Chapter 1739: 581. Loyalty is the finest quality, followed closely by love – extra update [23/30]_2
“Hmm, three strands, Master.”
After being reassigned as the commanding general, Mark couldn’t always be by Murphy’s side, and the progress of his power wasn’t something that needed to be reported. So when he heard that Maxim had already awakened three strands of Ancestor’s Power, Murphy was astonished.
Damn!
Maxim, you!
I only have two, how did you end up with three? Are you planning a rebellion?
But Murphy quickly masked his surprise, and with the concern of possibly being surpassed by a brother who shared fried fish in muddy waters with him back in the day, he asked:
“Let’s exchange ideas; what are your Ancestor’s Powers?”
“Uh, Lionea instructed me not to tell others things like this to avoid being exploited. She said she once saw a Silver Samurai targeted and die a miserable death. But you are the Master, and I will not hide anything from you.”
Maxim answered honestly:
“The first Ancestor’s Power is, of course, the Dark Night Claw you granted me. I have honed it to a level that perfectly suits me. To achieve this, in all battles since leaving you, I rarely use weapons and instead fight with claws.
The second Ancestor’s Power came from Lionea’s guidance. She taught me to use the hunting senses of a vampire to lock onto enemies like a hunter.
This lock-on, after long-term practice, became a combat instinct. I call it ‘Crimson Eye.’ Even if the enemy I lock onto escapes my line of sight, I can sense his position and carry out a prolonged night hunt.
The third Ancestor’s Power is from Lord Kuder’s teachings.
Though the Civilian Protection Officer detests vampire power, he is a true combat genius. Even with the Body of Silver fixed, he shaped a new Ancestor’s Power on the original power base.
He taught it to me without reservation; it is a deadly skill named ‘Blood Slaughter,’ derived from a vampire’s sensitivity to blood. When confronting an enemy, if I sense their weakness, I can rely on this weakness to mobilize blood power in close combat to complete a second slaughter.
This is very useful; it suits my combat style well.
Swift slaughters always put one in a good mood, and I can absorb blood essence from enemies to replenish my energy after a Blood Slaughter.
Additionally, seeking advice from Lord Hether, I engaged in several bouts with a dwarf combat master at the Blackflame Mountain Pass. I could feel that when I lost control of my rage in a Bloodthirsty state, my destructive power would decrease. The dwarf combat master reminded me of this point and taught me anger control techniques.
Thus, I feel that perhaps with this reminder, I might find a new Ancestor’s Power during battles…”
“Excellent! Mark, you are indeed a descendant who brings me surprises!”
Murphy patted Maxim’s shoulder and said:
“The condensation of four strands of Ancestor’s Power is enough for you to leap into true ‘Gold Reserves’ when advancing to the Silver tier, but I think you can do even better. Therefore, I will teach you the insight I gained on Crimson Ability, and I will give you a special suggestion.
Perhaps you can start practicing spear-throwing techniques now.
What I mean is, fusing piercing techniques with vampire talents into new power can effectively supplement your weakness in long-range attacks. After all, your surname is ‘Vlad,’ isn’t it?
If this doesn’t become an Easter egg, wouldn’t that be a pity.”
“You…you mean, you’d like me to complete the Silver Trial after gathering six strands of Ancestor’s Power?”
Maxim furrowed his brow.
He said softly:
“Lord Kuder reminded me that Ancestor’s Power is not about having more and more. During the Silver Trial, I need to gather all the Ancestor’s Powers to form my true source of strength.
In such a situation, the more Ancestor’s Powers there are, the more difficult the fusion becomes. Six strands… Even a Blood Race genius like Lady Triss only had five strands; I’m afraid I…”
Maxim was clearly lacking confidence, but Murphy coaxed:
“Triss is already a legend of the past era. Isn’t the best way to pay homage to legends to surpass them? You know, Triss didn’t actually want to be a Duke. Her decadence over the years made her extremely resistant to power, which can bring danger.
She was pushed up by us.
It’s unnecessary to count on Triss to make a name for the Blood Vulture Clan; clan revitalization must rely on us, the younger generation.
What I mean is, you can try challenging yourself; the Black Disaster won’t lack strong opponents for you. This is a once-in-a-century opportunity, and every Black Disaster is a stage for the brave.
I believe you can become the backbone of the Blood Vulture Clan and Transylvania in the future, Mark, I have faith in you!
Good luck!”
After delivering a dose of Dark Night toxic encouragement, Murphy wrote down the insights of the Crimson Ability skill and handed it to Maxim, then strolled away with hands behind his back, leaving Maxim, struggling with indecision, to consider the feasibility of this matter.
He could feel that Sir Morphy’s suggestion seemed to hope that he would delay the Silver Trial, though he didn’t know why Murphy wanted this, it was indisputable that Sir Morphy definitely had his thoughts.
Master Morphy’s wisdom is tenfold of his own, so it’s better to obey his advice.
“Master wishes you to become a banner of the new Blood Vulture era led by him, Mark.”