The First Vampire Beast Tamer

I tried, with all my strength, to make my tone sound nice—even though, deep down, I wanted nothing more than to throttle that cat. I know it's wrong to think that way. Cats are supposed to be adorable and fluffy… but trust me, don't be deceived by his "nya" accent. He's a devil in feline form, and he knows it.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to speak in the calmest tone I could muster. "Sir Pawsington, could you…"

Paws's smug little face lit up even more. "Yes? Go on."

Control... Silas, control... I reminded myself, gritting my teeth so hard I was surprised they didn't shatter. We can't murder him—yet. Just be patient. Grow. Survive.

Forcing a stiff smile, I continued through clenched teeth, "Could you… please help this humble one to live another day?"

Paws grinned, flashing his sharp little teeth. "Alright!" He mimed cracking his knuckles, and I could practically feel his excitement. His smug face was the most punchable thing I'd ever seen.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," he said, floating closer, "I suppose I'll bestow some of my magnificent wisdom upon you. As we don't have much time before this place starts digesting you, I figure someone AMAZING and MAGNIFICENT like me should fill you in—just on the bare-bones level , at least."

"Yes," I said with forced enthusiasm. "Some life-saving knowledge would be… really nice, actually."

"Did you have a drink before you popped into this world, nya?" Paws asked, raising an eyebrow slyly.

More than one, devil, why do you think I'm in this situation?

'A drink?' I asked instead, deciding to stay on Paws's good side.

Paws's face lit up, practically vibrating with excitement as he floated around me. "Oh man, we're popping a cherry here! Ah, you're gonna love this, nya!" He leaned close, grinning. "Alright, check it out. Blood—it's your new water, your new champagne. Blood's your new… let's say, 'finest delicacy,' nya. Get ready, though—nothing's ever as sweet as the first taste. Nya!"

Yeah, yeah, I thought, rolling my eyes. They all say that. Pretty sure I've said it myself at some point. I sighed. "So, what exactly do I do?"

Paws' eyes gleamed as he dropped his voice to a dramatic whisper. "Alright, here's the plan. Just around that corner, I saw this, uh… wall of fresh blood pumping through the snake. Just creep over to it, act casual, and then bare those lil' fangs and take a bite, nya." He floated in circles around my head, looking pleased with himself.

"What if I don't have fangs yet?" I asked, skeptical.

Paws chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting. "Oh, they'll come, nya. Trust me, it'll feel so natural you'll think you've been doing it your whole life." He let out a sly little cackle, like some ghoulish teacher sharing a forbidden lesson. "Now go on, little vampire. Let's get out of here before we both end up as snake soup, nya!"

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Following Paws' instructions, I made my way to the wall. According to him, my fangs should be "popping" any second now. But…nop, nahh, nada. No fangs, no vampire instincts, nothing.

As I Frustratedly looked back. "Sir Pawsington, it's not popping out…" But when I turned around, that damn cat was nowhere to be found.

I looked left and right in confusion, until I heard his voice in my head. "Oh, don't worry—it will now!" And before I could react, I felt a sudden shove as Paws pressed my face straight into the pulsing wall with all his might.

The warm, flowing blood from the snake's vein poured into my mouth, and I barely had time to gasp before a sharp, fiery pain shot through my gums. A scream rose in my throat, but Paws held me firm, refusing to let go.

"Just a little more, nya," he whispered, oddly thrilled, pushing me harder.

In a rush of agony, my fangs finally erupted, sharp as razors, slicing into the snake's vein. Instinct took over as I latched onto the blood, drinking deeply. My vision blurred, my eyes going bloodshot as raw energy surged through me, filling every cell in my small body with power.

I lost control, gripping the snake's insides with iron strength as I drank greedily. The ground around me began to tremble as the snake twisted and thrashed in pain, rolling and writhing. But my grip held tight, my fangs buried deep as I drank to my heart's content.

Finally, when I couldn't drink another drop, I pulled back, collapsing to the ground, utterly spent but completely full. I lay there, dazed, feeling energy thrumming through every limb.

I lay there, groaning and cursing out loud, "You damn cat! You actually slammed my face into a wall!" I tried to get up, but my legs felt like noodles. "Ugh… I can't even stand."

Paws floated above, indignant. "Nya! I helped you awaken your fangs, and you dare curse at me, nya?"

"Huff! Helped? More like nearly drowned me in this slimy blood! And look—we're still stuck inside this snake. If this is what you call 'help,' I'd hate to see what not helping looks like."

Paws scoffed, his nose in the air. "Nya! When did I say that was the only step to get us out? You didn't even wait to listen to my full strategy, nya, and now you start whining like a loser, butt-naked and ungrateful, nya!"

"Fine, fine," I muttered, struggling to my feet, my stomach about to burst. "What's the next step?"

Paws grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "Now that you've had your first real feed, we can use Blood Frenzy to amp up your strength and dig our way out."

I looked around the slimy, pulsing walls of the snake's insides and cringed. "Dig? Through this mess?"

"Yes, nya! You are the one who insisted on coming in here, remember?" Paws said, floating smugly above me. "So, just charge yourself up and break through—preferably before the snake starts digesting us."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Are you out of your mind? Do you seriously think I can dig through a snake with these tiny, noodle arms? You know what, just… be quiet, and let me figure out a way out."

As I lay back down, pondering my next move, a new series of messages appeared before me…

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> Achievement Unlocked:

"First Blood"

Title Unlocked:

"Awakened Vampire"

The first recorded blood feed has awakened the vampire within you. Congratulations, fledgling vampire—you have taken the first step into a world of night.

> New Skills Unlocked:

Fangs of the Predator

Description: Your fangs have fully emerged, granting you the ability to pierce and drain life from most living creatures. The more you use this skill, the sharper and more effective your fangs become, enhancing your feeding and damage.

> Blood Frenzy

Description: When feeding directly from a living source, your physical stats increase temporarily, boosting strength, speed, and endurance. The boost lasts as long as feeding continues and fades afterward.

> Title Unlocked:

"Serpent's Bane"

Awarded for inflicting significant damage on a high-level beast.

Description: You've left a mark on

"Zirthal Guardian Serpent of the Forest"

(Lvl 70).

This title grants a slight boost in resistance to poison-based creatures and abilities.

> Stats Increased:

Strength: +3

Agility: +2

Endurance: +2

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I felt the rush of energy filling me, and I knew my abilities had grown. With a thought, I called up my Status window to see the new details.

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Status Window

Name: Silas Thorne

Species: Vampire Spawn

Level: 2

Titles:

Awakened Vampire

Serpent's Bane

Skills:

Fangs of the Predator (Passive)

Blood Frenzy (Active)

Dark Sense (Passive)

Drain Touch (Active)

Stats:

Strength: 18 (+3)

Agility: 10 (+2)

Endurance: 6 (+2)

Intelligence: 12

Magic: 10

Charisma: 6

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