The male supporting character was actually myself.

But when Edmund heard the words "friends" and "equality" from his mouth, he felt deeply ashamed of his narrow-minded assumptions.

Tears of emotion blurred his vision. He bowed again to thank the adult before returning to his room.

Lying on the luxurious and comfortable velvet bed, Edmund's state of mind underwent a dramatic transformation. No matter how extravagant the life or how decadent the indulgence, it could not shake his resolute heart. Everything he had was thanks to his master; without him, he would have long since died in the wine cellar, burned to ashes in a fire, and there would be no glory or happy life for him.

Even though adults treat you as a friend, you must remember your place.

From this moment on, Edmund will fight for Lord Philip for the rest of his life!

The script remained largely unchanged, presumably because the protagonist's transformation hadn't affected the overall story tone, and the main system remained silent, not issuing any more missions.

After recovering from his injuries, Edmund donned even more splendid attire and followed Jiang Chen to the capital, where he indulged in revelry and entertainment among the nobility. However, he was no longer as addicted as before. No matter how intoxicating the wine and women were, Edmund maintained a degree of sobriety, ensuring that he could carry out orders immediately should Mr. Philip need him at any time.

Time flies, and half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

As the cold winter was drawing to a close, Edmund caught a cold and fell seriously ill.

At first, he thought it was just a minor illness; for a strong soldier like himself who had seen battle and received medals, he would recover in a few days even without medication. Therefore, when Mr. Philip treated it as a major crisis and invited a renowned doctor to his home, Edmund thought he was making a mountain out of a molehill, but he was also deeply moved.

After spending time with him, he genuinely felt that what the adults said was true; they treated him as an equal friend, not as someone trying to win him over insincerely.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and Edmund had become so ill that he was bedridden.

He coughed so hard it felt like he was going to cough up his lungs, and the high fever left him weak and his face flushed. When he could no longer even swallow his medicine, Edmund knew in his heart that his time was coming.

No matter how many famous doctors the adults consulted or how many precious medicinal herbs they used, and no matter how much they searched for a cure, it was all in vain.

He has saved himself from the clutches of death time and time again, but this time, facing illness, even adults are probably helpless.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the male lead is so sick, it's really pitiful." The little white cat squatted on its host's shoulder, shook its head and sighed, "The main system hasn't issued any missions yet, it seems he's not terminally ill yet."

Jiang Chen ordered his servants to see off the doctor who had been summoned, and sat by the bedside, patting his hand to comfort him, saying, "I will have someone invite the most famous wizard in the capital. His Highness the Prince secretly told me that he has the ability to bring the dead back to life and will definitely be able to cure your illness!"

"My lord, thank you." Edmund was weak and coughed for a while before panting like a bellows. "No, no need to waste any more money and time. Death is already swinging its scythe at my bedside."

I'm dying, sir.

You have saved my life many times, snatching me from the clutches of death.

But this time, it will win. My life has been short, but I have left with few regrets, all thanks to you, sir. My only regret is that I can no longer serve you; I am truly unwilling to accept this!

If there really are devils in this world, capable of making deals with people.

I would rather sell my soul for more time to repay your kindness and support.

[Mission: Convert Edmund into a vampire. Reward: One-time use B-grade item.]

"Here it comes! The main system has arrived with a mission!" The little white cat perked up excitedly, its big, deep blue eyes wide with gossip as it exclaimed, "I've never seen a human turn into a vampire before! It sounds so exciting!"

Edmund was about to enter his final moments.

His fever caused his vision to blur, his whole body to tremble uncontrollably, and his lips to turn slightly blue.

"My lord! My lord!" Edmund knew his time was running out, and with all his might, he screamed, "Please take care of yourself! Edmund will never have the chance to repay your kindness... If there is an afterlife, if there is an afterlife..."

His voice grew weaker and weaker.

Jiang Chen's eyes gradually darkened. He walked to the bedside, leaned down, and whispered in the other person's ear, "Do you want to live or die?"

In a daze, Edmund seemed to return to that dark wine cellar, to the time when he first met the adult.

This time, however, he chose to believe unconditionally.

"I want to live...I don't want to die!"

“Very well, I can grant your wish.”

Those doctors can't save your life; the disease has your throat and is ready to take you away at any moment. But I can give you a completely new life, allowing you to enter a world you can't even imagine. Are you willing to make a change?

"I'm willing to do anything as long as I can live!"

"You no longer need to worry about time or fear illness or death, but you will have to pay a price."

"I'm willing, sir, I'm willing to do anything!"

"From the moment I grant you new life, you will never be able to touch the sunlight again; you will wander in the darkness for the rest of your life. Living on blood, hunting and killing humans and other animals, you might slaughter anyone around you because you cannot control your bloodlust. Are you still willing?"

Edmund, on the verge of death, suddenly widened his eyes, his expression turning utterly terrified, and his whole body trembled even more violently. "M-Master, you mean vampires? Those terrifying demons really exist?!"

“My strength, agility, and fearlessness are all because I am not human.” Jiang Chen revealed his sharp fangs and whispered in his ear, “I can sense that you are about to die, and the heart beating in your chest is weakening.”

Edmund, you don't have much time to think.

Make your choice—do you want to live or die?

Edmund was breathing rapidly, but he remained lucid even as he was terminally ill.

As a man and a valiant knight, once you've made a choice, there's no turning back. No matter how difficult the road ahead, you must take responsibility for your choice!

Chapter Ten: Newborn Vampires

"I...I want to live!" After a few seconds, Edmund finally made his choice and pleaded, "My lord, please grant me a new life. If I regret it, I will embrace the sunlight and turn to ashes, which is no different from dying in bed."

But with a new life, perhaps I can control my bloodlust, and feeding on animal blood wouldn't be out of the question, would it?

Jiang Chen reached out and grabbed his face, turning it to reveal his long, fair neck and the faint outline of his thin, sickly body.

The bluish-green arteries bulged slightly, and the flow of blood within them was incredibly enticing.

"Then so be it." He bent down, his sharp, white fangs easily piercing the skin, and blood gushed out immediately.

The little white cat was so frightened that its fur stood on end and it covered its eyes with its paws, but it was still very curious and peeked out from between its paws.

"Gudong! Gudong!"

The only sound in the quiet room was Jiang Chen swallowing the sweet blood.

Edmund felt no pain; in fact, he felt the physical pain caused by his illness had lessened somewhat. Soon, his consciousness began to fade, and his breathing became increasingly rapid, like a fish thrown ashore, only able to gasp for air by opening his mouth wide.

His heart pounded like a war drum, and he began to worry that it would stop beating before he was transformed into a vampire...

“Now I’ve drained your blood to the point of near depletion.” Jiang Chen finally released him, his lips and white teeth covered in blood. He whispered in his ear, “If left unchecked, you will die soon.”

Or, you can stay young forever, just like me.

Make your choice now. Tell me yourself, are you willing to join?

"I...I do..." Edmund managed to utter the words with all his might, "I do!"

Jiang Chen received a satisfactory answer and used the finger blade on his right hand to cut open his left wrist. Thick, almost black blood gushed out and splashed onto Edmund's almost dry lips.

There was no bloody smell as I had imagined; the liquid that dripped onto my lips was incredibly sweet.

Like a person on the verge of dying of thirst in the desert suddenly encountering a clear spring, Edmund struggled to follow the sweet and tempting scent and grabbed Jiang Chen's arm, greedily sucking every drop of blood flowing from his wound.

For the first time, he felt the pain of his power being drained out of his control. His heart, which had been in a near-dormant state, began to beat wildly. Jiang Chen gritted his teeth and persevered, but the overwhelming pain almost made him faint.

"Enough!" After reaching the required amount of blood to transform into a vampire, he pushed Edmund away, his face pale as he stumbled back a few steps and fell onto the sofa.

The wound on my wrist healed quickly and dangled on the armrest.

"Host, how are you feeling?" Seeing this, the little white cat hurriedly stepped forward, took out a white handkerchief to wipe his sweat, and asked with concern, "Are healing items useful for vampires? Is there anything I can do for you? Would you like some hot water? Oh no, I mean, hot blood?"

Jiang Chen waved his hand weakly, "I'm just in a period of weakness. Those medical items won't work. Go check on him."

Edmund, who had been pushed away, lay on the bed struggling in pain.

He had never felt such pain before. His heart felt like it was about to stop beating and he couldn't breathe. The scalding blood coursing through his body felt like it was burning him to ashes.

The firelight illuminated everything, making it impossible to see anything; all that could be heard were sighs, curses, cries, and screams, yet nothing could be understood; it felt as if fire was spitting from his nose and throat, and Edmund lay on the bed, clutching his heart in agony and helplessness.

Just a dozen seconds later, he suddenly stiffened and lay down, his eyes lost their luster, and he stopped breathing.

"Oh no, host! The protagonist seems to have died! What should I do? Did the transformation fail?" The fluffy little dumpling was terrified and didn't know what to do.

Upon seeing the protagonist die, it quickly pondered a question—would killing the protagonist while honestly completing a mission be considered a violation of the rules?

Before it could figure out the numbers, Edmund suddenly took a deep breath, its eyes brightening as it recovered.

"Waaaaah~ I was so scared!" The fluffy little dumpling cried and threw itself into its host's arms. "He suddenly came back to life! That was terrifying!"

Jiang Chen slumped weakly on the sofa, his voice feeble, "Your body is dead, don't worry about it, this is a necessary stage. From now on, you are a newly born vampire."

See, look at the world through the eyes of a vampire.

It will be completely different from the world you have ever seen or known before.

The newborn vampire weeps for the beauty of the night. Edmund, remember this special day. From this moment on, you, as a human, are completely dead; you, as a vampire, have just been reborn.

Welcome to the team!

Edmund had never felt or experienced anything like this before; his body felt so light he could almost fly. The pain that had tormented him had vanished without a trace, and everything he saw, heard, and smelled was completely different from what he used to experience.

He leaped out of bed, looked down at his hands—which seemed both changed and unchanged—and after a moment of surprise, suddenly remembered something. He jumped onto the carpet and knelt on one knee. "Thank you, my lord, for giving me a new life! Edmund will follow you for the rest of my life and never betray you!"

“You’ve just been reborn, and there’s a lot to learn about survival.” Jiang Chen slumped on the sofa, looking at him listlessly. “I’m just too tired right now. I’ll teach you slowly after I’ve calmed down.”

Until then, try not to leave your room.

Remember to draw the curtains before sunrise.

Edmund, still adjusting to his new body, only then realized that the adult's condition seemed rather serious, and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

"You'll understand later. My clan is different from other vampires. After I transform you, I will enter a long period of extreme weakness. Right now, even a three-year-old child could easily kill me. So, we need to keep a low profile recently to avoid being noticed by vampire hunters."

He seemed even weaker as he spoke, almost as if he were about to faint.

“My lord, it’s all because of me!” Edmund’s face showed a look of self-blame and guilt. “If it weren’t for my terminal illness, you wouldn’t have revealed your identity or become so weak.”

Please rest assured, I will tell the servants that I am not yet fully recovered and that I will send them away temporarily to avoid contagion. This will prevent any suspicion from being discovered and causing trouble.

During your weakened state, I will stay by your side at all times, never leaving your side. Even if I die in battle, I will not allow anyone to harm you in the slightest!

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen, who had deliberately exposed his own weaknesses, smiled slightly.

He had the ability to tell whether someone was lying, and Edmund's words just now were indeed heartfelt and sincere.

“Well, you’re an adult and a veteran of the battlefield, so you’re naturally a very capable soldier. You have accurate judgment.” Jiang Chen slowly got up, and the other person hurriedly came over to help him. He continued to instruct, “If you really can’t resist the urge to succumb to bloodlust, remember to hunt at night.”

You must be back before dawn, and don't let anyone discover your presence.

The sunlight will turn you to ashes, so remember not to take the risk. If you can't bring yourself to hunt humans, you can choose one of the animals kept on our estate, but make sure they're handled cleanly so the servants don't notice anything amiss.

Edmund respectfully helped the other man back to his room, and before leaving, he bowed and said, "Please rest assured, sir, I will not cause you any trouble."

The door closed, and Jiang Chen gave the little white cat a look.