He realized the gravity of his actions when he saw the pale, lifeless body of Caspian, a large bite mark marring his neck. Confusion clouded his mind. Why would a race feed on blood? Unless it was as essential as soda to them, he would have recoiled in disgust.
Once again, the icy mountains morphed before his eyes, this time depositing him on a volcanic terrain. The scorching heat assaulted his body, but his regenerative abilities kicked in, healing him while he writhed in pain. Determined to explore the hostile environment, he was jolted from his thoughts by the sight of his harbinger of doom, the gigantic crow. It cawed ominously, its call coinciding with the eruption of the volcano.
Tyler resolved to eliminate the bird before it vanished. He dashed forward, unleashing a powerful blow aimed at the creature's back. However, his hand passed through the bird as if it were a mere illusion. As he pondered his next move, the volcanic eruption ceased, and a fire lizard emerged, its eyes burning with malevolent intent.
Despite the hellhound fusion granting him a 10% immunity to fire, he fused with it and unleashed a barrage of blood strikes. A crimson torrent erupted from his hands, targeting the lizard. Yet, the creature deftly blocked the attack with its tail.
The lizard charged, its tail swinging like a deadly club. Tyler's enhanced speed allowed him to dodge the attack with ease. Leaping into the air, he rained down more blood strikes, inflicting significant damage upon the beast. The lizard shrieked in pain, its wounds slowly healing.
The creature retaliated with a surprise attack, a fiery breath that scorched half of Tyler's face and body. A normal human would have been reduced to ashes, but Tyler, hardened by his trials, endured the pain and launched another assault. He lunged at the lizard's mouth, his blood strikes piercing its heart. The creature collapsed, unconscious.
A notification appeared, signaling Tyler's victory.
⟨[congratulations for defeating an emperor tier lizard,four instant level up and 1000 exp has been granted for killing a beast two levels above you.]⟩
Unlike previous encounters, the lizard's body remained intact.
Another notification appeared, and Tyler found himself resisting the urge to consume the creature's blood.
⟨[consume the blood of the defeated beast to fasten your healing process while obtaining it's crystal]⟩.
Though he knew it would accelerate his healing process, he hesitated. Ultimately, he succumbed to the temptation, bending over to drink the blood. As he did so, the lizard's body began to deteriorate, leaving behind a translucent crystal, far more luminous than the others. A single spike protruded from its side, marking it as an emperor-tier crystal.
He decided to check his current stats, and was satisfied with his progress.
⟨[Menu]⟩
⟨[Name: Tyler Holmes]⟩
⟨[Race: Vampire]⟩
⟨[Ability:Necromancy:3 / Blood manipulation:2]⟩.
⟨[Level :19]⟩
⟨[EXP:9000/10000]⟩
⟨[Health P:400/400]⟩
⟨[Mana P:300/300]⟩
⟨[Strength:95]⟩
⟨[Dexterity:95]⟩
⟨[Vitality:95]⟩
⟨[Soul Essence:100/300]⟩
⟨[attribute points:30]⟩
⟨[Skills]⟩
⟨[Necromancy]⟩
⟨[Living dead (3): allows you to temporary summon an undead to fight for you,not for fusion.]⟩
⟨[Blood manipulation]⟩
⟨[Blood strike(3) (active)]⟩
⟨{Description: allows the user to manipulate the blood of the user using mana to materialize it and release a strong strike at the enemy.cost: -5 mana points per strike}⟩.
⟨[Inspect(active)(1)]⟩
⟨{Description: allows the user to scan any living and non living things that are not 2 levels above the user}⟩
⟨[Night vision(passive)(max)]⟩
⟨{Description:Allows the user to see better at night than day.}⟩
⟨[Supernatural sense(passive)(2)]⟩
⟨{Description:Allows you to sense any supernatural beings like you when they are 10m away from you.}⟩
⟨[Blood bank]⟩
⟨{allow the User to store 100cl of blood in his body and it can be used at anytime to energize the user or aid the user in battle by making his regeneration faster.}⟩
⟨[Regeneration (5)(passive)]⟩
⟨{Allows the user to heal faster than normal in a visible rate showing off the superiority of his race}⟩.
⟨[Traits]⟩
⟨[Hell Hound (active)]⟩
⟨{Description:A beast from the abyss,it possesses an infinite amount of vitality, high dexterity stats, high Energy stats, but low in strength and HP. Allows the host to fuse with it gaining tremendous prowess]⟩.
⟨[Life steal(passive)]⟩.
⟨{description:Takes are we the last spark off life in a corpse,beast or human to heal your wounds and refill your mana depending on your situation
There is also a high probability of gaining the stats of the corpse}⟩.
⟨[Heartless Mind(passive)]⟩
⟨{Description:(allows you to keep a calmed mind under serious stress and bottle up your emotions)}⟩
He then allocated his attribute points, optimizing his stats. A sense of enhanced capability washed over him.
The volcano metamorphosed once more, this time returning Tyler to the forest where his ordeal began. The fractured walls had miraculously repaired themselves, and Ashley's body, still fresh, lay guarded by the enigmatic crow. Yet, her lifeless form was a stark reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded. This time, the crow remained motionless, merely soaring into the forest, a silent beckoning for Tyler to follow.
As he pursued the bird, he stumbled upon the carcass of a boar, its killer unknown. A sense of relief washed over him, for the beast had posed a significant threat. With renewed purpose, he extracted a crystal from the boar's remains and continued his pursuit.
Hours later, he arrived at a secluded hut nestled amidst a serene lake. The crow, perched atop the hut, guided him towards the entrance. Inside, a cozy scene unfolded: a hearth with a kettle steaming, and every item meticulously arranged.
A notification from the system interrupted his contemplation:
⟨[Welcome to the home of a wandering brother, your blood and his are entangled with the one.]⟩
The cryptic message baffled him, but his attention was drawn to a large, leather-bound book resting on a table. Using his Inspect skill, he learned its true nature:
⟨[Ancient Records of the Vampiric Era]⟩.
Without hesitation, he stored the book in his inventory. A sudden storm erupted outside, and the gigantic crow, writhing in agony, shrank into a normal crow and merged with Tyler's body.
A dark crow's head tattoo materialized on his chest, pulsing with life. The forest morphed once again, transporting him back to the forest's edge, near Ashley's lifeless body. A portal shimmered into existence, inviting him to step through.
Carrying Ashley's body like a grieving prince, Tyler leaped into the portal, emerging at the rift's entrance.
The once-crowded scene had transformed: no students, only a lone guard poised to attack. The guard's alarm drew the attention of the academy's principal and several lecturers, who materialized near the rift. As they confronted the intruders, a tense standoff ensued, Tyler was very very glad to see these people once again.