Vampire Realm – Mountains Near the Crimsonveil Clan
The cold wind howled through the jagged peaks, swirling around a lone boulder where an unconscious girl lay slumped, her golden hair cascading like a silk curtain across her dirt-streaked face.
Zara groaned as her fingers twitched against the rocky surface.
"Aghhh…"
Her eyes fluttered open, squinting against the crimson-hued sky above. Pain hammered in her skull, like something was trying to claw its way out from within. She clutched her head with both hands, groaning in agony.
"Fluff! Come out!" she yelled, her voice hoarse—but no sound echoed back. The wind carried her cry into the desolate air, swallowed by silence.
"Fluff…?" Her voice cracked, a tremble of fear hiding behind her voice
Still nothing.
Zara gritted her teeth as the pain finally began to dull, her breaths shallow. She took in her surroundings—the unfamiliar blood-red sky, the cold, looming cliffs, and the eerie silence that filled the mountains.
"…This place isn't anywhere near home," she muttered. "Where… am I?"
With trembling fingers, she called out weakly, "Sign in, Fluff."
In the system space...
Fluff stood frozen before the flickering screen showing Zara writhing on the cold mountain floor. When her weak voice came through the audio stream—"Sign in, Fluff"—his ears perked up instantly, his tail stiffening.
Meow turned toward him, worry etched across her feline face.
["Fluff… Are you really going to do it?"]
Fluff nodded without hesitation.
["Yes. If I don't… she'll turn into a damphir—one of the mindless ones. Not even sentient. Just a beast."]
Meow's eyes softened. She knew what it meant. Fluff's emergency override could trigger serious consequences, even permanently blocking his promotion to senior system rank.
["…You know this might ruin your future, right?"]
["I know,"] Fluff whispered. ["But… she's my host."]
With a determined paw, he slammed the Emergency Instant Use button.
Back in the vampire realm…
Zara's vision blurred as hallucinations surged again—girls with gleaming fangs chasing her, cackling, hissing, their eyes glowing crimson. Her own scream echoed in her ears as she swung wildly, her fist connecting with thin air.
"AHHHHH! S-Someone—please help—!"
Ding!
Sign-In Complete! Rewards: Bloodline Change Chance x1, Luck Boost (1 hour)
"W-What do I need that for?! I don't want to stop being human!"
Pain exploded through her again, worse than before—like her veins were being scorched from the inside.
She screamed, falling to her knees, her body convulsing violently. "Make it stop! MAKE IT STO—AHHHHHH!"
Her voice was raw with agony.
At that moment, the emergency effect activated.
A strange sensation flooded her senses—like drinking a tasteless, lukewarm syrup. It coated her insides, spreading through every nerve.
Then darkness took her.
Her body slumped against the boulder.
And her golden hair, faintly glowing… began to turn slightly silver at the ends.
Slowly, her unconscious body began to transform.
Golden locks faded into a mesmerizing blend of silver and crimson, as if fire and moonlight had merged into her hair. Her once-blue eyes shifted into a luminous sky blue, glowing faintly even as they remained shut. Her features sharpened with an ethereal beauty—delicate yet powerful—like a noble goddess in slumber.
Then, a ripple stirred the air beside her.
A woman appeared, stepping out of the shadows with quiet authority. Her long silver hair flowed like silk, and her silver eyes gleamed like twin moons. She narrowed her eyes at the girl lying before her, a faint frown on her face. But it quickly shifted into something more amused—almost playful.
"Well, well… Who is this high-class vampire girl, and why is she lying in front of my territory?"
She tilted her head, observing Zara with mild intrigue.
"Interesting. Though… her power hasn't fully awakened yet. At least, not judging by her aura."
Without another word, the mysterious woman—Lilith—knelt down, lifted Zara effortlessly onto her shoulder, and vanished into the void with a whisper of wind.
...
Time passed.
Zara's fingers twitched.
Her body stirred, and moments later, her eyes fluttered open. The world looked... different. Sharper. Clearer. As though her senses had been dialed up to an entirely new level.
She was lying on a bed.
"Eh? A... bed?" she mumbled, blinking in confusion.
She sat up in a flash, her gaze darting around the unfamiliar room.
"Where... am I?"