I asked the System, my eyes gleaming with greed, "Are there more functions?"
The System did not hesitate to feed my avarice.
⟦ Yes, Master. There is also the Shop function, which allows you to buy and sell anything available on the market. ⟧
I almost salivated at the thought.
"Then why are you waiting? Show me the products in the Shop," I demanded eagerly.
⟦ Master, the Shop feature has been disabled following your seizure of the System. ⟧
What?
A wave of disappointment and frustration crashed over me. It felt as if I had just been robbed.
"Why is it disabled?" I asked irritably.
⟦ This feature failed because its source was cut. By seizing control, you severed my connection to the original supplier. ⟧
Damn it…
I swallowed my anger and tried to calm myself. At the time, I had no choice but to resist that parasite.
Once I steadied my thoughts, I asked about the other functions.
"What about Fate Hunting?"
⟦ Also non-functional due to your takeover. ⟧
I grabbed my hair in frustration.
Two crucial functions—both ruined because of me.
And I didn't even have the right to be angry about it.
"Then what about Prediction?"
⟦ It does not function. That power was sustained directly by the Creator. ⟧
Despair surged through me.
It felt as though someone was deliberately toying with me—especially this System.
It could have hidden these functions entirely, yet it chose to reveal them only to snatch them away. Almost as if it were taking revenge for my takeover.
Now only one hope remained.
The weakest function… Inspection.
At the very least, it would allow me to see the abilities of my enemies.
"What about Inspection?" I asked in a faint voice.
⟦ That feature is also disabled because of you, Master. ⟧
I collapsed into my chair in complete despair.
Just moments ago, I felt as if the world was in my hands.
Now it seemed it had all been a dream—one I was being rudely awakened from.
Conflicting emotions filled my mind.
Regret and sorrow clashed with the belief that I had still made the right decision.
Freedom in exchange for power and wealth…
What a miserable choice.
A bitter taste lingered in my mouth, making it difficult to even endure my own presence.
Was the owner of the System trying to punish the thief?
It seemed impossible for this tool to reveal information in such a calculated way by mere coincidence.
First came excitement and promises of a bright future.
Then the sudden fall.
Was it suggesting that I should envy those who possessed other Systems?
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my frustration and gather my scattered thoughts.
⟦ However… it is partially disabled, Master. ⟧
The moment I heard that, a spark of hope flickered again.
But I forced myself to stay calm.
This System clearly had the potential to cause psychological harm—even if unintentionally.
"Explain," I said coldly.
⟦ It means the Inspection function is partially disabled. It only allows the inspection of non-living objects. ⟧
So that was it.
All that suspense had simply prepared me for the final blow.
What use was such a power?
Should I use it on corpses?
Or inspect the castle walls?
I left my room, feeling suffocated.
As I walked through the palace halls, I crossed paths with the head butler, Rudolf.
He looked as if he wanted to say something, but when he saw my expression, he wisely decided to leave me alone.
The vastness of the palace only made my irritation worse.
Eventually, I stepped outside and headed toward the garden, hoping to calm my nerves.
I sat there and lifted my gaze toward the sky.
What caught my attention the most was the lone red moon.
There were no stars.
No other source of light.
Only a moon radiating a crimson glow.
After all, we vampires cannot live under the sun.
That is why we dwell in this layer of the Abyss… the layer devoid of light.
As I stared at the moon, another feeling began to stir deep within me.
Not sorrow.
Lust.
I immediately turned my eyes away.
After all…
That was where she resided.
After sitting there for some time, I noticed the moon slowly fading and the surroundings growing darker.
I stood up and returned to the house.
It was time to train.