One day, while sorting through a pile of forgotten books, he found something curious. It was tucked behind a broken mirror and bound in worn leather, its cover stained and faded. The title was barely readable, but inside... it revealed something incredible: an ancient way to awaken a profession.
Aaron's heart raced as he read each page. The method didn't require the expensive Awakening Ceremony that cost 2 gold coins, far beyond what he could ever afford. This ritual was old, risky, and unpredictable. It had a warning:
"The awakened profession will be random. The consequences, irreversible."
But Aaron didn't care.
He had no family left. No noble blood. No silver spoon or powerful backing.
All he had was a burning desire to become someone stronger… someone who could rise above fear and poverty.
Aaron sat in stunned silence.
The body he now inhabited, his predecessor, had performed the Awakening ritual the night before. The ceremony demanded blood, and the price was steep. Too steep. The boy died, bleeding out in desperation for a power he never lived to see. Aaron could feel the residue of it, both the pain and the futility.
And now, that loss settled heavily in Aaron's chest.
In his previous life, things were different. He'd had food on the table, clothes to wear, games to play, even a screen to escape into when the real world grew dull. But here? This new reality was cold, unforgiving. No comfort. No distractions. Just survival.
He wanted to cry. Grief, frustration, and fear clawed at him, but no tears came. His eyes stayed dry, as if even sadness had been stripped away in this cruel world.
Just then, a thought struck Aaron like a flash of lightning.
If the body had gone through the Awakening ceremony… then something must have changed. Something powerful. Otherwise, the boy's death would've meant nothing.
A faint glow shimmered before his eyes, soft, eerie, blue.
A translucent panel suddenly lit up in midair, hovering silently like a summoned spirit. Lines of text and symbols began to flicker across the surface. His heart thudded. It was a status window. Clear and unmistakable.
And it was his.
A system? A gift? A curse? He didn't know yet. But one thing was certain, the Awakening had triggered something real.
Aaron's gaze locked onto the glowing blue panel hovering silently in front of him.
Name: Aaron
Level: 1 (Experience: 0 / 100)
Profession: Blood Slave (Upgradeable)
HP (Health): 30 / 30
MP (Magic Power): 60 / 60
Blood Energy: 1
Attributes:
Strength: 3 (basic physical power)
Dexterity: 3 (speed and precision)
Constitution: 3 (endurance and durability)
Intelligence: 6 (mental clarity and magic affinity)
.....
Skills:
Body of a Blood Slave (Passive)- You can heal yourself by drinking blood, from any living being. Whether beast or human, blood restores health.
Curse of the Blood Slave (Passive)- During the daytime, all your attributes are cut in half. Your body weakens under sunlight, fragile, slow, vulnerable.
Talent: Upgrade- You have the power to improve anything, skills, stats, gear, even your profession. To activate it, you must gather Blood Energy. The stronger the blood, the more powerful the upgrade.
.....
Aaron stared at the panel, his mind buzzing.
He wasn't just a stranger in a broken world anymore, he had a system, and with it, a chance.
Though the word Blood Slave tasted bitter, he didn't look away. This was just the beginning. The path might be cursed, but now… it was his.
Aaron recalled the old tales from his previous world, how vampires were said to fear garlic, silver, holy water, and sunlight. Curious, he glanced around his crumbling home until his eyes landed on a shriveled clove of garlic in the kitchen. He picked it up, gave it a sniff, then popped it into his mouth.
Nothing. No burning. No choking. Not even a twitch.
For a moment, he just stood there, chewing slowly. The legends he once believed, the rules of vampirism etched into myths and stories, meant nothing here. This world plays by different rules.
Aaron felt a wave of relief wash over him.
But his eyes soon drifted back to the glowing panel, specifically, the Upgrade talent. That word echoed in his mind like a promise.
Upgrade. It wasn't just a skill. It was a chance. A path. If used wisely, this could turn him from a cursed blood slave into the strongest person in this unforgiving world.
His heart beat faster. Eyes gleamed with renewed determination. This talent was powerful, maybe even limitless. He could evolve. He could rebuild. He could rise.
But then came the question that stopped him cold.
Blood Energy.
The talent required it. But what was it exactly? And more importantly… how was he supposed to get it?
He stared at the panel again, hoping for clues. None came.
Was it something he needed to absorb from others? Could it be drawn from combat, rituals, or feeding?
"Forget it," Aaron muttered, brushing away the maze of options clouding his thoughts.
His eyes returned to the glowing panel. One point of Blood Energy, barely anything. And yet, the system responded, revealing something vital:
- Attributes could be upgraded for 1 point.
- His profession would demand 100 points, far beyond reach.
- But his passive skills… those required only 1 point to evolve.
He paused. The Curse of the Blood Slave. That was the one holding him back most. The sunlight weakened him. If he could upgrade this skill, it might be a significant boost in his stats.
He stared at the talent description, then clenched his fist.
"Then let's start there."
The moment he made his choice, a faint pulse rippled through his body. The panel flickered, and the Curse talent began to shift, changing, adapting. Lines of new text began to appear, hinting at altered effects.
Curse of the Blood Slave (Passive) – Level: MAX
Your body has overcome the ancient curse.
You are no longer weakened by sunlight, silver, holy water, or light-elemental attacks.
A sudden wave of warmth rushed through Aaron's body.
It wasn't painful, it was powerful. Like invisible chains had snapped, and something deep inside him had finally been set free. His muscles felt lighter, his breath steadier, and his senses sharper than ever.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Aaron felt… whole.