Chapter 13
Drake's eyes widened. Bloodfang.... what a name.Just holding it sent a thrill down his spine,a mix of fear and excitement. He remembered when he first got the sword and it gave him a cut, and then glowed when his blood touched it. It must have bounded to him then. But the system never mentioned anything about it.
"Let's see what you can do", he muttered.
He stood up, gripping the sword firmly. Despite it's ominous aura,it fit perfectly in his hands,as though molded for him. He swung it lightly,the blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistle,faster than expected. His wrist tingled with a subtle vibration, as if the sword was humming in acknowledgement.
Drake stepped back, positioning himself in the narrow dorm space. With a firm breath,he slashed at the empty air in a clean arc.
Whoosh!!
The pressure from the swing rustled the curtains even though he hadn't touched them.
His origin system immediately responded:
[ Combat Trail: First strike registered]
[Bloodfang Resonance +1%]
Drake blinked."Resonance? So the more I use it the stronger our bond becomes?."
He tried again, thrusting forward this time. The blade vibrated and gave off a faint crimson gleam that faded as quickly as it appeared.
[Resonance +2%]
[ Effect unlocked: Life drain- each strike absorbs a small portion of vitality from the target.]
Drake stared at the interface, dumbfounded. Just two swings and it already improved and with awesome skills? This isn't a normal weapon. His lips curved into a grin."looks like you're mine now,Blood fang".
He carefully sheathed the blade back and willed it inside his inventory. Then his eyes shifted to the corner of his system inventory where the gold bars rested. Gleaming and untouched since that day.
[Origin inventory: Gold bars ×5]
For now he didn't touch them. One mystery at a time. His focus was clear. Master Blood fang,and understand the system.
Looking over to the other two he saw they were still sound asleep.
Laying on his bed,the hum of the sword still echoed faintly in his hands. Sleep wouldn't come easily tonight.
The next day came and passed in a haze of routine - lectures, cafeteria chatters. Drake felt like an outsider moving through it all, with the origins system weight heavy on his shoulders. By evening,as he walked his way back from the convenience store,he saw that there was a commotion by the nearby alley.
Two rough looking men in hoodies had cornered a student by the dim alley, near the convenience store. The girl looked terrified,her bag clutched tightly to her chest,while one of the men waved his knife menacingly.
"Pretty girl, you'd better give us the bag or they'd be more than one stuff we'd be collecting" the other thug said grinning.
Drake's pulse spiked. His body moved before his thoughts caught up.
[Quest generated: stop the assault]
[Reward: Random stat boost
+50exp]
".... Are you serious right now?"he muttered under his breath,but then a grin tugged at his lips.
"Alright then".
The alley smelled of damp concrete and smoke. The two men turned at the sound of drake's footsteps.
"Yo kid",one sneered."keep walking. This ain't your business".
Drake's fingers itched. His heart thundered but instead of fear, exhilaration flooded him,his system interface flickered at the edge of his vision. He activated it
[Shadow step]
The world twisted. In a blink, Drake vanished from where he stood and re-appeared directly behind the man with a knife. Before the thug could even react, Drake's hand clamped down on his wrists twisting it hard.
"Wha-?!" The thug cried, dropping the blade with a clatter.
The other man cursed, swinging his fist wildly at Drake. Drake's movement where sharp,his body reacting on instinct, weaving just out of reach. His stamina bar ticked down gradually. He had to end this soon. After hesitating for a moment,he summoned Bloodfang which had been pulsing inside his inventory begging to be drawn. The crimson blade materialized in his hands with a low hum,it's edge glinting in the alley's dim light.
Both men froze."what the hell- where'd that come from?!".
Drake didn't answer. He swung the sword without using all his strength,the blade sliced through the air with frightening ease, grazing the thugs arm.
The man yelped and stumbled back.
[Life drain activated]
[+5 HP restored]
Drake's chest rose and fell, exhilarated. He could feel it,the weapon strengthening him with each strike.
"You- you freak!!" One of the men yelled before bolting down the alley. His partner followed, clutching his bleeding arm.
Drake stood still with Bloodfang humming faintly in his grip. His breathing slowed,but his eyes shined.
[Quest complete: stop the assault]
+2 AGI
+50exp
Bonus reward: +1 resonance
+2 shadow step proficiency.
The frightened student was staring at him eyes wide "T-Thank you.....how did you-?
Drake dismissed the sword into his inventory with a flicker of shadows. He forced a casual smile, though his blood still rushed with adrenaline." Just run home, don't come this way again and don't tell anyone what happened."
The girl nodded rapidly before sprinting off, leaving drake alone in the alley. He leaned against the wall. The origin system wasn't just numbers anymore. It was power - real, tangible power.
His fingers twitched.
And he wanted more.