Chapter 4-The hospital raid
Back in the city, Edem crouched behind a dumpster outside the district hospital. His sharpened senses mapped everything—the shuffle of nurses' shoes, the slow drip of IV fluids, the metallic chill of stored blood.
His system's countdown ticked in his mind.
> [Time remaining: 1:32:14]
"Almost out of time…" He whispered, then darted toward a side entrance just as a janitor walked out with a trash bin.
The new instincts in his body moved him like a shadow. His steps were silent, his breathing controlled. He slipped inside, dodging cameras as though he'd been doing it for years.
"Hehe..Not bad for a cursed freak," he muttered under his breath.
At last, he reached the blood storage room. The moment he opened the cold metal door, his vision exploded with color.
Rows of crimson bags glowed like jewels. The metallic tang hit his nostrils, making his fangs extend involuntarily. His entire body trembled.
"Just one…I'll only take one and leave" Edem thought.
He grabbed a bag and tore into it. Warm coppery liquid spilled into his mouth, and the fire in his veins dimmed instantly. The thirst eased. His thoughts became sharper, clearer, almost euphoric. The taste was like drinking red wine. "Damn, what's with this taste is it because am a vampire now".
> [Quest Complete: First Taste]
Reward: +2 Vitality, +1 Strength
Skill Unlocked: Blood Sense – Allows detection of blood signatures within 50 meters.
Edem Qwasi – Status Screen
Race: Dracula (Lesser)
Level: 1
Crimson Evo Points: 0
Attributes
Strength: 16
Vitality: 12
Agility: 10
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 10
Perception: 11
Edem gasped, pulling away from the empty bag. His reflection in the steel cabinet stared back at him—blood vains showing on his skin, faintly glowing red eyes, sharper jawline and he looks more handsome.
"Damn…" He wiped his mouth. "I'm really… changing."
He reached for a second bag, but then—
> [New Quest Generated]
Agent Mission: Survive the Primordial Trial.
Requirement: Enter the nearest Portal Gate.
Objective: Survive for one month inside a Primordial Planet.
Warning: In this world, although you are at the peak of human, over here you are the weakest.
Reward: ???
Failure: Death
Edem froze. His breath caught in his throat. "What the hell…?"
The words burned into his mind. A whole month in some alien world? He hadn't even mastered standing on his own two feet as this… thing.
He wanted to curse the System. But then he thought of Troy again. His brother's weak smile, his whispered plea—"Don't give up, brother."
If this path gave him the strength and money to save Troy… he couldn't turn back.
"I'll do it," Edem muttered, fists clenched. "Even if it kills me."
---
The Portal Gate
Later that night, alarms blared across the abandoned industrial district as a new rift tore open the air itself. A swirling black-violet vortex expanded,
Armed soldiers surrounded it, their weapons trembling though their orders were observe, contain, report.
From the shadows, Edem appeared. His hood concealed his face, but his glowing eyes reflected the vortex's light.
The System' gave him a notification.
> [Portal Detected: Primordial Planet – Eryndor]
Estimated Survival Rate: 0.3%
Would you like to enter?
Edem swallowed hard. Fear clawed at his insides. He looked once at the soldiers, then at the portal.
"Let's do this"
He stepped forward.
"Yes."
In an instant, the world twisted and pulled him into darkness.
---
Eryndor – The Primordial Planet
When his vision cleared, he was sprawled in a primordial forest. The air was thick, heavy with fresh air . Above him stretched a blue sky. This planet has two moons.
The land was wild. Towering huge trees . some places have pools of glowing liquid bubbled, releasing steam that smelled of sulfur. The ground trembled with distant roars.
Edem's chest tightened. His instincts screaming danger everywhere.
From the bushes ahead, something emerged.
A beast—taller than a man, body wrapped in bone plates, four glowing golden eyes set deep in its skull. Its maw dripped with drool that hissed where it touched the soil.
> [Warning: Low-rank Predator Detected – Bone Gnawer Beast]
Estimated Strength: 10x than Host.
Recommendation: Run.
The beast growled, its bone armor scraping as it moved.
Edem's legs tensed. Every instinct screamed to run. But then another window appeared.
> [Sub-Quest: First Kill in the Primordial World]
Objective: Slay a Bone Gnawer Beast.
Reward: Crimson Points+instant evolution
Edem cursed under his breath. "Of course… You want me to fight that?"
The beast lunged at him not giving him a chance.
He barely dodged, rolling to the side as its claw smashed into the ground, shattering rocks. Dust flew. Edem scrambled up, his heart hammering.
"Too fast—too strong!"
But his body felt… different. His muscles surged with unnatural vitality. His vision tracked the beast's movements in slow detail.
"Come on then!" he shouted, at the creature.
The Bone Gnawer roared and charged again. This time, Edem ducked low, his nails extending into sharp claws. He slashed across its side, sparks flying as his claws scraped bone plating.
The beast staggered but quickly turned, swiping at him with bone-hard arms. Edem jumped back, barely avoiding the strike, though pain shot through his ribs where a glancing blow connected.
Blood filled his mouth. Spiting it out he used his new skill.
[Blood Sense Activated]
He felt it—the beast's blood flow, hidden beneath the bone plates. Weak points in its armor pulsed like red dots in his vision.
"There you are…"
The beast lunged again, jaws open wide to take a big bite of his head. Edem ducked beneath, digging his claws into a soft joint at its underbelly. Hot blood sprayed as the creature howled.
Rooar!
It thrashed, throwing him across the dirt. Pain exploded in his back, but adrenaline drove him forward. He pounced, fangs bared, sinking them into the wound he'd made, red blood oozing in his mouth.
[Ding] Blood drain all stats +5
The beast shrieked, its thrashing weakening as Edem drank. Warmth surged into him, filling every vein, every nerve with raw vitality.
With a big crush the beast was dead.
> [First Kill Achieved!]
Reward: +5 Strength, +3 Vitality, +100 Crimson Points. Will you start the evolution
[Yes/No]
The Bone Gnawer collapsed, lifeless. Edem staggered back, panting, his hands drenched in blood.
He stared at the corpse, then at his trembling hands.
"I… I actually did it…I survived… against that thing."
Checking his notifications.
Edem's eyes widened.He had to find a safe place for his first evolution.
What will my evolution be..