**Stardust Academy– Capital City 'Arenthor'**
**Year 4345 – Hotel near Silvermoon Forest**
Alucard sat on the edge of the bed, rolling his shoulder and exhaling a deep breath.
"All that just to get here... and I'm already this tired. The academy hasn't even started yet," he muttered, glancing at the faint moonlight slipping through the window. His legs—strong, real—still felt surreal to him.
A map lay unfolded on the table beside him. Silvermoon Forest was circled in red ink, its name glowing faintly under the light. The forest was infamous in the novel *The Prodigy of Dawn*—a mid-level region that few dared enter. But it held one of the world's greatest secrets: the **Elixir of Life**, hidden within King Arthur's forgotten sanctuary.
He had memorized the path. Thanks to the teleportation gates built by the Three Races—Elves, Dragons, and Humans—Alucard arrived in Arenthor in an instant earlier that day. Showing his invitation letter granted him free passage, and from there, he prepared quietly: food, gear, and a simple dagger.
Now, it was time.
---
**Silvermoon Forest – Outer Zone**
The trees shimmered faintly, their silver-tinted leaves glowing softly under the moonlight. It was as if the forest itself breathed mana.
"Just like in the novel..." Alucard whispered.
Silvermoon Forest earned its name from the plants that absorbed ambient mana during the day and glowed at night. It was beautiful—deceptively so. At the forest's core, even mid-tier beasts of Rank D roamed freely. But Alucard wasn't heading to the core. Not yet.
Following the landmarks described in *The Prodigy of Dawn*, he reached a small lake hidden deep between cliffs. Just behind the waterfall, King Arthur once trained in secret—shielded from the world.
He stepped through the falling water.
A surge of ancient mana swept over him.
Behind the waterfall was a stone arch, half-covered in moss. Alucard raised his hand. The mark on his invitation letter glowed faintly as if reacting to something in the sanctuary.
The arch opened.
He entered.
---
Inside, the sanctuary was still intact—barely. Time had corroded the walls, and broken crystal tubes lined the interior. But at its center was a raised stone pedestal. And there it lay—the **Elixir of Life**—glowing with a golden hue, pure and vibrant.
Alucard didn't hesitate. He drank it.
His body seized.
Agony erupted through every nerve, his vision fading as light exploded around him. Bones cracked and restructured. Meridians twisted and reshaped. His mana veins burst open then reformed stronger. Blood surged like rivers, flowing through newly purified channels. His muscles spasmed, his insides churned, and his very being howled.
[You have consumed the Elixir of Life]
[Your body has been reborn. Potential unlocked: EX Rank]
[You are now capable of reaching heights no mortal bloodline can limit]
[You can now absorb a bloodline]
When it ended, he collapsed to the floor.
As he caught his breath, a second presence filled the room.
A sword.
Embedded in the wall, cloaked in ancient lightning.
When Alucard touched it, a soul imprint flared—an ancient Runcadel ritual, where one's legacy was burned into the soul.
Memories surged into him—the forms, movements, and essence of lightning. Passed from master to successor through spirit.
[You have acquired the Runcadel Lightning Sword Art]
[Technique Level: F+(Evovable)
[Skill:1st form - Lightning Steps ]
2nd form - ????( Requirement, D rank)
3rd form-?????( Requirement ??)
Alucard clenched his fist. "Now… this is power."
The legacy that should have belonged to the protagonist… was now his.
And as the sanctuary trembled slightly, a low growl echoed from deeper within the ruins.
He turned toward the sound, eyes sharpening.
Something was coming,but what..