After drinking the body enhancement serum and fusing with the True Ancestor Vampire bloodline, Haruki's body expelled thick, black filth, leaving him reeking of a foul stench.
Once the fusion was complete, he couldn't wait to rush to the nearby stream to wash himself clean. To his surprise, the icy water that once felt bone-chilling now didn't bother him at all—a testament to how much his physical resilience had improved.
"This really is a rare bloodline. I just fused with it, and it's already given me such a huge boost," Haruki thought.
After washing up, he changed into the last remaining set of coarse clothes he had at home. Thanks to the effects of the enhancement serum and the fusion of the True Ancestor Vampire bloodline, Haruki's physique and presence had undergone a complete transformation. Fortunately, in this war-torn era where human life was worth less than dirt, people were too busy worrying about their own survival to notice his changes—which suited Haruki just fine.
To be honest, he didn't hold much affection for the villagers. If anything, living here had made him feel the cold indifference of human relationships even more keenly than in modern society. After his father's death, the villagers didn't offer any help to his widowed mother or to him. Instead, they distanced themselves out of fear of being dragged down—completely different from how they had acted when his father was alive. Haruki had managed to survive entirely on his own, braving the threat of being devoured by Danger Beasts each day just to forage wild herbs or hunt small animals like rabbits. He'd even scavenged scraps left behind by others. His past life had been unbearably harsh.
Back at his simple wooden shack, Haruki pulled up the exchange list. He planned to get himself a proper weapon. Even if his body had grown incredibly powerful, it wasn't like he could fight Danger Beasts with his bare hands, right?
Opening the weapons section of the list, he browsed through countless options. Although he was tempted by divine weapons like Tetsusaiga, their prices—easily in the hundreds of thousands—quickly discouraged him.
In the end, he settled on a long blade worth 7,000 points. Its appearance was similar to Akame's Murasame. Though it didn't have Murasame's one-hit kill ability, it was still incredibly sharp and durable.
With the remaining 3,000 points, Haruki exchanged for the [Sword Mastery] skill. While it wasn't some overpowered secret technique, when combined with the immense power and speed granted by his True Ancestor Vampire bloodline, its effectiveness was not to be underestimated.
"Right, System—how do I actually earn exchange points? And when do you issue quests?" Haruki suddenly thought to ask.
"There are many ways to earn exchange points," the System replied. "For example, by killing or subduing Danger Beasts, eliminating hostile individuals, or completing missions. The stronger the Danger Beast or enemy, the more points you'll be rewarded. As for quests, they'll be triggered under specific conditions or when you encounter certain characters. When that time comes, the System will notify you. For now, the System recommends the Host focus on adapting to his new powers before heading out to hunt Danger Beasts or enemies."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Haruki thought. "I've only just fused with the bloodline. I might have all this strength now, but I still can't control it properly—and in a real fight, that could be fatal."
...
Over the past eight years, Haruki had hunted down countless Danger Beasts and hostile bandits in the surrounding areas. Now, there were almost no Danger Beasts left within a hundred-mile radius of the village. His village, located in the northern reaches of the continent, was harsh for humans—but a paradise for Danger Beasts. Only the strongest could survive there.
After years of relentless hunting, Haruki had amassed a vast number of exchange points. When he completed a mission to slay two Super-Class Danger Beasts, the System rewarded him with two rare lottery tickets.
In one of those draws, Haruki won the [Gate of Babylon] from Fate/stay night. Through years of effort, he also managed to purchase the divine weapons [Tenseiga], [Tetsusaiga], and [Sō'unga] from Inuyasha. Fueled by his immense demon energy, Haruki became nearly invincible. Even without those weapons, he had already reached the peak of this world's power.
Now, Haruki wore a sleek black outfit trimmed with red. His light blue hair fell to his waist, and his deep wine-red eyes seemed to pull at the very soul, making it impossible to meet his gaze directly. Standing tall, he carried three long swords at his waist and wore an elegant ring on his finger—though this was no ordinary accessory. It was a [Storage Ring] he had exchanged through the System, containing the vast collection of weapons he'd used over the years. While they might no longer be crucial to him, any one of them could easily turn an ordinary person into a powerful force.