Carpet Search

Name: Ian

Race: Lesser Vampire

Height 4.75 meters

-Body Structure-

Internal:

Increased Bone Density.

External:

Skeletal Claws (retractable), Body Size (+3 meters) Increased Muscle Mass. Exoskeleton Armor.

Biomass: 3,241

Ian sat cross-legged in the dirt, his massive frame towering over the campfire. His skeletal claws clicked against the ground as he idly flexed them.

He was in the middle of a conversation, but it wasn't with anyone around him. No, Ian was talking to his system.

"System," he began, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "What can I do to make my claws more lethal?"

The system's voice buzzed in his mind. "Current biomass: 3,241. You have several options. You can sharpen the claws, increase their reach, or coat them in a venomous substance that can paralyze enemies. Would you like to proceed with any of these enhancements?"

Ian tilted his head, tapping his clawed fingers together. His mind raced, imagining the possibilities. Sharpening them could be useful, but he liked the idea of venom more. It could make enemies freeze up. On the other hand, more reach would give him an edge in close combat. So many choices...

"Venom," Ian muttered, his voice like gravel being ground together. "Make them venomous."

The system responded, "Cost: 1,000 biomass. Venom will be synthesized and injected into the bone structure. Effects: Paralyzing bite on contact."

Ian paused, his eyes narrowing. "That's... tempting. But it's a little too expensive right now. Let's hold off on that."

The system's voice seemed to almost sigh, though Ian knew it wasn't capable of feeling. "Understood. Would you like to sharpen the claws instead? Cost: 500 biomass."

He shook his head. "Not yet. I'll save my biomass for when I really need it."

A low chuckle rumbled from Ian's chest. "You're a little too eager, system. Just wait. I'll use it at the right moment."

The system responded with a neutral beep as if understanding the unsaid message. Ian turned his attention back to the campfire, the orange glow dancing across his armored exoskeleton.

At that moment, Barseagle, the captain of Team 7, approached, his face stern but with a hint of impatience. Liz, Kate, and Daniel were close behind him. The rest of the team had been scattered around the border, searching for any remaining threats.

"We're doing a carpet search of the border," Barseagle said, his voice clipped and professional. "Make sure there are no werewolves hiding around."

Ian blinked, slowly turning his head to look at Barseagle. His claws flexed, stretching to their full length, and then he let out a deep, exaggerated sigh.

"Werewolves, huh? Again?" Ian's voice carried a teasing tone like he was talking to a little kid. "I thought we got rid of those yesterday"

Barseagle didn't crack a smile, though the others seemed to stifle a laugh. Liz elbowed Kate, who nearly choked on a laugh. Even Daniel cracked a grin but quickly hid it.

"Ian," Barseagle growled. "Focus. It's our job to clear this area. We don't know if any of them survived."

Ian, still leaning back with his massive claws stretched out, shrugged. "Fine, fine. I'll go help. But I swear, if I find any werewolves, I'm charging them rent for the space they're taking up."

Liz smirked. "As long as they don't eat you first."

Ian smirked back, his claws flexing with a resounding snap. "I don't think they'd be that stupid."

With that, Ian stood up, his towering figure blocking out the moonlight for a moment. He stretched, the sound of his bones shifting audible in the still night. As the team prepared to head out, Ian couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Maybe I should've bought the venom after all. Would've been fun to paralyze one of those werewolves and see them try to run away."

Daniel's voice carried over from behind him. "What would you do if you caught one?"

Ian turned with a sly grin. "Oh, I'd probably just ask it for rent money."

The team groaned collectively, and for a moment, the eerie silence of the ruined city felt a little lighter.

...

The team moved silently through the ruined city, their boots crunching on shattered glass and broken concrete. Ian, towering over the others, moved with swagger, his skeletal claws scraping lightly against the ground. They spread out in a wide arc, searching every corner, every abandoned building.

Barseagle, walking a few steps ahead, scowled as he scanned the area. "There's definitely been activity here," he muttered, looking at the overturned cars and the disturbed ground. "Tracks, broken windows, the scent in the air... something's been moving around."

Ian casually glanced at the ground, his large frame blocking out most of the moonlight. "Maybe it's just the wind," he said, his voice low and teasing. "Or maybe a bunch of rats had a party."

Barsagle ignored him, deep in thought. "I don't think rats would leave these markings. This was something bigger." He paused and squatted near a pile of rubble, inspecting something closely. "Could be a scouting pack. They'll usually leave traces before they settle in."

The team fanned out, continuing the search. Ian barely fit in some of the ruined buildings, his exoskeleton scraping against walls as he squeezed through doorways. The others worked around him, trying not to get too close to his hulking form. Every step he took seemed to shake the ground beneath him.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack. The building behind them groaned and then crumbled, dust and debris flying into the air. Ian froze for a moment, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Ian, what the hell did you do?!" Kate shouted, her voice tinged with panic as she stepped back from the falling structure.

Ian blinked, looking at the pile of rubble. "Me? I didn't do anything!" His deep voice carried a mix of innocence and sarcasm. "I mean, I'm just... too big for these old places, you know?"

Kate cursed under her breath, and the others grumbled. The ruined clinic, which had looked stable only moments ago, now lay in heaps of broken stone and twisted metal. Ian rubbed the back of his neck, the faintest hint of embarrassment creeping up.

"Oops?" he offered sheepishly, clearly not sorry at all.

After a few moments of brushing the dust off, Barseagle waved them to continue. "Focus, everyone. We're wasting time."

The team trudged on, the sound of footsteps echoing in the hollow streets. The air was filled with the stench of decay, and as they rounded a corner, they found something that made even the hardened vampires hesitate. A body—no, a corpse—lay twisted against the wall of a collapsed building.

Kate stepped forward, narrowing her eyes as she looked closer, but then her face went pale. Her hand shot to her mouth.

"Is that... a child?" Liz asked quietly, her voice grim.

It was. The small body was wearing what looked like a torn uniform, eyes wide open and glazed, its skin pale and mottled with dark veins. It was a child, but not any ordinary child. This was a vampire child—dead, and clearly not by natural causes.

Kate gagged, her eyes watering. Without warning, she turned away, hands clutched over her mouth and vomited onto the ground. The stench of rot and death was overwhelming, filling the air with a sharp, nauseating odor.

"Ugh! Why does it smell like that?!" Kate gasped between choking breaths, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

Ian raised an eyebrow as he observed her, an amused smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Guess you should've skipped breakfast."

Kate shot him a glare, still struggling to steady herself. "Not... not funny, Ian."

Daniel, looking a little pale himself, stepped forward cautiously. "We need to move it, now. This is... wrong." His voice was quieter than usual, the usual cocky bravado gone.

"Yeah," Barseagle said, exhaling through his nose, clearly disturbed but trying to keep his composure. "Let's keep it together. We need to figure out who did this."

Ian glanced at the body again, his claws flexing. "Well, if I were the one who did it, I'd say the little guy got crushed under the weight of all these ruined buildings. Probably wasn't expecting a certain vampire to knock one over."

Kate shot him a glare again, but Ian only grinned wider.

"Alright, alright. Let's keep moving," Barseagle said with a frustrated sigh. "This isn't over yet."

As they turned to leave, Ian casually dusted himself off. "Hey, if the search doesn't work out, I could always offer to carry the kid's corpse back. Maybe it'll lighten the mood."

The team groaned in unison, the only sound now the crunch of their footsteps on the cracked ground.