4:02 AM — Hospital Stairwell
Zack's heart was beating too fast.
Not from fear.
From energy.
The second vampire's blood still burned in his throat.
Not painful.
Charging.
He leaned against the wall and looked at his arm.
The bruise from earlier.
The crack in his rib he felt when he got slammed.
It was gone.
Not healing.
Gone.
He lifted his shirt slightly.
No damage.
No soreness.
His body felt stronger than thirty minutes ago.
Sharper.
Cleaner.
He blinked.
A faint message appeared.
BLOOD ABSORPTION COMPLETE
TRAIT UNLOCKED: REGENERATION (TIER 1)
Zack froze.
Regen.
So that's what the heat was.
He flexed his hand.
Steel rolled over his knuckles smoothly now.
Faster than before.
More controlled.
He realized something.
It wasn't just EXP.
High-tier blood upgraded him directly.
The Hunger Clarifies
He expected thirst.
Craving.
Animal instinct.
But that's not what he felt.
What he felt was precision.
Like his body wanted quality, not quantity.
Vampire blood strengthened him.
Human blood probably wouldn't.
That meant something important.
He didn't need to become a monster.
He needed to hunt monsters.
That thought grounded him.
Test Run
He stepped outside the hospital into the cold night air.
The city felt different.
He could hear farther.
Smell farther.
And then—
He smelled it.
Rot.
Decay.
Predator scent.
Behind the emergency building across the street.
He didn't hesitate.
He moved.
Faster than yesterday.
Crossed the street in seconds.
Jumped the fence without thinking.
Landed silently behind a dumpster.
Two figures crouched over something.
A homeless man.
Still alive.
Barely.
One vampire feeding.
The other standing watch.
Zack didn't think.
Steel formed instantly.
He rushed the one feeding.
Grabbed it by the neck.
Ripped it off the victim.
Threw it into brick.
Before the second could react—
He was already there.
Punch.
Jaw shattered.
Kick.
Spine cracked.
The first one lunged back at him.
Zack let it.
Claws tore across his chest.
Pain flared.
But healed instantly.
The vampire froze.
Confused.
Zack grabbed its face.
Bit deep.
This time he felt it.
Not just heat.
Information.
Strength.
Instinct.
Like downloading experience.
The second tried to run.
Zack moved faster than he expected.
Caught it mid-step.
Slammed it into pavement.
Bit again.
Both bodies dissolved into ash.
System Response
ENEMIES DEFEATED
EXP +160
LEVEL UP
LEVEL 5
LEVEL 6
TRAIT ENHANCED: REGENERATION (TIER 2)
MINOR SPEED INCREASE CONFIRMED
Zack stood there breathing hard.
The homeless man coughed.
Alive.
Zack helped him sit up.
"You good?" he asked.
The man blinked at him, dazed.
"You… shiny…"
Zack exhaled.
"Yeah."
He stepped back into shadow before sirens came.
Realization
On the hospital rooftop an hour later—
He tested something.
He took a broken piece of metal railing.
Pressed it into his forearm.
Hard.
It pierced slightly.
Then sealed instantly.
No scar.
No weakness.
He wasn't just surviving fights.
He was built for them.
But then a colder thought hit him.
If vampire blood upgrades him…
What happens when he kills something stronger?
And if something stronger exists—
They will feel the deaths tonight.
Four vampires gone.
In one area.
That's not subtle.
He looked out over the city skyline.
Silver eyes glowing faintly.
"I'm not hiding," he muttered.
Final Notification
As dawn approached—
A new message appeared.
Different font.
Sharper.
RANKED ENTITY DETECTED
TIER: UNKNOWN
ESTIMATED CONTACT: 48 HOURS
Zack smiled slightly.
Level 6.
And climbing.
End of Episode 3.