Blade couldn't care less at that moment whether he was becoming a guinea pig. All he wanted to know was whether this milk could really rid him of his thirst for blood.
If it could, then apart from being stronger, having sharper hearing and smell, and healing faster, he wouldn't be all that different from an ordinary human.
"Yang, can you let me try it? What do you need?"
From the start, Yang Bo had wanted to find out whether the milk in his hands could be as absurdly overpowered as it was in the game. And now Blade was acting like a lamb that had brought its own seasoning and jumped right in front of the big bad wolf, striking seductive poses as it said, "Dig in! All you can eat!"
But on second thought, this superhero seemed to have nothing to his name. Blade usually funded his operations by killing vampires, looting their bodies, and selling their watches. Yang Bo had no interest in anything else he owned.
After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "Blade, if you run into any lone vampires in the future, could you bring them to me? Don't worry, though. Unless something unusual happens, none of the vampires you bring me will survive more than a day in my hands!"
This didn't conflict with Blade's interests at all. Apart from being a little troublesome, there was no downside, so he readily nodded his agreement.
"No problem. There aren't that many lone vampires, though. Once I capture enough of them, they'll definitely start sticking together!"
Yang Bo waved a hand generously and said with a smile, "That's no big deal. I'll take however many you can get!"
"Oh, before you drink the milk, I've got something good here. See if you'd like to eat it!"
As he spoke, he took out a pixelated-looking [Human Heart]. In the game, this was food for vampires, just as bread was food for Yang Bo.
Vampires could eat it to replenish their blood reserves. If they had an empty bottle on them and their blood reserves were full, eating a heart would automatically fill the bottle with blood. It could also be used for upgrades at a potion altar!
But after Yang Bo took out the pixelated [Human Heart], Blade examined it several times without figuring out what it was.
"What is this? Why does it feel so incredibly appealing to me?"
"It's a human heart. Don't ask why it looks like this. I don't know either!"
Blade smiled and shook his head gently. "Now that you mention it, it does look a bit like one!"
Yang Bo: "..."
"If this is a human heart, wouldn't the person with a heart like this look like a block?"
Yang Bo stared at Blade with wide eyes, inwardly shouting, Holy shit, he's the seer! Kill him! Kill him!
Unaware that he had accidentally spoken the truth, Blade reached out and took the [Human Heart] from Yang Bo. He gave it a gentle sniff and frowned. Though it couldn't possibly look less like a human heart, its scent stirred a craving deep inside him. If he hadn't just injected himself with serum, he would already have lost control and eaten it.
"Yang Bo, can you tell me where you got this?"
Yang Bo looked at Blade. He wanted Blade to eat the heart so he could see whether it would make him stronger, so he decided to tell a lie-a well-intentioned lie.
"Well, you might not believe me, but I picked it up. I have a special ability that lets me obtain certain unusual things after vampires die, like this vampire heart!"
Blade believed Yang Bo's explanation. It also explained why Yang Bo wanted to kill vampires himself. But... he raised his head and looked at Yang Bo. "Then what do you get when you kill Believers?"
Was it that obvious? Yang Bo fell silent again.
Right. How could an ordinary guy like me fool someone like Blade, who struggles on the brink of death every day? Maybe he's already figured out a lot of things and just hasn't said anything...
At that thought, Yang Bo's gaze cleared. He abandoned his tangled schemes and said bluntly:
"Yeah, I lied. This dropped from a Believer. Vampires drop their fangs!"
"I want you to try this [Vampire Heart]. I know you haven't drunk human blood in a long time, and you're nowhere near your full strength. We're about to face a whole horde of vampires. They might even come tonight. You don't seriously think your base is well hidden, do you?"
"Maybe you can get away, but what about him?"
As he spoke, Yang Bo pointed at Whistler, who was trying to heat the bucket of milk.
Then he took out another bucket of milk and handed it to Blade. "You can drink the milk first, then think about my suggestion. Once you're stronger, you'll be able to eliminate more vampires and other monsters that threaten humanity!"
Sure enough, sincerity was the ultimate finishing move.
Faced with the reality Yang Bo had laid out, Blade looked at the heart and milk in his hands, his expression growing complicated. He had never thought of himself as indecisive, but when the choice was actually set before him, he still hesitated.
Whistler wasn't just his partner. He was also his mentor and adoptive father. Whistler had taken him in when he was very young and taught him all kinds of survival skills.
If anything happened to Whistler, he would never be able to bear the blow.
Giving Yang Bo a long, searching look, he raised the milk in his hand. The milk, which wouldn't spill no matter how much the bucket was shaken, seemed to come alive when he brought it to his lips and flowed into his mouth.
Blade suddenly felt his body relax. The strain weighing on his mind eased as well, giving him a sensation like a mental orgasm. He couldn't help blurting out:
"Shit!"
Whistler and Karen, who were busy with their research, were startled by Blade's sudden exclamation. Once they saw that he was fine, they returned to their respective work.
Blade looked at the now-empty metal bucket in his hand and smiled, revealing two rows of straight, white teeth.
"Thank you. I've never felt this relaxed before!"
Then he looked at the [Human Heart] in his other hand. Its strange appeal had disappeared, though he still felt hungry.
Taking back the empty bucket Blade handed him, Yang Bo didn't press him. He simply watched in silence, waiting for Blade to make his own choice.
Two minutes later, Blade handed the heart back to Yang Bo and said with a smile, "I think I'll pass. I know you're doing this for me and Whistler, but this isn't the best choice. I know this isn't a real human heart, but it smells exactly like the blood I know. Even if I can't become human, I don't want to become a vampire ruled by desire!"
Hearing Blade's answer, Yang Bo felt no disappointment whatsoever. Perhaps he had known from the start that Blade wouldn't abandon his principles.
"All right, then. I won't force you. Or once you find yourself a wife, you can run the occasional red light, and your strength will naturally improve!"
Before you continue