---
The air in the grand palace pulsed with power, a heavy, living current that seemed to breathe with every beat of Haruki's heart. Massive obsidian columns rose like frozen giants into the vaulted ceiling, glimmering under the dim, ever-burning crimson chandeliers. Moonlight filtered in through stained glass windows etched with stories of war, blood, and eternal pacts — stories Haruki did not yet understand, but instinctively felt a part of.
His eyes opened slowly. Unlike the chaotic pain and golden light that had consumed his soul during reincarnation, this awakening was calm… too calm.
A velvet blanket wrapped his body, the bed beneath him the softest surface he had ever touched. The room was vast, filled with ancient furniture carved with strange sigils. Silk drapes fluttered near an open window. The scent of lilac and iron floated in the air.
His body, once frail and calloused, now felt light and powerful. He lifted a hand — smaller than before, but flawless. No wrinkles, no scars, no burns from years in construction. He stared at it, entranced.
"I really... reincarnated."
As if waiting for those words, a sound echoed through his mind — a chime, clear and divine. A screen shimmered into view in the air before him.
---
> Name: Haruki Kurosawa
> Age: 3 Days
> Race: Highborn Vampire/Demon Hybrid
> Status: Stable
> Energy Pool: Infinite (Suppressed)
> Titles: Reincarnated Soul, Child of the Crimson Palace
> System Type: Gamer (Progressive Unlock)
---
His breath caught.
"Three days old…?"
Haruki tried to sit up fully, and the motion was both effortless and graceful. His limbs responded with uncanny control. Despite being a newborn in this world, he felt decades of muscle memory behind his movements — a blessing of the system, no doubt.
The door creaked open.
A figure entered — tall, graceful, with eyes like liquid rubies and long crimson black hair cascading down her back. She wore a dark gown embroidered with constellations and shadows that moved when one wasn't looking.
"Haruki…" she whispered, voice soft as the night.
His eyes locked with hers.
> *Mother…?*
This was not the sharp-tongued woman from his old life. This woman radiated maternal warmth, yet carried a dangerous elegance. Like the moon cloaked in a storm.
"It's your mother, Seraphina," she said with a smile. "You'll come to understand much in time. For now… rest. Your father will see you soon."
---
Seraphina cradled him in her arms and walked across the palace, through shadowy halls alive with whispers. Servants bowed low, their eyes respectful and cautious. Murals lined the walls — depictions of war-torn realms and celestial beasts bowing before a crowned king with glowing eyes.
The throne room was nothing like Haruki had imagined.
A single massive throne of polished bone sat atop a black dais. Around it, a pool of dark crimson liquid reflected the pale light of floating candles. Guarding the throne were four giant sentinels in silver armor, unmoving, their faces hidden.
And on that throne… sat his father.
Aiden.
He was tall — impossibly so. His presence filled the chamber with an ancient pressure that forced even demons to hold their breath. Crimson eyes radiated patience and cruelty in equal measure, and his black cloak shimmered with subtle symbols of forgotten gods.
He looked down at the child in Seraphina's arms.
"Haruki," Aiden said. "My son. Born of night and storm."
His voice was deep, resonant. Not cruel. Not warm. But… absolute.
"Do you see, Seraphina? His soul is old."
Seraphina smiled gently. "Yes. He does not weep like the others did. His eyes are… awake."
Aiden stood, his cloak whispering against the marble. He reached out, and for a moment Haruki tensed. But the hand that touched his forehead was careful, steady.
---
Haruki's eyes widened.
"So this is what it means to be born into power."
But power came with scrutiny.
Later that night, Seraphina said gently to him as she held him beside the moonlit balcony.
"You were born in peace, but the world is never still. When you're stronger, the Trial will begin."
> *Trial?*
The next morning, the palace changed.
He was taken not to a nursery, but to the **Hall of Sanguine Flames** — an ancient training chamber beneath the castle. There, instructors waited. Cold-blooded, tireless, undead instructors. Their job? Prepare Haruki's mind.
And body.
---
What followed were days of constant testing.
They started with puzzles. Illusions that required logic. Riddles spoken in reversed tongues. Traps disguised as toys. Haruki failed at first — often. But each time, the system recorded his reactions.
> Passive Skill Unlocked: Adaptive Reflex Lv.1
> Perk Gained: "Curious by Nature" – +10% experience gain from failures
The instructors showed no praise, only more tests.
Reflex games followed. Darts of light and shadow hurled at him as he crawled. His body moved with uncanny instinct. His bloodline — vampire and demon both — awakened.
> Trait Activated: Hyper Senses (Beginner)
> Trait Activated: Regenerative Control (Locked at 5%)
On the third day, a surprise came. They led him to a pool of liquid that shimmered like molten rubies.
"The Blood Trial," one of the instructors murmured.
He was instructed to step in.
At first, it was warm. Then it surged — magic rippled, chaotic. The pool boiled.
Haruki gasped.
He sank.
No system prompt warned him. No skill activated in time.
He drowned.
---
**You Have Died.**
**Reset Initiated – Returning to Checkpoint 15 Minutes Prior**
**Passive Gained: "Resistance – Asphyxiation Lv1"**
Haruki's eyes flared open. This time, he held his breath properly.
"So that's what this is. Every mistake… is data."
Again and again, the blood pool killed him. Burned him. Froze his nerves. Scrambled his thoughts. But each time, he came back — a little sharper, a little stronger.
By the end of the week:
> Passive Skill: Blood Sense Lv.2
> Active Skill: Pain Endurance Lv.1
> Title Gained: "Crimson Initiate"
At night, while the instructors rested, he would sneak out. Stealthily, crawling beneath magical barriers, masking his faint life signature.
> Skill Acquired: Beginner Stealth Lv.1
> Passive Acquired: Shadow Veil (Only active if in shadows.)
On the ninth night, he reached the **Forbidden Library**. His tiny hands pulled open a tome written in Abyssal.
And he read.
He read of realms where thoughts could kill.
Of gods who feared names.
Of monsters who built kingdoms in stars.
And for the first time, he smiled.
"If I must grow… I'll use every moment, every death, and every path. Even the ones paved in blood."
---