1 Waking Up In a Coffin
I woke up in a coffin, naked.
Alina woke up with a start, finding herself in a situation that defied all logic and reason. Yet, here she was, lying not in her bed but in a coffin. It was an absurd turn of events that left her bewildered. With every ounce of strength she could muster, Alina pressed her hands and legs against the coffin's lid, shoving it away. To her astonishment, with just one forceful push, the lid flew upwards, colliding with the stone ceiling above and embedding itself within it.
The realization hit her like a cold wave: she was in a cavern. But that couldn't possibly be right. Perplexed, Alina sat up and surveyed her surroundings, confirming her suspicions. This was indeed a cave, but how on earth had she ended up here? It was utterly baffling. The coffin, curiously crafted from stone, had felt almost weightless as she flung it toward the ceiling.
As she took stock of her situation, Alina's gaze fell upon herself. The first thing she noticed was the silky strands of white hair cascading down from her head. White hair? Since when did she have white hair?
Alina stepped out of the coffin and began to take in the details of her surroundings more closely. She examined the stone coffin, only to find it resembled a burial site, adorned with her own photographs and personal items. Among them lay peculiar, dark clothing, which she had evidently been using as a makeshift pillow.
[The Coffin of Rebirth]
Just your standard burial coffin, why are you looking at it? Isn't there something you should be more worried about? Like, say, your own body? Or your own picture? Or something else? Look around!
"What kind of description is that?" Alina mused, her confusion deepening. The appearance of the text box in the middle of her vision was bewildering. "Could this be a game? Has someone thrust me into a virtual simulation without my consent?" These thoughts raced through her mind as she shook her head in disbelief. She shook her head, and the text immediately disappeared into thin air.
[Ability Unlocked: Magnifier]
Alina reached out to examine the contents of the coffin more closely, her fingers brushing against a photo taped to the inner wall. The first image captured her at a momentous milestone: freshly graduated, a young black-haired internist donned in her pristine white coat, standing proudly in front of the general hospital. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she gazed at the familiar scene. Then, her eyes drifted to another photo, and confusion set in.
The person in the second photo was unmistakably her, from the contours of her face to the depth in her eyes. Yet, the context of this image was utterly perplexing. There she was, depicted sleeping in the very coffin she now stood beside, clad in unfamiliar black attire that seemed suited for combat rather than medical rounds. Her hair was a stark white, contrasting vividly with the black hair of her graduation photo. Even more disturbing was how young and unhinged she appeared.
Gazing at the clothing, the same text box appeared again.
[Basic Ingrid Royal Vampire Armor]
An armor especially made and tailored by the House of Ingrid for its members. Lightly-armored and imbued with minor magical enhancements such as self-repair and physical protection, the garb will provide its user with basic protection against monsters and alike. So, you should wear it.
The description was far from ordinary; typical item descriptions didn't possess such a cheeky tone, and yet, the coffin description proved otherwise. She found herself pondering over the identity of Ingrid and the nature of the House of Ingrid. Were they behind this bewildering situation?
Then, she stared down at her own naked body.
Better than nothing, I guess?
Alina took hold of the clothing and dressed herself. To her surprise, the outfit was a perfect fit. The ensemble consisted of a long-sleeve shirt dress coupled with dark pants, tailored as if specifically for her. The only thing missing to complete this peculiar attire were boots. All that was missing were the boots, and she'd be ready to dive into some fantasy larping, but in all seriousness, who made this thing?
Alina discovered a piece of paper tucked into the pocket of the dress and quickly unfolded it to reveal a message that seemed to leap off the page:
"Congratulations. You have just woken up, Alina. So, how about we see the blessing I have given you? After all, in this new era, those who lack magic will inevitably perish. I hope you find me because we have a lot to do together, am I right? You might want to bite some necks :).
-Ingrid"
"Bite some necks?" The phrase bewildered her. Her white hair, the unusual combat attire, the photograph in the coffin, and now the name of the armor. The evidence was mounting, leading her to an unsettling conclusion: had Ingrid transformed her into a vampire?
But that raised even more questions. How had she been moved from her apartment on the 30th floor to this mysterious coffin in a cave? And what was this cave's location? Furthermore, Ingrid's mention of a "new era" puzzled Alina. What did it mean, and what was the "old era" by comparison?
[Ability Unlocked: Blood Inventory]
Alina's bewilderment deepened as her right hand unexpectedly plunged into a floating pool of blood, suspended mysteriously in mid-air. With a reflexive tug, she withdrew her hand, only to discover that clasped within her grasp was a saber. The pool of blood disappeared into thin air. The weapon was an eerie fusion of black and red hues. The appearance of the saber did nothing to alleviate her growing list of questions. Why would she need one?
[House of Ingrid Basic Swiss-Saber]
A non-nonsense saber useful for killing monsters, husks, humans, you name it. A baby could use it, and a child could kill with it, so, for Alina, it will be an easy task to get used to this thing. Good luck :).
She clenched her fist, hoping to replicate the sensation or trigger that had brought the saber into her possession. When that yielded no result, she reached into the air, grasping at nothing, hoping to somehow reconnect with that enigmatic source. Finally, she concentrated, focusing her thoughts on the pool of blood, willing it to reappear before her. Yet, despite her efforts, there was no response.
"Damn it, Ingrid, if you can provide me a text for a bloody coffin, might as well provide me one for this new skill"
Refusing to give up, she continued to experiment with various gestures and thoughts, desperate to unlock the mechanism behind this mysterious ability. Finally, a breakthrough came when she discovered a specific combination that seemed to work: squeezing her palm while simultaneously focusing her thoughts on the pool of blood as if to grab something from it.
This time, her actions prompted a reaction, but her palm remained frustratingly empty, and the pool of blood vanished once more, as elusive as ever. She then thought, maybe she needed to think about a specific item.
With renewed focus, Alina clenched her fist tightly and envisioned her white iPhone, attempting to harness the mysterious power that had momentarily connected her to the pool of blood. As she drew her hand back, to her astonishment, the phone materialized in her grasp.
The iPhone, however, bore no resemblance to its previous state; it now mirrored the aesthetic of the saber she had acquired earlier. Its casing was predominantly black, adorned with striking red streaks. The phone sprang to life at her touch, its screen illuminating the dim surroundings of the cave. Alina noted with curiosity that the battery indicator did not display a conventional percentage. Instead, it read 'BP.'
Ingrid: So, you already found out how to use Blood Inventory, huh? Try to drop your saber.
Upon receiving the message from Ingrid, Alina decided to test the instructions given to her. She let the saber fall from her grasp, and as it hit the ground, it transformed into a pool of blood before evaporating into nothingness. This demonstration confirmed her suspicions about the workings of the Blood Inventory. Curious, she placed her phone on the ground, witnessing the same phenomenon. The phone morphed into a blood-like substance and then vanished without a trace.
Rolling her eyes at the sheer absurdity of her circumstances, Alina summoned the saber back into her hand with a sense of newfound control over this bizarre mechanism. She proceeded to explore the cave, moving towards its hallway. It was then she realized the absence of any visible light source, yet her surroundings were clear as day to her.
As she navigated through the cave's corridors, Alina found herself grappling with the reality of her transformation. Just days ago, she was celebrating her graduation as an internist. Now, somehow, Ingrid turned her into a vampire. She never recalled having any relationship with a woman named Ingrid. We never met over a cup of coffee, much less her biting down on my neck.
Alina advanced down the hallway until she encountered a room distinct from the others, furnished and housing a single human skeleton on a bed. Her medical background allowed her to face this grim sight without the fear that might have overtaken others. The skeleton, devoid of any possessions, lay in eerie solitude as the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by footsteps echoing from the hallway she had just left. At first glance, the corridor appeared empty, but as the sounds grew louder, Alina witnessed a group of figures rushing toward her. These beings were horrifying, devoid of faces, with their skin appearing as if it had melted away. Their clothes were in tatters, and they moved as one dreadful unit.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" Alina instinctively prepared her saber for combat. Positioning herself strategically at the entrance to the room, she reasoned that if she could lift a stone coffin lid with ease, then wielding the saber with full strength might be sufficient to fend off the approaching horde. Despite having no experience in swordsmanship, she felt a surge of adrenaline.
As the grotesque figures drew nearer, their horrifying features became clearer. The moment the first of these 'zombies' crossed the threshold, Alina swung her saber with all her might. The blade sliced through the first attacker effortlessly, as if cutting through air, and blood splattered onto her clothing.
[Blood Points +20]
As the blood splattered into her skin, Alina experienced an unexpected rush of euphoria. The urgent need to vanquish the horde before her sharpened her focus. With precision, she thrust her saber forward, skewering one of the charging zombies. The blade moved with deadly efficiency, piercing through them as effortlessly as a skewer through the meat.
Emboldened by her success, Alina then used her bare foot to deliver a powerful kick, sending several of the creatures tumbling into one another. This created an opening for her to launch a relentless assault. She advanced, trampling over the fallen zombies with a ferocity she never knew she possessed. With each step, her feet crushed those zombies into nothing more than meat soup.
[Blood Points +200]
As the adrenaline rush subsided, Alina stood amidst the aftermath, the hallway now littered with the remnants of the creatures she had defeated. The quiet that followed the chaos allowed her mind to race with questions. Where had these beings come from? Their grotesque appearances seemed ripped from the pages of a novel.
What the hell happened outside?
Was this Ingrid's doing?
