Chapter 330: …is that even possible?

"A body that...

In theory, can grow and continue growing without stopping."

"So they took him back because they want to see the result. That explains the sudden deal they made with the Enclave."

"They must have spent quite a lot for the Enclave to complete the transaction this quickly."

Aurelia chuckled.

"I would have questioned why they wanted him so desperately."

Lucian commented.

"It was none of their concern."

Aurelia shrugged.

"Also, you are wrong. They didn’t just buy him back because they wanted to see the results."

"What do you mean?"

Lucian tilted his head.

Aurelia’s expression then changed a little as she pushed another document towards Lucian.

"This is the current stage of Crimson Crucible."

"Current?"

"Varek isn’t the end goal."

"There are more?"

Lucian raised an eyebrow and Aurelia nodded, saying a word Lucian had no idea why he did not connect on his own.

"Vespera."

"...Vespera?"

Lucian stared at her in utter confusion.

"She was part of the experiment as well...?"

"No, she most likely doesn’t even know what’s going on."

"Then what are you..."

"Yes."

"Varek was the prototype, subject zero of sorts.

Vespera would be the continuation."

Aurelia spoke and Lucian’s face changed.

"Varek’s Third Crimson Ascension is only minutes before Vespera’s. At its peak, when Varek’s blood will be undergoing the greatest reconstruction it has experienced in fifty years—

The Arcelis intend to drain him."

"Drain him?"

Lucian tilted his head.

"Repeatedly."

Aurelia nodded.

"They call it Ascension Essence."

Lucian frowned.

Aurelia started explaining.

"During a Crimson Ascension, newly produced blood temporarily carries an extremely concentrated imprint of the reconstruction taking place. It has the existing bloodline, the newly formed adaptations and the changes being written into the body, everything."

Lucian remained silent, listening to her words carefully.

"As they drain him, his Regeneration, which is heightened because of his ongoing Ascension, will continue to generate more and more blood.

They will drain the newly generated blood again, then again and again and they will continue doing so till they have enough."

"What about Varek?"

Lucian asked with a disturbed look on his face.

"Will he even survive the constant drain during such an important moment of his life?"

At that question, Aurelia only looked at him and—

"The documents do not consider his survival necessary."

She shook her head.

Lucian let out a hollow laugh.

Varek was a bastard, Lucian had absolutely no sympathy for the man, but at this point, compared to House Arcelis, even a bastard like Varek felt... pitiful.

Who knew how much of it was actually Varek’s fault?

After all, at his core, Varek was only a man with an unnatural obsession with strength, he... wasn’t very different from him.

And to think the strength he created through decades of struggle, hard work and roaming the world while being hunted by every single organisation would now be ’harvested’ from him...

"What do they do with this Ascension Essence?"

Lucian couldn’t help but ask.

"They refine it."

"And then?"

"They give it to Vespera."

Lucian’s face changed and Aurelia continued.

"Vespera’s blood was as strong as Varek’s. Sure, she may not share his obsessive desire for strength but at this point, the Arcelis have no need for that desire.

If anything, it was an inconvenience.

Varek was difficult to control, not to mention he had spent the last few decades of his life away from Arcelis territory. Even if they had people protecting him in secret, Arcelis people weren’t always there.

Who knew what he had done, what people he had met and where his loyalties now lay?

Or at least that’s what I think they are thinking."

Aurelia shrugged.

Lucian felt disgusted, but he honestly wasn’t surprised.

He didn’t have many expectations from the people who experimented on living beings.

"For Arcelis, Vespera is much easier to control."

"What do they intend to do?"

Lucian asked.

"During Vespera’s Ascension, her bloodline will become temporarily malleable, Arcelis believe if they introduce Varek’s refined Ascension Essence during that period..."

"She’ll absorb the changes."

Lucian completed those words.

"According to the report, yes."

Aurelia nodded.

"So they are trying to induce the changes Varek had spent decades trying to live with and perfect into her."

"Yes."

"That..."

Lucian was actually surprised.

"...is insane.

If this truly worked..."

"If the Arcelis actually do make a breakthrough and Vespera survives with stable, positive results.

The Arcelis can continue interfering with their Vampires’ Crimson Ascensions until eventually, every Vampire from a Younger Generation has strengthened blood.

And because these changes happened through Crimson Ascension and are permanent, they can be inherited by future Arcelis children when these Vampires reproduce, which would in turn give birth to more Vampires with similar blood."

Aurelia explained and when Lucian understood the actual scope of it all...

His face changed.

"Holy fuck."

He cursed.

This wasn’t about Vespera or a single Vampire with enhanced blood.

They were trying to create a genetically evolved generation, then another similar generation after that, then another one...

They were...

"They’re trying to engineer their own evolution."

Lucian muttered out loud with an amazed look on his face and Aurelia—

"Yes."

She nodded.

"Project Crimson Crucible isn’t an attempt to make one powerful Vampire, it is an attempt to change what House Arcelis is."

She spoke as she pointed at another dark document titled ’Project Crimson Crucible.’

For the next few seconds, the room turned completely silent.

Lucian stared at the documents, honestly, he could now understand why the Arcelis were going to such lengths, why they would spend so much money, centuries of experiments, and take a willing risk with an Archdemon’s Heart.

If it all worked out—

It would not only change their standing in the Vampire World, it... might just change the Vampires’ standing in the entire Supernatural World.

Vampires with bodies that could grow like Demons and Vampires...

Just how... ridiculously absurd would that be?

"...is that even possible?"

Lucian couldn’t believe it.

"You’ve seen Varek, have you not?"

Aurelia asked and Lucian...

He turned silent.

He then took a deep breath as he started reading one of the reports, there, he noticed something else, something that instantly got his attention.

"What’s with all the Human Blood? What do they need that for?"