Whetstone (Seeking Investment!)

Salomon's footsteps were soundless. The semicircular orange-red sparks in his hand faintly illuminated the dim corridor of Collins Manor.

Perhaps because Salomon was here, the Collins family avoided him as if he were a plague. Even Willie, who should have come to turn on the lights, kept far away. When night fell, the place sank into murky darkness. Salomon neither used an illumination spell nor drew back the curtains to let the last faint rays of dusk enter the corridor. He relied solely on the tiny glimmer in his hand to adapt to this terrible environment.

After a while, his pupils slowly dilated, taking in more reflected light and allowing him to make out his surroundings somewhat—the black curtains swayed in the windless corridor like living shadows. The last rays of dusk vanished completely after flowing into the hallway. Night swiftly enveloped the entire manor, and the chilling aura of Negative Energy permeated every corner. Only the three gemstone rings on Salomon's fingers still gleamed beneath the sparks, their faint reflected colors occasionally streaking across the corridor.

"I had them go out for a walk, Victoria included. Ever since she became a Vampire, she has loved strolling beneath the stars. After all, she has completely bid farewell to the sunlight and woods she loved most." Barnabas suddenly emerged from the darkness behind Salomon. Even now, he wore that eighteenth-century-style attire. Leaning on his cane, his back ramrod straight and his white lace cravat immaculate, he said, "Do you truly have no intention of keeping your promise and turning us back into humans, Mr. Damonnet?"

"The Book of Vishanti does indeed contain the perfect counter to that curse. For every Dark Magic spell in that book, the Book of Vishanti has a corresponding White Magic spell." Salomon's body stiffened for a moment before gradually relaxing. He did not turn around. "Even so, do you still think White Magic would not harm you?"

"So that means..." The Vampire slowly stepped out. Raising an eyebrow, he said, "I can never become human again? And the method recorded in the Book of Vishanti for lifting the curse is simply to kill the Vampire?"

"Yes, magic specifically meant to deal with Vampires. And..."

"What?"

"And I never promised to turn you into a human." Salomon slowly turned around to face the Vampire, still maintaining the spell in his hand. "My exact words were, 'That is related to my second question.' Therefore, I have not broken my oath. Mr. Barnabas, your story may be moving, but it is meaningless. I only need that book. As for the third Vampire in town, that one is also my prey."

"So from the very beginning, you wanted to kill me." The Vampire drew out his words. "My story was irrelevant no matter what, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Salomon admitted it readily. "I am afraid you do not yet understand how special you are, Mr. Barnabas. You became a Vampire through the curse magic of that book, rather than through reproduction or First Embrace. There is virtually no upper limit to your strength. The last person to become a Vampire through that magic lived a very long time ago. All I know is that he was an existence that simply could not be killed.

"Vampires are like cancer. As long as one exists, countless others can multiply from it. Mr. Barnabas, you are still far too young by Vampire standards. You have not accumulated much power, nor have you gained that terrifying immortality. Now that we have reached this point, do you think I would still spare you? Of course, those are merely lofty excuses. In truth, the ashes left by a Vampire's annihilation are also a precious material."

"My existence is original sin." Barnabas continuously struck the floor with his cane, producing dull thuds. Though Salomon could not see his expression, he could still sense the bitterness and irritation in his heart. He said, "My existence is original sin, and I made Victoria bear that guilt as well. We have been abandoned by God."

"Ever since The Venerable One drove all gods and demons from Earth, humanity has been abandoned. The development of civilization afterward involved neither gods nor devils." Salomon stepped forward and lightly tapped his heels together. The intricate spell formation on his short boots flashed and vanished. The young Arcanist slowly approached, finally stopping at an appropriate distance. "Do not think of ascending to Heaven, nor of descending into Hell to atone. Your soul has already been claimed by that terrifying existence. If I can kill you, your soul can only belong to the God of Black Magic, just like Angelique Bouchard's."

Chthon. The Sorcerer Supreme could speak that name, but Salomon could not. He was not yet as powerful as The Venerable One; merely mentioning the name might draw its gaze. Although Chthon would still be unable to influence Earth because of the Sorcerer Supreme, Salomon had no desire to put himself on the God of Black Magic's list.

"Including Victoria?" Barnabas asked.

"No," Salomon said. "If what you said is true, she was transformed after death. Though she cannot ascend to Heaven, as long as she has not taken a human life, she will not descend into Hell. Her soul will only return to death, the place of eternal silence."

The Vampire remained silent for a long while. A breeze from nowhere drifted through the corridor, lightly tugging at his clothes as though urging Barnabas to make his decision quickly. Salomon also waited quietly for Barnabas's answer, but no matter what, he would fight the Vampire before him.

"When I was your age, I had just arrived in the New World. Back then, I understood nothing, but my father often told me, 'Family is wealth.' I have always regarded those words as a guiding principle in life. It was through the efforts of family members that the Collins family gained a foothold in both Europe and the New World, growing into a prominent and distinguished house. In England, the Collins family still holds a title. Here in Maine, in this region of New England, we possess fishing resources that nearly monopolize the northeastern coast."

As Barnabas spoke, he spread his arms as though embracing all the glorious achievements of the Collins family. Looking at Salomon, he said with utmost gravity, "We did all this for the family. No matter the outcome, I want you to promise me that the Collins family will not be implicated under any circumstances."

"I swear in the name of Vishanti, source of White Magic and lord of all." Salomon nodded.

"Good. At last, I see where your faith lies." Barnabas nodded in satisfaction. "But I have one more question. You could clearly have found me during the day. Why did you come at this time instead? Could it be that you..."

The young Arcanist's expression stiffened slightly.

He had never fought before, nor had he ever tried to kill any Sentient Beings. He admitted that Barnabas's story had affected him. After all, who would not like lovers reunited after two hundred years? Who would not hope Romeo and Juliet could finally be together? Who would not long to see this world filled with beautiful things and sincere feelings? Who would not envy the meeting of passionate kisses and vivid roses?

Unfortunately, they were Vampires. From Kamar-Taj's standpoint, such creatures had to be eradicated. As long as Salomon remained at Kamar-Taj, as long as he drew magical power from Vishanti, he would always encounter such matters. Even if he let them go this time, he would still face them again next time. Salomon had received the finest magical education in the world, even in the universe, and that had become a responsibility he could not escape.

What Salomon absolutely refused to admit was that he wanted Barnabas to have some advantage. He did not even dare admit that, just a little, only a little, he hoped for his own defeat and retreat. Though those memories constantly influenced his personality, making his heart colder and harder, Salomon had possessed part of the Holy Marks for too short a time. Moreover, the gentleness he had cultivated in his previous life could not be changed so easily.

Perhaps that was why the Sorcerer Supreme had noticed this and sent Salomon to carry out this task.

A young Vampire like Barnabas could be killed by any senior deacon of a Sanctuary if they gave it their all. There was no need for a Sanctuary Guardian to intervene. But Salomon's detached, desireless manner was simply too lazy. He had to bear something eventually. This was what The Venerable One had told Mordo: among all the pains Salomon would bear that did not belong to him, this was the lightest.

This was one of the prices he had to pay for power. Barnabas the Vampire was merely a whetstone the Sorcerer Supreme had prepared for Salomon.

"This is none of your business, Barnabas." Salomon's voice was as cold and hard as his expression. Another semicircular magic circle unfolded in his hand, and the Arcanist's face flickered between light and shadow in the flashing sparks. Whatever Barnabas thought, Salomon would choose to do this. Giving him a slight advantage was only to express the utterly hypocritical guilt in his heart, like The Hand before a duel.

"Let's end this quickly. I do not want to wait any longer," he said.

P.S.: Seeking investment! Seeking recommendation votes!

A fellow reader put in a follow-up investment of 10,000 points. That is putting a lot of pressure on me.

Also, why can't the character likes be more balanced? There are only two, and the numbers are different! My obsessive-compulsive disorder is about to flare up. Why can't they just be neat and even? It annoys me to death every time I see them!