In the spacious office.
Luo Shu gazed at the brightly lit city outside the window, listening to the wailing sirens in the distance, then turned around with a faint, ambiguous smile towards the vampires standing nearby:
"You've certainly caused quite a stir!!"
Faced with Luo Shu's teasing, Giada scratched her head, "I can only say it was an accident."
"Whether it was an accident or intentional, there's no point discussing that now."
As he spoke, Luo Shu rose from his chair and walked over to the group. His gaze swept over Giada, Krul, Evangeline, and Takatsuki Izumi one by one, finally settling on Shizuka Hio and the head she was holding. He suddenly fell silent and said:
"This probably isn't a greeting gift for me, is it?"
As Luo Shu spoke, the reflection of the head appeared deep in his eyes.
From his perspective, the calamitous aura surrounding Hong Ruowang's head was twisted like a braid, both conspicuous and peculiarly bizarre.
Faced with Luo Shu's question, Shizuka Hio pondered for a moment, then tilted her head and said to him:
"In a certain sense, it could be considered a gift."
Hearing this, Luo Shu's expression turned awkward. He looked at Shizuka Hio's completely serious face, then finally sighed:
"Alright, I'd like to hear the reasoning behind how this could be considered a gift."
Upon hearing this, Giada immediately stepped forward, pointing at her own face:
"Why not ask me, the person involved, about this?"
"Sorry, I don't trust you." Luo Shu glanced frankly at Giada, then turned to Shizuka Hio: "Compared to a troublemaker like you, I naturally prefer to trust my own people."
"And besides, Shizuka, you witnessed the entire process, didn't you?"
Shizuka Hio's eyes flickered slightly as she nodded:
"Aside from what happened after Giada entered the underground levels of the Ministry of Environment, I did indeed witness the entire process."
As someone who typically disliked combat, this time she had simply controlled plants and served in a reconnaissance role. Because of this, she could indeed be considered someone who understood the full sequence of events.
"Explain, what secret is hidden within this head?"
Facing Luo Shu's inquiry, Shizuka Hio softly spoke with a voice tinged with coldness:
"Though not witnessed with my own eyes, Giada claimed that Red Giovanni obtained a Class related to vampires."
"That Class seems to possess the ability to grow stronger by devouring one's own kind, so after he became a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Environment, he eagerly mobilised the Ministry's forces to initiate an operation to capture me, attempting to obtain the Hio family's bloodline through this."
"Mobilised the Ministry of Environment's forces?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu fell silent for a moment, recalling what Shizuka Hio had previously reported: "Among the Ministry of Environment personnel who attacked you, was there someone called Yomi Isayama?"
Upon hearing this, Takatsuki Izumi glanced at Luo Shu in surprise: "There is such a person. She should currently be under surveillance by my subordinates. What about her?"
Luo Shu didn't know how to describe it and sighed:
"She's my mole planted within the Ministry of Environment..."
After saying this, Luo Shu turned his head to look at Takatsuki Izumi and said:
"Is the person still alive?"
"...Should be." Takatsuki Izumi looked at Luo Shu with an awkward expression, carefully choosing her words: "Because we checked before taking action, we didn't really go for the kill."
Takatsuki Izumi's words were vague, but everyone present who was part of the Familia understood that she meant the Divine Pantheon had discovered Yomi Isayama was a potential Familia member, thus sparing her.
Luo Shu understood this, but also felt it was inappropriate to continue letting Yomi Isayama run around freely outside, so he directly stated:
"Since she's in your hands, you can arrange for her to join the organisation."
After instructing Takatsuki Izumi, without waiting for her response, Luo Shu turned his gaze towards Shizuka Hio and asked:
"This head possesses a Class that allows gaining bloodlines by devouring kin? Has this information been confirmed?"
"The information only comes from Giada's speculation." Shizuka Hio glanced at Giada before saying, "We don't have brain-reading abilities, so everything still requires testing by professionals."
Hearing this, Luo Shu immediately turned to look at Origami Tobiichi standing by the windowsill:
"Origami, go notify Utaha to come over."
After speaking, Luo Shu paused, then added:
"Call Miya Yotsuba over too."
After saying this, Luo Shu scanned the people present, then smiled:
"I think we need to change venues first."
...
Hidden Management Department, Underground Zone 5.
Before the experiment table.
Utaha Kasumigaoka, wearing a white lab coat and non-prescription red-framed glasses like a scholar, glanced at the head placed on the table, then turned and rolled her eyes at Luo Shu:
"If possible, please bring me something more pleasant to examine next time, not this grotesque horror movie prop of a dead head."
Luo Shu immediately raised his hand to stop Utaha's words while smilingly retorting:
"Let me correct that - this head still maintains basic vitality."
"That just makes it sound even more disgusting."
Utaha Kasumigaoka sighed, then turned to look at Miya Yotsuba, who had also changed into a white lab coat, raising an eyebrow:
"New face?"
In response, Miya Yotsuba simply showed a gentle smile and nodded to Utaha Kasumigaoka:
"Please guide me well, Senior."
"I can't really be called Senior - your rank is higher than mine."
Utaha Kasumigaoka glanced at Luo Shu, then raised her hands to tie her hair into a ponytail:
"Nia has already divined the danger level. Shall I try first while you provide backup?"
"Alright."
Miya Yotsuba nodded, clearly having no objections to this arrangement.
While her level and rank in the mental field surpassed Utaha Kasumigaoka's, her status in the Familia and importance to Luo Shu were far inferior. That Utaha Kasumigaoka would make such arrangements was actually beneficial for her.
As the two began their work, the information within the red-gazed mind gradually unveiled itself to Luo Shu.
...
Half an hour later.
In the Director's office on the 3rd floor.
Luo Shu narrowed his eyes as he looked at the detailed information in his hands.
[Bloodline Dominator (Demigod Rank)]
[Ritual: Modify 100,000 lives to possess your bloodline, becoming your descendants, and consume the promotion material amidst the fear and worship of these ten thousand descendants.]
Staring at the information before him, Luo Shu couldn't help but sneer coldly:
"A mere vampire actually managed to uncover a Demigod-level Class..."
"It seems the waters here run rather deep..."