Daniel was stunned. His mouth went dry, and a dull pressure thudded in his chest. He hadn't expected his bloodline to be so significant.
"Well, the royal blood art is a national secret, so even I don't know its exact nature," his teacher explained with respect in her voice. "But what I do know is that it's one of the most powerful blood arts ever created."
"Teacher, can you tell me more about your blood martial art?" Daniel asked, his curiosity piqued. He knew it was unlikely she would reveal much, as it was considered a secret.
His teacher gave him an amused look. A smile played on her lips, her eyes sparkling with a teasing glint. It was funny to her how a young boy like Daniel seemed so interested in martial arts.
"Dorohla is a strictly offensive martial art focused on defeating opponents with minimal, but precise, strikes," she began. "Its primary focus is on punches and kicks, relying heavily on strength and agility. The biggest advantage is the combination of power and speed, allowing for devastating blows. By exploiting shifts in the center of gravity during a fight, it's possible to make an overconfident opponent leave an opening, making them easy to defeat."
She paused before continuing. "But the biggest weakness of Dorohla is its predictability. Against an opponent who knows its techniques, it's almost impossible to win."
"Huh?" Daniel blinked in surprise. His brow furrowed, and his head tilted slightly to the side. "Teacher, isn't this supposed to be a closely guarded secret?"
She shrugged. A carefree wave of her hand dismissed his concern. "It is, but I only told you the basics—not the intricate details."
"What if I manage to master it?" Daniel asked with sudden enthusiasm.
At this, his teacher burst into laughter. Her laugh was loud and bright, echoing off the stone walls of the training hall. "Sure, if you can master it, it's yours. Ah, but I forgot to mention—it's a martial art designed for women. So, unless you become a woman, it's going to be quite difficult for you to master it."
She joked lightly, but Daniel couldn't help considering it seriously. If he could strengthen his body to match a woman's, maybe it was possible. Then again, he thought bitterly, it seemed impossible—no matter how hard men trained, they could never match women in terms of strength.
"Teacher, can vampires really not go out in the sun? Isn't that too harsh?" he asked with a sigh.
"Well, it's true that for most vampires, sunlight is lethal," she replied thoughtfully. "However, if you become strong enough, it's said that sunlight no longer affects you."
Daniel's eyes lit up with hope. "Really?" The spark in his eyes flared, his posture straightening as if the very idea lifted him. But he knew reaching such strength would require hard work. He couldn't bear the thought of always living in the dark.
"Yes," she nodded. "There are ten stages for vampires in total. The higher the stage, the stronger you become."
Daniel nodded in understanding. His mind raced, already envisioning himself standing unscathed in the sunlight, free of its curse.
"Now then," she continued, "let's move on. After vampires, our mortal enemies are the werewolves."
Her voice shifted, turning cold and sharp as if the mere mention of werewolves made her blood boil. A tone of hatred creeping into it as she spoke of the werewolves.
Daniel was curious. From his books, he knew that werewolves and vampires had always been enemies.
"Teacher, why is that? Was there a conflict in the past?" he asked.
"This enmity is not just from a single conflict," she explained. "It's tied to the very essence of our existence. Vampires are creatures of the night and death, while werewolves are connected to the natural cycle—the moon, primal instincts, and raw, untamed nature. Our very origins clash. Vampires represent death, while werewolves are guardians of life's natural cycle."
"The conflict was inevitable," she continued. Her eyes narrowed, and her voice dropped into a lower, darker tone, as if recalling bitter memories. "We have always competed for resources. Werewolves constantly fight for land and dominance, and that only fuels the hatred."
She paused, her expression darkening. Her lips pressed into a tight line, and a shadow fell over her eyes, as if recalling a bitter memory. "Throughout history, many vampire lords and ladies cursed werewolf packs centuries ago, which led to their eternal transformations. This sparked violent bloodline wars, and the hatred has been passed down through generations."
Daniel thought deeply. He could understand why there was such a deep animosity between the two. His thoughts churned, imagining battlefields drenched in blood, claws tearing through the night, fangs flashing.
Vampires saw themselves as superior, immortal beings with a rigid aristocratic structure, while werewolves valued freedom, primal strength, and despised the vampires' elitist ways.
The two species opposed each other ideologically—vampires enforcing strict order and hierarchy, while werewolves embraced chaos and personal freedom.
But the more Daniel thought about it, the more it seemed vampires should have the advantage. Their magic and blood arts made them formidable, and apart from their vulnerability to sunlight, they didn't have many weaknesses. So, why had the war lasted for centuries?
"Teacher, how come the war hasn't ended in our favor yet? Aren't we basically immortal?"
His teacher sighed. Her gaze drifted to the window, where the moon's pale light filtered in, casting long shadows. "Werewolves have heightened senses and immense physical strength, making them effective vampire hunters. Although we're immune to most attacks, werewolf claws and bites are dangerous to us. Especially their bites—werewolf saliva is highly toxic to vampires. Studies show that when a vampire comes into contact with it, they enter a strange state of paralysis."
"Ah…" Daniel murmured, finally understanding why the vampires hadn't been able to win the war outright.
"Mhm," his teacher nodded. "Well, we can discuss those wolves further later. Let's return to the lesson. Next are humans. They are quite ordinary, with a low affinity for magic, but they are also the most cunning."
She looked at Daniel seriously. Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of something like caution flashing through them. "Humans are vicious. Like the wolves, they're driven by their primal urges. They attack all races indiscriminately. To them, we vampires are seen as evil beings."