After much effort, Fars had found nothing of real value in the crumbling ruins. His urgent need for food had begun to gnaw at him, stirring feelings of agitation and rage deep within. Since awakening, he had yet to see blood, so the primal thirst for it had not yet manifested.
However, no matter how desperate he felt, he first needed to familiarize himself with his current effective means of attack.
Fars extended his right hand, pointing diagonally upward, and began to chant a brief incantation. As the words faded, nothing happened, just as he had expected. The familiar Arcane Missile, which he had mastered over many years, failed to materialize. This confirmed the change in his magical attributes. It wasn't that vampires couldn't use magic; rather, their bodies leaned towards darkness, making it difficult to cast conventional spells. However, they excelled in shadow, necromancy, and mentalism. When using these types of spells, they received certain enhancements. Moreover, vampires possessed a unique heritage spell—blood magic. This type of magic couldn't be learned through study; it had to be slowly realized and awakened from within their bloodline. Different vampire clans had varying heritage spells or martial techniques. Typically, during each level-up, or evolution, a portion of the most primal abilities in their blood would be awakened. Generally, the more ancient the bloodline, the more powerful the inherited skills.
At this point, Fars had no idea what inheritance he had received; he would need to harmonize with his new body to gradually understand it. Perhaps a single battle would awaken his bloodline. Although the vampire blood he had consumed was from an unknown generation, the fact that it had transformed him into a true vampire without a direct embrace, while retaining much of his previous strength, indicated that it was of decent quality. At the very least, he should be able to learn some commonly used vampire skills, such as Transformation (into a bat), Night Wings (which allows him to manifest a pair of bat wings on his back for flight, even without transforming, requiring at least the strength of a vampire knight), and Blood Shadow Arrow (summoning a blood arrow using his own blood as a medium for attack). More advanced techniques like Blood Shadow Escape and Blood Spear required at least the understanding of a vampire count.
While Fars couldn't use these skills yet, as a mage known for his intelligence, he still retained knowledge of many low-tier spells. Previously less frequently used spells like Shadow Touch, Bone Cage, Shadow Arrow, and Dark Flame were still available to him, and their power had even increased somewhat. In Aelras, mages typically learned spells from various schools in the early stages, specializing only in one school at higher levels. Fars had never reached the point where specialization was necessary, so he still remembered many of his low-tier spells.
After testing these spells one by one and taking a brief rest, Fars finally resolved to leave the ruins and re-enter the perilous forest.
Do not assume that our great Lord Fars was off to hunt high-tier magical beasts. For his first hunt, he decided to start with the lowest-tier magical creatures. Of course, any creature labeled as a magical beast possessed significant offensive capabilities.
Surveying his surroundings, Fars began to run slowly, something he would never have done before. It would have drained too much of a mage's stamina. However, now, as a vampire, this was his optimal fighting style.
Once his body adjusted to the sensation of running, a sense of exhilaration spread through his limbs. However, the noise from his rapid movements was too loud for stealth, making it unsuitable for hunting. So, after running several miles from the ruins, he stopped. He was still on the outskirts of the Qihai Mountains, and as long as luck wasn't too terrible, he could avoid encountering high-tier magical beasts venturing out for a stroll or a group of hungry beasts on the prowl, ensuring his safety.
Concealing himself beneath a cluster of branches, Fars adjusted his breathing, trying to minimize his life force's presence. Being already dead, low-tier magical beasts found it difficult to sense him. Dark vision was a generous gift from the night to this race abandoned by the day. Now, with the enhancement of Sharp Eye (a type of spell that had little to do with his physical condition, allowing Fars to still use it), he could see everything within a hundred meters.
Night was the most dangerous time, as many magical beasts were accustomed to roaming in the dark. Fars didn't have to wait long for prey; within just a few minutes, a cunning fox appeared in the area. Cunning was the fox's nature, and this particular fox had already been marked by Fars as his meal. It moved cautiously, sniffing the ground, occasionally darting forward or backward as if sensing danger. Although Fars was an inexperienced hunter, he wasn't foolish; this was clearly a ruse, a tactic employed by the little fox to test its surroundings.
Fars remained patient, waiting for the fox to come closer before making his move. With his strength, he could easily handle three or five of them in a direct confrontation, but these sly little creatures would escape at the first sign of danger. Fars was not a professional hunter or thief; he didn't believe his current speed could catch up to it. Perhaps when his strength truly reached that of a vampire viscount, even if he wasn't an intelligence-focused vampire, he would be fast enough to match these low-tier magical beasts.
The cunning fox drew nearer, and Fars felt a tightening in his chest—not from nerves, but from his sensitivity to blood. Even from several meters away, he could sense the vibrant life force within the little fox, the flowing sweetness that tantalized his thirst. The sensation was overwhelming; after years of hunger, Fars could no longer control his first bloodlust. He raised his hand and unleashed a Shadow Arrow. Following the attack, he quickly cast a Bone Cage behind the fox, ensuring it couldn't escape. After executing these moves, Fars charged forward, unarmed but undeterred, intending to win through biting. The suddenness of the Shadow Arrow was unlike any attack the little fox had encountered before. In a moment of shock, it reacted too late to evade. Its body twisted just enough to avoid a fatal blow, but the arrow struck its back, causing a spray of blood.
Seeing his attack succeed, Fars, spurred on by the sight of blood, rushed toward the little fox, firing another Shadow Arrow aimed at its head. The injured fox instinctively tried to retreat, but the skeletal claws that suddenly emerged from the ground restricted its movement. It nimbly dodged but attempted to dash sideways. At that moment, Fars's second Shadow Arrow arrived, striking its body again. The two wounds had rendered the little fox incapable of escape, and it collapsed to the ground, groaning weakly. Fars approached, intending to fire another Shadow Arrow to end its suffering. Yet, whether it was an instinctive reaction or a manifestation of his inherent brutality, he transformed into a bloodthirsty demon, lunging directly for the soft neck of the little fox.
Blood splattered everywhere as Fars lost himself in the ecstasy of drinking, the fox's whimpers fading into silence. Finally, after finishing his meal, Fars raised his head to the sky and let out a long howl. His fierce expression, combined with the blood splattered across his face, made him appear like a demon that had just crawled out of the abyss.
Casually tossing aside the fox's corpse, Fars suddenly dashed into the forest, allowing his body to run wild. After feasting, the blood coursed rapidly through him, flowing to his limbs and back to his heart in an endless cycle. A strange sensation began to spread; it felt as if something was trying to break free from the confines of his skin on his back. As Fars ran, it seemed he finally gathered enough strength to burst forth. His tattered clothing was violently torn apart as a pair of wings, nearly two meters long, emerged. In the black night, with black wings, Fars comprehended his first inherited skill—Shadow Wings.
Finally, Fars came to a halt. Until now, he had been unable to control his body, merely acting on instinct. He extended his long, pale hands, gently caressing his wings. Yes, he was a vampire.
Appendix: Vampire Rank Correspondence with Mage Titles
Vampire Squire = Mage Apprentice
Vampire Knight = Apprentice Mage
Vampire Baron = Low-tier Mage
Vampire Viscount = Mid-tier Mage
Vampire Count = High-tier Mage (mages of different specializations begin to have their own titles within their fields)
Vampire Marquis = Magus
Vampire Duke = Grand Magus
Vampire Prince = Legendary Mage
Other ordinary professions are classified using levels 1-9, with levels one to three being low-tier titles, four to six being mid-tier titles, and seven to nine being high-tier titles. Levels beyond nine are considered legendary.
Clerics of various major churches have their unique classifications, such as:
Servant of the Light
Priest
Oracle
White Robed Oracle
Bishop
Archbishop
Cardinal (generally, a cardinal from a major church can reach legendary status, but not all cardinals are legendary)
Pope
The strength of Paladins is also classified using levels 1-9.
Special professions like Druids will be introduced later. The main professions among humans include Mage, Knight, Warrior, Thief, Assassin, Archer, and Priest.