The air was heavy with the scent of blood.
Eli gasped as he slammed into the crimson earth, the impact forcing the air from his lungs. He clawed at the ground, his fingers sinking into something soft and warm—too warm. Rolling onto his back, he squinted against the blinding red haze overhead. The sky swirled with streaks of scarlet and black, as if the heavens themselves bled.
"Where... where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse and barely audible.
Before he could gather his thoughts, a booming voice filled the air, vibrating through his bones.
"Welcome, Bloodmarked, to The Crimson Expanse. You are now bound by blood and fate."
Eli clutched his head as the words echoed like a hammer against his skull. It wasn't a voice—it was inside him, reverberating in his mind.
"Bloodmarked?" he repeated, the unfamiliar term tasting foreign on his tongue.
"Survive, evolve, or perish. The choice is yours. Your Bloodcore has been activated."
A searing pain erupted in Eli's chest, and he screamed. His hand shot to his sternum, where an intense heat radiated outward. Beneath his skin, something pulsed—a crimson glow visible even through his shirt.
"What the hell is this?!" he yelled, panic overtaking him.
In response, a translucent interface flickered into view, hovering just before his eyes.
...
Bloodcore Status: Initializing
Name: Eli Warren
Title: None
Blood Rank: Unranked
Madness Gauge: 0%
Abilities:
Blood Absorption: Active
Territory Claim: Locked
...
Eli stared, uncomprehending, as the interface flickered and disappeared. Before he could make sense of it, the ground beneath him trembled violently.
In the distance, a guttural roar tore through the silence, deep and primal. Eli froze.
The roar was followed by another, closer this time.
"Your trial begins now, Bloodmarked. Prove your worth."
Eli scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding. Around him, the world sharpened into focus. He stood in a forest, though the trees were unlike anything he had ever seen. Their bark was dark as obsidian, and their leaves shimmered a deep, pulsating red, as if alive. The ground squelched underfoot, slick with some viscous crimson substance.
The roars came again, and this time, Eli caught movement in the shadows.
"Shit," he muttered, backing away. His gaze darted around for anything he could use as a weapon, but the alien terrain offered no help.
A shape lunged from the darkness—a creature that might have once been a wolf but was now something grotesque. Its flesh was raw, its eyes glowing crimson, and its fangs glistened with black ichor.
Eli stumbled backward, his breath catching in his throat.
...
Eli froze, his legs refusing to move as the monstrous wolf circled him. Its blood-red eyes locked onto him, glowing with an otherworldly hunger. The creature's body twitched unnaturally, patches of exposed muscle glistening with dark fluid that dripped to the ground in a steady rhythm. "Stay back," Eli whispered, his voice trembling. He knew it was useless—this thing wasn't going to listen.
The wolf snarled, revealing jagged teeth stained black. It crouched, muscles coiling as it prepared to pounce.
"Combat initiated. Activate Blood
Absorption to survive."
The Overseer's voice cut through his terror like a blade, cold and mechanical. "What does that mean?!" Eli shouted, his eyes darting around for an escape route. The wolf lunged.
Time seemed to slow. Eli's instincts kicked in, and he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature' snapping jaws. He hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his shoulder, but there was no time to dwell on it. The wolf recovered quickly, its claws tearing into the soft crimson soil as it turned to face him again.
"Focus your intent. Blood Absorption will activate upon contact with the target."
The wolf charged again, faster this time. Eli reacted on pure instinct, grabbing a jagged branch from the ground. As the creature leapt, he swung wildly, the branch cracking against its skull. The impact knocked the wolf to the side, but the branch shattered in his hands, leaving him defenseless again.
The wolf growled, more enraged than injured. "Great. That didn't work," Eli muttered, his breathing ragged.
The Overseer's voice returned, sharp and emotionless.
"Fear is useless. Tap into your Bloodcore. Feel its pulse. Command it."
Eli hesitated, clutching his chest where the strange warmth from earlier still lingered. Beneath his palm, the glowing pulse intensified, synchronized with his rapid heartbeat. "Fine" he whispered. "Let's try this your way."
The wolf attacked once more, but this time, Eli didn't dodge. Instead, he reached out as the creature's jaws closed around his forearm. Pain exploded through his body, but he held his ground, focusing on the pulsing warmth in his chest. Something clicked. A surge of crimson energy flowed
through Eli's arm, and the wolf froze mid bite, its eyes widening in confusion. Dark tendrils of blood-like energy erupted from Eli's chest, wrapping around the wolf and pulling it closer.
The creature thrashed and howled, but the tendrils tightened, siphoning glowing red particles from its body. Eli felt an intoxicating rush of power as the particles were absorbed into his Bloodcore.
Combat Complete: Blood
Absorbed
• Bloodcore Progression: 5%
• Madness Gauge: +1%
The wolf collapsed to the ground, lifeless, as the tendrils retracted into Eli's chest. He stumbled back, his arm throbbing and slick with blood, but the wound had already begun to close.
"What.. was that?" he murmured, staring at his trembling hands. Before he could process what had happened, the Overseer's voice returned, colder than ever.
"You have survived. For now."
Eli's legs gave out, and he sank to his knees. The power he'd felt moments ago was gone, replaced by a gnawing emptiness. The glowing warmth in his chest had dimmed,
but the Madness Gauge lingering in the corner of his vision sent a chill down his spine. "Survive, evolve, or perish," he whispered, repeating the Overseer's words. His hands clenched into fists. "What kind of nightmare have I been thrown into?" In the distance, another roar shattered the uneasy silence, reminding him that his trial was farfrom over.
...
Eli forced himself to his feet, his legs shaky and his breath uneven. Every instinct screamed at him to collapse, but the distant roar reminded him there was no time for weakness. He tore his eyes away from the wolf's lifeless body and scanned the crimson forest around him.
The trees seemed closer now, their blackened bark gleaming like polished obsidian. The red glow of their pulsating leaves cast eerie shadows that flickered and danced, making it impossible to gauge distances.
"You are Bloodmarked. Adapt quickly, or you will fall."
The Overseer's voice rang out again, cold and impassive. Eli gritted his teeth, hating how the words felt both like a warning and a taunt.
"Yeah, thanks for the motivational speech," he muttered under his breath. He held his injured arm close to his body, the flesh still tender despite the accelerated healing. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"
As if in answer, the translucent interface reappeared in front of him.
...
Bloodcore Status
Blood Rank: Unranked
Progression: 5%
Madness Gauge: 1%
Territory Creation: Available
...
The words "Territory Creation: Available" blinked insistently, and for the first time, a faint thread of hope stirred in Eli's chest.
"Territory Creation," he said aloud, willing the system to respond.
A new panel materialized, showcasing a glowing red grid map. The map centered on his current location, marked with a faint white dot, surrounded by a pulsing crimson radius.
"You may claim this location as your territory. Warning: Territory boundaries attract hostile entities. Prepare accordingly."
The Overseer's words sank in like a lead weight. Claiming territory sounded like the first step to survival, but the idea of drawing more creatures like the wolf was unsettling.
Eli hesitated. "And if I don't claim anything?"
"Unclaimed Bloodmarked are hunted relentlessly. Territory provides sanctuary and resources."
"Of course," Eli muttered, exhaling sharply. There wasn't really a choice, was there? He focused on the map again, his hand hovering over the blinking Claim Territory option.
"Here goes nothing."
The moment his intent solidified, the ground beneath him began to pulse with life. A low hum resonated through the earth as crimson light surged outward, forming a circular boundary around him. The air grew thicker, charged with energy.
...
Territory Claimed
Territory Rank: Tier 0
Resources Detected: Minimal
Defenses: None
...
The hum subsided, leaving Eli standing at the center of a faintly glowing field. It was small, barely enough to feel safe, but it was his.
"Territory Rank? Defenses?" he muttered, scanning the new information. He instinctively knew this was only the beginning. His survival depended on building this place into something that could withstand whatever horrors lurked in the forest.
A faint rustling sound drew his attention, and Eli turned sharply. His heart raced as he caught sight of movement in the shadows just outside his boundary. A pair of crimson eyes glinted in the darkness, and then another, and another.
"Already?" he whispered, his throat dry.
The creatures didn't cross the glowing boundary, but they circled it, watching him with predatory intent.
"The Bloodmarked's journey begins with risk. Build, evolve, or perish."
The Overseer's words sent a chill down Eli's spine, but he pushed aside the fear, forcing himself to focus. He clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the darkness.
"I don't know who you are, or what you've thrown me into," he said softly, his voice growing steadier. "But I'm not dying here."
The creatures lingered a moment longer, then slunk back into the shadows, their glowing eyes vanishing. Eli let out a shaky breath and turned back to the faint pulse of light marking his territory.
It wasn't much. But it was a start.