More than a month passed in a flash.
During this time, with the death of Lestat's motley Vampires, the other motley Vampires still wandering outside also recognized the situation.
Those who had the opportunity chose to join the factories under King Investment Group, while those with guilty consciences either left the "dangerous" New York overnight or hid deeper, no longer daring to cause trouble.
Under these circumstances, the nighttime public order in New York improved significantly.
And X Squad, which had almost monitored all Vampire movements in New York, was considered to have completed the mission assigned by MIB Headquarters.
Mike, now at leisure, tallied his gains and distributed large bonuses to John and others, as well as many peripheral members of X Squad, based on their contributions, then granted them a considerable amount of vacation time.
As for Mike, the slight arrogance that had arisen from his rapid power growth had gradually subsided during this period.
Afterward, with no urgent tasks on hand, he resumed a peaceful life.
During the day, he would go to Columbia University with Paige to study graduate courses.
In the evenings, he would invite Regina and other girls to party at the villa.
Life was fulfilling and happy.
It was only the pure-blood Vampires in New York, who had not yet shown themselves, that suffered; although they discreetly avoided X Squad's scrutiny, the severe situation outside made their food sources unstable.
Thus, in a shadow-shrouded, retro castle, a dozen pure-blood Vampires in opulent attire were forced to share the scarce remaining "food" with test tubes.
The scene appeared utterly desolate...
In the dining room, at the head of the retro-style long table, Goethe, dressed in a medieval robe, carefully finished the blood at the bottom of his cup, then looked around at the other pure-blood Vampires below and said, "I have decided that we will relocate out of New York."
The pure-blood Vampires here were not strong; they were the "embers" left behind by the Vampire elders during the Vampire and werewolf war decades ago.
Goethe, who had reached the Earl level and was much older than the other pure-blood Vampires, was considered the leader of this group of pure-bloods.
However, the dozen or so Vampires on both sides of the dining table, although all pure-blood Vampires, were mostly at the Viscount level due to their young age, and had not even awakened their bloodline talents.
Under these circumstances, this group of pure-blood Vampires actually had no competitiveness.
"I disagree, this castle is an inheritance left to us by our ancestors, we cannot abandon it—"
"Yes, New York is our old lair..."
"I also do not approve of leaving..."
As soon as Goethe spoke, he was met with a chorus of objections from the Vampires below.
Yes, although this group of pure-blood Vampires was not strong, they were very reserved about their noble bloodline.
"Then what do we do? Are we going to starve to death here?" Goethe's veins popped out on his forehead, angered by the foolish thought process of his kin below.
The current situation in New York was that the MIB were strong, and the Vampires were weak.
The wisest course of action for this group of pure-blood Vampires, serving as "embers," was to first avoid the sharp edge of the MIB and hide elsewhere to accumulate strength.
Once they had enough power, they might even have a chance to return to New York one day and restore their ancestral glory.
As for now, their power was still inferior to that of Lestat and other motley Vampires, whom Mike had easily dealt with before.
"Anyway, I refuse to leave New York, even if I die, I want to die in this castle..."
"I agree..."
Clearly, this group of less powerful pure-blood Vampires had adopted the rigid ways of ancient Vampires.
"It's all because of Seth and Akasha, provoking the MIB for no reason..."
"Yes, they could have joined us and strengthened the pure-bloods' power..."
Subsequently, these pure-blood Vampires shifted the blame to other pure-blood Vampires, completely disregarding Deacon and Lestat, these motley Vampires.
"Everyone shut up, our primary task now is to consider how to survive." Goethe finally couldn't hold back and reprimanded the unreliable pure-blood Vampires below.
Goethe had previously suggested trying to contact Akasha.
However, because the other pure-bloods here were wary of Akasha's immense power, they did not agree to his proposal.
Saying these words now was completely hindsight and meaningless.
"Isn't it just food? I've already sent Thorn and Rose to get some." In the quiet dining room, Maguire, with a small mustache, spoke indifferently, "If their operation is successful this time, perhaps we can even acquire a young Daywalker."
The pure-bloods here had all heard of Blade's power.
Moreover, the Daywalker bloodline was an existence that allowed Vampires to walk in the sunlight again; which Vampire could resist such a temptation?
"Really? Are there other Daywalkers in New York?"
"We can finally leave the castle without any worries..."
Hearing Maguire's statement, the pure-bloods below couldn't help but cheer.
Daywalker does not exclusively refer to Blade, but specifically to a unique bloodline that can fuse Vampire and human blood.
From its origin, the Daywalker currently existing in the world should all be the pure human descendants of Alexander's youngest son.
If handled properly, Vampires might not be unable to find a way to resist ultraviolet rays from Daywalker.
"You let Thorn and Rose act on their own? Why didn't you inform me?" Goethe did not fall into the joy of discovering the Daywalker; instead, his face became even uglier.
He had repeatedly emphasized to the other pure-bloods to keep a low profile, which was precisely why this batch of pure-blood "embers" had survived for so long.
Yet now, with the situation outside so severe, someone below dared to mess around.
If the MIB caught wind of them, Goethe was certain that the fate of the pure-blood Vampires here would not be much better than that of Akasha before.
"Don't worry! I've told Thorn and Rose to come back quickly after they succeed. There won't be any trouble—" Maguire answered with a hint of pride on his face.
He had long been dissatisfied with Goethe's timid personality and had thoughts of replacing him.
He just lacked a little more power—
Although Goethe seemed to restrict the actions of the pure-blood Vampires here everywhere, this stronghold had been hidden for so long without being discovered by outside intelligence personnel, entirely relying on his abilities.
Yes, Goethe's awakened bloodline talent was—[Shadow Descent].
It could shroud an area, making it difficult for outsiders to easily discover.
If this talent was powerfully activated, Goethe could even walk in the sunlight protected by shadows.
Although this ability was not strong in combat, it was very suitable for Vampires.
"This is just this once, don't let it happen again." Goethe didn't blame Maguire too much, then continued, "As for the food problem, I will figure out a way later, just don't cause any more trouble."
It seemed that deep down, Goethe also didn't want to leave New York.
At this point, the discussion about relocation among these pure-blood Vampires came to an end.
And in a place Goethe didn't notice, Maguire's face showed a smile.
'That's it, first suppress the other party's prestige, and then show off your own abilities. One day, I will be able to replace Goethe.'
This was Maguire's inner thought and plan, and it was also why he had opposed Goethe's proposal and secretly sent out his blood kin to act.
Then, as this group of pure-blood Vampires finished enjoying the scarce fresh blood before them and were about to adjourn, a male and female elite-level motley Vampire, reeking of fresh blood, returned to the castle to report.
'Thorn' and 'Rose' were the code names of these two Vampires.
They were powerful blood kin meticulously cultivated by this group of pure-blood Vampires, chosen out of thousands.
Not only was the male handsome and the female beautiful, but their strength was also top-tier among Viscounts, stronger than many pure-blood Vampires in the castle.
"Reporting, Lord Maguire. We have completed the tasks you assigned, here is the food and the person you were looking for—"
Thorn and Rose, upon entering the dining room, immediately knelt halfway to show loyalty, and then Thorn reported the mission results.
"Well done!" Maguire laughed heartily, taking two large blood bags from the two blood kin, then poured a large glass for each of the other pure-blood Vampires whose eyes were red.
The taste of fresh blood...
The pure-bloods, who had previously maintained their noble etiquette, were stimulated by the scent of food, and one by one transformed into "ravenous wolves," frantically devouring the deliciousness before them.
Even Goethe was not immune; having not tasted such fresh blood in a long time, he drank more than half a glass in one gulp, then closed his eyes contentedly to savor the aftertaste.
Maguire smiled, taking it all in, and his confidence grew even stronger.
Then, after the pure-blood Vampires had enjoyed their delicious feast, Maguire led the little girl brought back by Thorn and Rose, introducing her, "This is the young Daywalker, our hope to live in the sunlight again."
The little girl who had been captured looked only five or six years old and was very cute; she didn't cry or fuss in the unfamiliar environment.
Instead, her pure, large eyes swept across the faces of the Vampires in the room, as if she wanted to remember their features.
She hadn't forgotten the horrific sight of her foster parents, drained of blood, before their death.
"She's no different from an ordinary human child—"
"That's right, why don't I feel the aura of a Daywalker..."
Compared to the little girl's cute appearance, this group of pure-blood Vampires was more concerned with her bloodline.
"In my perception, she is indeed just an ordinary human child..." Goethe also stepped forward and carefully sniffed the little girl's scent, then turned to Maguire and asked, "Are you mistaken?"
"How is that possible? I've been watching her for a long time. When she was still in the orphanage, I thoroughly verified it. She is absolutely a Daywalker without a doubt..." Maguire sounded like he had been stepped on, defending himself loudly.
"Don't get agitated, I'm not doubting your ability." Goethe shook his head and explained, "Perhaps Thorn and Rose caught the wrong person, who knows."
Maguire thought about it calmly and realized it was indeed possible.
So, he glared fiercely at the two kneeling blood kin, then turned to the little girl and asked, "What's your name?"
"My name is Scarlett, and I'm not afraid of you!" The little girl, Scarlett, looked up, her eyes filled with determination.
Of course, Maguire was no longer paying attention to these details; he said in annoyance, "Why is it Scarlett? You should be Karl..."
Yes, Maguire was now certain that his kin had caught the wrong person.
Growing angrier the more he thought about it, he furiously kicked the two blood kin to the ground and demanded, "What's going on? Where's the Daywalker I wanted?"
"We all acted according to your instructions, but when we arrived at the farm, we found that the family had adopted three little girls of the same age..." Thorn, covering his fractured arm, knelt back down and explained, "We were originally going to capture all three children, but we unexpectedly encountered another pure-blood Vampire's obstruction midway. Following the principle of not causing extra trouble, we only brought back one little girl."
On the other side, the motley Vampire codenamed Rose also knelt down and added, "That pure-blood Vampire was very strong, we were no match for him at all."
"Other Vampires interfering is not an excuse for your mission failure—" Maguire, having lost face in front of his companions, said forcefully, "Now go find the Daywalker and bring her back, otherwise you don't need to return."
"This..." The two blood kin kneeling on the ground simultaneously showed expressions of despair.
During the previous mission, the pure-blood Vampire they encountered was very strong, likely an Earl who had awakened his bloodline talent.
Although they didn't know why the opponent didn't kill them with one blow at the time, Thorn and Rose knew that seeking trouble with him again would be tantamount to suicide.