8 Blood Shop

The thick metal door creaked as Keith opened it, revealing the shop's logo. A blipping sound accompanied the entrance, drawing the attention of a man in his thirties wearing a black tuxedo. Though his appearance suggested a certain age, with vampires, appearances could be deceiving.

"How may I help you?" the man greeted Keith with a small bow.

Surveying the gothic-themed interior of the shop, Keith noticed the tables prepared for guests, creating a seemingly ordinary atmosphere.

"I saw a board saying that you sell fresh blood, is that true?" Keith inquired.

The man's face lit up at the question. "Yes, sir. We provide the best delicacies among vampires in this place. You can get any type of blood you want."

"Can you bring me fifty glasses of blood, all from different sources?" Keith asked.

The man stroked his chin, contemplating. "It can be done, but you have to wait for a while."

"It's alright. I can wait."

"Then, please follow me. I will arrange a table for you."

Keith followed the man to an empty table in the hall. The man pulled out a chair for him.

"I will be back with the order. It will take about an hour," the man informed before leaving the hall.

Circulating his blood qi, Keith practiced channeling instead of idly waiting. An hour later, the man returned with five other vampires, each carrying a tray with ten glasses of blood. The waiters placed the glasses on Keith's table, and by the time the last one was set down, the table was full.

"Enjoy your meal, sir," the man smiled.

Finding the smile uncanny, Keith decided not to dwell on it. He picked up a glass, dipped his index finger in the blood, and as expected, purple tendrils slithered down, absorbing the blood. However, despite his efforts, there was still no response.

'Still, no response.'

Keith systematically repeated the process of absorbing blood essence from each glass until he reached the 45th glass. Finally, a notification appeared.

[ Blood essence absorbed: 1 ]

A sigh of relief escaped Keith. Calculating the amount of blood, it roughly amounted to 11 liters, with each glass holding 250 milliliters. He realized that to absorb one blood essence, he needed at least the equivalent of the blood from two adult humans, draining every last drop from their bodies simultaneously. Keith wasn't prepared to take lives just for a marginal increase in blood essence. Reflecting on the time he absorbed Marvin's blood, even a single drop had granted him a blood essence.

Turning his attention, Keith noticed the young vampire observing him curiously. Unfazed, Keith signaled the waiter, who promptly arrived.

"Do you need anything else, sir?" the waiter inquired.

"Do you have the blood of another species, other than humans?" Keith cautiously asked.

The waiter took a moment to process the question and responded promptly. "I will call the manager. Please wait a moment." With that, the waiter hurried away.

After a brief interval, the man in the black suit, whom Keith assumed to be the manager, approached his table.

"Sir, I heard that you need special delicacies. I am more than happy to serve you exotic blood, but first, you need to pay the remuneration for the first order," the manager stated with a faint smile.

So that's why he hadn't intervened earlier, Keith realized.

"How much for all these?" Keith inquired.

"5 gold-blood coins," the manager replied.

Keith considered the price. Although the amount seemed steep, he realized that obtaining blood essence from non-human sources might be crucial for his exploration of vampiric capabilities.

"Alright, here's the payment." Keith handed over the five gold-blood coins.

The manager, satisfied with the transaction, nodded and gave an appreciative smile.

"Thank you for your patronage. Now, regarding your request for exotic blood, I can arrange samples from various species. We have offerings from rare creatures like wyverns, centaurs, and even some mythical beasts. However, I must mention that these are delicate commodities, and the prices vary."

Keith's interest piqued. The notion of extracting blood essence from creatures other than humans opened up new possibilities.

"Bring me samples from different species. I want to explore the effects of their blood essence." Keith's request was precise.

Keith browsed through the leather pamphlet. It contained a list of blood offerings from a myriad of species, each accompanied by a detailed description of the creature, its habitat, and the purported effects of consuming its blood essence.

He noticed options like "Moonlit Unicorn," "Sapphire-Scaled Serpent," and even rarer choices like "Ethereal Phoenix." The prices varied significantly, with some selections costing as much as ten gold-blood coins per vial.

"Quite an impressive collection," Keith remarked, looking up from the pamphlet.

The manager, standing at a respectful distance, nodded. "We take pride in offering the most exclusive and exotic blood essences. Each one is carefully sourced, ensuring freshness and potency. If there's anything specific you're looking for, or if you'd like recommendations based on your preferences, feel free to ask."

Keith pondered his choices. While some options seemed enticing, he decided to start with vampire blood before delving into the truly exotic.

Keith deduced that the blood essence yield was influenced by the vampire's level, and the higher the level, the more blood essence he obtained. However, the cost for low-level vampire blood, such as the third level of the blood condensing stage, wasn't worth it. He'd prefer facing Marvin again to acquire his blood rather than paying 100 gold-blood coins for lower-level blood.

"I have a question. What level are the vampires providing the blood?" Keith inquired of the manager.

"Sir, I must say, you have a rare taste in blood. Rest assured, this place is very discreet, and nobody will know what transpires here. As for the vampire blood, it is extracted from vampires at the fifth level of the blood condensing stage, so you will find it to your liking," the manager replied confidently.

"Alright, bring me a glass," Keith instructed.

"Right away, sir," the manager acknowledged before leaving the room.

The manager acknowledged the request and left the room to arrange the order. Meanwhile, Keith contemplated the potential outcomes of this experimentation. The prospect of unlocking unique abilities or strengthening his existing vampiric powers fueled his curiosity.

After ten minutes, he returned with a waitress wearing a revealing outfit. She carried a tray with a single glass of blood, setting it on the table while subtly emphasizing her cleavage.

Picking up the glass without averting his gaze, he sensed the waitress still standing in front of the table.

'Time to find out how much blood essence this will give me.'

"Can I have some privacy?" he requested without looking at them.

"Yes, I will excuse myself," the waitress replied, bowing her head before leaving the room. Keith, however, didn't notice. His entire attention was on the vampire blood in front of him.

After the manager left, Keith picked up the glass and dipped his finger into the blood. The purple tendrils swiftly stretched out, absorbing the blood.

[ Blood essence absorbed: 1 ]

[ Blood essence absorbed: 1]