Secrets of the Kindred

That giant of a man named Victor would run over from time to time to torment and play with him like a toy, constantly forcing him to attack, asking him if he was hungry, and telling him he could drink blood if he managed to hurt him. But after only a few times, he had completely lost his dignity.

Marcus was beaten by that monster until he was like a sieve every single time, his sharp claws tossing him around like a rag doll. A vampire could not sustain recovery without sufficient blood, yet he could not die even if he wanted to; the boundless hunger and pain tortured him without a moment's rest.

When he saw James, he shouted that he was willing to do anything for him, begging him only to keep that monster away from him...

"Tell me more about that progenitor of yours," James said, pinching his nose. Having such a keen sense of smell was truly a pain at times.

"Yes, sir! Adam is the progenitor of all the Holy Race—oh, no, of all the vampires on the American Continent. He created us. We have never been able to measure his power because any vampire he creates is utterly incapable of resisting him. Even if they want to hurt or kill him with all their heart, in his presence, they are controlled by the fear deep within their blood. This is why some vampires who hate Adam secretly cultivate human hunters."

Marcus swallowed a few times, looking greedily at the rooster tied by James's feet, and continued: "So I really don't know how his power compares to yours, but your supreme might makes me look up in awe. For over a century, I have never seen a mortal as majestic and powerful as the gods. You—"

"Enough, enough," James waved his hand impatiently, then asked: "You said he is the progenitor of all vampires on the 'American Continent.' Does that mean there is more than one so-called progenitor?"

The rooster tied by James's feet subconsciously spread its wings, seemingly wanting to struggle a bit.

Marcus hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly: "This is my guess. Adam never explicitly stated it, but he once vaguely mentioned that since his birth, over the long ages, all the Holy Races have fallen, save for him who remains immortal to this day. I think Adam might have brothers, or perhaps he was also a vampire who was turned."

"Isn't his sister Vadoma one?"

"No! Vadoma was also turned by Adam, but Adam liked her very much and addressed her as his sister."

Cluck-cluck! Cluck—

The rooster was thrown into the iron cage. Marcus scrambled up anxiously, the heavy iron chains on his feet clattering loudly. He bit down without even lifting his head, glancing vaguely at the departing James, his eyes filled with nothing but numbness.

For the past few months, James had been repeatedly interrogating the vampire Marcus. Sometimes he would ask the same questions after a period of time, or even offer a contradictory answer to see if the vampire would refute it. At first, the cunning Marcus really tried to deceive him, but after being exposed, James did not appear for a long time, only letting Victor go to keep this foolish little bat company occasionally...

The letter James sent to President Lincoln had already clarified the importance of abolishing slavery. He knew that even if he didn't mention it, Lincoln would be able to make the right choice.

The Howlett Family factories in North America were already producing military equipment for the Union Army at full capacity, and he was sending people everywhere to collect pure silver in large quantities to trial-produce silver ammunition and weapons. Marcus, this living specimen, had given him a rough idea of the extent of the damage silver caused to vampires.

Washington, White House.

"The Confederate Army will become vulnerable after the Emancipation Proclamation is issued; you surely know this better than I do. It is just that the choice of history ultimately rests with you. What we truly need to worry about is Adam and his vampire army. I have already corresponded with you regarding the current size of the vampire population, but I fear that once the Confederate Army is defeated, Jefferson Davis will be driven to desperation and seek help from Adam. This will very likely lead him to recklessly create a large number of low-level blood slaves..."

William Johnson was reading James's letter to President Lincoln. He was a trusted partner of Mr. Lincoln who had been assisting him, and another person equally trusted by Lincoln was his employer from his youth, Joshua Speed.

"Look at the wording of this Mr. Howlett. 'Driven to desperation'! My God, how did he come up with such a phrase? It's simply brilliant!" the President remarked with great interest, then continued: "I must say, his wisdom and foresight make me feel as though I have lived these years in vain."

"So you have decided?" Johnson asked President Lincoln hurriedly.

"Yes," Abraham Lincoln said with solemn gravity. "The complete abolition of slavery is something I have long intended to do, but I have been slow to make up my mind. The victory on the Western Front has been wiped out by the crushing defeat on the Eastern Front, and the Confederate Army is at the gates of Washington. I can no longer hesitate!"

"Joshua, I need you to be responsible for collecting pure silver. James is quite right; we must be prepared to fight against a massive vampire army. His factories are already doing this, but only if the entire North is mobilized can we reach a sufficient scale!" President Lincoln instructed Joshua Speed. Joshua looked unwell, his spirit somewhat weary.

Johnson, standing to the side, continued: "At the end of the letter, he mentioned that he would soon head to the North in person to help us deal with Adam... Abraham, can we really trust this young Mr. Howlett when it comes to Adam?"

Lincoln said nothing more, only nodding firmly.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, as a veteran vampire hunter, he would never have believed that humans could truly defeat and kill vampires entirely on their own.

James Howlett must have been sent by God to end the race of vampires, the most evil and wicked of all.

September 1862.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America, issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Once the news reached the South, tens of thousands of slaves fled to the North. The Confederate Army was drained of its logistics, supplies, labor, and other vital support forces almost overnight. Following this, the North issued a policy to arm Black men, causing the Union Army's strength to swell even further.

Just then, James boarded the steam train to Washington. The only person traveling with him was Victor, while nearly a hundred fully armed family gunmen, especially those pre-equipped with silver weapons and ammunition, had already arrived days in advance.

Because James had rejected her request to accompany him, O'Hara had been throwing a tantrum for a full week. This was the longest time she had ever ignored James since she was a child.

It wasn't until the day of departure that she stood awkwardly by the carriage, holding a box of homemade toast in her arms.

James walked up and whispered a few words against her cheek. A deep blush spread across the beautiful girl's face, and only then did she speak, half-scolding and half-admonishing him. Finally, she watched from afar as the box-shaped carriage bearing the family crest drove away, remaining there for a long time.

A man was going to the battlefield. No matter how powerful he was or how safe he seemed, it was, after all, a battlefield.