MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

Chapter 354: Blow over

As the dust settled over the battlefield, an eerie silence fell upon the scene. The once-mighty dragon lay crumbled on the ground, its scales dulled and its fiery breath extinguished. Not far from the fallen beast, Blake collapsed, his body a canvas of cuts, bruises, and burns. His hands and feet, the conduits of his extraordinary blood powers, were grotesquely mutilated.

Reggie's eyes fluttered open, his consciousness slowly returning. As his vision cleared, he beheld the vanquished dragon, realization dawning upon him: Blake had done it. He had defeated the seemingly invincible creature. However, Reggie's moment of awe was fleeting, quickly replaced by a surge of worry as he spotted Blake's motionless form nearby.

Not far from them, Randal stirred, grimacing in pain. The dragon's tail spike had impaled him dangerously close to his torso, leaving him in a precarious state. With great effort, he managed to stand, staggering towards Dumphries, who was equally worse for wear.

Reggie, however, had eyes only for Blake. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring his own injuries, and rushed to his friend's side. Falling to his knees beside Blake, Reggie's voice cracked as he spoke, "Blake! Blake, can you hear me?"

Blake's eyes opened slowly, unfocused and glazed with pain. His lips, cracked and bloody, parted as he tried to speak. His voice came out as barely more than a whisper, "Reggie... you're okay."

"Thanks to you," Reggie replied, his eyes scanning Blake's battered body. "We need to get you help. You're in bad shape."

Blake's hand shot out, grasping Reggie's arm with surprising strength. "No time," he rasped. "The spring water... we need it. Rose..."

Reggie's brow furrowed in confusion. "What? Blake, you're not making sense. We need to tend to your wounds first."

Blake shook his head weakly, wincing at the movement. "Listen to me," he said, his voice gaining a hint of urgency. "The spring water... . Get it. We have to...

save Rose. She's still in danger."

Understanding dawned on Reggie's face, mixed with concern. "But Blake, you're barely alive yourself. We can't—"

"We have to," Blake interrupted, his eyes suddenly sharp with determination. "I didn't... didn't fight that dragon just to fail now. Rose needs us. The water... Please, Reggie."

Reggie hesitated, torn between his friend's immediate needs and the urgency in Blake's voice. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. I'll get the water. But promise me you'll hang on, okay? No dying while I'm gone."

A ghost of a smile flickered across Blake's battered face. "Not planning on it. Hurry."

As Reggie stood to retrieve the life-saving water, Blake's eyes drifted closed again, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. The battle was won, but the war was far from over. Rose's life hung in the balance, and time was running out.

I apologize for the confusion. Thank you for the clarification. Let me adjust the narrative to incorporate this important detail:

Reggie cautiously approached the fallen dragon, its massive form still intimidating even in defeat. He skirted around the beast, making his way towards the cave entrance that loomed behind it. The dragon had been guarding this cave fiercely, and now Reggie understood why.

Inside, he found a small spring, its water glistening with an otherworldly sheen. This was the spring water that had never seen sunlight, its power still a mystery to them all. With reverence, Reggie filled a container with the precious liquid, knowing it might be their only hope for saving Rose.

As he emerged from the cave and returned to his comrades, Reggie saw that Randal and Dumphries had managed to drag themselves to Blake's side. The sight of his friends, all battered and broken, made his heart sink. The journey back to the vampire city suddenly seemed like an insurmountable task.

Reggie's mind raced as he assessed their dire situation. His gaze fell upon their packs, and he remembered the blood supplies they had been carrying—a last resort they had hoped never to use. For over a year, all of them except Dumphries had abstained from blood, a choice that had left them significantly weaker than the average vampire of their caliber.

He knew that blood wasn't just sustenance for their kind; it was the source of their strength, their vitality. Their long abstinence had taken its toll, leaving them vulnerable in ways they hadn't anticipated. Now, faced with their current state, Reggie realized they had no choice.

With a heavy heart, he approached the group, carefully setting down the container of spring water. "We need to use the blood packs," he announced, his voice tight with reluctance.

Blake's eyes flickered open, a mix of understanding and apprehension in his gaze. Randal and Dumphries exchanged worried glances.

"Reggie," Randal started, his voice weak, "are you sure? We've come so far..."

Reggie nodded grimly. "I know. Believe me, I hate the idea of relapsing as much as any of you. But look at us. We're in no condition to make it back to the city, let alone save Rose. We need our strength."

Dumphries, the only one among them who hadn't abstained, spoke up. "He's right. You've all done remarkably well, but this is about survival now. And about saving Rose."

Blake struggled to sit up, wincing in pain. "Reggie's right," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We can't... we can't fail now. Not when we're so close."

Reggie began distributing the blood packs, his movements mechanical, trying not to think too deeply about what they were about to do. "We'll deal with the consequences later," he said, as much to himself as to the others. "Right now, we need to heal, and we need to do it fast."

As they prepared to break their long abstinence, a tense silence fell over the group. Each of them knew that this decision, while necessary, could have far-reaching implications. The taste of blood after so long might awaken dormant hungers, threaten their hard-won control.

But as Reggie looked at his injured friends and thought of Rose, still in danger, he knew they had no other choice. They would face whatever came after—together. For now, they had to embrace their nature, if only to have the strength to save those they cared about.

With a deep breath, Reggie raised his blood pack. "For Rose," he said solemnly, and the others echoed his words as they prepared to take their first drink in over a year.

As the vampires consumed the blood packs, a palpable change swept through them. Their wounds began to heal in real-time, flesh knitting together and bruises fading. However, the more severe injuries, particularly Blake's, required more time to fully mend.

While they rested and allowed the blood to work its magic, Dumphries' gaze remained fixed on the fallen dragon. His mind reeled with thoughts:

'How did Blake single-handedly defeat a beast that even my moon blade couldn't cut? I've prided myself as the world's finest blacksmith for centuries, but today... today has shown me how much I still have to learn.'

Curiosity overtook Dumphries, and he stood up, approaching the dragon's massive form. The others, still recuperating, suddenly snapped to attention.

"Dumphries! What are you doing?" Reggie called out, alarm in his voice.

"Have you lost your mind? Don't touch it!" Randal added.