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Flap, flap~
Lide was engrossed in his magical studies when the sound of wings fluttering came from outside the window.
A bat, about the size of a palm, glided through the half-open stained glass window into the room.
Lide's eyes narrowed slightly. This bat was bred by the Bloodline Castle, used similarly to a human carrier pigeon.
It delivered messages.
He extended his hand, and the bat, smart as it was, hovered before landing gently in his palm.
He expertly brought the bat close to his ear, and a voice sounded.
"Ancestor Crown, please return to the castle as soon as possible."
Second Circle Magic, Sound Recording Skill.
A rare spell, one Lide had not learned. The Blood Clan Ancestor wasn't particularly interested in these auxiliary spells.
Only two second-generation Bloodline members had learned this spell. The voice belonged to one of them, a female Bloodline named Lucy.
The castle.
Lide was also quite curious about the Bloodline's headquarters.
As the Blood Clan Ancestor, it was time he returned. After all, now the Bloodline was his foundation.
He turned to look at the wall clock. It was already three in the afternoon.
Clocks had long been a part of this world, but hours were referred to as Sunshine Hours.
One Sunshine Hour was equal to an hour.
It was a bit odd but not hard to remember.
Lide shook the magical bell in the room. The clear, pleasant sound echoed through every corner of the Mage Tower.
A few minutes later, the sound of Veena's footsteps tapping on the floor drew near.
Bang, bang, bang~
The door was pushed open. The girl, Veena, panted for a few breaths, her chest heaving under her blue mage robe before she calmed down.
Veena's face was slightly flushed.
"Lord Lide, what are your orders?"
Lide pulled out his usual excuse.
"I have new magical insights. I need to go outside the city to practice on some demon beasts."
Every month, Bloodline members had to feed on fresh blood. Ordinary food could provide some energy but lacked the unique substances found in fresh blood.
Every Bloodline member needed to do this, even the Blood Clan Ancestor.
Without feeding on fresh blood, Bloodline members' lives would be at risk.
The Blood Clan Ancestor wouldn't prey on commoners within the city, so he returned to the castle each month to drink fresh blood.
The Blood Clan Ancestor's Bloodline was highly mysterious. Even extraordinary mages couldn't discover his true identity through normal means, so lurking in Green City wasn't particularly dangerous.
He never engaged in activities that could expose his identity.
Thus, Veena was used to Lide's frequent outings.
"Lord Lide, please stay safe. I will take good care of your room."
Lide nodded slightly. After handling some minor matters, he immediately prepared to return to the castle.
His talent specialty included Sun Immunity, so the sun, a nemesis to Bloodline members, was no hindrance to him. He could go out at any time.
The Bloodline's reputation among humans was extremely poor. They were always seen as mortal enemies, and once discovered, they would be hunted down by armies and mages.
To avoid his stronghold being wiped out, Lide had the castle built 500 kilometers deep in the Far Mountain Range from Green City.
After making arrangements, he descended from the seventh floor to the first floor.
The dozen or so mage apprentices he encountered along the way all bowed respectfully to him.
These apprentices, taken in by Lide over the past three years, all had the potential to become mages, even though their talents were not exceptional.
Being a mage was the most challenging profession, requiring immense talent. None of these apprentices had yet grown into formal mages.
Lide nodded slightly in acknowledgment. These apprentices had been initially recruited to cover his identity, so the previous Blood Clan Ancestor hadn't taught them seriously.
Naturally, he didn't have the time or interest to teach them now, and would deal with them when he had more time.
Outside the Crimson Mage Tower, two servants had already prepared a carriage.
When Lide, donned in a blue advanced mage robe, appeared on the street, the crowd around him instantly displayed fearful expressions.
Many commoners even bowed their heads directly, not daring to look at him.
Because they spent years in the Mage Tower studying magic, most mages had somewhat reclusive personalities. Thus, it was well known that mages had eccentric temperaments.
Mages, who wielded mysterious magic and possessed powers far beyond ordinary people, were objects of envy and fear among commoners.
Offending a noble might only result in a few whips, but offending a mage could mean death by their magic.
Seeing the expressions of envy and fear on many faces, Lide showed no reaction. These scenes were all too familiar from his memories.
Even the nobles of Green City didn't dare act insolently before a powerful advanced mage. Magic was the truth; the maxim of the Magic Goddess was the fundamental belief of all mages.
The interior of the carriage was luxurious, with the fur of an unknown demon beast stitched into blooming irises.
The soft cushions were even more comfortable than a sofa, sinking deep when seated.
The glass windows of the carriage protected from the cold wind, and lifting the curtain revealed the scenes along the roadside.
Though Lide admitted this city had a rich exotic allure, the dirt and chaos troubled the cleanliness-loving modern person he had become.
Clogged sewers, rats scurrying through the streets, and beggars removing their pants in alleys.
All these scenes showcased the ignorance and backwardness of this era.
At the same time, it was so real that Lide couldn't take his eyes away.
Whether it was the haggling street vendors or the occasionally passing nobles, the expressions on their faces, their body movements, every detail showed this world was not a virtual game.
Each person had their own soul, every one a living being.
After a full half-day, the carriage finally exited the towering city walls. This city, with a population of a million, was unbelievably vast. There were no modern skyscrapers here, making the land use alarmingly low.
A short distance from the city gates, Lide had the servants stop the carriage in a deserted forest, then dismounted alone.
The servants had long been accustomed to his behavior and, after bidding him farewell, headed back to the city.
Lide entered the forest and used a second-circle spell, Reconnaissance Skill, finding no one around.
He willed open the attribute panel and immediately used the Bloodline's race talent.
Bat Transformation.
Bat Transformation: Allows one to transform into 100 small bats. Each bat contains 5% of the total power. As long as one bat remains, one can be reborn. Bat wings can also be transformed for flight, at 50% the speed of a small bat.
This skill was arguably the strongest life-saving skill of the Bloodline.
Transforming into 100 bats, scattering to flee, ensured survival if just one escaped.
It also served as an effective travel method.
Since it was a race talent, Lide could cast it more easily than even the Small Fireball Skill.
Whoosh~
A puff of black smoke flashed.
Lide's figure vanished instantly, replaced by a swarm of bats fluttering their wings into the sky.
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