Chapter 125: Secret History of the Kindred

Time within the dungeons of Dawn Academy passed slowly yet productively. As the days slipped by, one month after Hua Feng’s arrival at the academy, the instructor for their third-stage curriculum turned out to be a genuine vampire. According to Bai Feng, this was a Vampire Duke, a rank second only to the Princes, with a power level equivalent to that of a Yuan Emperor or Yuan Sovereign, though their combat prowess was primarily determined by their innate arcane arts.

Under the tutelage of this vampire instructor, they gradually gained insight into the complex and profound world of the Kindred, including their typical methods of attack, their lifespans, and their ancient history.

In their early manifestations, vampires were demons that purely fed on human blood, much like the werewolves of European legend. After the Middle Ages, particularly with the rise of Romanticism, vampires became imbued with a rich sense of sexuality and eroticism due to their unique mode of existence. Their primary method of attack is blood-sucking, with occasional instances of cannibalism. A vampire can often seduce a person of the opposite sex and steal their life away without the victim ever realizing it.

Vampire attacks generally do not cause the victim pain; in many vampire works, the victims—both male and female—often become sustenance for the creature with expressions of blissful smiles. The outcomes of such attacks vary, falling roughly into these categories: Pure blood-letting, where the victim does not die nor transform, but is left weak from blood loss. A derivative of this is when a vampire drains the victim entirely, leading to death from exsanguination.

The death of a vampire, much like human mortality, can be categorized into suicide and homicide. Over the long span of their existence, enduring loneliness and the tedium of life, even the noble and fickle Kindred may succumb to thoughts of suicide. However, as children of Satan, having crawled at his feet since their inception, it is difficult for them to break their shackles or commit acts that violate their instincts. Furthermore, even if one were to break free under great provocation and commit suicide, it is a gruesome and unsightly way to go, which is why the Kindred rarely choose such an ignoble end.

Their common method of "suicide" is seemingly mysterious, but in truth, it involves cultivating a younger vampire more powerful than oneself—usually one with deep emotional ties. Over long years, they provide constant stimuli, destroying the younger one's life to foster intense hatred (for the crime of kinslaying is enough to force one into a lifetime of exile). Yet, as a proud race, the Kindred rarely allow others to surpass them. Therefore, if a vampire intentionally orchestrates these events and allows the other to surpass them, it is effectively a form of suicide. As for homicide, due to the Kindred’s immense regenerative abilities, destroying one requires either divine power or absolute eradication. Sunlight is the vampire's greatest enemy; garlic and ordinary crosses are useless, and even a cross blessed with holy water can only temporarily seal a vampire.

Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, bore the curse of God for the murder of his brother, becoming an immortal forced to subsist on blood. After meeting Lilith, who had forsaken the Garden of Eden, he received her guidance and learned how to extract formidable power from blood. The Kindred mark this day as the first year of the Blood Revelation. Cain is the source of all vampires, the origin of the lineage. Driven by loneliness, he used the viscera of animals and his own blood to create the second generation, believed to consist of five individuals. Later, they sought out the descendants of Adam and Eve, only to be cast out as monsters by these "brothers."

In grief and fury, the second generation attempted to build a "Dark Eden." They sired thirteen descendants, the most powerful third generation. After the Great Flood triggered by God, the surviving third generation united to slay their progenitors. It is confirmed that Enoch, Zillah, and Irad were killed, while the remaining two vanished into obscurity. This tale, along with the later doomsday prophecies regarding the betrayal of the third generation, became forbidden history within the Kindred. Due to the immense passage of time, descriptions of the second generation are exceedingly rare. The third generation, known as the "Antediluvians," claimed power rivaling the gods and became the leaders of subsequent generations.

The third generation established independent families, the "Thirteen Clans," with each ancestor founding their own line. Due to the antiquity of these events, modern descendants know these ancients only through legend. They hold the highest authority within the Kindred and are both the core of vampire society and the source of all Kindred’s fear. The thirteen Antediluvians vied for power, slaughtering countless beings to bolster their own strength and that of their families. They discovered that the blood of the Kindred could grant mortals immortality and elevate the Kindred to saintly status, thus beginning the cycle of the vampires' sinful blood inheritance.

Eventually, the thirteen turned against one another, engaging in endless warfare and spreading their bloodlines—a conflict known as the "Jihad." Mortals were the primary victims of this war. The Great Flood triggered by God did not kill the Antediluvians but left them severely wounded, forcing them into torpor. To continue the Jihad, each of the thirteen supported their own clan (the fourth to sixth generations), each inheriting the traits of their creator. Unexpectedly, the clans became mired in comfort and formed alliances, casting their ancestors aside. The wounded Antediluvians were enraged, and the most powerful among them left a prophecy: "When we awaken, the earth shall burn with our wrath, the heavens shall fall into eternal darkness, and you rebels shall suffer in blood and fire for eternity."

Before falling into slumber, the thirteen swore to eradicate the traitors upon their return. The fourth and fifth generations emerged millennia ago under the banner of "Methuselahs." They were the first humans to gain power through the "Embrace." Though not sired by the Antediluvians, they inherited the bloodline. Legend says their power approaches that of their progenitors, and they assumed authority after the third generation entered torpor. Today, active Methuselahs are increasingly rare, as many have entered hibernation. However, it is certain that the core leadership of the Camarilla and the rulers of the Sabbat are powerful Methuselahs. Because they betrayed the "will" of the third generation, they are targets of their ancestors' hatred, leading them to fear the ancients and suppress any history unfavorable to themselves; among them, the word "Antediluvian" is a forbidden term.

The sixth, seventh, and eighth generations comprise the majority of those who participate in the Jihad. Because their leaders possess strong sensory powers and magic, they are often used as foot soldiers by the Antediluvians and Methuselahs. Though some realize they are merely pawns, they cannot change their fate. Members of these generations within the Camarilla are often centuries old, and younger members refer to them as Elders. The ninth and tenth generations face a perilous existence. Compared to their predecessors, their youth leaves them lacking in both ability and experience. They find it difficult to seize opportunities to advance their status, and only a few can make a name for themselves in the rigid hierarchy. Still, to those below them, their power and prestige remain unquestioned.

The eleventh to thirteenth generations are generally approaching or exceeding a century in age. Though they are considered quite young, they possess significant power and make up the bulk of the modern Kindred population. They place great importance on adhering to traditions to gain the attention of the Elders.

The fourteenth and fifteenth generations have appeared in increasing numbers in the deep nights of the modern era. These modern-born Kindred differ from the traditional vampire. The curse of God and the dilution of the bloodline have caused a significant regression in their personal power; some can even move briefly in the sunlight and live in human society without raising suspicion. Sadly, some of these unfortunate souls undergo a process of aging and death similar to humans, albeit at a much slower rate.

For Hua Feng, who had encountered vampires before, these revelations cast his past mission at the Vatican in a new light. It was incredible to realize how closely he had brushed against them, and that he had even cooperated with them. In this era, he realized he had to learn not only astrophysics and cosmology but also the history of the native forces of this world. Indeed, the world was vastly different from what it once was.