The morning sun filtered through the large glass windows of the Imperial nursery, painting soft golden lines across the rows of sleeping infants. The nurses moved quietly, carrying the babies one by one into the arms of waiting parents.
Azel, whose snow-white hair shimmered faintly in the light, was among the last to be carried out. The woman who held him — Lena ,his mother — smiled warmly as she gazed at his small face. Her husband, a tall man with an aura of quiet power, walked beside her.
"Look at him, Liam," lena whispered. "He's so calm… never cries like the others."
Liam chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's because he takes after his old man. Strong and composed."
Azel blinked, observing them with a cold but curious look. So these are my new parents… They seem ordinary. Yet the air around them carries faint traces of energy — Qi perhaps. Interesting.
Their carriage stopped before a massive white mansion surrounded by tall, ancient trees. Its walls gleamed faintly with protective runes, and the fountain in front reflected the sunlight like flowing crystals.
Azel was carried inside and laid on a soft velvet bed. The room was vast — far larger than the palace chambers he had once owned as a god of destruction. Now, he was trapped in the body of a fragile child, forced to rely on humans.
He sighed inwardly. Even the mighty fall… But this time, I will rise with patience.
---
Later that day, lena sat near his cradle, humming softly as she fed him. Her gentle eyes watched every twitch of his small fingers. "You look so serious, Azel," she said, smiling. "Like you're thinking about the fate of the world."
If only you knew, Azel thought dryly, his crimson eyes glinting faintly.
Just as lena laid him down, a faint ding echoed in his mind, and the familiar translucent screen appeared.
> [Daily Quest]
Raise your hand up and down: 200 times
Raise your leg up and down: 200 times
Reward: +5 Stat Points
Azel almost smirked. So the system grows with me… doubling the effort already. Let's see how much this weak body can handle.
He waited until the room grew quiet, then began moving. His small limbs wobbled, the soft blanket muffling the faint thuds. It was ridiculous — a former god reduced to baby exercises — but Azel's mind remained steady.
Minutes turned into hours. His arms ached, his legs trembled, yet he kept going. The system's faint hum kept his mind sharp. When the final motion was complete, the notification rang:
> Quest Complete
+5 Stat Points
Azel decided to split the ten stat points to strength and speed.
The surge of faint warmth inside him made him pause. His muscles felt tighter, his body heavier with vitality.
At that exact moment, the door creaked open. Liam walked in, smiling as he approached the cradle. "Azel! Let's see if you're awake, little warrior."
He lifted Azel easily and playfully tossed him a little into the air — but as his hands caught him, his eyes widened slightly. "Whoa… you're heavier than before."
Lena turned from her chair, laughing. "You're just getting old, dear."
Liam frowned, bouncing Azel lightly. "No, I mean it. He's solid. His body feels stronger than a normal baby's."
Azel watched his father's puzzled look with calm amusement. Of course I am. You have no idea what's inside this vessel.
He giggled faintly to maintain his disguise, and Liam's expression softened again. "See, he likes me already!"
Lena sighed lovingly. "Yes, yes. Now put him back before you drop him, mighty warrior."
---
That evening, clouds rolled across the crimson sky. In a distant part of the empire — a shadowed temple deep in the northern mountains — a group of elders sat around an ancient crystal tablet.
The tablet's surface shimmered with blood-red light as strange runes pulsed within it.
"The prophecy has shifted again," said one of the old men, his voice trembling. "A child with the blood of the ancient night… born under a broken moon."
Another elder leaned forward, his eyes wide. "That cannot be. The vampire lineage was erased centuries ago."
The first elder slammed his hand on the table. "And yet the stars align once more! The crimson sun and pale moon have crossed paths — just as the old records warned."
Silence filled the hall, heavy with dread.
"What does it say this time?" asked the third, his face hidden beneath a hood.
The crystal glowed brighter, and words appeared in the air:
> 'When the Child of Chains awakens,
The gods shall tremble.
Blood shall reclaim the throne,
And chaos shall be reborn.'
One of the elders muttered, voice shaking, "Then destruction… will return."
The room fell silent again, each man lost in thought, knowing that if the prophecy was true — the world was already too late.
---
Back in the mansion, Azel yawned softly as Lena dressed him in a small white robe. "There we go, little one. All ready for bed," she said with a gentle smile. Her touch was warm, comforting — so different from the cruelty of the divine realms he once knew.
As she placed him in the cradle, the faint glow of the moon filtered through the window, painting his silver hair in a pale blue hue.
When she left the room, Azel opened his eyes again. The world around him was silent except for the whisper of night wind.
He summoned his status screen.
> [Name]: Azel
Race: ??? (Sealed Vampire Lineage)
Level: 1
Strength :7
Agility :8
Endurance 2
Intelligence 10
Willpower:12
He studied it for a long moment. So the seals remain. I cannot rely on brute power. I must grow quietly — unnoticed. To survive, I must master this Blood Core and understand this world's Qi system.