"This is bad... Instead of getting stronger, I feel like I'm getting weaker."
Lucas stared up at the sky, eyes empty and unfocused.
He had just discovered that he possessed a system—one that allowed him to see stats, just like in a video game. At first, he was thrilled. But the excitement didn't last long. Harsh reality quickly set in, bringing the unpleasant truth about his awakening: His strength would gradually fade unless he absorbed blood.
---
Godslayer's Successor
Name: Lucas Sinclair
Blood Core: 1/7
Blood Essence: 75 / 2,456
Inheritance Progress: 6%
Class: Blood Master
Skills: [Blood Extraction], [Burning Blood], [Blood World]
---
His Blood Essence had dropped by 26 points. When he first saw it, the number was at 101. That was just twenty hours ago. He'd also figured out one critical thing: the less Blood Essence he had, the weaker he became. That meant he had to replenish it—by using his skill, Blood Extraction.
"No such thing as a free lunch, huh?" he muttered with a sigh.
Of course there was a price to pay for power like this. The problem now was… where was he supposed to get blood to extract?
He briefly considered sneaking into the infirmary to steal some from the medical storage, but quickly dismissed the idea. Too risky if he got caught.
Hunting monsters or wild beasts was actually something Lucas wanted to do—especially to hone his combat skills. But throughout the Magia Academy's forest region, those creatures had long been eradicated. Any time a dangerous entity tried to enter, the Headmaster's barrier spell would activate, and Academy's Mages would swiftly take care of it.
There was, in fact, another option. Lucas could try asking the Headmaster for permission to join one of the student dungeon-conquering squads. But considering he had already been expelled, and how much trouble he'd caused, that would just make him look shameless.
'Since when do I care about looking shameless?' he thought, surprised at himself. Maybe he was starting to understand himself better.
Lucas sat up, checking his Blood Essence again. His expression twisted in annoyance when he saw the number had dropped again.
[Blood Essence: 74 / 2,456]
After monitoring it for several hours, he'd been able to make a rough estimate of how quickly he was losing essence.
If he stayed inactive, the drop rate was around 1 to 2 points per hour. But if he did anything physically demanding, it could spike to 5 or even 8 points an hour.
'Guess I'll have to stop training for a few days to conserve my essence. Well... looks like I have no choice but to ask the Headmaster to let me join a dungeon raid.'
Inside the Headmaster's office, Lucas made the request to Edora Razakh as casually as possible.
As expected, he was promptly kicked out.
---
The journey from the Sinclair Kingdom to Magia Academy took two months by horse-drawn carriage. While waiting for the royal escort to arrive and pick him up, Lucas spent his time lazing around. He also used his remaining days at the Academy to meet up with Vanessa—when she had time, that is.
Since he'd been officially expelled, Lucas was banned from attending classes and entering several restricted areas. As a result, boredom weighed heavily on him.
The only thing that seemed to ease his restlessness was spending time with Vanessa. Just seeing the lovely nurse made him feel a little more human.
Vanessa looked the same as usual in her crisp white uniform and signature round glasses. But today, there was a subtle change—her hairstyle. Normally she tied her brown hair up, but now she let it flow freely down her back. That small difference made her look even more beautiful, especially when she gazed at Lucas with her sapphire-blue eyes framed by long lashes.
Her skin was pale and luminous, full of life—the exact opposite of Lucas's ghostly complexion. Her slender frame made her look fragile, like someone who needed protection. But in truth, she was strong enough to protect herself—even against real threats.
Lucas hadn't believed the student rumors that Vanessa was an Mage with four magic circles. But after seeing her power firsthand, he couldn't deny it anymore.
"Miss Vanessa… if you don't mind me asking, how old are you really?"
Lucas's tone was hesitant, but his eyes were full of curiosity.
Vanessa paused mid-page and looked up at him with a teasing smile.
"You know that's a forbidden question for women, right?" she said playfully, her voice soft with a mischievous lilt.
Lucas shrugged. "Still, I'm curious. You look… too young to be a four-circle mage."
Vanessa leaned back in her chair, raising an eyebrow.
"What if I told you… I'm fifty?"
Lucas stared at her seriously for a moment, then sighed.
"I wouldn't care," he said flatly. "I was just curious, that's all."
Silence settled between them, broken only by the sound of coffee being sipped and rune paper rustling in Vanessa's hands.
Then, suddenly, Vanessa spoke again, her voice light.
"I think I'll miss you when you leave the Academy."
Lucas turned to her, a little surprised.
"I'll be losing my regular patient," she added with a small smile, as if trying to mask genuine feeling behind the joke.
Lucas chuckled.
"In that case… I'll write you letters."
Vanessa looked at him, her expression softening.
Lucas, still lying face-down on her bed, smiled faintly.
"But if you take too long to reply, don't blame me if I come all the way here just to complain."
Vanessa laughed lightly, her voice like a breeze.
"Then I'll make sure my letters smell nice and arrive on time. But you have to promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"Don't put yourself in danger."
Her words were gentle but firm. Lucas could feel her concern and sincerity in every syllable.
"It's okay to run away. Don't let yourself get hurt," she added.
It took Lucas a few seconds to respond. It didn't feel like a promise he could easily keep.
But even so…
"Alright. I promise." he finally said.
What he didn't know was that once he left the Academy, his life would be turned completely upside down.
And every promise he made that day… would soon become impossible to keep.