A ray of sunlight shone on the ancient castle's roof. Though the surrounding trees were dense, the light could only reach this particular spot.

The faint illumination fell upon Elizabeth's face, causing her sapphire-like eyes to squint slightly.

The wound on her leg still throbbed with pain, and the excessive blood loss had left her body somewhat numb. She could only curl up in this dim little room, without even the strength to move her body.

Tiny, glistening tears traced paths down the corners of Elizabeth's eyes. Her current fear surged like tidal waves, crashing against the walls of her heart one after another.

Any slight noise from outside would startle her delicate frame into trembling, causing her already reddened eyes to once again become coated with a fresh layer of glistening tears.

She was utterly terrified.

That tall yet slender figure, that pale and wrinkled skin, that humanoid form that somehow blended grotesqueness with beauty, elegance with decay—it had become her greatest nightmare. Even with her eyes closed, she could vividly imagine that pale, oddly-shaped monster standing in the darkness, watching her, ready at any moment to pierce her neck and drain her blood dry!

Though nominally imprisoned by the king, she had always been someone whose hands never touched dirt, a person removed from labor. The most significant event she had experienced in her life was the mysterious death of her brother. Ultimately, Elizabeth remained similar to a sheltered young maiden with limited worldly experience, her mentality both naive and fragile.

Yet as a queen, a certain aristocratic pride supported her, preventing her from completely breaking down.

After those two monsters attacked the castle last night, she had fainted. Believing death was inevitable, she never expected to miraculously survive.

The pale monster didn't seem intent on killing her. Though imprisoned in this shabby little room, her fate was far better than that of the knights.

This unexpectedly ignited within her a courage to seek survival.

But how to survive?

The pale monster clearly fed on blood. Being imprisoned likely meant she was being kept as a slave to be periodically drained.

"If I behave obediently, perhaps the monster won't kill me?"

Tears welling in her eyes, Elizabeth looked at the glaring, frightening wound on her fair, tender calf. Feeling the pain from the injury, her tears began to flow uncontrollably again.

But she wanted to live, because before her mother passed away, she had told her to live well.

----

Following the command issued by Progenitor Norton, the old servant Abraham had no choice but to hurry and complete every task assigned by the Progenitor.

This highlighted the importance of people like Heshen. Although Norton always maintained a skeptical attitude toward Abraham, it had to be said that Abraham handled matters with remarkable ease and efficiency.

In just two short months, the entire town of Marn had become a paradise for vampires.

The unpalatable elderly, aunties, and even the unattractive individuals were all transformed into third-generation vampires.

Middle-aged people were converted into second-generation vampires. Young people were corralled and kept as Blood Slaves.

Norton's choices were quite straightforward. The elderly and aunties, with their deficient kidneys, weak bodies, unappetizing blood, and low volume, served no purpose other than becoming vampires—slaves who would never tire.

Middle-aged individuals were physically strong, possessed some life experience, yet hadn't reached the stage of being cunning old foxes. Moreover, with elderly parents above and young children below, they were easier to control. Thus, they were transformed into second-generation vampires;

by controlling their families, they could be completely controlled.

The young people were kept as Blood Slaves, to be fed upon by these vampires and to allow for natural reproduction.

Additionally, Norton offered them a very attractive condition.

Their young children, after serving as Blood Slaves for ten years, could be transformed into vampires, achieving a leap in status and securing eternal life for their families.

Therefore, these second-generation vampires, for various reasons, were relatively easy to control.

Furthermore, since the Blood Slaves were their own children, they couldn't recklessly harm their food supply, thus ensuring sustainability.

It had to be said, this method of control was quite ruthless.

Norton Castle.

That's right, this gloomy ancient castle had now been renamed Norton Castle.

The dilapidated castle wasn't repaired, because Progenitor Norton felt that such a rundown environment actually suited vampires better.

In the castle's basement.

A bright red coffin was placed in the basement. Combined with the stone walls and the surrounding aged, rustic environment, it genuinely evoked the feeling of a vampire's castle.

Coal Ball, now as tall as a person, sat silently like a stone beside Norton's coffin.

Its physique had fully matured. Its arms had completely separated from its wings, becoming elongated and robust. Its hind legs had shed the bat-like curved claws, transforming into joints similar to humans'.

The fur on its body had completely fallen out. Although its face still retained the basic shape of a vampire bat, it now appeared more ferocious and terrifying.

It could be said that, aside from not being made of stone, its appearance and form were now indistinguishable from the Gargoyle of Norton's imagination.

However, Norton could sense that its physical development wasn't yet fully complete, because his understanding and control over it hadn't reached one hundred percent;

there was still room for improvement.

"Creak..." The wooden hinges turned, emitting a slightly unsettling sound.

The bright red coffin slowly opened, and then a tall figure rose stiffly and upright, like a zombie, with its hands stacked over its left and right shoulders, presenting the classic vampire rising posture.

As the Progenitor of the Vampire Clan, Norton felt it necessary to establish royal vampire etiquette for the vampire species.

This classic vampire rising posture and sleeping in coffins were the scenes he intended to present to them.

Human nobles had their so-called high-class etiquette, so of course, their vampire clan should have it too. Otherwise, wouldn't transforming into a vampire be for nothing?

Under Norton's personal example, these vampires were successfully led astray. Led by Abraham, each one acquired a wooden coffin for themselves, imitating Your Excellency the Progenitor to display the noble demeanor of vampires.

Of course, this practice wasn't just Norton fooling around. It was a method of using suggestion to restrain the thoughts and development of these vampires.

Why say that? Simple. In modern society, whenever people mention vampires, or see them in films and TV shows, most think of: sleeping in coffins, sucking blood, being nocturnal, some having exquisite looks, elegant manners, appearing aristocratic...

These so-called impressions of vampires are a form of mental restraint. Why should vampires only be like this? Isn't this state achieved through the subtle transformation by public perception?

What Norton is doing now is using behavioral patterns to subtly restrain the thoughts of these vampires, gradually transforming them from their current state of doing whatever they want, however they want, into a stereotypical state. He wants them constrained by customs, making them lose other avenues of thought from a mental perspective!

To put it more bluntly, Norton is currently creating a Confucian ideology for the vampire race;

he is subtly brainwashing the vampires.

"I am the Progenitor;

all members of the Vampire Clan should obey my will!

But the methods of The Church are only suitable for infants raised from childhood, not for adults with independent minds. Excessive pressure won't make these people submit;

instead, it might provoke rebellious tendencies in those with inherent defiance.

After all, I am an example myself.

Therefore, I should use more subtle means to control their thoughts, completing the brainwashing without them even realizing it. Through mental restraint, I can achieve alignment with my thoughts spontaneously, without the need for forceful pressure.