Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Security Squad formed into five lines.
Each line had two vampires assigned to it, making a total of ten vampires responsible for drawing blood.
In modern Earth practices, blood is typically drawn using vacuum tubes that leverage pressure differences. Once the venipuncture needle pierces the vein, the blood automatically flows into the vacuum tube.
Here, however, things were much simpler and more direct. The ordinary people in this world had exceptionally robust constitutions, so there was no need for excessive caution.
Rekel was the first. As the captain of the Logistics Team, he naturally had to take on this responsibility.
"Lord Shote, go ahead."
One of the vampires tasked with drawing blood reassured him with a smile. "This isn't some form of torture. Relax; I'll be gentle—it won't hurt."
Upon hearing this, Rekel's face showed a hint of confusion. Something about those words didn't quite sit right with him.
Without further ado, Shote inserted a specially made needle into the vein on Rekel's arm. The thin tube attached to the needle was crafted from a hollow magical plant unique to this world.
The other end of the tube was connected to a white, cylindrical container with corresponding measurement markings. Once the blood reached the 300-milliliter mark, the needle would be removed, completing the blood-drawing process.
The procedure was remarkably straightforward. By expelling the air from the container with magic, an artificial vacuum was created—a technique developed by Li De.
Magic was an extraordinary force with versatile applications beyond just spellcasting. This application which involved using magic to evacuate air from the container was a perfect example.
This clever use of magic added a fantastical element to the entire process. Although rooted in modern principles, performing these actions through magic aligned perfectly with the style of the world of Glory.
Rekel felt a slight pain in his arm and looked at Shote with a puzzled expression.
"Didn't you say this was a blood donation? Why are you sticking me with a nail?"
Because the needle and the attached tube were opaque, Rekel couldn't see his blood being drawn.
Shote's lips twitched upon hearing this. "Don't ask," he muttered lazily, unwilling to waste time explaining the profound knowledge behind it all.
Two minutes later, the blood level in the container reached the 300-milliliter mark. Another vampire observing the process signaled that it was complete.
Shote nodded, removed the needle, and pressed a cotton swab against the wound.
"Hold it there for two minutes. Once the bleeding stops, you can discard it."
Rekel stared blankly at the scene, his face filled with question marks.
"That's it??"
Shote chuckled.
"What did you expect?"
Rekel's expression froze. He had braced himself for a cruel and painful ordeal, but... this was it?
I was mentally prepared to die, and this is what I get?
With a somewhat bewildered expression, he stood up and left his seat.
The surrounding crowd, who had initially been apprehensive, found themselves speechless.
They had expected a spectacle—to witness what they believed would be an extremely evil blood donation ritual. But the first blood draw ended so simply??
By the Goddess, it's like sneaking into a girl's room only to discover she's actually a muscular high-ranking warrior!
Could the contrast be any greater??
"This is it? Am I seeing things? Isn't this supposed to be a terrifying, evil demonic ritual? How anticlimactic!"
"By the Goddess of Life, how could you idiots think Lord Kachar would deceive you?!"
"So this is what blood donation is like? I thought they'd cut my hand open and make me bleed profusely."
After witnessing the true nature of this mysterious blood donation ritual, the crowd erupted into discussion.
However, their chatter wasn't focused on anything else but expressing disbelief at the supposed evilness of the ritual. After this display, even the most timid residents were no longer afraid.
By the Goddess, this was far too simple! It was nothing like the terrifying, sinister, and evil blood-sucking rituals they had imagined.
"Rekel, wait a moment."
Just as Rekel stepped back into the crowd, Shote called out to him.
"What is it?"
Shote pulled a silver puck from under the table and tossed it to him.
"Every resident receives one silver puck as a reward for contributing to Dawn City during their first blood donation of the year.
Those who voluntarily donate beyond the mandatory four times will earn points as a reward."
Rekel caught the silver puck, gave it a light toss in his hand to gauge its weight, then nodded and walked away.
Before coming here, he had mentally prepared to sacrifice his life. Yes, he had assumed this would be a bloody, terrifying ritual that would cost him his life.
But in the end, not only was he unharmed, but he also received a silver puck as compensation.
Rekel's emotions were complex.
When the surrounding crowd heard this, they exploded with excitement.
That's it? One silver puck just like that? Is earning money really this easy?!
A day's worth of odd jobs might earn them only ten or so copper pucks. Yet, in just a few minutes, they could earn the equivalent of seven or eight days' work.
Initially, the residents had imagined blood donation as vampires baring their fangs and sinking them into their necks.
They had envisioned a process filled with pain and torment.
But now? What torment? It was just a quick pinch from the needle—how was that related to suffering?
And just like that, they could receive a silver puck. In the City Hall's grain shop, that was enough to buy thirty pounds of wheat.
What was this? Wasn't this just Lord Kachar handing out welfare?
The residents who had come prepared to face death were utterly stunned by the psychological whiplash.
Then, following Rekel's example, the subsequent blood donations proceeded without a hitch.
Some people even grew envious after seeing others receive their silver pucks and tried to cut in line for their turn.
Of course, such behavior was quickly stopped due to insufficient points.
The five lines moved swiftly. With over four hundred people, each person took only about three minutes.
Three sun-hours later, everyone from the Security Squad and Logistics Team had completed their donations, each receiving a silver puck before happily departing.
The residents who hadn't yet donated were envious.
If they had known blood donation was this simple, they would have rushed to participate no matter what.
Just sitting down and getting pricked by a needle earned them a silver puck. Was there an easier way to make money??
The residents who had previously feared blood donation lost all anxiety once they realized how simple it was. Instead, they became excited, discussing when it would be their turn to earn their silver puck.
Fear stemmed from the unknown. When everything was laid bare, the self-imagined terror vanished, and there was nothing left to fear.
Of course, this was thanks to Li De's incorporation of modern medical practices; otherwise, the scene might have been somewhat bloody.
This left those who had initially spread rumors about the vampires exposing their evil nature feeling utterly humiliated. For a long time after the blood donation event, they couldn't even bring themselves to greet others while walking.
It was just too embarrassing.
These residents, who had metaphorically slapped themselves in the face, silently vowed never to be so foolish again. Doubting the great Lord Kachar was truly the most idiotic move.
Though Li De was unaware of the residents' inner thoughts, their shift in attitude toward blood donation spoke volumes.
From initial resistance and fear to later enthusiasm, the transformation was abrupt and unexpected.
To eliminate any lingering concerns, numerous banners about blood donation were hung throughout Dawn City under Li De's orders after the first day of donations.
"Blood Donation for Everyone: A Contribution from You, Me, and Us."
"Thanks to the heroic blood donations of every resident, Dawn City prospers and remains stable."
"Take pride in voluntary blood donation; feel shame in reluctance."
"Blood regenerates; donating does not harm your health."
These banners, hung all over Dawn City, became widely known thanks to the Propaganda Department's efforts.
Do not underestimate these simple banners—their influence rivaled the allure of silver pucks.
These common folk, unfamiliar with the concept of mass information dissemination, were oblivious to the brainwashing power of repetition.
The blood donation process took place in the square. At first, some people came to watch the spectacle, but eventually, they became completely indifferent to the event.
Thus, the plan was implemented smoothly without encountering any resistance.
Moreover, the City Hall established a dedicated department—the Medical Department—to handle blood draws.
The fresh blood collected from the residents was immediately transported to the newly constructed Blood Pool within the Holy Land.
The original Blood Pool still contained Mana-Infused Blood, so it was impossible to mix the fresh blood with the already transformed magical potion, as it would affect the efficacy of the Mana-Infused Blood.
To excavate new Blood Pools, the Holy Land had undergone significant changes recently.
The radiation range of the Divine Remains was one hundred blades, so the new Blood Pools were dug according to this radius.
The Blood Pool containing the Holy Spirit had been isolated by structures. Within the one-hundred-blade radius around the Holy Spirit, two massive new Blood Pools had been carved into the rock walls on either side.
The newly excavated Blood Pools were thirty blades deep and fifty blades in length and width, perfectly encompassing the Holy Spirit's radiation range.
Divine Remains
Attributes:
1. Inheritance: Can transform a human into a Vampire Progenitor (already used).
2. Vampire's Legacy: Can preserve the vitality of human blood (range: 100 blades in radius).
3. Mana Surge: As a deity, even in death, it can attract and gather mana around itself.
Divine Remains are indestructible and cannot be destroyed by any force below divine level.
Description: The remains of a vampire deity, possessing extremely special properties. It is a treasure of the vampire race.
The presence of the Holy Spirit acted as a natural, enhanced cold storage unit. Not only did it preserve the vitality of the blood, but over time, it also imbued the blood with increasing amounts of magical energy.
For the vampires, the Holy Spirit was the cornerstone enabling the human-to-vampire sustenance plan, even more valuable than a divine artifact.
One week after the blood donation plan began, residents lured by both silver pucks and points actively participated in the blood donation drive.
The final tally revealed that a total of 8,000 people—excluding children and the elderly—had participated in the first round, each donating 300 milliliters.
During this process, the elderly and children who were ineligible to donate expressed dissatisfaction, with many even lodging complaints at the City Hall. Naturally, these unreasonable requests were rejected.
Residents aged 14 and below or 65 and above were prohibited from participating in blood donations—this was a mandatory order issued by Lord Kachar.
8,000 people, each donating 300 milliliters, amounted to 2,400 liters—or approximately 2.5 tons.
Each vampire consumed about 3 liters of blood per month. Thus, a single round of blood donations could sustain 800 vampires for one month.
Li De stood beside the newly excavated Blood Pool in the Holy Land, watching as the 2,400 liters of blood barely covered the bottom of the pool, which measured fifty blades in length and width. A meaningful smile curved his lips.
After so much effort, they had finally taken this step.
How far was the rise of the vampires now?
With their shackles removed, how far could the vampires grow? Perhaps not even the Creator could estimate it.
As the sole master of the vampire race and the Lord of Dawn, the heights Li De might reach in the future remained unknown.