Selene's hand froze while holding the Dragon Ball. Her mind screamed in disbelief.
"Impossible. This... How is this possible?"
Despite her skepticism, Selene took the Dragon Ball back to her room. She opened her laptop and used her security clearance to access the castle's surveillance footage. She needed to see who'd played this joke on her.
As the surveillance video played, Selene kept her eyes fixed on the scepter. Through constant rewinding and pausing, she had to accept reality. She'd found the three-star ball herself and placed it there.
Looking at the three-star ball in her hand and the information flooding her mind that Dragon Balls could grant any wish, Selene murmured, "If any wish could be fulfilled, I'd want vampires to walk in sunlight without fear."
As a Death Dealer raised by Victor, the ruler of this bloodline, she had no worldly desires or thirst for power. Her parents had been killed by werewolves when she was young. Besides hating werewolves, she only longed for the sun.
No vampire didn't wish to be free from their curse.
Of the seven Dragon Balls, she'd only obtained one. She needed to use all available resources to find the remaining six.
As Selene contemplated this, the vampire Erica entered carrying a dress. She walked to the mirror, holding it up against herself. "This would look absolutely stunning on you."
She turned toward Selene working at the laptop. "Selene, you have to wear this tonight. It's amazing."
But Selene paid no attention to the dress. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of Dragon Balls. Even the werewolf incident at the subway station had been temporarily set aside.
Seeing no response, Erica approached curiously. She looked at the surveillance footage from the castle hall on the computer screen. "This is the vampire castle. Even if werewolves survived, do you think they could penetrate our defenses?"
Kraven entered at that moment. "We've nearly exterminated them all."
Seeing Kraven approach, Erica said nothing. She simply walked out and closed the door behind her.
Kraven walked to the window, watching heavy rain fall outside. He turned to Selene. "I intend to invite you as my partner for tonight's banquet."
Selene didn't look up. "Take Erica. She'd love to accompany you."
Kraven frowned at her answer. "I think you're taking this war too seriously. No matter how many you kill, you can't change the past."
He leaned against the window frame. "What's the point of eternal life if you deny yourself simple pleasures?"
Selene ignored his words. "If we were no longer afraid of the sun, how wonderful that would be."
Kraven froze, then burst out laughing. "Selene, are you dreaming? Do you understand what sunlight means to us? It's the cruelest torture imaginable."
His expression darkened. "I once watched a vampire wailing in sunlight, turning to ash before my eyes."
The sound of the castle gate opening interrupted them.
Kraven cursed. "Damn it."
He walked to the window and watched a Maybach drive into the castle courtyard. Knowing today's distinguished guest had arrived, he didn't linger.
"Put on appropriate clothing. Quickly."
Selene looked up. "Kraven, the vampire race is about to undergo real transformation. I don't have time to waste on banquets."
She placed the three-star ball in her pocket, turned, and left to investigate the other Dragon Balls' whereabouts.
Kraven heard her words and scoffed. "Transformation? Let's discuss that after you become leader of our bloodline."
In a dirty, cramped laboratory, a man hung suspended with his hands bound.
A researcher wearing glasses extracted a syringe, pierced the artery in the captive's neck directly, and drew a tube of blood.
The werewolf leader Lucian walked in.
The researcher glanced at Lucian, then walked to the test bench. He dropped the freshly drawn blood into a reagent and stirred to neutralize it.
Looking at the beaker that showed no change, he turned to Lucian. "Negative."
Disappointed to hear nothing had changed, Lucian approached a blackboard covered with various names and photographs. He took a black marker and crossed out the name "James T. Colvin."
Within the Fraternity base, John Wick returned to his room. The moment he embraced his wife, Helen spoke softly.
"John, I want a child."
Joy spread across John's face. "Then we'll have one."
Just as they moved closer together, John's phone rang.
John wanted to ignore it, but at Helen's gentle insistence, he answered.
The moment he brought the phone to his ear, a woman's roar blasted through the speaker.
"John, you bastard!"
"You damned animal! You used a blood contract to trick the Dragon Ball out of my hands!"
"Did you already know what it could do?"
Hearing Sophia's rage, John realized she'd also learned the Dragon Ball's abilities.
"Sophia, you owed me that debt."
His tone remained calm. "I exchanged a blood marker for what I was owed. And knowing the Dragon Ball's function, do you really think you had the ability to keep it? Besides, wasn't your wish for your daughter's safety? Didn't that wish come true when you got your daughter back?"
After hearing John's words, Sophia's roaring stopped. With John's help, she'd not only recovered her daughter but also became a manager in the Fraternity's Monaco operation. Besides the manager sent by the Fraternity, she served as deputy manager.
"John, a blood marker isn't worth a Dragon Ball. I don't care. You owe me a favor now."
Hearing Sophia's shameless demand, John said helplessly, "Alright, alright. We're old friends. If you truly need me, would I refuse to help?"
Sophia's tone shifted to something more cunning. "You're the boss's favorite. I need to maintain good relations with you."
In truth, Sophia held no real expectations about the Dragon Balls. She knew collecting all seven was likely impossible. She was self-aware. This call was simply to secure a favor from John Wick.
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