"May I ask the reason for your visit today, esteemed guest?"
A voice echoed from a speaker at the top of the Stoneheart building. John glanced at a camera and instantly understood Eldritch's thoughts. Faced with such a mysterious visitor, Eldritch, usually cautious, didn't even dare to show his face!
This amused John. Eldritch, who dared to face the bloodthirsty Master and even demanded benefits from him, was now too scared to reveal himself to a fellow human.
Watching the security personnel disperse after seemingly receiving instructions, John didn't bother seeking out the Stoneheart Group's controller himself.
"Do you really think the Master will grant you eternal life?"
John looked at the camera above the hall, his face calm.
"You know about the Master?"
Eldritch's tone changed immediately. He suddenly connected John's extraordinary speed with his words, his voice faltering.
"I severely injured the Master! He's probably hiding somewhere now. You must have noticed he hasn't contacted you for a while."
John's confident tone ignored the shock his words would cause Eldritch.
"You injured the Master?"
Eldritch's voice was filled with disbelief.
Slowly rolling up his sleeve, John cut his finger under the camera's gaze, letting a drop of pale, crystal-clear blood fall to the ground.
"What?"
The intercom suddenly transmitted the sound of rapid breathing.
"Eldritch, I must tell you one more thing—I am not a vampire!"
John smiled slightly. He knew Eldritch's greatest desire had always been eternal life, and seeing a human with white blood was more shocking than the Master himself.
Sure enough!
The intercom's voice now carried a tone of respect.
"Take this gentleman to the top floor."
Two security personnel, who appeared from somewhere, led John to the top floor, their faces tense.
As the elevator reached its destination and the specially designed alloy doors slowly opened, John walked into a large room furnished like a hospital ward.
On a white bed, Eldritch lay, his face extremely haggard, looking at John with a dying gaze.
John's eyes paused momentarily on the UV lamp beside Eldritch's bed, then he chuckled and calmly walked towards the light, standing directly under it.
The purple light shone on his black coat, causing the specks of white blood from the vampires he had killed earlier to glisten.
"How is this possible? How did you do it?"
Eldritch tried to sit up but was too weak and had to lie back down.
Seeing the desperate look in the elderly man's eyes, John felt that sometimes humans were more terrifying than monsters. Eldritch, as the secret controller of the Stoneheart Group, had power over both the underworld and legitimate businesses, practically ruling the city. The Master's rampant spread of the plague was due to his help.
Slowly, John took out a bottle containing white liquid from his clothes and handed it to Eldritch, whose eyes lit up with excitement, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
"What do you... want?"
Eldritch's eyes shone brightly at the sight of the white, cloudy blood in the bottle, and he shook with anticipation.
This bottle of white blood was collected by John a few days ago from the vampires he had killed in the sewers. Though plentiful, its effects were limited. This was Abraham's hidden secret, the key to his survival until now. John had tried his own blood, which had a slightly better effect than ordinary vampire blood, but still not as good as the Master's.
This was one of the hidden abilities of the Primordial Body!
"I have a way to free you from the Master's control and give you a steady supply of white blood."
John smiled, looking at the elderly man whose face was flushed with excitement.
"What do I need to do?"
Eldritch asked firmly.
John didn't reply immediately but handed the bottle of white blood to Eldritch. Trembling, Eldritch dripped the white blood into his eyes, closing them as he finished the entire bottle.
Watching his pale face regain color, John couldn't help but be slightly surprised.
"This... why is the effect so weak despite so many drops?" Eldritch opened his eyes abruptly, a hint of displeasure on his face.
His reaction was within John's expectations. After all, a small bottle of white blood couldn't compare to even a drop from the Master.
"Do you know how this bottle of white blood was made? It's refined from the white blood in those vampires' bodies!"
"Those monsters can produce this?"
Eldritch's eyes lit up. John didn't care about the implications of this information for Eldritch, just smiled as he watched his expression.
Within seconds, Eldritch's eyes narrowed slightly. "Can the Master be refined too?"
"Haha, as expected from the head of Stoneheart Group, you catch on quickly!"
Eldritch stared blankly at the mysterious man before him. A wild thought flashed through his mind. Recalling the feeling of being discarded by the Master like a pet, his idea grew stronger.
"I need you to do me a favor."
"What?"
"Ensure the Master cannot escape from the sewers!"
John's voice was firm as he looked directly at Eldritch.
However, Eldritch, now feeling rejuvenated, slowly sat up, his eyes fixed on John.
"Why do you have white blood?"
Instead of answering immediately, he seemed more interested in becoming like John than in dealing with the Master.
"Greed is truly humanity's original sin!"
John smiled, walking slowly to sit beside Eldritch.
"I'm not human. I am a being that judges all evil, capable of converting all evil into my power!"
"Can I do it too?"
Eldritch's eyes shone with desire, staring at John.
"You, a mere mortal, dare to covet divine power? Consider me an angel, completely different from the Master!"
John's mysterious smile made Eldritch's face flush with anger, but the decisive refusal also left him somewhat dejected.
"I can give you a chance, an opportunity to become immortal as a human, but it's up to you to grasp it!"
John's expression remained calm as he looked at the old man, unaffected by the medical staff pointing a gun at his head.
With a slow gesture, Eldritch signaled his men to lower their weapons, his initial anger replaced by eagerness.
Under John's watchful gaze, he nodded heavily.
(End of Chapter)