What was this now? I couldn't evolve—because I was half vampire?
If I didn't evolve, I wouldn't be able to get a class.
So that was it. My father really wasn't human. Whenever I asked about his class, he'd always brush it off or laugh, saying it was "Devoted Husband." He was always glued to my mother's side whenever he was home. They were inseparable.
I was starting to sink into old memories when a new series of prompts appeared.
[Inhuman Bloodline Detected]
[Evolution Options are as follows]
[High Human] – Remove Inhuman Bloodline and lose all Bloodline Skills.
[Blooded Vampire] – Remove Human Bloodline and lose access to the Gaia System.
[???] – Forge a new path for yourself. Retain both your Human and Vampire heritage. This path will be filled with many unknowns.
I stared at the choices.
The first option was tempting—High Human. I could stay with the Gaia System I knew so well, but I'd lose Blood Manipulation. I needed that to help my mother. Even if I lost Predation, I could live without such a broken skill.
The second option—Blooded Vampire—would let me keep my bloodline skills, but I'd lose the Gaia System entirely. It wasn't the worst option, but… it was terrifying to abandon everything familiar.
The third one, though… Forge a new path. Unknown, risky, but I wouldn't lose anything. It was the only one that felt right.
I chose it.
[Evolution will begin shortly]
I braced myself for pain. Everyone said evolution hurt—it reconfigures your body into a perfect state—but… nothing happened.
Opening my eyes, I saw another line appear.
[Evolution Failed]
[Insufficient Existence Level]
[Calculating Evolution Requirements…]
[Evolution Requirements Determined]
[Required Level for Evolution: LV 16]
Level 16?
I need to reach Level 16 to evolve?
I groaned. "You've got to be kidding me…"
Before I could even curse at the system, a new prompt appeared—this one different. Not the usual pale green, but deep green, like the color of living leaves.
[Gaia is pleased with your choice. She is observing you.]
And then another—this time, red, with black outlines, the same as my system.
[??? finds your choice amusing. He is observing you.]
That stopped me cold.
Who was that? It had to be connected to my vampire half.
Since the System appeared and humanity gained godlike powers, people have always wondered who Gaia really was. A deity? A goddess of humanity? If she existed, then other races must have their own gods too.
And it seemed… I'd caught the attention of one.
I thought about my father again—his jokes, his strange behavior—but gave up. I wouldn't find answers here. I'd just have to keep climbing.
If I wanted evolution, I had to reach Level 16.
If I wanted a class, I had to survive the trials.
With that in mind, I advanced to the next ordeal—the Yin and Yang Fox.
From what I'd read, it was a rare dual-affinity beast—light and darkness combined. A mature one could reach ten feet in length and stand nearly four feet tall, comparable to a Direking.
But before facing it, I decided to use my stored essence. I needed every boost I could get.
LV: 10 — [400 Essence to reach LV 11]
I stared blankly at the number.
"All I have is 275…"
The essence requirement had spiked again, just like it did after Level 5. So it would probably jump once more after Level 15—right before I could evolve.
Although it was annoying, Predation still gave me an edge, so I couldn't complain too much.
Since I couldn't evolve or level up, I had no choice but to continue as I was. I had to get a class before reaching the 0th Floor.
Upon entering for the first time, your name and level would be displayed—though you could hide your name or use an alias. But your level and ordeals cleared would always be shown.
I started my eighteenth ordeal.
The Yin and Yang Fox appeared before me, but it wasn't what I expected. It was barely six feet long, maybe two feet tall—a juvenile.
Something was off about this trial.