and then it obediently returned to the edge of the field.

"What is this?" Iver asked, puzzled.

He had never seen such a monster before—not even in the game.

But Shadow Demon suddenly spoke, replying softly in the Assassin Miss's honey-sweet voice, "These are Blood Sniffing Beast, Synthetic Beast that were popular during the Empire's era. They were used to track targets targeted by the Child of the Moon... They could find high-quality bloodlines among people; if they had drunk someone's blood, they could find the blood's owner by smell. Later, the technology became obsolete—mainly because the materials were too expensive and not very useful, so the Child of the Moon switched to using rituals to find people."

"Which energy level?" Iver asked in his mind.

"Third."

Shadow Fiend knew what Iver was wondering, so he explained, "That wasn't Shadow Stealth, it was just ordinary 'Blur'."

"Blurring" refers to the technique of making one's silhouette blurred under strong light and becoming invisible in low light or no light environments. Compared to true invisibility, blurring during movement distorts and deforms the surrounding air, making it easy to detect once the person moves.

"Even dogs are at the Third Level..."

"Iver murmured."

His heart sank slightly.

Given that, it's not surprising that there are fourth or even Fifth Level among these guests coming and going.

While calmly contemplating the situation internally, he also didn't neglect to play his role—

"Miss Bayard ..."

The girl spoke in a soft, uneasy voice. "Why should we reject him? Sir Linde seems a little angry..."

She was already under Bayard's spell. Thinking of her and considering her feelings was perfectly normal logic— Iver didn't deliberately distort her thinking, nor did she forcefully resist. Instead, she pushed her impulses, adjusting and slightly embellishing her interpretation.

In short, it's just that some tea was added.

A cursory glance would reveal the overwhelming aroma of the tea. But at this moment, Iver was under the influence of the Kiss of Enchantment, and everything she said was the truth, which Miss Bayard was well aware of. Therefore, her words would only make the other party believe that she genuinely cared for her—which would no longer be tea, but merely an expression of pity.

Of course, Bayard never expected that the body of No. 14, which she had been using for three consecutive days, had been silently replaced by another person.

She just felt that the child was becoming more and more lovable.

So she simply said gently, "I already told you, call me Sister Bayard."

As she spoke, she kissed Iver's earlobe, then licked the back of his ear and his neck.

She whispered, "Linde doesn't want to protect you, my little darling... he just wants to use you as a topic to flatter me."

"Because his Mining Company is in trouble—a group of Raging Mine Spirit have appeared in his Mining Area. He needs my funding, and he also needs my people to help him get rid of those troublesome mine spirits."

Bayard chuckled. "But I don't need his lousy company. So he'll have to ask for a higher price, and a much higher one."

"... Can't he go find someone else?"

Iver suddenly asked.

She keenly sensed Bayard's attitude—she didn't need to say these things to a Blood Slave unless she wanted some appropriate feedback.

Driven by the "enchanted" state, Iver began to extract information from her under the pretext of "making her happier."

When Bayard saw that Iver had responded to her, she was not only not puzzled, but became happy instead. "I thought you weren't interested in these things, dear."

"Yes, of course he could go to other people. But no one would accept him."

Bayard smiled and said calmly, "That would mean being my enemy. We value mutual love and affection."

As she spoke, a mocking smile played on her lips. She spoke without any attempt to conceal her words—not only from the men in black, but even her own kind could hear her. Yet no one commented on her words; some even raised their glasses in a distant salute.

Bayard buried his face in Iver's neck, inhaling her fragrant Blood Energy, and let out a barely audible chuckle.

Hearing her words, Iver felt a slight tightness in his heart.

Bayard's words and attitude... imply that Bayard's status and position may be even higher than he imagined.

—So what level of Child of the Moon is she? Fourth Level, or perhaps Fifth Level? Right now, without Lily as a turret to unleash the Shadow Fiend's full power, with only second-level Shadow Affinity, I can't fully utilize the Shadow Fiend's power...

"Then... can you take me with you?"

She turned herself around and sat on Bayard's lap, looking directly into her eyes.

The young body, weakened by excessive blood loss, opened its clear eyes and uttered a pitiful voice. "If I stay here... I'll die sooner or later."

"Then please me, darling."

Bayard smiled gently, but there was a sense of aloofness in his smile.

She looked at Iver as an equal, just as she looked down upon her own kind.

"If I'm happy, I'll consider it."

She said this, and looked scrutinizingly at No. 14.

Iver raised his neck, hugged her, and closed his eyes.

She whispered, "I voluntarily give you my blood..."

Seeing the girl's clumsy reaction, Bayard couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

What was she thinking? She was just a little girl...

Bayard leaned down and kissed the girl's neck.

The sharp fangs pierced through the flesh, and fresh blood was sucked into the body through the hollow fangs.

But the next moment, Bayard suddenly opened his eyes wide.

The sweet and smooth blood flowed into her mouth, giving her an unprecedented sensation—it had a faint taste of alcohol, but it wasn't harsh; it had a rich and sweet taste like fine crème brûlée, but it wasn't cloyingly sweet; at the same time, there was a fruity aroma mixed with pineapple and pear.

Furthermore, there was a vague sense of sacredness that she couldn't quite pinpoint...

In the blink of an eye, Bayard's pupils filled with crimson. She suddenly lost control, violently slamming Iver onto the table and focusing intently on sucking her blood.

Iver, who was embracing her, did not close his eyes.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, but her empty pupils gradually became clear.

The blood donated voluntarily and the blood that is taken... are no different to most people, but to her it was different.

—Yes, this is the Shepherding Method.

However, this was not a successful Shepherding Method, because Iver's path was still unbalanced at this time.

However, even if the Shepherding Method fails, it doesn't matter.

[Flesh Dedication (Purple): You are a master of self-sacrifice. And now you will be even more proficient.]

This is Path Trait that Iver gained during her last advancement—the ability to make her flesh and blood sweeter.

Even the Shadow Demon, whose palate had been spoiled by the true Shepherding Method, wanted to try it. For vampires who had never tasted the Shepherd's Blood, it was already considered an unparalleled delicacy.

This was the first time Iver had used this Path Trait since obtaining it...

The only risk is that he might be sucked to death by the out-of-control Bayard.

But even this risk was taken into consideration by Iver.

He had already made arrangements with the Shadow Fiend—after he removed the Charm Lock and lifted the prohibition against harming her master, if she still didn't stop draining his life force, he would take action immediately.

That's the worst-case scenario, but it's the only option available.

Shadow Fiend agreed without hesitation.

So, as she felt the Charm Lock her being broken, she released the Shepherding Method.

The solution is also very simple.

When Iver is no longer acting voluntarily, it cannot be called "dedication," and thus the blessing of the Path Trait fades away.

When the sacred, demonic energy in his blood subsided, Bayard was only stunned for a moment before regaining his senses and realizing what he had done.

She was stunned for a moment, somewhat incredulous. Then, looking at No. 14, whose face was weak and pale, seemingly on the verge of death, as if he were about to fall asleep at any moment, her expression changed drastically.

In that instant, she seemed to think of many things. But after a moment's hesitation, she bit her finger and put it in Iver's mouth. As the girl instinctively sucked like a baby, her complexion visibly recovered.

This is Blood Therapy.

The mysterious art known as "Blood Therapy" is Extraordinary Ability of the Path of Love —the power of superior blood to directly heal the weak, regardless of the cause of their illness. It is also a racial ability of the Child of the Moon.

For No. 14, who only has the First Level, just one or two drops of Bayard's blood would be enough to restore her to health.

At a speed visible to the naked eye, Iver's previously dry, cracked, pale, and bluish skin became smooth and fair again. Even her somewhat dull hair regained its shine. This made her appearance look even more refined.

Seeing that Iver had regained some of her energy, she picked her up and carried her.

"Open a lounge."

She addressed the men in black wearing animal masks around her.

"Room 1."

The man in black immediately took a key from the wall next to him and handed it to Bayard.

Iver closed his eyes, nestled in Bayard's arms, and pretended to sleep, while mentally asking Shadow Fiend, "Aren't you worried about me getting hurt at all?"

"Nothing will happen, my master."

The Shadow Demon simply replied, "Beard is not that kind of person. Although she is the Child of the Moon of the Path of Love, she possesses an exceptionally strong rationality and humanity. She only needs one flaw... and she can break free from all control."

"You know her?"

Iver suddenly became somewhat interested.

Shadow Fiend had always been unwilling to reveal his real name.

Now, it has finally revealed some of its true information.

"...Yes."

Shadow Fiend was silent for a moment before answering, "I once lived in this era."

"I also died in this era."

Over 4,300 words! Requesting votes at the end of the month; just need to stay in the top 50! Another 7,000 words update today!

My fever has been gone for two days, and I'm starting to feel better. Azithromycin is still working.

Then, working backwards, it's possible that I have mycoplasma pneumonia... The only problem now is the severe cough; other than that, the fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, headache, chills, and weakness have all resolved.

I'll update more often once the cat is fully recovered, and I'll try to improve my performance next month! Go for it!