Chapter 210: Another disappointment
The change in the atmosphere did not need to be spoken out loud for the Moonshade Family to feel it pressing against their skin like a cold wind. It was there in the way Lord Vord no longer tried to hide the tension in his jaw, in the way Elder Achilor’s gaze had turned from observant to measuring, as if he were no longer looking at guests, but at resources that had failed to meet expectations.
The nobles had stepped back, their results already decided, their pride shaken even if none of them voiced it openly. Now, as silence lingered once again, the Moonshade Family began to murmur among themselves, their voices no longer filled with the same confidence as before.
"What do we do now..."
"That look... did you see their faces..."
"They are not pleased..."
"They expected more from us..."
"They expected strength..."
Their voices overlapped in quiet urgency, each member glancing toward Achilor and Lord Vord as if trying to read whether this disappointment would remain as mere judgment or turn into something more dangerous.
One of the elders stepped forward slightly, lowering his voice as he spoke to the rest.
"We cannot hesitate now. The test must continue."
Another elder responded, his tone carrying unease.
"But if the results remain the same..."
He did not finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear to everyone listening.
If they continued to fail...
What would happen to them?
Would they still be treated as guests?
Or would they become something lesser?
A younger member swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly.
"They said strength is everything..."
"And we have not shown any."
That truth hung heavy between them.
Another elder raised his hand, calming the growing tension.
"Enough," he said firmly. "Panicking will not change the outcome. We must proceed."
His gaze moved across the group.
"The elders will go next."
There was a pause.
Then slow nods.
"Yes..."
"The elders..."
"They must be stronger..."
"They have cultivated longer..."
"They should show better results..."
Hope tried to rise again, fragile and uncertain, clinging to the belief that experience and time would make the difference where the younger nobles had failed.
Elder Achilor watched their discussion without interrupting, but when their decision became clear, his expression did not soften. If anything, the calm politeness that had been present before had faded entirely, replaced by something colder, something more direct.
"Proceed," he said.
His tone was no longer welcoming.
It was no longer patient.
It was the tone of someone who expected results and had no interest in excuses.
The first elder stepped forward.
He did not hesitate, but there was a heaviness in his movements now, as if he understood that this moment carried more weight than the nobles before him.
He entered the palm, sat down, and cut his hand.
Blood fell.
First finger.
Second finger.
The glow appeared, steady but unremarkable.
There was a pause.
Then the blood reached the third finger.
This time, the glow held.
It did not flicker out immediately.
Instead, it stabilized.
A deeper red light spread across the third finger, the runes glowing more clearly than anything the nobles had achieved.
"Blood Foundation Realm," Achilor said.
For the first time since the testing began, there was a result that stood above the previous ones.
A small ripple moved through the Moonshade Family.
"Good..."
"That is better..."
"At least the elders..."
But even as that thought formed, it did not carry the excitement they had hoped for.
Because the reaction from Achilor and Lord Vord was minimal.
There was no approval.
No praise.
Only acknowledgment.
The elder stepped down, his expression calm, though there was a faint tension in his eyes.
Another elder stepped forward.
Then another.
Then another.
Each one repeating the same process.
Each one reaching the third finger.
Each one stabilizing at the same point.
"Blood Foundation Realm."
"Blood Foundation Realm."
"Blood Foundation Realm."
The words continued, steady, consistent, unchanging.
At first, the Moonshade Family tried to see it as improvement.
They were better than the nobles.
They had reached a higher stage.
But as the results continued, as every elder landed on the same level, that small comfort began to fade.
Because once again...
There was no variation.
No standout.
No one who pushed beyond.
Lord Vord’s expression darkened further.
"If this is their elder generation..."
He muttered quietly, though the irritation in his voice was no longer hidden.
"...then their foundation is even worse than I thought."
Achilor remained silent, but his eyes grew colder with each result.
He had expected at least one.
At least a single individual who would push toward the next stage.
Toward Blood Core Formation.
Toward something that could be considered promising.
But there was nothing.
Only repetition.
Only limits that none of them seemed capable of breaking.
Another elder stepped forward.
Cut.
Drop.
Glow.
Stop.
"Blood Foundation Realm."
The words began to sound almost mechanical.
The elders, who had once stood as pillars of the Moonshade Family, now found themselves stepping down from the testing platform with expressions that grew heavier each time.
Some maintained their composure.
Some hid their disappointment well.
But others...
Their silence spoke enough.
Behind them, the younger members watched with tightening expressions, their earlier hope fading further with every repeated result.
"Why is it the same..."
"Why can none of them go further..."
"This cannot be everything..."
Their thoughts grew louder, though still kept within their group.
Meanwhile, the surrounding vampires had completely lost their earlier curiosity.
Some watched with clear disinterest.
Others with quiet disdain.
A few even turned away, as if the results no longer deserved their attention.
Lord Vord crossed his arms tightly, his patience wearing thin.
Achilor exhaled slowly, though this time, it was not calm.
It carried disappointment.
Deep and unmistakable.
Another elder finished his test.
Then another.
And another.
Until only one remained.
Zenaya.
She stepped forward slowly, her presence different from the others, her posture steady, her expression calm yet serious.
Behind her, several members of the Moonshade Family straightened slightly, their eyes focusing on her with renewed hope.
"Zenaya..."
"She is different..."
"She must be..."
"She has always been..."
Their voices were quiet, but filled with expectation.
Even among the elders, she stood out.
Her control.
Her understanding.
Her presence.
If anyone among them could break through...
It would be her.
Zenaya did not speak as she approached the massive clawed hand.
She did not look back.
She did not hesitate.
She stepped into the palm and sat down, her movements composed, her gaze steady.
For a brief moment, the entire courtyard seemed to hold its breath.
Even Lord Vord’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he too was waiting to see if this would finally be different.
Zenaya raised her hand.
Without hesitation, she cut her palm.
Blood gathered.
Then fell.
First finger.
Second finger.
The glow appeared, stronger than before.
Third finger.
The glow spread again, deeper, more stable than the others.
The runes lit clearly, the light pulsing with a stronger presence than any previous result.
For a moment...
It seemed as if it might go further.
The air tightened.
The Moonshade Family leaned forward slightly.
"Come on..."
"Just a little more..."
"Break through..."
The blood moved.
Slowly.
Toward the fourth finger.
The glow flickered.
Strained.
Tried to push.
Then...
It stopped.
The light wavered.
And then settled firmly on the third finger.
"Blood Foundation Realm."
Achilor’s voice was calm.
But this time, it carried a finality that was hard to ignore.
Zenaya remained seated for a moment, her gaze lowered slightly as she looked at the glowing finger beneath her blood.
Then she closed her eyes briefly.
When she stood, her expression was composed, but there was no mistaking the quiet weight she carried as she stepped down.
Behind her, the Moonshade Family fell into complete silence.
That was it.
That was their best.
Their strongest elder.
Their hope.
And yet...
The result was the same.
No breakthrough.
No exception.
No proof of greater potential.
Lord Vord let out a sharp breath, no longer bothering to hide his dissatisfaction.
Achilor’s expression hardened completely, whatever patience remained now gone.
They had expected something.
Anything.
But what they had seen...
Was a pattern that refused to change.
A ceiling that none of them could break.
Achilor finally spoke again, his tone colder than before.
"Next."
There was no encouragement.
No reassurance.
Only expectation.
The word echoed across the courtyard.
And this time...
The Moonshade Family did not respond immediately.
Because they all knew what came next.
The ones they had placed their final hope on.
The ones who stood at the peak of their family.
The ancestors.
Slowly, their gazes turned.
And the weight of that moment settled heavily over them all.