It started with blood.
Not on a battlefield. Not from a killer's blade. Just a single drop—dark, thick, and unnaturally warm—spilled onto Rudransh's tongue.
And in that moment, his life shattered.
---
Rudransh had always been a nobody. Orphaned. Weak. Bullied every day at Blackthorn Academy, a school that trained future defenders of humanity—hunters, mages, martial prodigies.
But Rudransh? He had no ability. No bloodline. He barely passed physical class and failed every Awakening test. His nickname among students?
"Feeder."
A joke. A reminder that if a vampire ever came, he'd be the first to die.
Yet, on the night of his seventeenth birthday, everything changed.
He was cornered in the lower levels of the academy by Marcus and his gang—elite students from noble families. Their favorite pastime: tormenting Rudransh.
"You're lucky the academy bans killing," Marcus said, slamming Rudransh against the wall. "Otherwise, I'd show you what it means to bleed."
That's when the world stopped.
A flash of red eyes.
A whisper in the dark.
Marcus froze, eyes wide. "W-What the hell is—?"
Then, silence. Marcus dropped, unconscious, as a shadow stepped forward.
A cloaked figure, tall and elegant, fangs glinting in the moonlight.
"Such a waste of blood," the vampire said. His voice was calm, almost regretful. "But you... you're different."
Rudransh couldn't move. Couldn't speak.
"Do you wish to remain prey?" the vampire asked. "Or… would you like to flip the system?"
A cold fingertip touched Rudransh's forehead. A drop of blood fell from the vampire's thumb—and landed on his tongue.
Pain. Fire. A scream he didn't remember making.
And then… clarity.
A screen appeared before Rudransh's eyes.
> [VAMPIRE SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Name: Rudransh
Race: Half-Blood
Level: 1
Ability Unlocked: Blood Drain
Condition: Unstable Transformation
He collapsed to the ground, vision blurring, body shaking as new strength pulsed through his veins. His heartbeat slowed, but his senses sharpened. He could feel the blood flowing in the students down the hall. He could hear whispers two floors above.
And deep inside him… something ancient stirred.
The cloaked vampire smiled. "Welcome to the food chain, Rudransh."
---
When Rudransh woke up the next day, he was back in his dorm room. The screens were gone—but he could still feel the change. He could feel the hunger.
His life as prey was over.
And the Vampire System had just begun.