vol. 1 chapter 3 - I Must Escape
Degrienne’s small hands trembled as she tried to summon even a wisp of true energy—
Nothing.
Her pupils contracted in horror. She hastily focused inward—
Her dantian was empty.
The vast sea of Emperor-tier martial essence that once surged within her... was completely gone.
She couldn’t feel even the faintest circulation of true energy.
“No… no way…”
Her voice—now as crisp and clear as a silver bell—trembled with panic she had never known.
Her mastery of the Martial Path… the enlightenment she had poured days and nights into reaching the peak of Ninth-Tier Martial Emperor…
Gone. All of it.
Half a day ago, she had been the youngest Martial Emperor in Blue Star’s history.
Standing atop the world.
Now… she couldn’t even breathe properly through the simplest of cultivation methods.
She bit her lip until she tasted blood.
All her effort. All her persistence. Reduced to ash in an instant.
Curled on the edge of the bed, silver hair falling to conceal tear-reddened eyes, Degrienne tasted, for the first time in her life—
Powerlessness.
The strength that had once cleaved through the interdimensional portal with a single strike… couldn’t even support the weight of this fragile, small body.
“The system…”
Her eyes flew open. “I still have the system!”
Holding her breath, she tried calling upon the connection buried deep within her.
When a blood-red screen shimmered into view, she nearly wept with relief:
【Host】: Degrienne Lilith
【Desire Points】: 3 (gained through PUA exposure)
【Available Infusions】:
Body Tempering Technique: Lightning Induction (Uninitiated)
“This is…” Her crimson eyes narrowed. She instinctively touched her neck.
The screen’s glow danced on her pale face.
This system—her greatest advantage—had once made her the youngest Martial Emperor ever.
But now, the familiar interface had changed.
The original Temporary Lifespan stat was gone.
In its place: Desire Points.
When Degrienne read the condition for earning them, her pupils shrank into pinpricks.
“PUA?!”
She slammed her palm into the screen.
“System! What the hell is this?!”
【Host's body structure has undergone fundamental change】
【System has automatically reconfigured to best suit current physiology】
The cold mechanical voice echoed in her mind.
Degrienne trembled with fury.
“Whose side are you on?! Change it back!”
【Error: Core protocol has been rewritten】
【Reversal procedure unavailable】
Emotionless. Unyielding.
“Damn it…”
She clenched her tiny fists.
“Even you turned traitor…”
Her angry glare bore into the red screen—only to slump in resignation moments later.
A flicker of resolve lit up in her crimson gaze.
“No… The system still exists. That means I can still win.”
She jabbed a finger at the [Lightning Induction Body Tempering] option.
“Desire Points, huh? Fine. But mark my words—once I regain my strength…”
Her jaw tensed.
“Catherine will pay a hundredfold!”
All three points were spent at once.
Ripples spread across the blood-red screen. The system’s voice intoned coldly:
【Year 1】: With a vampire's body, training lightning arts feels like being eaten alive by ten thousand ants. Faint violet lightning veins begin forming on your skin…
【Year 2】: The pain lessens. Under moonlight, you can now summon faint sparks.
【Year 3】: Beginner stage achieved. You can now manipulate thread-thin blood lightning—but each use triggers intense bloodlust…
The moment the simulation ended—
A crimson arc flickered at her fingertip!
“It worked!”
She clenched her small hand, crimson eyes flashing with electric light.
Even this sliver of energy—so weak it wouldn't have dented her peak-era fingernail—made her heart swell.
Tears nearly welled up.
But when she looked again… the blood-colored spark, no thicker than a hair, made her lips press into a hard line.
This was nothing compared to what she once had.
And worse—what had once been pure violet thunder energy was now tainted.
It had turned crimson. Twisted. Wrong.
“It’s… the bloodkin's influence.”
She opened her palm, letting the spark dissipate.
Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
In the Blue Star martial hierarchy, Body Tempering was the most basic level—barely a novice.
Even the weakest bloodspawn she once cut down with ease would overpower her now.
She gave a bitter smile.
The nine martial realms: Body Tempering, Postnatal, Innate, Internal Qi, Master, Grandmaster, Transcendent, Saint, Emperor.
She had once stood atop the ninth tier.
Now she was starting from scratch—Tier One.
And the most bitter part?
The monster who had done this to her—Catherine—was stronger than her peak self had ever been.
A vampire prince, one tier above even the Martial Emperor.
“I need to at least reach the Innate tier…”
“Only then can I use Flashstep: Thunderstrike Ninefold.”
She stood, teeth gritted, small fists clenched tight.
“Only then… will I have a chance to escape this hell.”
Her eyes scanned the room.
Carved four-poster bed. Heavy red velvet drapes. A vanity inlaid with bloodcrystal.
Then—her eyes locked on the far wall.
A full-length mirror stood there.
She staggered forward, silver hair swaying with her steps.
When her gaze met the reflection—her breath hitched.
A small girl—barely 148 centimeters tall—looked back at her.
Skin pale as moonlight. Crimson eyes like rubies soaked in blood.
Her cherry lips parted slightly, revealing two tiny fangs.
She instinctively reached out.
The girl in the mirror raised her hand in unison.
Their fingers met the cold glass—and Degrienne recoiled as if shocked.
Her chest heaved.
“That… that’s me?”
Her voice was soft—far too soft. Innocent. Childlike.
She pinched her cheek.
The girl in the mirror flinched. Eyes welled with tears.
There was no denying it: this new form was devastatingly beautiful.
Silver hair fell like a silken curtain to her waist, with faint bloodshine at the tips.
Her collarbones framed glowing white skin barely veiled by her oversized robes.
Even the anger in her red eyes looked like a masterpiece.
It was true—vampires were famed for their beauty.
But this? This was on another level.
Not even nobles centuries old could compete.
“What a joke…”
She raised her fist—
“Crack!”
The mirror cracked under the blow. Blood dripped from her porcelain hand.
But a moment later—it healed, good as new.
That infamous vampire regeneration… now an insult.
She stared at her fractured reflection.
Every shard showed her the same unfamiliar silver-haired girl.
“Why…?”
She staggered backward. Knees buckled. She collapsed onto the velvet bed.
Her oversized war robe slipped, revealing a slender leg so delicate it looked breakable.
“How… how do I fight like this?”
Her tiny fist shook—but it looked more like a tantrum than fury.
Worst of all?
When she glimpsed her own pouty, angry expression—
She thought…
It’s… kind of cute.
“Damn it!”
She yanked a pillow over her face. Her silver hair spilled wildly across the bedding.
Now she understood what Catherine meant by becoming cute.
This body was crafted for one purpose:
To be irresistible.
Even more terrifying—her vampire instincts were awakening.
She could smell Catherine on the pillow.
That faint scent of roses, which should’ve ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) disgusted her—
Instead made her fangs itch, her throat ache.
It felt familiar.
Like a child recognizing their mother’s scent in a crowd.
Or a sister finding her long-lost sibling.
Her body relaxed instinctively, wanting to press her face into the pillow and breathe deeply.
“No… No, no, no…”
She hurled the pillow away, gasping for air.
Clutching her arm, she dug her nails in deep, trying to feel pain—anything to fight this unnatural pull.
But the scent was already in her bones.
“I won’t… I won’t give in to instinct…”
She forced herself upright—but her body wavered.
Her eyes scanned the room one last time—
Then locked onto the night beyond the balcony.
A flicker of resolve lit in her gaze.
“I will escape…”