Lionel felt as though his hand was nailed to the ground as lifting it proved difficult. His forehead creased from the weight pressing down on it and the veins in his hand bulged as he struggled to lift it, desperate to check his surroundings.
His nostrils flared as the stiffness and dampness of the place affected his breathing, and his heart quickened as he realized how dangerous the place could become. Fueled by a desperate desire to get out, as it was becoming increasingly difficult to stay alive, he struggled to move his hand and finally brought it up.
His hand roamed around the cramped area, feeling the hard, stone-like material encasing him. Reaching upward, his hand collided with what felt like a roof.
The first word that came to his mind was "Coffin."
But why would he be in a coffin?
He raised his hand again, trying to push the weight off, but if lifting his hand had felt like a huge effort, removing the roof was worse; his hand went limp by his side.
Exhausted, he decided to check his status.
[Name: Lionel Valerius Darkmoor]
[Race: Vampire | Human]
[Role: Prince]
[Cultivation Level: Null]
[Affinities: Null]
[Skills: None]
[Abilities: None]
[Stats:]
[Strength: 3 (lw)]
[Intelligence: 3 (lw)]
[Agility: 3 (lw)]
[Endurance: 10 (fr)]
[Speed: 3 (lw)]
[Defense: 0 (nex)]
Just like the last time he had entered, the stats were still useless—only lower this time. His stats had been halted, and that made him question, "What happened since I left?"
"And why am I in such a tight space? I vividly recall being in a room the last time."
This also meant that what he had seen was probably a dream, as he was somewhere else now.
"What exactly is happening?" he couldn't help but keep thinking.
Having no spirit root meant that his ability to cultivate was disabled, which in turn meant no leveling up, and that was equally no fun.
It was one way or another.
Either the so-called vampire prince was utterly useless.
At first, when he had seen the stats, he hadn't bothered much with them, as he had been faced with a straightforward conflict afterward.
But now, coming back and reviewing his stats again, a strong desire to be stronger resurfaced, leaving him increasingly frustrated.
Then again, he recalled countless anime and novels where the protagonist starts weak but eventually gains a powerful cheat or ability.
'Maybe that's what's supposed to happen here,' he thought, clinging to the hope that something transformative would occur.
Time ticked by in silence, and he found himself stuck in the same position, unable to move, desperately waiting for a change. But no miraculous cheats appeared.
"Seriously?!"
'I need to log out of this place! I can't fight with only these pathetic stats,' he thought, frustration rising within him.
Yet, the game interface remained stubbornly unresponsive; the only thing visible was his profile, accompanied by a grayed-out logout button.
'What's going on?' His lips trembled as panic seeped into his mind, his thoughts as dark as he wasn't sure what to do.
Then, as he regained his composure, he thought, 'Maybe the countdown on the logout button means I can't leave yet... but why?'
Rather than let fear overwhelm him, Lionel focused on finding a way out. He redirected his energy to push the heavy lid above him. He pushed with every ounce of strength within him, his veins bulging from the overwhelming pressure he put on himself, and at last, his efforts paid off as the lid flew off.
Fresh air washed over him, and he blinked against the sudden light that seeped in. As he took in where he was, his heart sank as he realized he was indeed buried under stones.
"So, I was in a coffin?" he muttered, propping himself up on his elbows.
As he sat up, the reality of his situation began to settle in. He traced his hand over the fangs that were visible in his mouth, and he realized that it was not a dream and he wasn't delusional, as his friend had thought.
"I'm a useless vampire prince trapped in a coffin... and I can't log out? This is ridiculous."
He mumbled, but then as he brooded harder, a flicker of realization sparked in his mind as he understood what the coffin might signify.
"Wait. I rose from the dead? Is that my cheat?" His eyes widened with the implications. "Maybe I can't die in this world!"
However, his moment of elation was quickly dampened by an unexpected mechanic voice that echoed in his mind:
[Rebirth Successful]
[Crimson Bloodline Successfully Activated]
[Host is in dire need to consume blood!]
"What is this?" he muttered, reading the words that appeared before his eyes on a purple-like surface. "Is this some kind of system cheat or another bug? Rewards? Blood?"
Suddenly, it hit him, and he exclaimed as he stood up from the coffin, "The cheat is about to be here!"
Lionel looked around the tomb he had been kept in, feeling a mix of amazement and confusion. After a few turns, he finally reached the entrance, and what he saw fueled his astonishment.
"A red moon in the sky..." he muttered, gazing up at the celestial glow from the tomb entrance.
His attention was suddenly diverted by a sound, and then a scent reached him.
"Blood?" he questioned, his nose instinctively sniffing the air.
Unlike the previous days when he felt an urge to drink blood, this time he was not only aware of the craving but willing to act on it.
Realizing he might be trapped in this game world with no way out, Lionel's mind raced as he sought a solution. The answer was right before him, and he didn't care what he had to do to stay safe.
If he had to drink blood, he would.
Determined, Lionel walked away from the entrance, his legs carrying him down the tomb and into the forest. The scent of blood grew stronger as he neared an opening, and soon he found himself in a clearing that shocked him.
A beast lay before him, its skin torn and shredded, with blood pooling around its body. As Lionel took in the sight, his stomach churned within him, and he was suddenly filled with the intense urge to vomit.
He turned his head to the side and retched profusely, only to be more horrified by what he saw: his insides were also blood red.
"What the hell..." he cursed under his breath as he stared at the battered beast.
As he collected himself, he noticed the creature's slow, labored breathing. It was on the brink of death.
Without thinking, he stepped closer, the instinct to drink rising within him. His heart raced as he contemplated the action he needed to take.
[Beast about to die. As a vampire, you need to consume fresh blood from creatures that still have vital forces in them.]
[Rebirth in progress, consume fresh blood to complete your rebirth and receive rewards.]
"What exactly is the function of this screen that sends messages? A monitoring system? Am I still a player, or what exactly? Am I just a player who can't log out?" Lionel asked himself these questions as he neared the beast.
"Yet," he added, trying to assure himself that perhaps it's an error and he'll get to do so soon.
As the blood continued to waft into his nose, he was greatly amused as his nose didn't scrunch up at the scent of blood, nor did he feel the urge to vomit again after the first time.
Instead, all he felt was a strong pull toward the blood. Before he knew it, his fangs protruded, and he bit into the still-intact neck of the boar.
Its blood flowed freely into him, his throat eagerly gulping it down. As the blood coursed through his body, he felt his bones stretch and his muscles grow stronger. Amidst this strengthening, he sensed a shift within himself.
As he continued drinking, notifications flooded his vision, each one igniting a spark of power within him:
[Blood consumed.]
[Crimson Bloodline Awakened.]
[Transformation Commencing.]
Then, a sharp pain shot through his chest, and he felt as though his heart was being ripped apart. His mouth left the beast as blood smeared his mouth, his hand reaching for his chest as he struggled to understand what was happening.
His eyes changed color, turning from the regal purple to a deep blood red, his fangs pointing harder. He squeezed his eyes shut as he gasped for air, the pain becoming so intense.
When he opened his eyes again, what he saw surprised him.
He was met with a horrifying sight: his chest was protruding, swelling as though his heart was about to burst open.
He felt his heart shift position, beating with life as though it was about to explode. Then, as if in response, he felt the blood in his body beginning to merge with the beast's vital blood essence he had absorbed, fusing with his own blood and flesh, expanding his very form.
The pain intensified, and he gritted his teeth as his Dantian trembled, splitting and reshaping within him.
His body continued to writhe as the process lengthened, but finally, he felt himself calming down and sensed the emergence of a profound power within him.
[...Rebirth Completed.]
[Crimson Bloodline Transformation Completed.]
[Spirit roots cleansed.]
[Dantian pool stretched.]
[Blood Essence Dantian Activated.]
[Natural Mana Dantian Activated.]
[300 Blood Essence absorbed.]
[Host needs to refine Blood Essence absorbed.]