"Still need to figure out how to get more bones. Without bone meal, these plants grow slower than paint drying. And where the hell am I supposed to find a cemetery in this city anyway?"
Mario sat on a cobblestone slab. He twirled a sharpened wooden stake between his fingers. His mind drifted back to the previous night, when he'd been nothing more than food on legs.
"No idea where those bloodsucking bastards are hiding either. If I could just run into Blade, at least I'd get some intel..."
He pocketed the stake and stood up, stretching muscles that had grown stiff from sitting. The stake was a basic tool from the Vampirism mod, simple to craft, requiring just two sticks and one wooden plank. But it was specifically designed for vampire hunting.
According to the mod's mechanics, killing a vampire with a stake would increase loot drops, making Vampire Blood obtainable. More importantly, once he unlocked [How to use a stake], the stake could instantly execute any vampire below 35% health. And with [How to actually use a stake], he could perform stealth kills on any vampire with less than 200 health points.
He walked over to his crafting table and used his remaining sticks to craft several wooden ladders. He placed them along the tunnel leading to the surface, creating a proper access route to his underground base. The climb up was easier now, and when he reached the top, he dug away the dirt block sealing the entrance.
He poked his head out cautiously, scanning the area. The dense forest was empty of tourists now that full darkness had fallen. But in the distance, he could hear a woman screaming.
"Shit. Someone's having a real bad night out there."
The screams weren't the kind you heard during consensual activities. He felt his jaw clench as memories of his own death came flooding back. Somewhere out there, another human being was probably experiencing exactly what he had, being treated like livestock by monsters.
Part of him wanted to investigate, maybe help if he could. But the rational part of his brain reminded him that he was barely equipped to handle a single vampire, let alone whatever situation was producing those screams. His hunger bar showed only four drumsticks. If he had to run for his life, he might not have the energy to make it.
He sealed the tunnel entrance behind him and started walking in the opposite direction from the screaming.
After fifteen minutes, he finally emerged back into civilization. Manhattan at night was a completely different beast than during the day. Neon signs painted the streets in electric colors, and the sidewalks were filled with nightlife, with people heading to bars, restaurants, and clubs.
That's when the smell hit him.
The stench was so overpowering that he actually staggered backward, one hand flying to cover his nose and mouth.
Vampire nearby.
The knowledge appeared in his mind, followed by a flood of sensory information.
He squinted through the crowd and spotted him, a young white guy in a brown t-shirt, walking casually down the sidewalk about thirty feet away. The vampire wasn't even looking in Mario's direction, just another face in the crowd. But around his body, visible only to Mario, was a faint golden outline.
What the hell?
The outline was perfectly clear even when other pedestrians walked between them. It was like having X-ray vision, but specifically tuned to detect vampires. He blinked hard, wondering if he was hallucinating from stress.
But the golden glow remained, and with it came absolute certainty, that was a vampire.
This is Vampire Awareness?
In the Vampirism mod, Vampire Awareness was a Level 4 Hunter skill that allowed players to detect nearby vampires through walls and crowds. He was only a Level 0 newbie who'd just changed classes. He shouldn't have access to any advanced abilities.
Open Vampirism mod skill tree, he thought.
The interface materialized in front of him like a video game menu. The skill tree was laid out exactly as he remembered. Most of them were grayed out and unusable.
Except for Vampire Awareness, which glowed with active status.
In the upper right corner, where his available skill points should have been displayed, he saw something that made him do a double-take.
Skill Points: -1
Negative skill points?
The vampire was still walking away, blending into the crowd. Mario made a split-second decision and started following, staying about twenty yards back. Thanks to Vampire Awareness, tracking was almost effortless, the golden outline remained visible even when the target moved behind cars or groups of people.
And that smell... even when the vampire disappeared from direct sight, the odor in the air created a trail he could follow like a bloodhound.
As they moved away from the main thoroughfares, the crowds began to thin. He noticed the vampire glance back at him once, then twice. The guy was definitely aware he was being followed.
Instead of trying to lose his tail or confront him in public, the vampire did exactly what Mario had hoped he would do, he led them toward a more isolated area. Away from witnesses.
The vampire turned into a narrow alley between two apartment buildings. Mario paused at the entrance.
The vampire was pressed against the wall just around the corner, ready to grab anyone who walked past. A classic ambush setup.
Mario's lips curved into a smile. You want to play games? Let's play games.
He opened his inventory and selected the stone axe he'd crafted earlier. The weapon materialized in his hand.
Moving like someone who had spent countless hours practicing stealth mechanics in video games, Mario pressed himself against the alley wall and crept forward.
Different movement styles generated different amounts of noise. Walking normally created standard sound levels. Sprinting made you loud enough to wake the dead. But crouching, that was the key to staying hidden.
So, he crouched low and advanced along the wall. Through his vampire awareness, he could see the golden outline waiting just around the corner. The target was shifting restlessly, clearly debating whether to check on his pursuer.
Come on. Just a little closer.
One minute passed. Two. The vampire's patience was wearing thin. Then, finally, the vampire made his move.
A pale face peeked around the corner, eyes scanning the empty entrance.
"Surprise, motherfucker!"
Mario erupted from his crouch and brought the stone axe down in an overhead swing. The blade caught the vampire in the temple.
Above the vampire's head, a health bar materialized, 28 HP total, now reduced to 15.
The stone axe buried itself in the vampire's skull, but since Mario hadn't activated Full Data Mode, the blade stayed lodged there. Blood poured down the vampire's face, painting his pale skin crimson.
"RAAHHH!"
The vampire let out an inhuman roar, pressing both hands against the alley floor as he tried to push himself upright. When he lifted his head, he found himself staring into Mario's cold, emotionless eyes.
Kick them when they're down. Italian street rules.
He ripped the stone axe free and brought it down again. The vampire's skull cracked like an eggshell, and his health bar dropped another 9 points, leaving him with only 6 HP.
The creature was tough, Mario had to give him that. Two crushing blows to the head would have killed any normal human instantly. But vampires weren't normal, and this one was still trying to crawl away despite having his brains scrambled.
He dismissed the stone axe and switched to his wooden stake. He raised it high and drove it toward the creature's back, aiming for where the heart should be.
Left side, behind the ribs...
The stake bounced off harmlessly, dealing only 1 point of damage. Mario cursed under his breath. The stake's execution ability wasn't active. For now, it was just a sharp stick. He hadn't unlocked [How to use a stake] yet, so the threshold remained at 15%.
The stake was faster than the axe, though. He began stabbing repeatedly, each strike chipping away another health point. The vampire writhed and screamed beneath him, claws scraping against the concrete as he tried to escape.
When the creature's HP finally dropped to 4, the next thrust drove the stake through skin, muscle, and bone, straight into the vampire's heart.
The effect was horrifying.
The vampire's scream turned into a shriek that echoed off the alley walls. His body began burning from the inside out, flesh bubbling and charring as fire consumed him. Within seconds, nothing remained but a pile of black ash and the smell of burnt meat.
Mario's expression thawed slightly as he spotted loot materializing from the remains. Two items dropped onto the ground.
"Well, I'll be damned. It actually drops loot."
He was about to collect his prizes when windows began lighting up in the surrounding buildings. The vampire's death scream had been loud enough to wake half the neighborhood. He quickly scooped up the drops, then kicked at the pile of ash to scatter it.
Something metallic clinked against his boot. When he looked down, he found a gold chain necklace.
On second thought, it made sense. The heat released when a vampire died could burn clothes to ash, that was already impressive enough. If it could also vaporize metal like in the movies, then they wouldn't be vampires, but walking time bombs.
He pocketed the jewelry and left.
After winding through several side streets to avoid any curious residents, he finally emerged back onto a main thoroughfare. His hands were still trembling slightly from adrenaline. Killing the vampire had felt... good. Really good. Like scratching an itch he didn't know he'd had.
He found an empty bench and sat down to examine his loot properly. The interface showed:
[Vampire Fang] x1
[Vampire Blood] x1
"Not bad for my first kill. Vampire Blood's pretty rare."
According to the Vampirism mechanics, Vampire Blood was a key ingredient for brewing Blood Potions, powerful consumables that granted random status effects. The potions were unpredictable, but humans always had mysterious confidence when it came to luck. He was no exception.
He stood up and started walking again, scanning the crowds for golden outlines. Now that he knew vampires dropped useful materials, he was eager to find more targets. Call it payback for nearly being drained like cattle.
As for vampire lairs and organized nests, he wasn't worried about those yet. At his current level, he couldn't survive a fight against multiple vampires. Even if he knew where their main base was, storming it would be suicide. Better to pick off stragglers and build up his skills.
After about ten minutes of hunting, that familiar stench hit his nostrils again. He turned toward the source.
This vampire was nothing like the pale, sickly creature he'd just killed. She was a tall, voluptuous black woman with curves that could stop traffic, wearing an outfit that left very little to the imagination. Her dark skin gleamed under the streetlights, and every step she took drew hungry stares from men around her.
Definitely a vampire, though. That golden outline doesn't lie.
Mario started following, but quickly realized he wasn't the only predator on the hunt. Three guys who looked like stereotypical street thugs were already tailing the vampire, keeping just far enough back to avoid detection.
Curious about their intentions, he edged closer to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Yo, check out this fine-ass bitch," one of them whispered. "Soon as she gets somewhere quiet, we gonna have ourselves a real good time. That body is insane!"
"Garcia's right, man," another thug replied. "Look at that fucking ass. She could drain a motherfucker dry."
If only you knew how right you are.
Their crude laughter made Mario shake his head. He felt almost sorry for the three idiots. They thought they were hunting prey, when in reality they were walking into a predator's web.
Still, might as well see how this plays out.
---
As night deepened, vampires emerged from their hideouts in search of prey.
Food that delivers itself every night… life is wonderful.
Eva, the black vampire, was clearly aware of her followers. She glanced back once or twice, and her tongue slipped across her lips unconsciously. When she was sure the hook was set, she began leading them toward a more isolated area.
"All vampires go to the same fucking school or something?" Mario muttered. "Same goddamn playbook every time."
As the crowds thinned and the streets grew darker, the three thugs made their move. They quickened their pace and spread out, surrounding Eva in a loose triangle formation.
The leader, a skinny Hispanic guy with gold teeth, stepped forward with a grin. "Yo, mami! Why don't you come party with us? We'll show you a real good time, I guarantee."
Eva's smile widened, revealing perfect white teeth. There wasn't a trace of fear in her expression. If anything, she looked hungry.
"Oh? All three of you at once?" she purred.
Then her gaze swept over to Mario, who was watching from about twenty feet away. Her smile turned amused.
"What about you? Want to join the fun?"
The three thugs spun around, suddenly aware they had an audience.
Mario said, matching Eva's playful tone. "Hey, why not? Always up for a good time."
He walked closer. The thugs tensed as he approached, but Mario's easy grin and willingness to play along seemed to defuse their suspicion.
"Damn right, hermano," Garcia said, relaxing slightly. "More the merrier, you know what I'm saying?"