Chapter 13 It Is A Miracle

• Chelsea didn't respond to my question. Instead, she asked me with a playful smile, “What's the book he's looking for? It seems quite precious.”
• Naturally, I couldn't tell her about the book, so I just gave an awkward smile.
• Everyone has their own secrets, so there wasn't much more to say.
• After we returned to the condominium and were about to retreat to our respective rooms, Chelsea turned to me and said, “Tonight, no matter what noises you hear, stay put in your room and don't come out!”
• Her inexplicable remark left me somewhat baffled.
• However, seeing her serious demeanor, I simply gave a slight nod.
• I knew Chelsea was no ordinary person. I could understand her unique quirks.
• Returning to my room, I wasn't quite ready for sleep just yet. I took out the book I had been carrying and began to sketch the runes recorded within its pages. Over the past month, I found myself staying up late into the night every single day, engrossed in this routine.
• I cleared all distractions from my mind. Holding a calligraphy brush dipped in cinnabar ink, I began to draw earnestly on the blank talisman paper.
• After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, a faint voice suddenly echoed from outside. It was the voice of Chelsea.
• Her voice seemed to carry a hint of pain, a faint moan that made me furrow my brow.
• I initially planned to step outside, but recalling what she had instructed before, I found myself hesitating.
• Forget it, I should just stay in the room!
• The moaning from outside came intermittently. At first, I could discern a hint of pain in Chelsea's voice. However, over time, the tone shifted, becoming somewhat suggestive.
• It left me feeling a bit unsettled, with a faint hint of a fiery sensation rising in the pit of my stomach. My breathing was slightly heavier than usual, and my mind was filled with alluring images.
• I stuffed two balls of paper into my ears, forcibly suppressing the restlessness in my heart. After taking several deep breaths, I cast aside my wandering thoughts. Looking at the discarded talisman papers in front of me, I couldn't help but slightly furrow my brow.
• Over the past month, even though I had made significant progress in my art, the success rate remained quite low.
• Essentially, it took ruining ten talisman papers to successfully create one. This efficiency was far too low. I wondered when I would be able to fully master all the content in this book.
• At that moment, I recalled the words that Lincoln had shared with me before.
• If I were to mix my own blood with cinnabar to draw the runes, the effect would be significantly enhanced.
• I was ready to give it a shot.
• Although Lincoln had instructed me not to shed any blood here, claiming that Chelsea had hematophobia, I didn't take it too seriously. After all, this was my room, and even if a few drops of blood were shed, Chelsea wouldn't see it. So, I saw no reason to worry.
• Without further ado, I bit through the tip of my finger, letting a few drops of blood blend into the cinnabar. I then proceeded to grind it meticulously.
• Immersed in the task, I deftly sketched a rune onto a blank talisman paper using a calligraphy brush dipped in blood-red cinnabar ink.
• Unsure if it was due to psychological factors or just sheer good luck, I drew this rune with great ease. There wasn't a hint of the previous hindrances or stagnation. It was done in one go.
• I dropped the pen, and the talisman was completed.
• The moment the rune took shape, there seemed to be a faint glimmer of red light flashing through it. It was strangely beautiful.
• I was overjoyed, my heart pounding with excitement as I looked at the talisman.
• This talisman, without a doubt, was the best one I had created in the past month. Lincoln was right. The runes drawn with my own blood were indeed extraordinary.
• As I was basking in this euphoria, a sudden, deafening thud echoed, startling me.
• I quickly turned around, only to see that my door had been kicked open. Chelsea's figure appeared at my doorway.
• I rose to my feet, casting a somewhat surprised glance at her.
• Removing the wads of paper I had stuffed in my ears, I gave a wry smile and said, “Chelsea, you don't have to kick the door open every time. I...”
• At this point, I paused in my speech, staring wide-eyed at Chelsea.
• It was then that I noticed something was off about her.
• Her gaze seemed somewhat vacant as if she were in a state of trance. It felt as though she was sleepwalking.
• “Blood... I smell blood,” she murmured.
• Her eyes remained fixed on the tip of my finger—the one I had recently bitten, now healing rapidly and still bearing traces of blood. As she inhaled deeply, it was as if she'd caught a whiff of something delectable, and a subtle crimson flicker danced in her otherwise dull gaze.
• Immediately after, four small pointed fangs sprouted from her lips. The crimson hue of the sharp fangs exuded an eerie allure.
• This scene terrified me, sending chills down my spine and painting my face with a look of sheer horror.
• I wanted to step back. But in that fleeting moment, my vision blurred and Chelsea suddenly appeared in front of me. She swiftly grabbed my arm, firmly holding onto my finger that was still nursing an unhealed wound. Without a second thought, she placed them in her mouth, sucking on them gently.
• For a moment, a tingling sensation enveloped my body, unexpectedly cocooning me in a languid comfort.
• A sense of urgency and panic surged within me. Instinctively, I yanked my fingers from her mouth, and in my frantic state, my other hand reached out, grabbing the book from the table and hurling it toward her.
• “Blood... I need blood...” The eerie red glow in Chelsea's eyes intensified.
• She stared at me intently, her hands moving as swift as lightning, gripping my shoulders tightly. Without hesitation, she lunged at me, her mouth aiming straight for my neck.
• At this point, I began to vaguely understand why Lincoln didn't want me to shed blood here. But regretfully, it was already too late.
• Her hands gripped my shoulders, leaving me with no room to dodge. Her strength was immense, making it impossible for me to break free.
• When she lunged to bite at my neck, I wasn't quite sure what I was thinking. I instinctively used the thin book I was holding to shield my neck.
• The sound of her fangs biting into my flesh resonated. A stinging pain radiated from my neck.
• Her fangs had pierced through the book, sinking directly into my neck and causing blood to gush out.
• At the same time, that tingling sensation returned, stronger than before, inundating my brain with a dizzying wave, leaving my consciousness ensnared in a bewildering fog.
• “Darn it...” I muttered resentfully before everything in my sight turned black and I passed out.
• As I lost consciousness, Lilith's enraged cry echoed in my ears, and darkness enveloped me completely.
• I had a long dream in which many people appeared. They were strangers to me, yet they seemed to know me. Some treated me with warmth, others with indifference, and some even glared at me.
• Beyond that, I also dreamt of countless intricate runes and peculiar patterns. These things seemed to come alive, rejoicing and frolicking, swirling around me.
• In that instant, a subtle illusion enveloped me, casting me as their sovereign—a ruler with dominion over all.
• I was unsure how much time had passed before the dream faded away, and I slowly regained consciousness.
• The initial sensation I felt was a pervasive numbness throughout my body as if I was completely drained of strength. With much effort, I opened my eyes, only to find someone sitting by the bed.
• It was Lilith, clad in white.
• Lilith looked at me with a complex expression in her eyes and said softly, “It's a miracle that you're still alive after losing so much blood!”