Wen Wen discovered the changes in Tao Qingqing on the third day of feeding her with his blood.
Wen Wen could roughly guess the reason for her transformation. The blood used to feed her was specially prepared to foster a connection between Wen Wen and the long sword. By absorbing all of it, Tao Qingqing's absorption rate far surpassed that of the sword, causing her to obey Wen Wen more readily than it did. Simultaneously, the blood carried the powers of "Heiti" and "Kuangqi." After ingesting it, Tao Qingqing absorbed these forces, leading to peculiar changes in her physique within just a few days, making her distinctly different from traditional vampires.
Wen Wen conducted several tests. Her senses became sharper, her speed and strength increased, and her recovery abilities saw a linear rise. In contrast to the boost in power, her craving for blood noticeably decreased. While she still required blood to sustain life, her bloodthirsty urge diminished significantly, to the point where she could even consume some human food. Her aversion to sunlight also lessened. Furthermore, items or powers like holy water had a less pronounced effect on her. In essence, she was less of a vampire and more of a superpowered individual with vampire-like abilities. If Wen Wen hadn't witnessed Tao Qingqing drinking blood, he might not have even recognized her as a vampire if he encountered her on the street.
Tao Qingqing finished the entire bucket of fresh blood, then washed the small bucket clean. With a slight blush, she placed it by Wen Wen's feet, only to find him staring intently at her.
"Qingqing... do you want to leave the cell?"
"What?"
Tao Qingqing shivered. Based on her past experiences, whenever Wen Wen acted unusually, he usually conjured up some peculiar scheme to trouble her.
Wen Wen straightened his expression and said seriously, "I have no intention of tricking you, nor do I have any sinister plots. I'm simply asking if you wish to leave this cage and live outside?"
Tao Qingqing paused for a moment before hesitantly replying, "Of course, I do. What monster in this giant prison doesn't want to leave?"
Wen Wen nodded. "You should have sensed your own changes. By continuing to drink my blood, your vampire characteristics will gradually fade. Once you no longer have the urge to attack humans, you can leave this place."
"You're going to let me go?"
Tao Qingqing looked astonished, as if she no longer recognized Wen Wen. She suspected something might have gone wrong with this scoundrel's brain.
Wen Wen shook his head. "You're thinking too much. I can't possibly let you go..."
Tao Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief, finding Wen Wen's statement somewhat reassuring, yet she also felt a faint sense of disappointment.
Wen Wen continued to explain, "Regardless, when you were a vampire, you harmed quite a few people. You must atone for your sins yourself... What I mean is, I'll let you out of the containment facility to become my assistant in capturing monsters and protecting humans."
"One day, when the number of people you save far exceeds the number you've killed, and when you no longer harbor thoughts of harming others, I will grant you your freedom!"
After hearing Wen Wen's words, Tao Qingqing stood frozen, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. She didn't even notice when Wen Wen had left her.
After a long while, two lines of clear tears streamed down her cheeks. This was the first time she had cried with such emotion since becoming a vampire. When she was first transformed, she had indeed wished to resist the vampire's bloodthirsty instincts with her strong will, wanting to be a kind vampire who didn't rely on harming others for sustenance. However, that instinct was not something that could be suppressed merely by thought. One day, overcome by thirst, she lost consciousness. When she awoke, a corpse drained of blood lay at her feet. From then on, she had completely abandoned any lingering human kindness and surrendered herself to the racial instincts of a vampire.
After being captured by Wen Wen, although she loathed him intensely, she also found a sense of peace in her heart because she no longer had to survive by attacking humans. Today, upon hearing Wen Wen say that one day she would save more people than she had harmed, and that she would no longer have harmful thoughts... this was the first time she felt that she might find redemption!
Walking down the corridor, Wen Wen's mood was also somewhat complex. What he had told Tao Qingqing were his genuine thoughts. The profound changes his blood had wrought in Tao Qingqing were completely unexpected. Under normal circumstances, even with strong energy in the blood, it would merely serve as sustenance for a vampire, incapable of causing such fundamental alterations. Yet, this transformation had occurred before his eyes. However, given the numerous unexplainable events he had encountered since taking over the containment facility, this change didn't shock him excessively. If Tao Qingqing could truly seize this opportunity to break free from the vampire's curse, Wen Wen wouldn't mind releasing her.
With the increasing number of containment personnel, the facility now housed a growing number of monsters. Currently, there were nearly thirty disaster-level monsters, over a hundred calamity-level monsters, and dozens of catastrophe-level monsters. Yet, among all these creatures, only Tao Qingqing held a special place for Wen Wen. Even bonding with a dog for a year would foster some affection, let alone a beautiful vampire. Therefore, if possible, he wanted to give her a chance.
...
Two days later, a black sports car drove down the road. Wen Wen was heading to a city in the south where something interesting had recently been discovered, something he wanted to investigate. It was a spiral staircase in a church that seemed to have no end; no matter how far one descended, the bottom could never be reached. However, regardless of how deep one ventured into the staircase, they could emerge from it by simply ascending three levels. If that were all, it would merely be a peculiar containment item. But the deeper one went, the more the environment warped towards the surreal. Moreover, for every fifty meters descended, a monster would appear, blocking the path. Only by defeating the monster could one continue exploring downwards. Defeated monsters would reappear for subsequent explorers, and each defeated monster would drop some interesting items, with greater rewards found at deeper levels. Many demon hunters were already flocking to the area out of curiosity, and Wen Wen wished to witness it himself.
However, just as he was nearing his destination, Wen Wen's "Hunt Terminal" chimed, indicating a new command had arrived. Upon opening it, Wen Wen furrowed his brow. This incident was significant; a small city in Guangnan Province had been overrun by monsters! The attackers were... a pack of tigers!