The dragon and the cultivator continued their battle in the sky, their clash so destructive that the surrounding landscape bore scars—craters littered the ground, and the once-thriving environment lay in ruins. Terrified beasts fled in all directions, among them the three-headed wolf that had once pursued Viktor. Sensing the overwhelming danger, it wasted no time escaping.
Unbeknownst to them, within the dragon’s maw, something unusual was happening. After chewing Viktor, the beast’s mouth dripped with his blood, and a few drops fell to the ground.
[System rebooting...]
[An unknown accident of unexpected proportions has occurred...]
[Searching for a solution...]
The droplets of blood that had fallen did not soak into the earth. Instead, they floated midair, expanding slowly. As they grew larger, their color deepened into a rich crimson, and mysterious flickering symbols appeared around them.
Time passed, and the mass of blood transformed—shaping itself into a pulsating heart. From within, fresh drops of blood fell to the ground, one after another, like raindrops. With each drop, the pool of blood on the earth widened and rose, forming towering walls of crimson.
Then, where once there was only emptiness, something began to take shape. At the heart of this strange phenomenon, a structure emerged—a majestic yet eerie castle. Its towering stone walls loomed ominously, and its gothic architecture resembled the vampiric castles spoken of in myths and legends.
[Solution complete...]
Inside the castle’s grand throne room, an enormous gate stood adorned with intricate, ancient patterns. Beyond it, a long red carpet stretched toward an elevated stage, where an empty throne awaited. Then, from the air itself, blood materialized—followed by bones, veins, and skin—until a human figure took form upon the throne.
It was Viktor.
He opened his eyes.
"I... am not dead."
Then, suddenly, a wave of information surged into his mind.
[Completing solution… Success!]
[Congratulations! The host has awakened as the Blood Lord.]
A holographic screen appeared before Viktor. His thoughts raced—just like in any transmigration or Isekai story, the protagonist always has a cheat ability. Fortunately, Viktor was no exception. Unfortunately, his system hadn't awakened when he first arrived.
It was only when Viktor died that the system was forcefully activated. However, by then, it was too late. With no other choice, the system used its remaining power to revive Viktor, changing his race into that of a Blood Lord and transforming his heart into a castle.
As for why his race changed or why his heart turned into a castle, the system provided no explanation. But for Viktor, it was enough that he had been revived.
"Because it used all its power to bring me back, the system has now gone into hibernation… I don’t know how long it will take to wake up," Viktor sighed.
He scanned his surroundings. The room was neither large nor small, but it felt eerily empty except for a well, a luxurious red carpet, and an imposing gate. The air was cold, and an eerie silence filled the space. Viktor ran his fingers over the armrest of the throne, a chilling cold seeping into his body.
"Now that I’m alive again… I’m going to find that young man."
A solemn expression crossed his face as he recalled the arrogant voice that had told him to be "grateful." The very thought irritated him. Grateful? Who does he think he is? A god? That face, that voice—he would never forget them.
And then, there was the dragon. He was going to kill it. No, he was going to cook it and savor every bite.
Viktor suddenly shook his head, realizing where his thoughts were headed. He was getting out of character.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and checked his system. Just because the system was hibernating didn’t mean all functions were unavailable. Some features would still work, though others would be inaccessible for now.
---
Status
- Name: Viktor
- True Name: ???
- Race: Blood Lord
- Rank: Tier 10 (Peak)
- Blood Essence: 0/1500
Stats
- Strength: E+
- Dexterity: E+
- Constitution: E+
- Vitality (Unique Attribute): EEE
- Will: E
- Charisma: E+
Skills
- Blood Manipulation (Level 1)
---
After examining his status, Viktor was amazed by his newfound strength. Naturally, as a Blood Lord, his stats were higher than before.
'If I had this power earlier, I could have killed that wolf… or at least stood a chance against that cultivator. If nothing else, I might have been able to escape.'
However, he had no real understanding of how strength worked in this world. The system hadn’t provided any explanations. His gaze then shifted toward three unfamiliar terms: Blood Essence and Vitality, as well as the mysterious True Name entry.
Blood Essence, as he understood it, was required to increase his rank. To acquire it, he had to absorb the blood essence of living beings—much like a vampire. Every time his rank increased, he would be able to raise **one** of his stats by a single level.
Vitality, on the other hand, was a unique attribute. Previously categorized under the skill Regeneration, it had now been transformed into a core stat of its own.
As for his True Name, it was something granted by the will of the world. Demons, gods, vampires, and other mythical races all had True Names, according to the system. However, only natives of this world were supposed to possess them. He would only uncover his True Name once he reached a certain level.
Satisfied with his current status and new understanding, Viktor shifted his attention to the next section—Castle Status.
---
Viktor's Castle
- Name: (None)
- Level: 1
- Durability: 100/100
- Functions: Summoning, Map, Basic Defense
- Summoning: Allows the summoning of Servants to do the Lord's bidding. Available summon: Workers. Upgrade the castle level to unlock more units.
- Map: Provides a 50-meter radius view around the castle. The range expands as the castle level increases.
- Basic Defense: Generates a barrier that protects the castle, capable of withstanding attacks from creatures below Tier 10.
---
The castle was the foundation of his domain—and, more importantly, his very heart. Without it, he would die. Naturally, the castle came with essential functions to aid his survival: Summoning, which allowed him to create Servants using Blood Essence; Map, which provided a 50-meter radius view that would expand as the castle leveled up; and Basic Defense, a protective barrier that required upgrades to strengthen.
Viktor activated the Map, and a holographic screen appeared before him. The map displayed three colors: green for allies, red for enemies, and blue for neutral entities. Currently, there was only one green marker—himself—while several red markers lingered around the castle's perimeter, most likely beasts drawn to its presence.
Interestingly, the red markers never moved closer, as if hesitating to approach.
Viktor decided to test the Summoning function. Since only Workers were available, he selected them.
---
[Summoning Worker… Successful.]
---
Deep within the underground chamber beneath the Throne Room, a heartbeat echoed in the dimly lit space. At the center of the room, a small, pulsating heart floated in midair, its rhythmic throbbing filling the silence.
Then, suddenly, a single drop of blood fell from the heart.
As it hit the ground, the droplet expanded, rapidly forming a mass of flesh and veins. More blood pooled, twisting into sinew, skin, and bone. Moments later, a grotesque creature emerged.
Its slick, crimson skin gleamed under the faint light. It had no eyes, just a featureless, smooth face where they should have been. Its mouth stretched unnaturally wide, revealing rows of needle-like fangs. The creature crouched low, moving on all fours, its unnaturally long limbs tipped with jagged claws that scraped against the floor with every step. Despite its hunched posture, it exuded an overwhelming presence—taller than any human when it reared up, radiating a primal, inhuman hunger.
A deep, rattling breath escaped its throat as it sniffed the air, locking onto the scent of living flesh.
Then, it turned toward the floating heart, instinctively drawn to it. Slowly, it approached and knelt before the heart, letting out a guttural roar of reverence—as if swearing its loyalty.
...
Viktor's eyes snapped open.
He had witnessed everything through their shared bond.
This creature… it was terrifying, nothing like the vampire Servant he had expected. And yet, despite its monstrous form, he felt no fear. Instead, a strange kinship formed between them, the link between master and servant binding them as one.
More than that, he was shocked to discover the existence of the underground chamber—a hidden room beneath the Throne Room, where his heart was kept. He hadn't known about it before, having only just revived, but now he realized there was much to explore within his own domain.
"Looks like I need to search my castle… who knows what other surprises I might find?" Viktor muttered to himself.
With that, he issued his first command.
"Hunt down those creatures lurking outside. Kill them all."
His Worker let out a deep, guttural snarl before vanishing into the darkness.
Viktor smiled satisfied as he watched the terrifying worker leave and stood up, but suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him. His vision blurred as he lost his balance, collapsing back into the throne.
A sharp headache pulsed through his skull as he rubbed his temples, trying to steady himself.
"It seems… summoning Servants without Blood Essence drains my own energy instead," he muttered, realizing the cause of his weakness. His body felt sluggish, his stamina nearly depleted.
