I don't know how long it's been since I woke up in this cave.
Not being able to see any sunlight messed up my sense of time. It could've already been a couple of days, or more than a week— I seriously have no idea.
During my time being stuck in this cave, I've experimented with my skill; [Blood Is Power].
And in doing so, I discovered a few things about it:
First, after drinking blood, I gain one of the abilities that the owner of that blood possessed.
Second, the skill I get is random, and after acquiring it— I'll naturally know how to use it instinctively.
Third, there are two types of skills: active and passive. I can control when to use active skills, but it's the opposite for passive ones.
And lastly, if I drink the blood of the same species a second time, I don't gain any new skill. I've drunk bat and snake blood many times now, but there's been no sign of me acquiring a new one. Though instead— the skills I got when I first drank their blood improved.
Now, I have a wider range when using [Echolocation], and I can distinguish shapes much better. As for [Thermal Sense], I can now see much farther, even through a wall about a meter thick.
Because of these two skills, I've been able to survive without much trouble inside this dark cave. I'm able to navigate using [Echolocation] and find food with [Thermal Sense].
Also, during my time here, I was able to acquire four more skills by eating and drinking the blood of whatever I could find in this cave.
After the cave snake, I found and ate a cave rat. It gave me the passive skill: [Disease Resistance]. It made it easier for me to consume raw meat. It still tastes like shit, but I no longer feel like throwing up whenever I eat it.
After that, I found a small lake and caught some fish. Upon drinking their blood— I got a skill called [Vibration Awareness]. I can now feel whenever something is moving around me within a certain range. Along with [Thermal Sense], I use it to hunt for food.
Then, I found some roaches. I wasn't sure if my skill would work on insects, but it did… I got another passive skill; [Hunger Suppression].
This really helped me. As long as I don't tire myself too much or overuse my skills— I don't get hungry. It also suppresses my instinct to drink blood whenever I see it.
Lastly, I found a cave gecko, or some sort of lizard. It was about an arm's length long. I caught it and drank its blood, giving me [Adhesive Grip].
Now, I can easily climb and scale walls like Spiderman, so that's cool.
Aside from skills, my body also improved, and I learned a few things about it as well.
Cave snakes can't see me even though they have thermal sense, because my body gives off no warmth. My body temperature is lower than normal.
Also, the main source of my strength is blood. My thin arms started gaining some size due to the amount of blood I've consumed during my time here. I don't feel weak anymore, and it seems that as long as I keep drinking blood— my strength will continue to grow.
So far, I'm just back to my normal strength now.
I'm slowly adapting to being a vampire and living in this cave.
Though, I still have no clothes, and it's chilly as fuck in here. Walking around naked feels way too weird. I can't find anything to cover myself.
I've been walking nonstop ever since I got [Echolocation], not staying in one place, trying to find an exit to this damn cave. Being a vampire apparently means that I don't need to sleep. As long as I replenish my strength by drinking blood, I'll be fine.
This trait of mine is really convenient, not gonna lie.
I got to explore the cave more because of it.
*****
"Fuuuh… Time to start walking again."
I mumbled as I stood up. I had just finished eating a cave lizard and decided to rest for a bit.
Now, I'm on my way to continue my search for this cave's exit.
'I want to get out of this damn place already.'
I thought as I used echolocation to scan my surroundings and started walking.
At this point, I've already accepted that this is my fate and my new life. It's been too long for this to just be some weird-ass dream.
"A vampire in a different world, huh."
I muttered, still slightly in disbelief.
'The voice said my wish was granted after I said I wanted to be reincarnated in a fantasy world… Does that mean I'm actually in one?'
To be honest, just the thought of it excites me. And realizing that made me understand something— I don't have any attachment to my past world.
That just shows how boring my life was.
"Still... I haven't seen anything fantasy-like though."
Just as I was grumbling that—
'...?'
I sensed something using [Echolocation] and [Vibration Awareness].
I turned my head toward it, to my right. And about fifteen meters away, I saw a weak warmth with [Thermal Sense].
It was... a snake...?
No. It had the shape of one, but it was much bigger than anything I'd encountered so far.
It was about five meters long. Not only that— seeing it through thermal vision and sensing its movement through vibrations was much harder than with anything else. If [Thermal Sense] and [Vibration Awareness] were still at their initial stages, this thing would've gotten close to me without me even noticing.
Good thing I detected its movement using [Echolocation].
'Fuck… what is it this time?'
I immediately hid behind a rock. The snake was moving nearby, slithering through the rocks close to the cave wall. If I lost focus even for a moment, I'd probably lose track of it— its warmth was that faint.
The snake seems to be preparing for an ambush, and fortunately— it didn't look like I was its target.
Feeling the vibrations around me, I sensed another movement not far away, clinging to the wall—
A cave gecko.
Looks like that's the snake's prey.
And so, I waited... I stayed still.
Then soon... the snake crawled past me. I squinted my eyes and tried to take a better look at it. My eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, and after getting stronger from drinking blood— my eyesight improved significantly.
That's why I could see it clearly.
The snake.
It was more than ten meters long, much thicker than cave snakes, about as thick as my leg. Its body looked dense and muscular.
And more importantly— Its entire body was covered in obsidian-black scales, from its head to the tip of its tail!
'It's a monster.'
It clicked instantly. I held my breath to avoid being detected. My thoughts spiraled.
'What should I do?'
Run? Fight? Or stay hidden?
One wrong move could be fatal. Obviously, the smartest option was to run or hide.
Though, the moment I saw the monster's appearance... I didn't feel fear.
Instead— I felt curious.
'What skill would I get if I drank its blood?'
I thought to myself.
I want to know... I want to drink that monster's blood and get myself a skill.
And so, as insane as it was—
I decided to stayed where I was, hiding. Observing the snake... Waiting.
I was only a couple of meters away. A sharp stone rested in my right hand.
I watched as the snake crept behind the unsuspecting cave gecko. It got closer and closer, moving without making a single sound. Watching it feels creepy.
And then... BAM!
The snake's head suddenly snapped forward and clamped down on the gecko! It was so fast I barely saw it move. The gecko didn't even have time to react.
But even after seeing that—
"HUP...!"
I stood up and rushed behind the snake!
I positioned myself near its head while it was still clinging to the wall, and without missing a beat—
PHUCK—!
I drove the sharp stone straight into the middle of its eye!
-HISSSSSS?!!
The snake reeled back in shock, blood spraying. It wasn't deep, but I wounded it.
The snake immediately turned its head toward me. I saw its mouth opened wide, revealing large, curved fangs.
'This is going to feel like shit.'
I thought to myself as I braced myself.
And the next thing I knew—
BAM!
"GAHHH—!!!"
I was slammed onto the ground. The snake bit into the left side of my body and started wrapping itself around me!
"GURGH…!"
Agonizing pain shot through me as its fangs dug deep into my flesh. I felt something spreading inside me— probably its venom.
The snake tightened its coils, trying to crush my bones.
I looked down at its head and met its gray eyes, staring at me coldly. It was dead set on killing me.
But still, after seeing that... A smile spread across my face.
And as I opened my mouth—
"Did you know? Apparently, vampires have high poison resistance."
I muttered that.
Then, without hesitation—
SNK—!
I bit into the snake's head, right where I wounded it earlier.
PHUCK—!
I stabbed the sharp stone into its side to buy myself time before it crushed me completely.
And immediately—
SSSSSSLLP~!
I took a deep breath and drank a massive amount of the snake's blood!
'LET ME TAKE YOUR SKILL!!'