Vampire Overlord System in the Apocalypse

-----

Noah kept discovering more about the Blood Scion Skill, as he checked its information.

[Blood Scion: 1 (A)]

Use this Skill to instantly transform into a monstrous creature of the night, showing your true nature, appearance, and colors to your foe.

By activating this Skill, several effects are activated for the Ten Minutes that this transformation lasts, as your Mana and Soul are slowly drained away.

Instant Healing of all wounds (one time, at the beginning of the transformation)

All your Attribute Values are raised by 50%.

Health Regeneration is based on how much damage you deal.

The ability to see through objects such as walls.

Temporarily enhances your Proficiency in all of your Skills by 50.

All of your senses are sharpened tremendously.

Your thirst for blood becomes monstrous.

Duration: 10 Minutes. Cooldown: 4 Hours.

The duration of the transformation might increase as your Skill proficiency increases, alongside decreasing the Skill Cooldown.

…

It was an outstanding power!

With this alone, Noah considered that by using this Skill and coupling it with the effects of various other Skills and Buffs, he would become capable of reaching the power of an A-Rank temporarily!

…but only temporarily, and after that, he would become weakened, as his Mana and Soul would be drained by this Skill, and if he coupled with the other Skills that drained his calories and blood, it would also weaken his physical body.

It was a double-edged blade, and he considered using this Skill only when he felt cornered, or when he felt confident that he could finish off an enemy in less than ten minutes with its power.

Much like Blood Beast Transformation, another similar Skill that had similar after-effects which he planned to use together with Blood Scion, Noah considered this Skill as a "last resort".

However, this did not mean he wouldn't keep increasing his proficiency, the same as his other Skills.

By constantly activating Skills through the day and drinking monster blood to regain Mana, Noah had been steadily increasing the proficiency of his Skills.

However, he had discovered that their proficiency would not increase as much as if he used it to fight against strong enemies.

It seemed that when he fought against strong enemies, skill proficiency would increase even further.

Through these days he had not entered dungeons, the skill proficiency he had to acquire by using mostly all of his skills repeatedly has not even over 10 points.

He indeed needed to fight strong enemies to keep breaking his limits faster, but it was not as if he could not max the proficiency eventually if he kept overusing his Skills relentlessly, it would simply not be as fast as risking his life into battles against strong monsters or other hunters.

Nonetheless, Noah had now gotten five new Skills he planned to continuously train, perhaps training skills in those 10 minutes of becoming a Blood Scion might increase their proficiency faster.

…However, the Blood Scion transformation drained his soul. It meant that if he used it every day several times a day… it would mean his souls would be greatly drained.

Noah had already experienced what was having his soul drained and greatly damaged, and he did not want to do this every day, as it could affect his power permanently, and he would not be capable of fighting at any time with his soul tired.

Sadly, he had to leave Blood Scion aside from the Skills he could practice every day, as it was a dangerous skill to overuse.

Aside from this as Noah saw his subordinates gain new powers, he decided to check the Abyssal Connection Skill.

[Abyssal Connection: 1 (B)]

By using this Skill, a Vampire can create an Abyssal Connection with the Outer Plane that connects to different dimensions, where new powers can be dragged from the abyssal entities dwelling within.

Based on your affinity, an Abyssal Entity might or might not choose you as their apostle, and grant you the power of a Warlock, capable of using the powers of this abyssal entity through a variety of Magic Spells and Conjurations.

As the Skill Proficiency increases, your connection with the abyssal entity you have created a bond strengthens.

…

Noah squinted his eyes as he read the holographic window containing the information about the Skill.

Without thinking it too much, he decided to activate it.

"Abyssal Connection…" he said, as a sudden black flame emerged over his hands.

"?!"

Noah felt the burning pain take over his entire flesh and soul, as the flames consumed his entire body!

Noah's sight changed the second after, as he found himself in a strange space.

A place that Noah could only describe as "incomprehensible".

If he looked above, it looked like there were millions of enormous, mountain-sized rocks floating there, when he glanced at his right, he found that there was an empty void of darkness, when he looked to his right he found a mass of purple-colored plants, trees, and more, floating aimlessly, when he looked down, he found burning blazing flames of all colors, dancing around endlessly.

"This is… the Outer Plane?" Noah wondered, as he suddenly felt an enormous, never-ending presence notice him.

A sudden voice which seemed to resemble a language that he could not comprehend yet he did, spoke to him with a voice that sometimes sounded dry and old, or young and healthy, sometimes it was high pitched, and other times exceptionally low.

"You don't belong here…"

Noah tried to glance at the entity, but he could not find it.

"It is rather obvious that I don't…" said Noah.

"Oh? You can speak to me? Is your soul not shivering in fear and despair? Are your instincts not telling you to escape from me?" asked the entity with interest.

"My soul is not a mortal's soul anymore. I do not think such effects apply to me. But I do feel the pressure of your incomprehensible existence. Let me become your Warlock," said Noah.

"Such a bold mortal… Oh? What…?! Your soul… So you have the spawn of Azathoth within your Origin? How could it…? Oh, I see…" murmured the entity, talking to itself.

Noah kept silent until the creature finished speaking to itself, but it seemed that it had noticed the Ancient One within his soul, which the entity called "Spawn of Azathoth".

"What do you mean?" asked Noah.

"….It is not something you can yet know about… but for now, let me make you my apostle. I want to see how far you can go…" said the entity, as Noah felt a tremendous pain take over his soul.

-----