VRMMORPG: Rise Of The Blood Paragon

Lionel opened his eyes to nothing. Everywhere was pitch black, unable to see anything. He stretched out his hand, trying to see if he could touch something, but it was still nothing.

Then, he stopped, staying in the same position, perhaps to think of a solution. But he couldn't. His heart was still heavy with the grief of Karvin's death, how easy it was for someone to die in the game and disappear just like that.

That meant if he were to die, he would be gone with nothing more. He wasn't a normal player who could respawn or leave the game to continue their life outside it.

He was different. Death meant permanence for him, and that terrified him greatly.

Because he still wanted to have fun, still live his life, even though he was within the constraints of the game. As he had realized, he was an entity at the bridge of the game system, an entity unknown to them. He needed to stay strong, and that was his problem.

How was he to stay safe and strong? How was he to act as though nothing wrong had happened—as though someone he had just started to get to know hadn't just died?

How was he to act strong when he suddenly found himself in a 'nothing entity,' unsure of what to even call it?

But then, just as he thought harder, breaking his intertwined thoughts, he heard a voice. Familiar yet distant, amusing yet confusing.

It came cold yet calm, loud yet low.

It came as, "Master."

Why "master"? Was he being called, or was he hearing something playing in his head? Perhaps he just needed a better explanation. But how would he get it?

He didn't have to search far for the answer, as it came to his doorstep.

"How do you like it? I just assisted you in killing the person who killed your friend."

"Who are you?" Lionel quickly asked, voicing the question that had been burning inside him.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the dark, quiet place. "And why are you helping me?"

He knew something could be wrong. This voice was the same he had heard while in the battle stance—the one that had been possessing him, fighting for him. He knew so damn well that he couldn't have taken the assassin leader so cleanly like that.

Not that he couldn't have killed him, but he wouldn't have done it without sustaining injuries. He would've been on his deathbed but would've stayed up just to show Karvin the head to prove he had avenged him. He loved the taste of revenge; it made his blood boil.

So, it made him wonder—who was this voice connected to?

"I'm the Blade spirit. I've been with the blade since the time I got handed over to my first master after being forged by the blacksmith, then kept evolving until I turned into a soul," the Blade Spirit said. "Master, I saved you from death and shame. Death from the leader, and shame from not getting the revenge you planned."

"And do you know that you could do more?"

"Do more of what?" Lionel asked.

"Bloodshed. With me in your hand, we could split the heavens. I know how your uncle maltreated you, how he killed your parents brutally, how your kinsmen didn't bother assisting you, and how your human mother's kinsmen also don't care about you. Let's take revenge and wipe out the whole world!" the Blade Spirit said, his voice alluring in Lionel's ears. "Let's take revenge and wipe out all those involved, even if it means the whole continent!"

"Oh…" Lionel nodded as he listened. "So, you're a demonic and manipulative spirit that just wants doom for the whole world?"

Lionel asked, his hand on his chin. In his position, he folded his arms and said, "Unfortunately, your spell can't work on me, as I've extinguished it before it could reach inside of me. I guess you're a demonic spirit that feeds on the emotions of your wielder and turns them into a bloodthirsty beast that only cares about shedding blood. Right?"

"Yes, but I'm not trying to harm you. I only want us to work together and clear the world of all your enemies—and mine, of course," the Blade Spirit said.

"Yes, I understand. But unfortunately, I'm not that desperate to strike a deal with a corrupted Blade Spirit. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like you to stay back in this blade while I leave this soul entrapment you put on me," Lionel said, his words steady and calm.

As he finished speaking, he suddenly found himself back on the ship. The deck was soaked with blood and water, the leader's head split wide open, eyes staring lifelessly at him, and Karvin's shriveled body lay nearby.

"What was that?" he muttered, looking at his body as he blinked.

He rose from the floor, looking around. "I just tried to stay calm to get out. Thank God I'm out. But what was that?"

His eyes locked onto the blade lying on the floor beside the leader's body. He walked toward it, steady and slow. As he reached it, he bent down and picked it up.

The golden hue on the hilt remained, the inscription still intact. He could feel the force of the blade, the strong scent of blood as though the blood it had absorbed still lingered within it.

"Appraise," he activated his skill, and the blade's information displayed before him.

[Weapon: BloodSiphon Blade (Legendary Sword | 2 Stars)]

- BloodSiphon: Absorbs the blood of enemies as the wielder kills them.

- Blood Clone Manifestation: Allows the wielder to create multiple sword clones, all with identical abilities.

- Rage Bait: Increases the strength and power of the wielder in response to heightened emotions.]

"Something's different. That Blood Clone Manifestation wasn't there before. Is that what made me have multiple blades?" he wondered as he read the blade's information. "And that rage—was that why I wasn't myself? Why I felt crazed and confused?"

"Ah… nah, I think there's more to this. Let me check the system interface. Maybe something might be there," he muttered, then requested to see his profile.

[---Game Interface Display:

[NPC / PLAYER STATUS]

Name: Lionel

Race: Vampire | Human

Cultivation Stage: Second Stage of Blood Initiate]

[Status: Hybrid Entity {Unregistered}

Role: Undefined (Vampire Prince) {Unregistered}]

[Dashboard Menu:]

1. Inventory

2. World Map

3. Leaderboard

4. Guild & Alliances

5. Quest Board ]

Lionel stared at the interface, his brows furrowed. He wasn't sure he had accessed all this much information at once. Where he had always stopped was his profile, and that's all.

"Hybrid entity? Unregistered? What does that even mean?" he muttered, confused, but he scrolled further. His hand hovered over the word 'Inventory' as he needed to check it for a possible solution for the BloodSiphon Blade.

He clicked on it, and it displayed below.

[Inventory Interface:

[INVENTORY MENU]

1. Weapons and Artifacts

2. Cultivation Manuals

3. Lore Archives

4. Resources and Items ]

"Lore? That's true, I should check the history of the blade; perhaps there could be some information related to what might be happening to it there…" he muttered and then clicked on Lore.

[Lore Inventory:]

[Based on current needs…

Purchase the BloodSiphon Blade Lore – Cost: 1,000 game Points]

"game points? What the fuck is that?" he muttered.

Then, a notification appeared:

[You must complete a quest or participate in contests to earn game Points.]

"Oh…" he frowned. "Quests… ah… yes, that's how players earn money through the game. They can complete quests, earn game points, and exchange them for money in the outside world. But what good is it for me?"

Then, he scrolled further instead of dwelling on the Player-no-NPC issue. Since he had just discovered this place, he was bent on searching it up and down.

[Leaderboard Interface:]

As he clicked on it, a vibrant display appeared, listing the top-ranking players.

[TOP 6 PLAYERS: Liable to change. Check dashboard daily for updates.]

Rank | Name | Kills

---------------------------------------------------------------------

1 | Nightblade | 1,200

2 | Wraith | 1,150

3 | Lunar Monarch | 980

4 | ShadowMancer | 870

5 | ArcaneReaper | 850

6 | Dreadspire | 760

"Oh… so, these are the top players? I should try to get in touch with them… but how?" He laughed as he checked the kill count. "What about me, though?"

He thought and checked the leaderboard but couldn't find it, so he searched it, and it appeared.

[PLAYER STATUS]

Rank: Unlisted

Name: Lionel

Cultivation: Blood Initiate

game Points: 0

Kills: 10 (NPCs)

"Correct," he muttered and scrolled lower.

Lionel clicked on the "Guild & Alliances" tab, where an option appeared:

[Join a Guild to unlock benefits such as group quests, shared resources, and higher-ranking contests.]

Beneath that, a list of active guilds scrolled across the screen:

[Available Guilds within your area:]

1. Shadow Guild (Stealth & Assassins)

2. Blood Pact (Vampire Exclusive)

3. Iron Fangs (Tanks & Heavy Combatants)

4. Arcane Circle (Mages & Sorcerers)

5. Frost Circle (Ice Specialists)]

"Not yet. Now, back to the blade…" he mumbled as he scrolled back up.

[Lore Inventory:]

[Based on current needs…

Purchase the BloodSiphon Blade Lore – Cost: 1,000 game Points]

"How the fuck do I get 1,000 game points?"