I feel myself stumbling. Surprised by the unexpected movement, my forgotten reflexes fail to make sense of the situation. I fall and smash onto a white and even surface. I blink, not understanding where I am and how I got here. I move, and the lichen still covering my skin crumbles, leaving only scratchy dust behind. I stand up on trembling legs, naked and confused. What happened to that old spell those sorcerers cast upon me? Why can I move? My muscles tingle and complain, dry and weak, screaming for nourishment. I look around. Everything is white. The walls and floor are white, and even the ceiling is white, harsh, and sterile. Cold, like fresh snow. It is so hostile and unforgiving, a bright lantern. A mirror that reflects light into every corner, into all the comforting hiding places of the non-existent dark.


    Someone on the other side of the room seems to be sitting on a chair, sipping on a cup of something. I can feel my bloodlust spike. My body vibrates in eagerness and anticipation after so long without stilling my gnawing hunger. I tense, ready to pounce. My palate aches, trying to salivate. I lick my canines, eager to bite, to rip and tear, to drink my fill, to cover the offending brightness in a crimson hue. I am ready to close the distance, leaving no time to react. But then I stop, nearly falling over again.


    Something is wrong. There is no smell. No blood. That figure is fake. It is made of dancing lights, of swirling colors. Someone is teasing me, mocking me, laughing about my plight.


    “Leave me alone, illusion," I rasp.


    The figure flinches. The cup in its hand breaks, tinging like a bell, but no liquid spills.  The figure blinks, then watches me, then blinks again.


    “What?” Its eyes dart around the empty room as if looking for someone else. “You can tell? How? That should not be possible.”


    “No idea of what you are talking about,” I mumble, absentminded, marveling at the sound of my voice.


    “Show me your status, User!” demands the illusion, raising his voice. ?What about responding? To show him what? Rude.


    “I don′t swing that way, dude… Even if I did, you are not even real.”


    The illusion looks at me like I am demented. Maybe I am, but I can not tell anymore.


    “Yes… You are not even fully integrated yet. You would not know,” His eyes fall upon me with derision. Like a patronizing grandfather commenting about the stupidity of the younger generation. “Just think the word Status.”


    Leave me alone! What is all this rambling about some stupid status?


    *Status:


    Name: Ka′ain


    Race: Human (Undead)


    Age: 13827 years


    Bloodline: Ancient Vampire (A) 0,3%


    Level: 0


    Class: NoneIf you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Cultivation: None


    Attributes:


    Strength: 28


    Agility: 47


    Dexterity: 42


    Endurance: 21


    Vitality: 4/61 (Temporarily reduced due to severe blood starvation)


    Perception: 52


    Intelligence: 19


    Willpower: 64


    Traits:


    Universal Tongue


    Skills:


    Identify Lvl 1


    ??? *


    A blue window has appeared from thin air. It tries to hinder my vision. What is this? A new curse designed to screw with my senses? An illusion to distract me with flimsy words that lack any meaning? No, no! I will not be trapped again this time! It is not even real! I try to catch its edges, to shove it away. But my hands pass through it without resistance. Then, it suddenly disappears into a shower of sparks.


    The illusionary man is flicking his simulated fingers through the air, like looking for something only he can see, ignoring me.


    I wander around the room, searching for seams, a door, a way out. I need to get out. I′m starving, and there is no prey in here.


    “This can′t be real” mumbles the illusion somewhere behind me. “His stats are way too high for a level 0. This, this will screw with everything. This will jeopardize the colonization effort of the new planets. I need to do something.


    * A moderator has requested the judgment of the System upon you due to:


    “Possible outside meddling detected. Multiple violations of fair play. The User possesses an unfair advantage before System Integration. The User is too old for an unevolved being. Possible fair competition and intervention thresholds exceeded. The User exceeds the stats any level 0 on an unintegrated world should have by at least 2 to 6 times. User should be eliminated for the sake of keeping the balance.”


    Scanning User.


    Assessing.


    No outside meddling was detected.


    Elimination request denied.


    The User is a native of Planet Dirt and can not be left out of the ongoing Integration of his home planet.*


    Another blue window appears. Stubborn and annoying.


    “What is this nonsense?” cries someone somewhere, sounding like a whining child.


    *A moderator has called for the assistance of a System Administrator*


    Stupid windows, pesky flies. Go away.


    Another illusionary man appears next to the first one. They start rambling about something. I only half listen to it. What are they even talking about? Why does the first illusion seem so alarmed about me?


    “No, you don′t understand. We need to warn all the seeded young prodigies of the guilds, the young scions of the sects seeking their rightfully owed fortune. This monster is a menace to the future elites of this new world. It could cause a galaxy-wide stir.”


    “Just eliminate him from the competition. I have heard of Vampires before. They are usually considered a plague. Barely rational. They are not even fully alive. Like dead men wandering around or something. I think they are usually eradicated wherever they appear. You may have just cause.”


    “I can′t. I have tried. He has somehow managed to be considered a native by the System.”


    “Maybe he is. That does seem to be a problem, does it not?”


    “It isn′t?”


    “You are still young and new. It′s not the first time something like this happened on an Integration. Just send him into the Impossible difficulty tutorial. Problem solved.”


    The second illusion is fading back out of existence.


    *Ding


    You are about to start your tutorial. Select the difficulty you want to experience. Higher difficulties are deadlier but have greater rewards. Choose wisely.


    -Easy


    -Normal


    -Hard


    -Hell *


    I blink, another of these pesky windows again, refusing to disappear this time, no matter how hard I try to shove it away. It wants me to choose something. Why? Should I? Maybe it will finally disappear if I do. Maybe I will wake up from this strange dream, still cast into stone. I do not want to. Here I can move. Let me dream for a while longer. I will do it. I will choose. What do I choose?


    *Moderator override.


    You have chosen to enter the Impossible difficulty tutorial.


    Prepare yourself*