dognovel Chapter 18 The Test of Inheritance
Chapter 18 The Test of Inheritance
"Ugh... What... what happened?"
The earth was already tinged with silver-white, and sunlight streamed through the clouds. The silver-haired loli mumbled as she slowly sat up from her warm bed.
The feeling of hunger had subsided considerably, but she still couldn't feel full. Moreover, some of her body's instincts seemed to be affecting her.
"You are beginning to become a true vampire."
Looking up, Alice saw Alicia standing right in front of her, a bottle of scarlet liquid dangling in her hand. The smell of blood was enticing, and a thousand thoughts raced through her mind.
"Do you want to?"
Alice nodded, but Alicia simply took the vial of blood back and looked at Alice with a serious expression.
"You must first pass the test, otherwise your blood will be nothing but poison to you."
"what?"
"Vampires are different from other races. We do not reproduce in a normal way, but what about the offspring born from this? No one knows. So, the progenitor of the vampires created a trial. Only the offspring that passes the trial can truly become a member of the vampires. Before passing the trial, the newborn offspring will crave blood, but she cannot drink this scarlet delicacy."
"Get dressed, grab your weapons, and come with me."
Ange quickly helped Alice get dressed in a more glamorous outfit, a black dress adorned with red ribbons and rose petals, with white stockings and black leather leg rings securing them.
Slinging her saber over her shoulder, Alice thought for a moment, then picked up a naval revolver that she had just managed to put together, modeled after the Colt M1851. This type of revolver, which used black powder to load bullets, was the best personal weapon that the Academy of Sciences' Chemical Refining Group could produce after creating a small batch of mercury fulminate percussion caps.
Outside, the snow had stopped, and Alice's vampire constitution made her no longer afraid of the cold. Alicia led her into the forest without saying a word.
“My child, Alice Delalaye, every vampire faces the question of her identity, and so do you. You were once human, just as I was once an elf.”
"But since this bloodline has been passed down, the offspring of the vampires have had to face this question: What kind of person should she become?"
"Only when you realize your own value and what you want to do will you truly become a vampire and—survive."
"go in."
Alicia opened a cave, where a cold wind blew. She looked at her with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, just as she would look at a mother seeing a soldier going to war.
"I'll wait for you to come back, Alice."
Alice remained silent as she entered the cave. Her little leather shoes crunched through the sand and gravel. Inside, it was pitch black, with only glowing, unidentified minerals guiding her.
"Look, another junior, hmm?"
Alice looked around but saw nothing. She looked up, but still found nothing. She drew her pistol and saber.
"Hey, little one, don't be so nervous."
Alice saw a light suddenly appear, and a girl with white hair and red eyes stood in front of her, wearing a black robe. Then, she saw a huge castle, a kneeling crowd, and a spell of destruction.
"Ciriel Delalaye, I am the Demon King, the King of Kings. In the vast kingdom I created, no one fails to bow down before my black knights and magic. I am the ancestor of the vampires, and everything of the vampires was created by me."
Alice suddenly saw another white-haired, red-eyed girl standing to the side, wearing armor and holding a sword.
“Aishco Delalaye, I am a vampire knight, who has fought on all sides throughout my life. My sword is unmatched.”
More and more vampire ancestors are appearing, and silhouettes are constantly emerging behind them, representing their achievements and the glory of this bloodline.
“My bloodline will never be passed on to the confused or the wasted. Every descendant must be tested and examined. Now is the time for you to answer.”
"Tell me your future, your thoughts, and let me see them."
"The ancestor means: What will the future you create be like?"
A notification sounded in the void. Alice looked up but couldn't find the person. Right in the center, the silhouette of the progenitor of the giant castle looked somewhat impatient.
"Report immediately, or you will lose your qualification."
Alice closed her eyes, pondering what kind of future she wanted to create.
Yes, what kind of future do I want to create? What kind of future do I need?
Alice pondered for a moment, and the vampires saw the answer she had given.
They saw buildings rising from the ground, with reinforced concrete skyscrapers piercing the sky.
They saw factories billowing black smoke springing up like mushrooms after rain, and neatly organized armies marching in all directions.
They saw people chanting the name of the vampire kingdom, saw machines flying in the sky, and saw giant metal ships spewing flames of destruction on the sea. They saw various races united under one banner, and saw slogans of freedom, equality, and fraternity spreading across the land.
They saw billions of steel, billions of glory, everything turned upside down, and the iron dragon carrying millions of people to distant places, shortening the distance between continents. They saw electricity used by people and man-made light illuminating the sky in the dark night.
They witnessed an industrial age.
The progenitor watched for a long time before finally speaking with lingering interest: "Such a great era being created by the vampires naturally meets the standards she set."
"This was done by my descendants."
Alice felt a surge of warmth flow into her body, and the pistol and knife in her hands became lighter. She knew that her body was full of power.
"Then go and do it, my junior."
Alice opened her eyes to find the surroundings bright. She saw a pool of blood drying up and something rising.
She curiously leaned closer; it was a crown.
"Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown...?"
Alice put away the crown and walked outside. Alicia appeared at the cave entrance, opened her arms, and gave Alice a tight hug.
"Very good......."
Alicia knew that the vampire trials were not easy to pass. All the offspring who failed eventually either died from hunger for blood or at the hands of the progenitor.
Vampires do not accept trash or monsters. The progenitor may accept ambitious people, those who follow the path of kings, those who engage in martial arts, and researchers, but never a good-for-nothing who has accomplished nothing.
Alicia knew that Alice wasn't that kind of person, but she couldn't guarantee that the Progenitor wouldn't agree with her ideals, after all, it was a "change that hadn't been seen in thousands of years."