Draven Verdict was still human.
At least… in appearance.
Unlike many others whose bloodlines had forcibly transformed them into entirely different races, Draven had retained his humanity.
His bloodline was that of the Giants.
A powerful and ancient lineage.
But not all bloodlines manifested in the same way.
Some bloodlines carried what scholars among the survivors had begun calling devouring effects—bloodlines so dominant that they could not peacefully coexist with an ordinary human body.
These bloodlines did not merely grant power.
They demanded transformation.
If the body lacked the necessary resistance and adaptation factors, the bloodline would begin tearing the host apart from within.
Kai had faced this.
So had Kayla Verdict.
Kayla, in particular, had failed to fully adapt to her bloodline.
Kai himself was no different.
Without proper training and strengthening of the body, adaptation became nearly impossible.
With time, discipline, and enough physical refinement, their bodies might have eventually adjusted.
But their bloodlines were not ordinary.
They were closer to the divine.
And divine blood did not tolerate weakness.
If the vessel was too frail, the bloodline began reshaping it by force.
Some bloodlines even affected the mind.
Changing personality.
Instinct.
Emotion.
Identity.
That was what had happened to the Zombie King.
It had not simply evolved as a monster.
Its very bloodline had evolved.
After devouring countless humans—more than ten in rapid succession—it had finally reached the threshold for another evolution.
This time, however, it was different.
Instead of a single path, multiple paths had appeared before it.
Evolution branches.
Choices.
Possibilities.
And among them—
One path stood above the rest.
Vampire.
It chose without hesitation.
The transformation was immediate.
Its rotten flesh regenerated.
Its body became refined.
Elegant.
Terrifyingly human.
Its hunger deepened.
Its intelligence sharpened.
And with the power it gained, it soon reached the level of a World Boss.
But that was not the end.
When it acquired a domain of its own—
A territory where its will became law—
The world itself acknowledged it.
Its evolution advanced once more.
It had become a Vampire Baron.
For weeks, the creature had existed with only hunger.
No thought.
No will.
Only instinct.
Feed.
Kill.
Consume.
Then one day—
It had its first thought.
Hunger.
Blood.
Humans.
Devour.
Then came strength.
And with strength—
Language.
Its lips parted.
For the first time, it spoke in a tongue born from its own bloodline.
A language of nobles.
A language of vampires.
"Laster... van dre von sack laro Tu fa le."
A voice answered from deep within its soul.
Not another being.
Not truly.
But another aspect of itself.
Its bloodline consciousness.
"Yes… we are kings.
All shall kneel before us.
Even the survivors of that ice woman we once feared.
We fear her no longer.
We are stronger now."
The creature's crimson eyes gleamed.
Then it spoke again.
"Dakar. Sangel verore bar Tu Tu VA's deraa klarin laste von laster."
The inner voice responded.
"True. She is strong.
True, we may be kings.
Yet we are not at the level of that woman."
"But you saw that blue thing that speaks to us."
"Yes."
"It helps us grow stronger."
"Power."
"Strength."
"And now… we need only one thing."
A system notification appeared before its eyes.
SYSTEM QUEST
Objective 1: Turn 10 humans into vampire subjects
Progress: 0 / 10
Objective 2: Drink 1 liter of human blood
The creature smiled.
A slow, horrifying smile.
"Tu ka tu tu sovars frilo cybtbdy?"
The inner voice answered.
"Yes. Let us devour those humans."
"Let them become part of our blood covenant."
The creature stood.
Humanoid.
Far too human.
That was what made it terrifying.
At first glance, it looked almost like a man.
Too normal.
Too perfect.
But the eyes—
Blood-red.
Hollow.
Devoid of light.
Filled with pure sadistic madness and endless hunger.
It wore a long black coat with deep crimson accents.
Elegant.
Noble.
Like a dark lord from forgotten legends.
And beneath it—
A throne.
A throne built from bones.
The remains of the creatures and humans it had devoured.
It sat there leisurely, as though born for power.
As though the world itself belonged beneath its feet.
It was preparing for war.
A war in which humans would no longer run.
A war in which humanity would either perish—
Or be forced to create a figure powerful enough to restore balance and order.
But for now—
Humanity was still weak.
Far too weak.
The world was approaching its Seventh Stage.
And if humans did not adapt fast enough—
They would die.
They would perish.
It was only a matter of time.
Evolution was no longer a choice.
It had to be forced.
Engrained into the soul.
Burned into existence itself.
This was the path of power.