"My dear Jessy, would you be willing to become a vampire like me? Of course, if you don't want to, I won't force you. After all, no one chooses to become a forsaken vampire unless they are truly desperate; I know this all too well." After much hesitation, Fars finally couldn't help but ask Jessy, who was still in his arms after their intimate moment. This time, he didn't adopt a domineering attitude but instead spoke as if seeking advice from a lover.
Caught off guard by Fars's unexpected question, Jessy was completely unprepared. She couldn't fathom his motives. Being still under his control, she had to carefully consider how to respond. She certainly didn't want to become a vampire; who would want to be hunted and forced to hide in darkness? Although Fars's tone suggested he was seeking her opinion, Jessy couldn't shake the impression that this cunning and wicked vampire would genuinely heed her choice. She didn't believe her charm or current predicament could compel Fars to show such respect for her decision.
In light of this situation, Jessy decided not to reveal her true thoughts. Instead, she maintained her silence, pretending to be deep in thought. As a clever man, Fars understood that her silence indicated her unwillingness to become a vampire and embrace eternal darkness.
If he tried to persuade her with words or forcefully turned her into a vampire, it would contradict his desire for a trustworthy subordinate. Ultimately, the choice had to be Jessy's alone; whether she became a vampire or not was beyond Fars's control.
However, since Fars had broached the subject, he couldn't remain silent like Jessy. With some gentle coaxing, he believed he could sway her. After all, if the benefits were compelling enough, who would care whether they were human or vampire?
"You don't need to rush your answer; take your time to think it over. Whenever you're ready to respond, just speak up. But you know your current situation—escaping on your own is unlikely. It might be years before I tire of you and show mercy by letting you go. By then, your beauty will fade, and your youth will be lost. When you finally return to humanity, will you still be able to attain what you once desired?"
Feeling that wasn't quite enough, Fars continued, "You might think I'm trying to tempt you, but I can be clear about my intentions. I, Fars de Hill, will eventually return to the world of light to fulfill my ambitions. These ambitions are grand and difficult, achievable only with the help of trustworthy allies. Jessy, you are the first person I've invited to join me after becoming a vampire. If you agree, I promise to do my best to give you what you desire. You would become my first kin, sharing in this honor."
Facing Jessy's continued silence, Fars realized the matter was now in her hands. He didn't want to leave her without hope, so he continued to make promises: "As I said before, if you don't want this, I won't force you. When you're ready to speak, I hope for a positive answer. If you truly would rather die than become the Jessy who carries the legacy of Hill's brilliance, I can promise you this: as long as you swear on your faith, binding your soul to eternal servitude to me for ten years, I, Fars de Hill, will grant you your freedom afterward."
"But I am not a benevolent soul, as you surely have noticed. If you refuse to choose from the options I present, you will face consequences. Sometimes, choices are not entirely yours to make."
Merely offering various conditions was not a wise approach; effectively leveraging his advantages to instill fear was the true art of manipulation.
As dawn broke outside, Fars decided to give Jessy some space to contemplate the matter. He tied her up again and set up a small warning array around the cabin, necessary precautions to prevent her from escaping while he meditated in the cold pool. After completing these tasks, he cast a spell for underwater breathing and dove into the water to continue his meditation.
In the aftermath of the Nethyr Era, most people in Elras devoted their faith to gods and demons. When they swore oaths, the deities or demons they worshipped would establish a contract to oversee their followers' adherence. Typically, these oaths were one-sided; the gods were only responsible for their followers. Therefore, both parties wishing to enter a contract would swear on their beliefs.
This was the prevalent method of contracting today, often done verbally, but formal agreements were recorded in writing, with both parties signing their names. In the ancient, legendary Nethyr Era, gods attempting to spread their faith faced oppression from the archmages of the human realm, who even attacked the gods' avatars or representatives. Yet, there were still various needs for contracts, leading the archmages to create methods relying on souls for binding agreements. However, such contracts required at least a high-level mage to execute. Thus, even in an era teeming with mages, it was limited to a select few. After the Nethyr Era ended, the gods spread their faith and, using their divine power, enabled many ordinary believers to engage in contracts, greatly facilitating transactions between people. This accelerated the spread of faith, to the point where a person's credibility could be questioned if they lacked a clear belief.
As for whether this method of verbal contracting was genuinely effective, Fars had never tested it. He had always been a person without faith or one with multiple beliefs, making countless promises to women he fancied. Perhaps his faith was not accepted by the gods, as none of his vows had ever been fulfilled. Especially after becoming a mage, he had grown even more skeptical of such matters. However, lacking the strength to learn the ancient contracts reserved for high-level mages, he could only use oaths to impress Jessy. If she truly had a steadfast belief, he wouldn't need to worry. Should she break her oath, even without divine punishment, Fars had the means to exact due retribution. A mage possessed various means of inflicting torment.
It seemed that the coldness of the cold pool during the day was not as severe as at night, or perhaps Fars and the phoenix egg simply required more cold. He felt that the current depth was insufficient for his needs. To find a better spot, Fars chose to dive deeper, where the water temperature and cold concentration were indeed much more intense than above. In the past, he had been reluctant to dive too deep, primarily due to the limitations of the spell he had cast. In deep water, increased pressure and decreased air density would cause the breathable membrane he created to fail under pressure. Additionally, he had to consider whether his body could withstand the colder environment.
Vampires were indeed creatures of darkness and cold, but they were also cold-blooded. In extremely low temperatures, blood flow would slow, and if the temperature dropped sufficiently, it could even freeze.
The situation now was much better than when he first arrived at the cold pool. The phoenix egg had become more active, absorbing cold at an accelerated rate, ensuring it wasn't overwhelmed by the chill, while Fars's strength surged, and his mental control improved. The breathable membrane's structure had stabilized, allowing him to withstand greater water pressure. With all conditions met, Fars was eager for the phoenix egg, which had brought him countless surprises, to hatch soon. Resolutely, he dove down several dozen meters.
This cold pool could not be understood by ordinary logic. Located in the Qihaer Mountain Range, which enjoyed perpetual summer without winter, it somehow maintained a water surface temperature close to freezing. Typically, a pool without a source or connection to underground water would not be this deep, at most reaching twenty or thirty meters.
Yet, even after diving fifty or sixty meters, Fars still hadn't reached the bottom. This astonished him further. He was tempted to dive down to explore if there were any treasures hidden below. In Elras, many peculiar environments had indeed been altered permanently due to treasures or the aftermath of battles involving ancient deities. It was also possible that remnants of beings who had long since crossed into immortality were left behind.
While this thought was enticing, Fars did not believe his strength could support him diving deeper without succumbing to water pressure or freezing to death. The current depth was already his limit. He had to control the operation of the array in his mind while expending more energy to ensure the breathable membrane around his head remained intact.
Fortunately, the cold here was sufficient; the phoenix egg seemed on the verge of hatching, shaking vigorously as it greedily consumed the endless cold around it. This also accelerated the operation of the array in his mind to a certain limit. The rapidly increasing magical and mental energy filled Fars with joy.
However, what happened next was somewhat beyond Fars's control. The phoenix egg in his arms seemed unsatisfied with the cold concentration and, showing clear signs of life, compelled Fars to continue diving deeper. It was as if something below was drawing the egg's attention. Fars was reluctant to let go of the egg; losing it would mean it could never be retrieved. Desperately holding onto the egg, he prepared to surface, but the egg's strength was too great, continuing to pull Fars downward.
Just as Fars could no longer endure the cold's assault and was about to release the egg to save himself, the situation changed. Ice crystals began to form on his body. At the junction between Fars and the egg, the intensified cold had already frozen them together, making separation impossible.
As he continued to descend, Fars's body was completely encased in ice. Strangely, his consciousness did not fade in such harsh conditions. Although he could no longer perceive his surroundings through his frozen body, the chilling sensation that could freeze his very soul still surged into his mind.
Through this cold sensation, Fars realized he was still sinking. He deeply regretted his decision; if he were to be eternally frozen in this cold pool, he would be dragged down by this damned phoenix egg.
Regret was futile. In a state where he had lost all sense of time and space, Fars felt as if he had stopped descending, the cold no longer intensifying. He was relieved to still have consciousness, avoiding the tragedy of losing his ability to think.
Slowly, he attempted to project his spirit outward to gauge his surroundings. However, his body had become an impermeable barrier for his spirit, which could not break through the solid ice encasing him. After several attempts, he found that only the area around his chest, where the phoenix egg connected, seemed to offer a potential breakthrough. However, upon trying, he discovered that his spirit appeared to enter the egg, yet he could no longer break through the shell. This outcome was tragic; the life within the egg had not yet hatched and lacked any consciousness, merely instinctively inhaling and exhaling the surrounding cold. Left with no choice, Fars could only remain encased in ice, hoping the phoenix egg would absorb all the cold.