Anthony stayed silent for a moment, then shook his head. "It seems I failed to mention it," he said, his tone carrying a slight hint of realization.

"Mention what?" Michael asked, his brows knitting slightly as curiosity flickered across his face.

"I’ve managed to remove the Servant effects of the Blood Servant ability," Anthony stated with a proud smile on his face, his expression one of quiet accomplishment.

Of course, ??? was the one who removed the effect for his parents alone, but he couldn’t exactly say that... right?

"Why didn’t you just say that from the beginning then?" Irene asked as she arched an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on him with mild exasperation.

"Well, I was still in the process of explaining the ability; who knew everyone would jump at the offer despite knowing the Servant perk of it?" Anthony stated in his defense, his tone calm yet slightly amused.

They could only sigh at Anthony’s words, as they were indeed true, and none of them could refute that fact even if they wanted to.

"So, when did you remove the restrictions?" Collins asked calmly, his voice steady as always, though his eyes remained fixed on Anthony with keen interest.

"Before you came out of seclusion. I’ve been thinking for a while about how to do it for years, and then it happened," Anthony replied without missing a beat, his expression remaining composed.

Collins nodded and said nothing else, seemingly satisfied with the answer he had been given.

Michael stared at Anthony for a moment, his gaze deep and contemplative, then asked, "Is there a limit to how many people can become your Blood Servants?"

"I don’t think so," Anthony replied as he met Michael’s gaze, his voice carrying a quiet certainty despite the ambiguity of his answer.

"Although you are all grown and more powerful than us, even combined, I am still your father. So, I will advise you: after using the Blood Servant on us, if there is a way to bring back the Servant perk of the ability, do so before using it on anybody else. Although I can’t force you into doing anything, this is just advice from a father to a son," Michael stated, his tone fatherly as he didn’t try to push Anthony or convince him into anything. The decision was left to Anthony; he, Michael, had done all he could by giving the advice in a calm and measured manner.

Although personally, he also wanted to ask how many Blood Servants Anthony already had, he held himself back, bothering not to ask, as that wasn’t his business. Besides, since Anthony had just removed the Servant perk recently, it meant that even if Anthony had any servants in the past, there were zero chances of betrayal.

"I understand, Father. Thank you for the advice," Anthony replied. He could count the number of times Michael had ever advised him on one hand; the man was simply a free-spirited individual who didn’t place restrictions on anyone, choosing instead to let others walk their own path.

"So, final question, just so I can get it right: with this Blood ability, our talent won’t need to be increased anymore, right?" Mitchelle asked, just to make sure, after all, this was the second time Anthony was increasing their talent.

"Yes, after this, no more," Anthony replied without hesitation.

Mitchelle nodded as she spoke. "Let’s get started then; what do you need us to do?"

At her words, Anthony fell into his thoughts. He didn’t need them to do anything, but he remembered Spectre and the rest screaming in pain as they drank his blood, so it was best to do this in the Mirror Dimension, where any unforeseen consequences could be contained without affecting the outside world.

"Let’s change location first," Anthony spoke, then snapped his fingers, his tone decisive.

Mirror Dimension

At his action, space, time, void, and reality shattered and warped around him and everyone else like shards of glass in an ever-rotating kaleidoscope. Within a moment, they now stood within the Mirror Dimension, the transition seamless yet profoundly surreal.

Michael and the others looked around, their eyes falling on the open grass field they stood on. There was nothing else in sight, not trees, not a mountain, nor a water body, just an endless grass plain stretching infinitely in all directions, untouched and eerily calm.

"There is nothing that you need to do. Although there might be a bit of pain, with your high pain tolerance, I’m sure you all can endure," Anthony explained calmly, his gaze sweeping across them.

Everyone nodded their heads, then they lowered themselves into a lotus position, waiting patiently for Anthony to give them the blood.

With that, Anthony activated his Blood Servant ability, and immediately he felt his blood respond. It seemed to reverse its course as blood flowed back into his heart, then congested, then streaked out of his heart and out of his chest, floating into the open air with a controlled and almost ethereal motion.

The process repeated four times as four golden blood drops floated in the air. They hung suspended as though they were nothing but normal blood; no mysterious aura or anything descended, the blood simply was, existing quietly yet carrying immense power.

Irene, Collins, Michael, and Mitchelle arched an eyebrow. When Anthony had been talking about drinking his blood, they had expected maybe a bowl of it, or perhaps a cup, but a single drop was far out of their expectations. But did they complain? Certainly not; after all, they were Humans, not Vampires.

’Is this why the Second Supreme Monarch wanted a litre of Anthony’s blood all those times?’ Mitchelle couldn’t help but think to herself, as the Second Supreme Monarch’s fiasco with Anthony now seemed so grounded. ’Well, it doesn’t matter; he has been dealt with,’ she dismissed the thought, pushing it away from her mind entirely.

"Just swallow it and do nothing else; don’t channel your mana or anything," Anthony spoke, then directed the blood towards everyone as they opened their mouths without hesitation.

They closed their eyes the moment they swallowed the blood, then stayed silent, awaiting any form of reaction or pain, but a few seconds passed and nothing happened. None of them reacted, patience was something beings as old as them had long since cultivated and mastered.

The next moment, the reaction they had all been waiting for came with full force, expected but impossible to ignore.

____

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Had some electricity issues yesterday, so I couldn’t charge my phone, so I couldn’t type.

Also, I received an opinion that the romance between Vega and Anthony feels forced. How many of you agree with this, and maybe point out my errors so I might improve?