SSS Awakening: Rebirth of the Strongest Vampire God Chapter 705 Blood Thrall

Damon whistled softly, showing true admiration. "Wow. You figured that out just from a glance?" He cocked his head, his orange-haired smile stretching further. "Color me surprised."

Viola glared at him with annoyance. "Don't patronize me." Her eyes returned to the gemstone, now with a keener, almost ravenous intensity. "This item defies normal elemental principles. Rather than boosting them, it balances clashing energy patterns. Shadow, void, demonic essence… none get repelled by it."

Her fingers curled gradually into a fist. "Having this from the start would've reduced the backlash by half at minimum. Possibly even more."

That statement was everything Damon required.

So you're suffering a cost already, he mused inwardly. And it's a steep one.

On the surface, he snorted dismissively. "Sounds like a skill problem." He bent in nearer, dropping his tone to a secretive whisper. "Aren't you pushing too much to rival that Blood God?"

Viola's jaw locked tight. "Someone has to." Avoiding his gaze, she kept her focus on the ritual circle where the villagers shook uncontrollably. "If he continues gaining momentum this way, things will spiral out of control fast. We can't let him gain the advantage in this event. It's our final shot to show what we're made of. So yeah, I'm desperate. The real question is, why aren't you?"

Damon laughed lightly. "Calm down. Calm down. I'm handling it." Viola let out a frustrated breath while facing the ritual circle once more, inspecting every detail to ensure no errors. "So the gemstone... What's your price for it?" She inquired cautiously.

Damon hesitated briefly before flashing a charming, refined smile. "Oh, you desire this glittering object? Absolutely, take it." He held out his open palm, the gem resting atop it nonchalantly.

Viola's gaze locked onto his hand. She held back from grabbing the gemstone immediately. Instead, she scrutinized Damon's expression, hunting for the joke, the catch, the unavoidable demand.

"You're handing it over to me," she stated tonelessly. "Just like that?"

"Of course." Damon winked playfully. "You know exactly what I expect in exchange…" He appended with a courteous grin.

Viola eyed him for an additional moment until a vein pulsed subtly at her forehead. "…Complete that thought," she uttered deliberately.

Damon burst into laughter, lifting both palms in mock defeat. "Hey, it's not my idea. The family's insisting on it. Just an engagement for the moment… what do you say? Or perhaps a couple of dates?"

Viola stayed quiet briefly. Then she dropped her hand, ignoring the gemstone. "I don't require the gemstone that urgently. Plus, the backlash will fade soon. Only a few hours."

"…Wow," Damon chuckled. "You truly despise me that much, don't you?"

Viola ignored the provocation. She shifted her focus to the ritual circle, her fingers darting in precise, habitual gestures to tweak various runes. Beads of sweat formed at her brow, her breaths coming a touch deeper, yet her stance stayed unyielding.

"Your choice." Damon shrugged indifferently. He then observed the ritual proceed quietly. It was as savage and merciless as he'd pictured. Players really needed iron guts to pursue paths as wizards, witches, or demons alike. Not all classes demanded the same. Many dark ones forced morally dubious acts. Without that, the divide between light and dark factions wouldn't exist so starkly.

And this woman seemed ruthless enough to stomach it all.

Damon kept observing while a fresh scheme brewed in his mind. Though he'd gleaned some insights from talking with Viola, it fell short of sufficient. She undoubtedly held more knowledge he could exploit.

And then there was that backlash…

Perhaps he could test his fortune once more, trying another ability on the unaware woman. Damon bided his time patiently. He avoided haste. He didn't interfere. He just lingered there, propped against a fractured pillar like a detached observer, eyelids drooping as the ritual progressed steadily.

The incantations swelled and ebbed in rhythms. The villagers' forms quivered, stilled briefly, then quivered anew as the array pulled harder. Before long, they all screamed and gouged their eyes, crimson streams running like sorrowful tears.

Claws scraped their own skin, nails ripping meat as the ritual passed the irreversible threshold. Shadowy bonds constricted, burrowing into flesh and skeleton, while the runes underfoot flared more intensely.

Viola's jaw set firm. Her chants held steady, but the toll arrived regardless. A fierce, erratic surge emanated from the circle.

As each villager collapsed lifeless, their features drawn and gazes empty, Viola stumbled a short step.

It was hardly perceptible. She steadied herself right away, her staff slamming the ground with a crisp ring to channel the surplus power. Even so, a narrow trickle of blood emerged from her nostril, falling onto the carved runes beneath.

Damon's gaze sharpened. There was his opening. He lingered. He endured as her breaths turned labored. He persisted as her mana stream grew unstable, unraveling at the borders. He held out until the ritual hit its climax.

Then he struck.

Unseen by others, Damon stealthily infused a portion of his blood into Viola's system, without aiming to vampirize her. Simultaneously, he triggered [Mental Corruption] and [Blood Thrall].

Reflecting now, he saw he ought to have rehearsed this ability somewhat before deploying it on so advanced a foe. Though he hadn't intended to use it initially, he should've anticipated the situation evolving thus and readied himself.

Damon owned up to his mistake and resolved mentally to improve next time. Fortunately, Viola hadn't fibbed about the backlash. Devoid of any opposition, her eyes dulled momentarily before snapping back to their usual icy sharpness.

[Ding! You have successfully created a Blood Thrall]