The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 229: Chapter 229: The Progenitor Who Knelt Before the Eclipse

The Eclipsed Order

Ares stood beside the ancient coffin, his gaze resting upon the motionless figure within.

For several moments, the ruined throne chamber remained completely silent.

Then Ares raised his hand, and a faint radiance of Eclipse Power gathered around his fingers.

The power condensed into a small, razor-sharp blade, its edge so fine that even the surrounding air seemed to distort around it. Without hesitation, Ares drew the blade lightly across his palm, allowing a small amount of blood to gather upon his skin.

He looked down at the sleeping vampire.

"Let us see what happens."

Ares placed his hand above Dracula’s mouth and allowed his blood to flow between the vampire’s lips.

One drop.

Then another.

The blood disappeared into Dracula’s mouth without producing any immediate reaction.

Ares waited.

Nothing happened.

Several more seconds passed, yet Dracula remained completely motionless, his eyes still closed and his body showing no visible signs of change.

Ares narrowed his eyes slightly.

Then—

Thump.

A single heartbeat echoed through the chamber.

A second followed.

Thump.

The sound became louder.

Suddenly, Dracula’s eyes opened.

A tremendous surge of power erupted from his body.

The entire throne chamber shook violently as an overwhelming wave of mana burst outward, tearing through the dust that had settled across the ancient stone and sending fragments of debris flying through the air. The broken pillars trembled beneath the pressure, while the remnants of the castle groaned as though they themselves were struggling to withstand the awakening presence.

Ares remained standing exactly where he was.

Dracula, however, had already disappeared.

In the next instant, his figure appeared several meters above the ruined throne chamber, floating effortlessly within the air.

His black hair drifted around him as an enormous amount of dark-red energy spiraled through the chamber. His pale face remained youthful, almost beautiful, yet the expression upon it carried an unmistakable sense of arrogance and ancient nobility.

Dracula slowly opened his arms.

A faint smile appeared upon his lips.

"So this is the world that awaits me after an eternity of silence."

His voice was calm and elegant, carrying through the ruined chamber like the voice of an actor delivering the final line of an ancient tragedy.

"How strange... the world has continued to turn, kingdoms have risen and fallen, generations have been born only to return to dust, and yet I have remained here, buried beneath stone and forgotten by time."

His crimson eyes slowly scanned the ruined castle.

"My throne has fallen into ruin, my kingdom has vanished, and the names of those who once trembled before me have been swallowed by history."

His smile gradually widened.

"And yet..."

The power surrounding him intensified.

"I remain."

Dracula lowered his gaze toward his own hands, watching dark-red energy flow between his fingers.

"Five thousand years of darkness, five thousand years of silence, and five thousand years of an endless sleep..."

He slowly clenched his hand.

"Yet the blood within me still remembers."

A strange hunger suddenly appeared within his expression.

His smile faded.

His hand moved toward his chest as his breathing became slightly heavier.

"Blood..."

His eyes narrowed.

"So much time has passed, and yet this thirst remains."

He slowly raised his head.

Then he saw Ares.

Ares was still standing beside the coffin, completely motionless, his expression calm as he watched the ancient vampire floating above him.

Dracula stared at him for several moments.

"Human..."

His voice became colder.

"So, you are the one who broke me free from eternal sleep."

Before Ares could respond, Dracula disappeared.

In an instant, he appeared directly in front of Ares, his face only inches away.

His crimson eyes glowed with hunger as his fangs emerged.

Without hesitation, Dracula reached toward Ares’s neck.

But before his teeth could touch him—

Ares’s hand caught Dracula by the head.

The sudden movement stopped Dracula completely.

"What?"

Dracula’s expression changed.

He immediately attempted to pull himself away.

Nothing happened.

He pushed harder.

Still nothing.

His expression slowly shifted from confusion to disbelief as he attempted to force Ares’s hand away, yet the grip remained completely immovable.

"W-What is the meaning of this...?"

He struggled again, this time releasing a burst of his own power in an attempt to break free.

Nothing changed.

"I cannot break free?"

Ares looked at him without the slightest trace of concern.

"Stop resisting. It’s useless."

Dracula’s eyes widened.

"You... what did you do?"

Ares’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"Surely you still understand the situation."

His grip remained firmly around Dracula’s head.

"Do you truly believe that an ordinary human being could break the seal that imprisoned you for thousands of years?"

Dracula’s expression changed.

Ares’s smile deepened.

"Think carefully."

The realization slowly began to settle within Dracula’s mind.

Then Ares released his power.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

An immense pressure descended upon the entire throne chamber.

It was not merely an increase in mana.

It was as though the very laws surrounding them had suddenly acknowledged the presence of something that stood above them.

Darkness spread across the ruined chamber without extinguishing the light, while fragments of Eclipse Power moved through the air like countless stars swallowed by an endless void. The surrounding mana bent toward Ares as though drawn by an invisible authority, and the ancient castle itself trembled beneath the weight of his presence.

There was something else within that pressure.

Something far more frightening.

A sense of absolute dominance.

A power that did not simply destroy.

It commanded.

It suppressed.

It imposed its existence upon everything around it.

Dracula’s eyes widened as his body instinctively reacted.

His breathing became heavier, and his legs nearly gave way beneath him.

"W-What... is this power...?"

His voice strained as he struggled against the overwhelming pressure.

"S-Such power..."

His eyes trembled.

"Is it truly permitted for a human to possess something like this?"

Ares said nothing.

The pressure remained for several more seconds before he finally withdrew it.

Dracula immediately inhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to steady himself.

Ares looked at him calmly.

"Even a powerful vampire such as yourself can still feel fear."

Dracula slowly raised his head.

Ares released his grip, allowing him to regain his balance.

Dracula remained silent.

He looked at Ares with an expression that was completely different from before.

There was no longer hunger in his eyes.

There was caution.

For the first time since awakening, the ancient Vampire Progenitor understood that the person standing before him was not someone he could casually treat as prey.

’What manner of existence is this human?’

Dracula carefully examined Ares.

’His body is human, yet his power is anything but human.’

He attempted to look deeper.

His eyes glowed crimson as he activated his own ability, attempting to perceive Ares’s true nature.

For a brief moment, he thought he had succeeded.

Then—

A terrifying force slammed into his consciousness.

Dracula’s eyes widened.

Blood suddenly spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He staggered backward and coughed violently, his hand covering his lips as more blood escaped between his fingers.

Ares tilted his head slightly.

"Hmm?"

Dracula wiped the blood away and stared at him.

’Impossible.’

’Something is protecting his existence.’

’No... protecting is not the correct word.’

’Whatever lies within him is rejecting my attempt to perceive it.’

His crimson eyes narrowed.

’This human is dangerous.’

’Far more dangerous than I initially believed.’

’If that power he displayed moments ago was merely a fraction of what he possesses, then the being standing before me is something I have never encountered throughout my entire existence.’

Dracula remained silent as he studied Ares.

Then Ares spoke.

"Serve me."

Dracula’s expression froze.

"What?"

Ares looked directly into his eyes.

"It is your choice whether you serve me or not."

His voice remained calm.

"You have two options."

Ares raised two fingers.

"Serve me."

He lowered one.

"Or return to eternal sleep."

Dracula’s eyes narrowed.

Ares’s smile became slightly more unsettling.

"There is one difference this time."

Vlad remained silent.

"Your mind will remain awake."

The chamber fell silent.

"You will be trapped within that darkness, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to see the world, and unable to escape from your own consciousness."

Ares looked at him with a faint smile.

"You will simply remain there... awake."

Dracula’s expression gradually changed.

He understood immediately.

Ares was not bluffing.

The ancient vampire could sense it from the certainty in his voice.

If Ares wished to seal him again, there was nothing Dracula could do to stop him.

For several long moments, Dracula remained silent.

Then he released a quiet sigh.

"I see..."

His expression became strangely calm.

"So that is the choice you offer me."

He slowly lowered himself from the air.

His feet touched the ruined floor.

Then, without resistance, Dracula lowered himself onto one knee before Ares.

His head bowed.

"I have existed for more than five thousand years, and in that time I have witnessed kingdoms rise beneath banners of gold, watched kings declare themselves eternal, and seen those same kings return to the earth as nameless dust."

His crimson eyes lifted toward Ares.

"I have never willingly bowed before another."

He placed one hand against his chest.

"But you shattered the prison that had held me for an eternity, restored the blood within my veins, and demonstrated a power that even I cannot comprehend."

His voice became solemn.

"Therefore, from this moment onward, I shall offer my strength, my blood, and my eternal existence to you."

Dracula lowered his head once more.

"Until the final drop of my blood has been exhausted and the final breath leaves my body, my loyalty shall belong to you."

Ares stared at him for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"Woah. You didn’t even hesitate?"

Vlad slowly rose to his feet.

"There was little reason to hesitate."

He looked directly at Ares.

"I have already lived longer than most civilizations. I have no desire to spend another eternity imprisoned within darkness."

Ares nodded.

"Fair enough."

He turned slightly.

"Then, as for your gift..."

Dracula looked at him.

Ares smiled.

"I’ll give you a new name."

Dracula’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"A new name?"

"How about that?"

For the first time, a trace of curiosity appeared within Dracula’s expression.

"I... will accept it, Master."

Ares thought for a moment.

"I see."

He looked at the ancient vampire.

"Then how about Leon?"

Silence followed.

Dracula repeated the name quietly.

"Leon..."

He allowed the name to settle within his mind.

A faint, satisfied smile appeared upon his face.

"Leon."

He looked toward Ares.

"Yes."

His expression became composed and dignified.

"I accept."

"Good."

Ares stepped closer.

"And as for your other gift..."

Ares’s smile widened.

He reached out and grabbed Leon by the head before pulling him closer.

Leon blinked in confusion.

"Master...?"

Ares calmly positioned Leon’s face near his neck.

"Come on. Hurry and drink."

Leon stared at him.

Ares continued as though what he was suggesting were the most ordinary thing in the world.

"I made an exception for you."

His voice remained casual.

"If you drink my blood, you will evolve into a True Lord and reach the realm of a demigod."

Leon froze.

His crimson eyes widened.

"A... True Lord?"

Ares nodded.

"That’s right."

Leon stared at the offered neck.

For an ancient vampire who had existed for thousands of years, the temptation was almost impossible to describe.

He slowly closed his eyes.

Then his fangs pierced Ares’s neck.

The moment Leon tasted the blood, his entire body trembled.

His eyes widened as an overwhelming surge of power flooded through him.

He drank greedily.

The ancient hunger that had tormented him since awakening vanished beneath the sheer intensity of Ares’s blood.

Ares remained completely still.

After several moments, he glanced down at Leon.

"Aren’t you drinking a little too much?"

Leon ignored him.

He continued drinking.

Ares sighed.

"You really were thirsty."

Eventually, Leon finally released his bite.

He slowly pulled away.

The moment he did, his body began radiating an immense crimson aura.

Blood-like energy surrounded him, swirling faster and faster as the Eclipse Power within Ares’s blood began transforming every aspect of Leon’s existence.

His body rose from the ground.

His black hair floated upward as the aura around him expanded.

The entire throne chamber began trembling once again.

Then—

BOOM.

The crimson energy exploded outward.

Ares stood calmly within the blast as the ancient castle shook beneath the force of Leon’s evolution.

The energy continued to expand before suddenly collapsing back into Leon’s body.

Silence returned.

Leon remained floating several meters above the ground.

His eyes were closed.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then his eyes opened.

The crimson glow within them was deeper than before, carrying an incomprehensible depth that seemed to stretch far beyond the limits of an ordinary vampire.

Leon slowly looked down at his hands.

Power flowed through his body.

His senses had expanded.

His blood felt different.

His very existence had changed.

He clenched his fist.

The surrounding air distorted.

"This is..."

Leon stared at his hand in disbelief.

"My power..."

He slowly looked toward Ares.

"This is truly my power?"

Ares smiled.

"How was it?"

Leon remained silent for a moment.

Then he slowly descended before Ares.

He lowered himself onto one knee once more.

"My lord..."

His voice was deeper and more solemn than before.

"The blood you have granted me has broken the limits that bound my existence for five thousand years."

He lowered his head.

"You have given me a future when I had already accepted eternal darkness as my fate."

His crimson eyes lifted toward Ares.

"From this moment forward, my blood shall answer to your command, my power shall become your weapon, and my existence shall stand beneath your banner."

His expression became calm, yet there was an unmistakable pride within his voice.

"I, Leon, the one who once ruled over eternal blood, swear before the Eclipse itself that I shall never betray you."

Ares nodded.

"Alright."

He turned toward the exit of the ruined throne chamber.

"We should get going now."

Leon stood.

Ares glanced back at him.

"I’ll introduce you to everyone, so be prepared."

Leon blinked.

"Everyone?"

Ares gave him a faint smile.

"You’ll understand soon enough."

Leon remained slightly confused, but before he could ask another question, Ares reached toward him.

His hand rested upon Leon’s shoulder.

The Eclipse Power immediately gathered around them.

Leon barely had time to react before the space surrounding them distorted.

In the next instant, both figures disappeared from the ruined throne chamber.

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