Valeria entered the room, stepping inside ahead of Anubis who had politely allowed her to go first. She paused, captivated by the neatly arranged contents within. Glass cases held a variety of equipment, including armor, accessories, and weapons. If there was one word to describe it, a museum exhibit came closest.
Despite being the heir to the throne and having authority in the palace, Anubis himself felt somewhat unfamiliar with the items in the Treasure Chamber. It wasn't necessary for him to know about every item, as they could view and learn from the floating status that appeared.
"First we need weapons," Anubis noted, glancing at Valeria who was still in awe, her loose-fitting garment slightly exposing her body. "Clothing, of course... but before that, Valeria, give me your status."
Valeria complied and shared her attribute status:
Attribute Status:
Strength 0
Intelligence 0
Vitality 0
Agility 0
Dexterity 0
The stark contrast in basic attributes between Anubis and Valeria was evident. They were uncertain which attribute distribution was normal, but having all attributes at 0 posed a troubling danger.
Valeria looked at Anubis with a pleading gaze, seemingly unaware of what was actually wrong with having all her attribute status at 0. But something was different. Her once-crimson eyes were now a normal black, and the small fangs that were once visible had disappeared.
"Now, can you control your vampire abilities?" Anubis asked. Valeria had previously awakened in vampire aspect mode, and he wasn't sure when that mode had disappeared, returning her to normal.
Judging from Valeria's current abilities and class, Anubis was fairly certain that she originally hailed from the Origin: Druid, denizens of the upper world with unique characteristics of their own race. It could be said that druids had a high affinity for natural power, and considering that she had been tainted into a Coronated Vampire, who knows what would become of her in the future.
Valeria seemed to be attempting to sense a power flowing within her. She clenched her fists and exhaled with an unusual intensity, as if on the verge of unleashing something. However, nothing happened. Instead, she looked at Anubis with a face on the verge of tears.
Her hopes had been dashed. Anubis himself couldn't comprehend how one could sense vampire power within a druid. It wasn't as if he could simply say, "Concentrate harder, and you'll feel it," as that would hardly be convincing.
"What about this?" Anubis locked eyes with Valeria, gradually increasing his control over the power within her. "Do you feel any difference? If you do, remember that feeling and use it to awaken your own power later."
After nodding several times, Valeria's body grew warmer, and she experienced a slight dizziness. Her eyes, once again, glowed with a crimson hue. She examined her palms, which hadn't changed much apart from her fingernails, now sharp and black like claws.
"Now, open your status again," Anubis requested.
Attribute Status:
Strength 0 (+13)
Intelligence 0 (+14)
Vitality 0 (+11)
Agility 0 (+15)
Dexterity 0 (+15)
The addition of these stats surprised even the owner of Pure Vampire Blood. Although Valeria's Vampire Aspect Mastery should still be at a basic level, the stats she received were already impressive. It made him wonder what would happen when her mastery increased further.
"Do you feel anything unusual?" Anubis asked.
"Um, yes. I feel dizzy, Master," she replied, her head swaying as if she were about to collapse.
It seemed that no great power came without a price. Valeria may have miraculously survived and had the compatibility with Pure Vampire Blood, but the next challenge already lay ahead of her. Mastering Vampire Aspect, essentially becoming a vampire overnight after having been a druid just yesterday, was no easy feat.
"I don't yet know how your attribute status distribution works, whether it's the same as mine with the same ratio, or something else," Anubis continued. His attribute status automatically increased and adjusted, and the scale and ratio varied. So far, he had noticed these changes occurring at every multiple of ten levels.
But before they could ponder further on that issue, they still had to select suitable equipment.
"O-oh!" Valeria, who had been pushing to maintain her vampire aspect, finally collapsed. Anubis quickly caught her as she fell onto his chest. "I-I'm sorry, Master, my consciousness faded."
"No," Anubis reassured her, gently stroking Valeria's head. "It was my mistake. I didn't pay attention to your status and forced you to use the vampire abilities."
For Anubis, using the Vampire Aspect was as simple as bats spreading their wings. But from another perspective, in Valeria's case, it was like expecting a squirrel to instantly grasp echolocation, or, to put it more simply, a squirrel with suddenly acquired wings would not be able to fly right away.
It was an odd analogy, but that describes the situation well.
The side effects seemed to linger, as Valeria tightened her grip on Anubis's shoulders while her breathing grew heavier. Or so Anubis initially thought. However, Valeria's body proved to be unique and different, as expected from her druid lineage. She quickly adapted and regained her strength.
Indeed, it was necessary to gauge the extent to which Valeria's body could adapt to her vampire abilities. Was this side effect merely an early sign that would diminish with more frequent use of her abilities? Did this side effect relate to her basic attributes, all of which were currently at zero? Were there specific attributes that could alleviate this effect, and so on? Anubis found himself contemplating numerous possibilities within a very short timespan.
The interplay between Valeria's unique druidic characteristics and her newfound vampire abilities was something that Anubis could not fully anticipate. However, he was determined to guide her well in this regard.
Valeria, now able to stand on her own, patted her thighs and back as if checking for any lingering stains, offering herself to Anubis. "Don't you want to explore my Skill Tree as well? After all, I will be serving you Master, so I leave all decision-making in your hands."
"That's true," Anubis admitted, almost forgetting that Skills were one of the critical factors.
In this world, there were numerous skills available for acquisition and learning. Whether through apprenticeship, skill scrolls, or the skill trees of a particular class, the options were vast. Among the classes in this world, some were unique and distinct from the rest, such as Anubis's undisclosed class or Valeria's current Rootmancer Druid class.