Bloodbound: Game of Fangs

Die, You Undead Bastard!

The world was on fire.

Flames crawled up the ruined cathedral walls, licking at the broken pillars like starving demons. The air was thick with blood and death, the echoes of tortured souls screaming through the shadows

And in the middle of it all, a towering skeletal nightmare stood between me and victory.

The Abyssal Lich.

Ten feet of pure, rotting malice, wrapped in tattered black robes that reeked of decay. Its hollow eye sockets burned with eerie blue fire, and in its bony grasp, it held a scythe dripping with shadows.

The fucker was smiling.

“Child of darkness,” the Lich hissed, its voice a guttural rasp that made my skin crawl. “You are alone. You will die alone.”

I spat blood onto the cracked stone floor and tightened my grip on my sword.

Not. Fucking. Happening.

I wasn’t just any player. I was Nightshade, top-ranked vampire warlord, server’s number one female player.

And I had no intention of losing.

My HP bar flashed red in my vision—one hit away from death. My mana was shot to hell, my healing potions were empty, and I could feel my stamina bleeding out of me like an open wound.

But I wasn’t done yet.

I forced myself to grin.

“Enough talk, you undead piece of shit,” I growled, rolling my shoulders. “Let’s see if you can back it up.”

The Lich moved first.

It raised its scythe and slashed downward—a black wave of death magic howled through the air, sharp enough to rip through flesh, bone, and soul alike.

I dove sideways, boots skidding against the bloodstained floor as the cursed energy sliced the ground in half. Stone and dust exploded behind me.

The bastard was strong. Too strong.

I had seconds to react.

I clenched my jaw and charged.

My sword—Crimson Eclipse—flared to life, a hellish glow pulsating from the cursed runes engraved along its obsidian blade. The power of every enemy I had slain before now howled inside it.

Time to add one more.

I swung with everything I had, aiming straight for the Lich’s skull.

It blocked with its scythe.

The impact sent a shockwave through the cathedral, shaking the ground beneath my feet. Sparks of blood-red energy crackled in the air, my arms screaming from the force.

The Lich laughed.

It fucking laughed.

“Is that all?” it sneered.

I snarled.

“Not even close.”

I kicked off the ground, twisting mid-air, and brought my sword crashing down—this time, I aimed for its ribs.

The blade sank deep.

The Lich let out a horrid screech, the blue fire in its eyes flickering violently as -78,542 CRITICAL HIT! flashed in my vision.

But the bastard wasn’t done.

Before I could pull my sword free, its bony hand shot out and clamped around my throat.

FUCK.

A paralyzing cold seeped into my bones, numbing my limbs, turning my breath into a shallow gasp.

Frozen Curse inflicted. Movement speed reduced by 80%.

My HP bar plummeted.

I choked, my vision blurring. I could barely move, barely breathe. My body felt like it was being dragged into a frozen grave.

The Lich’s grin widened.

“You are nothing but dust beneath my feet.”

My health was at 1%.

One more second, and I was dead.

So I did the only thing I could.

I let go of my sword.

The Lich’s grip tightened—just for a fraction of a second, just enough hesitation for me to lash out with my free hand and yank the cursed dagger from my belt.

With everything I had left, I slammed the blade into its skull.

The world erupted.

The Lich screamed, a soul-shattering shriek that cracked the very air.

Its body splintered, blue fire pouring from the wound, bones disintegrating into dust.

I dropped to my knees, gasping, hands shaking.

It was over.

A chime echoed through the empty ruins.

[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]

CONGRATULATIONS! NIGHTSHADE HAS DEFEATED THE ABYSSAL LICH! FIRST CLEAR REWARD: ???

I stared at the screen, heart pounding against my ribs.

I won.

I fucking won.

And then—

The screen glitched.

For a split second, the world flickered, like a corrupted file struggling to load. The cathedral blurred, shadows warping, everything twisting—

I pressed the Enter button.

Nothing.

I pressed it again, harder this time.

Still nothing.

My fingers hammered the keyboard, the cold plastic keys clicking beneath my touch. But the screen—the damn screen—was frozen.

The victory announcement was stuck, the words hovering in mid-air like a taunt. The Abyssal Lich’s remains flickered, its decayed form glitching in and out of existence, like a corrupted file struggling to load.

My stomach twisted.

What the hell?

I dragged the mouse, clicked every damn button. No response.

A chill crawled up my spine. Something was wrong.

Then—

BLACKOUT.

The entire room plunged into darkness.

For half a second, I sat there, blinking, confused. Then realization hit me like a truck.

The hostel power went out.

I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair.

“Just fucking great.”

The whole main hostel building was on one ancient, piece-of-shit power grid, and tonight, of all nights, it decided to give up on life.

I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair.

I groaned, slamming my head against my desk. I just wanted to kill a boss, get my loot, and log off. Was that too much to ask?

The main hostel building was running on an ancient, prehistoric, dying power grid, and tonight, of all fucking nights, it finally decided to kick the bucket.

I reached for my phone—dead.

Of course.

I was just about to curse the entire electricity department into oblivion when—

Pain.

A sharp, electric jolt shot through my body, spine to skull. Like I’d just grabbed a live wire with both hands and held on for dear life.

My breath hitched. My muscles locked. My entire body seized up.

And then—

Nothing.

Just—black.

No pain.

No sound.

No air.

Just an empty, endless void.

And a whisper.

Not a human whisper.

Not even a voice.

Something deeper. Darker.

Like the sound of the void itself grinning.

“Welcome home, Nightshade.”

Then—

I fell.

For a moment, I was just there.

Frozen.

My breath caught in my throat, eyes wide in the pitch-black void surrounding me

I was this close to screaming when—

Again PAIN.

Blinding. Searing. Pain.

A jolt of raw electricity shot through my spine, sharp, violent, unbearable.

Like I had just grabbed a live wire with both hands and held on for dear life.

A ragged gasp tore from my throat as my body convulsed, muscles locking, nerves burning from the inside out.

My breath hitched. My limbs wouldn’t move.

My fingers twitched violently against nothing!

I wanted to scream, to move, to do something—but my body wasn’t mine anymore.

I was trapped.

The pain was gone again.

But so was everything else.

No sound.

No air.

No warmth.

No fucking existence.

Just—

Black.

An endless void, stretching in all directions.

My heartbeat should have been thundering in my ears. My breath should have been coming in frantic, panicked gasps.

But there was nothing.

Like I had been plucked from my body.

Like I was falling without moving.

And

A whisper.

I couldn’t catch what it was saying!

Headache....severe fucking headache!

And then -

Light!

Boom!

Too bright.

Too painful!