I’m starting to think that that bastard John Hardley is so obsessed with me because he wants my cock — and just the idea makes me nauseous.

It might sound like bullshit, and it probably is, but honestly I can’t come up with any other plausible explanation. Otherwise, why the hell would he have invited me to his gigantic villa, in the most remote and rundown area of New York’s outskirts?

«Now that the Monster Slayers are sweeping the back alleys of the outskirts in search of the mysterious vampire who decapitates his victims, your time is about to run out, Jace Lance — unless something changes,» he states with a solemn voice, standing in front of me in the immense garden surrounding his villa. «You have potential, kid — believe me, my sixth sense never fails — and it would be a shame if someone with your talent ended up killed like a common delinquent. I’m not a vampire, but over the course of a life much longer than it seems, I’ve met hundreds of them and studied their magic. At the moment, this knowledge is completely useless to me, but for you, Jace Lance, it could turn out to be a goldmine. As you can imagine, practicing vampiric spells in the streets of New York isn’t the best way to avoid drawing attention, but luckily for you my estate has all the space we need.»

Now do you understand why I’m so convinced this maniac wants my cock? What he just told me — isn’t it basically an elegant and subtle way of saying: «I don’t want anyone to see us while we do filthy things in public, but at my place, far from prying eyes, we can do whatever we want»?

Come on, it’s practically the exact same sentence... so why the fuck did I accept his invitation? Well, simple — because I hope that at least a small part of what he’s promising me is true. He said that, if I followed him, they would teach me how to master powerful vampiric spells, and I accepted almost without batting an eye. If I learned them, first of all I could crush the Monster Slayers who are hunting me, and one day maybe — who knows — even John Hardley himself!

Even so... no, that guy may be a first-rate asshole, but he’s not stupid. He would never dig his own grave by making me strong enough to kill him — and above all, not without getting something in return.

Exactly — no strings attached. And that’s precisely what surprises me the most. I was expecting the usual blackmail along the lines of: «I’ll teach you everything I know, but in exchange you’ll work for me,» or some similar bullshit. Instead, nothing — he didn’t even hint at it, and John is definitely not the kind of guy who does things out of kindness.

So, if he didn’t try to blackmail me into becoming his lackey... do you get now why I think he wants my cock?

«First of all, let’s start from the basics. A vampire’s magical energy is called Sanguis. This peculiar energy flows through a vampire’s veins and, more precisely, is contained within red blood cells. In simple terms, vampires have full control over their own blood and can manipulate it at will — exactly like you do when you create that big axe. But an experienced vampire can obviously do much more than summon a lumberjack’s tool. On Elyndra, I personally met vampires so powerful they could bring down a skyscraper with a single shot. It will certainly be a long and difficult path, but I’m confident that a promising student like you can reach that level without difficulty,» John explains, arms crossed and a serious expression on his face.

Wait... did I hear that right?! Vampires capable of bringing down a skyscraper with a single blow?! What the fuck is this — a Battle Shounen?!

He’s definitely fucking with me. It all sounds way too absurd to be true — and yet, damn it, he speaks with such confidence and seriousness that I can’t help but take his words as absolute truth.

And after a long, painfully boring series of theoretical explanations, we finally get to the interesting part: Blood Manipulations — apparently that’s what vampiric spells are officially called. My goal is, within a month, to be able to cast the most basic Blood Manipulation, called Spike, which allows you to shape your own blood into a sharp spike and shoot it at the target.

Yeah — John Hardley is literally turning me into a damn Battle Shounen protagonist... and it’s fucking awesome!

That’s why I don’t waste even a second and immediately throw myself into the exercises to manipulate Sanguis energy, under John’s watchful gaze.

Yeah, but... I still can’t understand why he’s doing all this. He wants to turn me into a vampire strong enough to face — or even surpass — the Monster Slayers... and then? I can’t figure out what he gets out of it. I’ve asked him several times, but his answers are always vague and confused.

«We are both beings from another world. If we don’t help each other, who will?»

Honestly, I doubt someone like him is capable of altruism. It’s obvious that, sooner or later, he’ll try to blackmail me.

And there’s only one way he could succeed: by targeting the people I care about.

If he ever dares to mention the names Veronica or Naomi to force me to side with him... that would be the moment he regrets having taught me all this!

Anyway... manipulating this damn Sanguis magic is much more complicated than that bastard made it seem. It’s almost dawn by now, and the best I’ve managed so far is to hurl a tiny sphere of blood, no bigger than a marble.

According to him, it’s an excellent result... yeah, really useful... if I ever feel like playing marbles in the sand!

«Oh, I almost forgot,» John says with a sinister grin, at the end of our first training session. «Using Sanguis magic... makes a vampire particularly hungry.»

Yeah, he really did "forget" to tell me something that important — that bastard!

But I don’t even have time to worry about how I’ll get food now that it’s almost dawn, as John orders one of his men to bring something.

A man — he’s in terrible condition, but still alive. He stares at me, terrified — his shattered eyes are those of someone who has seen far more than a human mind can endure.

«This man is... let’s say, a business rival of mine. My men captured him just a couple of hours ago. I intended to devour him myself, but since I have a guest, it would have been rude not to offer him something to eat. Don’t be shy, Jace. Help yourself,» John sneers.

First a lesson in vampiric magic and now fresh human blood... I have to say, this bastard really knows how to win me over... and I’m certainly not the type to refuse such generous hospitality.