Chapter 215: All of them
The silence did not last.
It could not last.
Because what had just been proven, again and again, was no longer something that could be contained within quiet disbelief, and the moment the eighth result fully settled into the minds of everyone present, the entire atmosphere broke apart like something fragile that had been held together for far too long.
Voices erupted.
Not in order.
Not in reason.
But in chaos.
"This is impossible!"
"How can this be real!"
"No... no, this is wrong!"
"They must have cheated!"
"There is something wrong with the test!"
The gathered vampires could no longer hold themselves back, their earlier restraint collapsing as they spoke over one another, their voices filled with agitation, confusion, and something deeper that they did not want to admit.
Fear.
Because if this was real, then everything they knew about bloodlines, about talent, about rarity, would be shaken to its core.
Meanwhile, in the middle of all that chaos, the Moonshade Family stood together, their expressions filled with something entirely different.
They felt... proud.
They did not understand the full weight of what was happening, not completely, but they could feel the difference, could sense that what they had just shown was something extraordinary, something that placed them far above what others had expected from them.
"Did you see that?"
"That’s eight... eight of them!"
"Our ancestors... all of them..."
"We are not weak... we were never weak!"
Their voices rose again, filled with excitement, with relief, with a confidence that was growing stronger with each passing moment, as if the burden they had carried earlier had been completely cast aside.
They did not see the danger.
They only saw the result.
And that result told them that they were strong.
Cain stood among them, silent.
His eyes moved slowly across the crowd, watching the reactions, observing every face, every movement, every change in expression, and what he saw did not match the excitement of the Moonshade Family.
This is getting out of control.
His thoughts were calm, but there was a heaviness behind them now.
They are no longer just doubting.
They are trying to reject it completely.
He could see it clearly.
Some were shaking their heads.
Some were clenching their fists.
Some were staring at the massive clawed structure as if they wanted it to break, to fail, to reveal that everything was wrong.
But it did not.
It remained as it was.
Unchanging.
Unyielding.
And that made everything worse.
"Continue."
The voice of Lord Vord cut through the chaos once more, louder this time, carrying a force that forced everyone to quiet down, though not completely, as murmurs still lingered in the air.
"We continue."
His eyes were locked onto the Moonshade Family, and there was no longer any trace of casual arrogance in them.
Now, there was focus.
And something else.
A need.
To confirm.
To understand.
To prove.
The ninth ancestor stepped forward.
This time, there was no hesitation in the air, no uncertainty about what people expected, because by now, everyone had already formed a thought in their minds.
They expected the same result.
But at the same time, they did not want it to happen.
The old vampire walked slowly, his expression calm, though his eyes carried a faint glow of excitement, because even he had begun to believe that what was happening to his family was something incredible.
He reached the palm.
Sat down.
And without wasting time, he made the cut.
Blood fell.
One finger lit up.
No reaction.
Two.
Still nothing.
Three.
The murmurs began again, low, uneasy.
Four.
A few of the Emperor level vampires leaned forward, their eyes narrowing.
Five.
The fifth finger lit up.
And just like that—
The ninth result was the same.
The entire place erupted.
"No!"
"This cannot be real!"
"Nine... nine of them?!"
"This is madness!"
"How can an entire group like this exist?!"
The reactions were no longer controlled.
They were frantic.
Unrestrained.
Because this had gone far beyond anything they could accept.
Even the Emperor level vampires, those who had seen countless things, who had lived for ages, could no longer maintain their composure, their expressions breaking into disbelief that bordered on panic.
"This is enough to form an elite force..."
"One... no... even one of them is rare..."
"And now nine... nine of them..."
"This is not normal... this is not natural..."
Their voices overlapped, filled with tension, with unease, with something that made the air feel heavier, thicker, as if it was becoming harder to breathe.
Elder Achilor’s expression darkened.
He did not speak.
But his eyes had changed.
Because now, even he could not deny it.
This was not coincidence.
This was not luck.
This was something else.
Something far more dangerous.
Within the Moonshade Family, the reactions reached another level.
"Nine!"
"We have nine!"
"Our ancestors... all of them..."
"This is unbelievable!"
Their voices were loud, filled with joy, completely unaware that their celebration was only making the others even more uneasy, even more disturbed by what they were witnessing.
Cain exhaled slowly.
This is bad.
He did not need to think further.
He already knew.
This level of talent...
This concentration...
It will not be welcomed.
It will be feared.
And fear...
Leads to actions that are not rational.
His eyes flickered for a brief moment.
I need to be careful.
"Last one."
Lord Vord’s voice came again, but this time, it carried a weight that was impossible to ignore.
"The tenth."
The final ancestor stepped forward.
The entire place went quiet again.
Not because they wanted to.
But because they had to.
Because this moment...
Would decide everything.
If this one was different, then perhaps there was still some balance, some explanation, something that could ease the tension that had built up.
But if it was the same...
Then there would be no more excuses.
The old vampire walked forward, slower than the others, his steps steady, his expression calm, as if he did not feel the pressure that surrounded him.
But he did.
Everyone did.
It was suffocating.
He reached the palm.
Sat down.
Raised his hand.
And then—
He cut.
The blood fell.
One finger.
Two.
Three.
Four.
The entire place held its breath.
Five.
The fifth finger lit up.
And in that instant—
Everything broke.
"HOW?!"
The shout came from multiple directions at once, loud, desperate, filled with disbelief so intense that it felt like it could tear through the air itself.
"How is this possible?!"
"Ten... all ten of them?!"
"This is insane!"
"This cannot exist!"
"No family can have this level of talent!"
"This is against everything we know!"
The reactions exploded into full chaos, no longer restrained in any way, as even the strongest among them could not hold back their shock, their disbelief, their refusal to accept what was right in front of them.
Lord Vord took a step back.
Elder Achilor’s eyes widened.
The Emperor level vampires stood frozen.
And the Moonshade Family—
They stood there, caught between pride and confusion, because they could feel the weight of the reactions around them, could sense that something was wrong, even if they did not fully understand why.
And in the middle of it all, Cain remained still, his gaze calm, his thoughts moving rapidly, because unlike the others, he understood exactly what had just happened.
And more importantly—
He understood what would come next.
Because this was no longer just talent.
This was a threat.
And everyone here...
Had just realized it at the same time.