The vast ocean.The silver moon.A sky flooded with cold, glittering stars.
Waves crashed endlessly against the reef, their echoes rolling across the empty shoreline.
Something drifted in the nearshore tide.
Sinking. Rising. Sinking again.
Slowly… moving toward land.
A bald head broke through the water—then disappeared beneath the waves once more.
Minutes later, Adam finally stepped into the shallows.
He rose from the sea in one motion, water cascading off his body. In his arms, he still carried the unconscious Yinling.
His clothes were soaked through, warped by salt and pressure.
Holding her close, he dragged his heavy steps onto the beach.
He had crossed the Mediterranean.
On foot.
He had walked across the entire seabed.
Vampires did not need to breathe. That part was easy.
What mattered was concealment.
He could not expose his face above the surface.He could not fly.
He had no idea how many Eden aircraft were scanning the skies…Or how many spy satellites watched from orbit.
If he surfaced, the consequences would be catastrophic.
So after plunging into the sea with Yinling in his arms, he had chosen the only path left—
To walk.
Step by step, across the ocean floor.
It took him an entire month.
He laid Yinling gently on the sand and collapsed beside her.
His head tilted northward instinctively.
That was where Irene was.
The first city of the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Sooner or later… he would reduce it to ruins.
And bring her back.
He was at his limit.
One month without blood.
For a vampire, that was unthinkable.
Yinling had fallen unconscious long ago. Early in the journey, the blood starvation had driven her into madness.
Fortunately, Adam subdued her.
He dragged her forward through the abyss.
As the starvation worsened, she slipped into complete coma.
Luckily…
Adam was the Progenitor.
He had once slept for two thousand years.
Temporary blood deprivation could not fully erode his sanity.
That was the only reason he could continue moving through the deep sea while carrying her.
He turned over and looked at her face.
Calm. Pale. Beautiful.
She looked as if she were sleeping.
Only—she did not breathe.
But breathing meant nothing to vampires.
When conscious, it was merely habit.
Adam brushed aside the strands of hair on her forehead and stared at her silently.
A long while passed before he forced himself to stand.
He surveyed the surroundings.
Waves.Beach.Reefs.
No road ahead.
Only a sheer cliff wall blocking the land beyond.
Adam lifted Yinling again and walked toward the cliff.
He set her down.
Then he began digging into the rock with his bare hands.
He needed blood.
She needed blood even more.
He could not take her hunting.
But leaving her exposed here was worse.
He didn't even know if he could return before sunrise.
His nails extended.
Rock, under normal circumstances, would have shattered like butter beneath his strength.
But now—
It did not.
A month of starvation had collapsed his regenerative cells.
His blood vessels were dry.
His strength was hollow.
Even stone could wound him.
Each clawing strike tore flesh from his fingers. Blood smeared across the rock face.
His skin had never been as durable as his muscles.
Soon, all ten fingers were shredded.
But there was barely any blood left to lose.
After a long struggle, he carved a deep hollow into the cliff.
He carried Yinling inside and laid her down.
For safety—
He slit his own wrist.
A few drops of Progenitor blood fell into her mouth.
"Second Generation… should be enough."
"Even if something happens… she'll survive."
He stepped out of the cave.
Then—
Spread his wings.
He shot into the sky.
Only now did he truly understand what the Smoke Baron meant.
Half-human form flight… was exhausting.
If he were carrying Yinling, he might not have been able to fly at all.
Before, he flew easily because his body was whole.
Now—
Every wingbeat drained what little strength he had left.
He struggled over the cliff.
Beyond it lay a forest.
Dense pine woods stretched endlessly.
"Where is this…"
He only knew he had traveled north.
But north to where?
"The Balkans? France? The Italian Peninsula…?"
He muttered the place names of his past life.
Then shook his head.
It didn't matter.
History had changed.
Governments he once knew no longer existed.
This world was new.
He gritted his teeth and kept flying.
Eventually, he saw the forest edge.
Far away—
A town.
Lights sparse. Nearly dark.
"I'll search there."
Search for what?
Blood.
Perhaps the townspeople were innocent.
Not bandits.Not prisoners.Just ordinary civilians.
But they still had to bleed for him.
And for secrecy—
He would have to kill them.
Adam finally understood.
His identity was not glory.
It was burden.
No one would accept him.
Everyone would hunt him.
Every step he took had to erase evidence.
Only when he mastered the true bloodline arts… could he reveal himself again.
By then—
Nothing in this world would be able to stop him.
Perhaps…
Except God.
The curse of Eden's Father had driven him into the abyss.
The truth he learned had shown him how ugly the world was.
Now—
He walked willingly into darkness.
No retreat.
Irene waited in the north.
Behind him, a girl who would give her life for him lay sleeping in a frozen cave.
He could not fall here.
Fate rested in his hands—
Thin as cicada wings.
Mercy was no longer allowed.
There was only one road.
Forward.
Even if ahead lay blades and fire—
He would walk it without hesitation.
He spread his wings again and glided toward the town.
He was no longer the King of Eden.
Debts owed to him would be repaid.
Debts he owed others—
He would repay in blood.
Childish.
Yet unavoidable.
The wind howled past him.
Adam let out a cold, desolate laugh.
The town at midnight was silent.
Moss covered the stone roads.
No pedestrians.
Only rooftop cats fighting… and distant barking dogs.
As Adam approached, the dogs whimpered.
Animals lacked intelligence.
But their instinct for danger surpassed humans.
They knew—
He was not something they could challenge.
Several stray dogs fled immediately.
"Which house…?"
Adam landed silently on a black-brick rooftop.
He crouched low, scanning.
Russian roulette.
The architecture differed greatly from North Africa.
Pure Western European style.
Black sloped roofs, but paved with brick instead of tile.
Probably due to pigment scarcity.
Still—
It gave the town a solemn tone.
Then he noticed it.
A lone house on a distant hill.
Still lit.
"Perfect."
He spread his wings and glided over.
The hill was fenced with wide wooden barriers.
The house was large. Two stories. Hundreds of square meters.
White walls. Black roof.
But peeling paint… and a neglected courtyard…
Especially the dead trees—
Gave it an eerie aura.
Adam landed silently on the roof.
He hung upside down and peered through a window crack.
Inside—
A large ward.
Candles everywhere.
Six beds in a row.
White sheets. White bandages.
Patients groaned in pain.
The air reeked of medicine… and sweat.
A doctor in white robes walked between beds.
A nurse followed.
"A doctor?"
Adam frowned slightly.
White garments for hygiene.
Masks.
This was modern medical awareness.
But this region hadn't even entered modern civilization.
More shocking—
They were doing blood transfusions.
The doctor finished examining a patient and removed his mask.
Young. Gentle-faced. Soft brows.
"Stabilized. Two more transfusion bottles should do it."
"Monitor temperature tonight. Prevent infection."
He spoke calmly.
So he had seen better medical systems before?
Wasn't Eden technology restricted?
Had Western natives developed medicine independently?
The doctor left the ward with a candle.
Outside this room, the entire building was dark.
Perfect for a nocturnal predator.
Adam slipped in through a side window.
Silent as a spider.
He followed the doctor through shadows.
Maintaining distance.
Corner to corner.
The doctor remained unaware.
Down the stairs.
Into the basement.
He stopped before a wooden door.
Red wood.
Reinforced with iron spikes.
Clearly hiding something important.
Suddenly—
The doctor looked around cautiously.
Then pulled out a leather water pouch.
He uncorked it…
And drank.
Greedily.
Making muffled swallowing sounds.
After a while, he wiped his mouth.
A drop of crimson remained at his lips.
The scent of blood drifted through the air.
Adam's eyes snapped open.
Insight activated.
His pupils turned crimson.
[Insight Activated] Target: Yu Jia Race: Vampire (15th Generation) Age: 150 Status: Extremely Weak / Concealed Attributes: Constitution: 0 Soul: 0 Spirit: 0
Adam narrowed his eyes.
A faint smile appeared.
"Interesting…"
"A vampire doctor?"
"How amusing."