Chapter 504: The Beast Awakens

[Vampiric Bite II (Ancient)]: Your Vampiric Bite grows stronger. When you sink your fangs into a living target, the bite stabilizes with predatory precision: the fangs pierce more easily, allowing you to drain blood faster and more efficiently while simultaneously converting it into vitality to restore your body. The enhanced bite also allows you to absorb 10% more Blood Energy than the previous version.
(Warning: This skill advances you along the Path of the Vampire.)

[Vampiric Beast Devour (Ancient)]: The Beast within you begins to awaken, granting the power of Beast Devouring. Your Bloodline expands your capacity to feed. Now, when you drain the blood of Magical Beasts, that vital fluid is converted into Blood Energy, strengthening your Blood Core and easing your Vampiric Hunger even more efficiently than Vampiric Bite.
In addition, the ferocity inside you answers the call. By devouring parts of living enemies, your Beast extracts fragments of vitality and essence, which also generate Blood Energy. Beast Devour not only nourishes your body, it sharpens your instincts, fuels your predatory nature, and pushes your Vampiric Bloodline into a wilder state.
Let the Beast within you grow stronger. Answer the call of your blood and walk the path of ferocity.

(Warning: This skill is required to advance along the Path of the Vampiric Beast.)

Luke studied her for a moment before speaking. “The skills already hint at it. Choosing between them will shape your path as a vampire. So… what kind of vampire do you want to be?”

“A vampire who can help you in battle.”

“It’s still not exactly your own goal,” he murmured, thoughtful. “And these skills are less about combat and more about feeding habits.”

Even so, a bite was still a weapon.

“If I choose Vampiric Beast Devour, I’ll be able to expand the ways I feed,” she said quietly. “Master Luke… I know there will come a time when you won’t be able to keep making potions. And when that happens, relying only on your blood could become dangerous. Maybe even fatal.”

Luke glanced back at the skill window. Right now, he spent a thousand HP to give Charlie ten points of Blood Energy. With this upgrade, that value would increase to eleven. A real improvement, but not a dramatic one. That limitation came from his nature, from the fact that he was only half human.

His mind drifted through theories about Blood Energy, Blood Cores, and vampirism itself. Maybe a normal human produced ten Blood Energy for every hundred HP. Maybe, in some cases, the ratio was one to one.

“You’re right. This skill might end up solving our problem,” he said. “But if you’d rather not take that path, I can keep relying on potions. Worst case, I buy a farm and grow nothing but healing plants.” He reached out and gently tapped her nose. “If you don’t want this, you’re free to choose, Charlie.”

“I’ve already made my choice, Master Luke.”

Her fingertip hovered over the option.

“Are you sure?”

“I am.”

[Charlotte Vespertilio has acquired the Race Skill: Vampiric Beast Devour]

Luke opened Charlie’s status interface.

Name: Charlotte Vespertilio
Level: 55
Race: Vampire
Rank: E
Class: [Blood Death Knight (Lvl 65)]
2nd Class: [Black Ash Fighter (Lvl 62]
Title: [Servant of the Dark Lord]
Bloodline: [Bloodline of Vespertilio]
Health Points (HP): 6100/6100
Mana Points (MP): 5110/5110
Stamina: 5290/5290
Blood Core: 6/100

Stats:
Strength: 1064
Lethality: 411
Agility: 400
Dexterity: 200
Endurance: 529
Vitality: 610
Toughness: 510
Perception: 335
Wisdom: 511
Intelligence: 210
Willpower: 412
Free Points: 0

Class Skills: [Basic Weapon Handling (Common)], [Heavy Strike (Common)], [Basic Spectral Charge (Rare)], [Crescent Slash (Uncommon)], [Whirlwind Strike (Uncommon)], [Spectral Barrier (Rare)], [Doomblade (Rare)], [Mark of Doom (Rare)], [Force Infusion (Rare)], [Doom Explosion (Rare)], [Spectral Soldier (Ultra-Rare)], [Blood Bat I (Epic)], [Vampire Drain (Ancient)]

Second Class Skills: [Advanced Hand-to-Hand (Uncommon)], [Steel Fist (Rare)], [Stunning Punch (Uncommon)], [Battle Roar (Uncommon)], [Concentrated Kick (Uncommon)], [Power Punch (Uncommon)], [Pugilist’s Leap (Uncommon)], [Muscle Reading (Uncommon)], [Movement Echo (Uncommon)], [Flame (Common)], [Flame Fist (Rare)], [Flame Aura (Rare)], [Basic Levitation (Ultra-Rare], [Berserker Ashen Flames I (Ultra-Rare)], [Twin Meteor Fists (Epic)]

Race Skills: [Demonic Servant Perception (Uncommon)], [Basic Bone Regeneration (Rare)], [Bone Endurance (Rare)], [Iron Bones (Ultra-Rare)], [Night Eyes (Uncommon)], [Blood Sensitivity (Uncommon)], [Enhanced Senses (Uncommon)], [Disease Immunity (Ancient)], [Poison Immunity (Ancient)], [Vampiric Reflexes I (Ancient)], [Vampiric Aura I (Ancient)], [Weak Vampiric Charm I (Ancient)], [Vampiric Leap I (Ancient)], [Vampiric Softfall I (Ancient)], [Vampiric Strength I (Ancient)], [Vampiric Regeneration I (Ancient)], [Vampiric Bite I (Ancient)], [Vampiric Beast Devour (Ancient)]

Bloodline Skill: [Path of the Vampiric Beast (Ancient)]

Charlie stood stronger than ever, her arsenal of skills pushing her to a level that bordered on overwhelming. And now, she was about to take the next step, crossing into a new kind of power.

The Path of the Vampiric Beast carried the potential to raise her above every other vampire bloodline in existence.

***

The group had moved beyond the Spore Forest, stopping in an open stretch near the cave where Layla had once made her camp. They were hunting for beasts, not creatures like ghouls or onis, but the kind classified as Magical Beasts.

“An oni,” Angie murmured.

She lifted her spear and hurled it.

The weapon punched through the creature’s stomach and pinned it in place. Angie sprinted toward it, yanked the spear free, and before the oni could reach for the club lying at its feet, she triggered [Weak Wrath]. Her strikes came faster, heavier, driving the creature back. Channeling [Force Infusion], she thrust upward, the spear piercing beneath its jaw and tearing through bone.

[Angie has slain an Oni Soldier – Lvl 36]

Luke opened her system interface.

Name: Angie
Level: 14
Race: Stone Angel
Rank: F
Class: Valkyrie (Lvl 28)
Title: Servant of the Dark Lord
Health Points (HP): 1381/1510
Mana Points (MP): 787/1030
Stamina: 1263/1710

Stats:

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Strength: 202
Lethality: 52
Agility: 33
Dexterity: 39
Endurance: 171
Vitality: 151
Toughness: 124
Perception: 46
Wisdom: 103
Intelligence: 35
Willpower: 36
Free Points: 0

Class Skills: [Basic Polearm Handling (Common)], [Spear Throw (Common)], [Battle Roar (Uncommon)], [Battle Instinct (Uncommon)], [Critical Pierce (Uncommon)], [Weak Wrath (Uncommon)], [Valkyrie Charge (Rare)], [Force Infusion (Rare)], [Lesser Valkyrie Healing (Common)]

Race Skills: [Demonic Servant Perception (Uncommon)], [Conceal Wings (Ancient)], [Celestial Wings I (Ancient)], [Winged Defense (Ancient)]

“There’s another one,” Charlie said.

Angie sprinted across the clearing, weaving between arrows as two oni archers took aim at her. She hurled her spear at one of them, the weapon cutting through the air before burying itself in his chest. The second fired again, but she slipped past the shot, closed the distance, and drove her fist into his jaw. She caught him by the arm, beat her wings, and lifted him off the ground. Once she’d climbed high enough, she spun midair and flung the oni away like dead weight.

A heartbeat later, she dropped, letting gravity pull her straight toward the second archer. Just before impact, she triggered [Valkyrie Charge]. The oni was blasted backward and slammed into a tree. Angie retrieved her spear and finished the job.

[Angie has slain an Oni Soldier – Lvl 37]

[Angie has slain an Oni Soldier – Lvl 37]

**The [Valkyrie] class of Angie has reached Level 29!**

“I cleared the trash out of the way,” she said as she approached. “I’m getting stronger, my lord. Soon I’ll be able to stand at the front during the harder battles.”

“You are. You’re far stronger than most class level twenty-nines, especially with the attribute boosts you’ve been getting.”

Charlie stood with her eyes closed for a moment. When she opened them, they glowed crimson.

She’s using Vampiric Aura. I’ve barely seen her tap into that.

[Vampiric Aura I (Ancient)]: In moments of pursuit, the vampire releases a predatory aura capable of intimidating weaker foes or anyone with low mental resistance.

“I found a beast. It’s close,” Charlie said.

Lulie chirped in agreement. They followed as Charlie broke into a run. Up ahead, a wolf crouched over the half-eaten corpse of a ghoul, lifting its head when it sensed them.

[Anomalous Howler – Lvl 15]

The creature snarled.

“All right, Charlie, I’ll pin the wolf and—” He didn’t finish.

“Do not stand in my husband’s way.” Her voice came out rougher, edged with something feral.

She shot forward before the wolf could react, seized it by the throat, and smashed it against a tree.

“You’re going to die.”

Luke watched, stunned.

Is it just me… or is she more savage than before?