The First Vampire Beast Tamer

After reading through all the messages and checking my updated status window, I pushed myself up from the sticky ground, still feeling the lingering energy from my recent feast. I turned to Paws, ready to talk.

"Hey, I just got a ton of messages about titles and skills and stuff!" I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Paws, floating nearby, turned his face away with a pout. "Yeah, so what, nya?"

"There's a skill called Drain Touch," I said, grinning mischievously. "Why don't I just drain the hell out of this snake? Suck all its life force until it drops dead! Wouldn't that be a great idea?"

Paws turned back to me, his expression sharp and taunting. "And where, exactly, are you gonna put all that life force, nya? In that noodle-like body of yours, huh? Nya!"

His tone was dripping with sarcasm, and I couldn't help but mutter under my breath, "He really has a terrible personality for a cat…"

Unfortunately, Paws's sharp ears picked up every word. His pointy ears twitched, and he narrowed his eyes at me. "What did you just say, nya?" His voice carried a subtle challenge, as if daring me to repeat myself.

But I wasn't about to back down. Anger flared inside me, and I snapped back, letting it all out in one breath. "Your personality! It's terrible! That's what I said. And you know what? They say if you don't have a nice face, then at least talk nicely! But no—you're a devil cat with a bad personality!"

I expected him to lash out—maybe another slap, maybe more of his smug taunts—but he didn't. Instead, he stared at me calmly, an unsettling grin spreading across his face. His voice dropped into a calm, dangerous tone.

"So, my personality is terrible, nya. And you don't like it, nya?" His grin widened as his voice turned eerily amused. "Well then… let's see if you like my new one, nya."

Before I could even respond, Paws vanished. Just like that—gone.

I blinked, looking around frantically. "Hello? Where did you go now? Good grief…" I muttered. "Well, whatever. I don't have time to waste on you, anyway."

But before I could do anything else, he reappeared inches from my face, his wide eyes glaring into mine.

"Ah!" I yelped, stumbling backward and landing on the ground again. "H-Hey! Do you have a death wish or something?! What did I do to you?"

Before I could continue, Paws cut me off mid-sentence, his voice completely different—low, gruff, and menacing, like an old, grumpy man.

"Shut your rattle, nya…" he growled, the nya sounding more aggressive than ever. "Screaming like a dog—will you just shut up and stop complaining, nya?"

His tone made my jaw clamp shut. I couldn't get a single word out, his glare pinning me down like some predatory beast.

"And you wanna use Drain Touch, huh, nya?" he continued, his voice biting. "But before using any skills like some dumb idiot, do you even know what they are, nya? No, scratch that—do you even know what you are, nya?"

I stared, stunned into silence.

"You think you're a vampire because it's written on your status window, nya? But do you even understand what that means, nya? Don't take anything for granted, nya… or you'll suffer."

His words carried a weight that hung in the air, but the exaggerated nya at the end of every sentence was so ridiculous, it took everything I had not to burst into laughter. My lips twitched as I fought to suppress a grin.

"Stand up, nya," he commanded, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Without thinking, I obeyed, scrambling to my feet. His authoritative tone left no room for hesitation.

Once I was up, I spoke softly, humbly. "Please… tell me. What am I? And what does it mean to be a vampire?"

Paws's expression shifted slightly, his anger softening as he floated up to my eye level. "Good, nya," he said, his tone calmer now, though still laced with that cat-like superiority. "Now listen closely, nya. You're about to learn what being a vampire truly means…"

"Now listen," Paws said, floating closer, his expression unusually serious. "All vamps have a few things in common… Well, technically not all, since you're the one and only vamp—the first in the history of this world. That alone sets you right square above humans on the food chain."

He placed his paw under his chin, striking a pose like some wise scholar delivering life-changing knowledge.

I ignored the theatrics, my curiosity piqued. "Oh yeah? Like what?" I asked, my voice tinged with awe. Vampires were something I'd only ever read about in books or seen in movies. A fantasy… and yet, here I was, living it—or undead-ing it, I guess.

Paws grinned, sensing my interest, and continued. "Like sharper senses, a body that can take a beating, and—if you play your cards right—eternal life." He wagged a paw. "Now, that's no sure bet, but still, a shot at immortality? Not a bad deal, nya. And that's just the basics."

"Immortality?" I muttered, the word echoing in my mind. My chest tightened at the thought. Living forever… after dying so many times already? The idea sounded like heaven. "Wait—does that mean I'll live for eternity?" I asked, wanting to confirm it.

Paws chuckled, his whiskers twitching. "Well, kinda. Let's get something straight, nya. You can still be destroyed. But forget the crap you've seen in books or movies. Garlic? Completely worthless, nya. A cross? Pfft. Might as well shove it right up their ass for all the good it'll do." He smirked at his own crude humor before continuing.

"A stake? Only if it catches you in the heart, and even then, it just paralyzes you. Running water? Not an issue at all. Swim all you want, nya."

He paused, letting the silence linger like a suspenseful drumroll. Then he spoke again, his voice lower, more serious.

"Now… a magic blast to the head? That's trouble, Nya... Fire? Real bad news. And sunlight?" He gave me a pointed look. "Well, you catch a sunrise, and it's all over, Nya... Get it?"

I swallowed hard, my excitement tempered by the weight of his words. So there are limits… real, fatal ones. The thought of immortality suddenly felt a little more fragile than I'd imagined.

"Okay," I muttered, gulping hard as the weight of Paws' words sank in. Immortality, fire, sunlight—yeah, there was a lot to unpack there.

But before I could dwell on it, a piercing scream shattered the air.

"What the hell is that?" Paws muttered, turning toward the sound. His expression shifted into one of gruff annoyance, like a cranky old man who didn't have time for this nonsense. "Can't a cat have one peaceful moment without chaos breaking out, nya?"

His new personality was like a complete switch from the snarky-but-caring version of before. Sure, he was smug before, but he listened, maybe even cared—though I couldn't believe I was actually thinking that.

Nope, nope, must be losing my mind, I thought, shaking my head to clear it.

As I stood there in stunned silence, Paws floated higher, his tone grumbling like an old geezer. "I'm gonna see what's going on. You better figure out a way to get out of this mess before you get yourself killed, nya. I'm not saving your tail twice in one day."

Before I could argue, he floated off toward the direction of the screaming, vanishing into the darkness without so much as a backward glance.

The screaming grew louder, echoing through the snake's insides, sending shivers down my spine. My fists clenched, frustration bubbling to the surface. Seriously? Leaving me here, alone?

I kicked the slimy ground in anger, muttering, "Damn cat." Then, with no better plan, I raised a hand and shouted, "Drain Touch!"