"Vera told me about your situation." Cassandra said. "So you need my help to get monster blood…Do you at least know how a Blood Tattoo is made?"
"No ma'am. I don't know how it is made." Viel replied.
"Ok, it's not going to be a problem. After all, I was already expecting it." Cassandra explained.
'Then why you asked!?' Viel thought. The pressure she was emitting was no joke, it was a little bit weaker than his father's.
"You just thought something bad about me, didn't you?" Cassandra asked Viel with a smirk on her face.
Seeing that, Viel couldn't help but blush.
"N-No. I didn't" Viel answered.
Cassandra continued looking at Viel while he avoided her gaze.
"Ahem…Lady Cassandra, I have the blood of a Deimos-Rank Ironclad Rhino. I think it should be of a good rank for the first tattoo."
"That's true." Cassandra stated. "Even though it's true that the rank of the first Blood Tattoo establishes the limit for the future ones, we can push it too far either. Of what use it is if you are dead?"
"Ok." Viel said.
"But first, I want you to tell me how do you gain the opportunity to get a Blood Tattoo. Your Grandma told me you would be the one to tell me."
"Well, it's a long story." Viel said while trying to avoid the subject.
"I don't have any hurry. I'm all ears." Cassandra said as she took a sip from a cup of tea.
"Ok." Viel gave in at the end. "After a series of events, I gained the opportunity to get a Body Constitution. The one I acquired was the Crimson Canvas Legacy."
At that moment, the teacup that Cassandra was holding fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
"W-What did you say? Could you repeat it, please?"
"Of course. I obtained the Crimson Canvas Legacy."
Just after Viel finished speaking, two blood shackles appeared from nowhere and held Viel in the air.
"Do you know what you are talking about?" Cassandra asked as she pointed her long and sharp red nail at Viel's neck.
"I don't know. If I have offended you in any way, I'm deeply sorry. Please, forgive me." Viel said as he felt Cassandra's nail pricking his neck.
"The Crimson Canvas Legacy is the Body Constitution that any Blood Mage desires." Cassandra explained. "The only person to be known to have had it was the Blood Mage's Progenitor, the founder of my family and my deceased great-great-grandfather, Alistair Bloodrose."
When Viel heard Cassandra, he couldn't help but start to sweat. What would he do if she, a Pseudo-Saint, asked him about his Body Constitution origin. And just as he feared, it happened.
"Now, will you tell me what opportunity you encountered to obtain it?"
"..." Viel didn't answer. It doesn't matter what, he couldn't talk about Max and Eriol. And if he lied, she would know.
"So you play hard to get, huh? Don't worry. I don't need your cooperation for this, but it would have made it more pleasant for both of us." She cut Viel's skin drawing out a few drops of blood. Then she took her finger to her mouth and tasted his blood.
"So that's how it is." Cassandra said as she savoured Viel's blood. "So a few Gods still care about this broken world."
When Viel heard her, his eyes widened like saucers. How did she know about the Gods abandoning Solais?
"What? You don't think I don't know about it, do you? My family has been in this world for a looong time now. Maybe the Kaizers have already forgotten about it."
"Now that you know, could you release me, please?" Viel said.
"Oh, right. I already forgot about it." Cassandra said as she waved her hand, making the blood shackles grabbing Viel disappear.
"Well, your room is the first to the right on the second floor. Wake up early tomorrow and wait for me in the courtyard next to the house." She said as she left the room and headed upstairs.
'Who would have thought that the son of Alex would have been chosen by the Gods to save this lost world? I need to make him stronger as fast as possible.' Cassandra thought. 'Alex, Vera, don't get mad at me if I make him suffer a little. It is for the greater good. Also, he is somewhat my type. That red and green eyes along with that white hair. And his blood. Oh! And his blood, his blood was so delicious. I can't wait to taste it again!'
….
The next day Viel woke up very early in the morning and waited for Cassandra in the courtyard as he was told.
'I still can't believe that she knew about the Gods abandoning this world. In the original novel, they never talked about some families knowing about it.' Viel thought.
"I see you remember what I told you last night. I'm glad to see you here and don't have to go and wake you up." Cassandra said as her hair flowed with the air like a blood wave.
"First of all, I need you to tell me everything you have obtained from the Crimson Canvas' Legacy." She said.
Viel took a deep breath and began to explain, "After upgrading my Body Constitution in different situations, I have gained several abilities. I now have two Blood Tattoos' Slots, the Blood Brush active skill, the Toxic Blood passive skill, the Life Steal passive skill, and the Crimson Ascendance active skill."
Cassandra nodded in acknowledgement. "Very well. In the time you spend here with me, first, I'm going to teach you Blood Magic, as your affinity with the Blood Attribute is remarkably high. Then, we'll proceed to create your first Blood Tattoo using the Deimos-Rank Ironclad Rhino blood you possess. You will also create your second Blood Tattoo without my help from what you learned from me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I do Ma'am!"
....
Two weeks passed in which Cassandra taught Viel Blood Magic. She thought that she would need a few months, but she didn't expect that he was a genius.
No matter what she taught Viel, he will learn and master it in the shortest time possible. Cassandra feared he may be even more of a Blood Genius than the founder of her family.
Right now, she was going to give Viel his first blood tattoo.
....
Cassandra drew a large red circle around Viel using the blood of many different monsters from the area surrounding Cassandra's house.
"The first step is to channel the energy for the tattoo." She explained as the circle started shining in a dark crimson colour.
"The next step is to draw the tattoo." She said as she summoned her Blood Brush and started drawing a small Ironclad Rhino with the Deimos-Rank Monster blood on Viel's back.
Three sharp horns are prominently displayed. The armour-like hide is intricately detailed, with the texture and toughness of the skin painstakingly rendered. You could see it was a formidable monster.
She then bit her finger and let a drop fall on the drawing, making it shine with a strange crimson-red colour.
"The final step is to activate the tattoo, infusing mana into it so it becomes a part of you." Cassandra said. "In this step, I just can help you stabilize its energy, but everything else depends on you. Beware, as the residual will may oppose you in the process."
Viel nodded and closed his eyes, focusing on the tattoo.
He could feel the energy of the monster's blood, but he also felt something else. It was the monster's will.
Viel tried to dominate the will as he infused his mana into the tattoo.
In his mental realm, a colossal rhinoceros covered in tough, interlocking plates that resemble metallic plating appeared in front of Viel. It aimed its three large horns at Viel and rushed towards him. Viel quickly jumped to the side and avoided the attack.
"Silly beast. This is my Mind Realm and you are facing an Animancer. Here, I AM GOD." Viel said.
Viel then summoned his Blood Brush and started drawing a huge cage around the rhinoceros.
The rhinoceros started ramming the cage, but it was useless.
"I'm sorry, but I need your power." Viel said as he approached the cage.
Viel extended his opened hand in the air and closed it. Following his movement, the cage started to shrink.
It continued to get smaller until it collapsed and transformed into a mass of red-glowing blood.
He caught the mass of blood and started absorbing the Ironclad Rhino's blood energy.
The rampaging energy that flowed through Viel's body due to the will resistance stopped.
"That's it. Continue absorbing it." Cassandra said as she saw glowing veins appear on Viel's back surrounding the tattoo. It was a sign that it was working.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Viel screamed as he felt a burning pain on his back.
"Don't stop. Continue absorbing the energy." Cassandra said.
Viel endured the pain and continued absorbing the energy.
"AAAHHHH!" He screamed again.
"Continue. It's almost over." Cassandra said.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
"Almost there."
"AAAAAHHHH!"
"Just a little more."
"IT HURTS!" Viel screamed as a red mist surged from all the pores of his body.
"Good. Now, the last part."
"AAAAAHHHH!"
"STABILIZE IT!"
Suddenly, a crimson-red light erupted from the Blood Tattoo. It lasted for ten seconds, and when it returned to the tattoo, it carried all the red mist with it.
"Congratulations. You have successfully created your first Blood Tattoo." Cassandra said as she handed Viel a towel to wipe off the sweat and blood on his skin.
"Thank you, Lady Cassandra." Viel said."No problem. You are my disciple after all." She said as she pushed Viel's face into her big cleavage.
He tried to resist as he felt his little brother waking up after a long time. But how would he, a mere Beginner resist an SSS-Ranker?
After everything calmed a bit, Viel summoned his Soul Book to check his gains.