Creak—
The heavy wooden door to Room 32 swung open. Dev and I stepped inside, the fatigue of the day finally catching up to us.
Inside, Jeevan was lying comfortably on his bed, his eyes glued to the screen of his mobile phone. His thumbs were moving at lightning speed, tapping and swiping furiously.
Pew! Pew! Boom!
The sounds of explosions and laser fire echoed from the device.
"Die! Just die already!" Jeevan shouted at the screen, completely engrossed in his battle. He glanced up for a split second as we entered.
"Oh, you guys are finally back?"
"Hmm," I hummed in response, nodding slightly.
Dev walked quietly to his bed, trying to hide his face, but it was too late. Jeevan paused his game, his sharp eyes catching the bruising on Dev's arm and the dirt on his clothes.
"Hey," Jeevan sat up, his expression darkening.
"What happened to you? You look like you got rolled in the dirt."
Dev hesitated, gripping the hem of his shirt. He looked down, clearly reluctant to speak. I knew he didn't want to drag his roommates into his troubles or appear weak.
Seeing his hesitation, I sighed and stepped forward.
"I'll tell you what happened."
I recounted the entire incident in the hallway—the bullying, the intimidation, and how we handled it. As I spoke, Jeevan's face twisted into a scowl. He crushed the empty soda can sitting on his nightstand.
Crinkle— Crack!
"Those bastards," Jeevan growled, tossing the crushed aluminum into the bin.
"That bully got off easy. If I had been there, I wouldn't have just twisted his arm. I would have broken both his legs and left him crawling back to his room."
Dev looked at Jeevan with wide eyes. Then, he glanced at me.
'Aditya is scary… but Jeevan is terrifying,' Dev thought to himself.
'Aditya just wanted to teach a lesson. Jeevan sounds like he actually enjoys the violence. I guess Aditya is the kinder one.'
"Forget about it," I said, waving my hand dismissively.
"It's over now. Besides, it's getting late. We should get some sleep. You both know our first official classes start tomorrow morning."
Jeevan grunted in agreement and plugged his phone into the charger.
"Yeah, you're right. Classes…"
"And what about you?" Jeevan asked, noticing I wasn't getting ready for bed.
"Where are you going?"
I paused at the door, a small smirk playing on my lips.
I smirked, walking toward the door. "Me? I'm a vampire. Don't you know vampires only come out at night to hunt for their prey?"
For a second, there was silence.
Then—
"Bwahahaha!"
"Haha!"
Both Jeevan and Dev burst into laughter. Jeevan wiped a tear from his eye.
"Aditya, seriously? What kind of novels have you been reading lately?" Jeevan teased, shaking his head.
"You crack jokes with such a straight face. If you want to go for a walk, just say so. 'Vampire'… ha! If you were a vampire, you would have turned to ash walking in the sun today."
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Well, I told you the truth. Don't blame me later when you realize I wasn't joking."
"Yeah, yeah, sure, Lord Vampire," Jeevan chuckled, pulling his blanket up.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Dev added softly.
"Goodnight," I replied, closing the door behind me.
Click.
---
I walked out of the dormitory building and stepped into the cool night air.
The campus was completely different at night. The bustling crowds were gone, replaced by an eerie silence. The wind howled softly as it wove through the tall glass towers.
Whoosh—
I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked casually. The darkness didn't bother me; in fact, it felt welcoming. If a normal student were out here alone, the spooky atmosphere might have made them wet their pants in fear.
But for me?
This was my element.
My feet carried me toward a specific building I had noted earlier during the tour: The Training Ground.
I remembered what Mr. Adam, the teacher, had said earlier.
"Inside the training rooms, there are machines capable of measuring your full combat power without holding back."
I reached the building. It was unlocked, accessible 24/7 for students crazy enough to train at night.
Hiss—
The automatic doors slid open. I stepped inside.
The hall was vast and empty, smelling of metal and oil. In the center stood a humanoid robot connected to a large console with a massive red target pad in the center.
A digital sign next to it read:
[Power Detector – Strike with full force to measure impact.]
I stood in front of the machine.
"I can see my stats on my system panel," I muttered to myself.
"But that's just numbers. It's boring. I want to see what those numbers look like in reality. Especially now that the sun is down."
According to my bloodline, my power should increase by roughly 20% at night.
I took a deep breath, grounding my feet. I pulled my right fist back, feeling the muscles in my arm coil like a spring. The energy inside me surged—it felt wilder, more potent than during the day.
"Let's see what I can do."
BAM!
I punched the red pad with everything I had.
Thud— Creak!
The heavy machine shuddered violently, sliding back an inch on the floor from the sheer impact.
I looked up at the robot's digital eyes. The screen on its chest flickered rapidly as it calculated the force.
[Calculating…]
[Score: 78]
"Seventy-eight," I whispered, rubbing my chin.
During the day, my stats were around 60 to 65. A score of 78 was a significant jump.
"That puts me close to Level 8 standards," I analyzed.
"During the day, I perform like a Level 5. At night, I jump three whole levels. That's a terrifying advantage."
I was satisfied with the result.
However, I was completely unaware that I wasn't alone.
---
Hiding behind a stack of gym mats near the rear entrance was a figure holding a bow.
It was Barsha.
She had come here for the same reason—to test her strength.
Barsha belonged to a faction of humanity known as the "Pure Humans." They despised Skill Books, believing them to be a curse that tainted human purity. They relied solely on physical conditioning and weapons made from beast bones. Because they didn't use magical skills, physical strength was everything to them.
She had tested herself just moments before I arrived.
Flashback.
Barsha punched the machine, sweating profusely.
Score: 19.
"Only an increase of 1?" she had gritted her teeth in frustration.
"I trained so hard, and my strength only went up by a single point?"
End Flashback.
She was about to leave when the door opened, and I walked in. Curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know why Aditya—the boy who refused a skill book—was here so late.
So, she hid.
When she saw the number 78 flash on the screen, she nearly dropped her bow.
Gasp.
She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.
'78?!' Her mind raced.
'That's… that's near Level 8! That kind of raw physical power is usually only seen in top-tier students at the end of their first year. How does a fresher have that kind of strength?'
She stared at my back with wide eyes.
'Aditya… why are you hiding your true power? You pretended to be Level 5 during the exam, but you're a monster.'
Afraid that I would discover her, she slowly backed away. She didn't want me to know she had seen my secret.
Tap… tap… tap…
She moved with the stealth of a hunter, slipping out the back exit without making a sound.
---
I remained unaware of her presence. My enhanced senses were focused on the machine, not the far corner of the room.
"Time for the next test," I said.
I retrieved the Holy Cup from my storage ring. It was a beautiful, ornate goblet that seemed to absorb the light around it.
I took a large water bottle I had brought with me and poured the contents into the cup.
Glug… glug… glug…
The cup had a magical property: it could hold up to 100 liters of liquid, despite its small size. I poured about 5 liters of water into it.
The moment the water touched the golden interior, it began to swirl and darken. The clear liquid turned a deep, rich crimson.
Shhh—
A sweet, metallic aroma wafted into the air. It smelled like the finest ambrosia. It was pure blood. I lifted the chalice to my lips and drank.
Gulp! The warm liquid slid down my throat, and instantly, a jolt of electricity seemed to run through my veins. The lethargy from the day, the minor fatigue—it all vanished in a heartbeat.
[System Notification]
[6000 HP / 7800 HP]
[6500 HP / 7800 HP]
[7000 HP / 7800 HP]
[7800 HP / 7800 HP]
[Host, your HP has fully recovered.]
I wiped my mouth, smiling.
"So that's how it works. The sunlight drains my stats and caps my HP. My natural healing regenerates about 800 HP on its own, but drinking blood restores me to peak condition instantly."
I put the Holy Cup back into the ring. I felt energized.
Restless.
"Since it's night… can I transform?"
The thought crossed my mind. The Origin Blood Tribe description mentioned transformation abilities.
"Let's try it."
I focused on the image of a bat in my mind. I willed my body to change.
Crack— squelch.
It wasn't painful, but it was a strange sensation. I felt my bones shrinking, shifting, and rearranging. My perspective on the world suddenly dropped.
The massive training hall now looked like a colossal canyon.
I looked at my reflection in the dark glass of the robot's screen.
I was a bat.
But not a normal bat—my fur was pitch black, and my eyes glowed with a faint red hue.
[Transformation Successful.]
"This… this is incredible," I thought.
My voice came out as a series of high-pitched squeaks that I could understand perfectly.
I flapped my wings.
Flap— Flap—
I ascended into the air. The sensation of flight was intoxicating. The night wasn't dark anymore; it was vibrant. I could see heat signatures, hear the heartbeat of a mouse scurrying in the vents, and feel the air currents.
I flew toward the open ventilation window near the ceiling.
Whoosh!
I soared out into the night sky, gliding over the Academy grounds. I spotted the dormitory building and flew toward the window of Room 32, which we had left slightly ajar for ventilation.
I squeezed through the gap and landed on the floor.
Dev and Jeevan were fast asleep. Jeevan was snoring softly.
Poof.
I released the transformation. My body expanded and reformed into its human shape.
I quietly climbed into my bed, pulling the covers up.
"Nobody saw me," I whispered to myself, closing my eyes.
"Perfect."
Within minutes, I drifted off to sleep, ready for the first day of classes.
---