As I stared at the large tent, focusing on the strange change in my vision, two glowing red dots slowly came into view.
"…Are those… hearts?"
The crimson lights pulsed rhythmically.
They weren't stationary—they were beating.
The harder I focused, the clearer everything became. Thin veins gradually spread outward from the hearts, carrying blood throughout the bodies they belonged to.
Soon, two silhouettes appeared inside the tent.
One was massive.
If I had to guess, it stood close to seven feet tall with an incredibly muscular frame. Unfortunately, I still couldn't make out any real details beyond its outline and size.
The second figure was much smaller and slimmer, sitting against the far wall of the tent.
But the biggest difference between them wasn't their size.
It was their heartbeats.
The larger figure's heartbeat was steady, almost excited.
The smaller one's heartbeat was frantic.
Terrified.
I immediately broke my concentration, my vision snapping back to normal.
Currently, I was hidden within the treeline off to the side of the camp. From what I'd seen earlier, all the smaller tents appeared empty.
Letting out a slow breath, I looked down at my pale hands before slowly clenching them into fists.
"I might not be much of a fighter…" I whispered to myself, "but I'll be damned if I ignore someone who's clearly in trouble."
Keeping low to the ground, I quietly moved across the clearing until I reached the larger tent. Remaining crouched near the entrance, I could finally hear voices coming from inside.
"S-Stop… p-please… just let me go…" a trembling feminine voice pleaded.
"After all the effort I went through to capture you, I'm not letting you go so easily," a rough voice replied. "Relax a little, sweetheart. You might even enjoy it."
A chill ran down my spine.
Oh god… I can only imagine what's about to happen in there if I don't do something.
I quickly glanced around for anything I could use as a weapon.
Nothing.
No swords. No spears.
Hell, I couldn't even find a decent-sized rock.
Why is this place so damn spotless?!
Frustrated, I furrowed my brows while desperately trying to think of a solution.
Then my eyes widened.
Magic.
I had magic.
"System!" I whispered internally. "I remember seeing Dark Magic on my status. How do I use it?!"
[ Normally, magic requires chanting a spell's incantation. However, with sufficient mastery, incantations can be omitted entirely. ]
[ In your case, you may either chant normally or shape magic directly through visualization and intent, though doing so will increase mana consumption. ]
"Alright… visualize what I want," I muttered nervously. "That can't be too hard… right?"
[ For this situation, I recommend the spell 'Dark Spear.' It creates a simple spear made of dark magic capable of being thrown. ]
Seriously, where would I be without you?
Slowly raising my hand, palm facing upward, I spoke aloud.
"Dark Spear."
I felt a small amount of energy leave my body.
Then, instantly, a pitch-black spear materialized above my palm.
Dark mist drifted from its surface while faint shadows pulsed along its length.
"…Okay, that's insanely cool."
Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to admire magic.
I tightened my grip on the spear.
I don't know if this'll kill him… but if it doesn't, I can at least run away. I'm confident in my speed, and at the very least I can create an opening for her to escape.
Without giving myself time to hesitate, I shot toward the entrance of the tent.
The moment I stepped inside, however, I froze.
The "man" inside wasn't human at all.
Its skin was a sickly greenish-yellow. Small horns protruded from its forehead while tusks jutted upward from its lower jaw. Its face was broad and square-shaped, with muscles thick enough to rival a monster.
The creature's eyes widened the instant it noticed me.
It pointed in my direction, clearly about to shout something.
Panicking, I reacted immediately.
I hurled the spear straight at its chest.
The dark projectile shot through the air like a bullet.
Before the creature could react, the spear pierced directly through the center of its chest.
Its body stiffened.
The only thing it managed to do was look down at the gaping hole in its chest before collapsing heavily onto the ground.
A translucent message instantly appeared in front of my eyes.
[ Orc Warrior slain. 300 EXP awarded. ]
[ Congratulations. Your level has increased from 1 → 2 ]
[ Congratulations. Your level has increased from 2 → 3 ]
"…I should probably check what leveling up actually does later."
I glanced down at the corpse curiously.
"So this is an orc…"
Before I could think further, the trembling feminine voice from earlier spoke again.
"T-Thank you for saving me…" she whispered shakily. "I don't even want to imagine what would've happened if you hadn't come."
I turned toward the girl still sitting against the wall.
And immediately froze.
She was beautiful.
Her slender frame was roughly the same height as mine. Soft blonde hair fell just past her shoulders while long pointed ears peeked through the strands.
A dark green dress with golden accents hugged her figure perfectly, ending just above her knees.
But despite her beauty, another thing stood out immediately.
She was hurt.
Cuts and bruises covered her exposed skin, and her once-beautiful hair was messy and disheveled.
Then our eyes met.
Bright emerald eyes stared back at me expectantly.
Quickly, I spoke to the System internally.
"Hey, System… is there a way to heal her? With magic or something?"
[ By using the Blood Magic spell 'Blood Mend,' you may heal her injuries. ]
"Got it. Thanks again, friend."
Without another word, I extended my hand toward her.
"Blood Mend."
Unlike before, I didn't feel mana leaving my body.
Instead, it felt like something deeper was being consumed.
Something instinctual.
A crimson glow spread from my hand, wrapping around the girl like a cocoon of red light.
She gasped softly, shutting her eyes tightly as the magic enveloped her.
A few seconds later, the glow faded.
Slowly opening her eyes, she stared at herself in shock.
Every bruise.
Every cut.
Gone.
It was as though she had never been injured at all.
She blinked several times before finally looking back up at me.
"Who… are you?"
"My name is Lucy," I replied gently. "I happened to pass by and noticed what was happening here. I couldn't just ignore it."
Honestly, I was relieved she didn't seem terrified of me.
Stepping closer, I extended my hand to help her up.
She hesitated briefly before taking it.
The instant our hands touched, a violent shock ran through my body.
Heat flooded my chest.
My grip instinctively tightened around her hand as my fangs slowly extended.
That's when I realized something.
The energy Blood Magic consumed…
It was connected to the blood I drank.
The moment that realization hit, the unbearable dryness in my throat returned tenfold.
It felt like sandpaper scraping against my insides.
My breathing grew ragged as I stared at the girl in front of me.
And suddenly, only one thought remained in my mind.
I. Am. Starving.