Chapter 196: Vampire Transformation??
Aether suddenly grabbed his chest. His breathing became uneven. "What’s happening to me?"
Aether’s fingers dug into his shirt. His heartbeat accelerated.
Once.
Twice.
Then faster.
Aether dropped to one knee. "Someone..." He looked around desperately. "Help!"
The guard immediately reached for his radio. "Prisoner experiencing a medical emergency."
Aether’s body suddenly stiffened. His eyes widened. Something inside him had changed. His pupils contracted. Then his eyes began glowing red.
The guard froze. "What the..."
Aether raised his head. His eyes burned like two points of crimson light in the darkness. His breathing became heavier. His teeth began changing. Two sharp fangs slowly emerged from his mouth.
Aether touched them with trembling fingers. "What..." His voice sounded lower and rougher. He looked at his reflection in the small metal surface beside the bed.
Red eyes, Pale skin, Sharp teeth.
Aether stared at himself in horror. "What am I?"
The lights suddenly flickered again. This time, every camera inside the corridor went dark.
The guard stepped backward. "What is happening?"
Aether’s scream tore through the prison. "AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
The sound echoed through the entire facility.
And somewhere far beyond Alkon City...On another world....Ray sat comfortably in front of a floating screen. The screen displayed Aether’s prison cell.
The Ray’s eyes followed every movement. He smiled.
The same higher being who had been watching the events of Alkon City from afar. Except this time, he wasn’t watching through the perspective of an NPC. He was watching from his own planet.
From what appeared to be another version of Earth. Ray leaned forward slightly. Aether’s transformation continued on the screen.
Ray smiled. "Uhuuu..." He rubbed his chin. "My next pawn." He tapped the floating screen. The image enlarged. Aether’s glowing red eyes stared directly into the camera.
Ray chuckled. "Now this..." He smiled wider. "...is going to spice up the plot." He raised one hand. A strange energy gathered around his fingers. Then he moved his hand.
Inside the prison, Aether suddenly screamed again. His eyes burned brighter. His fingers tightened against the floor. The transformation accelerated.
Ray’s smile disappeared for a moment. His expression became focused. "Let’s see what you can do." He lowered his hand.
The floating screen slowly faded. Before disappearing completely, Rey looked at Aether one final time. "Your father failed." A faint smile returned to his face. "But you..." The screen went black. "...might be much more interesting."
Back in Alkon City, Nobody was still sitting peacefully on his couch.
Blossom Bunny had fallen asleep beside him.
Nobody looked down at him. "Buddy?"
Blossom didn’t move.
Nobody smiled. "Already asleep?" He carefully pulled a blanket over Blossom. Then he leaned back.
Outside the window, the city lights continued glowing. Everything looked normal. But somewhere inside the world...something had changed.
..........
The scream that erupted from the prison echoed through the entire facility. Aether Veil stood motionless inside his cell. His skin had completely lost its color.
What had once been a normal human complexion had turned deathly pale, almost as if every trace of warmth had been drained from his body. His hair, once its original color, had transformed into a deep crimson red that fell across his forehead.
His eyes were the same. Bright red, not irritated, not bloodshot. Red.
Aether slowly lifted his head. Then he smiled. A pair of sharp fangs appeared between his lips. "Hahaha..."
His laughter grew louder.
The guard standing outside the cell took several steps backward. "Aether! Stay where you are!"
Aether looked at him. For a moment, he said nothing. Then his smile widened. "I feel..." He clenched his fist. "...amazing."
The muscles in his arm tightened. His expression twisted with excitement.
"All that time sitting in this pathetic cell..." He looked down at his pale hands. "And now I finally understand."
Aether’s red eyes narrowed. "I don’t need my father’s plan anymore." He turned toward the prison bars. "I’ll make my own."
The guard immediately reached for his radio. "Emergency! We have a violent inmate displaying abnormal—"
Aether grabbed the bars. The thick metal bent under his fingers.
The guard froze.
Aether casually pulled the bars apart as though they were made of soft wire. "Now..." He stepped through the opening. "...I’ll kill both Aiden and Toma."
The guard’s face went pale. "You can’t..."
Aether suddenly rose from the ground. His feet left the floor. He was floating.
The guard stared upward in disbelief. "What the hell are you?"
Aether laughed. "Something far more interesting than a prisoner." His body shot toward the ceiling. He smashed through the upper section of the prison and disappeared into the night sky. His laughter continued to echo behind him. "Hahahahahaha!"
Inside the prison, alarms began ringing throughout the facility. Security personnel rushed toward the damaged cell. But Aether was already gone.
...........
Several kilometers away, Nobody was sitting at home. He had been quietly drinking coffee with Blossom Bunny beside him.
The room was peaceful. Almost suspiciously peaceful.
Nobody stared toward the window. "So, Blossom..."
Blossom Bunny looked up. "Atta!"
Nobody leaned back in his chair. "I wonder what that shift in the world meant."
Blossom Bunny tilted his head.
Nobody continued. "Even Mr.Guide said my world was going to go through a great change." He sighed. "I really hope it’s not another life-threatening event."
Blossom Bunny smiled. "Atta!"
Nobody looked at him. "You’re way too optimistic."
Then suddenly...
A blue System window appeared directly in front of him.
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[EMERGENCY ALERT]
[A HIGH-PRIORITY INDIVIDUAL HAS ESCAPED CUSTODY.]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]
[WARNING: INDIVIDUAL HAS UNDERGONE SPECIES ENHANCEMENT THROUGH EXTERNAL INFLUENCE.]
[CURRENT SPECIES: VAMPIRE]
[TARGETS: AIDEN NATHAN / TOMA]
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Nobody’s coffee stopped halfway to his mouth. "...Ehhh???" He slowly lowered the cup. "The guy who hurt Toma during her past kidnapping..." His eyes moved across the System window. "...got out of jail?" He blinked. "Shouldn’t the police catch him easily?"
The System responded immediately.
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[NEGATIVE.]
[THE INDIVIDUAL IS NO LONGER WITHIN NORMAL HUMAN PARAMETERS.]
[SPECIES ENHANCEMENT DETECTED.]
[EXTERNAL INFLUENCE DETECTED.]
[CURRENT PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES CANNOT BE COMPARED TO THE INDIVIDUAL’S PREVIOUS CONDITION.]
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Nobody’s eyes widened. "So that’s what that strange change was...??" His expression became serious.
Someone had taken an ordinary human criminal...And turned him into something else. Something that could now threaten Aiden and Toma directly.
Nobody immediately stood. "System."
The System window appeared. "What can I do?"
[RECOMMENDATION: ENGAGE.]
Nobody looked toward the helmet sitting nearby. Then he smiled faintly. "Yeah." He picked it up. "Let’s go."
He placed the helmet under his arm and walked toward the door. Then he stopped. "Wait." He looked down at his usual outfit. His office clothes. "This isn’t exactly vampire-hunting attire."
The System appeared beside him.
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[REQUEST RECEIVED.]
[ALTERING COMBAT OUTFIT.]
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Particles of light began appearing around Nobody’s body. His clothes dissolved into shimmering fragments. His shirt and office pants were replaced piece by piece. A black blazer formed around his shoulders. Black jeans appeared beneath it.
His shoes changed as well. Within seconds, Nobody stood in a completely different outfit.
Black blazer, black jeans and dark shoes. The entire outfit looked much more suited for someone who had absolutely no intention of attending an office meeting.
Nobody looked down at himself. "Hmm." He adjusted his blazer. "Pretty stylish."
Blossom Bunny hopped onto his shoulder. "Atta!"
Nobody looked at him. "You coming too?"
Blossom Bunny nodded enthusiastically. "Atta!"
Nobody smiled. "Then let’s move." He grabbed his helmet.
Outside the apartment, his crimson motorcycle waited beneath the streetlights. Nobody rushed downstairs. The moment he reached the bike, he put on his helmet and mounted it. The engine came alive.
He looked toward the road ahead. "Aiden." He tightened his grip on the handlebars. "Toma." His voice became quiet. "Hang on."
The motorcycle accelerated into the night. Nobody disappeared down the street.
Far above the city, something moved through the darkness.
Aether Veil.
His crimson hair whipped through the wind as he flew above the buildings. His red eyes glowed against the night.
He smiled. "Aiden Nathan..." His fangs showed again. "Toma..."
His smile widened. "You have no idea what’s coming."
Behind him, the lights of Alkon City stretched across the horizon. And somewhere below... A crimson motorcycle raced toward the same destination.
The System appeared inside Nobody’s helmet.
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[TARGET LOCATION ACQUIRED.]
[AETHER VEIL IS MOVING TOWARD ALKON CITY.]
[PROJECTED TARGET: TOMA.]
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Nobody’s grip tightened. "Oh, absolutely not." He leaned forward.
.......
High above the city, Aether suddenly stopped in midair.
His red eyes looked down at the streets below. "Something..." He slowly turned his head. "...is coming." For the first time since his transformation, his smile faded slightly.
A strange presence was approaching at incredible speed.
Aether’s eyes narrowed. Then he laughed. "So someone wants to stop me?" He raised one hand and watched his pale fingers. "Good." His crimson hair moved with the wind. "I was getting bored."
Far below, Nobody’s motorcycle tore through the empty road.
The System displayed one final warning.
[DISTANCE TO TARGET: DECREASING.]
Nobody leaned forward. "Then let’s see what this new vampire can do." The crimson motorcycle disappeared into the darkness.
Neither hunter nor prey knew how their first meeting would end.