Lucien handed the noble's card to the dwarf, expecting his change. Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the city. The dwarf, eyes wide with terror, dove headfirst into the floor, vanishing from sight. Lucien, momentarily stunned, cursed under his breath. The dwarf, his only source of income, had just abandoned him, leaving him penniless.
He stepped out of the forge, surveying the scene. Chaos reigned. Panic-stricken citizens scattered, screaming as vampires descended upon the city. This wasn't just a raid; it was an all-out assault.
Lucien observed the scene with a detached curiosity. He could sense the presence of several powerful beings, beings of immense power, lurking in the shadows. Supreme Arcanas, he deduced. And judging by the aura emanating from the vampire horde, these were no ordinary creatures. These were beings of pure blood, their power amplified by their connection to the Arcane Realm, their natural abilities enhanced by their very essence.
He moved through the chaos with a calm, predatory grace. Vampires eyed him with suspicion, but the aura emanating from the Crimson Prime, identical to their own, seemed to lull them into a false sense of security. They assumed he was one of them.
A blood-red strike, swift and deadly, sliced through the air, aimed directly at Lucien's chest. He remained unfazed, his senses honed to a razor's edge. The armor, the Crimson Prime, pulsed with a faint red glow, anticipating the assault. Lucien, with a chilling smile, remained motionless. He was among his own kind now.
Lucien, a cold-blooded killer himself, felt a surge of rage at the unexpected attack. But instead of lashing out in anger, a chilling smile spread across his face. He quickly glanced at the vampire, a predator sizing up its prey. "Kill," he commanded, his voice a low growl.
The gauntlets transformed, steel encasing his fists. With a blur of motion, he lunged, his fist connecting with the vampire's chest with bone-jarring force. The vampire's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
A notification chimed in his mind:
~[Enemy Slain: Level 15 Vampire]~
~[Experience Gained: 2000]~
The surrounding vampires, their eyes widening in disbelief, began to chatter amongst themselves.
"¿Por qué mataste a tu especie?"
"¿Quizás un traidor? Tenemos un traidor entre nosotros. Debemos terminar con tal desgracia."
Their words washed over him, meaningless sounds. He was above such petty concerns. He was a force of nature, a predator unleashed upon the world. He surveyed the scene, a chilling smile playing on his lips. This was going to be…fun.
A large fleet of vampires descended upon the city, their shadows blotting out the sunlight. Lucien, unfazed, prepared for the onslaught. "Time to level up," he muttered, a predatory glint in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Bale, desperately fleeing from his former pack, stumbled upon the chaos. "Bloody hell," he cursed, "I left one problem and stumbled into another.
" The werewolves, distracted by the vampire onslaught, temporarily ceased their pursuit. Bale, seizing the opportunity, plunged into the fray, a whirlwind of claws and teeth, tearing through both humans and vampires alike. The battle descended into a chaotic three-way free-for-all, with Bale, the lone wolf, and Lucien, the enigmatic stranger, emerging as unlikely catalysts.
Lucien, fighting with a savage grace, effortlessly dispatched the waves of vampires that assailed him. However, as the battle raged, he was bitten by a powerful vampire. A small amount of the vampire's blood entered his bloodstream. The vampire, its eyes widening in disbelief, convulsed violently before collapsing.
"¿Qué eres?"
the vampire hissed, its voice a raspy whisper before its final breath.
"Tu sangre no es humana. Eres un maldito perro. ¿Cómo estás liberando nuestra aura?"
Bale, amidst the chaos, caught a whiff of a familiar scent. It was the scent of an omega, faint but unmistakable. And it was…different. Not the scent of any omega he had ever encountered. It was unique, powerful, yet strangely familiar.
He had only one son.how Could this be…? But the scent was…weaker, less potent. It was the scent of an omega, but one that was somehow…incomplete.
Confusion clouded Bale's mind. Why didn't this omega transform under the influence of the full moon? Why was its blood so different? He needed to investigate. A new purpose emerged within him – to find this omega, to understand the mystery surrounding its existence, and perhaps, to recruit it.
Bale, the exiled alpha, had found a new mission.
The vampires tooth found its mark, sinking into Lucien's shoulder. A wave of dizziness washed over him, but even as he stumbled, he saw two figures emerging from the shadows: a hulking werewolf and a supreme Arcana vampire, both intent on his capture. Knowing he had to escape, Lucien activated his armor's most devastating ability. A colossal explosion of blood energy erupted around him, obliterating everything within its radius—guards, noble, and even parts of the nearby buildings were reduced to ash.
He fled, the werewolf, Bale, and the vampire count in hot pursuit. A notification flashed before his eyes:
`~[Congratulations on reaching level 32! Evolution will commence in the next 30 minutes.]~`
Lucien cursed. "Fuck Not now!" he thought, his heart pounding. Thirty minutes to escape? Impossible! Then, the dwarf's words echoed in his mind: *A demi-human's speed added to your natural speed*. With a desperate cry, he activated Godspeed and his armor's boost function. He was a blur of motion.
The vampire count, seeing Lucien's sudden burst of speed, hurled a dagger. Engrossed in his escape, Lucien didn't see it coming. Bale, sensing the impending doom, with a godly burst of speed, intercepted the dagger, taking the blow meant for Lucien. The werewolf howled in pain, but the thick hide of his beast form prevented a fatal wound.
Lucien, momentarily stunned by Bale's sacrifice, slowed, turning his head. He saw the dagger embedded in Bale's back, and the horrifying truth dawned on him: the dagger was intended for him. The question echoed in his mind as he continued his desperate flight: *Why would this beast risk its life for him?*
But a jarring notification ripped him from his thoughts:
`~[15 seconds left!]~`
He glanced back, realizing the vampire count had ceased its pursuit some time ago. Only Bale remained, his powerful legs eating up the ground between them. Soon, they were deep within the Eastern Forest, far from the treacherous Northern Forest and its infamous path to the Nightmares.
The vampire's venom, however, was taking its toll. Lucien's stamina plummeted, his legs giving way. He collapsed to the forest floor, the impact jarring. Another notification appeared, this one far more significant:
~[Evolution has begun.]~