"Sometimes, the hardest choices are the ones that hurt the most."
— Unknown
---
The journey back to the port city was quiet. Every one of them was barely conscious; only Kain remained awake, and he had to support Eren, who was the most badly injured.
The sun was setting as he and his companions approached the city gates.
Kain glanced at his friends—each of them marked by exhaustion and silent resolve. They had survived the forest, but none of them was the same as when they had left.
As they passed through the gates, the city's lanterns flickered to life, casting long shadows on the cobblestone streets. Kain felt a strange comfort in the noise and chaos, a reminder that life continued, even after everything they had faced.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever would come next.
---
None of them made it through the city on their own feet. Every one of them collapsed during the journey, their bodies finally giving in to exhaustion and wounds. By the time they reached the port, they were barely conscious, carried by strangers and city guards to the nearest hospital.
Days passed in a blur of pain and healing. The sterile scent of medicine replaced the salt of the sea, and the only sounds were the murmurs of nurses and the distant cries of gulls outside the window.
When Eren was finally discharged, he returned home in silence. His legs, once strong and restless, were now crippled—leaving him to face a new kind of battle, one that no sword or spell could fix.
---
Kain was at home, reading his status.
[ ~*~ Vampire Status Screen ~*~]
[-- Name --]
[Name: Kain]
[Race: Vampire]
[Health: 500/500]
[Level: 5]
[exp: 25/1000]
[Family: No Family]
[-- Talents --]
[Talents:]
- [Retain (Unique)]
[-- Stats --]
[Agility: 7]
[Perception: 10]
[Intelligence: 6]
[Strength: 5]
[Free Stats: 3]
[Blood Points: 100/100]
[-- Path Abilities --]
[The Sin of Pride: Locked]
[The Sin of Greed: Awakened, Level 1]
[The Sin of Wrath: Locked]
[The Sin of Envy: Locked]
[The Sin of Lust: Locked]
[The Sin of Gluttony: Locked]
[The Sin of Sloth: Locked]
[-- Bloodline Abilities --]
[Blood Manipulation: Unlocked]
[Night Vision]
[Enhanced Senses]
[Blood Healing]
[-- Other Abilities --]
[Treasure Sense (Sin of Greed)]
[Vampire Family Management System (Not Used)]
Kain decided to add his free stats to strength, bringing his strength to 8.
Kain's agility had increased from 6 to 7 because he had drunk Eren's blood.
"Sanguini," Kain called out, "I have a question."
[What is it, Kain? (・・?)]
"How—wait. Why do you sometimes call me Sir, and other times just Kain?"
[Now did I? (;￣Д￣)]
"…"
"Anyway, can you explain to me about the Family Management System ability that I seem to have?"
[Before that, Mister Kain would need to create his own Family.]
Kain frowned. "Create my own Family? How do I do that?"
[It's simple, Mister Kain! (＾▽＾)] Sanguini replied cheerfully.
[All you need to do is declare your intent, and the System will guide you through the process.]
Kain hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I want to create my own Family."
[Understood. Initiating Vampire Family Creation Protocol...]
A faint shimmer appeared before Kain's eyes as the System interface shifted.
[Please choose a Family Name from this list:]
- Umbrosia
- Vespera
- Morvayne
- Tenebris
Kain thought for a moment, searching for something that felt right. "Umbrosia," he said quietly.
[Family Name: Umbrosia. Confirm? (y/n)]
"Yes," Kain replied.
[Confirmed. Generating Family Crest and Title...]
A new section appeared on his status screen:
[-- Family --]
[Family Name: Umbrosia]
[Family Head: Kain Umbrosia]
[Members: 1/5]
[Crest: A silver crescent entwined with black thorns]
[Congratulations, Kain! You are now the Head of the Umbrosia Family! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧]
Kain stared at the new information, a strange sense of responsibility settling on his shoulders.
"So... that's it?" he asked.
[Yes! Mister Kain (^_^)]
[You only need to convert others into vampires, and they will join your family.]
[The Vampire Management System has two features right now:]
- Family Loyalty Statistics
- Family Connection
"I see..." replied Kain. "It's quite complicated to be a vampire."
"But I need to do what I can," thought Kain, as the image of a certain woman with pure white eyes and black-and-white clothes standing in a forest flashed through his mind.
Kain shook his head and sighed inwardly.
'Sigh...'
Kain was at home, lost in thought, when a soft knock echoed through the quiet house. He opened the door to find Eren, pale and thin, gripping the frame for support.
"Eren..." Kain breathed, his voice heavy with worry.
Eren managed a weak smile. "I made it back, somehow," he said, his tone laced with bitterness and pain. "But I'm not the same, Kain. I can't even walk properly anymore."
Kain helped Eren inside, settling him gently onto a chair. The silence between them was thick, broken only by Eren's ragged breaths.
"I'm sorry," Kain finally whispered. "If only I were stronger—"
"Don't," Eren interrupted, shaking his head. "We all did what we could. But now... what am I supposed to do like this? I don't think we can climb the tower together now."
A familiar chime sounded in Kain's mind.
[If I may, Mister Kain,] Sanguini's voice echoed, [there is a way to help Eren. You could turn him into a vampire. His body would heal, and he would walk again.]
Kain's eyes widened. "Eren... if I turn you, you'll be like me. A vampire. You'll regain your strength, but your life will change forever."
Eren looked up, searching Kain's face for answers. "Will I walk again?"
Kain nodded slowly. "Yes. But you'll have to live as a vampire. There's no going back."
Eren was silent for a long moment, his fists clenched. "I don't want to be a burden. If this is the only way... then do it, Kain. I trust you."
Kain took a deep breath, his resolve hardening. "Alright. I'll do it. You won't be alone in this."
[Initiating Vampire Conversion Protocol... The Ability 'Blood Ritual,' Sanguini announced, her tone solemn.
A screen showing a status bar appeared in front of Kain.
[Progress: [|||------]]
[Progress: [||||-----]]
[Progress: [|||||----]]
Meanwhile, in reality, a flood of information started to pour into his mind.
Along with that, Kain somehow knew what it was, how to use it, and felt proficient in it.
Kain suddenly started chanting some ancient words:
"Sanguis aeternum, vinculum vitae,
Per noctem et umbras, renascentur.
Ex meo sanguine, novum iter incipit,
Umbrae accipiant, lumen relinquatur.
Ego sum radix, tu ramus,
Nunc et in aeternum, familia una."
As Kain spoke, the words seemed to echo with power, the air shimmering with crimson light.
A blood-red magic circle appeared below Kain.
Kain bit his thumb as blood started to drip from it.
But the falling blood glowed as it moved toward the circle, as if drawn to it. The blood made the color in the circle darker.
It looked as if the circle was filled with blood.
Slowly, the blood within the circle began to swirl and rise, forming a translucent shell above the magic circle, enclosing Eren.
The shell thickened, layer by layer, until it resembled a blood-red egg suspended in the air.
As the ritual continued, the blood that had flowed into the circle started to form intricate, ancient symbols across the surface of the egg.
The air was heavy with magic, the symbols glowing brighter with every passing moment. Kain felt the energy building, the ritual reaching its crescendo. Then, with a final surge of power, the chanting ceased and the crimson light faded.
The ritual was complete, but the egg remained, hovering above the circle, its surface etched with mysterious symbols, radiating a quiet, ominous energy.
---
*crack**crack*
Tiny fractures spread across the surface of the egg.
Eren was emerging.
Two hours had passed since he entered the cocoon-like shell. Now, with a final snap, the shell split open.
He stepped forward, shards crumbling around his feet.
His appearance had changed.
Eren's once-average features had become hauntingly beautiful. His skin was porcelain-pale, flawless.
Crimson-red eyes glowed with depth and hunger. Silken black hair framed his angular face, falling just short of a sharp jawline.
Even the faint glint of his fangs made him look both dangerous and divine.
Every movement carried an elegance he never had before. Graceful. Inhuman. Powerful.
---
[Welcome, Eren. You have been reborn as a Vampire.]
[You are now a member of the Umbrosia Family.]
[Family Head: Kain Umbrosia]
[Family Members: 2/5]
[Standing: Halfling]
[You may address your Family Head as you wish.]
[Please choose your Cardinal Sin Path:]
- [Pride]
- [Greed]
- [Wrath]
- [Envy]
- [Lust]
- [Gluttony]
- [Sloth]
Eren stared at the glowing symbols only he could see, his mind still racing.
One word stood out.
Sloth.
He thought of the exhaustion that haunted his life. The pain. The struggle. And then... stillness. Peace. Rest. That's what Sloth promised.
[You have chosen: The Sin of Sloth.]
[Path of Sloth: Awakened, Level 1.]
A new message appeared.
[You are now bound to the Umbrosia Family. Your loyalty is registered to the Family Head, Kain Umbrosia.]
---
Eren turned to Kain, crimson eyes gleaming—not with fatigue, but determination.
"I want to serve you," he said softly. "Not as an equal. As your right hand. Let me devote myself to you... to the family."
Kain's expression tightened. "Eren, no. That's not why I turned you. We're friends—equals. You don't owe me anything."
Eren stepped closer. "But I do owe you. You saved me. You gave me another chance. I need this, Kain. I need something to hold onto. Let me protect you. Let me protect what you're building."
Kain hesitated, torn. His voice was low. "I never wanted you to be my follower, Eren. I wanted you as a brother, as a friend."
"Then let me be both," Eren replied. "Your friend. Your shield. I'll stand beside you—but I'll also stand for you."
The silence between them stretched.
Finally, Kain exhaled. His shoulders relaxed, but his eyes were serious. "Alright. If this is what you want... I accept. But don't forget who you are to me. I'm only going to consider you a friend."
A small, genuine smile curved Eren's lips as he bowed his head.
"Thank you. I won't let you down."
At that moment, Sanguini spoke up.
This is the result of him becoming a vampire. (´・ω・｀)]
'What do you mean, Sanguini?' asked Kain.
[Becoming a vampire amplifies your good emotions towards the family head. His good emotions must have already been high, but after this, they became something that made him swear his loyalty.]
'Is there some way to not change his personality?' asked Kain.
He didn't want his friend to change.
[No. Even you would change; your personality will also undergo major changes as a result of becoming a vampire.]
[You won't be this timid, Kain. Each of the Sins, although called Sins, only affects the vampires in a good way.]
[As long as you do not overuse them. If you do, they become drugs which will eat you from inside.]
'Thanks for the info dump and suggestion, Sanguini.'
[٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و Hehehe...]
'If it is something inevitable, I only need to make sure that it all doesn't affect us in any negative way.'
What Kain didn't know, however, was that he had already started to show signs of Greed.
He now started to build an ambition to have his own power.
His ambitions would only soar higher from now on.
But whether these ambitions would be something good for Kain, or would they simply add oil to the fire devouring him,
only time would tell.
---
Eren glanced at Kain, a spark of anticipation in his eyes. "So... when are we climbing the tower?"
Kain grinned, the tension between them easing. "Tomorrow. Let's apply to the World Guild Council tonight."
That evening, they filled out the application forms together, submitting their request to climb the towers tomorrow.