One Month Later.
Staring at the progress bar that had finally reached level 10 at 100% experience, Ikano D. Ryu exhaled deeply. After a month of relentless effort, he had finally arrived at this moment.
[Evolution conditions met. Would you like to begin evolution?]
[Yes.]
Without hesitation, Ryu confirmed the prompt. He was in his own room, and neither Mia nor Nancy would enter without his permission. He didn't have to worry about being disturbed during the process.
As evolution commenced, his status panel began rapidly changing.
Power Level: 77, 78, 79... The number steadily climbed until it stopped at 105.
The entire process wasn't painful. On the contrary, it felt incomparably natural—accompanied by an indescribable sense of euphoria.
In less than ten minutes, the evolution was complete.
[Congratulations, host. You have completed the beginner mission. Rewards obtained: Small Blood Pack ×1, Blood Ring ×1]
Name: Ikano D. Ryu
Age: 6
Race: Mid-Tier Vampire
Level: 1 (0%)
Power Level: 105
Armament Haki: Locked
Observation Haki: Level 1
Conqueror's Haki: Locked
Abilities:
Blood Drain: By consuming blood, strength increases, wounds heal rapidly, and even lost limbs can regenerate. Long periods without blood will cause a decline in power. The stronger the blood's owner, the greater the effect.
Innate Observation Haki: Born with natural Observation Haki.
Intermediate Vampire Physique: Naturally superior to humans. Upon reaching adulthood, his strength will be fifty times that of a normal soldier. At level 20, he will evolve into a High Vampire.
Curse of the Night: At night, attributes receive a slight boost. During the day, they are significantly weakened.
Night Vision: Sight remains unaffected in darkness.
Basic Swordsmanship (9500/10000): Increases sword attack power by 20%.
Blood Thrust (0/10000): Consumes 1% of his own blood to deal 150%–300% random damage. Cooldown: 1 minute.
Items:
Small Blood Pack (0/1000): Can store up to 1,000 kilograms of blood.
Blood Ring (0/10): Storage space of 10 cubic meters. Space expands based on the host's strength.
Mission:
Evolution Quest: Reach level 20 to unlock the next evolution. Rewards: Medium Blood Pack, Random Skill ×1.
So my level resets every time I evolve? Ryu mused, examining the crimson ring now adorning his finger. His status panel felt overly simplistic—just one stat for power? No indicators for strength or agility? That made things inconvenient.
Still, the Small Blood Pack was a pleasant surprise. It functioned similarly to a storage ring, except it exclusively stored blood. Imagine being in the middle of a battle—on the verge of collapse—then pulling out a blood pack for a quick sip, instantly restoring himself to peak condition. A true lifesaver.
As for the Blood Ring, it was exactly what he expected—a classic storage ring, an essential for any protagonist.
At his current strength, he was confident he could take on ten Luffys of the same age without breaking a sweat.
This thought made him curious—how old was Luffy now? What point in the timeline was this? He had been so focused on training like a monk for the past month that he hadn't taken the time to understand the outside world. Now that his beginner mission was complete, perhaps it was time to explore a bit.
Stepping out of his room, he immediately ran into Mia.
"Young Master Ryu…"
Mia paused, her eyes widening slightly as she took in his appearance. Was it just her imagination, or did his complexion look… healthier?
Ryu's skin was still pale, but compared to before, it had a slightly more natural tone. This evolution had subtly altered his appearance, and over the next three months, his skin would continue to normalize. He wouldn't look completely human, but at least he wouldn't appear as unnervingly ghastly as before.
"What's wrong, Mia?" he asked.
"Nothing," she quickly shook her head. "Are you heading out?"
"Yes. I ordered something a while back. It should be ready for pickup now."
"I can go fetch it for you. You don't have to leave the house."
"I'd like to take a walk."
"Well… alright then."
Leaving the mansion, Ryu was immediately struck by the harsh sunlight. A wave of weakness coursed through his body, sapping his strength. After a month without exposure to sunlight, his body struggled to adjust. Thankfully, vampires in this world could endure sunlight—it just made them weaker, not fatal.
Before long, he arrived at a coffin shop.
"Is the owner in?" Ryu called out.
A moment later, a middle-aged man with a sage-like demeanor emerged from the back.
"Ah, Young Master Ryu. Your custom order is ready. Are you here to pick it up?"
"Yes. Here's the remaining payment."
He tossed a pouch of money over.
The shopkeeper quickly caught it, counted the coins, and nodded. "The coffin will be delivered to your estate tonight. Do you require any special services?"
"No need."
With that, Ryu turned to leave.
As he stepped out, his sharp eyes flicked toward a corner of the street. Someone's watching me.
Thanks to his Observation Haki, he had noticed the two figures tailing him the moment he left home. Kidnappers, most likely. Everyone in the village knew the Ikano family was wealthy. If they managed to abduct him, they could demand an enormous ransom from his father, Count Ikano. Enough to let them live in luxury for years.
Too bad for them—I'm not your average rich kid. I'm a vampire.
Instead of heading straight home, Ryu deliberately wandered toward the outskirts of town, where the land grew barren and uninhabited.
"Boss, that kid's heading toward the wilderness. Should we keep following him?" one of the pursuers asked.
"Of course, you idiot. That's Count Ikano's only son! If we snatch him, the ransom will be massive. This is the perfect opportunity—he's alone, with no bodyguards."
"Hehe, you're a genius, boss."
"Hmph. You still have a lot to learn."
Rather than heading directly into the wilderness, Ryu made a detour into a small afternoon tea shop.
"The target stopped moving," one of the goons whispered.
"I see him, dumbass. We can't make a move in town—the villagers hold the Ikano family in high regard. We wait."
"Yes, boss."
"And keep your damn voice down!"