"Huh? You are a primordial vampire and you think drinking animal blood will help your thirst? You are such a funny joker." Bloodreign laughed.
"You are just a bloodling, a newborn baby, you need lots and lots of blood, my liege. Human blood would suffice since I am assuming that's all you have access to. And not just any human would do, you need to pick someone with a strong bloodline."
Damon grit his teeth, pacing along the dirt path outside Niera city. "You're not helping."
"I am helping," Bloodreign chirped. "You're just not listening. Your body's evolving, Damon. Your instincts are sharpening. Your bloodline is waking up. And with that comes… appetite."
Damon sat down on a rock, trying to compose himself. There were too many things going on, and his mind was restless, a million things nagging him. He needed to calm down.
He closed his eyes and focused. His senses picked up some movement nearby. A few beasts were in the vicinity. From the snarling sounds, he could already tell what they were.
Direhounds! Big rabid dogs. Only around level 5 or so. They weren't all that strong, but they were enough for now. He shot towards the area of disturbance, and splurged on the blood like there was no tomorrow. In the next couple of minutes, the entire pack was massacred.
Their corpses lay sprawled across the clearing, and Damon stood in the center, chest rising and falling steadily. His craving was finally under control, and he was able to settle himself and think.
First things first. He needed to solve his real-life problem. He needed blood. The stunning face of the cold beauty next door immediately popped into his mind.
"Bloodreign, what happens when I drink blood from someone? Someone in real life?"
"Call me little red! How many times do I need to remind you?!" The weapon spirit pouted.
Damon had to take a breath not to lose his shit at the damned woman. "Okay, little red. What happens when I feed on a human being?"
Bloodreign remained silent for a bit, and then she spoke up. "Any number of things. How should I know the powers of a primordial being? Only you can figure out what can happen."
Damon ran a hand through his hair, eyes locked on the crimson-soaked earth at his feet. He swiped away the bunch of system notifications that informed him about the experience points gained and the couple of agility and strength stat points.
They had also given him another skill.
[Berserk Instinct - Passive]
When your bloodlust reaches a critical threshold, your physical stats increase by 20% for a short duration. Duration scales with kill count. Warning: Mental clarity may be compromised during activation.
This was the innate skill of Dire hounds which made them somewhat deadly when encountered in big packs. However, this skill was a double-edged sword as it also made the beasts extremely easy to trick and kill.
To Damon this skill could come in handy in many ways but he did not have the time to think about these things at the moment. He simply cleared all the notifications. Bloodreign was right. He needed to figure some things out in the game world before everything fell apart in the real world.
As far as he could see only he seemed to have awakened in the real world. There was no need for him to panic about this. This was not a bad thing. This could be a very good thing if he managed to get everything under his control.
He of all people knew how ruthless the world could be. As soon as one lost their footing, the world wouldn't hesitate to push them further down, all the way to the rock bottom and still continue to step on them.
And Damon had already lived that once. He could only imagine how the new world would be. With magic and super powers and monsters openly roaming about in the world, there was no telling what would become of the current world order. It was definitely going to be a shit show.
But somehow he had a chance to get ahead of this shitshow. He shouldn't let that go to waste no matter the cost. Only this way he would be able to protect himself and those who truly mattered to him.
Damon clenched his fists in determination. He was going to use this opportunity to the fullest that he can. For that he needed some test subjects first and a plan that didn't involve him accidentally murdering someone.
Damon exhaled, cold and slow. "Test subjects." He muttered. It sounded cruel, but he wasn't looking to hurt anyone. He just needed answers—needed data. What happened when he drank from a normal person? He needed to find this out ASAP!
Did it change them physically? Mentally? Did it unlock something deeper?
And more importantly… would they survive?
He needed answers. "Little Red, how do I find someone with a strong bloodline? You said I'd eventually sense them?"
"Mhm~ you're not there yet," Bloodreign said with a sing-song voice. "But soon, your senses will start tugging at you like a thread pulled taut. You'll feel it—pulling you toward prey that's more than just meat. Blood with history. Power. Legacy. They will be the tastiest."
Damon thought for a second. Where could he go for someone like this? He put that thought away for later and decided to first find someone random. This wasn't too difficult as more and more players should be coming into the city today.
He did not have all day to spend on this shit as he still needed to figure out his blood supply in real life and also his first evolution in-game. Some fat sheep better cross his path.
Soon enough Damon's wish got fulfilled and he came across a level 4 player courageously traversing the path to the city all by his lonesome self.
[PantySniffer]
"What a name…" Damon's lips twitched at the cringe name. Just for this, the idiot deserved to become his test subject.
"Kettle is calling the pot black, Blood God." Bloodreign chimed in with a giggle which Damon conveniently ignored.
***
Bonus Chapter sponsored by Yolohy~ Thank you for the magic castle!