Chapter 443: The Blood War

“Luke, everything I just told you is extremely valuable knowledge about the origins of vampires. But now let’s talk about the present. There are five great vampire families, each with its own noble bloodline: Nycteris, Antrozous, Barbastella, Lasiurus, and Vespertilio.”

Charlie belonged to the Vespertilio family, and Luke wanted to understand what that actually meant.

“Vampire nobility works like multiversal nobility, though they prefer the term ‘family.’ Consider it a Divine Order or faction. Between vampires, these are the five major factions. Others exist, sure, but every single one traces its roots back to these five. There are only five vampire bloodlines, after all. In the end, every faction fights for dominance, for the right to stand as the head of one of the five great families.”

The letter shifted into a more technical tone, explaining the biological and magical nuances of each vampire type.

“Nycteris type vampires: Their blood enhances magical capacity, making them excellent mages, especially in necromancy. Even a freshly turned Nycteris human will awaken a second class leaning toward dark magic. Not that other vampires can’t be mages, mind you; this bloodline just gives a natural magical affinity.”

If Luke’s demonic bloodline had influenced his own class, then the idea of vampire bloodlines shaping classes and skills wasn’t just possible, it was expected.

“Antrozous type vampires: These lean heavily into teleportation and spatial magic. Along with the usual vampiric powers, a high level Antrozous can place a portal on a planet or continent and step through in under a second. Obviously, that’s at the higher end of their power spectrum, but you get the idea.”

The next part continued without pause.

“Barbastella type vampires: The assassin vampires. If any class fits a vampire perfectly, it’s the assassin. Barbastellas naturally gravitate toward stealth, shadow magic, and invisibility. At this point you’ve probably noticed a pattern, each vampire type specializes in a particular field. Since vampires are nocturnal creatures, this is the bloodline that benefits the most from night based or shadow linked skills.”

Then came the fourth type:

“Lasiurus type vampires: Famous hunters. Their senses are heavily enhanced, and they develop telekinetic and telepathic skills, animal control, bodily manipulation, and even time related magic. They’re strong fighters and versatile casters. I once watched one cast a temporal slow field around himself, reducing his enemies to a crawl. With everyone slowed, he tore them apart, an open air blood feast. Fun fact: this is the second most powerful vampire bloodline. Yes, I am listing them in order of potential power. Not that the previous types are ‘weaker’ in a direct fight, but in terms of raw latent potential, Lasiurus ranks near the top. Of course, the System, classes, and individual traits all factor in.”

The last type of vampire… was the one Charlie belonged to.

“Vespertilio type vampire: This is the strongest of the five vampire lineages, and also the most dangerous, even to themselves. They lean heavily toward bestial instincts. Of the five vampire families, this one is nearly extinct, mostly because the other four joined forces to eradicate them. The Vespertilio family could overpower two united families if they wanted to. And no, I’m not going to list every trait this lineage possesses. You can figure that out on your own. Just know they’re natural killing machines. Think of the most dangerous shark in an aquarium full of sharks. This type tends to develop classes focused on brute strength, excels in aerial combat, is the fastest of the five races, and… the reason they’re considered lethal even among vampires is that a Vespertilio is the only lineage capable of accessing the powers of the Vampiric Beast Path.”

Luke and Charlie both narrowed their eyes. The letter stopped there, drifting on to other topics as if deliberately dodging the one thing Luke wanted to know most.

“The Path of the Vampiric Beast?” he murmured, scanning the page again.

It was the same name written under her bloodline skill.

Bloodline Skill: [Path of the Vampiric Beast (Ancient)]

Luke focused on the description.

[Path of the Vampiric Beast (Ancient)]: The Noble Vespertilio Bloodline grants the vampire the right to walk the Path of the Vampiric Beast. May your blood remake you into a ravenous, unstoppable creature, capable of seizing everything you desire. May the day come when you are worthy to hear, and answer, the call of the Beast.

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