Blood Thirst: God of War

Price of Blood

"Take my blood!" Julius shouted. "My blood type is the same as Grandpa's!"

Doctors and nurses rushed around him, their faces filled with worry.

"Mr. Julius , donating 1200 ml is extremely dangerous. Under normal circumstances, blood donation is limited to 200–400 milliliters. The amount you are planning to donate has far exceeded the safe range. You could risk losing your life because of it!"

A nurse warned, "We can't—"

"I can!" Julius's voice was firm.

The nurses exchanged worried glances before beginning the procedure. Julius barely flinched when the needle pierced his vein, his gaze fixed on the unconscious form of his wife's grandfather.

The man who had saved his life years ago, who had taken him in when he was nothing more than a broken warrior, and who had given him a family he'd never had.

"You’re pushing your body."

One nurse warned, concern evident in her voice,

“You may experience severe dizziness, weakness—"

"I don't care," Julius interrupted, his lips pale. "Just take as much as needed."

The process felt agonizingly slow. As his blood flowed into the transfusion bag, Julius felt his strength drain away. His vision blurred, and his head felt unnaturally heavy. Within moments, the faint, sickly-sweet smell of blood spread in the room.

"Sir, that’s enough!"

The doctor declared, instructing the nurses to stop the transfusion, “You need rest."

Julius barely nodded before collapsing onto a nearby bench.

Julius sat on the cold metal bench, his vision swimming, his body weak from the blood donation. His head throbbed, his limbs felt like lead, and he could barely keep his eyes open.

"Julius! Julius, wake up!"

His wife's shrill voice pierced through his daze like a drill against metal.

He forced his eyes open, barely able to lift his head. Quella stood before him, her perfectly manicured fingers digging into her hips, her expression twisted in anger. Behind her, his stepmother and half-brother, Kenneth, wore matching expressions of fake concern.

"Julius, you need to donate blood " Quella demanded, her voice dripping with impatience. "Kenneth just donated 1200ml for Grandpa, and now he's too weak! He needs a transfusion!"

Julius stared at her, his brain sluggish, struggling to process her words. Then, realization hit him like a truck.

"Wait… what?" His voice was hoarse. "I just… I just gave 1200ml to Grandpa. How the hell did Kenneth donate the same amount?"

Kenneth, who was conveniently lying on a hospital bed, groaned dramatically and held his forehead like a delicate flower swaying in a storm.

"Brother… I just wanted to help Grandpa, but now… now I’m too weak…" Kenneth coughed weakly, as if he were on the verge of death.

"I don’t want to trouble you, but I—”

He let out another pitiful cough.

Julius stared at his brother’s perfectly pink complexion and steady breathing. The bastard looked healthier than a farm-fed pig. He'd seen through Kenneth's act the moment he walked into the room.

This was the same brother who had shown up at his doorstep after years of separation, pretending to be a long-lost family member, only to covet the wealth of his wife's family and scheme to replace him as the son-in-law.

Quella sniffed and dabbed at her dry eyes with a silk handkerchief.

“Julius, don’t be heartless! Your brother gave his all for Grandpa! And you… you sit here like a lazy cow chewing cud!"

Julius let out a bitter chuckle. "If I’m a cow, then Kenneth must be a leech, sucking away everything and pretending to be noble while doing it."

Quella scoffed. "You’re unbelievable! Kenneth sacrificed his health for our family, and you can’t even do this small thing? What kind of man are you?"

Julius tried to stand, but his legs wobbled like a newborn fawn. His entire body screamed for rest, but he knew these people wouldn’t stop until they drained him dry.

"I just donated blood, Quella. You want me to give more? Do I look like a walking blood bank to you?"

"Well, you certainly have the brain of one!" Quella snapped. "Useless and filled with nothing but useless liquid!"

Kenneth gasped weakly. "Brother, it’s fine. If you can’t do it, I understand. Just know that I never hesitated when it came to Grandpa’s life. I didn’t stop to think about myself. I just did it."

Julius clenched his fists. "Of course, you didn’t stop to think. That would require a brain, something you clearly lack."

"Julius!" Quella shrieked. "Stop being an ass! Your brother needs you!"

Julius let out a humorless laugh. "Brother? He’s about as much my brother as a stray dog is a family pet. The only difference is that the dog might actually have some loyalty!"

Laura gasped in outrage. "How dare you compare your sweet, caring brother to a dog!"

"You’re right," Julius said, nodding. "Dogs are honest. They don’t pretend to be heroes while stealing credit from others."

"If you won’t even help your own brother, what’s the point of being my husband?" Quella sneered.

Julius let out a breathless chuckle. "That’s funny. I thought the point of marriage was love and respect. Guess I was wrong. Apparently, it’s about being a convenient blood donor."

Kenneth groaned again, clutching his chest like he had been shot. "Brother… please, don’t argue. I don’t want to cause trouble—"

Julius turned to the nurse standing nearby. "Get me the damn paperwork. Let’s get this over with before I drop dead."

The nurse hesitated. "Sir, you just donated a large amount of blood. It’s not safe—"

"Don’t listen to him," Quella interrupted. "He’s strong. He’s just being dramatic!"

The nurse frowned. "Actually, donating another 100ml could cause him to pass out or go into shock—"

"Oh, stop exaggerating!" Quella snapped. "It’s just a little blood! He acts like we’re asking for a kidney!"

Julius bit the inside of his cheek. "If I stay here long enough, I’m sure you’ll ask for that too."

Quella rolled her eyes. "Hurry up, Julius! I don’t have time for your whining!"

Julius forced himself up, his body trembling. His vision blurred, his ears rang, but he walked toward the nurse. As the needle pierced his arm again, he felt his strength slipping away.

The room fell into silence. Quella’s expression darkened, her lips curling into a snarl.

Julius closed his eyes, exhaustion dragging him into darkness. He didn’t know how much longer he could endure this, but one thing was certain—this family saw him as nothing more than a disposable tool.