The world around Razeal was swallowed by blood and silence.

The heavy ocean pressed against him from every side, suffocating, thick like molten iron each droplet burning with ancient will. His body twitched violently as the essence seeped through his pores, into his bones, deeper into the very code of his existence.

Then suddenly

Ding!!

A clear chime echoed through the chaos inside his head, cutting through the thick silence of blood.

[System Alert: Deep Potential Vampire Essence Detected]

The system's voice resonated like thunder inside his skull, cold and emotionless, as though echoing from the depths of eternity.

[Your being is under an ancient influence… The essence seeps into your core, rewriting the code of your existence.]

[Genetic Structure Reconfiguration Initiated]

Razeal's vision turned white or perhaps red. It was hard to tell anymore. His nerves felt like they were being torn apart and stitched together all at once. His heartbeat thump, thump, thump merged with the pounding rhythm of the blood ocean.

He felt it his bones vibrating, his muscles tearing, rebuilding.

[Your obsidian skeleton begins to pulse... Trying to absorb the essence]

His veins glowed crimson, tracing through his body like molten rivers under his skin. The sensation wasn't pain anymore it was something beyond pain as Even his high level pain resistance wasn't coming to help. It was as if his very soul was being carved and reforged in the flames of blood.

[Pain Inflicted +1 Million]

[Pain Inflicted +1 Million]

[Pain Inflicted +1 Million]

[Congratulations, Host. Your Pain Tolerance has been upgraded from SS to SS+ Rank.] (66,327,77 / 100,000,00,000)

[Absorption...]

His consciousness flickered. He felt his own screams echoing but couldn't tell if they were real. The world twisted his senses shattering and then reforming sharper, clearer, too clear. He could feel every droplet of essence around him, whispering memories of lives long gone, their hunger, their madness... But weirdly enough he wasn't able to see it.. It was as if system was protecting him from that

[Congratulations, Host.]

[Your Obsidian Skeleton (S) has transcended into Crimson Skeleton (SS+)]

The pressure around him snapped, replaced by a sudden rush of energy so violent that it made the entire sea tremble. The blood ocean shivered glowing brighter, roaring louder as though something divine had awakened within its depths.

Razeal gasped, his body convulsing as red light burst from every pore.

[System Notice: Racial Mutation Complete.]

[Race Change Successful]

[You are no longer human.]

[Race Updated → Vampire]

And then silence.

A heartbeat, stillness, and then

Another wave of power.

[Due to innate talents: Absolute Dark Genius, Dark Genius, and Eternal Pride, your body endlessly devours Highest Grade Blood Essence.]

The blood ocean reacted instantly roaring like a living beast. The waves swirled toward him, every drop pulling closer, as if dragged by gravity itself.

Razeal's eyes flew open glowing a deep, unnatural crimson as the blood around him spiraled into his body.

[Warning: Absorption Rate Unmeasurable.]

The system's tone shifted no longer calm, almost distorted, glitching with the sheer volume of pain.

[Pain Inflicted: +1 Billion]

[Pain Inflicted: +1 Billion]

Ding!

[Evolution has begun]

The blood ocean spun faster. Razeal's body hovered, rising slightly above the liquid surface as the essence rushed into him, devouring everything. The air around him vibrated bloodlight pouring from his veins, coiling like flames.

>[System recalibrating…]

[Continuously absorb Blood Essence of the Highest Order.]

He felt unstoppable. Limitless. It was as if every fiber of his existence screamed with rebirth rewriting itself in perfect harmony with everything around him... As if his senses becoming better then they were.

The blood ocean was shrinking, evaporating into his body, consumed by his hunger.

[Congratulations, Host.]

[You are evolving.]

[Evolution Progress: 99% → 100%]

The system voice rang louder, each word shaking through the void like divine thunder.

[SYSTEM ALERT: MAJOR EVOLUTION COMPLETE]

The space exploded with light red, black, and silver flames bursting outward in waves that cracked the ground beneath the vampire king's feet.

Vaelitharion's expression weirdly looked at all.this and for the first time in countless millennia, genuine astonishment flickered across his regal face.

Razeal floated, surrounded by a storm of energy, his body radiant and still, eyes glowing with burning crimson light. His heartbeat echoed like thunder across the void.

[Race Evolution Complete.]

[You have ascended to the Highest Vampire Form!]

[FINAL UPDATE]

[RACE STATUS: Updated]

[Current Race: Vampire Progenitor]

And with that final sound.. silence returned.

----

"Ohhhh, this is sooo funnn!" Maria laughed, her voice echoing through the water, her tone bright, wild, and full of thrill. "It's like I have unlimited mana!"

Her eyes shimmered with excitement, a grin stretching across her face. Power rushed through her veins like fire.. thick, electric and definitely intoxicating. The sensation whenever using ner mana was heavy and musky, yes, strange even, as if it.. itself was charged with her presence, but she didn't care. "Even though it feels weird, kind of heavy and sticky… it's still working perfectly!"

She yelled it to herself, half in disbelief, half in pure exhilaration.

Maria was standing there, bow in hand, her fingers trembling not from fear but from overflowing strength. The disk embedded in her weapon was glowing brighter than ever before, pulsing with an eerie blue light that lit up the water around her.

She was using everything she had everything she had for now.

And also she could feel it. The difference. The power. The strength that wasn't there before.

Currently, her bow was drawn, a massive water arrow forming at its center spinning, dense, humming with lethal pressure. It wasn't a simple spell. The power radiating from it was thick enough to make the very water around her tremble.

The arrow she held wasn't just strong.. it could be ranked. Easily High A-rank, if not higher. The energy bleeding from it was sharp enough to slice through the ocean currents themselves. But that wasn't the truly terrifying part.

No, the real horror wasn't just the arrow in her hand.

It was the millions of arrows that surrounded her.

Everywhere in the water around, in the distance behind, above, and below countless arrows formed, shimmering like blue ghosts, all vibrating in sync with her heartbeat. The sea itself had become her weapon.

Each arrow carried the same deadly aura, ready to strike at her command.

Even Neptunia, who was standing just a little distance away, could only stare, her eyes were twitching seeing her do this. The water around them wasn't calm anymore it was alive, trembling, humming with Maria's power. The pressure was so thick that it made Neptunia's skin crawl weirdly..

"Just… what the hell… is going on in here" she whispered under her breath, but her voice was drowned by the low humming of mana.

Millions of A-ranked arrows, all formed from pure magic, hovered in the water, perfectly still like a disciplined army awaiting their queen's signal to slaughter.

Maria's bow trembled in her grip, but her smile only grew sharper.

"Well then, here you go you pitiable assemblage of frailties…" she said softly, her voice dripping with amusement, her tone taking on a sharp, commanding edge. Her eyes gleamed crimson-blue under the distorted light, filled with a thrill that bordered on insanity.

"Consider it the singular honour of your wretched existence.. to stand before me.

Her smile widened playful and devilish. She licked her beautiful red lips slowly, her teeth grazing them, eyes narrowing in delight.

And then, without another word, she let go of her bowstring.

The moment her fingers released, the water cracked like thunder.

The main arrow shot forward, exploding through the ocean with a sonic boom that ripped through the water. And at the same instant as if responding to her will ..every other arrow moved.

Millions of glowing water arrows launched together.

The sight was breathtaking. The entire sea seemed to light up as the wave of arrows surged forward each moving fast enough to tear through the water like missiles, creating trails of light that turned the deep ocean into a battlefield of stars.

It looked like a tsunami no, something worse.

A tsunami with blades.

The creatures in front a monstrous wave of sea beasts surging toward them never stood a chance.

The first wave of arrows collided with them, and for a moment, there was no sound except the shattering noise of flesh being torn apart. The arrows pierced through hundreds at once, the force so massive it sent ripples through the entire water body.

The water turned red almost instantly.

Creatures were shredded, their bodies twisted into fragments, blood and limbs scattered like dark petals. The front line was wiped out within seconds, ground into fine red mist that drifted through the sea like fog.

The arrows didn't stop they kept going, piercing, drilling, erasing everything in their path for nearly a kilometer ahead.

Even Neptunia, who had seen so many battles, couldn't speak. Her mouth opened slightly, her words caught in her throat. The power was just… monstrous... and that too using water to this extent.

When the arrows finally dispersed, the sea ahead was no longer filled with monsters. It was just red.

A thick, heavy, dark red.

The entire front line had been turned into a wall of blood so dense that even vision couldn't pierce through it.

Maria stood there, chest rising and falling, staring proudly at her own destruction. Her bow was trembling slightly in her hands, smoke-like mana still radiating from its form.

"Ohhh, that was a nice shot," she said smugly, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. Her voice carried the tone of a queen admiring her handiwork. "Hmph. Just look at that. In front of me, nothing's left except blood."

She tilted her head slightly, smirking to herself. "Even Sylvia couldn't kill that many in one go… definitely not in water. Right?.. Well definetly not like this."

Her pride was almost tangible.

Still, as the excitement settled, Maria glanced down at her bow and frowned.

"Ahhh, though my bow broke…" she murmured, staring at the cracked wood. Indeed, the weapon was splintered cleanly down the center, the material unable to handle the pressure of what she had just done.

With a soft sigh, she shook her head, the proud smirk returning to her lips. "Guess that's what happens when I get too serious," she said half-jokingly.

Without hesitation, she pulled the disk off the broken bow and tossed the useless weapon aside. Then, carefully, she slid the disk back into her space ring. The small glow of it disappeared, stored away safely.

"Well…" She stretched her arms lightly, rolling her shoulders as she turned to glance behind her.

"It's already been ten minutes…" she muttered, her brows furrowing. "When's this bastard going to wake up?"

Razeal was still sitting exactly where she'd left him.. unmoving, eyes closed, utterly still, as if time itself had frozen around him.

"He said he only needed to hold for ten minutes." Maria sighed dramatically, crossing her arms. "It's a good thing I'm strong, or we'd all be dead by now."

She tilted her head slightly, thinking, her eyes softening just a little. "Well… whatever. I can still hold it for a bit longer."

Still, there was something odd.

Her mana.. it didn't feel the same. It didn't even decrease. Normally, after using an attack that massive, her mana pool should have been nearly empty.. Even using fraction of what she had used very honestly, but right now, it wasn't.

She frowned deeper, focusing inward. "Strange… I still haven't felt any drop in my mana. But…" she paused, her brow twitching slightly, "I can feel two mana pools now?"

The realization made her freeze.

Two separate pools of energy, both swirling inside her one her usual smooth, bright blue mana, and the other… darker, thicker, hotter, and more intense, almost like something alive.

Her fingers twitched as she tried to sense it better, a small shiver crawling up her spine.

"This… is new," she whispered softly to herself.

"Heyyyy Mariaaaa!!"

The sudden shout snapped her back to reality.

She turned quickly, her hair flicking through the water as she heard Neptunia's voice calling from behind. The urgency in her tone made Maria narrow her eyes.

"Be careful!" Neptunia shouted again, pointing forward, Little so what panic flickering across her face. "There are still a bunch of monsters approaching! Maybe some of your arrows missed!"

Maria's expression sharpened instantly. She turned back, looking through the thick red mist and sure enough, faint shadows were emerging from it.

"Hah? Missed?" Maria frowned, her brows knitting together as she noticed a dozen or so sea creatures still swimming toward her through the dense red mist. Their dark, slimy bodies glided closer, their glowing eyes flickering like eerie lanterns beneath the water.

"Whatever…" she muttered under her breath, clicking her tongue, a sharp smirk tugging at her lips. "Let me try what my body can actually do now... I can feel that its different too."

The thrill still hadn't left her veins; she could feel power pulsing through her muscles a strange, addictive strength she'd never experienced before. So without overthinking it, Maria dashed forward, her legs slicing through the water like a blade, her movements faster than she'd expected. She wasn't even taking it seriously.. just a quick test, a small strike, nothing too much.

But then

Thump.

She froze.

"...Huh?"

Her body went rigid mid-motion. Her breath caught in her throat as a sharp, heavy pain stabbed through her chest, right where her heart was. It wasn't normal pain it was searing, molten and very unbearable.

Her eyes widened in shock as she immediately placed a trembling hand over her chest. "Wha what the hell…?"

Her face twisted, contorting in agony. The pain spread not just in her heart, but through her entire body. It felt like her veins were on fire, like liquid magma was being pumped through her bloodstream. Her body convulsed, her muscles twitching uncontrollably.

"A..ahhhhhh!" Maria gasped out, her voice breaking, a desperate sound escaping her lips. She could barely breathe. Her lungs felt like they were burning too.

Her vision blurred. Her knees buckled slightly as her whole frame shook.

"Hey! Mariaaa! Be careful!" Neptunia's voice cut through the chaos, high-pitched and alarmed. She was standing not too far away, shooting water bolts from her trident, taking down any approaching monsters. "What's happening to you? Move! The creatures are right before you!"

Neptunia fired another blast, spearing through a massive octopus-like creature that had been creeping too close to Maria. The beast exploded into black smoke and red mist, its tentacles curling inward as it died. But there were still more three of them, closing in fast from Maria's side.

"I… I…" Maria could hardly speak. Every breath came out broken. Her entire body felt like it was falling apart from inside. Her organs throbbed painfully, every pulse feeling like fire spreading deeper into her bones.

"Stay… away from me.. Youuu LOWLY CREATURE!" she screamed, forcing her voice through clenched teeth.

And then

Her leg moved.

Almost instinctively.

Before she even realized it, Maria spun and kicked.

Her foot collided with a massive hammerhead shark that was lunging at her a creature easily weighing two or three tons. But the result… was absurd.

The shark didn't just stop.. It flew.

It shot backward as if it were nothing but a pebble kicked by a child. The massive body was hurled through the water, twisting violently before slamming into a cluster of rocks far away, its body shattering into blood and fragments.

Maria blinked. For a moment, she forgot the pain, staring blankly at what she had just done.

"Wha.. what the…?" She swallowed, confusion and awe flashing in her eyes. "When… did I become this strong?"

Her voice was little shaky, but her disbelief was clear. Even through the burning pain, she couldn't ignore the raw strength she'd just felt in her limbs.

Before she could think further, she noticed another monster rushing toward her from the right.. a massive, jellyfish-like creature with dozens of translucent tentacles glowing faintly blue. The ends of the tentacles gleamed sharp as blades, like living spears ready to pierce through her.

"Shit..!" Maria tried to move again, to dodge, to kick, to do something

But her body didn't respond this time.

Her muscles gave out, her limbs going limp. It was like her body just... shut down.

She floated slightly in the water, her vision spinning. Her movements became sluggish and uncoordinated, almost like she was drunk. She tried to lift her arm, but even that felt impossibly heavy.

The jellyfish's tentacles closed in, gliding through the bloodied water with eerie grace. They shimmered faintly, wrapping toward her chest.. ready to strike.

"Damn it!"

Neptunia cursed sharply as she noticed it. She turned her head, eyes widening as she saw the massive tentacle closing in on Maria. But before she could move to help

A giant shark suddenly appeared in her peripheral vision, lunging toward her as well. It was close.. too close.

"Shit!" Neptunia hissed. She didn't have time. Her instincts kicked in first she turned her bow, aiming at the shark, and fired arrows directly at it. The attack struck true, piercing through its skull in an explosion of light and blood.

The monster fell. But she didn't have time to check on Maria.. As another came

"Please be fine…" she muttered under her breath, guilt flashing across her face for a second before she looked away. "If she die, J am done for too…Bjt I can't help her if I'm dead…"

She forced herself to keep fighting, though her heart clenched with unease.

Meanwhile, Maria her mind was fading in and out. Her limbs wouldn't move. Her heart was pounding irregularly, painfully.

Am I… going to die? she thought dizzily.

Her vision flickered. The approaching tentacle was already right before her.

Her mind scrambled.. and suddenly, an angry thought shot through the haze.

"This… is that bastard's fault!" she screamed inside her head. "He gave me this heart ..whatever weird crap it is.. and now it's trying to kill me!"

Her teeth clenched. She could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, not from fear, but from fury.

"And he said it'd only be ten minutes!" she thought, almost hysterical. "It's already been almost twenty!"

Her blood boiled, both literally and figuratively.

"FUCK YOU, RAZEAL!"

She screamed it in her mind, pure frustration echoing louder than the pain.

The tentacle lunged.. fast and deadly

And just as it was about to pierce her

Something moved.

The blue waist bag tied around Maria's hips glowed suddenly, its surface rippling like liquid. The faint inscription on it shimmered before the whole thing started shifting, stretching, morphing.

Maria's blurry eyes widened in disbelief as the bag transformed scales forming, fins emerging, the shape twisting and expanding until, in just seconds, a full-grown shark burst out of it.

The transformation was almost surreal. The creature's eyes gleamed with faint intelligence, its form sleek, powerful, and very much alive.

With a low growl.. if a shark could growl it lunged forward, intercepting the jellyfish in front of Maria. Its jaws clamped down brutally around the creature, tearing through its soft glowing body with a horrifying crunch.

The jellyfish flailed violently, tentacles thrashing around before the shark dragged it sideways, ripping it apart and pulling it away from Maria entirely.

----

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