Lionel frowned. The question was unsettling, but would he be interested in changing characters? Sure!
He clicked the first option anyway, and the screen shifted.
[Choose your race:]
- Human
- Vampire
- Elf
- Fox
- Monster
- Beast
- Undead
- Customize
Lionel hesitated at the options. He remembered the initial storyline of the game—playing as anything other than human was typically reserved for NPCs.
After all, why would a player be part of a faction that's against humanity when the game, Eternity's Edge, was centered around empowering humans for the greater war against the supernaturals?
He pondered, 'Does this mean I can become an NPC instead of a player?'
'But, what does that even mean?'
Confused but intrigued, a smirk crossed his lips as he clicked on "Customize."
A black space appeared before him, and Lionel typed: "Hybrid. Vampire-Human."
"I can have different abilities because of this and also be at the center of attention. It's flexible and they have characteristics from both races."
He didn't particularly care about being a vampire or a human; he just wanted to have fun in the game. And being in the thick of battle was exactly how he planned to enjoy it.
[Error: New race created…]
But it didn't work. A scowl formed on Lionel's face—until another message popped up.
[Choose primary race: Vampire or Human?]
"Oh… that's why. I need to choose a dominant race," he muttered, hovering his hand over the options before selecting Vampire.
[New race created. Vampire|Human.]
Then, another prompt appeared.
[Choose your role based on your primary race;]
- Vampire King
- Vampire Prince
- Vampire Princess
- Vampire Lord
- Vampire Duke/Duchess
- Vampire Baron/Baroness
- Vampire Knight
By now, Lionel was starting to get used to the unusual customization process. Typically, when creating characters, players weren't allowed to choose their family background—just their class: swordmaster, alchemist, or mage. But this game seemed different.
So, he relaxed and chose properly, "I'm not sure being a king is good—too grumpy. And I can't go too low, either. Vampire Prince it is!" he muttered as he clicked the option.
[Congratulations on becoming the first and last player to transfer roles and earn the royalty role.]
[Vampire Prince role gained.]
[Character profile loading…]
[Maps loading…]
[Inventory loading…]
[Please wait….]
A loading bar filled up slowly as Lionel tapped his fingers impatiently. "Alright, I guess this is happening…"
[Character Creation: Customize Your Avatar]
A new screen popped up, and Lionel found himself looking at a blank avatar. Time to build his character.
Lionel scanned the character creation options quickly, already familiar with most of the settings from his previous try.
He chose the basics: a tall, athletic male with pale white skin and medium-length black hair to match the vampire prince aesthetic he was going for. He customized a few details like purple eyes for a regal touch and sharp fangs, but as the options dragged on, his patience thinned.
"I'll keep it simple," he muttered, skipping over unnecessary customization.
Normal ears, a strong jawline, and royal garb completed the look. He chose a smooth, charismatic voice to match his regal image. After a few more clicks, he was done.
A new prompt appeared:
[Are you satisfied with your character's appearance? Yes or Edit]
Lionel looked over his creation one last time. A tall, athletic vampire prince with purple eyes and sleek black hair stared back at him.
"Yeah, that'll do. Let's go."
He clicked Yes, and the game system immediately responded.
[Character profile loading…]
—
[Welcome, Vampire Prince Lionel.]
[You are now ready to enter the world.]
[Your profile is as follows:]
[Name: Lionel Valerius Darkmoor]
[Age: 216 years]
[Race: Vampire]
[Title: Vampire Prince]
Lionel smirked. Despite the weirdness of everything that had happened so far, he was relieved not to be stuck in the usual grind of guilds and dungeons, swinging a sword at some mindless beast. So far, so good.
Then, the next part of his profile loaded:
—
[Attributes:]
[Strength: 7]
[Agility: 6]
[Endurance: 10]
[Intelligence: 7]
[Charisma: 2]
[Mana: 0]
[Vital Essence: 0]
[Spirit Roots: Closed (unable to cultivate mana or refine blood essence)]
[Dantian: Blocked]
[Meridians: Severed]
[Abilities:]
- Passive: Basic Health Regeneration +3
[Skills: None]
[Class:
Sword Mastery: +3]
His smirk faded fast. Lionel stared at the screen, his initial excitement replaced with disbelief.
"Wait… what?!"
"Zero mana? No spirit roots? I'm a vampire prince with a blocked dantian and severed meridians?!"
He let out a long sigh, running his hand through his hair. "Great. So I'm royalty... but basically useless. Fantastic."
His thoughts raced as he tried to make sense of the numbers. While he didn't grasp everything, he knew enough to understand that spirit roots were essential for cultivating magic, and he apparently had none. Still, he shrugged it off and continued reading the rest of the screen.
—
[Inventory:]
Weapons: None
Armor: None
Items: None
Money: 100 Common Blood sigils
Special Items: None]
—
But then—Money!
"Great, I'm not only skill-less, I'm broke, too," he muttered. "What kind of prince starts out this useless?"
Lionel paused for a moment, recalling snippets of game lore he had read before entering this world. The currency system was well-known among players; it was a key part of the lore he had absorbed.
He remembered how different races had distinct currencies and how they could be used interchangeably for certain transactions.
Unfortunately, the system wasn't done mocking him yet.
—
[Affinities:]
Elemental Affinities: None
Special Traits: None]
—
At first, Lionel had been keeping it cool, but now he groaned. "I think I should've picked the king; at least he wouldn't be a weak prince. All that character creation for nothing…"
He tapped his fingers against the screen, annoyed but still intrigued, holding onto the hope that something good would still happen.
As he finished receiving his character profile and completed his creation, the blue screen suddenly disappeared, and he was thrown back into darkness. Lionel's hands tapped against nothing as he waited, and then suddenly, he felt something different in the space he was in.
He no longer felt like being in a void space and he could distinctly feel air on his body.
More than anything, he wanted to open his eyes right away, and when he did, what he saw made him recoil.
"What the…" he muttered softly as he stifled a curse.
In front of him was a lady who appeared to be a maid, if he guessed correctly. She was wearing a dress like those of many other ladies in the room with him, and what surprised him wasn't the fact that there were up to ten ladies in his presence.
Ten maids, to be exact, but what shocked him was that the ladies were kneeling in front of him, and worst of all, they were carrying cups filled with a red liquid that emitted a strong smell that beckoned to him.
Lionel stood up, unable to make sense of it all, and as he looked around, he noticed the redness everywhere. Even though he had seen his stats, he suddenly felt energized, as though he could take down a bear.
He could feel the pulse of each lady pumping with blood, and a part of him was on the brink of biting those pulses open and tasting their essence.
Looking up, he saw the open roof above him, and a bloody moon loomed in the sky, casting an eerie glow. As he gazed at the moon, the urge to drink whatever the ladies were holding surged within him once more.
His nose became overwhelmed by the scent, and he instinctively reached out toward the ladies.
He could feel the sharp fangs he had requested earlier pooling in his mouth, his teeth being replaced as he felt a strong desire to use his new replacements.
"What are you holding?" he asked, his voice coming out cold yet smooth, just as he had intended.
"Blood, your highness," one of the maids replied, confirming what he had suspected.
The substance in the cups was indeed blood.