Reborn as a Vampire in a Dying World: Blood, Power, and Pleasure
Chapter 60: The Codex’s Archivist

Chapter 60: The Codex’s Archivist

"Stop!"

Corven shouted, his voice cracking from blood loss and desperation, but it carried with it a strange authority—something unnatural.

[Bloodborne Charm Activated]

The effect was instant. The remaining vampires halted mid-motion, their muscles locking up as if some instinctual part of their brain responded to a superior command.

They weren’t obeying Corven.

They were reacting to blood.

In vampire society, hierarchy wasn’t a matter of respect—it was hard-coded into their biology. The higher a vampire was on the chain, the more impossible it became to disobey them. Nobility always overruled lesser breeds.

And Corven was now a noble vampire, albeit a partial one.

And even aside from that, the system made sure he wasn’t normal by any stretch.

The blood codex severed his sire’s influence the moment it bound him. He wasn’t part of any family tree—before he even evolved past fledgeling, he was already a beast by nature.

That made him dangerous. Unpredictable.

"Do you really think killing me will spare all of you!?"

He yelled, his voice cracking but filled with urgency, desperation, and something else—intent. He was barely conscious, bleeding out on the cold marble floor, but his words rang true thanks to the charm forcing doubt into their minds.

[Bloodborne Charm Activated]

"What do you mean?" the vampire with the exposed heart asked. He still gripped his blood-forged sword tightly, its edge trembling as if reacting to his own uncertainty.

"He’s bluffing. Look at him, he’s nearly dead," another vampire—the one who’d punched Corven—growled. But even he couldn’t fully shake the influence. His tone lacked conviction.

Corven could feel it.

That hesitation.

They were faltering.

He only needed to buy a little more time. Seconds. The charm was doing its job, but he needed something more.

And he had just enough blood left to make it happen.

[Crimson Eyes Activated]

– Blood (10 Units)

Unlike before, the interface didn’t flood him with unknown information. Instead, a single clean panel appeared in his mind—neat, clinical, and exact.

[Vulnerabilities / Weaknesses]

– Overall Weak (Compared to User)

– Terrified of Backup (Caused by User)

– Nothing Else of Note (Due to overwhelming gap in potential)

’Huh... that’s... blunt.’

The system wasn’t known for tact, but he couldn’t help but smirk internally. It wasn’t telling him what to feel—it was telling him the truth.

These vampires, for all their bluster and posturing, weren’t strong enough to take him in a fair fight. Not even close. The illusion and his injuries made it a challenge, but not an impossibility.

And that fear of backup? That was his opening.

Corven looked up at the now-nervous group, blood dripping from his lips as he smiled.

"I’ve got more coming," he said, his voice calm despite everything. "Each one as strong as me. Can you handle that?"

Their hands began to shake.

They knew what Corven had already done to a handful of them while injured and barely functional. If more were like him—if this was just the beginning—they’d be wiped out before they could blink.

"A-are you serious!?" the heart-wounded vampire asked again, fear creeping in despite the pain of his open chest cavity.

"It doesn’t make sense," another vampire—wearing glasses, clearly the thinker of the group—muttered. "Why would someone that strong come alone?"

Classic. The overanalyzer in a group.

Corven mentally rolled his eyes.

"I’m just a scout," he said with a grin.

That was the final push.

[Bloodborne Charm Activated]

The charm hit them like a tidal wave. Logical doubts didn’t matter anymore like why a scout would be that powerful—their instincts told them he was telling the truth.

A scout that powerful? Then the rest must be monsters.

Their eyes darted to each other, panic growing. Tension thickened like smoke. No one knew what to do.

And then—one vampire panicked.

He lunged forward, blade flashing in the air.

He wasn’t acting on logic anymore—he was desperate. If Corven was silenced now, maybe the lie wouldn’t grow. Maybe the fear would stop.

But it was already too late.

Exactly one minute had passed.

And in that instant—

Corven bled out.

His body went limp. His heart stopped. His blood pooled around him like a halo of crimson.

The room fell deathly silent.

[Objective: Survive for One More Minute]

[Core Quest Complete]

[Special Condition: Die]

[Full Rebirth Activating...]

[Extracting Former Memories...]

[15%... 46%... 99%...]

[Class Unlock: The Archivist]

[Archivist: Grants full and unobstructed knowledge of arcane and forbidden lore. Enables identification of spells, curses, and rare items through tailored insight.]

[Resurrecting...]

[Comple—BOOM

A blast of arcane energy ripped through the chamber. Statues exploded into rubble. Paintings burst into flames. Decorative ornaments flew like shrapnel.

And at the center of it all—Corven stood upright, skin whole, eyes glowing with knowledge and power.

Alive.

Renewed.

Changed.

"What—!" one vampire shouted, unable to process what he was seeing.

"Fall ba—!"

He didn’t finish.

His head was gone—cleaved clean off.

Not by Corven.

By his own comrade.

"What are you doing!?" another shrieked as panic surged.

It was chaos. The vampire who turned had snapped under pressure, seizing the explosion as the only opportunity to betray his side.

"What do you think I’m doing?" the traitor growled. "I’m saving my own skin!"

"You... you killed Raval!" one shrieked, backing into the wall like it might save her. "We still had the advantage! We could have taken him down together!"

"Shut up!" the traitor snapped, voice trembling with fury. "The moment that thing came back, we were already dead—I’m just giving myself better odds!"

And just like that, he slaughtered the rest. Efficient. Brutal.

He didn’t hesitate.

It was a logical decision—Corven was clearly beyond them. The rebirth and the explosion had shattered any remaining mental defenses. The only path to survival was submission.

Or death.

Corven, still piecing together his senses, glanced around.

The room was unrecognizable—soaked in blood, debris everywhere.

Only one vampire remained standing in the wreckage—one who’d made the decision to side with Corven.

But more than anything else...

The air was now filled with text.

[The Archivist Wakes]