Six werewolves charged.
Snarling. Salivating. Foaming with fury.
They weren't the soft alphas of high bloodlines—they were feral brutes, enforcers bred for killing. Their muscles bulged beneath fur the color of ash and coal. The air around them thickened with killing intent.
Lucien smiled.
"Lilith," he said calmly, as his claws flexed and his pupils narrowed into blood-red slits, "don't touch a single one."
The vampire assassin leaned against the wall like she was watching a play, licking her lips. "Mmm… yes, Master."
> [CRIMSON SYSTEM ACTIVE]
Skill: Bloodstep – Ready.
Skill: Vampiric Claws – Active.
Buff: First Blood Unleashed – 9:46 Remaining.
Alert: Enemies in Rage Mode. +30% Physical Damage.
They lunged together.
Lucien vanished.
BOOM.
In a blink, he reappeared behind the lead werewolf, his arm ripping through the beast's spine with surgical grace. Blood erupted like a fountain. The creature howled, then fell twitching.
One.
Lucien turned on the second. It was mid-air, claws outstretched. He caught its wrist, twisted—and with a wet crack, tore the entire arm off. The scream barely escaped its throat before Lucien's claws opened it from groin to throat.
Two.
The others hesitated. Their snarls faltered. They had expected a fight, not a massacre.
> [Essence Absorbed: Lesser Enforcer x2]
[Bloodline Strengthening: +1%]
[Skill Unlock: Lycan Reflex Surge – Grants +50% reflex speed for 5 seconds.]
A grin spread across Lucien's bloodstained face.
"I feel it," he whispered. "Every kill. Every drop. You're all feeding me."
They came again—but less confidently. Now they circled. Cunning replaced rage.
Lucien welcomed it.
One charged from the left while another dove from the right. A pincer move. Smart.
Lucien ducked under one, caught the other mid-air, and slammed it against the ground with a sickening crunch.
Before the one behind him could react, he spun and plunged his claws into its face.
Three. Four.
> [Skill Proficiency Increasing...]
[Kill Chain x4 Achieved – Buff Streak +25% Attack Speed]
Blood mist danced around him like perfume.
"By the gods…" one of the last two whispered, shifting slightly toward the exit.
Lucien stepped forward, slow and deliberate. The sound of blood dripping from his claws echoed louder than the growls.
"Going somewhere?"
He blurred again—Bloodstep—and appeared between them. His claws rose—
CLANG.
A sudden barrier of light slammed into his chest and sent him flying back into a crypt pillar.
"Enough."
The voice echoed with ancient command.
From the shattered doorway stepped a tall figure in ceremonial black armor etched with silver. His eyes burned with golden flame, and an insignia of a moon split by a fang glowed on his chestplate.
Lucien blinked. His body ached from the hit—no, from the magic. Holy magic.
The last two werewolves dropped to their knees.
"Gamma Commander!" they shouted.
The man regarded Lucien with thinly veiled disgust.
"I knew your father," he said. "A proud Alpha. He would be disgusted to see what you've become."
Lucien rose, his smirk twisted with contempt. "Yeah? He's dead. I'm not. That tells me all I need to know about his methods."
> [System Warning: Threat Level – High Tier Shaman-Warrior Detected.]
[Elite Class: Moonbreaker – Exorcist of Hybridkind.]
Lucien's body tensed. A direct fight was suicide. The System even flashed red across his mind.
Then Lilith stepped forward from the shadows, her crimson eyes glowing.
"My my," she purred. "You didn't tell me we'd get company this delicious."
The Gamma's gaze snapped to her. "Vampire filth."
Lilith's smile widened. "Oh, how I love being insulted by men with control issues."
Lucien moved toward her. "We need to get out of here."
He gripped her wrist.
> [Bloodstep Fusion Skill Available: Shadowmeld Escape – Cooldown: 1 Hour.]
[Activate? Y/N]
Y.
The shadows beneath them bloomed like ink in water. The air bent. The Gamma's blade slashed through where they stood—too late.
Gone.
---
They reappeared deep in the forest, smoke drifting from their boots, leaves rustling underfoot. The moon overhead bathed them in silver.
Lucien dropped to one knee, panting. Blood oozed from his ribs.
Lilith crouched beside him, her hand brushing over his chest. "You're burning up. The holy strike pierced your inner essence."
"Can't… heal through it fast enough."
Her fingers trailed lower.
"I know one way to speed it up…"
He raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess—sex magic?"
She straddled him, slowly, her thighs squeezing around his hips. "You're a hybrid now. Your core is unstable. But sex with a bonded vampire can channel your bloodline and purge external contamination."
He groaned. "You're just horny."
"That too." She leaned in, biting his lip. "Let me heal you. Let me feed."
His hands rose, sliding up her thighs to her hips. Her breath hitched. Her lips brushed his ear.
"You smell like death. I want to drink it off your skin."
> [System Alert: Bonded Consummation Will Trigger Evolution Event.]
[Proceed? Y/N]
Yes.
Their lips met again. Harder. Wilder. Her tongue danced with his. His hands tore at her corset, exposing her pale, flawless skin and the crimson sigil glowing above her chest.
She gasped as he flipped her, pinning her beneath him in the moss. Her back arched. He bit down—hard—on her neck.
> [Bloodlink Consummated.]
[Essence Transfer Initiated.]
Lucien Drake – Evolution Progress: 94%... 96%... 99%... 100%]
You have advanced to Vamp-Lycan Tier 2.
New Title: Crimson Alpha.
New Skill: Blood Howl – Causes fear in enemies below your level and strengthens allies within range.
Physical Strength Increased. Vitality Doubled. Charm Amplified.
Their cries echoed through the forest as magic pulsed between their bodies.
When it ended, Lucien collapsed beside her, panting.
Lilith purred and rolled to rest her head on his chest. "Now that's how you evolve."
He smiled faintly. "I could get used to this system…"
> [Warning: A Contract Mark has been placed on you.]
[Tracking Beacon Active – Origin: The Moonbreaker Order.]
Lucien's smile vanished.
"Damn it. We're not safe."
He rose and scanned the trees.
Then a new sound reached them—low, guttural… unnatural.
Not wolves.
Something else.
Lilith's eyes narrowed. "Do you feel that?"
Lucien did.
Something old. Hungry. Wrong.
The trees ahead bent inward. Shadows coiled unnaturally.
Then it stepped out.
A woman… or something like one.
She wore nothing but tattered robes soaked in old blood. Her skin was grey as ash, her eyes black pits with red veins. Her smile was a rictus of teeth too sharp to be human.
"Hello, my sweet half-death…" she cooed, voice thick as poison. "I've been waiting for you."
> [System Alert: ??? Entity Detected – Classification Unknown.]
[Fate Thread Connected – This being is tied to your origin.]
Engagement Recommended: High Risk / High Reward.
Lucien stared at her, heart pounding.
And for the first time…
He didn't know if he was predator or prey.