ă€ŠThe Venemous Vampire Snake Likes Sunlightă€‹ Prologue: Creation Reality is akin to an ocean. It spreads far and wide, seemingly endless. Teeming with life in every corner, as diverse as the different portions of the cosmic sea they inhabit. From the bright portions of the celestial heavens to the burning pits of the infernal hells and even the eternal darkness of the abyss, there thrive in this vast cosmos. A prominent current is the ever-endless stream of souls. Death and resurrection are the most prominent methods to travel from the mortal realms to other portions of reality. There are others, of course. Summoning is one of the most widespread. It was like fishing. An attempt to bring a creature from the great beyond for their own purposes. A companion, a slave, or even a tool to be used and discarded. Of course, that is if the fisherman did not catch a soul to strong for their hooks. The System was an expert fisher. A thing of precision and accuracy with experience to dwarf even the oldest of beings. And it just so happened to require a soul. What is the secret to being a great fisherman? Sometimes, you need live bait.

The soul was unremarkable. No history upon its spirit, newly born into existence. A perfect subject for the SystemˇŻs purposes. Anything more complicated requires excessive effort. A bit of tinkering and the soul was ready. There was virtually no change. Except for a minor spark of intelligence. Give the souk enough sentience to make basic decisions. While the System could easily shape the soul into whatever it desired, there was something it couldn''t quite replicate. The freedom of choice. That near insignificant ember would provide enough motivation for the Systems purposes. It touched the soul, but provided outside stimulus this time. It would understand. That was a guaranty.

A New Ascension Tournament has begun!

The message had no presence between the soul and the System. It was purely information at the moment. Information perfectly crafted to be translated without error.

Your soul has been selected to populate the Tournament as a random mob monster. Please select a race.

A list of options was given. Each creature familiar to the reality the soul would be sent to. All part of fair play. But to keep it truly fair, someone other than the System had to make the choice.

Goblin Kobold Wolf Snake Skeleton Slime

The soul observed its options. Whenever it''s attention was given to an option, a short description was given. No need to overwhelm the newborn just yet.

Goblin: A green-skinned humanoid. Small, cunning, and adaptable. Kobold: A scaled humanoid. Small, durable, and diluted dragon blood.

A pair of monstrous races capable of allowing cooperation with the natives. It would require excessive effort to do such a thing, but diplomacy was always an option. Assuming either side didn''t kill each other before that point, of course.

Wolf: A quadrupedal animal. Cooperative, fast, and cunning. Snake: A limbless animal. Stealthy, all-terrain, and small.

More enhanced versions of the natives'' wild life. Easy to interact with the local species and provide a suitable threat before the later events. Also a way to breed and spread the Systems influence without spending excess energy.

Skeleton: An undead humanoid. Magical, tireless, and immortal. Slime: A single-celled creature. Magical, fluid, adaptable.

Evidence of the changes coming to their reality. While the monstrous races do that as well, these bend or even break standard convention. Great training wheels for the natives, while also giving them ideas about how to use the new powers and resources they''ll have at their service. The soul moved from one option to the next. Its non-existent eyes settled on the animals for a moment, but then would quickly change to the more arcane monsters. It didn''t appear to have any real interest in the first two. The System decided to provide an additional option.

Random: Let chance select your race.

The System didn''t quite like using this option. It gave it more control over the choices the soul could make. But it was also a choice not to choose. Within acceptable parameters for the System. Even with such freedoms, the simple soul was still stuck with choice paralysis. An unfortunate situation for both entities involved. While the System had infinite time to wait, it did not have infinite patience. Maybe an extra push was needed. Each race received an extra boon. A minor boost in power, but hopefully nothing game-breaking.

Goblin *Spawn in a small group of goblins. Kobold *Awaken the draconic blood. Wolf *Become a pack less pack leader. Snake *Receive a more venomous bite. Skeleton *Evolve into a higher form of undead. Slime *Become an elemental slime. Random *Random increase in potential.

It proved to be a bit more information than the soul was built to take at the moment. The spirit fractured, on the brink of breaking. Thankfully, the new sensation of pain forced it to choose. The System just wished it hadn''t demanded such unnecessary agony. Hopefully the extra boost would be good enough compensation. The soul selected Random.

Rolling for Random Race.

The System rolled a metaphorical dice on the list of races. It landed on the snake.

Race has been selected.

Snake: A limbless, scaled creature with slow but multi-terrain accessible movement. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Implementing Boon. Evolving Race.

Venomous Snake: A limbless, scaled creature with a poisonous gland to paralyze its prey.

The choice had an immediate effect. The soul began to mold itself into the shape and color of a snake. A dark gree serpent common to the natives reality. But once the boon was applied, further changes occured. A simple snake became a venomous snake. A black and yellow striped coloration to its scales took over. Other than that, there were no other external changes. It raised its head into the air, tongue flicking out to taste the air. So the soul would be a wild animal. Not the most advantageous creature from the list. Hopefully, with enough levels, it would evolve into a stronger creature. Who knows, this little soul might just surprise the System. There was still the boost from selecting random itself.

Rolling for Random Boon.

Maybe the little snake would get something to increase those odds of survival. There were near-endless possibilities. Fire magic? An inventory? Time travel? Ouroboros was always a classic.

Random Boon: Hybrid creature. Randomly select another race.

Well, that was new. Might cost the System more energy than it was planning to but where was the harm? The snake might get something easy, like an angel or devil race. Maybe something like the minotaur or griffin. People love their hybrid beasts. As long as it wasn''t something like the platypus. That thing had been hard to make. The list popped up.

It was not the intended list.

Rolling for Random Race.

Another die was rolled before the System could stop it. And this dice had seven faces instead of the intended six. It landed on Random.

Rolling for Random Race.

The System was panicking, flipping metaphysical switches to stop whatever the hell was going on right now. Eternity of letting the process automate itself reared its ugly head at that moment. While the System was busy, the die fell on Skeleton. A flood of information hit the poor snake all at once.

Race has been selected.

Skeleton: A corpse powered by necrotic energies, nothing but the bones and spirit remain.

Implementing Boon.

Vampire: A corpse powered by necrotic energies, it retains its flesh and previous intelligence.

Hybrid Trait Detected. Fusing Races.

Error. Incompatibility detected.

Animals lack the required intelligence to be a basic vampire. Awakening Sapience.

Incompatibility removed.

The messages began to glitch out.

Venomous Vampire Snake: A corpse of an uplifted animal powered by necrotic energies. Retains its intelligence and venomous abilities. Rolling for Random Boon

Random Boon: Hybrid creature. Randomly select another race. Rolling for Random Race. Rolling for Random Race. Race has been selected. Sli-

The System smashed the more recent message, finally putting a stop to the insanity that was occurring. Unfortunately, one last piece managed to slip through.

I?m?p?l?e?m?e?n?t?i?n?g? ?B?o?o?n?.? ?? ?E?v?o?l?v?i?n?g? ?R?a?c?e? Radiant !??????????%???????????????(??????????;???????? A creature suffused with the power of the sun and its flames. Hybrid Trait Detected. Fusing Races

ERROR DETECTED. INCOMPATIBLE NATURES. VAMPIRES CANNOT ACCESS RADIANT ENERGIES. ATTEMPTING COMPLETE FUSION. ERROR A?T?T?E?M?P?T?I?N?G? ?C?O?M?P?L?E?T?E? ?F?U?S?I?O?N?.? ?E?R?R?O?R? A???T???T???E???M???P???T???I???N???G??? ???C???O???M???P???L???E???T???E??? ???F???U???S???I???O???N???.??? ???E???R???R???O???R??? A???????????????????????????T?????????????????????????????????T?????????????????????????E???????????M??????????????????????????????P??????????????????????T????????????????I???????????N?????????????????????????????????????G?????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????C??????????????????????????????O??????????????M?????????????P????????????????L??????????E?????????????????????????????????????????????T???????????????????????????E????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????F??????????????????????????U???????????????????????????????S??????????????????????????I????????????????????O????????????????????????N???????????????????????????????????????.??????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????E?????????????????????????????R??????????????????????????????????????R??????????????????????????????????????????O?????????????????????????????????R????????????????????????????

While the System was fighting an extreme level of energy being drained as its automatic process tried to correct the glitch, the snake itself experienced rapid changes. The scales and muscles of the animal quickly decayed and fell off the newborn undead. What was left was a snake skeleton with a gray flame flickering in its eye sockets. Then it regenerated its flesh, with its black and yellow stripes now patterned in beautiful swirling imagery. It blinked, pupils dilating as a spark of intelligence was granted to it. It looked around, observing the void around it. Its vision landed on the only other presence in the void. A being beyond most mortal understanding, doubly so for how it looked. The physical manifestation of the System was a sight to behold. A beautiful cosmos kaleidoscoping into countless colors. Its admiration was cut short as it was struck with agony. Light poured from every orifice, burning it from the inside out. The snake writhed in pain as the System tried every trick to fix its unintended blunder. While it could have aborted the entire process, it had spent too much energy to back out now. Much less afflicting the poor creature with high levels of unnecessary suffering. There was only one solution then. Forward. After an uncomfortably long time, the snake''s existence at a knife''s edge during the entire process, an equilibrium was reached. The snake would live. Well, as much as a vampire could be alive, at least. A new stream of information, first for even the System, flowed into the snake''s mind. It failed to notice of course, the pain having knocked it unconscious, but it would be there for when it awoke.

Venomous Radiant Vampire Snake: An intelligent undead that has not only overcome its weakness to sunlight, but thrives in its natural warmth. First of its kind, it was a newborn snake of all things that has achieved this feat.

Well. An extreme amount of energy and the near destruction of a soul later, the System had succeeded in its creation of a new monster. At least it managed to fix an unknown bug in the automated process. Just to be safe, the System wasn''t going to let the next souls pick the random option. Chapter 1: Arrival. While the System was busy ironing out the finer details for the new monster, the snake in question was attempting to recover from its rather traumatizing ordeal. Lying on the ground belly up in the void between realities was a snake like no other. Its yellow scales had been bleached to a vibrant white. Its black scales instead appeared polished to a near mirror finish. It shone even in an empty void. Even in a disheveled state it was in, most would agree it''s a beautiful snake. As it blinks its eyes, a clear scale moving across its vision, everyone would call the snake enchanting. Its pupils shine with stars like the night sky. Its iris was a striking blue, like a summer sky. The agony it felt leaving its body, it groggily observed its surroundings. The empty void around it provided no visual stimulus; it looked up. Once again, it looked at the System. A rainbow of colors and shapes that left the fledgling vampire mesmerized. Exhaustion overtook the radiant enhanced monster. While there were no spiritual or physical scars left, the mental toll on the snake had drained the vampire of energy. Whatever light the System''s natural form was comforting. Curling upon itself, the snake went to sleep. The System itself was grumbling to itself in the manner an omnipresent entity was prone to. By sending harmless but tedious Quests to every sapient creature it was attached to. Something that made its strongest of apostles groan in indignation. Not caring for their plies, the System managed to correct the current situation partaking to the little paradox ot had made. While no other would glitch out and break the balance for the natives, it still had to find a good place to put it. While all monsters were spawned into reality during the Ascension Tournament as just window dressing, the System liked it that they made some sort of sense. Kobolds in caves, skeletons in graveyards, wolves in a forest. Sensible spawn points. But a vampire was something smarter and it''s spawn point needed to reflect that. An abandoned mansion, the underground catacombs of a civilization or even just a cabin in the woods. All reasonable places for an intelligent undead. Only the snake couldn''t manipulate a door without limbs. Another issue was the fact that it was a radiant variant. Not a day walker vampire, that would be far more manageable, but an elementallary enhanced monster. Elemental monsters only ever showed up in areas permiating with their selected elements. A fire wolf near an ever burning pit. A water kobold in the ocean. A poison skeleton in a rotting swamp. Where the hell was the System going to find a civilized location for a vampire with an overabundance of sunlight? And one that could accommodate a snake no less!? It was impossible!

Spawn location found. Solar Panel Farm.

Oh. Checking the area, the System found a plot of land in the middle of nowhere. A farming area that had been modernized to have solar panels above the crops. As a bonus, the farmers owned an appropriately large mansion off to the side. Well. Good enough for now. Enough wildlife to sustain the snake''s eating habits and become an arguably acceptable location for its element. Now, the System just needs to give the little monster a backstory. A vampire that actually likes the sunlight? And is a snake no less? Quality quest material right there. And so the System spent some significant time expanding the lore for the unique snake. All the while the momentarily forgotten about vampire basked in the Systems radiance.

Alright! Got a little story for the little snake.

The Slithering Paradox: You have come across a snake filled with the vampirism most foul. Yet, it manages to brace the scorching sun''s light. Could there be more to this scaled beast?

Not much to go on yet but it''s a good hook for any wandering natives. The snakeˇŻs likely to be a rare encounter considering how far the farm is from anything. It was either a rare encounter or make it a dungeon boss. The latter would require making more radiant vampire snakes or mixing light elementals, vampires, and animals into one dungeon. Neither option was cheap or viable. So, a unique monster it is. Who knows, if it''s friendly enough, it may be upgraded to NPC status. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. With the final piece in place, the System returned its gaze to the snake. Fully absorbing its appearance, it had to admit the little bloodsucker was quite authentically pleasing. Hopefully enough for a potential tamer would collect it before a pelt hunter. Assuming anyone managed to kill the unnatural undead. Something that its character sheet implied would be quite hard to do. Much less if there was anything left to collect. But that was future System stuff to worry about. Off you go, little danger noodle! With a soundless pop, the snake was ushered into its new life as a unique monster. One full of danger, adventure, and some very terrified natives. That is assuming, of course the local leadership headed the System warning. God forbid they allowed the local populace to sink or swim on their own. It would reduce their global survival rate astronomically. No one was that dumb, right?

In the middle of farmland, modernized by the owners of the fertile soil, a black and white snake appeared. Disturbed by the change in light potency, the snake rose from its nap. Its reptilian eyes observed the area, hissed, and went back to sleep. The change to the natives'' reality was quite subdued in the area. One singular beast who preferred to rest rather than hunt new prey. Of course, as a radiant vampire, maybe the sun itself was feeding the little undead. Regardless, the scaled creature enjoyed its sleep. And while the snake languished in its new home, the rest of the world experienced similar changes across its surface. Some more lethal than others. A forest razing into the sky as they grew to colossal size. An ocean trench digging deeper into the earth. A volcano erupting and planketing its immediate area in ash. Many environments changed and soon creatures began to spawn in mass from these areas. Even the places lacking such extreme environmental shifts, monsters crawled from the darkness. From rabid beasts to creatures of myth. Relatively weak creatures yet deadly all the same. Life became far more challenging. But for the little snake? That didn''t matter right now. So it dreamed. Of the System''s perfect radiance. Of the enticing warmth it provided. Of being able to sleep once again under its light. Alive for a short time, the snake may have already felt an all-encompassing emotion. Adoration.

Tilly was used to the hard life. Daughter to a paranoid military veteran father, he had drilled into her self sufficiency and grit. It''s why she had eventually settled into buying a plot of land with an abandoned mansion in her later years. Her domicile was away from the prying eyes of the government and greedy neighbors. Of course, it was no vacation trying to renovate her home, but she managed. It took decades off effort, with some sacrifices willingly and unwillingly made on the way, but she managed to thrive. The modern era and her father''s pension let her make a habitable plot of farmland. It had even been enough to catch her husband and bear a child. Named Clyde and Hazel, respectively. He was a bit spineless and soft, but had enough muscle to help around the house. As much as she yelled at him sometimes for his flaws, he managed to pull his weight. He had a knack for squeezing a few more cents out of the farm. It was why they had installed the solar panels. They sold mostly herbs and other greenery instead of heavier produce, so they did little to disturb her crops. Overall she had quite a bit of control of her life at the moment. The only thing she had to worry about was Hazel. Her daughter was showing signs of whimsy. Seeing the farm as a prison instead of the safety net Tilly had built it as. Always surfing the internet and sinking into whatever short-lived fad the latest popular actor indulged in. Other than the weather forecast, it was all white noise to Tilly, something she cared little for. A divide in their relationship. So it was with great worry that she turned to her daughter, who had rushed into the kitchen. ˇ°Snake ma! There''s a snake in the grass!ˇ± Tillys concerns melted away into a small smile. It was nice her daughter still went to her ma for a small pest. Also a good idea, since Clyde tried to scare away a rat once. It ended with a tetanus shot and a visit to the hospital. ˇ°I''m sure you still know how to use the house rifle for these sorts of situations, honey.ˇ± ˇ°But ma, it''s not like normal snakes! It''s black and white! Got swirls for a pattern. Never seen it before! What if it shoots blood like those lizards I hear about?ˇ± Tilly sighed, already regretting that trip to the museum her husband had begged her to go to. Hazel was now scared of the local wildlife and jumped at every critter she saw on the farm. Even a simple snake was some terrifying monster to her. ˇ°I''ll get the gun myself then.ˇ± In a few minutes, Tilly and Hazel were out in the field, the daughter hiding behind her mother while she also tried to lead her to the small animal. It was hard to miss, seeing as it was curled up in the middle of the field for the whole world to see. ˇ°Watch and learn, Hazel. Need to know how to protect yourself, especially if you want to go to the big city like you''ve been talking about.ˇ± Raising the rifle to her shoulder, Tilly couldn''t help but agree with her daughter in her mind. She''d never seen a snake like this on her farm. She''d read up on all the rodents or similar creatures in her part of the world and this one wasn''t one of them. Oh well. Maybe she could make it into a nice purse or sell it to someone in town. Might make a pretty penny. Before she could shoot, her eyes met the snakes, as the film across its eyes retracted. The human and the snake stared at each other for a second. Tilly had never seen such beautiful eyes. Almost enchanting. She pulled the trigger. Chapter 2: First Blood The shot echoed through the farm. ˇ°Shit, I missed.ˇ± The bullet had passed the snake and cracked the frame of one of her solar panels. Tilly was already expecting an irritated tirade from Clyde. Wasting money was one of the few times he got angry. The not-so-harmless snake was also quite angry. Whatever the two legged beast had done had been loud. Loud and threatening. Threatening meant danger, activating the snakes fight or flight response. Unfortunately for the poor farmer, vampires don''t run. The Snake hissed, coiling itself up combatively. It was a deep and guttural noiseˇŞfar louder than anything an animal of its size should have made. The pair of humans froze for a moment, fear overtaking them. The snake charged. Slithering forward, it launched itself at Tilly. For a split second, its exposed fangs sparked with energy, before it sank its teeth into her flesh. The bite pierced her skin, digging into her muscles, and injected its poison into her bloodstream. Immediately, instinct took over and the vampire began to suck. Finally, Tilly tasted iron as an electric shock shot up her body. It was an agonizing experience that would have instantly killed a lesser woman. Yet, even with all the damage she had taken, the hardened farmer still managed to stand. She wiped her arm, making the snake lose its grip. She could feel weakness slowly overtake her. ˇ°Run, Hazel!ˇ± In a desperate attempt to save her daughter, Tilly raised her gun for another shot. Only to have the weapon slammed out of her hands by the snake''s tail. Tilly looked at her discarded weapon in shock. She had never seen a snake do that before. Much less than whatever else it had just done. Even as close to death''s door, her mind flipped through all the self-defense training her father had instilled in her. It came up empty. Hazel screamed. Her mother was injured and looked ready to keel over and die. She had been told to run. She couldn''t leave her mother to die. Her mind was momentarily paralyzed between her available choices. Indecision led to wild kicks in an attempt to distract the monster before her. A foolish attempt to save her parent. She should have run. The snake jumped and buried its fangs into Hazel''s neck. Her body was softer than her mother''s. Her spine crunched under the snake''s bite. The snake savored her blood. Tilly wasn''t as satisfied with the situation. ˇ°Hazel! You sick monster, I''ll kill-!ˇ± An unobserved slap from the snake''s tail twisted Tilly''s head, snapping her neck. Spite being the last words on her lips, a long life was ended easily and mercilessly. Next to another life cut far too short. Truths the snake did not care about. The snake suckled on the blood of its first kills. It''s vampirism overjoyed over the liquid ichor. But the snake itself, the higher intelligence it had been given, found itˇ disappointing. Compared to the sun''s light, much less than the warmth of the System''s radiance, lifeblood was substandard. Thankfully for the snake, something much more pleasing to the eye appeared.

Victory! You have won a combat against 2 unawakened humans. (Experience will be measured by their potential threat level.) Threat Level: Below Current User Threat Level. 200xp Current XP(-7300/1400).

The messages pleased the snake. The floating screens shone similarly to the System''s natural light. A much tastier treat than the blood of the pair he just killed. That minor happiness did not last as the message winked away as fast as it had arrived. It wanted to see more. As luck would have it, the snake would have its wish granted.

The user has available language slots. You have encountered a creature with an accessible language. Automatically learning the language: Common.

The snake blinked as its brain was rewired. A painless experience that retroactively allowed it to understand what the two legs had said earlier. It had mostly been screaming. With this new revelation, it decided to ignore it and wait for more messages. Killing the two humans seemed to provide such tantalizing light.

You have defended your territory! Neutral Alignment^ This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. You have lowered your Reputation with Humans! You have committed your first kill! Unlocking Related Quests!

Human Slayer: Kill more Humans, becoming more proficient in killing them as you go. Progress: 2/100 Humans Killed Reward: Human Slayer Trait.

Claimed Land: Defend your territory from any threats to you or simply maintain uncontested control for 10 days. Progress: (0/10) days of control. (1/5) Successful Encounters Reward: Access to the Lair Menu. Failure: Leave the territory unguarded or be driven out.

Identity Crisis: As a newborn monster, your alignment has yet to be truly decided. Your choices will craft who you are. Progress: (1/10) Neutral Alignment ??? ??? Reward: Receive an appropriate Alignment Trait.

Unlike other beings who would have been invested in the information the messages provided, the little snake went back to sleep. The System shining through the messages, the sun''s radiance, and the warmth of the blood in its belly was too comfortable for the undead. On the cooling corpse of Hazel, a very special snake curled up and basked under the mid afternoons clear skies. Meanwhile, her father, Clyde, was huddled behind the fence, trying to stay quiet. Tears ran down his face as he muffled his sobs. His family was dead, killed in seconds by something he''d never seen before. And all he could do was hide. Taking a careful peek at the creature he saw it had fallen asleep. The thought of trying to kill it came and went. He knew he wasn''t a fighter like his wife. He knew he wasn''t brave enough like his daughter. But he did know people. Someone in town would be strong enough to kill that beast. Clyde ran to the car, his sorrow mixing with rage, as he hit the gas pedal and drove off to get help. His family would be avenged. He promised himself that. The System seemed to agree with such resolve.

Retribution: Your family has been slain, and you will have your pound of flesh. Slay the snake by any means necessary. Progress: Defeat the Snake. Reward: Anonymity for the ??? Failure: Abandon your bloodlust, or another unrelated individual kills it.

It was the second sign for Clyde that the world was beginning to change. He would have his troubles and tribulations, but this quest would always be on his mind. Driving away from his old life, he could never know it would be some time before he would return to his farm. The Snake, the instigator of his problems, would still be there. Enjoying the sun ---- When the sun finally set, the snake awakened from its slumber. The soothing sunlight was no longer around to lull it to sleep. It yawned and tasted the air. Curiosity filled its mind. The Snake could think. Its intelligence had been expanded when it was created and turned into a vampire. Beyond the instincts of a snake or a vampire were the thoughts of a newborn. Its home had yet to be explored. It came down from its bed, other wildlife having yet to touch the corpse. The vampirism inside the snake had an unnatural effect, even insects would be wary of it. Not that the snake noticed or would have cared about it. The grass under its scales felt different. The scent of the earth clashed against the processed metal of the solar panels. The gunpowder from the discarded rifle irritated the snake. The dried blood was licked and promptly met with disgust. Fresher blood was better then. The Snake did not get farther than that. The System decided to act once again.

10 hours have passed. Congratulations on your continued survival! As compensation for your efforts in ensuring the Ascension Tournament remains fair and challenging, here is your reward.

The Snake stared as the message disappeared and was replaced by a bright yellow crystal. It glowed with a soft light, some form of energy buried in its center. The Snake immediately curled around the gift the System had given it. This gem provided a light similar to the sun, comforting the little vampire. Truly, the System''s light knew no end to its brilliance. Any other time, the snake would have gone for another extended sleep, especially with its new warm gem. But the vampire half had other ideas. The snakeˇŻs undead portion had come with an ego of sorts, an echo of the kind of creature the snake could have been. And that ego had some demands. Self-respect. The Snake was a noble undead. Why would it allow itself to tumble through the dirt? It was no peasant! It had class, and it should live as such. And by sheer coincidence, there was a building worthy of itself not too far away. A mansion, robust and well-maintained. Three stories tall, it towered over the local land. The only other object near its size was a barn off to the side. Now that was a place worth sleeping in. Even the more animalistic portion of the snake agreed it would be safer in an enclosed environment. Dragging its ornament behind it, the snake slithered towards the now abandoned home. A personal domicile meant for one very small animal. One won in violence and blood. A result the System quite enjoyed. Chapter 3: A Choice. On the morning of the second day of its life, the snake was huddled into a large love seat chair. It had been the most extravagant piece of furniture, matching its regal nature. It had taken the time to explore its new castle, a slow process since it refused to leave the light crystal unattended. Made squeezing through some cracks basically impossible, but there had still benefits enough room to inspect some rooms. The house had been rather spartan in appearance, decorations lining the walls, but nothing that screamed rich owners. A few family portraits, a three-bedroom, two restrooms, and an attic. A door that likely led to the basement had been locked and couldn''t be opened. Overall, the vampire persona felt satisfied while the animal instincts felt much safer in an enclosed place. The snake itself felt its curiosity momentarily satiated. A feeling that quickly led to boredom. With no other distractions, the snake interacted with the System of its own volition for the first time. Both to know itself better and to bathe in the System''s lesser light.

Name: N/A Threat Level: 3 Race: Venomous Radiant Vampire Snake Alignment: N/A Traits: Undead(Magical Beast), Radiant Affinity. Skills: Bite, Venom, Vitality Drain, Radiant Touch, Unarmed Slam. Languages: Common

Accessing its own menu was second nature. As a System-spawned creature, part of the built-in package was having enough knowledge to use it. Assuming you had intelligence higher than a basic animal or lower, of course. Such privileges wouldn''t be given to any spawn the snake had or the natives of this world, but they would learn. Eventually. Or they would die trying. An acceptable result for the System either way. Not something the vampire was worried about for the moment. Its info mattered more. The Snake lacked a name. While its existence was unique, it lacked any true significance to be named from the start. Any natives it came across or the snake itself, if it decided to, could be the only ones to name it. It''s threat level was a high three, for the current phase of the Ascension Tournament at least. Most monsters spawned at a two or lower. Zero was still a credible threat, considering how some monsters could be quite unnatural. A skeleton was by no means a common sight in this world. With sufficient numbers and planning, the world''s natives could successfully protect themselves. Assuming they''ll manage to organize themselves during all this chaos, of course. The pair the snake killed lacked such preparations. The snake''s race was color-coded for each family of monster he was connected with. Green for Poison, white for Radiant, black for Undead, and orange for Animal. Unbeknownst to the vampire, it should have counted as a magical beast instead of an animal. It was far too intelligent for a simple reptile, it appeared to be. One of the technicalities of being a hybrid animal and undead. Such distinctions would only matter further down the line. For the moment, it was far too deep in experience dept to worry about it. Just like its Alignment provided little. Something that would be solved relatively quickly. Its traits were general perks it received from its race or other areas. Undead had different functions compared to a living, breathing person. As did being a creature either such a strong condition to Radiance. The specifics were unknown by the snake, but they still existed regardless. And finally came its skills. Quite simply, it just kept track of its abilities, at least the ones enhanced by the System. Anyone could bite or punch. Doing so when it was a skill? Well, a slap would go from lightly bruising skin to breaking bones. Language kept track of what forms of communication the snake was capable of. For the moment, it could only understand Common, the most common language shared by all the natives of the world. Regional dialects had their languages that could take a slot, as well as special forms of communication. The snake didn''t know what they could be, just that they existed. Such advantages only increased in potency as the user leveled. It was the reason a newborn snake was able to so easily slay two fully grown humans. There was more information in the snake''s personal System hidden away, it would just need to learn of it. A crutch for everyone else''s sake. The Radiant beast had enough advantages already. Limits needed to be placed. All this information was observed and processed by the snake. The vampire clicked its metaphorical tongue at the idea of being restrained. The animal hissed at the pleasant thought of being one of the strong. But the snake itself? It''s just an admired and easy access to the System. There was also a second menu that it had access to. The Quest Menu. It was meant to keep track of all the personal Quests the monster had accessed since its inception. It also kept track of the Ascension Tournament. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Ascension Tournament: Processing. Human Slayer: Incomplete. Claimed Land: Incomplete. Identity Crisis: Incomplete.

The Ascension Tournament was one Quest everyone had access to. It was simply kept hidden from the natives for the moment. It would become fully available for everyone else to see once it had successfully acclimated to the new world. For the moment, the snake was allowed to observe the quest. It gave it an excuse to open another message.

Ascension Tournament: Pass the Systems trial and earn your ultimate reward. Progress: Currently Unavailable. Wait for the System. Reward: One unrestricted request from the System. Failure: Death or willful surrender.

The near-mad snake had a moment of clarity at the quest Reward. Any request? Anything at all? The Snake knew exactly what it wanted more than anything in the world. It craved it. More than blood. More than the sunlight. More than anything, it could imagine in its short, little undead life. The System''s background automation kicked in. But no. It held that hunger back. It wasn''t its place to have such desires. Not for the moment. It was a beast meant to challenge the natives. It had been its purpose. If it wanted a chance at the Ascension Tournament, it would have to earn it. Prove it was worthy of such a privilege. And there were many ways to do that. It just needed to live long enough to see such opportunities. The System had let slip another crack in its automation to pass undetected. Even its guidelines for the summoned monsters could only control the undead so much. In the darkness of a stolen home, an anomaly had been born a second time. A twisted creature born by chance and impossible odds. A monster with intelligence and a growing desire. And it had come in the form of a little reptile.

It wasn''t until the morning of the next day that the System was fully operational. For the natives at least.

Welcome, Natives, to The Ascension Tournament! We apologize for any life threatening changes you may have experienced in the last planetary rotation. All current survivors, please remain calm. Your world has been granted the opportunity to participate in the reality-spanning super competition. Such a grand once in a planet''s chance is not one seen by many in this universe! Participate and you will earn fame, glory, strength, and potentially more in your journey. Who knows, you may even be the potential winner of the Ascension Tournament! A goal many strive for, for any wish your heart desires may be granted! Redistricting? Limits? None whatsoever! But we are not blind. As appealing as this opportunity may be, it is a challenge with lethal risks. Not everyone would be able or willing to participate in Ascension. We respect free will. So you will be given a choice. Your only chance to make it that will ever be granted. Surrender and withdraw from the tournament right here and now. No penalties will be given. You will be free from any obligations to the tournament. Or. Accept the challenge and strive to be one of the legends in Ascension history. Be more than you ever could have been. The choice, and its consequences, are yours.

Accept/Reject.

The final line of text was grayed out to the snake. As a monster, it couldn''t make that choice. But it was given another goal. A different message appeared.

As a creature designed for the Ascension Tournament, you have less freedom than the natives. But such chains come with a purpose. And their opportunity. Do well enough, and you may be allowed to participate in the Ascension Tournament yourself. Complete one or more of the available tasks to gain more power and options. Threat: Kill Natives. (2/100) Ally: Protect Natives. (0/10) Hoard: Cooperate with other monsters. (0/5) Alpha: Complete personal Quests. (0/3) Expertise: Earn a Class. (0/1) Change: Evolve into a stronger form.(0/1) Additional tasks may become available due to your actions. Now, go forth and insight chaos!

With the new information the vampire had been given, a path forward was slowly developing in its head. It already had a couple of Quests at its disposal, even if they conflicted with each other. How was it supposed to kill humans if they couldn''t leave their territory? Regardless, it gave it a short-term plan for the moment. Controlling the farm would be relatively easy at worst or attract others at best. And who knew what gaining access to the Lair Menu would do? The Snake only had to be patient. But first came nap time! The radiant vampire curled up around its night light crystal and let the sun shine across its scales through the window. The soft seat it used as a throne, also worked as a bed. The snake was letting out soft snores in seconds. Meanwhile, the natives devolved into panic trying to survive, other monsters built their power base, and the world changed with every passing moment. Just as the System had intended.