Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Nikephoros ya bayyana a karo na farko a cikin yaƙe-yaƙe na Bulgarian na Emperor Basil II
, a cikin 999/1000, 1000/1 ko 1002, dangane da tushen. A lokacin shi "protospatharios" ne, kuma tare da "patrikios" Theodorokanos, ya ba da umarnin kamfen a cikin ƙasashen Bulgaria. Da suka tashi daga Mosynopolis, janar din biyu sun haye tsaunukan Balkan kuma sun kama tsoffin manyan biranen Bulgaria na Pliska da Great Preslav, tare da Little Preslav. Daga nan sai suka sace Dobruja, suka bar garuruwa a baya kuma suka koma sansaninsu. Ba a bayyana ba ko ya riga ya zama gwamnan soja ("strategos") na Philippopolis a lokacin, ko kuma an nada shi bayan nasarar kamfen ɗin, kamar yadda John Skylitzes ya ruwaito, lokacin da Theodorokanos, wanda aka san cewa ya rike wannan mukamin a baya, ya yi ritaya saboda tsufa.