Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

To meet people who abandoned Nikolai and his father. This thought caused Nikolai to clench his fists so tight that his muscles trembled. He doubted their genuine feelings because of all the times they stepped forward—why only now?

Can I really trust them?

Will Dad get hurt if I say no? I only want him to smile from now on.

Complex emotions swirled through Nikolai's mind while he hugged Nikita. Her soft fingertips caressed the back of his head, which caused a ticklish feeling down his spine. The comforting scent of her body and a gentle hum from her lips helped calm his mind.

"Hmmm mmm~ Hmm nnnn~"

A sudden whisper caused his eyes to snap open. "Do you feel better now, Nikolai?" Nikita's golden eyes squinted at him from close range. Her soft cheeks puffed out like marshmallows before the girl rubbed her nose against his. "This time I won't come with you, so I hope you will remain brave."

Nikita's sparkling eyes fluttered before winking as she pulled away with a melancholic smile. "I have to go now, my mother is angry at me, ehehe~ I forgot to tell her I was staying out."

Somehow, like the morning sunlight on a warm summer day, Nikita brought life and vibrance into his life. Nikolai reached out, brushing her cheeks. His eyes narrowed into small slits. "Thank you, I can remain brave, all thanks to you."

"Ehe~ I'm happy to hear that. Mwah~ let's do our best." Nikita's bright voice echoed through the kitchen as she kissed his cheek, leaving a faint red mark. The next moment, after a blink of his eyes, she appeared outside the window like a naughty thief.

However, looking at her, smiling with a brilliant glow and a fluffy tail that she quickly tucked away. Nikolai could only wave his hand and laugh.

"After everything, she hasn't changed..." Nikolai said to the parting werewolf before turning away. His lips curled into a deeper smile as he touched his chest. "I really love that cheeky girl." He released his clenched fists, his emotions overwhelming him before fading.

Now, all that lingered in his mind was Nikita, and her smile was like sunshine.

I can face them now—thank you, Nikita.

"No matter what excuse they might say, I will give them a chance."

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Two hours later, Ivan returned to the apartment wearing a smart grey suit. On his chest, the initials IV were embroidered with golden silk.

He opened the door to find his son waiting patiently for once.

"Dad, you're here?"

The moment he noticed Nikolai sitting on the sofa, wearing his specially made black suit, the one Selene and Nikita helped make, with his initials in silver arachne thread.

"Oh? Nikolai, you look so handsome!" A smirk formed on his father's face before he tossed a pair of keys.

Clang—!

"Eh... Dad, these are?!" Nikolai's voice sounded strange, a mixture of disbelief and growing excitement, and the tremble of his words made Ivan's smirk grow.

"Call it a belated birthday present, my son... you wanted this car, right?"

"The M1 Starburst..."

"Don't look so stunned. Come on, let's check it out!" Ivan sounded more excited than his son. He grabbed Nikolai's hand and pulled him out of the apartment as the afternoon sunlight beamed, sizzling the ground.

"D-Dad, slow down. It's hot—too hot for this kind of..." His voice stopped, the heat vanished, and the sound of traffic and people chattering disappeared.

A beautiful sports car, an old model recently remodelled and upgraded to the modern level, wine-red pain, spinning rims with RGB lights that matched the interior lights.

An advanced air conditioning system, not to mention the thick exhaust like a monster's arm and sweet angled wing.

It's my dream car...

"So, do you like it?" His father's beaming smile and narrowed eyes said it all. He patted Nikola's back with a loud bang. "I heard from the girls that this was your first choice."

This car wasn't something only money could buy—only five of them existed in the world. Nikolai realised the depth of his father's love before they became rich. However, this gesture made his chest flutter—what did Nikolai do to deserve such an expensive and valuable gift?

"Dad..."

"What's that weird look for, are you gonna cry? Haha!" Ivan's bellow attracted the females down the road, gossiping before they all gasped, looking at the two males in expensive suits beside the sports car. "See, those ladies will laugh at you, so don't cry."

He hasn't changed... even ten years ago to now.

I am honoured to be his son—how can I ever repay him?

Nikolai didn't waste any time, his chest pounding from excitement as the two doors opened vertically like bladed wings. As he hopped inside, he suddenly burst into joy like a young boy playing with his favourite toy for the first time.

The cool leather seat was soft and comfortable.

With hands on the steering wheel, grasping it tight, he gazed to the right at Ivan's glowing smile.

"Let's go, dad."

VROOM—!

Sweet!

With a sudden roar from the engine and exhaust, the starburst flew down the road like a runaway train. The middle-aged women gasped, leaving behind a loud, growling exhaust pipe that lingered in their minds.

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At first, the GPS showed a location that should have been a forest or an abandoned mine. However, Nikolai noticed a button out of the corner of his eye.

Monstrum

The Latin word for Monster, however, changed the moment he pushed the cool, black button. The GPS and digital screen displaying the speed and other details on the dashboard changed.

"What?!" Nikolai's hands swerved, and the car screeched on the motorway. He noticed that the map had become full of different markers.

Things like fast food and hospitals vanished, replaced by monster nests and ghoul hideouts. The display showed that the mountains and forest he was heading to right now were, in fact, the Volkov S-City Mansion!

"Haha, you pressed the button." Ivan chuckled, his hair flowing with the wind as Nikolai pushed on the accelerator harder. "That button is equipped in most high class and rank monster vehicles, since you're our families future successor. I took liberties of calling favours to add a few things to this car to keep you safe."

"W-What else did you add, Dad?!"

"Hahaha! That's the cute face I remember, don't worry. The alloy and chassis are reinforced to withstand a bomb blast, even if those bastards attack you again, your car will crush them."

Ivan's mouth opened wide, a ferocious face as he growled slightly, then tapped another button on the screen, which only showed the image of a spear.

"You mentioned that you found a book of spear arts, learn them before you hand them back to Fenrir."

Woosh—!

A set of iron shafts popped from the back seat.

When Nikolai glanced back, he noticed they were all spears—hard spears, soft spears and even a halberd or two—hidden in the car's chassis!

"Fuck... Dad, this car is awesome!"

"True... but it feels like your mother will kill me for it."

Thank god she's meditating right now...

"Hah! She might be angry, but no way would Mum hate you for getting us a super cool car. Oh, the turning-off is coming up... oh, there's some asshole in the way."

"No problem, push the left switch and hold it in for three seconds."

"Eh, why do I need to turn this off..."

"Now is not the time to be hesitant, just do it!"

"Fine, fine..."

Click!~

Nikolai twisted the stick as the Volkov logo appeared, making him smirk.

As soon as he accelerated, the sports car transformed; the paint job flickered with an unknown type of energy until everything turned jet black. The car seemed to become intangible for a few seconds, passing through the car ahead and turning off into the dark forest, disappearing without a trace.

"Wha..."

"Fairy essence, this car can activate that mode once an hour, and it lasts a few seconds at most!"

"D-Dad, this car is a freaking tank! What the fuck!"

"Haha! Your mum taught me this saying: You mess with one Volkov, and you mess with all of us!" Ivan clenched his fists as they continued down the empty forest roads, driving into the light of the setting sun a moment later; as soon as the red glowing ball fell into the shadowy treetops, a massive concrete structure formed before Nikolai's eyes.

***

"This place..."

The building was a fortified structure.

Above, flying sentry drones flapped past, and the path beyond the checkpoint seemed endless. People strolled about, humans and monsters alike. They seemed to come from all walks of life, from the security guards to the receptionist to the secretary and workers who milled around.

There was only a single thing similar between the people Nikolai saw: their silver hair and eyes.

"This is the castle of Volkov, " his father answered, pointing forward. Ten men, wearing well-groomed suits and armed to the teeth with submachine guns and rifles, approached.

The moment they came within a few metres, the men spread out, forming into rows as if to welcome the father and son. Stay updated via empire

"It seems Dad is going all out..." Ivan muttered before getting out of the car with Nikolai.

"Nikolai, Ivan... please follow us," one of the soldiers said curtly.

Before Nikolai could mention the car, a beautiful woman in a designer suit, dressed like a maid, bowed from the side, accompanied by four armed maids.

Her silver-white hair reached her knees as she introduced herself: "Excuse my intrusion. We are the house servants for Volkovs. Allow me to park the young lords car."

"Oh, sure." Nikolai handed over the keys after nodding to Ivan, who seemed to agree.

"I'm glad we've met your expectations," the soldier said, motioning for the two to follow.

This castle-like structure was almost like a modern military base. Was it the Volkov mansion?!

"Welcome Nikolai, this is your future home."