My Tribrid System.

Tahir furrowed his brow as Bruce finished explaining the third vampire leader, Kain. His ability, Blood Regeneration, allowed him to recover from any wound almost instantly. By forming a blood bond, Kain could even transfer his regenerative powers to others—though it weakened him temporarily. His familiar, Vesper, was a gentle, ethereal wolf with silver fur and luminous blue eyes. Vesper enhanced Kain's healing abilities with two powers: Healing Howl, a soothing sound that healed allies, and Revitalizing Aura, which strengthened the regenerative abilities of those nearby.

"Do the familiars have any weaknesses?" Tahir asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Bruce nodded. "Yes. They feed on the life force of their host. The weaker the host, the weaker the familiar."

Tahir absorbed this, his mind racing. "Okay, go on."

Bruce continued, describing the fourth vampire leader, Selene. Her ability, *Blood Mirage*, allowed her to manipulate the blood in others to create powerful illusions. She could make enemies see and experience things that weren't real, disorienting them. Some even claimed she could tamper with memories. On the battlefield, she was the deadliest leader, with her illusions having an 80% success rate.

Selene's familiar, Myst, is a mystical fox that shimmered like mist. Myst blended seamlessly into its surroundings and enhanced Selene's illusions with two abilities: Illusion Weave, which added complexity to Selene's illusions, making them harder to detect, and *Memory Fog*, a disorienting mist that impaired enemies' concentration.

Next came Thorne, the fifth vampire leader. His ability, Blood Detonation, allowes him to detonate his blood to create powerful explosions. Thorne used this to craft explosive traps and coat weapons, turning the battlefield into a deadly minefield. His familiar, Blitz, was a small, energetic creature resembling a lightning-infused bat. Blitz crackled with energy and could deliver electrical shocks to enemies caught in Thorne's explosions. Its abilities included *Shockwave*, a burst of energy that stunned opponents, and *Incredible Speed*, which allowed it to scout or deliver messages at high speeds.

"Blitz isn't an attack-based familiar," Bruce explained, "but it serves its purpose in aiding Thorne's explosive power."

Then there is Vera, whose ability was Blood Poisoning. Her blood was infused with toxins, which she could release through mist or by coating weapons. Her poisons ranged from paralysis to death, making her lethal at close range.

"Her poison has killed many," Bruce warned. "Be careful."

Vera's familiar, Venoma, was a serpentine creature with vibrant green and purple scales, a reflection of its toxic nature. Venoma amplified Vera's poison abilities with *Toxic Breath*, a cloud of poisonous mist, and *Antidote Creation*, a serum that neutralized Vera's poison, giving her more control over her attacks.

Bruce then spoke of Talon, whose ability is Blood Construct. He could mold his blood into physical constructs—weapons, animals, or even large golems. These constructs acted as his personal army, growing stronger the more blood was spilled on the battlefield.

"Why doesn't Talon have a familiar?" Tahir asked.

"Because he believes he doesn't need one," Bruce replied. "He's strong enough on his own."

"With his ability it makes sense". tahir said.

Next was Reyna, whose ability was *Vampire Beast Mastery*. She could tame and control vampire beasts, powerful creatures that served as guardians or weapons. Reyna commanded these beasts using her blood, and the more blood she offered, the stronger the bond became. Her familiar, Brute, was a massive, muscular bear with glowing red eyes. Brute assisted in taming vampire beasts and could intimidate others with its *Intimidating Roar* and *Beast Link*, which allowed Reyna to communicate telepathically with the beasts.

"And then there's your father," Bruce continued. "He had the Shadow Ability once and was a brilliant scientist. He wasn't the battle type, so he never cared to have a familiar before he left."

Tahir's mind raced as he absorbed the information. But before he could ask more, his wrist device began beeping urgently.

"The base is under attack!" Tahir shouted, his heart pounding. He immediately thought of his friends—Kris, Esha, Zahra, Jude, Cassy. "Kris, do you copy? Esha, Zahra, anyone? Answer!"

Using his enhanced speed, Tahir arrived at the base in moments. The scene was chaos. The attack had come from the inside, executed by a teleporter. Bodies of soldiers lay scattered, and the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood. Tahir's stomach churned as he watched the security footage. Viktor had been in the middle of an interrogation when the attackers struck. Kris and the others had barely had a chance to fight back.

"Do you know them, Bruce?" Tahir asked, his voice tight with anger.

Bruce's face darkened. "Yeah, that's Darius and a few vampire soldiers. But how did they find us here?"

"A tracker, maybe?" Tahir muttered, his fists clenching. "They could have used the soldiers as a decoy to lure us in. We have to go get them back!"

Bruce shook his head. "It's impossible. In your current state, you'd be slaughtered. You don't have the ability of a Vampire leader yet. At best, you can handle vampire knights, but Darius is on another level. You need to evolve, Tahir."

"How do I do that?" Tahir demanded, his voice rising.

"Normally, it takes time," Shaw interjected. "But you don't have that luxury. At most, you have seven days before your friends are killed."

Tahir's chest tightened. Seven days. He had to do something. But what? As if in response, an unfamiliar voice echoed in his mind.

"You could always try Forced Evolution."

Tahir froze. "What voice is this? Bruce, what aren't you telling me?"

Bruce hesitated. "I think it's the system voice. An AI designed to guide you through the system and provide information we don't have."

Tahir turned his attention inward. "System, how does Forced Evolution work?"

The voice responded calmly, almost too casually. "It requires you to consume blood, but instead of digesting it, you must control it and merge it with your aura. Focus and see the energy surrounding you."

Tahir took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He blocked out the chaos around him, focusing on the energy within. Slowly, a deep red aura began to swirl around him. He could see his Qi and Kengen auras as well—smooth, blending energies that contrasted with the rough, circular flow of Kengen.

"I get it now," Tahir murmured, opening his eyes.

"That was faster than expected," the AI remarked.

Tahir frowned. "What's the catch? Forced Evolution isn't commonly used, right? There must be a downside."

"Oh, you're sharp," the AI said, its tone dripping with sarcasm. "If you fail, you could become consumed by the blood and turn into a mindless beast that drains the life from everything around you. But hey, no pressure."

Tahir's jaw tightened. "If it comes to that, John will just have to put me down."

Without wasting another moment, Tahir explained the plan to John and set out to gather blood. He broke into a blood bank, his hands trembling as he filled containers with the crimson liquid. The weight of what he was about to do settled on his shoulders, but he pushed the fear aside. His friends' lives depended on him.

Back at the base, Tahir consumed the blood. The metallic taste was overwhelming, but he forced himself to keep going. As the blood entered his system, he felt a surge of power—raw and chaotic. He closed his eyes and focused on compressing the energy into his aura. Pain shot through his body, sharp and unrelenting. His muscles spasmed, and his bones felt like they were being crushed and reforged. He let out a guttural scream, his voice echoing through the room.

John burst through the door, his eyes widening in horror. Tahir's transformation was underway—his fangs had elongated, and half of his face had mutated into something monstrous.

"I'm alright. Go away," Tahir groaned, his voice strained and barely human.

John hesitated, then nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Tahir was alone again, the pain consuming him. Hours passed, each moment stretching into an eternity. But slowly, the pain began to subside. When it finally ended, Tahir was greeted by a series of notifications:

[Forced Evolution completed successfully!]

[Acquired Title: Vampire Leader!]

[New System Ability Acquired!]

[New Blood Ability Acquired!]

[+2 points to all stats!]

[System Ability: Complete Heal. Cooldown of 5 minutes.]

[Complete Heal is a new skill that allows the user to refresh all health and MC when used. It has a cooldown of 5 minutes.]

[Blood Ability: Blood Control/Manipulation. Level of Blood Manipulation/Control: 0.]

[Blood Manipulation/Control allows the user to control blood, enabling them to harden or morph it. The power's strength and scale depend on the level. Constant use increases the level. Another way to level it up is by consuming blood crystals.]

Tahir breathed heavily, his body trembling from the ordeal. He looked at his hands, now tinged with a faint red glow, and felt the power coursing through him. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Two days down. Five left. I'll use the time to build my army."