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The Apocalypse Bites
Chapter 021: What Happens After

Chapter 021: What Happens After

Devi was suddenly awake. The last memories she had were of the world fading to black as a towering figure crushed her windpipe in their hands, slowly squeezing her breath from her body. Her hands shot to her throat only to realize she didn’t have hands. Or a throat. Or anything for that matter.

The shock of suddenly being disembodied washed through her, but there was no heart to suddenly start beating faster, or blood to carry a wave of adrenaline. Just her mind racing as fast as it could trying to process what was going on.

She could still see, but there wasn’t much to look at. Just empty nothingness twinged with iridescent light. A massive blue box hung in the middle of her vision that she was trying to ignore. There were just so many other things to look at and think about than what it said. Like why there were bits of scattered light in the otherwise complete darkness. Or how she was able to see at all even without eyes.

At least she thought she didn’t have eyes. There weren’t any mirrors to check her reflection in, nor did she have any hands to feel her face. So she was fairly confident that she was just floating around as a disembodied ghost.

Maybe this proves the existence of souls, she thought for a moment, I could just be dreaming though.

Her thoughts calmed as she started tackling the idea of if she was a ghost or something else, and what ramifications any of those situations would have. If she was a ghost, it lent credence to all the ghost stories, which was fascinating. But it also could mean she was just a soul, and if those existed, what did that mean for all the religions back on Earth? Her eyes drifted back to the blue box hovering in front of her.

Congratulations

You have died

It really did put a damper on things. Just three words was all it took.

During some of her darker moments, she had often wondered what death would be like. If any of the myriad of belief systems had any nugget of truth to them, or if she would simply cease to exist. But just being a mind, floating through a vast empty nothing, was not something she had considered.

Being alone with her thoughts for eternity? That was literally hell.

Maybe this is hell, and my parents were right.

She angrily dismissed the message box. The thought that all the people who told her that she would end up in hell, or would suffer for eternity, were right? If she had blood, it would be boiling right now. This could definitely not be the end. This couldn’t be the end.

Foreign Mana detected

Undeath process possible

Do you wish to undergo a Race change?

Yes No

Undeath? That’s what the new box that had sprung into existence immediately after the old one had faded seemed to say. And what is this about foreign mana? Did I get infected somehow?

Her mind jumped back to the very last sensation she had felt, a sharp pain on the back of her neck. Like someone had bitten her. The person who lived in a fancy castle shrouded in shadows. Someone who had probably used their prominent fangs to bite her. She connected all the dots.

Is this notification asking me if I want to become a vampire?

The thought was a bit crazy, she had only been exposed to magic for a few days at most, and here was a message talking about the undead. But the longer she thought about it, the less insane it sounded. If she had access to magic and was fighting monsters, it stood to reason that there were all sorts of monsters. So why wouldn’t vampires be included? The real question was if she wanted to become one.

On the one hand, she wouldn’t die, probably. She inferred that was what the message was saying. Become undead, or die. Two very simple options. But in all the literature she had consumed, being undead had quite a few complications. Especially being a vampire. Things like having to drink blood, not being able to enter a room unless invited, and even being unable to go out in the sun. Or sparkling in the sun. The lore had a few contradictions there.

But none of those came close to staying in this empty void with only her thoughts to keep her company. She could see that turning bad very quickly. Probably only a few days before she’d start to spiral, and without being able to throw herself into work, she’d continue to spiral. Forever.

Her mind somehow shuddered at the thought.

With only a brief moment of hesitation, she mentally selected yes. It was a fairly simple decision after all. There was no way she could ever stay here like this. As soon as she had accepted, a wave of ice-cold energy slammed into her, sending her brain spiraling into a frozen sleep.

~ᵥ----ᵥ~

Devi snapped awake, one moment unconscious, the next staring at a dark grey ceiling. She was lying on something hard and uncomfortable, and her neck felt extraordinarily stiff. Her body felt cold, but a pleasant cold, as if she had just stepped into a very well-air-conditioned room after being out in the sun all day.

“Good, you’re awake, follow me,” a voice cawed out to her left.

She turned her head towards the noise and saw the bundle of feathers that she foggily recalled being in the throne room right before she was tossed around like a rag doll. Now that she had more time to take a closer look, it looked like a crow but twisted. It flapped in place on two jet-black feathered wings, but cruel hooked claws adorned the edges, much like a bat. The tips of the feathers twisted into smoke and dissipated into the air, causing it to have an ethereal air to it.

“Good, you’re awake, follow me,” it cawed out again after a few moments of Devi studying it intently.

Devi managed to sit up, feeling the stiffness in her body gradually easing. Her mind was clearer now, and she looked around to get a better sense of her surroundings. She was sitting on a small bed tucked away in the corner of a cramped room. Dark bare stone walls enclosed the space, a gem glowed faintly on one wall, casting eerie shadows across the room. Which was odd, since Devi could see fairly well, even though it should have been difficult to make out any details. The air carried a faint scent of dampness and age, giving it an ancient and musty feel.

“Follow you where?” Devi asked the odd bird-like creature, stumbling over the words a bit as she found her mouth to be slightly different than before. She ran her tongue over her teeth, feeling the four fangs jut out where her canines should have been.

That is going to take a bit to get used to.

The feathered form in front of her just continued to stare, unblinking dark orbs staring directly at her.

That is a bit creepy, I will admit.

“Good, you’re awake, follow me.”

Devi growled in frustration at the repeated phrase. That is really starting to get on my nerves. Are they some sort of robot?

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, puzzled at how not broken they seemed. Actually, her whole body felt remarkably whole. Her ribs that she was pretty sure broke when she had been thrown into a pillar didn’t even twinge in pain as she moved. The mess of cuts and lacerations that had been her arm was now just a few scabbed over cuts.

Her clothes were similarly a lot better than before she had died. Instead of being caked in blood, sweat, and grime, they were pristine. As if they had just been freshly laundered. And that went for herself as well. She hadn’t felt this clean in a long time.

There was a heavy thick looking door set into the stone wall at the far end of the room. The doorway stretched far above her, easily twice as large as the ones she was accustomed to. It only took a few steps to reach it and grab the iron door handle. She was halfway expecting it to be locked, but it turned. But pushing it open was a different question. It took her leveraging all of her strength to get the heavy door to move enough for her to slip out into the carpeted hallway.

A gust of wind blew past her as the bat-like corvid flapped into the hallway and took off. She had to run to keep up with the fast pace the odd creature set, but she really didn’t want to get lost.

Her feathered guide took her through the castle, past countless closed doors and branching corridors that Devi desperately tried to keep track of. Just in case she needed to backtrack her way through the shadowy hallways. Though she knew she didn’t stand a chance even attempting to escape the person she was running to meet.

Memories of being brutally tossed around flashed through her mind, which did nothing to calm her nerves. So when her guide stopped suddenly, Devi felt fear wash over her.

Before her stood an open doorway that framed a large room made of black stone. High vaulted ceilings dwarfed her entirely, but the figure inside seemed quite at home. A faint purple hue suffused the room as the sculpted figure went through an intricate dance.

Devi had seen videos depicting martial artists going through forms, and the scene in front of her reminded her of that. Devi watched in awe as the figure inside the room moved with a grace and precision that was almost hypnotic. Each movement seemed to flow seamlessly into the next, a barely contained fury articulated with every forceful kick or sudden lunge. In juxtaposition to that anger, their body moved as if it were an extension of the shadows, gliding across the floor without making a sound.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“My Lady, the new spawn has awoken.”

The cawed voice cut through the silence, but the figure ignored the odd bird’s announcement, continuing their odd routine. Devi stood outside the room, not wanting to interrupt and bring the wrath of the Lady down on her.

“My Lady, the new spawn has awoken.”

This time, the figure stopped. Devi could feel the air palpably thicken as the figure’s frustration was made physically manifest. Devi tried not to fidget nervously, feeling the intensity of the figure's gaze even from a distance.

The figure slowly stalked forward, touching a small crystal set in the floor near the door as they did. When they did, the purple hue faded, returning the room to its natural dimly lit state.

“My Lady, the new spawn has awoken.”

“I can see that, dumb bird,” the Lady growled out. “Go be quiet over there.”

The bird silently flew off and hovered at the spot they had been instructed to while the red eyes of the vampire turned to stare at Devi.

“Took you long enough. Can’t even get a competent minion in this forsaken Tutorial.”

Devi took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as the vampire lady's intense gaze bore into her. She could feel the vampire’s contempt for her as they inspected her.

“Show me your Status, let’s see what we’re dealing with here.”

She froze, not quite sure how to comply, but also not wanting to risk asking. A quick look through her Status didn’t yield any button or option to share it with anyone. But failure didn’t seem like a good option.

Focusing on her Status, she tried to will it to be visible to the looming vampire. It seemed like a bad ida to give this monster a peek at her Status, but the other option seemed dearth or extreme pain. Both sounded bad.

Devi couldn’t see anything different, but the Lady seemed to be reading something at eye level, so she could only assume it had been successful.

That is a handy trick, I’ll have to let Mar and Matt know about it. Might be useful for something.

Bringing up her Status had reminded her of the numerous notifications that cluttered up the side of her vision, so she quickly flipped through them.

XP threshold reached

Human (G) lvl 5 -> lvl 6

+1 All

Intermixed with the handful of kill notifications was a Race level-up, which still listed her Race as human, which was odd, since she quite distinctly remembered accepting the notification to change her Race.

Right after she had dismissed her Race level-up message, another took its place.

Conditions met

Human (G) lvl 6 -> Lesser Vampire (G) lvl 6

And there it is, I guess I really am a Vampire now. Her eyes narrowed as she reread the lesser part. Now that is just insulting. I wonder how to get rid of that.

Status

Name

Devi Robinson

Race

Lesser Vampire (G)

Lvl 6

Class

Novice Support (inferior)

Lvl 6

Vocation

Novice Tinkerer (inferior)

Lvl 5

Titles

Tutorial Attendee, Magical Foreleader

Health

180/180

Stamina

150/150

Mana

517/517

Attributes

Vitality

18

Toughness

15

Endurance

15

Wisdom

51

Vigor

16

Presence

24

Agility

29

Intelligence

58

Strength

16

Willpower

19

Free points

4

General Skills

[EMPTY]

[EMPTY]

[EMPTY]

Class Skills

[Enhance Attribute] lvl 3

[EMPTY]

[EMPTY]

Vocation Skills

[Improvise Tool] lvl 1

[EMPTY]

[EMPTY]

Overall, her Status had improved drastically since the first time she had looked at it just two days ago. Back before she had any understanding of what anything meant. But even if she had nearly doubled most of her original Attributes, the memory of being casually thrown across the room served as a stark reminder that she was nowhere near the level of the monster in front of her.

“You really have no idea how to use the System, do you?” The vampire wondered aloud, cutting through Devi’s thoughts. “At least I can probably make use of you. Somehow.”

Of course I have no idea how to do anything! She silently fumed, but didn’t voice anything. The fierce gaze of the vampire quickly quelled any notion of talking back. No one has told me anything. I have had to figure everything out myself.

With a frustrated scowl, the vampire started walking off in a direction, snapping her fingers as she went. After a few steps, she whirled around and snapped again, this time making eye contact with Devi before continuing to walk.

Wait, am I supposed to follow her?

Figuring it was a safe bet, Devi trotted after the large figure, having to jog to keep up with the large confident strides the woman made. She was led back to the throne room she had first encountered the vampire. Her side ached in phantom pain as she saw the walls she had been bashed against.

The vampire stalked forward to the throne and casually lounged on it, turning her attention back to Devi.

“So what now?” Devi asked, still getting used to her new teeth. I would give it 50/50 odds they actually have a plan. They seem like a petulant toddler, accustomed to getting everything they want, only to realize not everything works like that.

“You’ll go back to where you were, and bring me more people to turn into my servants. I doubt you can mess that task up.”

The vampire made eye contact with Devi, their intense red eyes boring into her own.

“And that’s an order.”

Devi felt a weight settle on her mind as the words reverberated through her. They felt different than any of the other times the vampire had spoken to her, carrying more weight. She felt herself agreeing with them, accepting them as something she would have to do.

She didn’t have time to puzzle over the odd sensation as the vampire made an odd gesture and the odd feathered crow-like creature appeared.

“Get the things this human brought in,” the vampire ordered, sneering at the seemingly unfamiliar Race.

“Yes, my Lady.”

Devi watched as the strange crow-like creature flew off to retrieve the items. Her mind still felt slightly foggy from the encounter with the vampire's command. She wondered if this was some sort of mind control, a compulsion she couldn't resist since she couldn’t think of disobeying them. Bending them slightly, yes, like taking her time with bringing anyone back. But outright disobeying the command seemed impossible.

The eyes of the vampire never left her, intensely staring her down from the shadows of the throne. Shadows that Devi could now see through. Devi stared back, not unsettled in the slightest. Neither of them said anything, Devi, not particularly wanting to engage in conversation with a complete stranger, one that had literally turned her into a vampire, and the Lady lounging on the throne content to stare in silence.

As the crow-like creature returned with a bundle of items, the vampire growled in frustration and gestured toward Devi.

“Here’s the junk you dragged in,” the vampire scowled at the offending bag and stalked over to Devi with an evil smirk. “This might hurt a bit.”

Out of nowhere, they pulled a thick piece of paper with an intricate pattern of runes covering it. With a quick movement that Devi could barely follow, the vampire pressed the paper over her left eye.

An intense pain shot through her eye, stabbing directly into her brain it felt like. For a brief moment, Devi thought her eye was going to explode as something forced its way in. But the pain slowly subsided.

When she was able to think clearly again, she could still see out of both eyes, vision slowly returning to her left one. Which let her see the vicious smile of the vampire as they enjoyed her suffering.

“One last thing, to come back here, use this,” they tossed a small red crystal to Devi who snatched it out of the air. “But if you come back without someone for me to turn,” they paused. “It will not end well for you.”

Her bag was roughly shoved at her, causing her to stumble from the throw. The shadows around her began to writhe, the same way they had before the teleportation that had brought her here. She mentally prepared herself for the gut-wrenching that she was sure was to follow.

The last thing she saw was the fanged smirk of the vampire, towering over her before the shadows collapsed around her and she was whisked away.