Luka didn't know what to say.
He stared at the system screen in front of him, his hand slowly rising as if drawn to it. His fingers stopped just short of the glowing interface, hovering in disbelief.
"See? See?" Riven said, practically vibrating with excitement.
When Luka first ate the berry and nothing happened, Riven had started to doubt everything. He thought maybe the system really was just in his head. But now… Luka could see it too. Luka could interact with it.
That made it real.
"Yeah… I see it," Luka muttered.
He began tapping through the tabs, curiosity overtaking the shock, but before he could go further, the door creaked open.
Both boys turned.
A woman in a nurse uniform stepped inside, a tablet in her hand. Her presence alone made it obvious—she was here to check on Luka.
"Oh, I see you're awake," she said flatly. "Could you step outside so I can give him a proper checkup, mister…"
She swiped through her tablet, searching for his name.
Both boys watched as her expression shifted.
Disgust.
"…Dawn Wall."
The word hung heavy in the air.
They both knew what it meant. Wallborn.
They had expected judgment from students. Not from staff.
"I'll wait outside," Riven said, waving casually.
As he passed Luka, he placed a finger over his lips—a silent signal to stay quiet. Not that Luka planned to say anything anyway. Someone like her wouldn't believe him.
The door shut behind Riven.
He dropped into one of the chairs outside, leaning back as he waited.
Twenty minutes later, the door opened again.
The nurse walked out first, her expression unchanged.
Still disgusted.
A moment passed before Luka followed.
He had changed into a uniform—black with red outlines tracing along the edges. It fit him well, almost too well.
Riven stood and walked up to him.
"…Did she have that look?" he asked.
"The entire time," Luka replied.
Riven exhaled, glancing back briefly at the nurse before turning away.
"You know… we expected students to act like that," he said as they started walking. "But the staff too? That's just…"
"It's not just because we're Wallborn," Luka cut in quietly.
Riven glanced at him.
"They're not from high families either. Most of them probably got looked down on their whole lives," Luka continued. "They couldn't fight back then… but now they're here. And we're below them."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"So now they finally get to feel what it's like to be above someone."
"…And they're going to abuse it," Riven finished.
They stepped outside.
Luka stopped walking.
"…Woah."
Towering buildings stretched into the sky, each one separated yet connected in design. One of them was still under construction, with flying aircraft carefully placing massive panels into position.
The sun had already begun to set, leaving the sky dim, but the city below glowed with color—lights flickering in every direction.
"I know, right?" Riven grinned. "Come on."
He led Luka through the campus, the two of them moving toward the edge.
As they got closer, Luka felt it.
Open space.
Riven stopped.
Luka stepped beside him and looked down.
His eyes widened.
An entire city spread beneath them—houses, shops, stands, people moving like streams of light.
A fully functioning world below.
"That right there," Riven said, pointing toward a floating platform, "is how we go down. We can head into the city anytime… unless it's past curfew. Then it's locked."
Luka slowly nodded, still taking it all in.
Eventually, the two made their way to a bench. They had about two hours before curfew.
Riven leaned back slightly. "So… what's up?"
Luka hesitated, then pulled up his system.
He had been checking it constantly while the nurse wasn't looking, scrolling through until he landed on his general tab.
He turned the screen toward Riven.
⸻
Luka Velmire – Level 4
Race: Lesser Blood
EXP: 0 / 2000
Strength: 10
Speed: 10
Defense: 9
Health: 19 / 19
Energy: 19 / 19
Mana: 12 / 12
⸻
Riven's expression shifted immediately.
That wasn't human.
And… Velmire?
"By your face… you have no idea what's going on, do you?" Luka asked, panic creeping into his voice.
"…No," Riven admitted. "Have you tried asking the system?"
"…Asking the system?"
"Yeah. It answers questions sometimes. Maybe this 'race' thing happens during evolution. I've got a quest to reach level ten and evolve, so maybe I'll turn into something like that too."
"…Okay."
Luka turned back to the screen.
"System…"
The interface shifted. Three dots appeared, pulsing as if waiting.
"Why am I a Lesser Blood? And… will Riven become one too when he evolves?"
The dots flickered.
Then—
[System: User Riven Harlow will not become a Lesser Blood as he does not possess the vampire gene.]
Silence.
The words echoed in Luka's mind.
"…Wait," he whispered.
His chest tightened.
"…Wouldn't that mean…"
Riven didn't interrupt.
"I've been one this whole time."
Both of them stood there, the weight of it settling in.
They had grown up hearing stories—werewolves, vampires, dragons, fairies. Old myths from outdated books. Ms. Lucia used to read them stories about those things when they were kids.
But this?
This wasn't a story.
"…How?" Luka's voice cracked slightly. "I've taken sunlight pills. I've been in the sun. In the forest there was sunlight everywhere, I should've—"
"The evolution berry," Riven said. "It probably awakened it."
Luka froze.
"…So now I'm weak to all of that?"
"Maybe," Riven said honestly. "Or maybe not fully. You said you barely had any signs before, right? That probably means your bloodline was really weak."
Luka looked at him.
"…Why aren't you scared?"
Riven blinked.
"Why would I be?"
"I'm not human," Luka snapped.
Riven shrugged lightly.
"So what?"
Luka stared at him.
"From what I've seen here, you're more human than a lot of these people," Riven continued. "And you've been my friend my whole life."
He smiled.
"I'm not switching up on you. Not now, not ever. You guys are my family."
The tension in Luka's chest eased.
Not fully.
But enough.
A new prompt appeared in his vision.
[System: Reach Level 20 for next evolution.]
"…Well," Riven said, glancing at it. "Looks like you've got your next goal."
"…Yeah," Luka muttered.
He hesitated.
"Hey… don't tell the others. Not yet."
"If that's what you want," Riven said.
He stood up, stretching.
"Come on. Let's get back before we get in trouble."
Luka followed, a small smile forming.
"…Hey, Riven."
"Yeah?"
"If this is true… if I really am a vampire…"
He lowered his voice as other students passed.
"…does that mean my parents were too?"
Riven thought for a moment.
"…Maybe," he said. "But I doubt they were full. Your red hair kinda gave it away."
Luka blinked.
"It grew more after you evolved," Riven added. "Before that, it was barely there. That probably means your bloodline was weak… and the berry just activated it."
"…So I just got lucky?"
"…Yeah," Riven said with a small grin. "Something like that."
They entered the dorm building and stepped into the elevator.
As the doors closed, Luka spoke again.
"…Are you worried?"
"About what?"
"Your evolution."
Riven chuckled.
"…A little."
He looked ahead, a faint smile on his face.
"But if I turn into something weird… at least I won't be the only one."
Luka laughed softly.
"…Yeah."
The elevator opened, and they stepped out into the hallway.
"…Hey, Riven."
"Yeah?"
"You're the best friend I could ask for."
Luka held out his fist.
Riven bumped it without hesitation.
"You're not bad yourself."
"Riven… did you always smell this good?" Luka asked, his voice low and confused.
Riven froze.
"…Uh, yeah," he chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I guess?"
Luka narrowed his eyes slightly, but before he could say anything else—
Elsewhere.
A red portal tore open in the air without warning.
A man clad in medieval armor stepped out, his boots landing silently against the ground. The portal flickered behind him before sealing shut like it had never existed.
Without wasting time, the man reached for a ring on his finger.
He pressed the armor.
It dissolved instantly, absorbed into the ring.
Two taps.
A sleek mask appeared in his hand.
Two more taps.
A full scientist outfit materialized, complete with a hanging key card. He slipped it on with practiced ease, placing the mask over his face.
His entire appearance shifted.
Pale white skin gained color. Blonde hair darkened into black. In seconds, he became someone else entirely.
Then he moved.
Fast.
He ran through the area with purpose, eyes scanning until he found his target.
A man.
Alone.
Perfect.
The disguised figure approached calmly, closing the distance like nothing was wrong. Then—sharp and precise—his hand struck the back of the man's neck.
The body went limp instantly.
He caught him before he hit the ground.
Not a sound.
Dragging him back, the man reopened a red portal and tossed the unconscious body inside. The portal sealed just as quickly, leaving no trace behind.
Silence returned.
The man stood there for a moment.
Then he inhaled.
Deep.
"…A Lesser Blood," he muttered.
His eyes sharpened.
"It's faint… but I can smell you."
He tilted his head slightly, analyzing.
"Still needs sleep. If the intel is correct… they stay in groups of six."
A pause.
"I'll wait until night—"
He stopped.
Another scent hit him.
"…A wet dog."
He sighed, annoyed.
"A werewolf. Ever since they repopulated in the human world, they've been everywhere… like roaches."
He took another breath.
And froze.
"…That scent…"
Fresh.
Light.
Like flowers blooming in spring.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…A fairy?"
His voice dropped.
"That should be impossible…"
"Mr. Kent, what are you doing out here?"
The voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He turned.
A man in a hoodie approached, his face hidden in shadows.
For a split second, the disguised man didn't react.
Then he remembered.
The face he was wearing.
Mr. Kent.
"…Right," he muttered under his breath.
He turned fully, forcing a calm expression.
"Sorry," he said with a small smile. "Just taking in the smells of the area."
The hooded man tilted his head.
"…Alright. Darius wanted us to—"
"Darius?" he interrupted, the word slipping out sharper than intended.
The hooded man paused.
"…Yes. Sir Darius. Are you okay, Mr. Kent?"
A brief silence.
"…Yes," he replied smoothly, recovering. "Just tired. I should get some rest."
He turned and walked away.
But the moment his back was turned—
His expression dropped.
Cold.
"…It seems the king is keeping things from us," he murmured.
He glanced back briefly at the hooded figure.
"My lord would have known if Darius was still alive. He was the one who dealt the final blow."
His eyes narrowed.
"And even if he survived… how is a human still alive after all this time?"
A quiet scoff.
"No matter how advanced their technology is… it shouldn't be possible."
He raised his left hand, rubbing the ring on his finger.
A faint pulse spread across his body.
"…This should mask my scent."
Then he tapped the ring on his right hand.
A notebook and pen appeared.
Without stopping, he began writing as he walked.
"Lesser Blood confirmed. Possible werewolf presence. Fairy signature detected…"
His pen paused for a moment.
"…And Darius… alive."
He continued writing, his steps steady, his mind already moving ahead.
"Infiltration successful… for now."