A screen unfolded before his eyes.
…
Name: James Gunn
Bloodline: Human, Vampire (Newborn) (Unable to fuse)
Balance: $245
Money Spent: $0
…
Stats:
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 2
Constitution: 1
Perception: 1
Average stat is 10 for an adult male in all categories.
…
James stared at the numbers.
"My stats are terrible… This says average is ten in every category, but mine are barely one or two."
[Host, you should be able to guess the reason by looking at the status screen.]
His eyes narrowed on the bloodline section.
"…It says Vampire Bloodline unable to fuse."
[Indeed, that is what it says.]
James's lips twitched.
The system's tone felt far too relaxed for the situation.
"Let me guess," James muttered. "My health started to decline when I was bitten by the man few days ago.
"Maybe he was a vampire, and the bite turned me into a vampire too.
"Now because the vampire bloodline can't properly fuse with me, my health is falling apart.
"That explains the low stats, and why I'm dying."
[Correct!]
[Host is so smart. He only took five minutes to figure out such a complex answer!]
[Time until you die: Ten minutes → Five minutes.]
James's jaw dropped.
He wanted to say something, but no words came out.
"…Why is this system so sassy?" he finally muttered under his breath.
[Time until you die: Four minutes and fifty seconds]
He sighed heavily, leaning back against the infirmary bed.
His head throbbed with every passing second.
"Maybe this is all a dream?"
He didn't know if this was a dream or reality, but the thought of dying made his chest tighten.
If this was real, then he had only minutes left to live.
He couldn't let himself just lie there and waste them.
"System, is there any way I can survive?"
[Use the Gacha tickets you have. There is a chance you might get a reward that can save you.]
"How high are the chances that I'll get something useful?"
[Have you played gacha games before?]
"Yes."
[Then you know how high the chances are to get a five-star character in one of those games.]
James froze.
The chances were painfully low, so low most players called it gambling instead of playing.
His chest tightened at the thought.
"…Is there any way to increase the chances of getting something that can save me?"
[You can try praying to the Goddess of Luck.]
He was surprised.
"Will that really work?"
[You will know in four minutes and twenty-two seconds.]
"…."
He sat there in silence for a moment, staring at the empty space in front of him.
The nurse still hadn't come, Emma was still gone, and he could feel the fever eating away at his body.
"It was a good run," he muttered quietly.
He thought about his old life again, the dull routine, the loneliness, and the constant work.
Maybe this was how it was supposed to end.
Still, a stubborn voice inside him said he should try.
He had nothing to lose.
"How do I use the Gacha tickets?"
[Just say 'Summon Gacha Wheel' in your mind.]
James prayed to the Goddess of Luck, then he said, 'Summon Gacha Wheel.'
A wheel appeared before his eyes.
It was colorful, and divided into seven sections: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Radiant.
The colors grew brighter as the rarity increased.
Iron was the worst rarity, while Radiant was the best.
He thought about using one Gacha ticket.
The wheel began to spin.
His heart pounded as the needle clicked past the sections.
Finally, it slowed and landed on Gold rarity.
[Congratulations, Host has obtained: Evolvnari Bloodline.]
"What's that?"
[It is a bloodline that can evolve endlessly.]
[It allows you to fuse other bloodlines into yourself and removes the backlash that usually comes from forced fusion.]
[You will not gain negative effects from the bloodlines you fuse.]
[The reason this is only Gold rarity bloodline is due to the fact you need to start from the scratch, and it doesn't give instant power-ups. Depending on how you evolve the bloodline, there is a chance it can surpass all bloodlines.]
James's eyes widened.
"Does that mean…"
[Yes. Now you won't die. You can fuse the vampire bloodline into yourself perfectly.]
Relief flooded through him, but the system wasn't finished.
[Host, are you perhaps the secret lover of the Goddess of Luck?]
James ignored the jab and clenched his fist in excitement. "How do I use this bloodline?"
[The reward is stored in the system. Just think of using it, and it will be assimilated with you.]
He didn't hesitate.
He willed the bloodline into himself.
At once, a warm current surged through his body, washing away the fever.
It felt like something was fusing deep inside him, rewriting his very being.
[The Evolvnari Bloodline is devouring Human Bloodline and Vampire Bloodline.]
[Bloodline evolved.]
[New Bloodline: Vampire Evolvnari Primus.]
His breathing steadied.
His chest no longer burned. His fever disappeared as if it was never there.
For the first time since arriving in this body, he felt… alive.
He pulled up his status screen at once.
…
Name: James Gunn
Bloodline: Vampire Evolvnari Primus
Balance: $245
Money Spent: $0
…
Stats:
Strength: 1 → 15
Dexterity: 2 → 16
Constitution: 1 → 16
Perception: 1 → 12
Your stats will continue to increase slowly over the next twenty-four hours to reach the standards of your bloodline.
…
James stared at the screen in surprise.
"My stats… they've already passed the average human stats. And they'll keep rising for a whole day?"
He turned toward the mirror in the infirmary.
The reflection nearly stunned him a second time.
He was taller now, easily around one meter and eighty centimeters (5'9'').
His sickly pale skin looked healthier, though a faint unnatural pale glow lingered.
His body wasn't thin anymore.
His shoulders had broadened, his frame looked firm, and there was strength in his limbs.
A thought struck him.
"Wait… if I'm part vampire, does this mean I can't go into sunlight?"