Blood 4: Countdown to Despair

『Vampire』

I froze at the鉴定 result.

At the time of that incident, I had accidentally discovered that skills could be acquired using a resource called skill points.

I immediately obtained the鉴定 skill and began experimenting.

The result was clear:鉴定 was unusable.

I tested it on everything within sight—bed, wall, desk—words that were obvious upon inspection.

Moreover, each use caused a mild headache.

The pain was negligible if used intermittently, but by the time I had鉴定ed nearly every object in the room, the ache had become a dull, feverish throb.

No practical utility, and activation incurred a penalty: headache.

I suppose it’s partly because the skill level is only one, but I don’t feel motivated to try raising it further.

It was a useless skill.

Sighing, I performed one final鉴定 on my own hands. The result was "Vampire."

It took a long time to comprehend the meaning.

I kept rechecking the鉴定, thinking it must be a mistake. But the result remained unchanged.

Why?

How?

Those words spun endlessly in my mind, looping without resolution. Nothing else could form.

"Emergency! The young mistress is—?"

I must have looked severely ill. The maid noticed immediately and summoned a physician.

I quietly鉴定ed the maid. Result: "Human."

I showed my condition to my father and mother, who rushed over in alarm. Both were鉴定ed as "Human."

That means I’m not necessarily a vampire just because my parents are vampires.

It means I was born a vampire through a sudden mutation.

If I’m seen by a physician, my true nature might be revealed.

A cold dread spread through me.

I don’t know whether vampires actually have blood flowing through them or not.

“Wait.”

“You?”

“You noticed too? This child is likely activating the鉴定.”

It was better that she was weak.

Otherwise, if she had strength, her body would have reacted with a start.

“Chance, or divine mockery—this child seems to possess the鉴定 skill. This symptom is probably鉴定 sickness. This is only a prediction, but perhaps this child cannot deactivate the skill at will?”

“Then it’s dangerous!”

危险，但并非医生能干预的问题。尽管会进行检查，眼下只能祈祷这孩子能自行压制技能的发动。

“这种事……”

听见父亲与母亲身后仆人们窃窃私语的对话，似乎误解了我的症状。

一半正确，因此也不算全错。

说起来，鉴定技能一旦发动，别人就能察觉到。

又是一次偏差。

医生抵达，开始诊察。

无法抵抗。

在紧张中几乎昏厥，只能任由医生处置。

“正如所闻，似乎是鉴定醉症。身体强行承受了本不该承受之事，因而僵硬。不过，目前来看，技能发动已停止。状况不会再恶化了。”

父母长舒一口气。

I could not feel relief, my body remained rigid.

"Better to keep an eye on him for at least one day. If anything changes, please call again."

"Thank you, doctor."

The physician left without further comment.

Caution remained necessary.

Possibility of a private conversation with my parents afterward was plausible.

Yet, despite the taut tension, my consciousness began to blur.

The prolonged strain of a child’s body could not endure.

I wanted to know whether the doctor had truly left without noticing, or if I had simply fallen asleep.

[Proficiency has reached threshold. Skill 'Sleep Resistance LV1' acquired.]

Thanks to the new skill, I managed to stay awake for a short time.

But in the end, I could not hold on until my parents returned. Somewhere in the interval, I fell asleep.

I awoke to find my parents absent.

I had expected my anxious mother to remain nearby, but she was gone.

The reason became clear from servants' conversation.

It appeared the spider monster from earlier had established a nest near the city.

The city was in disarray as a result. My father and mother were occupied with the response.

Relief.

At least I was alive. That meant the worst outcome had been avoided.

Delaying the issue, yes—but I believed my status as a vampire had not been discovered.

Normally a nuisance, but in this instance, I was grateful to the spider that had allowed the matter to remain unresolved.

Why was I born as a vampire?

My theory is reincarnation. But I do not know.

Could it really be because I was called a vampire in a past life?

If my second chance at life is ruined over something so trivial, I can’t continue.

But the fact remains—I am a vampire.

If someone were to perform an鉴定, I’d be exposed immediately.

I don’t know how vampires are treated in this world, but it won’t be favorable.

I must not be discovered.

But discovery is inevitable.

Nobles’ children undergo a ritual known as the Judgment Ceremony—a formal debut into society.

Publicly, under scrutiny, they are assessed, and families boast: “See how exceptional our child is?”

If that happens, I’d be announcing my identity as a vampire.

I must avoid it at all costs.

But how can I avoid it?