----
The Trueblood Vampire was a master of his domain, yet he was suffocating.
The pressure wasn't physical; it was an invisible, cold weight that squeezed the very essence of his ancient bloodline. His movements, usually liquid grace, were now clumsy, like a puppeteer had cut the strings. He stumbled back, the look of predatory hunger instantly replaced by sheer, animalistic terror.
"This is impossible!" the Vampire hissed, his voice cracking with disbelief. "You're an Omega! You have no Core!"
Kael, standing tall amidst the rain, felt the chilling power of the Omega System coursing through him. It wasn't the warm, life-affirming glow of natural Mana; it was the cold, sterile certainty of a complex, cosmic algorithm. His pain was muted, his focus absolute.
He raised a hand, and without consciously willing it, a wave of shadow not the weak, ambient darkness of the alley, but a dense, suffocating blackness surged out from his palm.
"I am the Host," Kael stated, the metallic resonance from the System still clinging to his voice. "And you are the first lesson."
[MAIN QUEST OBJECTIVE: KILL THE TRUEBLOOD VAMPIRE. STATUS: IN PROGRESS]
The Vampire, recognizing the deadly nature of the shadow energy, finally broke his paralysis and tried to vanish into a burst of vampiric speed a crimson blur designed to put miles between him and the unknown threat.
But the Omega System was faster.
[DETECTING ESCAPE MANEUVER. ACTIVATE HOST ABILITY: PREDATOR'S GRASP.]
A notification flashed in Kael's sight, accompanied by a sudden, intense mental impulse. He instinctively snapped his hand closed.
The shadow tendril he had launched did not follow the Vampire's path; it anticipated it. It materialized exactly where the Vampire intended to be, wrapping around the creature's ankle like a chain forged from pure night.
The Trueblood slammed to the wet pavement, his expensive suit immediately ruined by mud and rainwater. He roared, a sound more animalistic than any werewolf's howl, and desperately tried to tear the shadow tendril away.
"Let go of me, wretch!"
The tendril was resistant. Kael slowly walked towards the struggling Vampire, his steps deliberate and heavy. The power he felt was intoxicating it wasn't earned through sweat and training, but granted by a superior intelligence seeking only efficiency.
"The System says I need to kill you to unlock my next stage," Kael murmured, standing over the fallen noble. He watched the Vampire writhe with detached curiosity, as if observing an interesting insect.
"I will give you gold! I will give you territory!" the Vampire pleaded, his pride crumbling entirely in the face of absolute powerlessness. "I am House Vladislaf! Sparing me buys you protection!"
[WARNING: NEGOTIATION IS INADEQUATE. TRUEBLOOD VAMPIRE IS A PREDATOR OF THE HOST.]
[RECOMMENDATION: TERMINATE.]
Kael nodded slowly, accepting the System's logic. In the savage hierarchy of the supernatural world, weakness deserved death, and mercy was a vulnerability.
He crouched down, forcing the shadow tendril to pull the Vampire's head back, exposing the jugular. The vampire's crimson eyes were wide, staring into Kael's pale gold eyes, which now pulsed with the icy blue System light.
"Your blood will buy my survival," Kael declared.
He used his human strength, the meager effort augmented by the System's unseen force, and grabbed a jagged piece of brick from the ground. He brought it down once, sharply, severing the Vampire's jugular.
A torrent of hot, rich blood erupted, washing over Kael's hand and the wet stone. The powerful life essence of the Trueblood soaked into the earth, but not before the Omega System absorbed the crucial part.
[TRUEBLOOD VAMPIRE ELIMINATED.]
[HOST GAINS: LIFE ESSENCE (VAMPIRE) 100% ABSORBED.]
A triumphant chime echoed in Kael's mind, and the oppressive feeling of the System subsided, replaced by a deep, satisfying warmth that spread from his reconstructed Core outwards.
[MAIN QUEST OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE.]
[REWARD GRANTED: 1x OMEGA POINT; BASIC INTERFACE UNLOCKED.]
***
Kael stood in the dead silence of the alleyway, blood coating his hands and jacket. The vampire's body lay still, already beginning to decay and return to the earth, a common outcome for Truebloods slain far from their manors.
He didn't feel remorse, or even fear. He felt a cold, calculating satisfaction.
He immediately turned his attention to the glowing blue interface that now stabilized in his vision, no longer flickering chaotically. This was the key to his future.
[Kael Vale – The Omega]
[Synchronization: 5.00%]
[Omega Points: 1]
[Stats: LOCKED]
[Skills: LOCKED]
[Inventory: Empty]
[Evolution Tree: Locked]
He had one Omega Point. He needed to use it immediately.
[HOST NOTE: OMEGA POINTS ARE EXTREMELY RARE CURRENCY. USE WISELY.]
Kael pressed the 'Stats' section mentally. The System responded with a new window, displaying his attributes currently all at a pitiful, baseline human level.
[STRENGTH: 5 (Baseline Human Average is 10)]
[AGILITY: 7 (Baseline Human Average is 10)]
[ENDURANCE: 4 (Baseline Human Average is 10)]
[MANA/ESSENCE: 0 (Omega Core - EMPTY)]
The stat numbers reaffirmed his history of failure. His Strength and Endurance were abysmal, a direct result of his cracked Mana Core and lack of full Shift capability.
He mentally hovered over the stats. Which was the most crucial for survival now?
Strength would allow him to fight better, but he was currently wounded and exposed. Agility would help him escape and evade, a critical need as he was about to flee the Silverfang territory. Endurance would speed up his recovery, which was also vital.
He looked at the [MANA/ESSENCE: 0] line. This was the source of his entire curse. Could the Omega System fix it?
[WARNING: OMEGA POINT CANNOT DIRECTLY REPAIR A CRACKED MANA CORE. ESSENCE REPAIR REQUIRES EVOLUTION TIER UNLOCK.]
The System was cold and pragmatic. It demanded efficiency.
Kael made his decision. He had just escaped a deadly encounter through sheer luck and a System intervention. He needed to avoid the next one.
He mentally tapped the AGILITY stat.
[CONFIRM PURCHASE: INCREASE AGILITY BY +10 USING 1 OMEGA POINT?]
[YES]
A jolt not painful, but intensely invigorating shot through his limbs. He felt a sudden, profound lightness in his muscles and joints. It was as if years of sluggishness had been instantly burned away. The cracked rib still throbbed, but his body felt ready to move.
[AGILITY: 17]
[OMEGA POINTS: 0]
He tested it. He took a single step, and the world seemed to slow down around him. He could see individual raindrops falling, the subtle shifts of steam rising from the wet pavement. He wasn't just fast; he was precise.
The System had transformed him from the clumsiest Omega into a hyper-aware, agile predator.
***
The adrenaline began to fade, replaced by the grim reality of his situation.
He had just killed a Trueblood Vampire in Silverfang territory, a transgression that would ignite an immediate inter-species conflict if discovered. More importantly, he had defied Lord Valerius and the Alpha Pack. If they found out about the System and the murder, they wouldn't just banish him; they would dissect him to understand the source of his new, terrifying power.
"I need to leave," Kael muttered, his voice still low, but now carrying a note of quiet authority.
[WARNING: CONTINUED PRESENCE IN SILVERFANG TERRITORY EXPOSES HOST TO HIGH RISK OF DETECTION.]
[NEW QUEST INITIATED: ESCAPE THE FRINGE.]
[OBJECTIVE: Reach the neutral territory of the Ironwood Witches before dawn.]
[REWARD: 5x OMEGA POINTS; Unlock Minor Skill Tree.]
Five Omega Points. That was a huge reward, indicating the immense danger of the journey. The Ironwood Witches were known for their strict neutrality and fierce protection of their borders. If he could reach their territory, he would be safe from both the Lycans and the Vampires for a time.
He quickly wiped the blood from his hands on his tunic, ignoring the ruined fabric. He needed to get out of the alley.
He activated his heightened Agility. He scaled the crumbling brick wall behind him with a single, silent leap a feat that would have been physically impossible just five minutes ago. He landed soundlessly on the rooftop, his new Agility allowing him to keep his footing on the slick tiles.
From the high vantage point, Kael gazed out at the sprawling, rain-soaked city. The lights of the Silverfang Great Hall, where his family had been humiliated, glowed mockingly in the distance.
He remembered the disgusted look in the Alpha's eyes, the cruel laugh of Valerius, and the cold disdain of Garrus.
That life was over. The pathetic, powerless existence of Kael the Omega had ended in that alley.
They threw me out like refuse, he thought, the System's cold logic reinforcing his resolve. Now, I will make sure they regret it.
He adjusted his stance, ready to run across the rooftops toward the distant, hidden territory of the Witches. He was no longer running *from* them; he was running to his destiny.
[HOST NOTE: BEGINNING ESCAPE PROTOCOL. MINIMIZE ALL SOUND AND LIGHT OUTPUT.]
Kael took off, a dark, silent blur moving across the slick rooftops of the city's Fringe. The night was vast, but for the first time in his life, Kael felt small, yet incredibly potent. He was a new kind of hunter, guided by a system that only valued one thing: Evolution.
The Silverfang Pack was about to learn a terrifying truth: The Omega they scorned was no longer under their hierarchy. He was now a glitch in their system, and glitches tend to crash the entire network.
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