⟦ Welcome, Host ⟧
Huh? What was that voice? Where did it come from?
I spun around frantically, scanning every corner, but there was nothing. I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs as if it wanted to break free.
How? How could someone sneak into our castle? How could they bypass someone of my father's calibre?
Impossible. My father is at the Sixth Level. To infiltrate this place, an intruder would need to be at the level of a Sect Leader.
Before my pulse could slow, the voice returned—cold, indifferent, and unnerving:
⟦ Do you accept synchronisation? ⟧
Synchronisation? A bond?
I forced myself to stay calm. If I was going to die, I'd do it with composure. Synchronisation… what does that even mean?
My gut told me the voice was inside my head. If that was true, why ask for my permission?
— "I do not accept," I replied instantly.
The room fell silent. Only my pounding heart remained. Then the voice came back, colder than before:
⟦ Warning — Do you accept synchronisation? ⟧
Blood froze in my veins. My bones groaned under sudden, intense pressure. Gravity spiked. The space in front of my eyes rippled like water.
With grim determination, I repeated, "I do not accept synchronisation."
The voice paused, then delivered its verdict:
⟦ Host rejects the bond ⟧
⟦ Forced synchronisation activated ⟧
The moment those words hit, hell was unleashed.
I dropped to my knees, writhing on the floor like a snake. It felt as if molten iron had been poured directly into my brain. The pain was chaotic, unbearable. One moment, nails were driven into my skull; the next, my head felt crushed, shrunk to the size of a peanut.
My vision failed. Total darkness consumed me.
Still, I didn't give up. I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping the sound would distract me from the pain. It didn't work. Minutes passed like hours. I had been trained to endure agony since childhood.
But this… this surpassed all limits. Who could drive nails into your head and call it "training"? Even with my regenerative abilities, I felt death was certain.
After an eternity of torment, the cold voice spoke again:
⟦ Full synchronisation failed ⟧
⟦ Activating Partial Synchronisation protocol ⟧
A brief relief. I regained sight, but the pain returned—sharper, more insistent. My vision tinted red, warm liquid trickled from my nose.
I bit the ground, resisting with every ounce of will. My consciousness slipped. The floor seemed to rush toward me, then pull away. Fatigue overwhelmed me. My throat went dry. Despair crept in.
Seconds before surrender, the final command came:
⟦ Partial synchronisation failed ⟧
⟦ Activating Protocol Three — Physical Synchronisation ⟧
This time, I had no chance. Even at full strength, I couldn't resist. Something invaded my flesh. Before I could think, darkness swallowed me.
Finally… unconsciousness.
I woke with my head throbbing, pulses stabbing behind my eyes. Vision blurred, thick fog obscuring everything. Nausea and dizziness spun together.
I struggled to sit. Tried to stand, but legs failed. Hollow stomach. Crawled to the nearest chair and hauled myself onto it.
After a gruelling effort, I managed to sit at the table. Not much time had passed; otherwise, servants would have noticed. My unfinished meal remained.
I tried eating, but nausea struck again. Using my last strength, I activated my ability—burned the food instantly. Within seconds, my condition improved. Energy returned. Green flames flickered, died, leaving an empty plate.
I breathed deeply, relief flooding me. Nausea faded. I leaned back, resting for nearly an hour.
Eventually, the servants cleared the table. I requested a second meal, which they brought immediately. Once alone, I ignited the green fire again.
Second plate gone, health fully restored. Questions raced through my mind. How did an enemy infiltrate the castle? An assassination?
A blue light flashed before my eyes.
[ Synchronisation Complete ]
[ Activating System… ]
I jumped from my chair instinctively, bracing for pain. Pulse racing, stomach knotted with fear. And then…
…Ding
[ Host Identified ]
[ Activating Status Screen: ]
Name: Theodore Karl
Race: Vampire
Age: 22
Level: Level 2
Talent: [High]
Special Ability: [Green Fire]
Stats:
Strength: 205
Endurance: 200
Speed: 204
Physique: 250
Soul: 207
Status: Cursed
Element: Darkness
[ Abilities ]
Control Blood
Shadow Manipulation
Transformation
I froze. Everything—my age, name, father, clan—was listed. How? How did it know all this? Then I remembered: it had forced its way into my body.
Immediately, I engulfed myself in green flames, searching for the intruder. Nothing on the surface. I turned the fire inward. Flames burned within, and a voice rang out:
[ Warning... Host is attempting to harm the System.. ]
I didn't care. I burned, mocking the parasite inside. Wrong choice! Infect a vampire? Are you insane? This might have worked on anyone else.
The voice returned, more threatening:
[ Strange fire attempting to seize the System ]
[ Activating Level 3 Defence ]
[ Level 3 Defence failed ]
[ Activating Level 2 Defence ]
[ Level 2 Defence failed ]
[ Attempting to destroy Host's heart... ]
[ Destruction failed... ]
Flickering screens surrounded me, but I didn't stop. Every ounce of will went into the flames. Without my ability, I would have been enslaved today.
As the fire raged, I seized parts of it. Hundreds of other "parasites" felt connected elsewhere. Before I could explore further, the parasite cried:
[ Activating Protocol One.... ]
[ Executing... Delete all data ]
[ Deletion failed ]
[ Executing... Sever all connections ]
Execution successful.
[ Executing..... ]
[ Destroying..... ]
[ System Seized ]
[ Welcome, New Owner ]
I finally relaxed, utterly drained. Without spiritual and mental energy running my special ability, I would have lost today.
I tried to expel the intruder from my body. Blood froze in my veins. A terrifying chill warned me: one wrong move and death was certain. Felt like a blade at my throat.
I backed down. After a long thought, I moved it into my mind and closed my eyes. Hours passed as I merged it with my consciousness.
Eventually, I succeeded.
Ragged, I stumbled to my bedroom. Mind fogged, body shaking, until I collapsed onto the bed.