Chapter 501: All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

Carmela’s glowing eyes narrowed as she watched Cassius stroll toward her as unflinching and completely unguarded as ever.

In her current feral state, thought and reason no longer existed; only hunger, bloodlust, and instinct guided her. Every muscle in her body screamed to pounce, to tear, rip, devour.

He was prey.

Her prey.

And he was walking right into her reach.

The progenitor’s power within her flared, turning her veins into molten fire as her fangs bared. She let out a hiss that shook the air, and her legs moved beneath her, ready to spring.

But just as she was about to move—something strange happened.

She stopped on the spot.

Her eyes flickered.

For a split second, a flash of confusion cut through the haze of hunger. The monster within her urged her to attack, yet something—something primal, deep in the marrow of her bones—warned her to stop.

To not engage.

It wasn’t fear.

Carmela, in this form, didn’t even comprehend fear.

It was something beyond instinct, like the echo of an ancient memory roaring through her blood, whispering that the being standing before her was not to be touched.

That if she lunged—if she dared—she would not survive the aftermath.

For the first time since her transformation, Carmela took a step back and everyone was shocked.

Julie blinked, her sword half-raised. "Did she just...step back?"

"She’s...hesitating?" Aisha looked equally stunned.

Even Skadi, who had been crouched low and ready to spring at the first sign of danger, faltered in disbelief. "Master didn’t even do anything yet..."

Cassius, however, wasn’t about to let her retreat.

"Oh no, no, no." He murmured, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "You don’t get to run now."

He reached up casually, tugging aside the collar of his blood-stained shirt to expose the pale skin of his neck.

And then—without hesitation—he stabbed his finger into it.

Squelch!

The sound was wet and visceral, as flesh tore apart

The trio gasped in horror as Cassius calmly hooked his finger into the wound and ripped out a small chunk of flesh, blood immediately gushing forth in a crimson stream.

It wasn’t a normal wound—it was deep, brutal, the kind of injury that should’ve made any man collapse on the spot.

But Cassius just sighed and shook his shoulders like he’d gotten a stiff neck.

Blood poured freely from the open gash, spattering across his coat and dripping to the dirt like rain.

"Cassius!" Julie’s face turned pale. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Aisha shouted. "You’ve lost your mind!"

"Master, that’s not how you feed a vampire!"

Even Xerath—broken, mangled, and bleeding, looked at Cassius like he was seeing a demon in human skin.

"Y-You boy...what are you?" He stammered. "How...how can you still stand after that?! What kind of creature tears its own flesh out and doesn’t even flinch?!"

But Cassius ignored them all.

Instead, he met Carmela’s glowing, feral gaze with a faint, teasing smile as blood streamed down his neck.

"Look here, Carmela." He said softly, his voice almost gentle. "Your favorite dish, right here."

Her nostrils flared as the scent hit her—rich, warm, alive, while Cassius tilted his head slightly, letting the crimson river flow.

"I know how much you love good, tasty, juicy blood. And lucky you, I’ve got plenty to spare. Better come get it before someone else does."

The moment those words left his lips, the air shifted.

Carmela’s eyes widened, the hunger surging to the forefront of everything else. The smell, it was intoxicating. Unlike anything she had ever tasted.

Every drop of blood she’d consumed earlier suddenly seemed stale compared to this.

And it wasn’t just the scent—it was the vitality.

Cassius’s blood didn’t smell like human blood. It pulsed with raw, blazing life, so dense and potent it made her entire body tremble.

If normal blood was like water, his was molten gold.

It was irresistible.

Her body moved before her mind could think.

With a feral snarl, Carmela lunged.

Cassius also didn’t resist. He simply opened his arms and caught her as if welcoming a long-lost lover. Her weight crashed into him, her claws gripping his shoulders.

For a brief, surreal moment, it almost looked tender.

Then her fangs sank deep into his neck.

A sharp gasp left her throat as her mouth filled with warmth and power.

Cassius only smiled faintly, holding her close as if comforting a frightened child. His hand rose to the back of her head, fingers brushing through her bloodstained hair as he murmured softly.

"There, there, Carmela. Go on. Drink as much as you want. There’s plenty to go around."

The trio could only stare wide-eyed, frozen in a mix of shock and horror as Carmela fed.

The scene before them should have been horrifying. Blood dripped from her lips, staining her chin and his collar; her fangs dug deep into his flesh, each swallow sending more red rivulets running down his neck.

And yet...there was something strangely intimate about it.

It wasn’t violent. It wasn’t savage.

It was almost gentle.

Like a lover’s embrace.

Cassius rubbed her back as he murmured softly, "Easy now. Don’t choke. Drink carefully."

"What in the world an I looking at?..." Aisha whispered. "He’s letting her feed on him."

"That’s...not fair!" Skadi was trembling, ears twitching uncontrollably but for a different reason. "I worked so hard to get head pats and she just—she just bites him and gets cuddles?!"

Meanwhile, Xerath was losing his mind with laughter.

"You’re done, boy!" He howled, coughing up blood between cackles. "You’ve just delivered yourself to her! She’ll drain you dry! She’ll devour you whole! You’ll be nothing but bones when she’s finished!"

But his laughter began to fade.

Because seconds passed.

Then more seconds.

And Carmela didn’t stop.

She kept drinking.

Long after any normal man should have gone limp—after any human should have died a dozen times over—Cassius still stood there, steady and calm, patting her head as though nothing unusual was happening.

Xerath blinked. "What...What the hell..."

Another minute passed. Carmela kept feeding. Cassius kept standing.

Xerath’s grin began to crack.

"Why aren’t you—dying?" He hissed. "You should be dead! You should be drained! Why are you still alive?!"

Cassius turned his head slightly, just enough for his crimson eyes to catch the light. His smile was maddeningly calm.

"You really are dense, you know that?"

Xerath flinched at the casual insult.

"I already told you." Cassius said lightly. "You said yourself that as long as she drinks blood filled with enough vitality—blood that could replace thousands of lives, she’ll calm down."

"That’s exactly what I’m giving her."

"You see, my blood isn’t like anyone else’s, Xerath." He chuckled softly, his tone teasing yet almost warm. "It’s packed with life force, far beyond what your small imagination can comprehend. And the best part?"

He grinned.

"I can make more of it whenever I want. Infinite refills."

Xerath’s mouth dropped open. "That’s—impossible..."

"You keep saying that word like it means something." Cassius shrugged.

Then, with a faintly amused tone, he added, "So, you see, right now she’s at an all-you-can-eat buffet. And I’m the main course that she’s absolutely devouring."

The trio could only gape at him in disbelief.

"He’s flirting while being drained alive." Julie pressed a hand to her face.

"I hate that I’m not even surprised anymore." Aisha groaned.

"Master better still pet me after this..." Skadi sniffled, pouting.

Cassius the. looked back toward Xerath, his tone suddenly lighter, almost cheerful.

"Oh, and you know what happens after a long, satisfying meal?"

The cult leader, still dazed, shook his head in confusion. "What...?"

"They get sleepy." Cassius said gently.

Almost as if on cue, Carmela’s grip loosened.

Her movements slowed, her body trembling one last time before her fangs slipped free of his neck.

She lifted her head slightly, her red eyes flickering weakly as she looked up at him one last time.

Then, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, she went limp in his arms.

The crimson aura that had surrounded her flickered once—then vanished entirely, dissolving into faint motes of light.

The power of the progenitor faded.

And all that was left...was Carmela.