He creased his eyebrows as the intense light from the morning fell on his face.

[Good morning handsome.]

Korrito was lying down by his side, her chin resting on her hand as she stared at him with a smile.

[Did you dream of me?]

She inched closer to cuddle against his body, pressing her lips against his.

He embraced her waist as they remained locked in a kiss for long minutes.

[What you did to me last night was incredible. I…I’ve never felt so good in my life. I want to make you feel good too.]

Her cheeks took a rosy hue as she whispered to him.

Her hand moved to his groin; she entered his trousers to massage his underwear. Their eyes remained locked as her fingers took hold of his hard member.

He grasped her hand before asking with a serious voice.

[You don’t remember what happened last night? Nothing?]

She looked like she was thinking hard. Her eyebrows were locked in a frown as she spoke with hesitation.

[I remember the kiss…it’s weird, I…it’s vague like I was half asleep. You’ve touched me all over; you’ve put your fingers in me?]

[Forget it, it’s not important.]

He got up, picked his cloak and left her apartment. She followed him all along but he did not turn back.

As soon as he returned to his room, he went into meditation to absorb the blood in his stomach into his blood ocean.

[Korrito said she does not remember me drinking her blood. Was she lying? I do not think so…then why?]

Ocelio was sitting on his desk, in his mental space. A bookshelf was placed on the side as he continued to write on the book.

[She doesn’t remember, but in the previous world, wasn’t it exactly because humans could remember the vampire attacks that they were hunted down. If so, does that mean I can suck people’s blood without hypnotising them? Is it somewhat linked to my Progenitor bloodline?

I need more experiments.]

After taking a shower and changing clothes, he went downstairs to have his breakfast.

However, as soon as he approached the always empty cafeteria, he heard familiar voices.

[Good morning sir Ocelio.]

[Good morning Ocelio!]

All the bloodrainists were present except Kerkyon. They wore casual clothes and appeared to be in the middle of their breakfast.

[Let me get you food.]

Korrito offered to bring his meal and left her seat. He looked at her figure for a second before sitting on the table with the others.

[That woman, always trying to curry favours I see.]

Sosilus laughed at her behaviour. His greedy eyes stared at the bulge on her dark green jacket before lowering to her white skin-tight trousers. He seemed unable to move his eyes from the shape of her swaying butt, he licked his lips with a layer of saliva, not missing any detail as she lowered her waist to pick up the trays, revealing the outline of her underwear.

He only noticed her stare when she turned around, looking at him with a disgust.

He raised his thumb, a grin etched on his face.

Meanwhile, the conversation had shifted in a different direction under Mnasyllus lead.

[And sir did not discover that malicious presence beforehand?]

[No, I discovered it as soon the rod moved from the cauldron. Two of my companions were near the artefact when the event happened.]

[Selatonice Eumenidos and Ianeira Dadaces, is that correct? Indeed, they were lucky to be brought out in time. Most of the guests who collapsed did not have this chance and it is still unknown if they’ll be able to wake up.]

The group was discussing yesterday’s event in the art exposition when Korrito came back with two trays in her hands.

[Move!]

[How about you sit on my lap instead?]

After getting Sosilus to switch seat, Korrito sat beside Ocelio, placing the two trays in front of him.

[I did not know your taste so I took a little bit of everything. Tell me if you don’t like something, I’ll bring it back.]

Saying so, she brought her food to her seat and resumed eating. Looking as if nothing had happened.

However, the rest of the bloodrainists stared at her with wide eyes. Their eyes alternated between the nonchalant Ocelio and Korrito’s calm face.

Mnasyllus coughed before resuming the previous talk.

[Things have become more hectic in recent weeks. A malicious presence appears to have invaded our city but we still have no idea how it came in. Someone tried to enter a nanti’s house by force in the middle of the night and now, the magical beasts in the wilderness show some strange activity. We might have to make a trip outside once more to investigate.]

[Spare us, it has barely been a few days since we returned.]

[Someone invaded a nanti’s house? Ballsy.]

The group continued to complain but none of them showed disapproval at Mnasyllus request.

Korrito brought her face closer, whispering to Ocelio.

[He’s friend with the captain of the city guards. He’s the one the officials go to when they have troublesome requests from us.]

They dispersed one by one, leaving only Ocelio, Lampus and Korrito in the cafeteria.

Ocelio barely touched the dishes on his plate. Korrito paid particular attention to which drink he preferred and the few fruits he had picked.

[So, Ocelio, wanna go tour around the city with me this afternoon? I can guarantee you won’t get bored; I know all kind of good places.]

The bright smile on Lampus face seemed to make him hesitate, he answered a moment later with a slow nod.

Lampus cheered loudly, promising they would be having fun and taste delicious cuisine at his restaurant.

[You better not be thinking of bringing him to Ulfila’s place.]

Korrito tapped her fingers on the table as she declared in a reprimanding tone.

Ocelio gave her a sharp glance, dissatisfaction pouring out of his eyes.

Her face paled as she lowered her head, her shoulders trembled under the pressure.

[Sorr...y.]

Lampus acted as if he hadn’t seen anything, he answered with a silly smile on his small face.

[Of course, Ulfila won’t do. There is no way cheap prostitutes would catch the eyes of someone like Ocelio.]

[I expect good things. I’m am pretty interested in armaments and the crafter residing in the city.]

[Don’t worry, you can count on me.]

As they were leaving the Warrior’s Association building, Ocelio trailed a bit behind Lampus with Korrito.

All of sudden, he stopped, whispering to her ears.

[Know your place. You’re nothing more than a discardable woman.]

She gritted her teeth; she resisted the pain of her butt being pinched as she answered in a meek tone.

[Yes…I apologise.]

She bit her lips, then followed behind him.

Fear and respect were etched on the faces of the pedestrians when the group reached the busy streets. The citizens would leave the middle of the road open for them to walk on and the carriages would slow down, driving to the side.

[Are there no other Bloodrainist in the city apart from you five?]

Lampus glanced at Korrito. She made a complex expression before answering his question.

[There are few nanti families in the city willing to make one of their descendants a Bloodrainist and the commoners don’t have the opportunity to obtain an 8th class magical beast. So yes, it’s only the city mayor who organise the awakening ceremony every decade to make sure the city has enough protectors.]

They had just reached a luxurious clothing store. Lampus took the lead to greet the owner before introducing him to Ocelio.

[This is old Philokles, he’s a good man. He has been working in this shop before I was even born. All the nanti families in the city swear only by him when buying clothes.]

A middle-aged man with long brown hair mixed with gold tufts stood behind the counter with a kind smile.

[Good afternoon sirs and miss. It is a pleasure to have you patronage my humble store. Please, call me if you need anything.]

[Thank you Philokles, let’s take some light clothes, I’ll take you to somewhere interesting.]

Korrito froze, she glanced at Lampus and Ocelio.

[Is it, Eos centre?]

Lampus groaned. When he realised Ocelio didn’t react, he pleaded for Korrito not to reveal anything.

They took their time to look through the shelves, Ocelio did show some interest for some of the clothes, however, the shelves Lampus brought him to only contained bathing trunks and men underwear.

[I’ll go try this one. Wait for me.]

As soon as Lampus left for the changing room, Korrito walked to Ocelio in hurried steps.

[Don’t tell me. I can guess. So, why does the nanti families not create more Bloodrainists?]

She came carrying a few clothing articles. A few buttons on her dark green jacket had been undone, revealing her cleavage and the colour of her bra.

Her lips opened but she did not speak for a few seconds.

[The…They don’t want to risk their descendants…The awakening ritual has a high death rate; they would rather use the young generation in political marriages. And…to them, it is too ineffective to invest in commoners. They would need to buy an 8th class magical beast but even then, there’s only a slim chance the person would succeed. They only invest in it each decade because the city mayor force them to.]

Lampus came out from the changing room wearing a slim brief. He had no shirt and his compact muscles were clear for all to see.

Korrito glanced at it before looking back at the shelves.

[So, did you make your pick.]

[Yeah, we’re waiting for you.]

[Oh sorry, I’ll get dressed right away!]

When Lampus returned inside the changing room, Ocelio eyes came to rest on her face. His stare seemed able to penetrate her mind.

[And what about your awakening? How did it go?]

Her hands shook, she bit her lips, she begged him in a weak voice.

[Not here, please not now. I’ll tell you everything later, when it’s just us.]

She threw a glance outside, only for one second. Yet, it was enough to notice two women standing outside, looking as if they were chatting.

[They’re following you…I guess you’re not offering yourself to me for my looks.]

He said it in a joking tone but she only answered with a weak smile.

[I’ll pay, it’s okay.]

Lampus thanked her as the two of them left the shop, waiting for the shop owner to go through all of Korrito’s articles.

[So, how was she?]

[Who?]

Ocelio frowned, giving the mischievous expression on Lampus’s face a dull look.

[Korrito, you two slept together right? Was she a virgin? How did she do in bed, did she moan a lot?]

Seeing him blush and remain silent, Lampus giggled.

[You’ll love where I’m taking you. It makes you feel all fuzzy inside, way better than the pool on the third floor. And right after, we’re going to my restaurant, you’ll love it!]

When Korrito came out with a leather bag filled to the brim, they left for a large compound three streets away. A dozen carriages were already parked outside of the establishment by the time they arrived.

Inside the building was a wide hall where people queue-up to a counter. Mist could be seen reaching the ceiling, leaking from the doors on both sides of the hall.

[Welcome to Eos centre, the best place to relax and forget all your worries.]

Lampus opened his hands wide toward the air, announcing in a loud voice that startled the guests waiting in line. Ocelio smiled at his antics.

All of a sudden, his attention moved to a group that was talking to a receptionist at the counter.

Their eyes met, the woman gave him a bright smile before walking up to him.

[Sir Ocelio, I’m glad to be able to meet you again.]

Her cheeks reddened as she stared at him with sparkling eyes.

Korrito and Lampus glanced at the two of them before moving to the front of the line.

Nobody complained once they saw their appearance, the receptionist made a polite smile as she proceeded to reserve a VIP suite for them.

[You are?]

[Deneira sir, we met in the Art Exposition. How have you been sir Ocelio?]

Her purple lips opened in a slow, deliberate manner as she passed her hand through her short brown and red hair.

Her black elastic shorts covered half her thighs and her sleeveless pink blouse hugged her bosom, tracing her breasts shape.

[I’m good, thank you.]

She grabbed the hem of her shorts; her feet moved a bit closer as she blinked at him.

[Sir…may I join your group?]

There was only a short distance between them. Their eyes locked for an instant.

At the same time, she pushed her chest forward. Her eyes lowered to his throat; her cheeks blushed as two firm nipples appeared on her blouse.

[Sure.]

A few meters away, Lampus and Korrito watched their exchange in silence.

[You’re not gonna say anything?]

Her complexion darkened at his words. Her lips pressed together before answering in a cold tone.

[He’s free to play as much as he wants. She’s just a bimbo, she can’t threaten me.]

[Not that. If you leave with Ocelio, you’re not gonna say anything to them?]

Her eyes remained on Ocelio and Deneira, only snippets of their conversation travelled to her ears.

[You were cuter when all you had in your mind was to get between my legs. I don’t need your meddling.]

Korrito made her way to the receptionist, asking to add one more member in their suite. When Ocelio and Deneira joined them, they left for their separate changing room.

Everything was prepared, from a locker to place your clothes to a tray with refreshments and snacks.

After wearing his grey trunk, he went directly to the VIP suite linked to the changing rooms.

It contained a stream with steaming green water that coursed around the room like a snake, ending in the middle into a giant pool. This room alone was twice his apartment size.

[No wonder it is a VIP area. If we had this in our shelter, mother would have made it her bathroom.]

The corner of his eyes curled as he whispered to himself.

Through the steam, he could see Lampus already sitting in the pool with two women in his arms feeding him snacks.

When he swam to the pool, the attendants standing by peeked at him. They were all pretty women and handsome men ranging from young to mature.

[You’re here. So how is it, the water is better isn’t it? And the employees aren’t bad too.]

He grinned before swallowing a grape the mature woman on his left was holding close to his mouth.

The woman had long curly brown hair and appeared to be in her thirties. She had a generous chest and a wide waist but her hips were narrow, making her look voluptuous and slender. Her provocative black one-piece swimsuit showcased her cleavage and toned stomach, leaving little to imagination.

The other attendant was sitting on his laps, she looked like a girl in her late teens with straight brown hair extending to her shoulders. The fringe reached right above her upturned eyes, the pink and purple makeup on her eyelids made her look coquettish as she continued to stare at Lampus with a pout.

By the time he had made it to the edge of the pool, two attendants had come forward, offering to tie his long black hair that was soaked in water.

[I can do it myself.]

He took the silk hair tie from her hand before wrapping up his long hair into a ponytail.

He glanced down at the water; its steaming heat did not seem to affect his skin as it retained its pale glow. What attracted his attention appeared to be the sweet and relaxing smell emanating from the water.

[I guess it is not bad. Is it also coming from a magical plant?]

His eyes glanced back at Lampus. His head was pressed against the chest of the mature attendant and he didn’t seem to have heard him.

[You are right sir. This Eos centre was built above a water source that originated from a magical plant, I could tell you more if you desire so.]

The attendant sat on the side of the pool with a smile. She looked in her early twenties and had long light brown hair. She wore two pieces that seemed too tight for her, her big supple breasts appeared to be about to break free from their constraints.

She shifted her legs under his stare, exposing the pink bottom that was tight enough to show the outline of her private part.

A faint blush appeared on his face; his attention returned to the water as he sat with his eyes closed in the water.

[Use your hands to give me a massage while you tell me this place’s story.]

A soft giggle could be heard behind him as she came down into the pool.

His eyes opened wide as she sat on top of him, the smile hadn’t left her lips as she looked at him with a mischievous expression.

[Where should I massage you, sir?]

Her body moved forward; her large breasts pressed against his chest as her hand dived underwater.

[Is it there?]

Ocelio stared into her eyes with a mask of calmness, yet, she stared back with a faint smile, a layer of pink covered her cheeks as their faces almost touched.

[My shoulders.]

At his cold words, she took back her hand before giggling.

[My apology. Sir doesn’t need to look at me with a scary face. I’ll work hard to redeem myself; sir can rely on me for that.]

The woman didn’t seem pressured by his presence. She puts her hands on his shoulder and started to apply pressure on his body.

They continued to stare into each other’s eyes, one with a smile, one without any emotion.

[And what happens if I don’t want your service anymore.]

At his words, her hands paused. She made a serious face. Their eyes seemed to have entered a contest as none of them blinked.

She exploded into laughter as she hugged his neck. Her waist moved up and down, pressing down on him as she whispered into his ears.

[Then, I guess I have no choice but to sell myself into slavery and become a plaything for men.]