The system’s message hung before his eyes like a silent sentence, translucent lines floating in the air, too stable to be ignored.

[Name: Damon]

[Age: 19]

[Cultivation: Advanced]

[Race: Incubus, Vampire]

[Talent: Medium]

[Level: 35]

[HP: 3000/3000]

[TO: 86]

[AGL: 92]

[VIT: 76]

[STM: 80]

[INT: 92]

[DEF: 92]

[Blank Points: 40]

[Mana: Cold (Lv.10)]

[Skills: Asmodeus’ Touch, Emperor’s Impaling Strike (Lv. 10)]

[Traits: Battle Focus, Tamer, Asmodeus’s Lust]

[Martial Skill (Swords): Novice]

[Martial Skill (Spears): Novice]

[Cultivation Technique: Crimson Night Devourer (Lv. 10)]

Damon blinked once. Then again.

His brain took a few seconds to process what he was seeing, as if trying to deny the information before even understanding it.

“Incubus… Vampire…” he murmured, his throat still dry, his voice too hoarse to carry immediate indignation.

A strange chill ran down his spine.

He felt his face pale even more—if that was possible—as his eyes instinctively returned to Elizabeth, asleep beside the bed. Her serene face, the weariness etched in every delicate line, her slow breathing… and that overly pale tone to her skin.

He swallowed hard.

“You played with my genetic code…” he thought, somewhat stunned. “Literally.”

The system didn’t give him time for further reflection.

New windows began to appear, one after another, accompanied by a faint, ethereal sound, almost like crystal droplets clinking together.

[Unlocked Racial Ability: Vampiric Regeneration] Passive. Consumes Blood Essence to rapidly regenerate wounds. Efficiency increases at night.

[Unlocked Racial Ability: Blood Sense] Allows you to detect blood, vitality, and emotional states within a short radius.

[Unlocked Racial Ability: Crimson Servant] A low-level blood bond can be established through mutual consent or repeated feeding.

[Acquired Racial Trait: Night Affinity] All attributes increase by 70% during night or in low-light conditions.

[Registered Racial Weakness: Sunlight Sensitivity] Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight reduces regeneration and stamina. It can even be fatal depending on the lack of energy.

Damon closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath… or trying to. The air still felt too heavy in his lungs.

“Of course.” A tired half-smile appeared on his lips. “Of course it’s weak to the sun. Why wouldn’t it be?”

More messages appeared, now with a different tone. More… intimate.

[Racial Skill Unlocked: Incubus’ Charm] Passive influence over emotional and sensual perception of nearby beings. Effect scales with INT and target’s mental resistance.

[Racial Skill Unlocked: Essence Drain] Allows absorption of vitality and emotional energy through physical contact.

[Racial Trait Acquired: Dual Essence Core] Sexual Essence and Blood Essence may be converted into Mana (Cold). Conversion efficiency increased when both are balanced.

[Warning] Imbalance between Essences may result in instability.

“Ah.” Damon slowly opened his eyes. — “So that’s it.”

He ran a hand over his face with difficulty, feeling his own skin cold to the touch.

Incubus. Vampire.

Two races that, isolated, were already problematic. Together… they were practically an invitation to social, political, and probably existential disaster.

His gaze returned to Elizabeth.

The memory of the kiss, the red mist, the sensation of something being ripped out and stitched back together inside him at the same time, all fit together now with disturbing clarity.

“You transformed me…” he whispered. “And tied yourself to me in the process.”

As if the system had found the comment opportune, another message appeared.

[Link Detected]

[Blood Link: Elizabeth Wykes — Temporary (Unstable)]

[Status: Incomplete] Possibility of further synchronization.

Damon felt a shiver run down his spine.

“Unstable… great.” He took a deep breath, feeling that strange thirst churning in his stomach again. It wasn’t hunger. It wasn’t ordinary thirst. It was something deeper, more specific. “That explains the emptiness.”

He looked at his own chest, feeling his heart pounding now, almost powerfully, despite the exhaustion.

His attributes had increased. His HP was full. His body was… functional.

But he didn’t feel whole.

“Crimson Night Devourer…” he murmured, noticing the cultivation technique. “Level 10… increased considerably.”

Elizabeth stirred slightly, letting out a low, almost imperceptible sigh. Instinctively, Damon held his breath, observing her.

Blood Sense activated without him realizing it.

Suddenly, the world gained layers.

He felt her pulse. Slow. Weak. He felt the remnant of his own essence mixed with hers, like intertwined threads that hadn’t yet been cut. He felt… hunger.

Damon immediately looked away, clenching his teeth.

“No,” he thought firmly. “I won’t start like this.”

Another window appeared, smaller, almost discreet.

[System Notice] Your body is adapting to Dual Race Physiology. Full synchronization estimated in: 24h.

Recommendation: Rest. Feed responsibly.

“Responsibly…” he murmured, with a dry laugh. “Sure. Great tip.”

He buried his head back in the pillow, the stone ceiling still too strange to seem real. His world had turned upside down once again—and this time, irreversibly.

Incubus.

Vampire.

Blood-bound to one of the most dangerous women in that mansion.

Damon closed his eyes, too exhausted to fight the sleep that was approaching again.

“When I woke up reincarnated…” he thought, already adrift, “this definitely wasn’t in the contract.”

Night fell unceremoniously.

There was no dramatic sunset, no stars slowly appearing—just a silent transition, as if the world had decided to turn off the lights while Damon slept. Time weighed heavily on his body, each second working silently, rearranging muscles, bones, something deeper he couldn’t yet name.

When he awoke, the first thing he noticed was… the comfortable silence.

Not that oppressive silence from before, full of pain and thirst, but a warm, stable silence. His body no longer screamed. On the contrary—he felt strangely whole. Strong. Too light for someone who had almost died.

He took a deep breath.

The air entered too easily.

He opened his eyes.

The light in the room was soft, amber, coming from some arcane lamps attached to the walls. The runes still pulsed slowly, but now they seemed… familiar. As if they recognized him.

And then he saw her.

Elizabeth sat at the small table opposite the bed, her legs crossed with casual elegance, holding a delicate porcelain cup. The steam from the tea rose in lazy wisps, perfuming the room with something floral and slightly bitter.

She was awake. Awake. Composed.

As if she hadn’t collapsed from exhaustion beside the bed hours before.

Damon blinked a few times, processing.

“Good morning… or good night,” he murmured, his voice surprisingly firm.

Elizabeth looked up slowly, her red eyes meeting his unhurriedly. There was no tension there. Only attention.

“Good night,” she corrected, taking a small sip of her tea. “You slept almost twelve hours.”

Damon propped himself up on his elbows and sat up slowly. No pain. No dizziness. His body responded as if it had always been this way.

He looked at his own hands. He closed his fingers. He felt the strength there—compact, obedient.

Then he looked up at her.

“I knew it,” he said suddenly.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

“Knew what?”

“That something was wrong,” he continued. “You never leave this mansion. Never. Not even for simple things.”

She smiled slightly, without denying it.

“But,” Damon continued, his expression growing more serious, “I didn’t expect you to be a vampire.”

The steam from the tea rose between them.

Elizabeth observed him for a few seconds, assessing not the accusation, but the tone. There was no fear there. No anger. Just realization.

“Normally I can go out in the sun,” she said finally, naturally. “Not for very long, but I can.”

She carefully placed the cup on the saucer.

“It’s just that… I used too much energy when I bought you from that merchant. He made me angry, and I killed him using too much energy.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but she continued.

“And since I don’t drink blood… my body is too weak to withstand sunlight after such an expenditure.”

Damon blinked. “Wait,” he said slowly. “What do you mean you don’t drink blood?”

She laughed.

It wasn’t a restrained or elegant laugh—it was genuine, short, almost too amusing for the subject.

“I can’t.” He stared at her. “Can’t… or don’t want to?”

“I can’t,” she repeated, now with a thinner smile. “If I drink blood… I lose control.”

Damon felt a shiver run down his neck.

“Lose control how?”

Elizabeth rested her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand, watching him as if deciding how much to reveal.

“Enough,” she said with dangerous lightness, “to destroy this entire city with a sneeze.”

A heavy silence fell.

Damon stared at her, trying to decide if that was an exaggeration. Her face didn’t help—it was perfectly serene.

“You’re kidding,” he said.

“No,” she replied simply.

He let out a short, incredulous laugh.

“You’re telling me you’re a vampire who doesn’t drink blood… because if you did, you’d wipe a city off the map.”

“Basically.”

“That’s absurd.”

“I know.”

Damon ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath.

“So… how do you survive?”

Elizabeth tilted her head.

“Discipline. Seals. Ancient techniques. And tea,” she added, raising her cup slightly. “It helps more than it seems.”

He looked at the tea, then at her.

“And me?” he asked.

She watched him with renewed attention.

“You survived because your body was… compatible,” she said. “And because I had no choice.”

Damon felt something stir in his chest.

“Compatible… with what?”

She looked directly into his eyes.

“With what you’ve become.”

“You transformed me,” he said.

“I saved your life,” she corrected. “The transformation was… a consequence.”

“And the blood?” he asked, his voice lower. “Will I… need to?”

Elizabeth studied him for a long moment.

“You’re different from me,” she said. “You can drink blood. You should, at some point. But not now. Continue devouring only emotions with your cultivation technique, just as I do to survive. Never drink blood. When you do, many bad things can happen.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep