SSS Awakening: Rebirth of the Strongest Vampire God Chapter 6: Body Tempering Potion

Varnyx gave a nod of approval. "Not bad for a bloodling."

A faint smile touched Damon's lips. His initial attributes were a notch above the average, a benefit of his persistent real-world habit of visiting the gym.

Heightened Senses served as the inherent passive buff granted to all vampires, just as Eternal Hunger acted as their universal passive debuff. There were no surprises in that regard.

While Eternal Hunger sounded like a crushing burden, it was actually manageable; consuming a sufficient amount of beast blood once per day was enough to keep the debuff at bay. In certain respects, the penalty functioned like a hidden advantage, as vampires rarely required health potions. Simply drinking blood was enough to recover, which would save a significant amount of currency in the long run.

The racial buff was equally beneficial. It granted players the ability to see through darkness, which was an incredible advantage during the early stages of the game. The enhancement to other senses followed a similar logic.

One detail omitted from the fine print—a pleasant little secret—was that vampires could occasionally detect low-level players using stealth. Aside from that, the passive buff was relatively modest and couldn't truly be labeled as overpowered.

In fact, the majority of the game's classes were fairly balanced. Picking a specific path didn't grant instant dominance. However, special hidden classes belonged to a completely different league of power.

Rumors persisted regarding legendary classes within the game, yet even after a three-year period, no player with such a class had been officially identified. The top-tier players preferred to keep their class specifications under wraps for security. While forum threads were filled with unverified claims and tall tales of players being one-shot in PvP zones, nothing had ever been proven.

After a brief, polite exchange with the vampire, Damon used the pretext of returning the charm to the old hag to make his swift exit from the well.

Utilizing his long nails and the convenient arrangement of the well’s stonework, the climb back up was effortless. He returned to the fields in short order.

He wasn't concerned about his altered appearance or others spotting the change, as the old hag's charm handled the concealment. Players from the Dark faction possessed numerous methods to mask their identities and mingle with those from the Light faction, and the reverse was also true. Unless he did something reckless, like standing directly before a high priestess at a temple, the risk of discovery was negligible.

Damon reached the outskirts of the small town's newbie farming zone within minutes. Though several curious glances were cast his way, he ignored them entirely.

Moving with a quick pace, he integrated into the crowd. The charm performed its task perfectly, suppressing his aura and hiding any trace of his new nature. To the observers around him, he appeared to be just another unremarkable player who had yet to reach level 1.

Damon grinned. There was still a considerable journey ahead before he would officially start his leveling process. His plan was to exploit every trick he knew right from the Foundation, ensuring that by the time he reached that first level up, he would already be leagues ahead of the competition.

His next destination was Ellora's shop. It was time for another round of bargaining.

"You are back so soon?" Ellora remarked, her brow arching as the shop door chimed. A wicked, wizened grin spread across her face the moment she laid eyes on Damon’s new state. "Welcome, my little bloodling."

'I suppose she already figured it out,' Damon mused, feeling a slight chill at her unsettling smile. It wasn't truly surprising; the old woman was a high-level NPC, a fact well-known to many. She was essentially a wolf in sheep’s clothing, passing her time by swindling every newcomer who crossed her threshold.

"Yes, Miss Ellora. I cannot thank you enough for opening my eyes to the truth of the world," Damon answered smoothly, giving a respectful nod as he entered the musty heat of the shop. He produced the charm and returned it to her, causing his appearance to instantly revert to his pale, vampiric form.

To be honest, it wasn't drastically different from a human look, aside from the fangs and crimson eyes—features that a decent mask could easily obscure. However, as his level increased, a faint aura would begin to leak from him, revealing his nature to the world. He would literally smell of blood. To mask that, he required a different solution.

"Ah." Damon feigned a look of shock. "My eyes. Miss Ellora, please. Help me. Everyone can see me. I am exposed. How do I hide myself and blend in among the cattle?" he pleaded, adding just enough theatricality to his tone to earn a scoff from Ellora.

The old woman gave a raspy chuckle. "Look at you, already talking like one of us. 'The cattle,' is it? Hah." She studied him for a moment before reaching under the counter, her fingers trailing over a series of small, ornate boxes.

She selected one and flipped it open. Resting inside was a delicate silver chain holding a black gemstone pendant, no larger than a fingernail. The stone pulsed with a dim red light, mimicking a heartbeat.

[Item: Bloodveil Sigil – Uncommon ] Disguises vampiric aura, fangs, and red eyes. The user can pass as human unless directly examined by high-level detection. Durability: 100/100. Wears down slowly when exposed to sunlight or divine auras.

She pushed it across the wood toward him. "Wearing that won't make you invisible, but it'll stop the cattle from having a stroke when you walk past. Just don't push your luck around temples."

Damon took the necklace and fastened it around his neck. Looking at his reflection in the grime-covered shop window, he saw his image shift; his eyes turned a dull brown, his fangs vanished, and his deathly pallor softened.

"Perfect," he whispered, though he was secretly cursing the stingy old woman. Despite his high reputation, she had only offered him an uncommon-tier item.

"Brat, I am giving it to you for free. Take what you get." Ellora snorted. "What? I don't need to read minds to know when someone's mouthing off in their head," she added coldly.

Damon simply smiled and gave a polite nod. "Thank you for helping me out."

"Then, what are you still hanging around here for? Get lost." Ellora watched him for a second before sighing in annoyance. "Don't tell me. Are you going to stand here and ask me for more freebies?"

"I wouldn't dream of it, Miss Ellora." Damon shook his head quickly. "I do need a small loan, though." He added after a brief pause.

"A loan, is it?" She shot him a sharp glare.

Damon raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Temporary! Strictly business. I'll pay it back with interest."

Ellora stared at him, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the counter. Finally, she snorted and gave in. "Fine. Tell me what you need."

Damon grinned. "A couple of bristle net, a couple of redleaf weed, a few stalks of bogthorn and one drop of big wasp honey."

Ellora’s eyebrows shot up instantly. "Bloodling, who the hell are you? How do you know the exact ingredients of body tempering liquid?"