He sensed something abnormal occurring within his body, as if undergoing a transformation. But before long, he couldn't afford to dwell on that thought because his mind too was engulfed in a whirlwind of excitement.
A foreign yet loaded with bizarre information memory rushed into his consciousness, quickly integrating with his own. After what seemed like ages, Ye Hong exhaled a long breath of turbid air and laboriously sat up. He had traveled to another world!
Upon merging with the memory of the unfortunate fellow, Ye Hong realized he had crossed over to a parallel world akin to Earth's civilization. Unlike peaceful Earth, however, this parallel world's main theme revolved around combat.
This was due to the existence of the Cycle Realm. From the very moment of birth, every human was branded with a Cycle Mark. Once they turned eighteen, the mark would truly awaken, enabling them to enter and exit the Cycle Tower at will.
Inside the Cycle Tower were a variety of copy realms where cycle travelers could accomplish tasks to earn a series of rewards. Among these, Cycle Points functioned as the sole hard currency critical to all cycle travelers.
Moreover, there were Planar Realms. It was said that within the Cycle Realm, there existed not only the Cycle Tower but also numerous planar nodes and coordinates for resource-rich planets. If a cycle traveler managed to pass the trials of the Cycle Tower and gain eligibility to conquer these planar realms, they might unlock unimaginably rich rewards, even ascending to godhood!
However, planar conquests were far-off prospects for Ye Hong at present.
His newfound identity post-crossing was that of a high school student at an Abnormal Abilities Academy—and regrettably, a slacker among students.
At the Abilities Academy, being a slacker essentially equaled being a weakling.
Unperturbed, Ye Hong felt a faint stirring in his heart and activated his Cycle Mark. A complex, glowing rune manifested between his brows, followed by a holographic attribute panel that only Ye Hong could see:
Name: Ye Hong (Real Identity Concealable) Cycle ID: D-130528 Vigor: 11 Strength: 12 Agility: 9 Mental Power: 9 Assignable Potential: 0 Cycle Traveler Level: E-Class, 1 Star Cycle Points: 0
Hidden Attribute Panel: Bloodline: Vampire Level: Primary Bloodline (Evolvable) Innate Potential: Unleashes vampire bloodline power, doubling all base stats until blood energy depletes. Inherited Ability: Due to the excessively thin vampire bloodline power, it remains unactivated. Hint 1: The soul of Cycle Traveler D-130528 has mutated, unexpectedly fusing with vampire bloodline power, evolving into a Bloodline Cycle Traveler. Hint 2: The vampire bloodline power is highly unique; though initially weak, under the boost of the bloodthirst trait, it possesses boundless potential for the future. Hint 3: Vampires dread sunlight and silver weapons, at least until their bloodline power strengthens significantly.
"Soul mutation? Vampire bloodline power?!"
After reviewing his attribute panel, Ye Hong grinned widely, genuinely elated. According to the memories he absorbed and merged, he knew that ordinary cycle travelers lacked such hidden attribute panels and couldn't fuse with bloodline powers.
Cycle travelers were classified into ranks from lowest to highest: E, D, C, B, A, and S-Class Abnormal Ability Users, each rank further divided into nine stars, with one being the minimum and nine being the maximum.
Legend had it that fusing with bloodline power was only feasible upon breaking through to become an S-Class Ability User. Presently, as merely an E-Class 1-Star slacker, slightly stronger than an average person, Ye Hong's ability to fuse with vampire bloodline power was utterly beyond reason.
Ye Hong didn't bother delving deeper into the logic; it made perfect sense that it defied logic, considering crossing dimensions was the biggest anomaly of all.
Pragmatic as he was, Ye Hong cared less about these anomalies and more about his current predicament. He was aware that the Cycle Realm was perilous, especially when one was weak and lacked self-defense capabilities. One misstep could lead to death – and in the Cycle Realm, death meant permanent death.
Ye Hong reached up to touch the bleeding wound on his neck, discovering that it had stopped bleeding and was already starting to heal, likely to return to normal soon.
In the darkness, Ye Hong's lips curled into a silent smile. Self-healing was indeed a significant benefit of fusing with vampire bloodline power.
Claiming himself as the National Server's top vampire player (a self-proclaimed title), coupled with his extensive knowledge gained from watching films and reading comics about vampires, Ye Hong was well-acquainted with the vampire race. He knew that besides the hints provided by the hidden attribute panel, the vampire bloodline power held numerous untapped potentials that were both exciting and exhilarating to explore.
After a good while, fully recuperated, Ye Hong got back on his feet.
With a faint cracking noise, he clenched a piece of wood spiked with thorns in his hand. Following that, Ye Hong strode purposefully towards a nearby coffin.