The man's shotgun blast was devastatingly powerful.
It tore a gaping hole in the wall directly behind where Jason had been standing moments before. Though he managed to dodge the brunt of the blast, he immediately found himself facing the woman's lethal claws.
In that critical instant, Jason's focus sharpened to a razor's edge. He twisted his body, the vampire's talons missing him by mere millimeters.
Simultaneously, his hands moved with practiced precision. "Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Multiple shots rang out in rapid succession, each finding their mark on the female vampire. One bullet struck directly through her heart.
The woman released an agonized, primal howl as her body spontaneously combusted without any visible flame, collapsing into a pile of gray ash.
Enraged by his wife's death, the male vampire fired his shotgun repeatedly at Jason with blind fury.
Unfortunately for him, despite possessing the enhanced physical attributes of a vampire, he lacked the combat awareness that comes from regular fighting experience.
As Jason evaded the blasts with practiced ease, he launched a silver dagger that embedded itself deep in the vampire's gun hand.
The shotgun clattered to the floor. Before the vampire could recover, two more precisely placed bullets shattered both his ankles, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Fuck! Who are you? I've never crossed paths with you!" the vampire snarled through gritted teeth.
"I am human," Jason replied coldly. "Are you certain you've never wronged my kind?"
The vampire struggled to sit upright. "My family is pureblooded nobility. We've survived exclusively on blood distributed by the Elders' Council since birth. We never hunt in the open, and we've never killed anyone!"
Jason's lips curved into a sardonic smile. "That's irrelevant. Killing you has nothing to do with who you are."
"If you murder me," the vampire hissed, "you'll be hunted relentlessly by our kind until your last breath."
"Really? Perhaps in my eyes, they're simply target begging for death."
The vampire frowned. "You're a vampire hunter... yet I've never heard of you."
Jason didn't respond. Instead, he studied the vampire with calculating eyes. "Aren't you afraid?"
The vampire flinched momentarily before erupting into bitter laughter. "So that's it? All this theatrical monologuing was just to instill fear in me?"
His expression hardened. "I've lived for centuries. Death holds no terror for me anymore. Don't waste your time trying to break me before you pull the trigger!"
"Bang!"
A silver-plated bullet pierced the vampire's skull.
In an instant, his body disintegrated into black ash.
Tsk. What a waste.
Jason reflected on his situation. The system awarded a five-star gift package for three kills showing maximum emotional response, but he likely wouldn't receive the five-star reward for emotionless terminations.
As his targets increased in level, he'd encounter more creatures like this vampire and Bullseye—those who faced death without fear.
If he wanted to achieve the highest Sentiment ratings, simple execution wouldn't suffice anymore.
And as he exhausted the common methods of killing, he would need to employ considerably more creativity to earn those coveted five-star reward packages in the future.
Sirens wailed in the distance—the gunfire had attracted unwanted attention.
Jason grabbed the shotgun and prepared to leave when something caught his eye: an ornate leather-bound notebook on the bedside table.
He flipped it open to discover it was a diary.
His eyes narrowed as he read, confirming his suspicion that vampires started at bronze level in the system's hierarchy.
From that perspective, they made excellent target indeed.
The diary might contain clues to locate other vampires.
Better take it with me.
During his drive back, Jason opened the five-star gift package.
[Congratulations on receiving the reward: Infrared Vision]
Another eyes enhancement?
A peculiar sensation washed through his eyes, and suddenly the world transformed before him. Heat signatures appeared as vivid red, while colder areas manifested in shades of blue.
Most impressively, he could now perceive the red heat outlines of people and objects through walls!
This wasn't merely infrared vision—it incorporated aspects of X-ray capability as well.
Anyone familiar with tactical shooters understood that vision was the decisive advantage in any gunfight.
Like the fundamental concept in modern warfare: detect and destroy.
The only limitation was that his infrared vision worked only within a range of several dozen meters—precisely the effective range of a pistol.
The old pickup truck trembled nervously but still faithfully carried Jason back to the church.
David greeted him with promising news: the bitten girl had regained consciousness and temporarily maintained her sanity.
But Jason knew the harsh truth—without a specialized serum developed soon, she would inevitably succumb to vampirism.
This critical task had been assigned to Karen Jenson, the brilliant biochemist from the original Blade movie. In that timeline, after being bitten herself, she had rapidly developed an effective serum and even discovered a powerful anticoagulant that inflicted devastating damage on vampires.
It was this anticoagulant that ultimately enabled Blade to defeat Deacon Frost, the antagonist who had absorbed the Blood God's power [La Magra].
Jason extracted vital intelligence from the confiscated diary.
The vampire boy had once attended what they called a "Blood Feast."
This Blood Feast was essentially a macabre carnival hosted by DeaconFrost, the ambitious leader of the mixed-blood vampire faction.
The event featured a dark nightclub atmosphere, pulsating music, designated human sacrifices, and... blood flowing freely throughout the venue.
Through this spectacle, combined with his exceptional business acumen, Frost had attracted numerous vampires and steadily expanded his influence.
His power had grown to the point where it threatened even the ancient pure-blood Elders.
However, the fundamental division between mixed-blood and pure-blood vampires couldn't be bridged by mere wealth.
Consequently, Frost had become obsessed with the vampire archives. From the surviving fragments of the vampire bible—The Book of the Dead—he had discovered a ritual to sacrifice pure-bloods and harness the Blood God's immense power.
This aligned perfectly with the plot of the first Blade film.
According to the vampire boy's diary, another massive Blood Feast was scheduled for tonight at a secret facility inside an abandoned slaughterhouse.
Over a hundred vampires would be in attendance simultaneously.
Jason's eyes gleamed with predatory anticipation. How could he possibly pass up such a target-rich environment?
But first, he needed to make certain preparations.
A massive slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Queens' slum district stood silhouetted against the pitch-black night.
Luxury vehicles worth millions glided silently into the facility's grounds, their occupants hidden behind tinted windows.
Beyond the automated processing area lay a metal door resembling an industrial freezer entrance, guarded by a hulking bouncer.
Those who passed his scrutiny gained entry to the inner sanctum—a bacchanalian dance floor and the vampires' ultimate indulgence: the Blood Feast.
Tonight, however, an uninvited guest had arrived.
The muscular guard had just finished ushering in the evening's sacrificial offering when he heard the faint sound of suppressed gunfire.
The noise was subtle, nearly drowned out by the thunderous music emanating from behind him.
After a moment's hesitation, he drew his pistol and cautiously advanced toward the sound.
The muffled shots grew more distinct, accompanied by footsteps approaching his position.
The guard pressed his back against a solid concrete pillar, drew a deep breath, and slowly leaned out to investigate.
"Bang!"
Before he could comprehend what was happening outside, a bullet struck him precisely between the eyes.
Fucking cheater! was his final thought before death claimed him.
Jason methodically replaced his magazine. Along his approach, he had eliminated several vampires and more than a dozen human collaborators.
Distinguishing between the two was simple with his new ability—vampires registered significantly higher body temperatures, nearly exceeding fifty degrees Celsius.
The exterior was now secured. Only the interior remained.
Jason tapped his earpiece. "David, are you in position? Things are about to get messy."
"Goddammit, I'm supposed to be tech support! Why am I out here fighting vampires with you? If I die, who's going to manage your finances?"
Jason chuckled. "Relax, David. You'll be in the safest position in this operation."
"Are you absolutely certain this contraption will work?"
At the slaughterhouse's rear entrance, David had parked his vehicle in a secluded corner.
That afternoon, Jason had purchased a used pickup truck from a Hell's Kitchen gang member, along with the most powerful ultraviolet lamps commercially available.
After extensive modifications, the truck's bed now housed massive batteries while dozens of UV lamps were densely mounted across the front grille.
When activated, it would shine brighter than the midday sun—lethal to any vampire caught in its beam.
The back entrance served as the Blood Feast's emergency exit. With Jason at the main entrance and David covering the rear, they would execute a classic pincer attack.
Jason intended to exterminate every vampire inside.
The harvest would be bountiful indeed.
Gripping dual pistols, he drew a deep breath and delivered a powerful kick to the door.
"BANG!"
The door flew open.