"Yeah, the committee just called," the assistant said, rubbing his temples. "They told us to stop looking for test subjects—with a lie."
Faerith smirked. "What lie?"
"You know damn well what lie!" he sighed. "They said you were deceiving people."
Faerith scoffed. "Oh, please. I did give them the ERX-89 implant for free. That thing was expensive, you know. I even threw in some money. All they had to do was stand near the blood and see if it reacted."
The assistant gave her a pleading look. "But, Prof… they also threatened to cut our funding. You know we need that money."
"Hmph! Money, money, money!" Faerith crossed her arms. "Ever since dungeons started appearing, every investor wants instant results. Back in the day, it was normal to research for years with nothing to show for it!" Before the assistant could respond, Faerith's screen lit up with a new notification. She glanced at it—and smirked. "Oh. The test subject just arrived."
Her assistants exchanged looks, eyes filled with exhausted hopelessness. Faerith sighed and waved them off. "Both of you, take a few days off. I'll deal with the committee myself tomorrow."
They didn't need to be told twice. In truth, the only reason they had stuck around this long was because they owed her. The rest of the team had already abandoned ship, moving on to projects that actually showed results. With dungeons popping up, the demand for researchers had skyrocketed. No one wasted time on an experiment that hadn't shown results in three months. Faerith was probably the only one left who still cared.
Meanwhile, in the lobby, Alex sat waiting, eyes glued to his phone. A small part of him was still surprised by how fast they had responded to his application. It had barely been a few minutes before he got the confirmation. But after seeing the research facility in person, his worries faded. Instead, something strange settled in. Like something was calling to him.
***
In another world… "Die, you bitch!" A furious scream echoed as a woman with long, flowing black hair was shoved into the void. Her name was Mingyue. As she plummeted, her sharp amber eyes locked onto the traitor above. "Lin Hua…" her voice was ice. "If I survive this, I will come back to kill you." But deep inside, she knew—her chances of returning were slim.
The two of them had entered a newly discovered secret realm belonging to their sect, the Blue Lotus Sect. Both were prodigies. Both were chosen as prime disciples. But their sect was poor. It could only truly nurture one of them. That was how it started.
Their rivalry escalated, and the sect began sending them out to find their own resources. Even so, Mingyue had never imagined that Lin Hua would go this far—pushing her into a void crack. Passing through the void was normal when traveling between realms. It was dangerous, but manageable.
Sometimes, though, a void storm would rage, creating cracks in the path. And no one—not even immortals—had ever returned after falling into one. Some theorized the cracks led to other worlds. Others believed they simply shredded people apart, leaving nothing behind.
Now, Mingyue was about to find out for herself. Inside the crack, her body was ripped apart. It felt like thousands of needles tearing into her flesh, slashing her from every direction. She pushed her qi to the absolute limit, shielding herself. But each second felt like an hour.
After what felt like an eternity, Mingyue was violently thrown out onto cold, dark stone. She gasped, her body trembling from the impact. Every inch of her ached. Her once-pristine enhanced robe was now in tatters, barely clinging to her, exposing smooth, jade-like skin beneath. 'At least I'm alone.' That was the first thought that crossed her mind. She had no idea where she was, but if there had been anyone here, she would've been completely vulnerable.
Forcing herself up, she clenched her fists. Her protection talisman had shattered, its power exhausted. But it had done its job. If she hadn't spent all her contribution points on the best one she could afford, she'd be nothing more than a mist of blood by now. Her breath came out ragged, her mind still buzzing from the shock. "That bitch!" she snarled, voice echoing through the empty space. Her nails dug into her palm. "Lin Hua, you dared to push me into a void crack?! Just wait until I return to the sect! I'll make sure the elders ruin your life!" Her fury surged—but a deep breath helped her calm down.
One step at a time. First, where was she? She took a proper look at her surroundings. The cavernous space stretched out before her, walls and floors made of dark rock. The only source of light came from a crystalline glow high above, casting eerie shadows. But then, she saw it. In the center of the vast chamber stood a raised platform. And on it—a coffin.
Mingyue's body went rigid. The black metal coffin was massive, its surface covered in ancient inscriptions she couldn't understand. But above it… A goblet.
It floated in the air, pulsing with a strange, mystical aura. Her amber eyes locked onto it, her breath hitching. For some reason, her body moved on its own. Step by step, she approached, unable to resist the pull.
Meanwhile… Alex lay on a medical bed, eyes fluttering closed as the procedure finished. Getting the implant had been shockingly quick. He had expected surgery, drills, something dramatic. Instead, all it took was a single injection—a special needle injecting a cluster of nanomachines directly into his skull. It barely even hurt. At first, he felt nothing.
Then—a strange crawling sensation. Like thousands of tiny ants scurrying through his brain. Then, everything went black.
In the lab, Faerith watched closely. She didn't hesitate. The moment Alex lost consciousness, she carefully brought the vial into the room. She had been waiting for this. But before she could do anything— The vial shook. Cracks splintered across the glass. "What—?" Before she could react, the vial exploded.
Blood, the same blood they had experimented on for a year, suddenly moved. Not like a liquid. Not like something inert. It moved like it was alive. And it went straight for Alex. It shot toward him with unnatural speed, forcing itself into his body through his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Faerith froze. Her mind screamed at her to do something, but she couldn't move. 'What the hell had i just unleashed?'
Back in the mausoleum… Mingyue's slender fingers wrapped around the black goblet. As if responding to her touch, thick red liquid began to swirl inside it, oozing a dark aura. Her glowing amber eyes reflected the blood as she raised it to her lips. And then—she drank.
The thick liquid flowed down her throat, burning like fire. Suddenly— A voice. It was ethereal. It spoke directly into her mind.
[The hosts for Adam and Eve to resurrect the Vampire Race have been found…]
Mingyue gasped, clutching her head. At the same time, in the lab—Alex's body jerked violently.
[Reading both world information…]
[Looking for the best way to link both worlds and make both hosts into the Primogenitors…]
A strange interface materialized in front of Mingyue's eyes. Her amber irises turned red. At the same time, in another world, Alex's own eyes snapped open—glowing crimson.
[Update Completed.]
[Welcome, Alex Campbell & Mingyue Xueqi, to the Vampire System.]