Instead of returning inside or heading toward the training yard, Qin Wei began to jog. It was an old habit from his previous life, something he had not practiced in this world until recently. Since leaving the villa required Vanessa's presence, he confined himself to the compound, running steady laps along the outer paths, breath controlled, pace consistent.

By the time sweat soaked his back and his breathing deepened, the sun had fully risen above the walls.

Qin Wei slowed, wiped his brow, and headed back toward his residence. As he passed the battle maids again, he stopped.

"Would you spar with me?" he asked.

Both women blinked in surprise.

In the three months they had been assigned here, Qin Wei had never asked them for such a thing. Normally, it was Vanessa who trained with him. More recently, it had been Lady Thea herself—though those sessions usually ended with Qin Wei sprawled on the ground while she lectured him sternly about abandoning thoughts of the annual festival.

Still, they did not refuse.

"Of course, milord," one of them replied.

They moved into the open space of the courtyard. No weapons were drawn. No armor donned. Just fists and feet.

The first maid stepped forward, throwing a controlled punch toward Qin Wei's shoulder. He twisted aside at the last moment, the strike brushing past him. The second maid followed immediately with a low kick aimed at his legs.

Qin Wei jumped back, barely clearing it, then countered with a short punch of his own. It was blocked easily, but the exchange forced them to reassess their pace.

They began to circle him together.

One attacked high, the other low. Qin Wei retreated two steps, then suddenly surged forward, slipping between them. He raised his forearm to block a strike, felt the impact rattle up his arm, then pivoted and drove his elbow backward to create space.

He wasn't overpowering them.

But he wasn't helpless either.

The maids gradually increased their speed, still holding back their true strength. Qin Wei's movements became sharper in response. He ducked under a swing, rolled away from a kick, and even managed to parry a straight punch with his bare palm, redirecting it just enough to avoid being struck cleanly.

Sweat ran down his temples.

His breathing stayed steady.

At one point, both maids attacked at once, fists converging from either side. Qin Wei crossed his arms to block, skidding backward across the stone from the force. Before they could press the advantage, he dropped low and swept his leg in a wide arc, forcing them to jump back.

Silence followed for a brief moment.

The two battle maids exchanged looks, surprise clear in their eyes.

Qin Wei straightened, chest rising and falling, a faint grin tugging at his lips.

"Thank you," he said. "That was enough."

They bowed slightly, still processing what they had just experienced.

Qin Wei sat on the stone steps, elbows resting on his knees as he drew in deep, steady breaths. The sparring session had pushed his body close to its limits, and even after fifteen minutes of rest, his muscles still hummed with lingering tension. Sweat clung to his skin, cooling slowly in the morning air.

That was when the mood shifted.

Both battle maids straightened at the same time.

Their relaxed stances vanished, replaced by rigid alertness. Their gazes snapped toward the eastern sky, hands subtly moving into defensive positions. Qin Wei noticed it instantly and followed their line of sight.

At first, there was nothing.

Then the air rippled.

A dark shape appeared far off in the sky, small and indistinct. As seconds passed, it grew larger, its outline sharpening with terrifying clarity. Massive wings beat against the air, each stroke heavy enough to distort the clouds around it.

A Tier-6 beast.

A dark pegasus.

Its body was shrouded in shadows, wings stretching wide as night itself seemed to cling to its feathers. The pressure rolling off it made Qin Wei's skin prickle.

"Lord Icarus," one of the battle maids said urgently as they moved in front of him, "please be careful."

Before Qin Wei could respond, a blur of motion tore across the courtyard.

Vanessa shot out from her quarters, her figure streaking toward the sky with frightening speed. The force of her ascent cracked the air beneath her feet. In the span of a few breaths, she was already facing the dark pegasus high above the villa.

The beast halted midair, wings spreading as it hovered, clearly wary.

Qin Wei squinted, his heart tightening.

There was someone on its back.

Vanessa slowed, suppressing her aura as she approached. She raised one hand and spoke calmly, her voice carrying upward. "I'm a friend."

The dark pegasus snorted, wings twitching uneasily.

Then a weak, familiar voice drifted down.

"It's alright… Callista."

The beast stilled.

Slowly, it lowered its head.

Vanessa closed the remaining distance and reached out, carefully lifting the figure slumped on the pegasus's back. She turned midair and descended in a controlled arc, landing lightly in the courtyard.

Qin Wei's breath caught.

Luna lay in Vanessa's arms, her face pale, her body limp.

All thoughts vanished.

"Luna…"

He reached them in three long steps, hands already outstretched. Vanessa lowered her carefully, and Qin Wei took Luna's weight against his chest. She felt far too light, far too cold. His arms tightened around her instinctively.

Luna's eyelids fluttered. A faint, cracked smile curved her bloodless lips.

"Master…" Her voice came out hoarse, barely louder than a breath. "Dig… into the pouch. At my waist."

Qin Wei's fingers moved without hesitation, slipping beneath the torn fabric of her cloak to the small leather pouch still hanging from her belt. His hand closed around something smooth and cool. He pulled it free—a small glass vial, sealed tight, with dark crimson liquid swirling slowly inside like it had a life of its own.

Luna's eyes found his again, weak but focused.

"Use the blood… on the necklace I gave you." Each word cost her. "From now on… Master won't have to be… a plainfolk anymore."

Qin Wei's breath caught. Vanessa's eyes widened beside him.

Before either could speak, Luna's head lolled sideways. Her body went fully limp in his arms, consciousness slipping away at last.

At the same moment, a familiar chime rang inside Qin Wei's skull.

A translucent holographic screen unfolded in his vision, crisp and indifferent.

*Ding!

[The blood of a Pure-blooded Vampire is detected.]

[Would you like to consume it? The system can refine the Vampire's blood and merge it with the host, transforming the host's DNA into a Dhampir. Effects: — Significant increase in physical strength and reflexes — Longevity extended to approximately 500 years — Aging process halted Price: The necklace (S-rank treasure)]

Qin Wei stared at the words, pulse hammering in his ears.

The necklace. The one Luna had given him with quiet, unshakable trust. The same one he had once traded her mother's keepsake for 50,000 credits before the fight with Zion—only to regret it the moment the deal was done. He hadn't even begun to understand what the necklace truly was, what secrets it held. He wasn't ready to give it up.

Not like this.

His mind raced. Then something clicked.

"System," he asked silently, voice low in his own head, "can I feed the blood to Luna instead? Turn her into a Dhampir… in exchange for the necklace?"

The reply came instantly, cold and precise.

*Ding!

[If Luna consumes the refined blood, she will undergo the Dhampir transformation. Effects (applied to recipient): — Same physical and longevity enhancements — Potential ceiling raised to Rank-10.]

[Additional note: Mana core will be naturally repaired during the mutation process. Price remains: The necklace.]

Qin Wei's heart lurched.

Rank-10. A repaired mana core. A future where Luna wouldn't be crippled by the damage she'd clearly done to herself, pushing far beyond her limits.

But the thought twisted in his gut.

He couldn't do it. Not without asking her. Not even if it would save her.

He closed the screen with a mental flick, shoving the notification aside for now.

He looked down at Luna instead—her shallow breathing, the faint blue veins visible beneath paper-pale skin—and felt something heavy settle in his chest.

He turned to Vanessa.

"Check her," he said quietly. "Tell me everything."

Vanessa nodded once. She knelt beside them, placed two fingers gently against the side of Luna's neck, and sent a thin strand of her own mana threading inward like a diagnostic probe.

Seconds passed. Vanessa's expression darkened.

She withdrew her hand and met Qin Wei's eyes.

"Lord Icarus," she said, voice low and serious, "Miss Luna's mana core is severely damaged. From the feel of it… this wasn't caused by an external attack. It's self-inflicted—pushing past her limits, forcing channels and circuits that were never meant to carry that much power at once. The backlash nearly shattered her core entirely."

Qin Wei's jaw clenched.

Vanessa continued. "There are also several serious internal injuries—cracked ribs, bruised organs, heavy blood loss. Those can be treated with proper healing skills. Not life-threatening if handled quickly. But the core…" She shook her head once. "That's the real problem."

She glanced toward the western wing of the residence.

"I'll take her to the new quarters Lady Thea assigned for her."

Qin Wei shook his head immediately. "No. Her old room is on the far side of the main residence. Too far." His voice came out rougher than he intended. "Take her to my room."

Vanessa blinked, surprise flickering across her normally composed features.

"But… Lord Icarus," she said carefully, "Lady Thea is still inside."

Qin Wei cursed under his breath, remembering.

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