Darkness.
That was the only thing Damian could feel. It wasn't the kind of darkness one experiences when they close their eyes but a suffocating void, a stillness so absolute it felt like an eternity. Was this death? He tried to remember the moments before—cold steel, blinding lights, the shout of someone screaming his name. Then, nothing.
"Damian, Damian Kane."
The voice was like a whisper, cold and unnerving, echoing within the abyss.
Damian's eyes snapped open.
He was lying on hard, uneven ground, and the air around him smelled metallic, tinged with blood. But something was wrong—this wasn't his room, nor was it the hospital.
He pushed himself to sit up, his fingers digging into the dirt beneath him. It was red, blood-red, as if the earth itself had been soaked in it. Around him were twisted trees, their branches resembling skeletal fingers clawing at the blood-red sky.
"What… the hell?" Damian muttered, his voice hoarse.
He clutched his chest instinctively. His heart, or whatever passed for it now, beat slower than it should. He remembered being stabbed in his previous life, the searing pain and the bitter taste of betrayal. But he was alive—or something close to it.
As he looked down at himself, Damian froze. His body was different. No longer lanky and frail, his arms were lean but muscular, veins tracing his forearms like a map. His hands, once scarred and calloused from years of hardship, were smooth, almost unnaturally so.
A sudden pulse in his head forced him to clutch it tightly. Then, he heard it.
"Welcome to the Blood Maniac System, Damian Kane."
The voice wasn't external but in his head, deep and menacing.
"What the hell is this?" Damian groaned.
"Your body has been optimized for survival. The Blood Maniac System enables you to grow stronger by consuming and harnessing the blood of your enemies. Your enemies' strength becomes your own. Kill or be killed. There is no alternative."
He blinked, his mind reeling. "A system? Like some video game? You're joking, right?"
The voice didn't respond, but instead, a translucent screen appeared before him, floating mid-air.
[Blood Maniac System Interface]
Host Name: Damian Kane
Strength: 10
Agility: 8
Vitality: 10
Skills: None
Blood Points (BP): 0
Damian stared at the screen, his head spinning. Strength? Agility? Was this some twisted game?
"This can't be real," he muttered, standing up. His legs felt surprisingly steady, and his senses sharper than ever. He turned, trying to get his bearings, but the world around him was utterly alien.
Just as he took his first step, a sharp growl echoed through the air. Damian spun around.
From the shadows emerged a creature—a monstrous wolf, its fur black as midnight, with crimson streaks along its body. Its eyes glowed a menacing red, and its fangs dripped with saliva.
[System Alert!]
Enemy detected: Blood Wolf
Threat Level: Low
"Low threat? Are you kidding me?" Damian hissed.
The wolf lunged without hesitation. Instinct kicked in, and Damian dove to the side, barely avoiding the creature's claws. He landed hard, pain shooting up his shoulder.
"Dammit!" He scrambled to his feet, his breathing ragged.
The wolf snarled, circling him. Damian's mind raced. He had no weapons, no skills, and no idea what he was doing. But something deep inside him, primal and unrelenting, pushed him forward.
"To grow stronger, you must shed blood." The system's voice echoed in his mind.
"Easy for you to say!" Damian growled back.
The wolf lunged again, but this time Damian was ready. He sidestepped, grabbing a jagged rock from the ground and slamming it into the side of the wolf's head. The creature yelped, stumbling, but quickly recovered, its eyes burning brighter with rage.
The fight was brutal and messy. Damian fought with everything he had, using his newfound strength and agility to outmaneuver the beast. Blood splattered as he struck blow after blow, the rock in his hand now slick with the wolf's blood.
Finally, with a deafening roar, Damian drove the rock into the wolf's skull, and the creature collapsed, lifeless.
[Enemy Defeated!]
Blood Points gained: 10
Damian staggered back, gasping for air. The translucent screen reappeared before him.
[Blood Maniac System Interface]
Blood Points (BP): 10
Skill Unlocked: Blood Absorption
• Allows the host to absorb the essence of fallen enemies to strengthen their body and abilities.
"Blood Absorption?" Damian muttered.
"Touch the corpse and focus."
Hesitant, Damian approached the wolf's body. Its crimson streaks had dulled, and the blood pooling beneath it made his stomach churn.
He knelt and placed his hand on the creature's head. Almost instantly, a surge of energy coursed through him. The wolf's body disintegrated into particles of blood-red light, which flowed into Damian.
[Absorption Complete!]
Strength increased by 2
Agility increased by 1
Damian stumbled back, his heart pounding. He flexed his fingers, feeling the raw power now coursing through him.
"This… is insane," he whispered. But deep down, a part of him relished the feeling. The power was intoxicating.
"This is only the beginning, Damian Kane. Embrace the blood. Become the strongest."
For the first time, Damian smiled—a dark, twisted smile.
"If this is the second chance I've been given, I'm not wasting it."
As the blood-red sky loomed above, Damian took his first steps into this new world, ready to carve his path—one kill at a time.