The sun barely pierced through the thick forest canopy, casting faint, dappled light onto the dirt path beneath. For the past three hours, the trio—Dray, Kessa, and the silent, looming figure of Tyro—had been trekking through the wilderness in a direction none of them truly knew. Trees towered around them like ancient sentinels, and the air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves. It was quiet, too quiet. The only sounds were their feet against the forest floor, occasional chirps of hidden birds, and the dull rustling of Tyro's cloak.
Dray's mind was a whirlpool of emotions. He kept glancing back at Tyro, who followed behind him like a shadow. Gone were the cheerful, mischievous glints that once lit Tyro's eyes. Now, those eyes looked like deep, bottomless pits—lifeless and void of light.
He sighed heavily.
"Tyro..."
But the Draugr didn't respond. He simply stared forward, expression blank, limbs moving with a mechanical grace that was unnatural. His dark cloak billowed with each step, concealing the skeletal flesh beneath. Dray looked away, guilt and helplessness gnawing at him.
Suddenly, a sharp jolt pulsed in his abdomen.
[Warning: Your energy is depleting. You need blood.]
Dray winced and stumbled slightly, bracing himself against a nearby tree. His body felt heavier with each passing second. A cold sweat formed on his brow.
"Damn it... Not now," he muttered, sliding down to sit under the shade of the tree.
Kessa noticed his sudden halt and quickly hurried to his side. "Dray? What happened?"
"I'm... just tired," he said, forcing a smile, though his hands trembled slightly.
"I still have some snacks left in my backpack. Maybe they can help?" Kessa knelt beside him, unzipping her bag.
Dray shook his head. "It's useless. I need blood."
Kessa froze. The bag in her hands fell silent.
Dray pulled open his system interface.
System Interface
Name: Dray Ballack
Bloodline: Vampiric
Race: Nightwalker
Level: 12
Class: Vampire
Strength: 29
Agility: 31
Endurance: 26
Vitality: 28
Skills:
• Night Adaptation (Passive - 30%)
• Blood Sense (Passive – Incomplete)
• Blood Echo (Tier I - 20%)
• Phantom Reaper (Intermediate Assassination Skill – 15%) Fully Owned
• Crimson Eyes (Rank I - New)
Inventory:
• Rusted Circuit Knife
• Obsidian Data Chip
• Unknown Crystal (Bound)
• Healing Potion
• Hair Potion
• Dark Cloak of Concealment
System Shop: [Access Granted]
Next Level: 500 EXP
Status:Low energy
Creations:
• Name: Kessa Holt
• Race: Noctilux Seductress
• Bloodline: Vampiric
• Evolution: Stage 1 (50%)
• Name: Tyro Venn
• Race: Draugr (Undead-Class)
• Bloodline: Vampiric
• Evolution: Stage 1 (15%)
Title: Nightwalker Creator
Main Quest: 55% Completed
He groaned, closing the interface. His mouth felt dry. A dull thirst pulsed through him.
"System," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Is it compulsory to drink human blood only?"
[Host can drink either human or animal blood. However, human blood is far more potent. It replenishes energy faster, grants experience points, and is rich in essence.]
"Can I drink dead human blood?"
[Yes, but with limitations. Dead blood is diluted in power. It does not provide experience points, and its energy value is minimal.]
Dray looked down at his trembling hands. "Still... it's better than nothing."
He turned to Kessa. "I need your water flask."
Without question, she handed it to him.
Dray summoned a corpse from his system storage—one of the bandits from the ambush. He scooped a portion of blood into the flask, the dark red liquid sloshing as it filled.
He drank it.
It was cold.
It tasted like metal and decay.
But within seconds, he felt a faint pulse of life return to his limbs.
"That... should do for now," he muttered, scooping more and storing it. The corpse vanished back into his inventory.
A few minutes later, the trio resumed their trek. Dray felt somewhat better. His energy was stable.
System Interface
Name: Dray Ballack
Bloodline: Vampiric
Race: Nightwalker
Level: 12
Class: Vampire
Strength: 29
Agility: 31
Endurance: 26
Vitality: 28
Skills:
• Night Adaptation (Passive - 30%)
• Blood Sense (Passive – Incomplete)
• Blood Echo (Tier I - 20%)
• Phantom Reaper (Intermediate Assassination Skill – 15%) Fully Owned
• Crimson Eyes (Rank I - New)
Inventory:
• Rusted Circuit Knife
• Obsidian Data Chip
• Unknown Crystal (Bound)
• Healing Potion
• Hair Potion
• Dark Cloak of Concealment
System Shop: [Access Granted]
Next Level: 500 EXP
Status:Stable
Creations:
• Name: Kessa Holt
• Race: Noctilux Seductress
• Bloodline: Vampiric
• Evolution: Stage 1 (50%)
• Name: Tyro Venn
• Race: Draugr (Undead-Class)
• Bloodline: Vampiric
• Evolution: Stage 1 (15%)
Title: Nightwalker Creator
Main Quest: 55% Completed
As they walked, Dray glanced over his shoulder. Tyro continued to follow like a phantom, his movements stiff.
Kessa walked beside Dray now, her voice soft. "Dray... why is Tyro like that?"
Dray sighed. "He's... a Draugr. An undead variant of vampire. His mind is mostly gone right now. They start off like that. But the more flesh he eats, the stronger and more intelligent he becomes."
Kessa's brow furrowed. "So... he's just going to be like this until then?"
Dray nodded. "Yeah. But he's loyal. At least to me. That's all we have for now."
They fell into silence again.
Time passed. The sun was slowly dipping beyond the trees. The dense woods finally began to thin.
An hour later, they stepped out into a clearing—and beyond it, a town. Small. Secluded. A scattering of concrete buildings with old steel roofs. Smoke rose gently from chimneys. Children played in dusty alleys. Traders called to passersby at wooden stalls.
Kessa looked at it and blinked. "We made it."
Dray took a long breath. "Finally."
But as they moved forward, a strange sensation crawled up Dray's spine.
Something about this town was... off.
He didn't know why.
But his instincts whispered that the real trial was only just beginning.