Adam cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as he stared at the first two rewards—the Divine Royal Vampire Bloodline and the Abyssal Heart Core. He exhaled sharply through his nose.
"Alright. Let's see what you guys got."
He tapped the bloodline first.
The system's response was instant.
[Assimilating Divine Royal Vampire Bloodline...]
[Warning: This will cause significant physiological changes. Proceed?]
Adam barely hesitated. "Do it."
The mont he confird, his whole body locked up. A sharp, piercing heat spread through his veins like molten fire, burning through every cell. His breath hitched as a deep, primal hunger clawed at his chest.
His skin prickled, turning unnaturally cold, yet his insides boiled. He gritted his teeth, hands curling into tight fists.
CRACK.
His bones shifted. Not painfully—no, it was sothing else. Like his body was breaking and then rebuilding itself stronger, layer by layer. His muscles tightened, coiling with newfound power, while his senses exploded outward.
He could hear everything—the faint hum of electricity in the walls, the whisper of wind outside, the distant beating of a bird's wings miles away. His vision sharpened, colors more vivid, details impossibly crisp.
Then—
THUMP.
His heart stopped.
For a second, there was nothing. No beat, no pulse. Just complete stillness.
Then—
BOOM.
A new heart surged to life, deeper, stronger—pumping sothing far richer than human blood. A thick, royal crimson flowed through his veins, carrying a power that felt ancient.
Adam's canines extended, sharp and predatory. His nails darkened slightly, gaining a razor-like edge. His entire body felt lighter but stronger, like he could snap steel with his fingers and vanish in a breath.
[Assimilation complete.]
[You are now a Divine Royal Vampire.]
Adam exhaled, slowly flexing his fingers. "Damn…" His voice had a slight depth to it now, smoother—like velvet laced with power.
He smirked.
"That was kinda cool."
But he wasn't done yet.
His gaze shifted to the Abyssal Heart Core. The swirling, chaotic mass pulsed in his palm, radiating a strange dark pressure.
[Absorb Abyssal Heart Core?]
Adam clicked his tongue. "Screw it. Let's go all in."
The second he accepted, the core shattered—and a thick, inky black mist engulfed him.
It was cold. Colder than anything he'd ever felt. Like he'd just been plunged into the void of space.
His skin tingled as the abyssal energy fused into him, coiling around his organs, his bones, his very soul.
Then—
His shadow twitched.
No—it moved.
On its own.
It stretched unnaturally, shifting, rippling like liquid darkness. He could feel it now—sothing alive inside him, sothing that wasn't there before. The abyss had welcod him.
Then the pain hit.
Not physical, not even ntal—sothing deeper. Like reality itself was struggling to accept him. His body wavered, flickering between existence and nothingness for a split second.
Then it settled.
A final pulse of abyssal energy sank into his core, stabilizing.
[Assimilation complete.]
[You have gained a deep connection to the Abyss.]
Adam took a slow, shaky breath. His vision had darkened at the edges, his pupils now a deep abyssal black, glowing faintly when he focused. His fingers twitched, and his shadow curled around his arm, responding to his will.
He smirked.
"This…" He flexed his hands, watching the shadows coil and twist. "...is gonna be fun."
Adam let out a breath as he reverted to his human form, shaking off the lingering sensations from his transformation. His fingers curled as he reached into his inventory, pulling out the strangest loot he'd received yet—a deep red crystalline core, pulsating faintly, like it was alive.
Wraith.
Adam rolled the core between his fingers, feeling the faint hum of energy inside. "Let's see what the hell you really are."
With a flick of his wrist, he channeled his energy into it.
The reaction was instant.
BOOM.
The core shattered, exploding outward in a swirl of crimson energy that filled the entire room. The walls trembled, shadows twisting and writhing like they were alive. The chaotic energy swirled violently before suddenly collapsing inward, condensing into a single point.
A figure erged from the swirling chaos, stepping forward like he had never left.
Tall. Pale. Dressed in tattered black. His long hair flowed unnaturally, his eyes gleaming with wild amusent.
And then—
"HAHAHAHA!"
A loud, unhinged laugh erupted from the man as he threw his head back, arms spread wide.
"I'm back! Hah! How long has it been? What year is this? What age?" Wraith's voice bood as he grinned, basking in his unexpected return.
He didn't even bother to look at who had revived him.
Until—
"The day you died."
The laughter stopped.
Wraith's body stiffened. That voice—he knew it.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze.
And there, sitting casually, watching him with a smirk—
Adam.
Alive. Stronger. Unbothered.
Wraith's eyes narrowed. "…How is this possible?"
Adam tilted his head, looking at him like he was so kind of interesting puzzle. "Beats . After I killed you, I found that crystal. Thought it was loot. Poured so energy into it, and—well, here you are."
He leaned back, arms crossed.
"But judging from that reaction, it seems like you were expecting to co back. That part? Yeah, that's what I don't get."
Wraith's grin twitched.
For the first ti in a long while—
He was at a loss for words.
"Tch." Wraith clicked his tongue, leaning back. "Of all people, I never expected you to be the one to bring back." His crimson eyes flickered with sothing unreadable. "But what I don't get is… how the hell did you manage to do it today—the sa day you killed ?"
Without waiting for an answer, he moved.
Casually, he sat down on Adam's bed.
Adam's brow twitched. "Oi."
Wraith ignored him.
"This doesn't make sense," Wraith muttered, tapping his fingers against his knee. "Normally, it should take thousands of years for my fragnt to gather enough energy to revive ." His gaze sharpened. "Yet here I am, not even a full day later."
Adam frowned.
Thousands of years?
Just how old was this guy?
Wraith suddenly smirked, leaning forward. "I can't die." His voice was calm, confident—like it was an undeniable truth. "No one can kill . Not a god. Not a devil. Not even a Child of the Universe." His eyes locked onto Adam's, gleaming with intrigue. "And clearly… that's what you are. The fact that you could even injure —let alone kill , even for a mont—"
He chuckled.
"—ans you're sothing special."
"I'm on the path to becoming a Monarch."
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