In this twisted moment, he stood at the crossroads of his humanity, teetering on the brink of something unimaginable.
"Bite," the voice said.
And Elliot bit, he sunk his fangs deep into Veer's neck and sucked. Sucked the sweet nectar that flowed into his mouth. He drank like a man who was thirsty for years, he drank as if this was the first time he had any nutrition for his body.
If anyone were to walk into the alley right at this moment, they would see Veer suspended midair, held by tendrils of blood rising from the ground, latching on to his hands, feet and head. He was completely immobilised as Elliot fed. But Elliot didn't know that, he wanted to devour, he wanted to live, he wanted more.
As he sucked, the wounds on his own body started to mend, the pipe was pushed out and fell with a clang and his strength surged. Veer, still held aloft by the tendrils of Elliot's blood, was growing weaker with each passing second. The once confident speedster was now reduced to a feeble, struggling figure.
Blood continued to flow, and the crimson energy coursing through Elliot seemed insatiable. He couldn't stop himself, lost in the primal act of feeding.
"Demon Vampire System online, checking host conditions, host condition unstable, inducing clarity," an automated voice sounded, this time emanating from his necklace. As the crescent moon slowly merged with Elliot's chest, leaving a silver crescent moon tattoo on his skin, he regained consciousness and realized what he was doing. The sight before him was horrifying, and the metallic taste of Veer's blood lingered in his mouth.
In shock and revulsion, he released his hold on Veer, who fell to the ground, gasping for breath and clutching his bleeding neck. Elliot's crimson eyes slowly faded back to their natural color, and his elongated canines and the protrusion on his forehead retracted. He stumbled back, trembling, as the reality of what had just transpired washed over him.
As Elliot stumbled back from Veer, he observed the once-confident speedster now appearing weak and frail. Veer's face had paled significantly, and his body trembled as he clutched his bleeding neck. He looked sickly, his energy drained, and his strength depleted.
In stark contrast, Elliot felt an unusual surge of vitality coursing through him. His body seemed more robust, his senses sharper, and his mind clearer than ever before. The world around him appeared to move in slow motion, and he felt faster and stronger than he had ever been.
The voice of the man within him spoke, "Tsk, damned system. Ruined everything. Listen up, Elliot. If you want power, real power, you need to bite him again. You need to feed until nothing is left, and you will steal his power."
"Are you insane? I am not going to kill him. And what is this system?" Elliot's voice trembled with fear and confusion.
"The system is your guide to becoming the most powerful being in the universe," the voice replied.
"I thought you were a guide," Elliot protested.
"Damn it, I am a guide too. So listen to what I say. Bite Veer and take his power. This is the only way you can grow powerful, Elliot. He was going to kill you. You should return the favor."
"System, will biting Veer again truly give me his power?" Elliot asked ignoring the voice and choosing to trust the system instead, his voice quivered with uncertainty.
"Oh, for fuck's sa—," the voice was abruptly cut off as the automated system took over. "Replying to host. Yes, drinking the target's blood to completion will give the host a portion of the target's B tier Wind Meteor Acceleration ability. But it isn't the only way to acquire power and abilities."
"Is it the fastest?" Elliot inquired.
"Yes," came the concise response.
Elliot's gaze hardened as he walked toward Veer, who shuffled backward in fear.
"Please, Elliot, I'm sorry. I was wrong. Kael made me do it, he made us all do it. He hates you, it wasn't me, man. I have a little sister, please," Veer pleaded desperately.
Elliot kept walking, looking at the crying, sniveling human in front of him with disdain. Elliot's eyes glowed, and his fangs extended. "I don't show mercy to food," he grinned wickedly, as his voice overlapped with the voice of the "guide" within him. He sensed something weird about it, but he didn't care in the moment. He bit Veer again and drank. He watched Veer's body shrivel, as if losing all moisture, then the colour of his skin faded into an ugly grey and started to crack and shed, his hair fell out and finally a green glow appeared in Veer's eyes and then flew out as Veer roared in pain and agony. Half of the green energy turned scarlet and went inside Elliot, while the other half launched to the sky, perhaps on its way to create another awakened. Elliot looked at the husk of a human on the floor, it was unrecognizable.
"20 Agility points absorbed. Lesser Wind Meteor Acceleration ability acquired, after assimilation with host, it has been converted to Crimson Acceleration – C rank."
Making a guess from all the games he played in middle school he said, "System show me my status screen."
A scarlet table appeared in his vision:
Race: Demonic Dhampir (Part Demon, Part Vampire, Part Human)
Level 5
Experience Points 9/150
Free Stat Points: 1
Strength: 30
Agility: 70
Endurance: 45
Intelligence: 20
Health: 200
Charisma: 5
Luck: 4
Blood Energy (BE): 200
Abilities:
Crimson Acceleration - C tier (100 BE)
Minute Blood Control - F tier (growth) - (1 BE/second)
Titles: None
Adventurer Rank: None
Elliot contemplated his newfound abilities, murmuring with a hint of satisfaction, "Not bad." He recognized that he was on the cusp of a significant milestone. In this realm of pursuit, becoming a Planar Adventurer marked only the initial steps of a much grander journey.
To attain the coveted status of a Planar Adventurer, one had to meet a precise set of prerequisites. The foremost requirement was the initial level of two major attribute stats, both attaining a remarkable threshold of 100 points. Elliot, with his burgeoning agility, was already well on his way to meeting these demanding criteria.
However, as he basked in his current accomplishments, he couldn't help but be aware that the path ahead held greater challenges and higher achievements. Beyond Planar, there were ranks like Spatial, Interstellar, Multiversal, and even Cosmic, each representing a new zenith in the realm of combat and mastery of abilities. Elliot was just beginning to grasp the vastness of the possibilities that lay before him, for he knew there were 5 more ranks even after Cosmic.
The voice persisted in its presence, breaking through the silence within Elliot's mind.
"That was quite rude of you," it remarked, provoking a response from Elliot.
"I don't trust you," he retorted.
"Did I not get you this power?" the voice countered.
Elliot acknowledged the role the voice had played in his newfound abilities. "You did," he conceded.
"Then what is the problem?" the voice questioned.
Elliot's skepticism remained. "Who gets a system and a guide? People only get one," he argued.
The voice reminded him of the harsh reality they were facing. "This isn't a novel, Elliot; this is real life," it said.
"Yeah well, what should I do about the body?" Elliot inquired.
The voice dismissed the remnants of Veer's humanity callously. "What body? That is merely an unrecognizable husk of what used to be a puny human. Now get out of here before the other two catch up," it advised.
Elliot nodded, accepting the voice's counsel. With a muttered incantation of "Crimson Acceleration," he harnessed his newfound speed. Scarlet energy surged over his legs, propelling him forward at an incredible pace. No longer constrained by the need for public transportation, he zipped toward District O52, where his apartment was. His velocity surpassed even that of private cars.