Wizard: Start consuming attributes from the equipment slot.

Chapter 20 The Taste of Blood

Although he hadn't observed for long, the people in this small circle all had very distinct personalities, and Viktor quickly distinguished them... It has to be said that Nina's social skills are indeed impressive.

Because both the taciturn Karian and the proud and beautiful Lina are the kind of people who are not easy to deal with.

Furthermore, given the inherently cold and wary atmosphere among wizards, they were able to get along quite well.

Even if it's just superficial harmony, that's still a very impressive ability... at least much stronger than her alchemical talent!

Vladimir, on the other hand, seemed quite interested in Viktor as well. After chatting with the others for a while, he found Viktor:

"Victor...you're also of noble birth, aren't you?"

Viktor was taken aback at first, not expecting him to have a private conversation with him, but he quickly recovered and replied with a smile:

"Yes... but he's just a minor nobleman, far less noble than you, Vladimir."

"Ha~"

Vladimir twitched the corner of his mouth and chuckled softly:

"Stop talking nonsense, Viktor. If you're not of noble status, then everyone here is a commoner!"

Noticing Viktor looking at him with surprise, he lowered his voice slightly and leaned closer to Viktor, adding:

"You forgot?"

"Our Dracula family specializes in blood magic... I can smell the blood on you."

"Noble, pure, powerful... Your true identity must be that of a descendant of a powerful wizard, right?"

"This..." Victor's expression became somewhat subtle. "No... I just..."

"No need to say more, Viktor."

Before he could finish speaking, Vladimir reached out and patted him on the shoulder:

"I understand!"

Viktor looked at him, speechless.

He had assumed that Vladimir, who came from a noble family and had a powerful background, was a gloomy and scheming person. But upon closer inspection, he noticed that the guy's eyes actually had a kind of clear, innocent look like a college student's... Was it a disguise?

But Vladimir's family, as expected of a powerful wizarding family, seemed to possess a great deal of hidden knowledge and had a deep understanding of bloodlines...

So Viktor didn't insist on clarifying his identity, but instead asked in return:

"Then... Vladimir, can you sense what my bloodline is?"

"That... I certainly can't do that."

Vladimir shook his head:

"The reason I can smell certain things is because of the blood-sensing ability that is constant in our family bloodline. Just like the human sense of smell, I can only distinguish blood that I am familiar with or understand."

"This scent on you... is the first time I've ever smelled it before."

"I see......"

Viktor gained some more knowledge.

Seeing that he remained silent, Vladimir continued to ask:

"By the way, would you mind selling some of your blood?"

"Selling blood?"

Viktor was startled and turned to look at Vladimir, his gaze inevitably filled with wariness.

Don't look at me like that.

Vladimir waved his hand:

"I'm just asking about a fair trade that's based on mutual consent."

"Our family has been acquiring blood from various special bloodlines, but it's all been legitimate transactions. If you're concerned, that's fine. I was just asking casually."

"Your bloodline is of a very high level, and your origins must be extraordinary, so the price should also be very high. If you are willing to regularly provide blood to our family, the reward may be enough to ensure you never lack magic stones throughout your entire wizard apprenticeship."

"So you can consider it..."

Without a second thought, Viktor had already completely rejected the idea.

He increasingly felt that the mercury blood concealed some secret, which was why it attracted the wizard's attention. If his blood were to reach the Dracula family, a family skilled in manipulating blood, they might discover something and get involved, which would be too troublesome.

But outwardly, he still showed surprise and hesitation:

"I see... I'll think about it..."

"Just contact me anytime when the time comes."

Vladimir, of course, couldn't be as talkative as a salesman. The reason he took the initiative to speak to Viktor at this moment was because he was eager to get his hands on him.

After he said he would think about it, he took out a patterned card from his pocket and handed it to Viktor.

"This is my communication rune. If you have any ideas, please contact me."

Viktor reached out and took the rune card, nodding:

"Okay, I'll consider it."

Upon hearing this, Vladimir chuckled and stopped chatting with him. Instead, he turned to the others and began discussing the situation at the academy.

Viktor naturally went invisible again, silently sitting to the side collecting all sorts of information, useful and useless...

......

The gathering ended in the evening.

The group went their separate ways, and Victor followed Nina to pay the bill before leaving the restaurant together.

Nina walked ahead, asking without turning her head:

"How are you feeling?"

"fine."

Victor wasn't surprised by her question, and after a moment's thought, he immediately replied:

"These friends of my senior are easier to get along with than I imagined... Although it might be because of my senior, none of them showed the arrogance of a high-ranking wizard apprentice."

"There's no need to give me the credit."

Nina smiled:

"Your performance wasn't bad either... They don't have any stupid people who don't use their brains. If you don't show value, no one will put their energy into you, not even me."

"You have potential and you're smart. With a few more interactions, you'll naturally find your way into this circle."

"I hope so..."

Victor smiled slightly.

But he wasn't really moved by Nina's words.

To put it bluntly, wizards are ultimately a group that values ​​strength above all else. Even if he goes to great lengths to join Nina's circle, he doesn't need to brag about it, nor can he expect these people to be of much help to him. In the end, it all comes down to strength and usefulness.

However, he wasn't foolish enough to argue with Nina here, so he adopted a humble and receptive attitude.

As for the results... well, Nina seemed quite satisfied:

"Alright, it's getting late. I need to go back and check on the production line. You should go back and rest."

See you tomorrow.

Viktor nodded and stopped in his tracks:

"See you tomorrow, senior."

Nina waved her hand, quickened her pace, and soon disappeared into the night.

Viktor looked up at the sky and realized it was getting late, so he turned and headed home.

A day has passed, and if nothing unexpected happens, news should have come back from the Snake Venom Gang...