ATAPOW Chapter 193
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Chapter 193: I’ll be waiting~
What was the history behind the modern-day vampire race? How did they view the previous glory their race used to enjoy, as well as the vengeance and humiliation they had suffered?
Ji Bai wasn’t certain about any of that.
Even though he had been required to learn a few fundamental things about their history and origins under the verbal instructions and practical demonstrations by a certain devil.
The evil flat-chested vampire had a seemingly uncanny ability to always discern Ji Bai’s innermost thoughts, as if she could peer directly into his heart.
She could even sense from a glance if his actions were lukewarm, lazy, or even just a robotic mimicry of others’.
Lilias had never tolerated such behaviors, and any mistakes Bai Ji made were reciprocated with unique punishments that varied endlessly everyday.
They had been so extreme that Ji Bai began to strongly suspect that Lilias spent her whole day researching how to mess with him whenever she was not eating or sleeping.
Thus, Ji Bai had acquired all the skills and traits required of him as vampire royalty, including those deemed undesirable.
His efforts did not go unnoticed, however, as Ji Bai could hold his head high and claim that he had a good grasp of vampire history.
The teaching materials of humanity and the content written in the books for vampires appeared to be pretty similar on the surface.
There were not many major changes; At most, they had simply altered and embellished some of their content.
However, the noteworthy parts laid in statements such as how the vampires would ‘take back what was rightfully theirs’, which served as justification for their outwards expansion.
Ji Bai had always ridiculed their illogical and insane line of reasoning.
However, his perspective changed ever since he had inherited a portion of the mythical knight’s memories.
To begin with, the human race did not originally exist on this continent.
As the saying went, the weights of the heavens were borne by those at the top. After the [Lord of the Sin]’s ambition shattered, the various major races that supported the continent had vanished without a trace.
Only then did the glorious age arrive for the lowly aboriginal species known as ‘humanity’.
After countless generations of reproduction, humanity gradually became the new master of this continent.
However, the good times did not last. The various tribes that fled to the void to escape the [Great Calamity] of the Second Epoch had regrouped and returned to the continent in full force. Among them was the vampire race, who nursed a deep and intense grudge.
And thus, the third epoch, which was dominated by humanity, ended on a note of destruction.
The current era marked the beginning of the fourth epoch.
At this instance, the intricacies of the world were no longer hidden to Ji Bai’s mind.
The more one knew, the greater the danger; Ji Bai was well aware of that fact.
However, a question arose in him at this moment.
The impact the evil [Lord of Sin] had towards the [Second Epoch]’s civilization was practically apocalyptic in nature. Almost no records had been preserved; All of them had been unfortunately washed away by the long river of history.
In truth, the “The Human Deities” embellished as venerated beings had just been a band of migrating refugees from the desolate lands. Or, in cruder terms, mere barbarians.
In such situations, it was inevitable that they were incapable of preserving their past. The same fate befell the winged race and the Guran race, whose extinction consigned them to the annals of history.
This was the trajectory that history had chosen.
However, the ancient vampire race was an exception. A small number of their clansmen had escaped from the [Great Calamity], so it seems illogical for them not to have any detailed historical documents, right?
From his memory, he knew that the ancient vampire race had intermarried with aboriginals due to the declining numbers of their clansmen.
This had caused their [Primordial Vein] to be greatly diluted. If that was the case, how different were the descendents of the royal vampire race from their ancestors? Would they still be distinguishable by their appearance?
Also, did the blood of royalty still flow in the present-day Guran descendants? How diluted had the Guran bloodline become within the aboriginal population? And where were the descendants of the Guran race now?
It was extremely agonizing for a human’s curiosity to be unsatisfied.
“Teach you history? Could it be that your mother failed to properly educate you on such trivial matters?” Once everyone had departed, Anna no longer cared about her image in the slightest as she slouched on the sofa with crossed legs. After brushing a strand of silver hair to the back of her head, she casually wiped away the coke that had stained the corner of her lips.
Ji Bai fell silent as he witnessed this scene.
“Oh~? It’s very rude to look at me as if you’re seeing some strange creature, you know? Is that really the way to look at your aunt??” Anna pouted her lips and protested in a somewhat angry manner.
Her expression, however, was devoid of any seriousness, to the point that it made Ji Bai feel as if she was simply throwing a tantrum.
“How does the coke taste?” If his memories served him right, the vampire palate perceived coke as bitter and tart…
‘Could the biological makeup of this creature, whose belly is filled with coke and potato chips, differ from that of other vampires?’
Ji Bai silently thought.
“I have a nagging suspicion you’re thinking of something extremely rude…” Anna narrowed her eyes that were directed at the lofty and fully-armed tin-can before her as traces of a complicated expression flitted past her pupils.
‘A foreigner of a different civilization with conflicting beliefs, who had previously been completely unrelated in any way by blood, has now become my niece — A blood relative through an embrace. The absurdity and irony of it all.’
The embrace of a vampire had always been reserved for their own kind.
Every reigning Scarlet Queen would select the person with the most potential from the offspring within her household for an embrace, just like it had been for Lilias.
However, this generation was truly something else indeed. The queen had not only chosen a human knight, but also a boorish man as the target for her embrace.
When she came to that realization, Anna felt even more bewildered.
Xenophobia and discrimination were characteristics ‘exclusive’ to vampire nobility, and Anna was naturally no exception.
‘It is one thing for her to pick a candidate from another race, but how is he even managing to hold onto his human form??’
‘Even after being subtly influenced for so long, why does he cling to an identity that should be long gone? What exactly is driving his attachment??’
He was like a commoner who was on the verge of joining the ranks of ‘nobility’, but instead of taking a step forward, stubbornly stood at the boundary line. 1
‘What exactly is he holding on to?’
Anna was beginning to take an interest in Ji Bai as a person.
Not because of her relation to him as her niece.
But rather, the curiosity she had towards a lowly commoner as a member of vampire nobility.
“Hey, this move of Lilias must have gotten her quite a lot of criticism, right?” Anna sat upright, causing her legs to dangle downwards naturally. Her indifferent voice was tinged with a hint of chilliness.
Ji Bai was not oblivious to Anna’s insinuation and chose not to pretend otherwise.
“The Imperial Absolutist Faction and the Political Separationists Faction are basically fighting for their interests. That action had merely taken away some of the bargaining chips from the Absolutist Faction’s hands, so it doesn’t matter who loses and wins.” Ji Bai spoke in a tone filled with formality.
“Oh?”
“At least this matter has made me realize that the vampire race is not united. In my opinion, it’d be the best result if both sides were defeated and wounded while fighting each other. That way, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about them and their invasion plans.” Ji Bai’s emotionless words were tinged with a trace of joyful smile.
“Are you looking to die?” Anna quietly sat on the sofa, her face barren of any coldness and anger. It was so calm that it made one feel a sense of chilliness.
At the same time, an indistinct aura ferociously descended downwards like a slab of massive rock.
Ji Bai could even hear the sound of the building fracturing around him.
He narrowed his eyes.
Just the [Magic] dormant within Anna had caused such a domineering aura to be emitted.
It was evident how much strength this old, expired loli truly possessed at the peak of her powers.
However, her current appearance was calm and without the slightest traces of undulations, making her demeanor akin to a fathomless abyss concealing a legendary dragon.
The aura of royalty standing above all others, whose dignity radiating in her every word and sentence could sentence one to death made everyone seem like insignificant worms in her eyes.
This was who she truly was.
Despite facing such a crushing and intimidating power, Ji Bai’s body did not waver once. With his head raised high and his chest puffed out, the determination in his eyes did not wane in the least as he confronted her deep scarlet pupils.
Anna continued to be surprisingly calm.
It was inappropriate for royalty to publicly express their joy or anger. This was the fundamental restraint that all of them should possess.
However, at this moment, Ji Bai could honestly tell that she was probably angry.
A grandiose high-status being had granted a lowly commoner a supreme status equal to herself, yet he stubbornly refused to acknowledge and endlessly resisted her favor, even using harsh words to decline the offer.
In Anna’s eyes, this was a particularly bold and shameless act.
“You treacherous parasite. Is your worthless human identity that important to you?” A tinge of contempt was present in Anna’s emotionless voice.
“You have got it in reverse, you old parasite Granny. Only if I were to truly forget my past identity, would I be a treacherous parasite.” Ji Bai faced the pressure coming directly towards him in an unflustered manner.
“Do you truly consider yourself a piece of treasure? Do you really believe that I’m afraid of laying a hand on you?” Anna slightly lowered her head, revealing her eyes which resembled those of a vulture who had spotted its prey.
“Give it a try then?” Ji Bai had never feared the provocation of demons, particularly those coming from vampires.
“Don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you’re my niece. Even though you claim to hate vampires, you’ve always adopted the identity of a vampire in battle. Don’t you realize how absurd that is?” Anna’s tone was filled with ridicule.
“I think you’re misunderstanding something. For me, maintaining the basic physiology of a vampire can help avoid a disaster. If your highness parasite thinks she has the ability to kill me…” Ji Bai took [Tranquility] from his waist and adopted a fighting stance.
“Then grant me the honor of a knight.”
The scene instantly became tense. As both sides gathered their strength and got ready to strike, the air seemed to grow heavy with the smell of gunpowder. It was as if it would completely erupt in the next instant.
“…What an obstinate guy.” The corner of Anna’s calm lips slightly curled up as she retracted the pressure she emitted with a single thought.
“Do you have a death wish?”
“I’m not brave enough for that, but there is a certain glory in fighting a strong enemy. So what if I die here?”
“You keep harping on about ‘glory’… But I think I understand the rationale behind Lilias’ decision now.” Anna gave a meaningful smile.
“You’re not like those fickle turncoats who are switching their allegiances to suit their interest. If you were one of those, I really might have to clean the family registry.” Anna brandished her fangs.
“Suit yourself.”
“Since that’s the case, it’s my fault for blaming you. Although from what I can see, it seems like Mr. Ji Bai is still not prepared to fully become a vampire?”
“Have you ever met anyone who is happy to turn from human to vermin?”
“Interesting… I’m really curious, what exactly is keeping you going?” Anna walked over barefooted while wearing a smile on her face.
Her relaxed tone failed to make Ji Bai lower his guard.
“Since that’s the case, I’ll make sure to show you plenty of respect. Does that sound good to you, Mr Knight?” Anna parted her lips and smiled.
“Since you deny your vampire identity, you shouldn’t enjoy its privileges. I will not treat you as my niece too. Outside of your basic physiological requirements, I will not provide you with any help… That is, until you’ve acknowledged your identity as a vampire.”
“However, I wonder if your Knight excellency is willing to make a bet with me. It would incidentally prove to me how steadfast this knightly heart of yours is. Do you dare?” Anna’s innocuous and simple-looking smile was tinged with craftiness.
“Sure. What’s the harm in it?”
“Oh? I will wait for the day your excellency addresses me as aunt then…”