The silence of the cavern was broken by a low, steady rumble. It wasn't stone shifting or water dripping - it was power. The air itself vibrated, thick with mana so dense it nearly suffocated her.
Her crimson eyes darted toward the source.
From the far end of the cavern, behind a wall of glowing runes and chains woven from light, something immense stirred. The very earth trembled as scales the size of boulders scraped against the prison walls. Golden eyes flared to life like twin suns in the dark.
A dragon.
Even before she fully saw him, she knew. Her body froze, instincts screaming. This wasn't a predator she could flee from or outwit. This was a being beyond reason, beyond mortality. His very aura threatened to crush her into dust.
And yet, when his booming laughter filled the chamber, she found herself standing rooted to the spot instead of cowering.
"Kuahahaha! What do we have here? A vampire fledgling, wandering into my domain?" The voice was deep and thunderous, shaking dust from the cavern ceiling. "How amusing! I had thought my solitude endless, yet fate delivers me a morsel of entertainment!"
The weight of his presence was suffocating. Her body trembled, Knees threatening to buckle, but she forced herself upright, crimson eyes blazing faintly.
"...Who... are you?"
The dragon's maw curved into a grin, fangs gleaming like swords.
"I am Veldora! The Storm Dragon! One of the Four True Dragons that rule this world!" His laughter boomed again, rich and unrestrained. "And you, little one–who are you?"
Her lips parted. Her mind spun. But when she reached for an answer, she realized she had none. The name she once bore–the identity of her past life–was gone. All she had was this new body, this cursed thirst, this hollow ache where her humanity used to be.
"I.. I don't know."
For a heartbeat, silence filled the cavern. Then Veldora tilted his massive head back and roared with laughter.
"Nameless! Kuahahaha! Even better!" His golden eyes gleamed with delight. "Very well, child. In this world, a name is no small thing. It is proof of existence, a bond that shapes destiny itself. And since you lack one... I shall grant it to you!"
The prison of runes blazed brighter as his voice thundered like a decree from the heavens.
"From this moment forth, you shall be known as–Rimuru Tempest!"
The cavern shook as if the world itself acknowledged his words. Power surged into her body, flooding every vein, igniting every nerve. She collapsed to her knees, gasping as magicules swirled violently within her.
[Individual: Nameless Vampire has received a name.]
[New designation: Rimuru Tempest. Magicules surging. Evolution potential increased.]
Her crimson eyes widened as warmth spread through her. The name–her name–burned into her very soul, solid and undeniable.
"...Rimuru Tempest..." she whispered. It resonated deep within, filling a void she hadn't realized was there.
Veldora's grin widened, fangs gleaming. "Yes! Rimuru Tempest! A fine name! You should be grateful, little vampire–for names are gifts of power, not given lightly. Kuhahaha!"
She pressed a hand to her chest, still trembling from the force of it. Grateful? Yes... but also wary. The name tied her to him somehow, she could feel it.
And yet, before she could dwell on it, the hunger returned.
It wasn't subtle this time. Her throat seared, her fangs throbbed, and her vision swam as her crimson eyes locked on him.
The storm of mana radiating from Veldora's body was intoxicating. His presence was overwhelming, his power raw and alive–and her instincts screamed for it. To drink, to devour, to claim.
She staggered, clutching her chest.
[Warning. Proximity to an extreme mana source has intensified bloodlust.]
[Analysis complete: Dragon blood identified as ultimate nourishment. Consumption may trigger an evolutionary leap. Estimated survival probability: 3%.]
Her breath hitched. Dragon blood? Her body trembled with need. Just imagining the taste sent a violent shiver down her spine. She could almost feel it–warm, rich, endless.
"No... I–I can't..." she muttered, fighting to hold herself back.
But Veldora only laughed louder, his voice booming with mirth.
"Kuhahaha! Don't resist it, Rimuru! I see it in your eyes–you crave my blood, do you not?" He pressed a colossal claw against the barrier, runes flickering as they struggled to contain him. "Then come! Bite into me, and let fate decide if you survive!"
Her crimson eyes blazed, fixed on the shimmering scales so close, yet so impossibly far. The air vibrated with power, her instincts screaming louder than reason.
Her hands shook. Her fangs ached. Her entire body burned with hunger.
She took a trembling step forward.
"...Then don't blame me if I live."
The Storm Dragon's grin widened, delighted beyond words.
"Kuhahaha! That's it! Come, Rimuru! Show me the will of a vampire who dares to defy a True Dragon!"
Step by step, she approached. The runes glowed, the cave thrummed, and her fate coiled tight like a bowstring.
Her lips parted, fangs glinting. Hunger roared in her veins, drowning out doubt.
And with those final steps, she leaned toward destiny.
Toward the dragon.
Toward blood.
Toward evolution.