What was even more fatal was that this seemingly inferior Vampire progenitor gene actually harbored the seed of a divine body.

Within the Angel Civilization, a first-generation divine body belonged to the bottom-tier sequence, but to mortal races, it was already a heaven-defying artifact.

Possessing this physique allowed one to almost ignore conventional bombings and forcefully withstand star-destroying level attacks.

If the Vampire progenitor could truly achieve this, it would make sense.

Theoretically, Li Da could completely use sky blade 7 to implant this set of genetic engineering into the human body.

But he immediately rejected this idea.

Because—it was too lousy.

The upper limit was too low.

The universe was vast, with gods standing like a forest and countless powerful races.

That meager cultivation of the Vampire progenitor was not even considered an ant before this vast river of stars.

Using it to modify oneself was purely a waste of resources.

A snake trying to swallow an elephant out of insatiable greed; Li Da would definitely not do such an unsober thing.

Vampire genes were indeed tempting, and those were solid resources.

Since the upper limit wasn't high, he would use sky blade 7 to deduce a new sequence. Li Da didn't plan to give this batch of first-class genes to Wanda and her group of old subordinates; he would keep them as seeds to slowly incubate his own sphere of influence.

What a pity, that old man Odin had a tough life and wasn't completely dead.

Otherwise, Li Da would have long let sky blade 7 dig out the coordinates of Jotunheim and several other dimensions.

There were plenty of good treasures in those places, and the races were even more diverse—all of them were ready-made sources of soldiers.

As he was pondering, a commotion came from outside the door.

Arina, Polina, and Clarice, three little girls, rushed in full of vigor.

The moment they spotted Li Da and Sergei in the living room, the three of them slammed on the brakes, neatly lined up in a row, and blinked their big eyes as they stared at the two.

Those gazes were full of inquiry.

Li Da and Sergei exchanged a glance, almost laughing out loud.

"What is it, what brings you to us?"

Seeing fine sweat still hanging on their foreheads, Li Da knew they must have been running around like crazy just now.

As for the physical stamina of these three girls, even an adult strong man would be panting heavily, but look at them, they were as if nothing had happened.

However, what did this expression mean?

"What do Vampires look like? Are they exceptionally pretty and exceptionally elegant?"

"Are they the same as the ones in the American TV show 《The Vampire Diaries》?"

It turned out that these little girls had previously watched American TV shows of that genre.

The Vampires in the show were all handsome men and beautiful women, living lives so exquisite that people envied them.

Coincidentally, Sergei had just returned, and hearing that he had gone to deal with Vampires, their curiosity instantly exploded, and they ran over without even putting on their shoes properly to ask for the bottom line.

After all, which young girl wouldn't yearn for that kind of pure and romantic love?

Sergei was an honest man, and without saying another word, he punctured the bubble.

"Take my word for it, stop daydreaming."

"They look glamorous on the outside, but inside they're all rotting flesh, extremely dirty, and completely disgusting."

These words were like a basin of cold water, drenching the three little ones with disappointment on their faces.

Li Da reached out and rubbed their heads, his tone relaxed: "Just watch TV shows for fun.

No matter how gentlemanly real Vampires pretend to be, peeled open, they're just a bunch of blood-sucking bats.

When sucking human blood, those faces are frighteningly ferocious; where is there any elegance to speak of?"

"Besides, their inner circle is full of scheming against each other, and oppressing their own kind is a daily routine."

"Tch!" Arina curled her lips, clearly lacking interest.

Li Da raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the three: "Where is Pushkin? Didn't he make a ruckus together with you guys?"

"No."

Polina's tone carried a hint of grievance: "He said he's a big man now and wants to become strong just like you guys.

He also said he's going to execute missions, and playing with us is too naive, which would wear down his fighting spirit."

Two days ago, this guy suddenly announced he was "weaning," insisting on practicing alone and talking nonsense about not fitting in.

For the four little companions who had stuck together since childhood, this was simply a bolt from the blue, hurting their feelings quite a bit.

Pushkin's words just now almost provoked a collective gang-beating from the three little ones.

"Look at this posture, our family's little man has completely awakened."

Li Da laughed so hard he leaned back and forth, but when his peripheral vision swept and saw those three girls glaring at him, he immediately changed his face.

"However, a big man hitting people is truly lacking in decency; he ought to be scolded."

"Brother Li Da still understands reason."

The three little ones then nodded with satisfaction.

They didn't really blame Pushkin; it was just that in this atmosphere of wanting a hug, they preferred to hear Li Da follow their intentions and stand on their side.

Although their fantasies were shattered all over the floor, their good mood was not affected.

Several little ones swarmed into the refrigerator, hugged out ice cream cakes, and then swept out like the wind.

Crisp laughter echoed through the manor, bringing a bit of liveliness even to the air.

Li Da sank into the sofa, his eyes full of indulgence.

* * *

Deep in the borderlands, on a sparsely populated wasteland.

In the distance, only a few clumps of withered trees dotted the field of vision, and a solitary cabin stood alone.

The house exuded a pastoral vibe, surrounded by vegetable plots and orchards, with even a pigsty fenced off beside it.

Natasha, Alexei, and Yelena stood side by side outside the house.

As they approached, the two did not stop their footsteps, but their gazes subconsciously swept across the ground.

The unusual fluctuations faintly emanating from beneath the soil were keenly captured by them.

But this minor interlude did not make them stop.

Outside the barbed wire fence, faint noises came from inside the house.

Someone had noticed the visitors.

The door hinge clicked softly, and a figure poked their head out holding a gun, the pitch-black muzzle pointing directly at the three.

The moment they saw the appearance of the newcomers, the gun holder's movements froze.

Sunlight spilled down, illuminating that face.

Tall in stature, with exquisite and mature facial features, wearing a red-and-white checkered shirt with jeans, her golden-red long hair draped loose, exuding full femininity.

Yet her gaze was as cold and sharp as a knife, as if looking at dead people.

However, when her line of sight focused on the faces of Natasha and the other two, that murderous aura instantly dissipated.

Replaced by a face full of astonishment and disbelief.

"Natasha... Yelena? Alexei?"

She frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then put down the gun.

Natasha and the other two pushed open the fence gate and walked along the path to her front.

"Melina!"

Alexei's bearded face was full of excitement.

Reuniting after a long separation, there was both the joy of a family reunion and a bit of apprehension hidden within.

Melina stood on the steps, took a deep look at them, turned around, and pushed open the door.

"Come in."

The door hinge made a slight creaking sound, and Alexei practically strode into the house.

Natasha and Yelena exchanged a meaningful look, then followed right behind.

In the spacious hall, a rich Eastern European rural atmosphere rushed forward.

Rugged raw wood beams and columns supported the high dome, and the furniture lines were archaic and heavy, without a single shred of superfluous decoration, exuding a rustic and heavy texture of life.

Melina led the three to that huge long wooden table, signaling them to take their seats.

After a moment, a rich coffee aroma permeated the air.

She personally brewed the coffee, handed it to the guests one by one, and then sat down opposite them, placing her hands crossed on her knees.

The air seemed to have frozen.

Silence spread like a tide, so oppressive that it made people a bit breathless.

Alexei sat in the middle, his lips trembling slightly with excitement.

His gaze wandered back and forth among Natasha, Yelena, and Melina, deep in his eyes surging with undisguised joy and satisfaction, as if everything before him was a lost-and-found treasure.

Yelena lowered her eyelids, staring blankly at the brown liquid in her cup.

Natasha forcibly suppressed the waves in her heart, taking the lead to break this suffocating silence.

"How long have you stayed here?"

"Three or four years."

Melina picked up her cup and took a sip, her tone flat, "Calculated, the time hasn't been short either."

After finishing her coffee, she raised her eyelids, furrowed her brow slightly, and swept a sharp gaze across the three: "Dreykov is dead, and the Red Room has also collapsed.

Were these commotions caused by you guys?"

"Not entirely."

Natasha leaned forward, her voice chilling a bit, "To be accurate, it was the person behind me who made a move."