Concept Stories - RPG: Vampire - Chapter 1 (Concept)

I know this doesn’t say much, takes a few chapters to get going. This is just another concept chapter I worked up.

Summary: When I reincarnated into another world, I thought I’d have special abilities and be a hero, just like the video games I used to play. Instead, I was barely average, had no friends, and became canon-fodder at the newly formed Adventurer’s Academy. However, after I’m bitten by a vampire princess on my first mission, I unlock the RPG system. Now, the world is a game complete with drops and status. Things that used to be impossible are now in my grasp. I will become the greatest hero this world has ever known! If only I could deal with this thirst…

Other worlds suck. When I lived on Earth, I was a video gamer who spent all day fantasizing about being some hero in a fantasy world. I dreamed of reincarnating or being summoned and then being gifted with all kinds of powers and abilities. I would go on to form a beautiful harem of women who would fight and die for me. I would be rich, have money, power, and everything else I could ever want. Of course, there would be some struggles, but I would always overcome them because I was just that special.

And so, after dying from a heart attack from staying up 72 hours straight during a marathon MMORPG session, my eyes opened to a new world. There was a beautiful woman with pointed ears looking down at me. I instantly recognized her to be an elf. I then saw my father. He wore what seemed to be armor. They spoke a language I didn’t understand, but I was quickly able to figure out what happened.

I still remembered being a gamer from Earth! I had finally reincarnated into a fantasy world! I had a beautiful elvish mother and a stoic and grizzled-chinned father. Nothing could be more perfect.

With the memories of my previous life, I could quickly learn magic and skills. Over time, I’d leave all of my peers in my dust, and quickly rise to be the most amazing adventurer the world had ever known! That was my dream! First… I was feeling sleepy… My baby eyes closed and I went to sleep.

Time passed by, and I slowly learned to move. I also learned how to speak the tongue. I picked it up pretty quickly, and within a year, I was able to say my first words. What? It’s normal for babies to speak after one year? Shut up! I didn’t have developed vocal cords yet, it was really hard!

Then, it came time to find dad’s books and learn about history. I strenuously taught myself to read. It ended up taking another three years. That’s impressive! My mother barely had to help me most of the time! Unfortunately, when I found the magic books, they were written in a language other than the language I had just learned to read! This was the so-called magical language. That was much harder to learn.

Well, it was taking too long to learn magic. I was already six before I realized it, and I couldn’t even produce a single flame. At this rate, how could I be a genius? I know, I’d train up my body and become a swordsman like my father!

He was a city guard. Yeah, I had been hoping he’d be some kind of great general or something, but not everyone could have a glorious occupation. At least, he was able to hold himself in a fight, and he was good and tossing drunks into the jail cell. I asked him to help me learn how to use the sword.

Did anyone ever notice how heavy a sword was? I couldn’t even pick up the practice sword with my six-year-old body. Dad only chuckled and said I had my whole life to learn these skills and I should just be a kid for now, but that only depressed me further. I tried to work out extensively, but my body was just too small and I got tired too easily. Since dad wasn’t pushing me, my workout routine fell apart.

As for my mother, she was an apothecary. She sold various brews and potions. Finally, that was something I couldn’t screw up at. I was a half-elf, with a human father and an elf mother. Working with herbs and nature was in my blood! Although I was disappointed when I learned elvish lifespans were no greater than human lifespans and I wasn’t going to live hundreds or thousands of years, at least elves were known for their arcane skills!

In the end, I failed at that as well. The pot exploded. I had put everything in there exactly as she had instructed, but it had exploded all the same. I cost mom a lot of money and she was mad at me. She almost lost the shop because of the damages. After that, she wouldn’t give me another chance until I was older.

I grew older, and I returned to my training. I studied magic aggressively. I practice swordsmanship with my father daily. Mom even eventually let me do a bit of alchemy. Like that, I became a Basic-level swordsman, learned the 1st tier of basic elementary spells, and could brew a good headache medicine.

It turned out that brew making didn’t mean elixirs, health potions, and mana potions. These things existed, but they involved powerful spells and rare ingredients. The kind of potions that would instantly heal wounds were nearly national treasures. The kind of potions my mother made fit better in the holistic section of a drug store. She made stuff to relieve stomach aches, fevers, and other extremely typical drugs that weren’t remotely what I had imagined an apothecary from a fantasy world doing.

Like that, I had turned fifteen, and all of my accumulated skills made me… about average for my age. This world wasn’t the glorious world of dragons and magic that I had thought. Yeah, I could make sparkles appear from my fingertips or create a fire the equivalent of lighting a match, but in exchange, I lost many things I dearly missed. There was no television, no video games, no air conditioning, and no indoor plumbing. Anyone who fantasizes about being reborn in a fantasy world is an idiot.

“My son, you have become a fine adult.” Dad declared, putting his hand on my shoulder.

“Have I, though?” I responded.

I was extremely ordinary. Despite all of my knowledge, it had ended up being wasted. I just wished that life was more like a video game.

“Son, what your father is trying to say is that there comes a time in every man’s life that he needs to find his way in life.” Mom smiled.

“A-are you two kicking me out of the house?”

“No!” Dad shook his head. “No, not at all…”

“We would never…” Mom and Dad glanced at each other.

Slam!

“Ow! My butt!” The door had hit it on the way out.

I was only fifteen, but in this world, that was the age of an adult. I had a rudimentary talent with sword work and a rudimentary talent with magic. What did other kids my age do? They found a Master and became apprentices. Based on your talents, there were all kinds of things you could do. As for me, I could join the military or even a city watch like my father. If I was lucky, I could get into the mage’s academy. My magic wasn’t good enough for that. I heard they only accepted those who could cast intermediate magic.

As I aimlessly walked through town, a bag on my shoulder that contained everything I owned, I heard a town crier who was yelling and passing out pamphlets.

“Do you want an adventure? Would you like to save the princess? Kill the Demon Lord? Rescue the village? Then, the Adventuring Guild is right for you! Fame. Fortune. All of these things will be at your fingertips.”

“What are you saying, the Adventuring Guild is a death pit? You either need to be extremely skilled or you’re just cannon fodder!” Someone from the crowd yelled.

He wasn’t lying. The appeal of the Adventuring Guild had caught me too when I had first learned of it. However, the guild was extremely dangerous. Battling monsters, entering dungeons… it was true that the guild offered these chances, but the death rate was about 25%. If four people formed a team, one of them wouldn’t come back… every mission.

There was a group of S-class individuals who were able to fulfill any mission. Every boy dreamed of becoming one of them… but becoming one of them meant beating the odds. You were far more likely to die before ever getting there.

“The Guild is well aware of our poor… ahem… reputation, which is why Guild Master has created a new branch of the Adventuring Guild!”

“A new branch?” Someone else called out.

“Yes… it’s called the Adventurer’s Academy! You can adventure under the protection of a skilled teacher. Gain skills quickly… for a nominal tuition.”

“Is there really a school for Adventuring?” The person asking this time was me.

The man blinked as I appeared in front of him, and then grinned. “Of course, for just 1 gold a month, plus a second for room and board.”

I let out a sigh. My parents had given me some money, but they were never rich to begin with. I had about 50 silver, which came to 5 gold. At 2 gold a month, I’d be in debt in three months. I couldn’t expect my abilities to improve without at least two years.

“I take it you don’t have the money?” The man gave a sympathetic eye and patted my shoulder. “In that case, you can enter our apprenticeship program. You will have to do missions regularly, but they will always be supervised by a senior. You should join quickly, before it’s full! A lot of people desire to join!”

“I-I’ll do it!”

Like that, my new life began as an Adventuring Academy Apprentice. With enough lucky chances, I might one day be as powerful as those S class adventurers. Then, I could finally become the hero I had always dreamed I could be.