A small, knowing smirk played on my lips as I watched Melchior's composure crack. If he was anything like the Patriarch I remembered from my VR days, he wasn't the type to lash out blindly. He was a thinker, a strategist who had lived through eons. But I had just poked a hole in his reality by speaking a name that shouldn't exist in this timeline.
The pressure in the Hall was suffocating, but the mental shock I'd delivered had caused a ripple in his defenses. I seized the moment.
"[Congratulations! Your Skill 'Red Demon's Eye' has leveled up!]"
"[Activating 'Red Demon's Eye' Lvl 2!]"
The world didn't just turn red; it became transparent. Data that was previously hidden behind a wall of "???" began to bleed through.
"[Personal Information]"
- [Name: Melchior Von Crimson]
- [Age: 409 | Gender: Male | Sex: Experienced]
- [Species: Pureblood Vampire]
- [Title: Former Patriarch of the Crimson Bloodline]
- [Class: Hybrid — Mage + Warrior | Rank: ??? | Level: ???]
- [Stats: STR: ??? | AGI: ??? | VIT: ??? | HP: MAX | PER: ??? | [Essence: Aura (???) | Mana (???)]
- [Guild: Nexus | Vice-Master]
- [Exclusive Skill: 'Blood Authority' (Passive), 'Dawn of the Universe' (Active - Locked)]
- [Skills: 'Blood Bullet' Lvl ???, 'Blood Hounds' Lvl ???, 'Blood Spears' Lvl ???, 'Absolute Authority' Lvl ???, 'Blood Field' Lvl ???, 'Crimson Wave' Lvl ???, 'Moon Nails' Lvl ???]
- [Anatomical Stats: 8.5 inches massive, thick and veiny hard dick. Asshole is a tight, deeply-pigmented dark pink circle.]
- [Copy Condition: Withstand one of Melchior's Skills head-on to copy one of his skills or Exclusive Skills.]
Head-on? The System was being merciless. Taking an attack from a Patriarch at Level 1 was like trying to stop a falling skyscraper with a toothpick. I briefly cursed myself for not copying James's [Tiger's Hide] earlier; I needed every scrap of defense I could get.
"Aren't you going to answer me, human?" Melchior's voice was a low vibration that made the air hum. He was getting agitated, his caution warring with his curiosity.
"Who I am isn't important," I replied, dropping into a deep, aristocratic bow, one hand over my heart and the other behind my back. "What I can offer you is more important."
"What can a human possibly offer me?" Melchior's eyes narrowed, his fingers twitching. "Your blood smells divine, and you have information you shouldn't. I could simply extract both from your corpse."
"You could," I said, my head still bowed. "And you are wise to think so. To a Vampire of your stature, a human is either an amusement or a meal. But I offer something that neither your power nor your blood can buy."
Melchior paused, his confusion visible for the first time. "And what is that, little human? Do not bore me with arrogance."
"Freedom," I said, my voice cutting through the heavy Mana. "And Revenge."
The silence that followed was absolute. Then, the world exploded. Melchior's Essence flooded the room with such violence that the ground beneath me pulverized into dust.
"[Warning! Power exceeding Tower Restrictions detected! Warning!]"
"DO. NOT. GET. COCKY, HUMAN!" Melchior roared, his tuxedo rippling like a flag in a storm. "I will hold you accountable for those words!"
He raised a single finger. At the tip, a speck of crimson light appeared, so condensed it looked like a black hole made of blood.
"I will give you a chance to speak..." he hissed. "IF you survive this."
"[Activating 'Blood Bullet' Lvl ???!]"
Twitch. The bullet was shot. It didn't travel; it simply arrived.
"[Activating 'Sword Demon's Technique' Lvl 1!]"
"[Activating 'Ice Element' Lvl 1!]"
"[Activating 'Mind and Body' Lvl 1!]"
"[Activating 'Magic Novice' Lvl 1!]"
I didn't dodge. I braced. I threw every scrap of Mana and physical stat I had into my left arm, coating it in a layer of absolute zero ice and reinforcing my cellular structure.
CRACK.
The impact was deafening. My left arm shattered instantly, the bone splintering as the crimson energy tried to invade my bloodstream and boil me from the inside out. I was thrown back, coughing up a spray of hot blood, my vision swimming in white spots. I fell to one knee, my teeth gritted so hard they nearly cracked.
But I stayed upright. I forced the ice to cauterize my own wounds, suppressing the corruption with sheer force of will.
"[Congratulations! You have successfully withstood Melchior's attack!]"
"[Copying Exclusive Skill: 'Blood Authority' (Passive)...]"
"[Skill Rank Adjusted: S-Rank (Growth Type).]"
The golden light of the notification was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
"[Usage: You are now able to use various Skills related to 'Blood'. You are the only non-vampire to possess this authority.]"
I looked up, blood dripping from my chin, and met Melchior's stunned gaze. He hadn't expected me to be conscious, let alone alive.