"The curse is complete."
Dracula's voice broke the silence as he studied Ryan Cross carefully. There was even a hint of anticipation in his eyes, as if he were waiting to see the results of an experiment.
"Can you feel the changes in your body yet?"
The hostility from earlier had vanished completely. The vampire lord now looked calm and almost satisfied, as though the violent conflict between them had never happened at all.
Ryan immediately checked himself.
He focused on every part of his body, scanning for anything unusual. After several seconds of careful inspection, he found absolutely nothing.
No strange sensations.
No loss of vitality.
No transformation.
Only then did Ryan relax slightly.
It seemed that whatever "curse" Dracula had triggered had been forcibly interrupted by the system. The energy within the ring had already been completely absorbed and converted into Origin Points.
Now the ring was nothing more than an ordinary piece of jewelry.
"What exactly just happened?" Ryan asked.
He looked directly at Dracula, his voice calm but curious.
"And what curse are you talking about?"
Dracula seemed pleased by the question.
"Child, come," he said warmly. "Let's sit somewhere and talk slowly."
His attitude had changed completely. The legendary vampire lord now waved Ryan over with the relaxed demeanor of an elder speaking to a younger relative.
Ryan didn't move.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly and glanced at Dracula sideways.
"Are you trying to get close to me now?" he asked.
Dracula chuckled.
"What happened earlier was simply a wonderful misunderstanding. But now everything is different."
His tone was gentle, almost affectionate.
"We are already family. There's no need to remain so hostile toward me. I won't harm you again, child."
Family?
Ryan thought back to something Dracula had said earlier.
"The undead welcome you."
After considering it for a moment, Ryan reached a simple conclusion.
"This ring curses people into becoming undead, doesn't it?" he asked.
His expression carried genuine surprise.
Thinking about it carefully, though, the idea wasn't that strange. In Marvel lore, the first vampires had indeed originated from a curse.
"Yes, child," Dracula replied with a nod.
"Do not doubt it. You are now one of the undead. Welcome to the family."
Ryan stared at him skeptically.
"Are you sure about that?"
He looked Dracula up and down with clear suspicion. The ancient vampire wouldn't happen to have bad eyesight, would he?
Ryan felt completely normal.
His body was full of vitality and strength. There was nothing remotely undead about him.
"I understand your doubts," Dracula said patiently. "Allow me to explain."
His tone remained calm and instructive, like a teacher addressing a student.
"Although this ring can transform someone into one of the undead, the transformation does not always occur immediately. The results vary from person to person."
Dracula folded his hands behind his back as he continued.
"Some individuals become undead the moment the curse activates. Others experience the change slowly and subtly. The transformation may take months or even years before the signs become visible."
"In some cases, the change never appears within that person's lifetime at all. The bloodline of the undead still takes root within them, but it remains hidden."
Ryan raised an eyebrow.
Dracula continued his explanation.
"For example, in the fifth century I once traveled through Hungary. By coincidence, a young duke there obtained this ring and triggered the curse."
"He appeared perfectly normal for decades. Only when a plague later swept through the region did his undead nature finally awaken."
Ryan blinked.
That sounded oddly familiar.
He couldn't immediately place why, but the story about a Hungarian duke awakening during a plague triggered a strange sense of déjà vu.
Dracula continued speaking, clearly enjoying the opportunity to tell his story.
"Over the endless centuries I have wandered the world, this ring has passed through the hands of many people. In truth, most of them never triggered the curse at all."
"Only a very small number awaken its power."
He spread his arms slightly.
"That is why I say this is fate's gift. A destiny chosen by heaven itself."
Dracula's gaze returned to Ryan.
"Among all the individuals who have triggered the curse, I have never seen someone like you. The reaction was extraordinarily strong, and yet you can still hold the ring safely."
His voice grew softer.
"That has never happened before."
"Child… in some ways, you are as unique as I am."
The affection in Dracula's eyes became almost paternal.
Ryan remained silent.
Old Dracula had clearly misunderstood the situation.
The only reason Ryan could hold the ring safely was because it had already been drained of its power. The system had absorbed every drop of its energy.
The ring was now completely harmless.
Still…
Ryan considered the situation carefully.
Being misunderstood by Dracula might not be a bad thing.
This was the second-generation ancestor of vampires. Since the first-generation vampire progenitor was long gone, Dracula effectively stood at the top of the entire vampire hierarchy.
That represented a massive network.
Within the Marvel world, vampires had already infiltrated human society deeply. Their influence stretched across business, politics, finance, and even parts of the military.
Having Dracula believe they were on the same side could be extremely useful.
Ryan made his decision.
"Can I keep the ring?" he asked.
The ring was useless now, but if he returned it, Dracula might eventually notice something strange.
"Of course," Dracula replied immediately.
"It was always destined to belong to you. Keep it."
The vampire lord looked genuinely pleased.
To him, Ryan's request clearly meant the young man had accepted his identity as one of the undead.
Dracula felt quite satisfied.
"Normally, I no longer interfere in the affairs of the undead," he said slowly. "But you are different."
"Consider this a gift from me."
He paused, recalling something.
"There is an ancient castle roughly thirty kilometers from here. A small undead clan resides there."
"They are the descendants of that Hungarian duke I mentioned earlier."
Dracula gestured toward the ring.
"You may take this ring and claim leadership of that clan."
He stood up.
"Well then, child, I must be leaving. I look forward to the day when you fully awaken as one of the undead."
As he finished speaking, Dracula casually patted Ryan on the shoulder.
Ryan stood as well.
"What about these people?" he asked, glancing at the guests scattered across the floor.
Dracula waved his hand dismissively.
"They are fine. They will wake up in five minutes, and they will remember nothing."
The next moment his body blurred.
With a sudden swirl of movement, Dracula transformed into a rushing gust of wind and disappeared.
He had arrived suddenly, and he departed just as quickly.
A moment later, just as Dracula predicted, the guests around the hall began stirring.
One by one they opened their eyes and slowly climbed back to their feet.
Confusion filled their expressions for a few seconds before their awareness returned.
.....
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