Chapter 2 - A New Skill!

I stared at the dead bat on the ground, studying it for a long moment, my eyes tracing its small, fragile body sprawled against the rough cave floor.

"It’s just a normal bat."

I mumbled, scratching the back of my head in confusion. I looked around, trying to see farther into the cave; it was still dark, the shadows thick and heavy, making it hard to tell how far the walls really stretched.

But when I focus—

"Fuuuh..."

And let out a controlled breath, steady and deliberate, the echo comes back to me as shapes. Not images, not light— but outlines formed through sound, overlapping and connecting, letting me see the surroundings of the cave in a strange, unnatural way.

This certainly feels strange, almost unsettling, but whatever. It’s beneficial to me, and that’s what matters most at the moment. I can think about how messed up this is later.

"But... why is this happening to me?"

This is definitely echolocation, a skill a bat possesses to hunt and navigate inside a dark cave. I know that much. But how the hell am I able to use it?

I racked my brain, trying to find an answer, forcing myself to calm down. I tried going back to what happened to me earlier, replaying everything in my head, trying to connect the dots no matter how ridiculous they seemed.

And after doing that for a while, sorting through the confusion and disbelief...

I reached a conclusion.

It sounds absurd— honestly insane— but it’s one of the most possible answers to what’s happening to me right now.

"The voice."

I muttered, my voice barely louder than a whisper, remembering the monotone voice that spoke to me before I got hit by the truck and woke up in this cave.

"After that voice appeared inside my head, these bullshits started happening to me."

I grumbled, trying harder to recall exactly what it said, every word, every pause.

I remember it saying that it was randomizing my race before I got here in the cave. And if I remember it correctly—

’It said that I was a demon... A vampire to be specific.’

I looked down at my hands. They’re definitely smaller than normal, thinner, weaker-looking. My whole body feels off, unfamiliar, like it doesn’t belong to me anymore.

Then, I remembered two more things the voice told me—

[Transferring to Another World...]

[Starting Your Reincarnation...]

My head started to work faster, thoughts lining up one after another. Things started to connect together, pieces finally snapping into place.

And then, slowly—

Everything started to make a bit more sense.

"No way..."

I muttered under my breath, disbelief washing all over my body, creeping into my chest and tightening my throat. It’s hard to believe, it feels stupid— but I think I got reincarnated in another world.

As a Vampire Demon.

*****

I have no absolute way of confirming whether I did get reincarnated in another world or not right now. There’s no proof, no system window explaining everything neatly like I read in novels.

But I am pretty sure that my body is different from before.

I’m several times smaller, thinner, and weaker than I used to be. Just standing here feels different, like my center of balance has shifted.

Also aside from that, there’s something I can try and confirm as well...

And that is if I’m really a Vampire.

I remember hearing the voice say before that I have an exclusive skill called [Blood Is Power].

When I tried eating the bat earlier, everything about it tasted like shit, just as expected— its flesh, its fur, even the smell—

Except for its blood.

It tasted like... I don’t know how to describe it. Warm. Rich. It was good. And more than that, it gave me energy, real strength flowing back into my body.

And after I drained the blood out of the bat—

"I gained the ability to use echolocation."

It’s just too convenient to be called a coincidence or some random fluke. Everything lines up a little too perfectly. But just to be sure, I’ll try and do it again.

I’ll drink another blood.

I’m also doing this because I still feel weak and pretty hungry. My body is screaming for fuel. I need to recover my strength as soon as possible.

I closed my eyes, steadying myself, and with my lips parting—

"Fuuuhh..."

I let out a controlled sigh.

The echo bounced back instantly, and through sound alone, I was able to know what was in my surroundings— walls, distance, empty spaces, obstacles waiting ahead.

’This is crazy... it’s much better than when I was trying to see with my eyes earlier.’

I thought to myself, genuinely impressed. Then, without hesitation, I started walking forward.

"Fuuuuhhh~"

I navigated through the cave with my eyes closed, relying entirely on the echolocation skill that I learned. I avoided stalagmites jutting out of the ground, uneven rock floors that could trip me, and razor-edged stone pillars hanging from above. Paths revealed themselves naturally as I moved.

And after walking for a while—

"...!"

My skill sent me a shape.

And that shape kept changing location every time I used echolocation.

It was long. Slender. Moving quietly a few meters in front of me.

’It’s a snake.’

I immediately concluded in my head. The snake was getting closer, but it didn’t look like it was heading toward me specifically. Still, my body tensed up.

"Fuuuuh..."

I scanned around me again. Then I sensed it— a sharp stone not far from my right. I immediately grabbed it.

After that— I hid behind a stalagmite, unmoving, holding my breath, doing my best to hide my presence.

"Fuuuuh~"

I waited for the snake to get closer.

And not long after...

"...!"

I detected the snake’s shape an arm’s width away from me. I reacted instantly.

With my right hand gripping the sharp stone— BAM!

I slammed it down where the snake was.

-HISSSSS?!!

I hit it, but it didn’t die.

So once again— BAM!

I raised the stone and violently brought it down.

BAM!

Again.

BAM!

And again.

Thus, just like that— I killed the snake.

"Huff... That was more tiring than it had to be."

I mumbled as I opened my eyes. My hands were shaking badly now; the little strength I had recovered earlier was fading fast. I let go of the stone and picked up the dead snake instead.

It was completely mashed up from the beating it received.

But not paying attention to that, I lifted the snake in front of my mouth.

And without much hesitation— GULP!

I drank its blood. Then some more. And more.

The taste was much better than before. Richer. Stronger. Though, mixed in with it, I tasted something bitter as well— it had to be the snake’s venom.

But even after knowing that, I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t stop.

I was drunk on the taste of the blood. I could feel strength flooding back into my body, far more than before. My stomach finally felt not empty.

The dead snake smelled like shit, and thinking about what I’m doing is disgusting.

But whatever. I’m desperate right now.

So after just a few moments— I finished drinking the blood of the snake.

I opened my eyes and saw it dried up, just like the bat’s corpse earlier.

By this time, it was already pretty much clear.

I am a Vampire.

Ptu-

"The snake’s venom made it bad."

I mumbled as I spat out the lingering bitter taste in my mouth. Still, I felt relieved that the venom didn’t seem to affect me. I was genuinely worried about that for a second.

"Hmm? So... did I gain a new ability?"

I looked at my hands carefully. Nothing looked different. No strange marks. No unfamiliar sensation.

Only the feeling of strength settling into my body.

"Ugh, how would I even know if I did?"

I clicked my tongue lightly and let out a slow breath. The cave answered me as it always did now— stone, distance, empty space.

But then—

"Huh?"

Something bloomed in the darkness as I was looking around.

Not sound. Not shape.

I can see it with my eyes.

A faint warmth appeared through the dark, gathering into a small, uneven outline clinging to the cave wall. It pulsed— slow and steady— flickering brighter with each heartbeat.

I froze.

Curled in on itself, wings folded tight, the shape barely moved.

It was a sleeping bat.

My throat tightened as the warmth drew my attention, sharp and irresistible, standing out against the cold, dead stone like an ember buried in ash.

"Haha... So that was it..."

It looks like that time, I gained the skill to see heat silhouettes.

A cave snake’s ability called [Thermal Sense].