System

In the depths of a silent, dark forest, the young man's footsteps reverberated with a slimy touch against the wet and murky ground.

A sigh escaped his lips, carrying a hint of both delight and relief.

"Just a little more."

He said, his slightly disheveled and curly dark hair brushed against his forehead, the coolness of the air causing a shiver to run down his spine, as if the very humidity could steal his soul away, anytime.

"Phew!"

He breathed with relief in his voice, and sounded barely a whisper, lost amidst the stillness of the night.

Abruptly, a piercing cry shattered the tranquility, slicing through the air like a blade.

"Uwaaarrkk!!"

The young man froze in his tracks, his senses heightened.

With his left hand pressed tightly against his ears, he strained to locate the source of the sound.

His gaze pierced through the darkness, searching for answers.

And then, with a swift motion, he retrieved something from within his chest—a pendant, adorned with a bat design reminiscent of blood, its four wings spreading out in delicate intricacy.

The young man held it in his hands, his fingers trembling ever so slightly.

"Uwaarrrkkk!"

The crow's cry echoed once more, drawing nearer.

Time seemed to stand still as the young man raised the pendant, offering it up for the crow to inspect.

The bird landed gracefully on a nearby tree, its eyes transforming into a deep crimson hue.

The young man knew that the crow was examining his pendant, searching for something hidden within its enigmatic design.

With bated breath, he held his gaze steady, unyielding.

Seconds stretched into eternity as the crow flapped its wings, its cry piercing the silence once more. And then, in a graceful motion, it took flight, ascending towards the heavens, leaving the young man behind.

"Uwarrkk!!!"

"Uwarrk!!"

As the haunting cry of the crow receded into the distance, the young man found himself standing alone, the silence enveloping him like a comforting embrace.

His hand, bearing an eerie resemblance to a set of pointed claws, gradually relaxed as he released a sigh of profound relief.

"I didn't expect that."

He murmured softly, his voice tinged with a mix of surprise and gratitude.

Retrieving the pendant, he clutched it tightly before safely returning it to its resting place within his chest.

A glimmer of anticipation danced in his eyes as he contemplated the path before him.

"At long last."

The young man bared his teeth, revealing sharp and white fangs, while a putrid breath escaped his mouth, carrying the stench of death.

"It's finally time for me to break free from that wretched family!"

He exclaimed, feeling as if he were soaring through the frigid night air. As the crow departed, he glanced at his pendant, confirming that this was the moment he had been waiting for—the signal to abandon this territory once and for all.

Placing his hand inside his sleeve and against his chest, on the opposite side where he kept the medallion, the young man retrieved something.

"It's still here."

He murmured carefully.

He proceeded to read its contents, and anyone who glimpsed the writing would recognize it as English.

The words formed arcs, resembling the chapters of a story, with phrases such as "Monsterverse," "Family Demise," "Slave Night," "War of Horses," and "Blood Drawn."

Gazing intently at the scroll, the young man muttered.

"After a long time, I'm glad that I convinced the family that I am a skilled scout, giving me this medallion, to get out and get information and bring it back here.

"I estimate I have one or two years before the massacre occurs. In that time, I will stay far away to escape and avoid being caught up in that bloody annihilation and pretend that I am busy, haha!"

He clutched the scroll tightly, carefully returning it to its place against his chest.

"Moreover, once the family perishes in the massacre, I shall finally be liberated from their enslavement. I will be free."

Declared the young man, whose name was Sanguiz—no other name but that.

He couldn't recall his previous life on Earth; it had been too distant, and the calendar in this world differed from that of Earth.

Realizing that a considerable amount of time had passed since his arrival, the young man understood the world he currently inhabited.

A not so famous webnovel story that he likes so much because of the main character who was insane and a maniac.

The young still retained the knowledge inscribed within the scroll of this world—the words, arcs, and dates marking the beginning of each chapter.

By reading the arcs alone, he could recollect the events that were meant to unfold.

"Although the path ahead as a solitary vampire slave will be arduous, it is preferable to enduring slavery and facing certain death in one or two years. Farewell, Hendricks Family."

Uttered the young man, who was not human but a vampire.

With each purposeful stride, he moved closer to his freedom, determined to prolong his stay outside the clutches of this place for as long as possible.

The young Sanguiz could still remember, as he, a young vampire, awakened, he discovered himself trapped within the unremarkable body of another individual, condemned to the life of a vampire slave.

That time, he couldn't accept that his sole purpose was to serve the Hendricks Family, a notion that filled him with irritation and fury.

In this novel's world, a vampire slave held no status beyond that of a mere dog, a knight, or an expendable laborer.

The only means of escaping their clutches lay in the demise of their masters, whether through natural causes or the hand of another, while the vampire slave remained absent.

Naturally, Sanguiz harbored a profound aversion to such a fate.

Who in their right mind would willingly choose the life of a slave?

Furthermore, given that Sanguiz, as a vampire slave, experienced a slower rate of growth compared to the average vampire, and found himself comparable to a mere human, of course he would be frustrated.

He refused to accept such a fate.

Why would he remain in servitude when he would not even be granted access to high-quality blood?

Sanguiz possessed knowledge of the world's ultimate destiny, and he recognized that strength was an imperative for young vampires like himself.

With a resolute decision, Sanguiz opted to depart.

It seemed more advantageous for him to leave, taking along the treasures he had meticulously memorized, even if they would only grant him a fraction of the power needed to confront the impending calamities.

Nevertheless, he believed it would suffice for his purposes.

Abruptly, Sanguiz halted in his tracks, a wave of unease washing over him.

"Huh?"

All the hairs on his back stood on end, sensing a disconcerting presence. He cast a wary glance behind him.

"Could it be that an unknown entity like myself has prompted the Hendricks Family to expend their resources in order to take care of me?"

As a cautious individual, adept at envisioning various scenarios in his mind, Sanguiz considered the possibility of the Hendricks Family targeting him.

However, as time stretched on without any incidents unfolding, he shook his head, concluding that he might have been overthinking.

Nonetheless, he remained vigilant, maintaining his guard.

Suddenly, a mechanical sound reverberated within his mind, a sound he had long ceased to anticipate, having lost hope of its eventual arrival.

Within his consciousness, the mechanical voice proclaimed.

Ding!

[ Protect the family until eternity. ]

[ If the host contributes to the family, the host shall be rewarded with fast passes to a pocket hunting and gaming dimension teeming with perilous magical creatures, ]

[ The host shall receive an increased number of passes to the dimension in proportion to their contribution to the family. ]

As if materializing from thin air, the system screen manifested before him, displaying the exact words he had heard.

Sanguiz furrowed his brow, scrutinizing the message intently.

To be certain, he read it an additional seven times, his countenance souring.

"Why on earth would I even—"

Sanguiz's words trailed off abruptly as he noticed the darkness of the night had transformed into the light of dawn.

Ding!

[ Trial entry, trial entry. ]

The system announced before vanishing like sand carried away by the whistling wind.

"Trial my ass!

"I didn't even say that I accepted, and I am already thrown into this place?"

Sanguiz exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief and frustration.

He found himself abruptly transported to an unfamiliar location, and the suddenness of it left him speechless. His mind raced, trying to comprehend what the system had done to him.

The whole situation was utterly bewildering.

The system's offer hadn't seemed enticing at all.

Help a family?

But why should he assist a weak and troublesome family?

And what would be his reward for such assistance?

Oh, just being tossed into a pocket dimension swarming with perilous and enchanting magical creatures.

Sanguiz couldn't fathom the logic behind such an arrangement.

It seemed like fate and the system was up to a cruel and dangerous game and he's the unlucky player being chosen by these two bastards.

Death was the last thing Sanguiz desired, especially in this mysterious and unfamiliar realm.

Even without the system to rely on, he had the ability to fend for himself.

He possessed knowledge of the novel and its story, although some details had slipped from his memory.

Nevertheless, he still retained a sense of what he needed to do to survive.

So why, against his better judgment, did he accept the system's offer?

What kind of reward was worth being sent to an unknown pocket dimension to face almost certain death?

Lost in his thoughts, Sanguiz's attention was suddenly drawn to a commotion nea

rby.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted rapid movement amidst a patch of grass.

Scuttle! Scuttle!

The sound grew louder, and he instinctively turned his gaze in that direction.