This arrangement would give me detailed intelligence on Kael's situation leading up to the fire incident.
More importantly, it would alert me if Daybreak operatives made contact with him earlier than expected, allowing me to adjust my plans accordingly.
Martha was disposable, which made her perfect for this role. When the time came, her death would serve as additional motivation for Kael's transformation into the Winter Beast.
I didn't care about a woman that ate the money of orphans without any consciousness.
Everything was falling into place exactly as I needed it to.
***
As I walked away from the orphanage, I felt some hesitation. Was it really the correct choice to let the kid stay bullied? Was it really the right decision to let him walk the path of villainy?
I pondered these questions as I made my way toward the forest.
The more I thought about it, the more conflicted I became. In the end, I shook the thoughts away with some coldness.
It was essential that Kael interact with the people of Daybreak. It was his fate.
Why would I change it? If anyone was to blame, it would be the damn author of "The Academy's Fallen Hero."
I was just trying to survive in this place. If Kael didn't follow the footsteps of his original timeline, then I would alter a canonical event and disrupt the entire story progression.
Timeline changes were not in my favor at all. They created uncertainty, and uncertainty killed people like me who relied on foreknowledge for survival.
Until I could benefit from my knowledge of future events inside this novel, I would not change anything if it could be avoided.
I reached the forest entrance with my mind made up.
I steeled myself and walked in, preparing for another hunting trip to refill my blood reserves and gain some additional combat experience.
I remained careful, even at the periphery of the forest. Some predators at Elite rank or higher could potentially wander into the outer areas. It had happened in the novel before, and overconfidence would get me killed.
The familiar scents of earth, vegetation, and magical beast musk filled my senses as I moved deeper into the woods.
My vampire abilities made me naturally suited for this environment. I was able to hear, smell and see things that others couldn't at longer distances.
After about twenty minutes of careful tracking, I caught the scent of blood and heard the sounds of conflict ahead.
Moving silently through the underbrush, I discovered two Noble-rank creatures engaged in a dispute. A Thornback Boar and a Wolf circled each other in a small clearing, both already wounded from their fighting.
Perfect.
Injured prey would be easier to handle, and fighting two opponents would give me valuable experience managing multiple threats simultaneously.
The Thornback Boar was a massive creature, easily twice the size of a normal pig, with razor-sharp spines protruding from its back and shoulders. Dark blood oozed from several gashes where the wolf had managed to score hits with its claws.
The Wolf was leaner but no less dangerous. Its dark fur blended with the background, making its exact position difficult to track with normal vision at sundown.
Several of the boar's spines had pierced its body, leaving bloody wounds that slowed its movements.
Both beasts were so focused on each other that they hadn't noticed my approach.
Drawing my sword quietly, I activated my Blood Control trait, focusing on the blood already spilled around the clearing.
The crimson liquid responded to my will, rising from the ground and forest floor to form a floating reservoir that I could weaponize at a moment's notice.
The two beasts did notice my interference, and focused on each other.
The Shadow Wolf struck first, lunging at the boar's throat with incredible speed. The boar countered by lowering its head and charging, its tusks aimed at the wolf's exposed belly.
That was my opening.
I burst from the treeline and immediately targeted the wolf with my blood manipulation. The creature's own spilled blood formed into sharp projectiles that launched directly at its eyes and throat.
Surprised but alert, the wolf twisted in mid-air, trying to avoid both the boar's charge and my blood spears.
It managed to dodge the tusks but couldn't escape my attack. One blood spike pierced its left eye, sending it crashing to the ground with a howl of pain and rage.
The second blood spike followed suit, finding purchase on its thick hide.
The Thornback Boar, startled by my sudden appearance, spun toward me with surprising agility for such a massive creature. Its small eyes burned with fury as it identified me as a new threat.
I can see that it no longer felt threatened from the wolf. Instead, it saw me as a threat, the third-party that had joined to clean both of them up.
I didn't give it time to charge. Using my high speed, I darted to the side while simultaneously manipulating the boar's own blood through its wounds.
The beast's blood pressure spiked dramatically as I forced circulation to accelerate beyond sustainable levels.
Blood erupted from the creature's spines and existing cuts as its cardiovascular system overloaded. The boar staggered, confusion replacing anger as internal blood wreaked havoc its body.
The Wolf, despite its wounded eye and body, attempted to capitalize on the boar's distress before death. It leaped toward the larger creature's back, claws extended to tear into the spine-covered hide.
I intercepted its trajectory with a blood-formed whip that wrapped around the wolf's hind legs and slammed it into a nearby tree trunk.
ROAR!
The impact produced a sickening crack as several ribs broke under the force.
With both creatures severely injured and disoriented. It was time to finish this efficiently.
I rushed the boar first, using my strength to drive my sword deep between its ribs while simultaneously bursting every major blood vessel in its head through concentrated blood manipulation. The massive creature collapsed instantly, its brain starved of oxygen as its circulatory system failed completely.
Being stronger than both monsters made it really use for me to manipulate their blood to their liking. I just had to expend a decent portion of mana to ensure a good kill.
The Wolf struggled to rise, its breathing labored from broken ribs and blood loss. I approached carefully, knowing that wounded predators were often the most dangerous.
As expected, the wolf gathered its remaining strength for a desperate final attack. It launched itself at me with surprising speed, jaws open to tear out my throat.
I caught it mid-leap with my reflexes, one hand gripping its muzzle while the other grabbed its neck. My vampire strength made the wolf's struggles futile as I slowly increased pressure on its blood vessels.
The creature's struggles grew weaker as oxygen failed to reach its brain. Within seconds, it went limp in my grasp.
I set the wolf's body down gently and surveyed the clearing. Two Noble-rank magical beasts eliminated with minimal effort and no injuries to myself.
My combination of blood manipulation, enhanced physical body, and basic strategy had proven devastatingly effective. The vampire bloodline was truly living up to its Supreme classification.
Now I just needed to collect their blood and search for any useful drops before continuing my hunt for stronger prey.
The blood of two noble rank beasts would certainly not be enough to feed me.