Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 370 "A Loving Father"

When Euphemia stepped into the territory of Grand Duke Asmond of Blood and Tears, a nauseatingly sweet and bloody smell immediately filled the air.

That is the pure essence of despair, fermented and concentrated over thousands of years.

The sky, like a giant piece of blood-red amber, sealed the entire territory in eternal twilight.

On the earth, towering buildings with pointed roofs stand jaggedly like the sharp teeth of a demon.

The walls of these buildings are made of living skeletons, and their surfaces are covered with a network of still-wriggling blood vessels.

Whenever new suffering arises in the territory, these blood vessels greedily absorb it and then transport the essence to the enormous pool of blood in the center of the palace.

The most chilling thing is the "Gardens of Sorrow" scattered throughout the area.

When the Blood Tears Flower feels pain, it makes a cry like a baby; its petals are made of solidified real tears.

Various words naturally grow on the leaves of the Despair Grass, all of which are the last words of those who committed suicide.

And those seemingly beautiful roses are actually nurtured with the hearts of lovers, each one whispering broken vows of love.

Euphemia walked slowly through the twisted garden, her long white hair swaying slightly in the crimson light.

The white-haired witch's face was as cold as ice, but her left hand was trembling slightly.

That was her way of suppressing some complex emotions within her.

"The last time I came to a similar place was..."

She recalled these memories in her mind, and at the same time, she couldn't help but think of fragments of her childhood.

Those painful years spent in the Blood King's laboratory were filled with syringes, reagents, and endless agonizing modifications.

The identity of the Blood Moon Clan's heir is merely a grand facade presented to the outside world.

The palace's main gate is made of pure black obsidian, with thousands of weeping faces carved in relief on its surface.

As Euphemia approached, these faces turned to her, mouthing their respective pains.

The gate was guarded by two high-ranking vampires.

They have a human-like appearance.

But his skin was as pale as paper, and his chest cavity was completely transparent, allowing a clear view of the beating dark purple heart inside.

"Please wait a moment!" The vampire guard on the left stretched out his arm, his voice as cold as the night wind:

"Miss Euphemia? What brings you to this time..."

"Step aside."

The white-haired witch's voice was as calm as a lake, but the oppressive aura contained within it caused the two vampires to tremble instinctively.

That was an absolute, ruling authority from the depths of his blood: "I want to see Asmond, now, immediately."

The vampire guards exchanged bewildered glances, a profound and indescribable fear rising within them.

This feeling is similar to the natural submission that lower-ranking vampires feel when facing their first ancestors.

“This… Miss Euphemia, if I may be so bold…” The guard on the right tried to remain polite, but his voice was already trembling:
"His Excellency the Grand Duke is currently undergoing an important bloodline ceremony and is not available to receive guests at this time. If you could wait a moment..."

Before it could finish speaking, it felt a terrifying, bloody killing intent rushing towards it.

Euphemia's eyes began to emit an eerie light, no longer the dark red of before, but a pure black as deep as an abyss.

Even more terrifying, the air behind her began to distort, as if something was observing this place through some medium.

"I don't have that much time to waste, get out of here!"

As she spoke, she slowly raised her right hand.

Suddenly, countless blood-red runes appeared on that slender palm, emanating a chilling, bloody aura.

The two guards were drenched in sweat and were about to say something more...

The next moment, the doors of the crimson palace opened by themselves amidst the low creaking of millstones.

Emerging from this was none other than Asmond, the Lord of Blood and Tears.

This ruler of the fifth layer of the abyss has the typical appearance of a Western aristocrat.

He was tall and slender, with a handsome face like an ancient sculpture, and his long, golden hair was meticulously combed.

He wore a magnificent deep red robe embroidered with countless tiny blood-red roses, each one swaying gently in the breeze as if it were alive.

“Oh, my dear little Euphemia…”

Asmond's voice had a classical rolled "r" sound, and his eyes were full of vigilance:
"What brings you to my remote little territory? And you seem... to be in a bad mood?"

As he spoke, he carefully observed the unusual changes in Euphemia.

The intense sense of threat emanating from the other party was far beyond what a lowly Morning Star wizard could possibly evoke. Could it be...?

"Enough talk, Asmond."

Euphemia interrupted his polite remarks directly:
“I’ve come here because of the serious delays you’ve made in supplying the Blood Moon Clan with Blood Dew recently.”

Upon hearing this accusation, the expression of the Blood and Tears Grand Duke underwent a subtle change.

Of course he knew about this, because it was the result of his deliberate actions.

"Oh? The problem with the supply of blood dew?"

His tone remained mild, but his words carried a clear hint of perfunctoriness:
“My dear Euphemia, you should understand that the production of Blood Dew takes time, and recently we have also encountered some technical difficulties in obtaining raw materials.”

This is clearly a flimsy excuse.

Within the territory of the Blood and Tears Grand Duke lies the largest "Sorrow Farm" in the entire Abyss, dedicated to cultivating a variety of emotionally rich creatures and then harvesting their pain and despair.

There were absolutely no difficulties in mass-producing blood dew.

"Technical difficulties?"

Euphemia repeated the word, a cold smile slowly spreading across her lips.

Her smile was as beautiful as a blooming rose: "It seems you feel... Father has been too lenient with you."

Upon hearing the title "Father," Asmond's expression instantly turned serious.

"Wait, Euphemia, I think there might be some misunderstanding between us..."

The Blood and Tears Grand Duke tried to ease the tension, but Euphemia ruthlessly interrupted him.

There is no misunderstanding.

The white-haired witch took out the familiar blood-red dagger from her bosom and, without hesitation, pierced her own palm in full view of everyone.

Blood gushed out immediately, but instead of dripping onto the ground, it condensed in the air to form eerie images.

Upon seeing this familiar summoning ritual, Asmond could no longer maintain his elegant demeanor.

"Wait! Euphemia! We can talk this out! There's no need to disturb Lord Aiden! There really isn't!"

For the first time, the voice of the Blood and Tears Grand Duke carried a clear sense of panic.

They even disregarded their image and transformed into a blood-red shadow to try and stop the summoning ritual.

But it was too late.

The crimson graphic had fully formed and began to spin at a dizzying speed.

Each spin tears a crack in reality, from which maddening whispers emerge.

The temperature in the air suddenly dropped, and an unimaginable malice began to spread in this space.

Even the blood-and-tear flowers that feed on pain began to wither, as if sensing a higher level of terror.

A gigantic tentacle made of pure blood slowly emerges from the image.

The surface of the tentacles was covered with pulsating blood vessels, and at the end of each tentacle was a huge, disorienting vertical eye.

When the vertical gaze fell upon Asmond, he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

He could feel the blood in his body starting to go out of control under that gaze; the power that used to obey his will was now completely disobeying his commands.

"A lowly... stray dog..."

A deep voice came from the tentacles.

The sound contained countless different tones, as if it were a chorus emanating simultaneously from countless throats:

"It seems you've forgotten... who dug you out of the decaying earth in the first place..." The consciousness projection of the Blood King Aiden descended upon this territory through blood ties.

Although it was just a projection, the oppressive aura it emitted was enough to make the entire crimson palace tremble.

The network of blood vessels on the wall began to pulsate violently, as if the entire building was startled and its heart was racing.

Asmond wanted to speak up, but found that he had lost the ability to even speak.

The power emanating from that spiraling vertical eye bound every cell of his body like invisible chains.

"I remember it very clearly..."

Aiden's voice continued to echo:
"Back then, you were just a dying little vampire, abandoned by your clan, rotting and stinking in the gutter..."

"It was I who gave you pure blood, it was I who taught you the secret art of collecting blood and tears, it was I who helped you establish this beautiful territory..."

Blood tentacles began to slowly move through the air, each movement subtly distorting the surrounding reality.

Asmond can see his past replaying in the air.

Those humiliating memories, those moments of redemption, and those glories bought with countless lives.

"And now, you dare to defy my will?"

The red light in the spiral pupil began to intensify:
"My good servant, do you think you're completely grown up now?"

"I...I didn't..."

Asmond could only manage a weak voice: "Lord Aiden, I never intended to disobey your will... It's just a misunderstanding... It's just..."

"Misunderstand?"

A chilling laugh emanated from the blood-red tentacles:

"Then, let's correct this beautiful 'misunderstanding'..."

The spiral in the vertical eye began to spin faster, emitting a pulsating light that could drive one insane.

In that instant, Asmond felt a pain beyond imagination.

That was not physical torture, but a deeper tearing of the soul.

He could feel the blood in his body beginning to surge violently.

The forces that should have obeyed his will are now completely out of control, and have begun to frantically attack the very essence of his being.

Even more terrifying, he could "see" his bloodline being gradually taken back.

This is the master taking back the items he had given as a reward to his servant.

"Ahhh—! No! Please forgive me!"

The Blood-Tears Grand Duke let out a shrill scream and began to writhe in agony on the ground.

Countless blood-red cracks appeared on his skin, from which large amounts of blood gushed out.

The blood did not spill on the ground, but instead condensed in mid-air into various twisted shapes.

Some looked like crying faces, while others looked like menacing demons.

They danced wildly in mid-air, as if mocking their owner's pain.

"Tell me now..."

Aiden's voice was like a devil's whisper, filled with cruel pleasure: "Do you still think this is just a misunderstanding, my dear servant?"

"No! It's not a misunderstanding!"

Asmond shouted desperately:

"I was wrong! I was utterly wrong! It was my arrogance and stupidity that offended you! Please forgive my ignorance! I will prepare the blood dew immediately! Immediately! I swear!"

"very good……"

The red light in the spiral's vertical eye dimmed slightly:
"But an apology alone is not enough... You need to prove your loyalty with actions... Wash away your sins with blood..."

As it spoke, the blood tentacles began to unleash even greater power.

The entire scarlet palace began to tremble violently.

The decorative network of blood vessels suddenly burst into a blinding red light, like electrified copper wires.

Then, a shocking scene unfolded.

All the vampires active in the palace, regardless of their rank, began to gather involuntarily in the central square.

Their eyes have lost their former wisdom and rationality, leaving only mechanical obedience.

Even the high-ranking vampire nobles were moving forward slowly, like zombies.

Euphemia watched all of this with indifference, her heart unmoved.

She had seen too many such "harvest" scenes and was already numb to them.

But deep inside, a small voice asks:

If one day "Father" no longer needs her, will her fate be the same?
"My children..."

Aiden's voice was like a divine oracle, full of "compassion":
"Now is your glorious moment to sacrifice yourself for your Father... Do not be afraid, do not resist, this is the highest meaning of your existence..."

As soon as the words were spoken, all the vampires gathered in the square began a horrific infighting.

They fought each other in the most primitive and savage way.

Claws tore through flesh and blood, fangs snapped bones, and entrails rained down all around.

The strong devour the weak, and the survivors continue to fight until only a few blood-soaked victors remain.

These last survivors, before they could fully experience the joy of victory, were forcibly transformed into pure blood dew by Aiden's power, and every single drop was collected.

The entire process lasted only a few hours, but it completely destroyed Asmond's thousands of years of accumulated power.

The once prosperous vampire territory is now nothing but bloodstains and bones.

“This blood and dew… is the compensation my daughter deserves…”

Aiden's tone softened again, as if the massacre had been nothing more than a trivial cleanup:

"Euphemisma, accept them... This is your father's selfless love for you..."

A fist-sized, blood-red crystal ball detached from the tentacle and slowly floated toward Euphemia.

When Euphemia received the crystal ball, she could feel the pain and despair of thousands of lives condensed within this small sphere, as if it were crying out to her.

But her expression remained unchanged; she simply replied mechanically, "Thank you for your generosity, Father."

"And you, Asmond..."

Aiden's attention returned to the limp, blood-soaked Grand Duke:
"This incident has also reminded me that giving you too much freedom was indeed a mistake."

A beam of light shot out from the spiral vertical eye and pierced directly into Asmond's chest.

The Blood-Tears Grand Duke's body was instantly covered by some kind of blood-red pattern.

The lines writhed beneath the skin like living snakes, eventually forming a complex curse rune.

This is an irreversible bloodline control; from now on, Asmond will be unable to disobey any orders from Aiden and his bloodline descendants.

His free will was completely stripped away, and he became a slightly more advanced puppet.

"From now on, you must unconditionally comply with any request Euphemia makes."

Aiden's voice was filled with unquestionable authority:
"She is the extension of my will; to disobey her is to disobey me. Do you understand?"

"I...I understand, Master..."

Asmond's voice was as weak as a whisper, and his eyes had completely lost their former luster.

"Asmond swears his allegiance to you and Miss Euphemia to the death..."

"very good……"

Aiden seemed to remember something, and his spiral eyes suddenly turned towards Euphemia:

"By the way, I sensed the mark of another being on you... Is it that suspicious old turtle, Yutel?"

(End of this chapter)