Read Novel Full Chapter 237: Torso Of Progenitor
Chapter 237: Torso Of Progenitor
When questioned, Flynn claimed he did not know where the heart was. He said the torso was the only thing he found. He barely remembered what happened inside the mountain.
According to him, he walked into the storm, and the next thing he knew, he was outside again with the torso in his arms.
His tone was calm, never faltering or hesitating for even a moment.
Robert believed him without hesitation. "Flynn would never lie to me," the Patriarch said confidently.
Mark disagreed. Perhaps because he had spent more time with Flynn. Inside the laboratory. Outside, in quieter moments between procedures.
He had seen the subtle changes. The deeper gaze. The guarded pauses before answers.
The boy, now no longer truly a child, was lying.
Mark was certain of it.
But he said nothing.
He was not Latros’ hound. He was a doctor. A researcher. A scientist. His loyalty was to discovery, not to obedience.
After Flynn brought out the torso, the storm vanished.
The barrier that had resisted them for months dissolved as if it had never existed. They were finally able to enter the mountain freely.
What they found beneath astonished them.
The mine veins were infused with something extraordinary. Progenitor blood had spilled there long ago, soaking into the earth and minerals for thousands of years. Over time, it crystallized into something entirely new.
They named it Amber of Life.
The crystal contained far more energy than a Vitalis Core. When used as a coating on weapons or ground into powder and infused into bullets, its effect was devastating. It could severely wound A-rank vampires and incinerate Scavengers almost instantly.
It was a breakthrough.
Naturally, Mark proposed distributing it to the Vampire Hunter Association.
Robert refused.
"Not yet," Robert said calmly. "We do not understand the full consequences. The progenitor’s blood is far stronger than anything we’ve worked with. What if the side effects are worse than those of Vitalis Core?"
"What side effects?" Mark scoffed. "Amber is not implanted. It is not injected. It is only used as a coating or ammunition enhancement."
"And?" Robert replied evenly. "You admitted it yourself. It is at least ten times more potent than a standard core. You truly believe such power has no consequence when handled by fragile humans?"
"Lord Latros, I am the doctor. I know more than—"
"And I am in charge," Robert interrupted.
His voice dropped, cold and absolute.
A suffocating pressure filled the room. Mark’s chest tightened. His breath caught in his throat. Robert’s presence alone was overwhelming.
Then, just as quickly, the pressure disappeared. Robert smiled politely, as if nothing had happened.
"We will conduct further research," he said lightly. "As for you, my friend, I have something more suitable for your talents."
Mark did not need an explanation. He had already seen the torso. It was not dead.
Even without a head or limbs, it pulsed faintly. Cables surrounded it. Monitors recorded fluctuations. It floated inside a massive cylinder filled with preservation fluid.
The Progenitor’s torso was still breathing.
Now Mark stood in a new laboratory, staring at that immense glass chamber. The torso was suspended within, sustained by complex apparatus and reinforced containment systems.
Golden blood occasionally seeped from ruptured tissue. And when that blood was introduced to vampire samples, the reaction mirrored Crimson Activation, only far stronger.
According to Bella, the transformation was immediate. The vampire blood turned gold and glowed intensely.
Tests on humans were less successful. In high doses, the heart stopped instantly. Their bodies could not withstand the power.
But in carefully controlled, minimal doses, something extraordinary occurred. They turn into vampires without a slight chance to turn into scavengers. Abilities increased dramatically. The probability of evolution rose by nearly fifty percent.
And the more progress they made, the further they drifted from the humanity they once claimed to protect.
With the torso continuing to regenerate and produce golden blood, Latros began using it to strengthen their ranks.
They built an army.
Mark knew it. He said nothing publicly, but in secret, he sent anonymous reports to the Vampire Hunter Association.
His prejudice against vampires had never truly faded. No matter how composed Robert appeared. No matter how wise he sounded.
A vampire was still a vampire.
Robert funded schools. Hospitals. Infrastructure. He took children from the slums and gave them shelter, food, and education. He placed them in new homes, paired with guardians who treated them well.
The city flourished under Latros’ economic influence.
But Mark never forgot the Human Farms. Never forget the hierarchy. Never forget that power, once consolidated, always demanded submission.
The tension between Latros and the Association escalated rapidly. Agreements were fractured. Cooperation deteriorated. Neither side was willing to concede.
Once again, they became enemies.
Then one evening, Robert summoned him. The moment Mark entered the office, he knew that Robert knew.
"My dear friend," Robert said pleasantly, "come. Sit. A colleague gifted me a new wine. I believe you’ll appreciate it."
Mark sat across from him, maintaining steady composure. The room felt colder than usual. The chill seeped into his joints. His arthritis throbbed faintly.
"Your health declines further, I see," Robert observed calmly. "The cruelty of mortality."
He poured two glasses. The liquid shimmered faintly gold under the dim lighting.
Mark ignored Robert’s glass.
He focused on his own. The faint golden glow betrayed its contents.
He lifted his gaze. "What did you wish to discuss, Lord Latros?"
Robert’s smile thinned. "You’re not drinking."
"If you believe turning me into a vampire will secure my loyalty, you are mistaken," Mark said evenly. "I will always stand with humanity."
Robert’s eyes sharpened. "So you admit you informed the Association?"
Mark shook his head, controlling his breathing. "If I had, I would not still be here assisting your experiments."
That was technically true. His goal had shifted, he no longer sought only human advancement.
He was monitoring the research. Calculating how to dismantle it if necessary. He had promised himself that if things crossed a line, he would intervene.
His mind drifted briefly to Flynn. The look in the young man’s eyes. The hidden defiance beneath obedience.
That was when Mark realized how far he had already allowed things to go.
’I have to act soon,’ he thought.
Robert leaned forward slightly.
"Good. Because I have something more important for you."
Mark’s jaw tightened.
"You need not concern yourself with the Humanity Project," Robert continued. "We have fully analyzed how Crimson Activator interacts with Progenitor Residuum."
His eyes gleamed faintly. "Now I want you to return to Vitalis Core. Help me refine it," Robert said calmly. "Help me create the perfect vampire."
He paused. "Prove your loyalty."