Kael knew that time was running out.
The days were passing in a blur, the pressure mounting on his shoulders.
The bet with Violet was fast approaching, and he needed to be ready.
The Blood Portal wasn't just a threat, it was a death sentence. But Kael wasn't going in empty-handed.
No, he was no longer the weak, purposeless Kael who had reincarnated into this world. He had been given a second chance, and he would use everything he had, even the shadows of the Academy, to ensure his survival.
After several days of intense study, Kael now knew enough about the creatures he would face there. Vampires. Dark creatures, almost immortal, with superior regenerative abilities and strength. The fight against them wouldn't be easy...
In his current state, without the ability to use magic, Kael knew he would need alternatives. He wouldn't defeat a vampire with brute force or magic; he needed strategy and preparation. But before starting, he would need a few things. Knowledge and equipment, however basic, could make all the difference.
He walked through the corridors of the Academy, distracted by the daily routine that seemed to repeat itself.
The idea of studying advanced magic or techniques seemed futile. He wouldn't be a powerful mage like the other students.
Instead, Kael would need to use the weaknesses he noticed around him to prepare. He wanted to understand not only how to deal with the creatures, but also how to navigate the Academy and its rules. Kael knew he couldn't get weapons or powerful artifacts like the wealthier students. So, he would have to be more subtle.
The first step was observation. He would start with the basics: learn what the other students were doing, what they carried, what might be useful for his mission. Kael approached the training room where the stronger students were practicing combat. Among them, he saw swords, staffs, and other equipment that could be useful, but he knew he had no right to take anything without permission. However, he could learn from the others, analyze their techniques and movements, and apply that knowledge to his own physical training.
In the following days, Kael enrolled in hand-to-hand combat sessions. He had already practiced some martial arts in his past life, so he wasn't completely inexperienced. However, his training was more focused on endurance and speed. He knew he would face fast and strong vampires in the portal, so he needed to improve his reaction time and resistance to physical attacks.
Kael watched the others closely during training, especially those stronger students who used hand-to-hand combat techniques. He paid attention to any tricks or methods that could help him defend himself better. When an opportunity presented itself, he took note of how others used simple weapons, like staffs and knives.
At the end of each class, he would quickly jot down notes, and that's when he realized that if he could craft a small improvised dagger using some of the available materials, he could use it in close combat.
The process wasn't quick. He wasn't stealing or taking expensive magical artifacts.
Instead, he collected pieces of metal, broken parts of training equipment, and with some effort and a few clumsy attempts, he managed to forge an improvised blade.
It wasn't pretty or perfect, but it would be effective against the vampires. He didn't trust the idea of fighting bare-handed against such creatures. At least with a blade, he'd have a chance to inflict real damage.
Kael also sought out more specific books in the library, books that spoke about the creatures of the Blood Portal. He didn't expect to find anything extremely useful, but he needed any extra information. After a few hours of searching, he came across a grimoires that mentioned the weaknesses of dark creatures, including vampires. The book indicated that, besides silver, these creatures were sensitive to intense light—something Kael could use to his advantage.
He ran his fingers over the pages, reading attentively, absorbing every detail. It was simple, but he felt a small spark of hope ignite within him.
Kael knew that to be fully prepared, he would need more.
He wasn't going into the Blood Portal empty-handed.
He needed something that would protect him and help him survive the fast and deadly creatures that inhabited that place.
With this goal in mind, Kael infiltrated the dormitories of the wealthier students at night, but without the intention of stealing anything large or expensive.
He knew he couldn't carry powerful magical artifacts without being caught, so he looked for simpler items like healing potions or small tools that could be useful for self-defense.
One thing Kael noticed was that, despite being in a magical place, not all the students were concerned about what he might do. Many were more focused on their own lives and rivalries.
This worked in his favor, as he could move unnoticed, taking advantage of moments when others were distracted. Sometimes, he would take healing potions or simple throwing items like stones and bits of metal that could serve for distractions or ranged attacks.
Kael also learned to use his weaknesses to his advantage.
Instead of acting like an average student, he became invisible in the shadows, drawing no attention. He knew his mission wasn't to obtain power in a simple or direct way, but to create just enough, step by step, through strategy. The swords and magical items of the other students were not his priority. Kael didn't want an open confrontation. He wanted to prepare with what he had and use it with intelligence.
When the time was up, Kael was more prepared than he could have imagined. He knew he didn't have the power of a mage or a trained warrior, but he also knew he could use his mind to turn the tide. He wasn't the original Kael, but his goal was to survive, and he would do whatever it took to make it out of the Blood Portal alive.
...
Then, the day finally arrived... The day Violet had arranged to take him to a portal.
He held the red grimoires he had borrowed from the library in one hand.
Kael ran his fingers over the cover of the book, a dark red, worn leather. He had studied the content more than he'd like to admit. He had memorized every word of that strange grimoires.
He was prepared as best as he could, given the circumstances. But that didn't guarantee he would come out alive.
He walked through the corridors of the Academy, his backpack on his back, where he hid the improvised blade he had forged.
It wasn't an impressive weapon, but it was his only chance for defense. Kael didn't trust his combat skills, but he had learned to use his mind. If anything happened, he would try to deceive the vampires. He would use the environment, use everything at his disposal to survive.
When he reached the meeting point, he saw Violet ahead of him. She wore the same serious, calculating expression as always, as if the situation was nothing more than a big game. Kael felt the weight of her gaze, but didn't let it unsettle him. He approached her, the grimoires still in his hand.
Violet observed him for a moment, not saying a word. Kael knew she was enjoying what was about to happen.
There was no doubt she saw him as an inferior, a student who was about to be discarded. She seemed to know what was going to happen, but Kael didn't care. He had already decided his fate.
"Ready?" Violet asked, her tone cold and relentless.
Kael nodded without speaking, only narrowing his eyes.
Violet, with an impersonal movement, began to walk ahead, turning her back to him. Kael followed her, the grimoires still in his hands, trying to focus on what he knew. He didn't want to think too much about the fear starting to take over his body. He knew what he had to do. Think, plan, act.
They walked for several minutes until they reached an isolated area of the Academy, where the buildings seemed older, and the atmosphere was heavier, as if the very air was steeped in history. Kael looked around, feeling a shiver run down his spine. He had never been here before, and the environment felt even darker as they moved away from the safety of the Academy.
Violet stopped in front of an apparently ordinary wall. Kael watched, not understanding. She looked at him with a barely perceptible smile.
"This is the portal." She said with a tone of disdain.
Kael looked at it, trying to see beyond the wall, but saw nothing special. What he didn't know was that the wall before them was just the surface. The portal was hidden there, a passage that, to the untrained eye, seemed nothing more than a solid wall. But, like a curtain being drawn back, the space in front of them began to distort. Kael felt the pressure in the air, and a crack began to form in the center of the wall.
The space ahead of them seemed to expand, and Kael saw a very different landscape than what he was used to. A dense, humid darkness, with an almost oppressive atmosphere. There, at the center, was the Blood Portal. The opening seemed to pulse, as if something lived there, waiting, threatening to swallow anyone who came too close.
Violet turned to Kael, her gaze challenging. "Go in, Kael. What are you waiting for? I promised you'd be alone in there. No help. Just you and the monsters waiting for your death."
"Good luck," Violet said dryly, with no emotion. She took a step back and, with a gesture of her hand, indicated that Kael should go ahead.
And so he did... stepping into the reddened distortion without hesitation. "I'll see you later, you lazy bitch!" he yelled before...
Violet's face turned red, veins started to pulse, and she clenched her fists, walking angrily toward the portal. "Enough already," the Director's voice came, stopping her immediately.
"Wait twenty minutes and go in. No point in letting him die just because of your own arrogance," Albert said, hiding his hands beneath the cloak he wore.
"What are the chances?" Violet asked.
"50%," he answered. "After all... this portal is dangerous for the students, not for us," he added.