Changes

Arin's eyes snapped open, staring at the ceiling with surprise.

"How long have I been unconscious?" he muttered, still gazing upward.

Unsure of how much time had passed, he attempted to stand, but...

"Huh?" Arin furrowed his brows. "Why can't I move?"

No matter how hard he tried, his body refused to budge—not even a single finger.

"Shit..." he cursed. "How am I supposed to figure out what's going on?"

Unable to move or check his condition physically, there was only one option left.

"System," Arin called out.

Instantly, the system screen appeared before him, displaying his name at the top, but he ignored that for now. His eyes moved directly to the bottom right corner, where a small, glowing red dot awaited.

A smile crept onto his face. "I knew it."

He remembered that when he was still having the foggy mind issue, he opened the system screen, and realized that there was an unread message.

"And of course, there would be a notification after taking the Blood Core," Arin murmured.

That was why he'd chosen to check the system now, and sure enough, the red dot was glowing at the bottom right, just like last time.

Without wasting any time, he focused on it, and the notification popped up:

[You have forsaken your Humanity.]

[You have accomplished a great feat.]

[###### is proud of you.]

[Scanning...]

[Undergoing Changes...]

[Changes will begin in 3... 2... 1...]

[Changes have begun.]

Arin squinted at the system screen. "Forsaken humanity, huh?"

He already knew what that meant, so there was no need to dwell on it. It confirmed that the Blood Core worked, just like the author mentioned.

Moving on, the next line mentioned something about achieving a "great feat."

"A great feat..." Arin muttered, uncertainty creeping into his voice. "Not sure what to think about that."

He tried focusing on the notification, hoping for more information, but there was nothing. The novel hadn't mentioned anything about accomplishing a "great feat," either.

What really caught his attention, though, was the next notification.

"The name's hidden," Arin muttered. "And why is this hidden figure proud of me?"

This wasn't the first time he had encountered something like this. Arthur's full name was also hidden when the system displayed it, but at least, he knew "why." In fact, he knew Arthur's full name, even though the system didn't display it.

But this case was different.....

If this name was hidden, it had to be someone important—perhaps even the creator of the system.

And that meant...

"This person is watching me."

If they were proud of him, they had to be observing his actions closely.

Arin narrowed his eyes. "It could even be that this person is the reason I ended up in this world."

He couldn't rule out the possibility. This notification confirmed there was indeed someone behind the scenes, pulling the strings.

A sharp look appeared on Arin's face. "This system is getting more and more interesting..."

"And I will get to the bottom of it," he added quietly.

As for the other notification, it mentioned undergoing changes.

Arin frowned. "That's it? Why can't I move, though?"

As if on cue, another message appeared:

[The Blood Core has successfully assimilated with the Host.]

[Paralysis effect has been lifted.]

Immediately, Arin felt his body relax, the weight of paralysis lifting. He moved a finger experimentally—and it responded. A relieved smile tugged at his lips.

Without wasting a second, he jumped out of bed and rushed to the nearest mirror. He had to see the changes for himself.

What he saw took him by surprise.

"Whoa... I didn't expect this."

The first and most noticeable change was his hair. Not only had the color shifted, but the length had too.

His once brown hair was now jet black—and it had grown long. Smooth and silky, it now reached down to his lower back, just like Seraphine's.

Another significant change was his eyes. They now had a subtle hint of red, just like every other vampire.

"I've gotten taller too..." Arin muttered, examining his reflection. "But not enough for it to be immediately obvious."

There were more changes, though.

He glanced at his fingers—or rather, his claws. They were sharp now, with pointed tips.

His skin had also taken on a paler tone, another common trait of vampires, though he was still less pale than most. Like Seraphine, his complexion maintained a healthy balance.

Before he could examine himself further, the system screen flashed back into view.

[Blood Core Assimilation completed.]

[You have successfully consumed the Blood Core of a Royal Vampire: Seraphine Bloodrose, the Second Princess of the Vampires.]

[Changes comple-------]

"Huh?" Arin muttered, staring at the interrupted message. "Why did it stop?"

[Error...]

[Error...]

[The Chaos Element is reacting to the Blood Core.]

"Huh?"

[Note: The Chaos Element is reacting negatively to the Blood Core.]

Suddenly...

"Ugh..." Arin groaned, collapsing to the floor as his chest tightened. His breath came in short gasps, each one more painful than the last.

With the system's warning, he knew exactly what was happening.

'The Chaos Element is fighting the Blood Core...'

His eyes widened as he gripped his chest even tighter, struggling to breathe.

What Arin didn't know, though, was that the Chaos Element wasn't his only problem. Something far worse was lurking.

[Error...]

[Error...]

[A strange presence has been detected...]

[The soul of Seraphine Bloodrose, the Second Princess of the Vampires, has been detected.]

Arin's mouth fell open. "Wait, what? Seraphine?"

[Host, you are losing control of your body.]

[Seraphine Bloodrose is now taking over.]

[In 3... 2... 1...]

[Seraphine Bloodrose is now in control of your body.]

*

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[A/N]

What do you all think is about to happen now? Let me hear your thoughts as usual!!

Thank you!!