As he spoke, the blood tendrils began to unleash even stronger power.
The entire scarlet palace started to tremble violently.
The decorative network of blood vessels suddenly exploded with a blinding red light, like electrified copper wires.
Soon, a shocking scene unfolded.
All the Blood Race within the palace, regardless of rank, began to involuntarily gather at the Central Square.
Their eyes lost their usual intellect and rationality, leaving only mechanical obedience.
Even those high-ranking Blood Race Nobles, at this moment, moved forward like walking corpses.
Uphemia watched coldly, her heart unperturbed.
She had seen too many scenes of such "harvest," long numb to it.
But in the depths of her heart, a small voice asked:
If one day "Father" no longer needed her, would her fate be the same?
"My children..."
Aiden’s voice was like a divine oracle, full of "love":
"Now is the moment of glory for you to sacrifice for your father... Do not fear, do not resist, this is the highest meaning of your existence..."
As soon as the words fell, all the Blood Race gathered on the square began a horrifyingly brutal carnage.
They fought one another in the most primal, most savage manner.
Claws tore flesh, fangs bit through bones, and organs rained down around them.
The strong devoured the weak, and the survivors continued to fight until only the last few blood-soaked victors remained.
And these final survivors, before fully experiencing the joy of victory, were forced by Aiden’s power to transform into pure Blood Dew, collected without a drop remaining.
The entire process lasted less than two hours but completely destroyed Asmond’s accumulation over thousands of years.
The once prosperous Blood Race domain was now only left with bloodstains and white bones.
"These Blood Dew... are the compensation my daughter deserves..."
Aiden’s tone became gentle again, as if the slaughter was merely a trivial cleaning task:
"Uphemia, take them... This is your father’s love for you..."
A fist-sized Blood Red Crystal Ball separated from the tendrils, slowly floating toward Uphemia.
When Uphemia received the Crystal Ball, she could feel the pain and despair of thousands of lives condensed in this small sphere, as if crying out to her.
But her expression remained unchanged, she mechanically responded: "Thank you for your generous gift, Father."
"And you, Asmond..."
Aiden’s attention shifted back to the Blood Tear Duke collapsed on the ground:
"This event also reminds me that granting you enough freedom was indeed a mistake."
A beam of light shot from the spiral vertical eye, directly into Asmond’s chest.
The Blood Tear Duke’s body was instantly covered by some kind of blood-red markings.
Those markings wriggled under the skin like living snakes, eventually forming a complex binding Rune.
This was an irreversible bloodline control; from now on, Asmond would be unable to defy any command from Aiden or his bloodline descendants.
His free will was completely stripped away, becoming a slightly higher-level Puppet.
"From now on, any of Uphemia’s requests, you must execute unconditionally."
Aiden’s voice was filled with undeniable authority:
"She is the extension of my will, defying her is defying me. Understand?"
"Un...understood, Master..."
Asmond’s voice was weak like a wavering thread, his eyes had completely lost their former gleam:
"Asmond swears to serve you and Lady Uphemia unto death..."
"Very good..."
Aiden seemed to recall something, the spiral pupil suddenly turned to Uphemia:
"By the way, I sense another presence’s mark on you... Is it that suspicious old turtle, Uther?"