More than ten days had passed, and Fars's fragmented spirit had finally reassembled with the help of the newly constructed array, slowly regaining consciousness. Having experienced death once, Fars found it difficult to articulate his current feelings. He was particularly astonished by the array that shimmered with an unusual light. Although Fars had limited knowledge and did not understand runes, the profound nature of this array was enough to leave him in awe. Especially the runes floating at the six corners of the array; not recognizing their value did not mean he was unaware that they were something extraordinary.
Staring dumbfounded at the newly appeared array in his sea of consciousness, Fars felt as if he would have drooled if he weren't encased in ice. His mind struggled to comprehend the complexity of the array, causing a slight dizziness. Fortunately, the six runes felt somewhat connected to his bloodline, allowing Fars's spirit to quickly familiarize itself with the array's structure. As he savored the myriad of newfound sensations, Fars felt a surge of emotions.
His refined mental power could now penetrate the thick ice, and whenever a chill swept through, the rune representing coldness would merely flicker, dispersing and absorbing the icy air. This realization filled Fars with joy, as he understood some of the special effects of these two runes. Using this method to absorb the cold and melt the ice, Fars finally regained his freedom. However, he was reluctant to let go of the phoenix egg in his arms. In such deep water, Fars felt surprisingly unburdened, even finding the sensation oddly familiar. He didn't need to use any spells; air naturally flowed into his nostrils with each breath, while the water remained outside.
Taking a good look at the peculiar pond that had trapped him, he noticed the ground was covered in ice crystals, blanketing the central area of the pond. The endless cold emanated from these ice crystals. He tried picking up a piece, and a refreshing chill flowed from his palm into the array, where it was absorbed. This continuous absorption lasted for nearly half a day before he finished with just a small piece of ice crystal. With the additional energy, the array operated a bit faster, and his magical power increased slightly. Although the growth was minimal compared to his total power, it was still comparable to what a high-level mage would achieve after meditating for a night with magical cores or other items. Greed stirred within Fars, and he felt an urge to collect all the ice crystals, but he realized that the phoenix egg thrived in this environment. If he destroyed it, he would be losing more than he gained. He decided to wait until the phoenix hatched. His feelings for the egg were complex, akin to the eager anticipation of a parent awaiting their child's birth, yet also reminiscent of a mischievous lover who occasionally vexed him. Nevertheless, the bond they shared was undeniable, especially now, as the array in his sea of consciousness gave him a sense of bloodline connection.
As for the complex array he had created, he would need to research it thoroughly once he returned to human society. For now, taking care of the soon-to-hatch phoenix egg was his priority. Although he was unsure how he knew the phoenix was about to hatch, he felt an inexplicable certainty that this life was about to emerge.
With his mind focused, Fars lay back on the ice crystals, cradling the egg, and continued to meditate, patiently awaiting its birth. Finally, one day, a resounding cry of a phoenix echoed in his ears. Fars opened his eyes to find the egg shattered, revealing a cute little creature bouncing in his arms.
The newly hatched phoenix had only a few sparse feathers. As the master who discovered it had predicted, it was an ice phoenix, seemingly coated in a layer of light blue ice crystals, with strange blue hues shimmering in its feathers. What puzzled Fars was the black ethereal flame rising from its plumage. When he reached out to touch the flame, he felt no heat, only a strangely familiar sensation.
He began to understand why he had reacted so strongly to the egg and why the ancient master had failed to hatch it; it was not a pure ice phoenix but rather a mutation, intertwined with both icy and dark energies. As a vampire with dark energy, Fars could provide the necessary dark energy for the phoenix, thus awakening its life force. Whether this was a blessing or a curse, the little creature's affection for Fars was evident, resembling a child's attachment to a mother. Fars would never abandon it. Although it was not his biological child, the bond felt just as strong.
However, the adorable little creature seemed quite hungry, nibbling at Fars's fingers and chirping insistently. This posed a dilemma for Fars, as a vampire, he relied on blood for sustenance, but what could this little phoenix eat? Surely it wouldn't drink blood like him.
As he pondered, Fars glanced at the ice crystals beneath him and thought, since the phoenix had loved these crystals even while still an egg, perhaps it could eat them. He quickly picked up a smaller ice crystal and offered it to the little phoenix. To his delight, the creature eagerly swallowed it, seeming to want more, and hopped to the pond's bottom to peck at the ice crystals.
Seeing the little phoenix enjoy the ice crystals made Fars happy, but he worried it was eating too quickly. It took him nearly half a day to absorb just one piece of ice crystal, yet this little one had already consumed over ten in no time. Would it upset its stomach? Considering its ice phoenix bloodline, a few small ice crystals shouldn't harm it, but if it did, it would be quite embarrassing for a phoenix.
Although there were still plenty of ice crystals at the pond's bottom, if this little creature continued to eat them at this rate, they would be gone before long. Fars, now a reluctant parent, genuinely worried about its food supply.
Fortunately, after a while, the little phoenix stopped eating and bounced back into Fars's arms, nuzzling against him. He gently patted its head, and the little creature chirped happily.
Underwater, Fars felt a bit dazed. Now that the phoenix had hatched, he decided to leave the cold pond with his new companion. As they broke the surface, the little one let out a series of loud cries, as if to announce its arrival to the world. The clear, ringing sound of the phoenix echoed through the forest, startling countless magical beasts into submission.
Fortunately, despite its noble bloodline, the little creature was still weak, and the pressure it exerted was short-lived. As the cries subsided, the nearby magical beasts quickly shook off their fear and fled the area. Even Fars's old neighbors, the two high-level magical beasts, were frightened away. The phoenix's nobility was something they could not compare to.
This clearing of the area left Fars speechless; all the creatures that had fled were his potential meals. Now, he would have to travel several dozen miles to find live prey, assuming the little one didn't scare them off first.
What puzzled Fars was why Jessy hadn't emerged. With such a commotion, a mere rope shouldn't have been able to restrain her. A glance revealed that the warning array he had set up had long been destroyed. He realized that he had been underwater for nearly half a month. Even if his little servant didn't want to escape, she would have been forced to leave once the food ran out; staying in the cabin for another half month would have meant starvation.
Never mind, Fars felt elated and decided not to worry about her. If she wanted to leave, then let her go. After half a month, if she could escape, she would have already made it out of the Qihar Mountains. He couldn't help but wonder if she would regret not choosing to join the Hill family if she met a tragic end at the jaws of a beast.
Pushing open the small door of the cabin, everything inside remained unchanged, except for a broken rope on the floor. However, there was also a piece of wood on the table with some words carved into it.
"Regarding your proposal, I have thought about it for a long time, but I still don't know how to choose. I'm sorry for your kindness, but I cannot forget the hatred I feel for you killing my companions. I had resigned myself to following you and living out my days in obscurity. I am afraid of death; that night, I didn't resist because I was overwhelmed by fear and let Carter escape. I realized this. Therefore, no matter how you humiliate me, I never chose to end my own life. But I also do not wish to become a despised vampire, forever living in darkness.
I never expected to have a chance to escape. I know your strength is formidable, and I cannot escape your grasp. However, I waited in this cabin for two days, and though I have eaten most of the food, you still haven't returned. I don't know what has happened, or if you are testing me. But this is indeed a good opportunity to flee. If you catch me again or if I die in the Qihar Mountains, it doesn't matter; an adventurer has no home.
Of course, I am still very afraid of death. If you find out I have escaped and catch me again, I hope you will still grant me the right to choose, considering I left this note.
—Jessy"
The brief message was carved into the wood with a small knife, leaving Fars momentarily stunned. He couldn't blame Jessy this time; after all, he had been gone for half a month. If she hadn't left, she would have starved. However, losing the girl he had painstakingly trained felt like happiness had come and gone too quickly. For a moment, Fars was unsure whether to pursue her or not.
It had already been half a month; if she could leave, she would have already escaped the Qihar Mountains. The news of a vampire lurking here must have spread, making this place no longer safe!