"…Thea?" He called again.
Her fingers twitched once more, then her shoulders jerked as a low, strained sound escaped her throat. "Ghh… gahh… gah…"
Her head snapped up abruptly, causing Ray to instantly tense up.
"Raahhh!!" She lunged at him.
"Shit!"
Ray jumped back just in time as her hand sliced through the air where he had been a second earlier, and his eyes widened at how fast she was—far faster than he'd expected.
It was just like those things from below with their unnatural speed and agility.
She stumbled forward again, her movements jerky but aggressive, like her body hadn't fully adjusted yet, but her intent was clear. She wanted to bite him.
"Yeah… not happening," He snapped, forcing himself to stay focused. "I'm not your meal."
Thea charged again, faster this time, her movements already becoming more efficient.
Ray grabbed the nearest thing he could find. The IV stand. He shoved it forward to disrupt her.
CLANG!
The metal slammed into her shoulder, throwing her slightly off balance, but she didn't fall, she didn't even react. She straightened almost instantly as her head tilted again.
"Ghh… gaaah…"
A chill ran down Ray's spine as his hands began to tremble, and he didn't even realize he had been backing up until his back hit the wall, leaving him with no space to escape.
Thea lunged once more.
He tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to go as her body collided with his. Ray struggled to free himself, but that proved difficult as they both crashed to the ground.
"Ugh…!" he groaned as the impact rattled through him.
By sheer reflex, he ended up on top, his hands bracing against the floor, and for a brief second he thought he had control, until her arms snapped around him and locked tight, pulling him down against her with terrifying strength.
"What the—?!"
He tried to push himself up, but it was useless, her grip tightening like iron as she pinned him to her body without effort.
"Thea… wait—!"
And then his mind betrayed him, a memory surfacing of his own teasing voice: "If I turn first, there are a few places I wouldn't mind biting…" and the way she had rolled her eyes and called him shameless.
Now she was the one holding him down.
Her face hovered inches from his neck, her breath hot, uneven, and hungry, and there was nothing playful in it anymore, nothing human in the way her jaw twitched as if barely holding back.
Out of the two of them… fate made her turn first.
Ray swallowed hard as her grip tightened, pulling him even closer until there was no space left between them, no way of escape, only her dead, empty eyes that locked onto his.
"Ghh… gaaah…"
Then slowly, and deliberately, she leaned in, biting hard on his neck.
"AAH!!" Ray screamed.
There was no hesitation or recognition in her eyes. The only thing that remained was the raw hunger consuming her, and the instinct to satisfy that cravings.
Pain exploded through Ray's shoulder as her teeth sank deep into his flesh, sharp and merciless, sending a violent jolt through his entire body.
He gritted his teeth and tried to push her off, muscles straining, but she wouldn't budge. It was almost absurd, just minutes ago, she had been light enough to lift without effort, and now she felt completely immovable.
"What kind of strength is this—ahh!" he shouted, forcing against her, but her grip held firm, inhuman and unyielding.
She bit deeper, tearing into his shoulder without restraint—
Then suddenly, she stopped.
Her entire body stiffened.
Her expression twisted, shifting into something close to disgust as she pulled back slightly, her lips curling as if she had just tasted something foul.
"…Gh…?"
She spat out the chunk of flesh.
Ray blinked, breathing heavily, his body trembling from the pain. "What…? Do I taste bad? Or is it because I haven't bathed in days…?"
But before he could make sense of it, a translucent blue screen suddenly flashed into existence before his eyes.
[Infection transmitted through bite into host body]
[Error… Error!!]
[Host already has an existing infection]
[Infection Overload!]
[Initiating forced mutation…]
Ray's eyes widened.
"—What the hell is this?!"
[25%…]
Without warning, an overwhelming pain erupted from deep within him, far beyond anything surface-level. It felt like something inside his body was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.
"Aaahhhh!!" He screamed even louder.
[40%…]
His body arched violently as if something was forcing its way through him from the inside, his bones grinding under invisible pressure while his veins burned like they were splitting open.
It was as if something new was clawing its way out of him.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his vision blurred.
[72%…]
[90%…]
[91%…]
[92%…]
[95%…]
[100%]
[…]
Everything went silent.
For a single, suspended second, there was nothing… no pain, no sound, no movement.
Then the translucent screen appeared again.
[Mutation Completed!]
[Congratulations!]
[You have evolved into a higher species class: Bloodsucker (Vampire)]
In that moment, Ray realized something was wrong. His chest wasn't moving. His breath had stopped completely.
And no matter how much he focused, he couldn't feel his heartbeat at all.
"Am I dead?" He muttered.
The screen flickered once more.
[Yes]
[You are dead, and have become something known as an undead creature]
[They consist of creatures such as Ghouls, Zombies, Skeletons, Wraiths, Ghosts, Banshees, Wendigos, Vampires and Mummies]
[But in your case, you are a Vampire]
"I'm a Vampire?" he muttered, letting out a short, disbelieving chuckle.
It sounded insane, like something straight out of a game or a bad movie, but deep down, he knew better. He could feel it… something inside him had changed completely, something fundamental.
[Information about the user will now be displayed]
[Name: Ray Madison]
[Race: Ex-Human → Vampire]
[Subclass: Not yet evolved]
[Level: 1]
[XP: 0/100]
[~Skills Acquired~]
[Super Strength]
[Super Speed]
[Super Senses]
[Marking]
[Flight]
Ray stared at the screen, his eyes scanning every line as he tried to understand what it entails.
That was when his attention shifted to his shoulder where he had been bitten by Thea.
His expression tightened as his hand moved toward it, his fingers pressed against the spot where torn flesh and blood should have been, but there was nothing.
No wound or anything. There was not even a scar. If not for the blood that stained his white coat, and a part of it that got eaten by Thea, it would have appeared as if nothing happened to him.
His attention shifted once more, when the system screen popped up again.
[~Quests!!~]
[Main Quest]
[Eradicate all infections and restore Earth within one year]
[Your seed possesses the ability to destroy the infection. You must engage in an intercourse with 5000 infected humans within one year. Save their lives, and save the world]
[Reward: Undecided]
Ray stared at the screen.
Once.
Twice.
Then a third time, just to be sure he wasn't hallucinating.
"…Wait."
His brows slowly furrowed as the words fully sank in.
"Are you kidding me?"
He let out a dry, almost hysterical laugh, running a hand through his hair.
"I need to sleep with five thousand people?" he said, his voice rising in disbelief. "And not just anyone… infected people?"
His gaze drifted off for a second, as if trying to process the sheer absurdity of it.
"How the hell am I even supposed to get close to them when all they do is tear people apart?!"
[You may have failed as a human doctor, but now is your chance to save lives using your vampiric seed]
[With the skills in your arsenal, you will find it easy to complete the quest]
[All you have to do is have sex and spread your seeds in them]