The word left his lips in a low whisper.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, faint motes of light stirred before his eyes, spreading outward like cracks in glass. Lines of pale text wove themselves into place, one after another, until a translucent panel hovered in the air above his lap.
[ STATUS ]
[ Name: ] Elias Veilhart
[ Class: ] Bloodweaver (F-Rank)
[ Race: ] Vampire
[ Level: ] 1
[ Abilities: ]
[ Traits: ]
— Lifesteal (5%)
— Bloodlust
[ Attributes: ]
— Strength: 7
— Intelligence: 8
— Agility: 6
— Vitality: 10
[ Attribute Points: ] 0
[ Node Points: ] 1
His eyes widened.
The rank was the same. But the rest… this wasn't the Healer class he remembered. Not even close.
"Bloodweaver…?" The word felt strange on his tongue. He'd studied countless class records, combed through dusty literature, and yet… nothing. He had never seen it before.
Before he could dig deeper into that mystery, something else caught his attention.
[ Race: Vampire ]
His breath hitched.
"What...? V–Vampire?!"
He had been born human.
He had lived and died as one.
There was no precedent for a race changing at Awakening—not in any record, not in any tale.
Not only that, but there had only ever been four known races: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and the invaders everyone had called Demonspawn during the war.
Vampires weren't real. They were the monsters of fireside stories, the shadows parents used to keep children from wandering too far. Fangs in the dark. Blood stolen in silence. Not people.
And yet… There it was. Written clearly before him.
Confused, Elias forced a slow breath, trying to calm his racing heart, and turned his attention to the Traits section.
He focused on the first one—Lifesteal.
A smaller panel unfolded.
[ Lifesteal (5%) ]
You heal for 5% of all damage you inflict.
His brow rose slightly. "Well… at least I can still heal."
It was reassuring... sort of.
Healing had become second nature to him. He'd spent years honing a fighting style built around trading blows, mending wounds, and outlasting his enemies. But he wasn't just a healer anymore—he could hurt and heal at the same time.
This would fit perfectly with his fighting style.
Satisfied with the first trait, he shifted his gaze to the second—Bloodlust.
He focused, and the description snapped open.
[ Bloodlust ]
Objective: You must consume blood to satisfy your eternal hunger
Deadline: 6 Days, 58 Minutes, 4 Seconds
Reward: 1x Node Point
Penalty: Death
Elias froze.
"Huh?" The word barely escaped his throat.
The red timer ticked down in the corner of the window, each passing second loud in his ears.
Consume blood… or die.
His hand found his chest instinctively, as if checking for some hidden curse buried beneath his skin. This wasn't power freely given—this was a chain, a noose that demanded blood in return.
And yet… his eyes drifted back to the reward.
One Node Point.
His pulse quickened. Node Points were the foundation of every awakened's growth. They unlocked the branching power nodes unique to each Class—choices that shaped the rest of your life.
Usually, you get one node point every 10 levels.
Many people wait months, even years, for their next point.
But this Trait offered one now.
All he had to do was feed.
He shut the window with a flicker of a thought, but his heartbeat refused to calm. The pragmatic part of him couldn't ignore it. In this world, strength decides who lives and who dies. Healers were always bound to the backline—always dependent on others to survive.
Never again.
He opened the Class Path menu.
The air shimmered as a web of glowing lines unfolded before him, studded with hundreds of dormant nodes. Only two nodes pulsed with light.
1. All Attributes +7
2. Increase all Lifesteal by 20%
Elias' breath caught.
Normally, the "All Attributes" node for an F-Rank Class offered a meager +1 to each stat. It had been his first pick last time—a safe, reliable step forward. But +7? That was something only the highest ranks could dream of.
His fingers twitched. The decision already forming—
"You know the ceremony is finished, right?"
The voice brushed the back of his neck like a cold draft.
Elias flinched, twisting sharply in his seat, and locked eyes with a familiar face.