"Huff, huff, huff… I-I can't do it anymore" Kate exclaimed and collapsed on the floor completely paralyzed.
Like her, her cellmates could be seen sprawled around her without a drop of the attitude they showed Selene days earlier in the dungeon.
Right now they only wished they could go back in time and not agree to Selene's proposal of early release in exchange for labor. Scratch that. If they could go back in time they would never dare to oppose her in the first place.
This was the first time in centuries that they felt pain and tiredness. A noble nosferatus like them tired! If this was told to them a week earlier, they would probably laugh to death at such a ludicrous idea.
After being transported to a vacant place, they were ordered to level the terrain and build facilities and houses according to the blueprint passed to their supervisor.
At first, they were elated. Isn't it just to use some spells and then they were free? And here they thought that the Matriarch has some terrifying mission for them. Although they were weak, a few spells are still in their range of ability.
But soon they found out that, the Matriarch was still the Matriarch, and their low-level brains should just be quiet. Covered in muscle pain, mana depletion, and mentally strained, the group constantly thought if it was too late to beg to serve the whole sentence.
Unfortunately, for them, they didn't have the chance to beg, since Selene never showed up, and the supervisor was a hundred times more terrifying than Selene in these people's eyes.
"Dad, s-stop it, stop it, please! Am I not your son?" Bryn's desperate voice filled the silence around.
Not far from Kate, Bryn could be seen using spells to level a road. Not far from him a handsome man, who looked 80% like Bryn, coldly looked at the poor worker and from time to time he released a shock spell at Bryn.
Looking at the ex-patriarch's ruthlessness toward his son, Kate got goosebumps and felt her mama recharging at an unspeakable speed. Isn't it just some houses? She can!
Like her, many of the pampered young masters and misses who have sprawled around immediately got up and went back to their duties. Filip, who threw a shock spell at his son again, had a panoramic view of this situation and a smile flashed in his eyes.
It's been two weeks since these youngsters started to push their limits and Filip already could see something interesting happening. Maybe the people themselves didn't notice, but day by day they were getting stronger. Not only their mana pool was becoming larger and recharging faster, but their proficiency in spells was also getting better.
If before they could barely make a good building a day, now their buildings are always of good quality even if the production it's still low.
Even his sorry excuse of a son was making progress. Although he still tried to laze now and then, his growth rate was astonishing, making him who saw these changes daily, couldn't help but be moved.
At first, when his daughter asked him to come and supervise this bunch of prisoners to build a town, Filip only thought it would be a nice way to polish the temperament of those troublemaking younglings. But the growth they experienced exceeded too much of his expectations making him proud and distressed. How much suffering his daughter had to suffer to mature enough to make this sort of planning, Filip didn't know nor dare to know.
The guilt, pain, and self-loathing were all poured into the bodies of the young convicts under his hand, making their daily efficiency soar.
Such a large movement was impossible to pass unnoticed by the powerhouses of the clan.
"My Lord, our spies just sent a report saying that the perimeter is being protected by the ex-patriarch's shadow. Should they still try to infiltrate?"
Darius, who was playing chess, stopped his movement for a moment at the unexpected news. His brother's involvement was beyond his expectations. It seems that once more he underestimated his cute niece.
Looking at the chessboard in front of him his eyes showed a predatory glare as the smile on his face grew bigger and bigger.
Interesting, this is finally getting interesting.
With a swap of his hands, the game he set before was null and all the pieces went back to their original place.
It seems that he has to review this game as well as his opponent.
"Tell them to retreat. We don't need to startle the snake by now. Instead, make some preparations, I'm going to visit my dear niece tomorrow"
Darius moved a piece on the chessboard with great interest.
'Now my little cute shouldn't disappoint me'
———
Far away in her mansion, Selene didn't know that one of her most hated existence was about to show itself in her presence.
After pushing the inquiries of the town, Selene began to focus on the person in front of her.
With a small stature, fluffy pink hair, and an oval face, the woman in front of her was one of the best researchers in the clan. Maybe because of her years in the lab and diet preference, the predator aura that even the most incompetent nosferatus has was much milder than average.
Being looked at by Selene, Nessa's gaze shook and an uneasy feeling spread inside her. As someone whose research was very much against the orthodoxes of the clan, the gaze of her conservative matriarch was very overwhelming. Is her poor little lab is finally being shut down?
The miserable appearance of the researcher almost made Selene laugh out loud.
"Why are you so tense Aunt Tessa?" Selene asked with a chuckle.
"Little Lene- no. Almighty Matriarch, please don't shut down my research. Although I know that is against our instincts, artificial blood is very important! We can't forever rely on humanity to feed us. First of all the quality of their blood can't be always guaranteed and the supply is not always stable. Second, humans are by no means a mindless race. Being treated as food is bound to give them a negative view of our kind, and even though they're weak individually, as a race with big popularity and great technology advancement, they still pose a great threat to the clan"
"Well, I think-" you're right. Before Selene could finish her sentence, Tessa kneeled in front of her and grabbed the hem of her dress with a teary face.
"Woo-hoo. Please, my dear niece. You know you have always been my favorite. Please don't close my lab, I will be your cow and your horse"
Selene was dumbfounded and helplessly helped the kneeling woman up and made her sit in the chair next to her.
"Aunt Tessa, calm down for a second. What I mean is that I agree with your view. Unless we are prepared for retaliation, getting a large supply of blood is impossible. Plus, both of us know that human blood is neither the tastier nor the more nutritious for our kind"
Tessa nodded.
"Yes, unfortunately getting witch's blood is much riskier. Unless they're roaming witches or recently awaken the probability of getting even a drop is almost none. If I could get at least one flask of blood, no, even a few drops would be enough for me to research" Tessa sighed in pity.
"Is it? I'm glad that the gift I prepared for you was not in vain" Selene pushed a box in front of Tessa. "Please open it"
Driven by curiosity, Tessa opened the box. Inside laid a little flask filled with a blood liquid. She immediately guessed what was inside by relying on their conversation.
"This- is this what I think it is?" She asked her composed niece with a trembling voice.
"Yeah, do you like the gift?"
"Like? I love it! With this, my research can advance by leaps and bounds!"
"I'm glad to know. Every three months I can provide you with a similar flask. At the same time, I will privately invest in your research from now on. I just hope that you can completely dedicate yourself to the blood substitute research as well as commit your pledge that you won't tell anyone besides myself the research reports"
Tessa, who had many mood swings since the beginning of their meeting, finally calmed down and deeply looked at her niece. The impetuosity and naivety that she would see were nowhere to be found. Instead, Selene had a composed and shrewd gaze now, making Tessa have mixed feelings.
Although now her niece looked like a capable leader, Tessa still much preferred her cute and naive niece.
But she was just her maternal aunt with little power and a lab rat. There was nothing much she could do for her poor baby niece but give her research results. So this path she still has to do.
"Of course, I promise you. Is not like many within the clan are interested in my research anyways"
"That's great! The future of our clans depends on you. If you have any requirements in the future you can talk to me or Noelle, we will try to give you what you need"
Being placed on such a heavy responsibility and trust for the first time, Tessa just wanted to go back to the lab immediately so she could show results.
Before leaving, Tessa stopped and turned back.
"I-I know that I'm weak and can't help you much, but if ever need to talk or need company, you can always come to me. I can even scold that young sister of mine!"
After saying her piece with a blushing face, Tessa hurriedly left in embarrassment.