Chapter 176 Progress (3)

After sending my two lovers back, I reverted my full attention to my parents, who were still marvelling at their newly obtained Vampire bodies. It took them a few moments to truly absorb their new reality and ultimately accept that they had evolved into a higher species.

"Mom, Dad. Do you feel odd in any way?"

"No, I feel just fine!" My mother flexed her biceps and happily snorted. "It's like I'm in a whole other body! The increased senses will take some time to get used to but otherwise… I feel completely fine."

"What about you, Dad?"

"Just like your Mom, Jin." My father nodded, indicating that he was fine, but I knew his mental state.

Dad's change was far more drastic than Mom's. As someone with spectacular muscles and a toned, defined body, my father was at the apex of what a human could achieve with physical training alone. Now that he's evolved into a Vampire, that unlocked potential has allowed my father to grow a few inches and condense his bulging build into a more concentrated one. While he was still massive, my father's build had become far leaner.

But that didn't mean he lost any of his strength. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Just by physical strength alone, Dad was twice as strong as before. And that could easily triple or quadruple once he got used to his body and trained more effectively.

My father couldn't absorb such a drastic change in one night. He would need a few more weeks or months to adjust and eventually become an apex Vampire as I'd planned.

"Okay, I know that you've just awoken, but there's something I want to check."

"What's the matter, son?"

"It's nothing serious," I smiled reassuringly. "How much do you two know about Vampires?"

"About Vampires? Other than the things you've taught us, nothing much." My father admitted honestly. "I mean, we know about their regenerative and magical capabilities, but other than that…"

"Then, do you know about our Vampire Aspects?"

"Of course we do! We were there when you awakened yours, remember?" Mom chuckled and reminded me of my first days at the Everwinter House. "Variel trained you, and when you awakened your Aspect… Hehe, I still remember the look on his face."

"Yeah, that's right…"

I laughed along with Mom and reminisced about the past. After awakening my Vampire Aspect and unleashing my Soul Armament, my life changed for the better. Come to think of it, the final ring on my Soul Armament has yet to awaken, even after ascending into a Progenitor.

The middle ring governed the power of Spacetime. The ring on my thumb held the power of Creation. My index possessed Destruction, and finally, my ring finger was the Ring of Life itself. Yet, even after all my trials and tribulations, the final ring remained dormant for some odd reason.

I tried nearly everything to awaken this final ring, but it was no avail. I'd thought that after returning, Irina, Lilith, Ysabelle, and Rosa's souls would have done the trick, but the final ring seemed to require something special that was unlike the other ones.

Nevertheless, I didn't have all the time in the world to spare, so I now put that matter at the back of my mind. The more pressing matter on hand was the health of my parents.

"You may or may not be aware, but all Vampires are descended from the first Progenitor, Dracula Bloodborne. The first generation of Vampires had their genes edited by Dracula himself, making them his eternal servants. And every generation since then, their blood remained subservient to the Ancestor of all Vampires."

"Which is why the Bloodborne House could remain in the Guardian Houses, right?"

Mom completed my sentence with a grim tone. Fortunately, the woman was far more familiar with Vampires and magical creatures than my Dad. She knew the history of the Vampires, including the little 'dispute' I had with the Bloodborne House.

"Right, if Dracula didn't die back then, all Vampires would have served the Bloodborne House for eternity. It's just coded into their genes. Even those who became Vampires through a ritual, like me, would have their souls bound to Dracula. However, you two are different."

"You can't mean…"

"Precisely, Mom…" I smiled and confidently said: "Since I'm the second Progenitor, I can make a new breed of Vampires. Technically, you'll still be considered a Vampire, but genetically speaking, the two of you are far more different than any Vampire out there."

"Hold on a minute," my father quickly put two and two together and asked cautiously. "Does that mean we've become subservient to you too?"

"HAHA, of course not! I'm not as tyrannical as Dracula."

Bursting into laughter, I struggled to stop myself from twitching.

Dad was right; I could have added a gene that would force my parents to do my bidding. But there's no way I would do that. I didn't want to create a second Bloodborne House in the future. Besides, what kind of child would make their parents into servants?

"The two of you are the second evolution of Vampires, Super Vampires if you may. So, there's something you'll inherit from my blood…"

I walked forward and raised my mother's right arm. I traced my finger across the back of her hand, channelling a small amount of magic power into her soul. And sure enough, an azure light emerged from my mother's core depths and materialised into a beautiful ring on her middle finger.

"Space, huh? As expected, you've received the blessing of Spacetime from me."

"W-What is this?"

"This is proof that you're a superior Vampire, Mom." I chuckled and addressed her doubts. "Currently, I possess four powers. Spacetime, Creation, Destruction and Life. All four of which are incredible powers. So, besides having your own Vampire Aspect, you'll be blessed with one of those powers."

I examined the azure ring with great interest and couldn't help but draw similarities to mine. While they weren't exactly the same, I would say it's about fifty or sixty percent similar. In particular, the exceptionally dazzling azure gem in the middle of the ring.

"You won't be able to fully control Spacetime like me, but your control over it will far surpass any magician or Vampire on the planet."

"Amazing…"

Mom marvelled at the transcendent power pulsating through her veins and happily watched the azure ring glow. She may have retired to a bookstore, but in her prime, my Mom was an A-Rank Hunter and a magical researcher. Having magic that could affect Spacetime was something the woman yearned for, even after she retired from combat.

"Later, when you've acclimated to your new body, you can test it out. Since we're close in blood, I'm confident you'll be able to master it in one, two months tops."

"Haha, thanks for the faith."

Mom's eyes sparkled before pulling me in for a big hug. Other than the time I recovered, this was the happiest I've ever seen my mother. She was beaming from ear to ear, and her happy aura was glowing so radiantly that I had to look away.

And it was fortunate that I did.

After watching our interaction, Dad looked at me with puppy eyes. Like a kid waiting for a present on his birthday, Dad was getting restless as he struggled to keep his feet from leaping into the air. Laughing dryly, I shook my head and approached him like I did Mom.

"Give me your hand, Dad."

"Here!"

I accepted the massive bear claw and did the same exact thing. This time, however, an azure light didn't come out from my father's soul. Instead, it was a rich crimson hue. Like before, a ring appeared on his hand, but this time, on his index finger.

"Destruction… Well, I kind of expected that."

"Hoh? So you don't choose what power we get?"

"No, I could do that, but it may harm your soul if I force my power into them. So, I let our souls' compatibility make the decision. Mom seems more inclined to Spacetime, so she absorbed that aspect. Dad, since you're more of a destructive beast… Yeah, it makes a whole lot of sense."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Who is the one destroying all of my expensive pottery and china, dear?"

"... Okay, I see why I got Destruction."

My father smiled bitterly, but there wasn't a hint of disappointment on his face. The man wasn't suited for complex spells as a brute fighter. If he had the power of pure destruction, the man could do infinitely more damage than any other Spacetime mage could.

A Spacetime Vampire and a Destruction Vampire… My first two creations as the next Progenitor are finally a success.

As my power and influence grow, I'll be able to create a whole army of Vampires who use my abilities. When that happens, the growth of Valter House and Valter Inc will increase exponentially, and all of my future goals will come true.

But first, I had a far more significant event to attend.

"Mom, Dad. Now that you've evolved and are healthy, there's no need to postpone the wedding anymore."

"Oya? Is my son finally ready to tie the knot?"

"I've always been ready, Mom. I just didn't have the time and opportunity yet."

Brushing off my mother's blatant teasing, I slowly explained my plans.

"We're going to hold the wedding in a week. So if you have anyone you wish to invite, please let me know by tomorrow. I'll arrange for their transportation and accommodation."

"That soon?!"

"Mom, they've waited enough," I looked out the window and back at the main mansion where my four lovers were resting. "I wanted to do it months ago, but our situation was unstable then. But now that our business is running smoothly and you've already finished your transformation, there's no need to wait anymore."

"Son… You've really grown up."

"I learnt from the best, Dad."

I shook my head and stifled my smile. Placing both my hands behind my back, I imagined the four beauties of my life dressed in ivory white gowns and flower veils while they walked down the aisle…

Yeah, I can't wait anymore.

Time to get married.