Peter's senses were still reeling from the overwhelming changes, but there was no room for hesitation.
He needed to adapt—and fast.
[Your body stats have been enhanced beyond that of a normal human, thanks to your new race: Vampire. Few beings can rival a Vampire's stats except for the strongest of races, like Dragons. Host should be cautious if you ever face one.]
The voice wasn't coming from the system—or at least, not entirely. It had an edge, something almost human.
Peter frowned, silently absorbing the information.
Sure, the boost in stats made sense, but the warning about Dragons? That wasn't exactly comforting.
[Each race has its structure of classes and ranks. Your system translates these into numbers to make it easier for you to grasp.]
The tone was oddly condescending. Peter bristled. "Are you calling me stupid?"
[Don't be ridiculous. I'm simplifying it so you don't waste time figuring it out. Listen. For now, only the Regular, Awakened, Knight, and Noble classes are relevant to you. You're currently a Regular Vampire, which is comparable to an average human. But...]
Peter didn't like the pause, but it didn't turn out bad.
[...Even as a Regular Vampire, you're as strong as a peak Ember Awakened human—or any other race, for that matter. Except for Dragons and Demons like I said. Until you evolve to the next class, those are the only beings you need to truly fear on the same level.]
The voice delivered this calmly, almost conversationally, as if explaining the rules of a game.
But Peter wasn't playing games.
"Who are you?" he asked sharply. He'd accepted the system because it didn't talk back. But this voice? He needed answers.
"Are you the system's creator, or are you somehow part of it?" Peter asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
He had no real understanding of systems or how they worked—only the scraps of information he'd managed to piece together.
[Me? I'm not part of the system neither it's creator, if that's what you're thinking. I was just a wandering spirit who found myself tethered to you when you awakened your ancient bloodline. As for why I'm in your head… I intended to merge with your body, but the crazy system caught me and stuffed me here instead. But it's much better here than being directly sharing your body!]
The voice sighed, almost theatrically. [Call me the system's spirit if you want, though I'm not. That thing and I are separate.]
Peter narrowed his eyes, though it wasn't like she could see it. "And how long have you been 'wandering' the Earth's surface?"
[Oh, ages. And not just the earth, I'm not from here. I've been on Earth since the Towers descended, it felt fishy. I know a lot about how this world works.]
Peter raised an eyebrow. "That's convenient."
[You're welcome.]
Peter bit back a retort.
He had bigger problems than arguing with a disembodied voice. Like, for instance, the ancient blood he'd woken up—and the fact that he was no longer human.
"Well, I don't exactly have a choice here," Peter muttered. "It's not like I can go back. And honestly? I don't mind. At least I'm not powerless anymore."
The voice chuckled. [Good attitude. You'll need it.]
It pressed on, relentless: [To raise your class, you'll need experience points—Exp. You gain them by completing system quests or killing other living beings. Intelligent or less, it doesn't matter. Exp is Exp. There's also the chance of a rare encounter helping you ascend to higher classes, but that's pure luck. For now, quests and combat are your only reliable options.]
"Endless killing to get stronger, huh?" Peter said dryly. "Sounds like a party."
[Welcome to survival.]
Peter didn't miss the amusement in the voice's tone, but he let it slide. Instead, he focused on the potential. "What happens when I evolve?"
[When you've earned at least one hundred Exp, you'll ascend to the Awakened class. And let me tell you, that's when things get interesting. Good luck with that.]
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Peter muttered.
Still, the idea of evolving intrigued him. He'd already accepted the voice's presence, thinking of her as just another person in his chaotic new life. She will be more helpful to him; he couldn't be more glad of her presence.
[By the way, you'll also learn about Vampire Points soon enough. They're a currency of sorts, used to enhance your abilities and some of the things from the system you will find out about later. Consider it your cheat code.]
Peter's interest piqued. "A Cheat? Now we're talking."
[Of course. And like most Vampires, you've awakened The Blood ability, tied to your innate ability: Blood Manipulation. But be careful—]
The voice paused, almost hesitant. [—you've also awakened the Darkness ability. It's common among Demons, but Vampires like you occasionally tap into it. Both elements kind of share the same origin, though.]
Peter frowned. "Why does that sound like a problem?"
[Because it is. You can't fully access either of the abilities yet. Both are locked and only unlock at Level 10. Until then, you're working at half capacity and I think only Darkness ability you're supposed to use at the moment not to raise suspicions, yet it's locked.]
"That's not a problem; I can wait to use any ability openly until I unlock the Darkness. So, what about The Blood Skills?" Peter asked. "If I'm the only one with this The Blood ability, how do I figure out what to do with it?"
He didn't know much about the concept of Awakened, but he was familiar with certain aspects—like the elemental abilities that had emerged during the apocalypse.
Abilities hadn't existed amongst humanity before the apocalypse, so how had people suddenly started gaining powerful skills, evolving, and growing stronger with each passing year?
The voice sighed again, this time with an edge of frustration.
[There's so much you don't know. The apocalypse, the Towers, even the evolution of ranks—all of it is tied to secrets hoarded by the so-called elites. They think they're special, but they're nothing more than pawns.]
Peter felt a chill run down his spine. "What are you saying?"
[Every living being that awakens gets a system. They rely on it to grow stronger, to gain skills, and to survive. Juts like your system but this is a bit advanced. But what they don't realize is that they're becoming slaves to it. And the question no one asks is: who benefits?]
The words hung in the air, heavy and foreboding.
Maybe the gods had just granted humans a chance, gifting them these systems, right?
[For all I know, your death might have been someone else's quest. A system could have sent Louis to kill you. If that's true, it's a good thing your appearance has changed. It'll buy you time.]
Peter froze. That was a terrifying thought. "Why would someone's system target me?"
[Why wouldn't it? Systems don't care about individuals. They care about progress, objectives, and control. They can give any kind of quest to anyone, and awakeneds will do it for their th.]
Peter didn't like that answer, but he didn't push further. His survival depended on understanding his system—not worrying about others.
And he doubted what she had said; after all, why would a system of an elite target a nobody? And from her words, Peter could feel the underlying secret that pointed out those systems to be kind of sentient.
"Great. So now I'm a glorified pawn too," he said bitterly. "After all if my system's the most advanced, doesn't that make me the worst kind of slave?"
The voice cut him off with a sharp laugh. [Don't flatter yourself. You're not a slave. Your system was designed to make its host the strongest. If you play your cards right, you'll be unstoppable.]
"Me?"
[Yes, Lucky bastard, you, Peter.]
"Don't call me a bastard though."
[Fine. Let's move on. You can buy a few things using Vampire Points from the system after the shop opens up. Consider it an investment in your survival. There's a starter package, open it.]
Peter nodded slowly. "Alright. Open the starter gift pack."
[Ding… The Starter Gift Pack opened. Rewards acquired: New Innate Vampire Skill acquired.
Skill: Charm
Description: Vampires possess the ability to charm living beings—intelligent or otherwise—into doing their bidding. This ability only works on targets weaker than the user.
100 Vampire Points.
As the knowledge of Charm flooded his mind, Peter felt a jolt of exhilaration. The game had just begun.
[Mysterious Item: ...