Eternal Thief - Chapter 2: Ace White

After reincarnating as Zhou Xuanji, the prince of an empire, he thought that he would be able to live a worry-free life of luxury. He did not expect to be involved in a rivalry with the Empress herself, who forced him to escape from the palace.

Notice: This story contains R18+ themes, including violence, sensual and sexual content, blood-related addiction, and dark psychological elements. Reader discretion advised.I died in a library, crushed under centuries of forgotten knowledge. Fitting.Now I’ve woken up in a coffin, starving, undead, and very much not human.They call me a Fledgling—a bottom-feeder vampire barely above a ghoul. I’m weak, hunted, and tethered to a world straight out of a cursed tabletop campaign. It’s a classic fantasy realm—elves, knights, guilds, and dungeons—but twisted by a dark, rotting magic. The moon shines red, the gods are silent, and every town smells like fear.To make matters worse, I’ve been bound to a LitRPG system called the Blood Codex.Level up by draining blood.Unlock skills by embracing your monstrous nature.Resist Corruption... or don’t.There's no prophecy. No chosen one nonsense. No noble title. Just fangs, rot, and whatever I can steal, trick, or kill to survive.But the deeper I sink into this world’s underbelly, the more I realize something is watching me through the system. The rules are breaking. Dungeon bosses are going mad. Entire towns are disappearing.And I think I’m supposed to fix it… or maybe finish the job.

In a world where mana nodes inherently decode spells, acting as the pre-built magical processors of all mages, Zephyr awakens with just a single node, putting him at a disadvantage.Unconcerned with fame or glory, he initially shrugs off this profound limitation, even dismissing his father's final and seemingly useless gift. But when a relentless spiral of uncontrollable events threatens his very existence, Zephyr has to figure out a way to utilize his inherited legacy.His survival now depends on understanding the fundamental nature of mana nodes and how they tick in a world that takes the process for granted. His method of conscious processing pushes the boundaries of conventional magic and draws the attention of formidable world powers and ancient noble houses. As Zephyr delves deeper, he begins to uncover disturbing truths about their world and the very origins of magic itself. How would he navigate this treacherous landscape where every discovery could be his last?What to expect:- Unique power system that draws inspiration from modern processors.- Extensive character development and world building.- MC starts out weak and capped... until he figures out how to process better. Power is earned.- Mana cores, mana nodes, spell processing, noble houses, knowledge gatekeeping, great world powers, hidden factions, a touch of sci-fi, multiple worlds, soft kingdom building...

Chu Nan was just an ordinary student, but because of an accident, he obtained the data collection, analysis and processing ability equivalent to the most advanced optical brain.