Everything tasted the same, food-wise, but the rge cup filled with the crimson liquid no longer just smelled like rust but smelled appetizing. "You will get used to it, give it a year and it will be the new norm for you." Veronica tried to assure me. I shrugged my shoulders, "We and the Adventurers Guild are searching for any information about your name to see if we can discover why your name changed, but it will take time." Veronica informed me as I took another bite of food.

  I was surprised I was on my second pte and it felt like I could eat a third, "The integration and Awakening would have burned through any body fat, and based on the way you look you lost some potential muscle mass that you could have gained. I don't doubt you will regain it over the next couple of weeks." Samantha, the local Guild specialist on Integration and Awakening informed me.

  Unlike my new buddies, Samantha was an Elf, specifically a High Elf. "Is this the norm for Pureblood Vampires?" I inquired as I touched my hair and one of my ears, which was now slightly elongated.

  Veronica nodded her head, "The hair is unknown, we assume has to do with your personal bloodline, but the change to your ears is the norm for Purebloods. Your teeth and nails are hardened as well, while they cannot rip through metal, most other materials will not be able to stop them." the woman quickly informed me as I scratched at the back of my hand where the new tattoo had appeared.

  It was the mark indicative of an Adventurer, yet it would grow and change as I developed and delved into the towers, rifts, and Labyrinth. "Rex, it will stop itching after a couple of hours. I do advise you to stop eating your food after this pte and let your body metabolize and absorb it. You will also need to consume the whole cup of blood, unlike normal Vampires you are under the effects of Undeath which means you require food, water, and blood to survive." Samantha quickly added, reminding me of the drastic changes I had gone through yet again.

  "Have you gone through your Character Sheet and Racial Information yet?" Veronica demanded, earning a gre from me.

  I swallowed the test mouthful of food before I responded, "I am still trying to get used to all the changes, I expected to become an Adventurer, but now three days have passed, and I am a Pureblood Vampire. How many are out there?" I inquired as I focused, bringing up my Character Sheet for the first time.

  SpoilerVictor Bck SexMaleAge30RacePureblood VampireProfession---Level1Experience0/100Fame---Infamy---Carry Capacity200 Lbs.Attribute Points3 --- Stats --- Health200/200H-Regen1.1/SecondMana300/300M-Regen3/Second --- Attributes --- Vitality20Strength20Dexterity20Intelligence20Wisdom20Perception10Charisma: 20Luck10 --- Bonuses --- Racial: +1 Vitality, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and CharismaPerk: +1 Charisma and LuckQualities: ---Profession: --- --- Offense --- Base Melee Damage---Base Ranged Damage---Critical Hit Chance5%Critical Hit Damage100% --- Defense --- Armor1Evade Chance2% --- Resistances --- Blunt---Piercing---Sshing---Poison50%Disease50%Dark50%Light---Acid---Fire---Ice---Lightning---Mental50% --- Mark(s) --- Adventurer --- Perk(s) --- Linguist, Silver Tongued, Lucky Bastard, Daywalker --- Qualities --- Sucker for the Ladies --- Title(s) --- N/A

  [colpse]Veronica cleared her throat, "Between twenty and fifty worldwide have been Awakened or been born since the first Pureblood Awakened. You have about the same reproductive rate as Elves, which we believe is caused by our inherent longevity." Veronica expined as I focused on my Attributes causing another window to appear.

  Spoiler--- General Information: Stats and Attribute --- Health: Your Health Stat is a quantified measurement of your current Health, generally this Stat can only be decreased by taking damage and sustaining injuries. For Adventurers, this Stat is crucial to your long-term survival no matter how you fight your opponents. Mana: Your Mana stat is a quantified measurement of how much Mana you have avaible to utilize actively. While every being who has gone through Intergration has had their bodies saturated by Mana, Adventurers/Crafters, can only utilize so much actively. Vitality: This Attribute enhances your Health and your natural ability to regenerate from injuries. A single point invested into Vitality will increase your Health by 10 Points, while your Health Regeneration is computed by (Vitality X 5%)/Second. This does not include any modifiers or enhancements. Vitality also increases your inherent stamina and staving off Exhaustion. Strength: This Attribute computes your physical might, which is crucial for those fighting in melee combat or moving heavy objects. When inflicting melee damage upon an opponent, the damage you inflict is computed by Base Weapon Damage + (Strength X 100%). This does not include any modifiers or enhancements. Your Strength Attribute will also increase your Carry Capacity by 10 Lbs. Per point. Your Strength can also enhance your speed passively, but not as quickly as your Dexterity Attribute will increase your speed. Dexterity: This Attribute is utilized to enhance your speed, coordination, and reflexes, while also utilized to compute the ranged damage you inflict in combat, which is computed by Base Ranged Damage + (Dexterity X 100%). This does not include any modifiers or enhancements. Intelligence: This Attribute enhances your Mana pool as well as your ability to regenerate Mana, while also passively affecting how you can learn new concepts and your understanding of the knowledge you gain. A single point invested into Intelligence will increase your Mana by 5 Points while increasing your Mana Regeneration by (Intelligence X 10%)/Second. This does not include any modifiers or enhancements. Intelligence is also utilized in computing magical damage in combat, this is computed by spells Base Damage + (Intelligence X 100%) unless specifically stated by the spell information. Wisdom: This Attribute enhances your Mana pool as well as your ability to regenerate Mana, while also passively affecting how you can understand knowledge you gain. A single point invested into Wisdom will increase your Mana by 10 Points, while increasing your Mana Regeneration by (Wisdom X 5%)/Second. This does not include any modifiers or enhancements. Perception: This Attribute is utilized to increase your acuity and ability to discern minute changes which can result in identifying vulnerabilities of opponents, increased chance at detecting beings under the effects of camoufge, stealth, invisibility, or detecting illusions. Crafters will find this Attribute crucial in locating fws or mistakes in their products. Charisma: This Attribute is utilized in social situations, can affect your physical looks and attractiveness with others, can passively effect Charm magic, and how others view you. Charisma can also affect your ability to resist Mental magic. Luck: This Attribute can affect you and those around you in a thousand different ways or not at all, its Luck. Random chance cannot be controlled, just increased. These random events can be in or against your favor.

  [colpse]I blinked in surprise nearly dropping my utensils at how intuitive the System was, "Why are you and the guild so interested in Pureblood Vampires?" I inquired as I studied the information in front of me.

  I noted the two women gncing towards each other before either responded, "Regur Vampires are effected by Purebloods, it's not really quantified by the System, at least not in a way that I am aware of. Case in point, I am usually far more contentious with people but there is no one better in House Aldbridge to deal with trouble or controlling newborn Vampires." I gnced at the two men who nodded their heads slightly.

  I turned my focus towards the two women as I grabbed the cup filled the blood and sipped it before taking a bigger drink, "Ok, so what? Pureblood Vampires emit a pheromone or scent that effects other Vampires. Is that important enough to draw this much attention?" I inquired as I considered the taste of the drink.

  While it had the coppery taste I expected, it also tasted like something else I couldn't quite describe that I found pleasant. "Most Purebloods have gone on to cim whole regions of the globe, they act as mediators, arbiters, and executioners, when necessary, to deal with situations between different Houses," Veronica expined.

  Samantha chuckled, "They are also arrogant assholes who don't think their shit stinks!" I raised a single eyebrow as Veronica looked like she was about to leap at the other woman.

  I instinctively grabbed her wrist which caused her to freeze up while the two men that had accompanied her tensed but didn't react, "I am a Pureblood and I know my shit stinks, I can only imagine what it will smell like after I consumed all of this." I noted causing Samantha to give a nervous chuckle. Veronica shuddered and I let her wrist go, "Are you ok?' Veronica nodded her head, 'What was that?" I inquired as the two men very obviously didn't look at her.

  For some reason it caused her to blush, "The venom our bodies secrete can be used as a pain killer and aphrodisiac to help with the feeding process, for some reason a Pureblood's touch can cause a simir reaction with regur Vampires. This is why most Purebloods only dwell with those they have turned, are other Demi-Human types, or personal followers and harems." Veronica expined causing me to blush and look away.

  "Noted, no touchy with other Vampires, got it.' I absently commented causing Veronica to smile for the first time, 'Well, I have no interest in politics or control, so you can assure whoever you report too that I don't pn on dispcing them." I did my best to assure them.

  All of them grimaced, "Actually that is exactly what we want for the Midwest Region of North America, not to mention the other Purebloods will expect it of you." Veronica expined.

  I sat there in stunned silence for a few moments before shaking my head, "Nope, not interested in the least. I did this whole thing to become an Adventurer, not a bureaucrat in a gilded cage. I have my own goals now that I survived the Integration process, and they don't include doing that!" I told them.

  Samantha quickly interjected, "The Adventurers Guild leadership would fully support your ascent to controlling the Midwest Region, and we could work something out to make sure you spend time in the Towers of Tribution and Labyrinth." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose as I shook my head.

  Veronica surprised me by reaching out and touching me, "You need to do this to protect yourself not only from the Houses that dislike Pureblood leadership but also from Purebloods that will see your refusal as a weakness and trying to undo what they have built since the Emergence." she expined.

  I patted her wrist and pulled away slightly, "So if I do what you say, the people that dislike Purebloods will have more reasons to kill me, if I don't both Pureblood and regur Vampires will have reasons to kill me. In other words, I am fucked...that about sum it up?" I inquired causing the two men to chuckle which caused both women to gre at them.

  It didn't make them stop, "For all intents and purposes, yes. The only chance you have is for you to garner enough support from the Houses scattered across the Midwest Region to secure your control and safety. The moment you Awakened as a Pureblood, this was your future and I recommend you move to Dals for multiple reasons because our boss does support your ascension, and he is the eldest Vampire in the territory." one of them expined.

  I shook my head and downed the st of the blood, "Two things; one why doesn't Marcus take control of the territory if he is the eldest Vampire within it and what is to keep him from killing me?" I inquired.

  Veronica cleared her throat, taking control of the conversation again, "First Marcus was named as the arbiter of the Midwest Region and had the support of the Purebloods that cimed the east, west, and Central America Regions. I am sure he has reported your emergence to the Twilight Council by now and thus it will be assumed you will take the Midwest Region. Second, the other Purebloods would exterminate any House that killed a Pureblood, if a Pureblood is killed it is only done by another Pureblood at this point. As to why you should move to Dals, it's the region's capital and a major trade hub for Demi-Humans and the Crafters Guild, not to mention it's the center of House Aldbridge's powerbase, if you truly want to survive you must cultivate retionships with the other Houses and its best to do that from a position of power which Dals can help provide." she expined.

  I opened my mouth to respond, but an argument and door banging open stopped me as a trio of figures came stomping into the small dining area we were in. I noted Veronica cursing as all three Vampires tensed while Samantha cursed and quickly snatched up her phone as I studied the three interlopers wondering what the fuck was going on now.