The top rim of the sun peeked over the mountains, gold light splitting the grass.
Darian’s legs moved before his thoughts did. He rushed forward, dodged the wolf’s bite, and rolled into the cave. The ground was littered with small animal bones and patches of decayed fur, but something in the corner caught Darian’s eye. It was the skeleton of a man, his rusted iron breastplate thick with cobwebs. Wrapped around his waist was a belt, the hilt of a sword jutting from it. With the sound of the wolf’s paws close behind, Darian shot forward and pulled the blade free.
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Item Obtained: Rusty Iron Short Sword
* Weight: 2 Pounds
* Damage: 10 + (1/4) Strength Modification
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The information floated as white text over the sword in Darian’s hands. He didn’t have time to dwell on it, however, as the wolf rammed into his back. Its jaw clamped onto his leg as it forced him onto the ground, pain exploding from the wound. Thrashing, Darian managed to buck it off. He’d hoped his new body would come with some skill with a blade, but the lump of iron in his hand might as well have been a stick for how well he knew how to use it. He whacked the wolf across the head, the dull blade bouncing off but leaving a nasty gash.
Darian jumped to his feet and kicked the wolf in the chest. It snarled, rolled across the ground and came back harder. Darian swung the sword downward, but the beast was too fast. It forced him against the wall, its claws slicing down his chest and stomach. Snarling himself, Darian punched the wolf with enough force to hobble it for a moment. Using this opportunity, he took the blade in both hands and swung with all his strength. It cracked against the wolf's skull and sent it reeling, but it wasn’t finished yet.
It tried to charge again but slipped on its wounded leg and ended up prone. Darian rushed at it and gave it another whack over the head. The beast thrashed, shuddered, then lay still, blood oozing freely from the cut on its leg.
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Enemies Defeated
[Wolf Lv. 1]
Class XP Gained: 3
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Without thinking, Darian dropped the sword and fell to his knees. He lifted the wolf up to his face and sunk his fangs into its neck. Warm, fresh blood flowed down his throat and spread across his chest. As he drank, he felt the pain in his body lessen, his mind overcome with euphoric bliss. He drank his fill, then tossed the wolf to the side.
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Lesser Wolf Blood
* +2 Temporary Dexterity
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Darian stared at the floating text, his mind clearing. What…what have I done? He looked down at his bloody hands and the desiccated body of the wolf. He expected to feel sick, to feel repulsed. But all he felt upon looking at the blood-soaked ground was satisfaction.
“What am I?” Darian stumbled to his feet and made for the pond, but stopped as the sun engulfed the area outside.
With a hiss, he stepped back into the shadows. Sliding as far back into the cave as he could, a rushing fear coursed through his veins. Knowing looking at the light would drive him mad, he closed his eyes. He tried to focus his thoughts, to ponder what kind of monster he'd been made into. But from the moment his fangs pierced the wolf’s throat, he knew what he was.
A vampire.
***
Darian’s eyes fluttered open to find the last rays of sunset receding from the forest. He stumbled his way to the pond and washed the dried blood off his body. The wounds the wolf left in him had already healed slightly, but they still stung in the open air. Puffing out his cheeks, Darian sat atop a rock at the pond’s edge and looked into the moonlit water.
To his surprise, his reflection stared back at him. In the clear waters he saw his white hair and a set of crimson eyes. His ears were slightly pointed, and though his face looked somewhat like it did in his previous life, his features were sharper, a primal edge to them.
He sat back, stunned. This isn’t what I wanted. His time between his last life and this one was a blur, like a half-remembered dream. But he remembered saying something about blood. Did I do this to myself? He thought of his parents. What will the people of this world think of me?
Back in the cave, he stared down at the wolf’s body. Dried blood pooled around it, the sharp cut along its leg showing the pink flesh beneath.
“You might have won if your leg wasn’t hurt,” Darian mumbled. “I guess fate was on my side.” He dropped to one knee.
Strangely, the thought of sucking up old blood made him feel sick. I guess my body wants it fresh. He stood and walked back into the night air. As he stood in the open, his stomach grumbled and a deep hunger set in. How much blood am I supposed to drink? Not knowing what else to do, he opened his menu.
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Menu
* [Map]
* [Quests]
* [Inventory]
* [Class Sheet] (Locked. Class Lv. 1 required)
* [Character Sheet]
* [Mythic Ascension] (Locked. Total Lv. 100 required)
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Out of curiosity, he opened the map first. The cave behind him had become marked, simply titled “Cave”. Useful if I get lost, I suppose. After dismissing his map, he tapped the [Character Sheet] menu.
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Character Sheet
Name: Darian
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Race: Lesser Vampire
Total Level: 1
Race Level: 1
Class Level: 0
HP: 70
Attributes
* Strength: 14
* Dexterity: 16 (+2)
* Constitution: 14
* Perception: 16
* Fortitude: 12
* Arcane: 10
[Unique Skills]
[Racial Skills]
[Class Skills] (N/A)
[Traits]
[Triumphs]
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Touching his individual stats gave him more detailed information, like the fact his base level for each attribute was 10 and the only thing modifying stats besides dexterity was his race. His dexterity was being boosted by drinking the wolf’s blood, but even though the effect was listed as “temporary” it didn’t give a duration for the effect.
He investigated [Unique skills] next, hoping to find something useful.
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Unique Skills
* Bloodthirst
* Blood infusion
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[Bloodthirst] Gave him temporary improved passive healing when he drank fresh blood and [Blood Infusion] gave him temporary stat boosts and abilities based on the blood he drank. These lasted until he drank blood again, meaning that the (+2) Dexterity he was receiving from the wolf would be replaced upon his next meal.
If I can find another meal. None of these have been helpful so far. Feeling a little desperate, he went for [Racial Skills] next.
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Racial Skills
* Command animal
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Letting himself feel a tad bit hopeful, Darian inspected the solitary skill.
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Command Animal
Range: 30 feet
Uses: Unlimited (conditional)
* The caster may command (1) animal that is (Lv. 0) for up to ten minutes a day. After this time expires, the caster must wait 24 hours before using the spell on the same animal. The caster may use this spell unlimited times per day, provided they use it on a different animal each time.
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“Okay, that might be something to work with.” Darian closed all his menus and paced about, his stomach lowly grumbling. “The only issue is, how do I know what level the animal is? And how do I go about finding one?”
Being in a forest, Darian doubted he would have much trouble spotting an animal, but he still didn’t know if he could charm it or even how to cast the spell.
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Quest added: Animal hunt.
Objective: Successfully charm and capture at least (one) animal before sunrise.
* Reward: 5 Class XP & Racial progression unlocked
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The text popped up before Darian’s eyes with the sound of trumpets. It shocked him bad enough that he leapt back and stumbled, falling into the mouth of the cave. Something sharp jabbed his back, and he had to peel the dead rabbit from his skin. A rabbit…a rabbit! If any animal was level zero, it had to be something small. Rats, squirrels, rabbits. The forest had to be full of them!
Waiting a moment to let himself calm down, Darian ducked into the underbrush by the pond. At first he considered staying there until something wandered by for a drink, but he could be waiting for hours. Plus, he wasn’t sure what time of day rabbits and the like got around. He might have better luck inspecting the trees.
The last time Darian climbed a tree, he was eleven years old. It was only a few months later that he would be diagnosed with leukemia, from where his long downhill struggle began. Still, he found that climbing was much easier now, sickness or no. There was a strength to his grip that he never enjoyed in his past life, and even if the thought of being a vampire still repulsed him, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy being able to move freely.
He didn’t find anything in the first tree, or the second, or the third for that matter. Growing impatient, Darian sprang up the closest tree. A surprised squirrel leapt up, eyes groggy from sleep. It dashed away, readying itself to jump to safety.
“No!” Darian reached out and his thoughts touched the squirrel. [Command Animal] was cast subconsciously, and the squirrel swiveled, its eyes taking on a light green glow.
Darian could feel the connection between him and the squirrel, his thoughts holding dominion over its mind. It was as if an invisible tether was drawn loosely between the two, with Darian’s commands wordlessly flowing between them. Follow. The squirrel obeyed.
He had the small creature follow him back to the pond, a nipping guilt in his gut. He knew where food came from in his past life, but the little squirrel was cute. He couldn’t deny that. Darian recalled a hunting trip he took with his father when he was ten. Darian spent the whole trip hoping they wouldn’t find anything. His father’s description of gutting and skinning a deer had killed all of his enthusiasm. They never ended up finding anything, much to his father’s dismay. Had Darian known it would be the last time they had such an opportunity, he would have made more of an effort.
The squirrel looked up at Darian, its eyes clouded in a swirling green veil. Darian dropped to one knee and gripped the squirrel’s neck in his hand. With the strength he had now, all it would take was a simple squeeze to end its life.
“It’s funny,” Darian mumbled. “I always knew where my meat came from before, but I never felt like this.” The squirrel’s blood pulsed beneath his fingers and his mouth watered, his fangs starting to protrude. “I thank you for the strength you will provide me.” He wasn’t sure why he said that, especially to a squirrel of all things, but it eased the pressure he felt building in his chest.
He tightened his fist and the squirrel’s neck snapped. Its head lolled to the side, the green mist over its eyes evaporating. Darian had to hold himself back from tearing into its body. But that would make him no better than an animal. With great effort, he brought the squirrel up to his mouth and sank his fangs into its neck. It ran dry quickly, its blood hardly anything compared to that of the wolf.
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Minor Animal Blood
* +1 temporary Dexterity
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Darian gently laid the squirrel's body by the entrance of the cave, deciding to bury it and the wolf before the sun rose. He had no shovel, but his body was reinvigorated. If he couldn’t find some other solution, his hands would have to do.
A blaring, triumphant horn filled Darian’s ears accompanied by a notification.
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Quest Completed: Animal Hunt
* Reward: 5 Class XP.
* Racial progress unlocked.
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Darian's class level appeared before his eyes, changing from Lv.0 (3/5) to Lv.1 (3/20). After the text faded, a new screen appeared—Class selection.