The rain had stopped.
Kael stood motionless in the center of the alley, the corpses of the Red Fang Rats sprawled at odd angles around him. Blood pooled at his feet—warm, sticky, and vibrant. The silence was absolute, broken only by the steady thrum of his own heartbeat.
He stared at his trembling hands, stained crimson.
They didn't feel like his.
> I killed them.
Not in defense. Not by accident. It was efficient. Predatory. Something inside him had taken control, and in that moment… it had enjoyed it.
> You did what you had to.
They would've ended you. Now you've ended them.
The voice—no longer a whisper—lurked in the back of his mind. Smooth, ancient, and too familiar. The System.
> [Crimson Hunger: 89% Sated]
Remaining blood energy will decay in 24 hours unless stored or absorbed.
> [New Skill Unlocked: Blood Storage Core (Lv. 1)]
Allows retention of excess blood energy in a temporary core. Cap: 1 unit.
Kael gritted his teeth as warmth pooled in his gut. A small red orb—faint and pulsing—materialized inside his mind's eye, like a floating marble of condensed blood essence.
The system had granted him survival… and cursed him with a hunger he didn't understand.
---
He staggered home, cloaking his presence with Shadow Veil, wrapping his frame in mist-like shadow. The academy wouldn't patrol the lower slums this late, but he didn't want to take chances. If anyone saw his eyes—or worse, the bodies—they'd come for him.
And he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop himself again.
---
Draven Shelter – Sector 9
Their shared room was little more than a cracked cube with two beds, a rusted heater, and a flickering light panel. Yet when Kael stepped inside and saw Lina sleeping, all the blood and screams seemed to fade.
She curled under a threadbare blanket, her tiny body barely filling the mattress. Her breathing was labored, skin pale from anemia.
He knelt beside her, reaching out.
Then stopped.
His hand hovered just above her cheek.
> She smells like warmth… like life.
Kael recoiled, horrified.
"No. No—what the hell is wrong with me…"
> You're evolving. Embrace it.
Or starve.
He backed away and buried his face in his hands.
This wasn't a gift. It was a leash.
He hadn't just become something different. He'd become dangerous. And the only thing keeping him from snapping again was the memory of the girl sleeping soundly across from him.
He had to gain control. Learn the system. Find a way to live without hurting innocents.
That meant one thing:
Vanguard Academy.
Not as a servant. Not as an errand boy.
As a fighter.
---
Three Days Later – Vanguard Academy Entrance Hall
Kael stood in line, wearing a borrowed uniform stitched too tight at the shoulders. The hall around him was massive—columns of steel and crystal, holograms projecting the academy's proud history: students slaying beasts, earning medals, rising to become generals and heroes.
It didn't matter that he came from the gutters. Or that everyone else in line had awakened months or years ago.
He had a system now.
A cursed one—but powerful.
He would carve a place here.
"Next!" barked a bored examiner, a silver tablet in his hand. "Name, essence rating, and proof of affiliation."
"Kael Draven. No essence core… yet."
The man's brow lifted. "No core? You do realize this is the combat enrollment, right? Not sanitation?"
Kael handed him a forged clearance document. One he'd obtained using the system's quest reward—an ID bypass token. A cheap trick, but effective.
The examiner sighed. "Another feeder slot, then. Fine. Zeta Class."
A few other students in line laughed.
"Zeta? That's where the academy dumps all the garbage," one girl sneered.
Kael ignored them.
Let them talk.
He'd smile when their pride shattered beneath his claws.
---
[System Notice]
> New Zone Unlocked: Vanguard Academy – Combat Class Zeta Dormitory
Tracking enabled. New quests available.
> Quest: Establish Dominance
Defeat 3 Zeta students in sanctioned duels.
Optional: Hide identity while doing so.
Reward: 500 BP, new skill unlock path.
Warning: Using vampire abilities risks exposure.
---
As he stepped into the worn-down dormitory, Kael already felt the stares—mocking, sizing him up. He chose a corner bunk without a word.
His fingers curled.
> Let them come.
He didn't have to be the strongest yet.
He just had to survive.
And make sure no one ever saw him as weak again.
---
End of Chapter 2