Time was a blur, and Fars had no idea how long he had been in this state. The surrounding darkness was thick, and his consciousness remained hazy, though he could faintly sense his own existence. Gradually, after an indeterminate period, time lost its significance, and his awareness began to sharpen. Deep within, a voice called out to him: Wake up, wake up.
When he finally opened his eyes, Fars surveyed his surroundings. The space he found himself in was not particularly small, filled with several large shelves—some empty, while others held scattered items. In the center stood a large stone platform, upon which rested an egg and a scroll of parchment. Fars recognized this place all too well. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he began to curse the ancient mage who had set up the restrictions here.
Fars was a wandering mage, born into a relatively well-off family, a minor nobleman who lived a life of leisure—walking his dog in the streets and teasing respectable women. Unfortunately, turmoil had struck his homeland, and his family was caught in the chaos. Those who could escape fled to foreign lands for refuge, leading to the decline of his once-prosperous household. With no other options, this former nobleman had to find a way to survive. Relying on the few spells he had learned and his officially registered title as a mage, he managed to avoid destitution, though his life had devolved into a cycle of indulgence.
In this realm, being a mage was considered one of the noblest professions. However, with the end of the Nesser Era, the energy levels in this world had plummeted, causing magic to decline. Consequently, the number of individuals with magical talent dwindled, and magic became increasingly mysterious. In the previous era, archmages could even challenge the gods, making mages objects of reverence among ordinary people. All the empires revered mages, and even a low-tier mage like Fars could enjoy the privileges of a minor noble, receiving a monthly stipend of several dozen gold coins. Thus, Fars's life was still manageable.
However, those who had once enjoyed great wealth and status were unlikely to be satisfied with mere survival, and Fars was no exception. Previously, he had little sense of responsibility or ambition. But after his family's fall from grace, the dream of restoring his lineage ignited within him. What could he do? As a former noble, he understood that acquiring a fief and a title in a foreign land was nearly impossible. The land had long been divided among nobles and kings. Gaining a hereditary title and territory was as unlikely as a mediocre mage apprentice becoming a high-tier mage.
Fortunately, he still held the title of a registered mage; otherwise, his livelihood would be in jeopardy. After much contemplation, he concluded that the most feasible path was to enhance his own strength and strive to become a high-tier spellcaster. Each empire welcomed high-tier spellcasters with open arms, offering them the title of count and a territory the size of several towns, provided they agreed to serve the nation. Of course, these titles were temporary; if the mage passed away and their descendants lacked sufficient merit or did not become high-tier mages themselves, the titles and lands would be reclaimed. Nonetheless, this could serve as a foundation for a new family. This was the best plan Fars could devise.
However, resources were scarce, and being a mage was an expensive endeavor. Most ordinary nobles could not afford to support a mage's expenses. Fars regretted not dedicating himself to studying magic during his family's prosperous days. He had once thought that being a mage sounded impressive, and with his decent aptitude, he had studied for a while. But once he became a formal mage, he had stopped pursuing further training.
Life was unpredictable, and regrets were futile. Yet, he could not simply sit idly by. After all, Fars's aptitude was not particularly remarkable; without external assistance, relying solely on meditation to elevate his rank would likely leave him as just a high-tier mage for the rest of his life. By then, any dreams of restoring his family would be far too late.
To acquire resources, aside from illegal means, the quickest method was to explore ancient ruins. Many remnants from the previous era remained, albeit with significant dangers. A couple of ancient magical artifacts could provide enough resources for a while.
However, it was now the year 3022 of the New Era. After over three thousand years of exploration, the so-called ruins had mostly been exhausted. Only in the deep mountains and forests, where magical beasts roamed, were there still some opportunities for discovery. Of course, the number of adventurers who had perished in their quests was equally staggering.
After months of contemplation—or perhaps stagnation—Fars finally mustered the courage to register as an adventurer at the guild, spurred on by a bit of liquor. The uniqueness of being a mage allowed even a newly registered mage to take on various tasks below A-rank. Thus began Fars's journey as an adventurer.
Nobles were often synonymous with treachery, and with his sharp wits, Fars successfully completed several tasks. After years of hard training and spending heavily to improve his physical condition, he finally reached the level of a mid-tier mage. With this newfound strength came the opportunity to undertake more dangerous endeavors.
Coincidentally, news of a new ruin surfaced, located in the perilous southern Qihar Mountain Range, known as the "Paradise of Magical Beasts." Although it was on the outskirts, danger still lurked. An adventurer was recruiting skilled individuals to join the expedition, and Fars signed up. Although he was merely a mid-tier spellcaster, his combat abilities paled in comparison to those of warriors, archers, and rogues above level six. However, many ancient ruins were essentially mage towers, and a mage's presence was essential. High-tier mages were often reluctant to risk their lives, and this adventurer could not afford to hire one. Thus, he settled for Fars and two other mid-tier mages.
Initially, the exploration went smoothly, despite encountering a few waves of magical beast attacks. Thanks to the strength of their team, they managed to fend them off. Eventually, they entered the ruins. After deciphering several complex restrictions, they finally located the treasure chamber of the ruin.
The layout of the treasure chamber was not much different from what Fars now saw. Upon entering, the group divided the items on the shelves among themselves. Finally, they turned their attention to the objects on the central platform. According to their assessments, the restriction likely sealed away the attack of a legendary mage. If they failed to decipher it correctly, the backlash could obliterate them all.
Given the danger, the prudent course of action would have been to abandon the venture. They had already gathered enough to satisfy their needs, and the information itself could be sold to true top-tier powerhouses. However, human selfishness reared its ugly head. Among the other two mages, one foolishly suggested attempting to break the restriction. If successful, no one wanted to share the spoils with others. Thus, the leader of the group implored this mage, who claimed to be a disciple of a high-tier mage, to give it a try.
Fars felt powerless to intervene; anyone attempting to leave this beast-infested area would find it impossible. He could only assist the others. However, Fars had a backup plan. As the restriction-breaking process began, he kept a vial of vampire blood in his mouth. Should the legendary spell within the restriction annihilate him, he could use the blood to resurrect as a dark creature—a vampire.
One might think this would guarantee survival, but the transformation was not straightforward. The requirements for the vampire blood were stringent; it had to be from a duke-level vampire or a bloodline from before the sixth generation. Moreover, the failure rate for this method was high, around fifty percent.
Mages held unique views on dark creatures and other forms of life; otherwise, liches would not exist. This obsession stemmed from their pursuit of knowledge and immortality.
Fars had acquired this vial of blood during a previous adventure, and his teammates had failed to recognize its value, ultimately allowing him to claim it. After his own assessment, he concluded that the blood's purity was sufficient for his needs. In the current situation, this was the worst-case scenario. If he accidentally died, so be it; at least he would still be alive.
As it turned out, the mage who set the array had malicious intentions. The array was not designed to be broken; it was a guiding attack array. Remarkably, the array did manage to redirect the legendary spell, but unfortunately, the direction was aimed at their unsuspecting team. Human nature was indeed unpredictable. The other teammates were no saints either; aside from leaving two to guard the mages while they worked, the rest waited outside the treasure chamber.
The wicked mage achieved his goal. In Fars's mind, the mage who had caused his demise was evil enough to deserve a hundred executions. The legendary spell proved devastating, killing not only those left in the treasure chamber but also several outside. Of course, those who survived continued to engage in the same ugly human behavior, fighting over the spoils. Fars was unaware of this; his last coherent thought before death was to swallow the blood.
The tragedy of the weak was evident. Had Fars been stronger, he could have simply opted out of the venture and walked away.
Now, Fars had awakened once more, shaking his head vigorously to clear his thoughts. He recalled the memories leading up to his death, confirming that he was indeed alive again, with no gaps in his recollection. He cursed the owners of the ruins and his "dear" teammates with the most venomous words he could muster.
However, the events had already transpired, and Fars realized there was nothing he could do. In this world, if one did not fight for their place, they could only wait to become fertilizer for the magical land.
"Ah, as long as I'm alive, that's what matters. But the road ahead will be difficult. When will I be able to bask in the sunlight again?" Fars sighed heavily, now a wicked vampire.
In this land known as Aelras, not everyone shared the unique perspective of mages. Even toddlers knew that vampires were evil beings that thrived on human blood. The Church of Light and other smaller religious groups held a firm stance against vampires, killing them on sight.
Moreover, the Mage Guild's attitude was hardly better; to them, vampires were mere materials. Although many mages had sought to extend their lives by transforming into dark creatures, their identities were no longer recognized. The Mage Guild had clear regulations: once transformed into a non-human being, one automatically severed ties with the guild, forever estranged from their former brethren.
In this regard, other races shared similar sentiments, often even more vehemently.