As soon as Ben opened his eyes, he found himself in a completely new body. Standing at about 5 or 6 feet tall, he observed his muscular structure and realized he had taken on a teenage form. Though he couldn't see his facial features or hair color, he had a feeling that his appearance was above average. The only problem was his lack of clothing.
At first, he considered taking clothes from one of the dead henchmen strewn about. However, upon closer inspection, he found that the garments were soaked in blood and far from wearable. He sighed, realizing he would have to find another solution.
As he surveyed his surroundings from this unfamiliar vantage point, he noticed a translucent dome-like structure covering a nearby tree. It hadn't been there before. Ben's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but inquire about it.
"Hey system! What is this dome-like thing? Is this the barrier you were talking about earlier? Please don't tell me I broke the magic pattern and now I'm stuck inside," Ben said, his voice filled with a hint of nervousness as he reached out for assistance from the system.
However, to his surprise, there was no response. Minutes passed, but there was only silence. "Hey system! Can you hear me?" Ben repeated himself, growing increasingly concerned.
No matter what he tried—knocking, rebooting, issuing operating commands—there was no sign of the system awakening. Something was amiss, and it troubled Ben. Thoughts raced through his mind as he stared at the frozen status screen in a corner.
"I guess the system is still undergoing an upgrade or encountering another glitch that it's trying to fix," Ben thought, rubbing his temples in frustration. Deciding to leave the system undisturbed for now, he turned his attention to his next course of action.
"I need to find some clothing first," Ben concluded, eyeing the dome that enveloped the tree. "But before that, I should test it out." He picked up a nearby stick and cautiously approached the barrier.
As the stick made contact with the dome, it instantly disintegrated into a cloud of evaporating particles, leaving no trace behind. A shiver ran down Ben's spine. His plans had to change.
"The system is offline, and this barrier complicates things. I should abandon the idea of rescuing those girls," Ben realized, a sense of resignation washing over him. With limited options, he decided to bide his time until the magician completed the ritual. He would seize the opportunity to escape then.
However, before Ben could take more than a few steps, his progress was halted by the sudden appearance of five walking skeletons. They approached him with rusted swords clutched in their bony hands. Confusion mixed with fear as Ben tried to comprehend the situation.
"Aaaaa...Hey guys! You must be here to welcome me right...?" Ben pondered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He instinctively took a few steps back, only to be met with an unexpected surge of speed from the skeletons. They charged at him like ferocious zombies, swinging their swords with unnatural agility.
Ben barely managed to dodge an attack aimed at his left side, narrowly avoiding a direct strike. His mind raced, trying to make sense of their incredible speed. Gritting his teeth, he rolled and evaded incoming attacks one after another.
Blood Bullet
Ben chanted to use his skill, but it was of no use at all. Without wasting any more seconds, Ben chanted two more skills, realizing that his skills were somehow not working.
Frustrated by his failed attempts to use his skills, Ben desperately tried to call upon his powers. "Blood Bullet!" he chanted, but it had no effect. Realizing the discrepancy, he chanted two more skills, hoping for a breakthrough. Yet his skills continued to malfunction, leaving him defenseless.
Soul Weapon: Beetle Chitin Dagger
In a moment of desperation, he extended his hand and summoned a soul weapon instead. A black liquid materialized, taking the form of a 7-inch-long, curved dagger resembling a beetle's horn. The sight brought a glimmer of hope to Ben's eyes.
"There you are!" he exclaimed with excitement. With newfound determination, he clashed his beetle chitin dagger against the approaching swords. The rusted weapons shattered like fragile glass, unable to withstand the strength of the soul weapon.
As his strike landed, the dagger pierced through the skeletons' foreheads, shattering the crystals embedded within. The bodies crumbled to the ground, lifeless once more.
[Blood Evolution System Activated]
[Human Undead Killed: No Soul Weapon Obtained]
[Exp: 4/10]
The familiar voice of the system echoed in Ben's mind, bringing both relief and curiosity. "You're back, system! What took you so long?" Ben exclaimed with a mixture of joy and relief in his voice.
[It took me some time to make the necessary preparations for your new evolution, Ben.]
[Especially deciding my new name.]
Ben's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait a minute. You were taking your time to choose a name while I was facing these undead creatures?" He asked incredulously.
[...]
"Never mind, I guess. But why are my skills not working? What happened to Blood Bullet and Mosquito Buzz?" Ben inquired urgently, his voice filled with a sense of urgency.
[Due to sudden changes in your biological structure host, your skills are going through modification. If things happen successfully, you might be able to use one or two of your former skills]
'Only one or two! Why?'
[ A vampire's humanoid form is a weaker version of its true form. In case you didn't notice it host, your physical strength and capabilities have decreased quite a bit as well. ]
[ In essence, this is your vulnerable form. You should avoid any fights unless you unlock your modified form. ]
'Darn it!' Ben gritted his teeth, feeling the pressure of battle. He did remember the system saying something about changing forms earlier, but he didn't expect it would have this much impact on his body.
"Tsk, can't you do something? I'm fighting for my life here," Ben muttered through gritted teeth as he continued to dodge sword strikes and fight back against the skeletons. Even when his weapon was stronger than his foes, there were just too many skeletons, and Ben's weapon was too short to land a blow.
'Slash'...
[ HP: 92/100]
Ben clenched his fists in pain, looking at the numbers on his screen. Before he swiftly turned his body around and engaged in combat again.
Ben's determination flickered. He needed a plan. As the skeletons closed in once again, he suddenly had an idea. Rolling to the ground, he positioned his back against the barrier, using it to his advantage.
As the undead creatures lunged at him, their swords swung with deadly intent. But Ben, with a confident smile, swiftly moved his body, causing their weapons to collide with the barrier instead. With a sizzling sound, the rusted swords and the skeletal hands holding them evaporated into nothingness.
Taking advantage of the opening, Ben struck the crystal embedded in one of the skeletons' foreheads, diminishing the enemy's numbers.
[Humanoid Undead Killed: Soul Weapon Obtained; Ancient Spear]
[Exp: 8/10]