"Is it really this bad?" Lucas rubbed his forehead, looking tired, with clear worry in his eyes.
"It must be linked to her Class awakening," Simon said seriously, also showing concern. "The SSS-rank Bloodshadow Warrior is tied to her bloodline, so it will be hard to keep it under control from now on."
"Lilia absolutely cannot be exposed. I think I need to go to the underground casino again," Lucas said. He remembered that recently bought blood from there had strong life force, which could suppress Lilia's bloodline power well.
"Let me go instead. Things there are surely not safe," Simon suggested.
"No need," Lucas shook his head, got up, and took out a black cloak. "Although Lilia made a mistake first, this guy dared to hit my daughter. He must be taught a lesson and scared. You know your limits."
Simon sighed, had no objection, and said, "That is no problem. By the way, this guy is also an SSS-rank Class Awakened."
"Oh?" Lucas stopped at the door, unable to believe him. "Are you kidding? SSS-rank Class Awakened are no ordinary people. How can such a small place as Blackspire have two SSS-rank Class Awakened at the same time?"
"This news has spread far and wide," Simon said. "And that boy awakened a Heaven-Cursed class."
"What? The Heaven-Cursed!" Lucas exclaimed, stunned. "Impossible. This class's bloodline legacy was cut off long ago. How can there still be a Heaven-Cursed?"
Simon was just as puzzled. "I was also confused, so I investigated this Allen specifically. His background is strange. He is an orphan who grew up in the Blackspire slums, but I could find no trace of his parents' information."
"Do you mean his parents were also The Heaven-Cursed?" Lucas immediately shook his head. "Impossible. The Heaven-Cursed has not appeared on the continent for over five hundred years. If his parents were The Heaven-Cursed, this would have been public knowledge by now."
"There are two possibilities," Simon thought for a moment and analyzed. "The first is that his parents were powerful enough to hide their awakening from the authorities. Or perhaps his parents knew about their bloodline but never awakened. Allen, being an orphan, didn't know any of this and just participated in the Class awakening."
Lucas nodded in agreement, sighed deeply, and whispered to himself, "After a hundred years, The Heaven-Cursed class has appeared again. I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse."
Simon was not worried about such things. He asked, "So, are we still going to teach him a lesson?"
"We must," Lucas said thoughtfully. "Daring to bully my precious daughter means he won't get off easily." He added, "Also, keep an eye on the Church of Light's movements. Don't let this guy fall into their hands."
Simon nodded seriously, hesitating for a moment. "Should we try to recruit this kid?"
"No. The Heaven-Cursed isn't something we can touch yet. Just keep an eye on him and protect him from afar," Lucas said without another word. He pulled up his hood, blurred for a second, and vanished into the night.
...
The Butcher Shop.
It was still messy, the area around it deathly quiet and empty.
But the underground casino was a different story—chaotic, smoky, and loud.
The Butcher's fat body was wedged into his chair. Even in such a noisy, messy scene, he looked completely satisfied.
"My lord," Mason's hunched figure appeared at that moment. He spoke low. "The City Lord is here."
"Oh? So this guy finally couldn't hold back?" The Butcher's small eyes lit up. He struggled to push himself up from the chair and said, "Quick, bring me that blood I prepared."
Mason nodded. He reached under the shelves and pulled out a small, beautifully crafted silver flask. Inside was Allen's blood—enough for 1000 ml.
Soon, a tall figure wearing a cloak walked in.
The Butcher's eyes brightened. He sat up straight and gave a big, forced smile. "Honored guest, welcome."
"Hm," Lucas replied coolly, walking straight to the counter.
The Butcher's smile grew wider. "Honored guest, what are you in the mood for this time?"
"Blood. The same kind as last time. Do you still have any?" Lucas lowered his voice, sounding like an old man.
"Yes, yes." The Butcher quickly took a silver container out of a drawer and handed it to Lucas carefully. "This one also has 1000 ml. It's stored in silver and is very fresh. The price went up a bit, 150,000 gold coins."
The silver container was held out to Lucas, but he didn't reach for it.
The Butcher and Mason grew tense, staring at him tightly.
"Hmph!" Lucas let out a cold snort, then snatched the silver container without any reaction.
The Butcher and Mason exchanged a silent glance, filled with disappointment and confusion.
Lucas touched the silver with no sign of discomfort, which meant he wasn't a vampire. But if he wasn't, why did he need blood?
"Being too smart isn't always good, especially when you're just overthinking it. Don't think you're safe just because Kyle is covering for you."
Lucas threatened coldly. He knew his identity was already revealed and had no desire to pretend anymore.
The Butcher laughed awkwardly, nodding quickly. "My lord, you are right."
"Swipe the card," Lucas said, tossing a black bank card onto the counter.
Normally, he always traded with gold coins, but since his identity was already exposed, there was no need to pretend anymore.
"Understood," The Butcher said, struggling to get up. He took the bank card, swiped 150,000 gold coins away, and then handed it back to Lucas with both hands in a very respectful way.
"If you're going to act like a dog, you better have the heart of a dog. Next time you dare to bite anyone, I'll break your legs," Lucas said, glancing at Mason, taking the card, and turning to leave immediately.
Mason kept his head deep down, but his eyes flashed with hatred.
He was a werewolf. To be insulted as a dog was a terrible shame.
"My lord, that bastard is way too arrogant," Mason ground his teeth. If he could beat Lucas, he would have charged up to tear this guy apart.
"It's okay. He won't stay arrogant for long. In the next City Lord election, Lord Kyle will definitely take the top spot. Then Blackspire will be under our control!" The Butcher was also angry, but he knew his own strength.
Running this underground casino might make him seem like he had some status, but really, he was just someone else's dog.
Kyle was the richest man in Blackspire, a great benefactor of the city, and one of the most respected people there. Plus, he had strong ties with the Church of Light.
If nothing went wrong, Kyle would smoothly take the position in this summer's City Lord election.
"Oh, right. Did we find the kid selling blood?" The Butcher remembered the main business and asked.
The blood Allen sold was almost gone. He needed more sources. If they could catch that guy and get a steady supply of blood, the profit would far exceed running this casino.
Mason nodded. "My lord, I was just about to report. Mr. Gamma just sent word: we found the kid. And I have some unexpected good news."
"Oh? What unexpected news?" The Butcher asked curiously.
Mason's smile was ugly. He licked his lips. "My lord, you definitely wouldn't guess. This guy is a student from the slums. He just awakened his class today, and it's an SSS-rank The Heaven-Cursed."
"The legendary The Heaven-Cursed?" The Butcher was surprised, then looked regretful. "Damn, a short-lived one. Still, we must squeeze him dry as soon as possible. Mason, bring more people. I want this kid captured alive."
"No need. I'm enough. The Heaven-Cursed is powerful, but this kid just awakened. He's an orphan from the slums with basically no training resources. Taking him down will be easy," Mason said confidently, then left the underground casino.
...
The night was quiet.
A hunched figure walked down a ruined and dirty street, surrounded by a terrible, stinky smell.
Mason frowned tightly. "Damn. This place is worse than the underground casino. I can't believe these ants actually survive here."
If it weren't for the order to catch Allen alive, he wouldn't have stepped foot in this slum for anything.
Mason walked into a dilapidated apartment building and quickly found Allen's room.
He picked the lock easily, stepped into the cramped, shabby room, and took in the whole space at a glance.
Old tables and chairs, a wooden bed pushed against the wall, and the sound of light breathing.
The moment Mason entered, the breathing stopped.
"Hmph, pretty alert. I know you're awake. Get up, come quietly with me, and I won't hurt you," Mason said, leaning against the doorframe with a calm voice.
Click.
The light switched on, casting a dim glow.
Allen sat up from the bed, staring at the hunched figure that had suddenly appeared at the door, his face filled with fear. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Stop pretending. If I didn't know your identity, why would I have come here myself? Just come with me quietly!" Mason snapped impatiently, his tone icy.