I pulled out my Axe and used the skill on it.
"Appraisal"
Axe of ???
?????
Effects: Allows the user to use Blood Magic. If the axe hits someone, there's a 75% chance that their movements will be reduced by 20% for up to five minutes. It cannot stack. There's also a 25% chance that one of their limbs could be severed at random.
Special Skill: Homing Instinct
The Homing Instinct skill bestows upon the weapon a unique and uncanny trait. When activated, the weapon becomes akin to a loyal companion, always finding its way back to the hands of its master, regardless of the circumstances. This skill taps into an ancient connection between the wielder and their weapon, granting them an unbreakable bond that transcends distance and obstacles.
This skill can be employed both defensively and offensively – whether to block an oncoming attack or to surprise an opponent by recalling the weapon mid-flight for a swift counterstrike. Mastery of this skill demands attunement, mental clarity, and trust in the bond between warrior and weapon.
It's a Weapon only Skill, This skill does not have a rank.
Effect: When activated, the weapon gains a supernatural sense of direction. Regardless of the distance or obstacles, the weapon will navigate its way back to the warrior's hand, guided by an innate understanding of its location.
Hidden Skill: Blood Market
It allows you to automatically collect the blood of defeated enemies and convert it into Blood Points (BP).
These points can be used in the Blood Market to purchase and upgrade skills for the Axe of ???, enhancing your combat abilities through the energy of fallen foes.
Total Blood Points (BP) - 401
Hidden Skill: The appraisal level is insufficient to reveal this option.
Artifact Skill: Blood Magic
Soul Steal
Soul Steal stands as the epitome of blood magic mastery, endowing the adept with an unprecedented dominion over energy manipulation. This extraordinary ability sets itself apart by enabling the practitioner to remotely siphon both an adversary's health and an extensive array of energies—encompassing Mana, Aura, Miasma, Force, Prana, and Radiance—within a ten-meter radius, all without necessitating physical contact.
By seamlessly weaving an ethereal connection between intent and energy, Soul Steal effortlessly extracts ten percent of the target's life force and their complete energy spectrum. This infusion of vitality reinvigorates the user, simultaneously leaving the foe visibly weakened and drained.
The essence of Soul Steal lies in its adaptability, coupled with the unique characteristic of operating within a ten-meter radius without any requirement for physical touch. Set against other energy-draining skills, this arcane art highlights the adept's pinnacle of mastery in the realm of blood magic.
Energy: 1000
Blood Spikes: Create a spike made of blood and attack the enemy.
Energy: 100 Per Spike
Blood Shield: Create a small shield made out of blood to protect the user.
Energy: 150
Wait a moment... I can't see the name or description of this item. Could it be that my Appraisal skill isn't advanced enough to reveal it?
On the other hand, I can now see one of the Hidden Skills—Blood Market. Honestly, the name sounds a bit unsettling. Is this skill the reason behind my ability to absorb enemies' blood? Moreover, I can now access and upgrade the skills for the Bloody Axe once again. Should I give it a try?
"Blood Market"
Once I said these words the Status Screen popped up once again.
*New Skills*
Blood Hound - 100 BP
Blood Monkey - 300 BP
*Upgradable Skills*
Blood Spikes - 400 BP
Blood Shield - 400 BP
Hmm... There's a new skill here, and I also have the option to upgrade two other skills. Since I'm already familiar with the Blood Hound skill, should I take a closer look at the other available skills? With that thought in mind, I made my choice.
Blood Monkey
The Blood Monkey skill allows you to summon a spectral version of the fearsome 'Ruler of the Verdant Grove, Monkey Kong.' This ghostly form inherits a significant portion of Monkey Kong's skills and attributes.
Blood Monkey is renowned for its durability, with substantial resilience against various attacks. It wields commendable offensive strength, allowing it to engage foes at different ranges, although it isn't the fastest entity.
Tactically, Blood Monkey excels in both short and long-range combat, proficiently using its predecessor's techniques. It shares Monkey Kong's strengths and weaknesses, serving as a reliable ally that can tackle challenges and leave its mark on battles.
Energy:1000
Wait, what's happening? I can actually summon Monkey Kong now? How is that even possible? Does this mean I can defeat strong enemies, collect their blood, and call upon them later? Is this the second hidden skill of the Bloody Axe Rex?
But if I'm being honest, facing Monkey Kong was no small feat. If I could bring him into battles, it could seriously tip the odds in my favor. Although, summoning him does come at a high cost. For now, I'll check out the other skills before making a decision.
Blood Spikes
This upgrade allows you to summon three blood spikes at the same time without any extra cost.
Energy: 100 Per Spike
While this upgrade might seem straightforward, its usefulness is quite impressive. It played a crucial role in my fight against Monkey Kong, showing how important even seemingly small improvements can be. But before I make my final decision, I want to take a look at the last upgrade option and then decide. So, I selected the last skill, curious to see what enhancements it offers.
Blood Shield
This upgrade allows you to summon three blood shields at the same time without any extra cost. And allows you to move them freely.
Well, this is exactly the same as the blood spike upgrade but instead of a spike, it's the shield this time. This upgrade also allows me to move them however I want! That's really great. Well, I really don't have a good defensive skill as of now. This is quite good, but I am not sure about this for now.
Hmm... I'm thinking through my choices right now, and honestly, they all look pretty good and fit what I need. See, my only long-range attack right now is Axe Throw, so getting Blood Spike seems really important. And when it comes to defense, the only option I've got is Truck-Kun's Alloy Body.
Looking back at that fight with the five hundred monkeys, I've realized how much numbers matter in battles. When I faced Monkey Kong, the other monkeys just watched instead of joining in. If they had jumped in, I would have been in big trouble.
Considering all this, I think I'll go with Blood Hound and Blood Monkey. Blood Hound can make up for my lack of speed, and Blood Monkey can act like a sort of tank. Plus, if it can use the same skills as the original Monkey Kong, it could be a seriously strong ally.
But here's the catch: both of these skills come at a cost of around a thousand energy each, and right now I only have about five thousand energy in total. It's clear that I should reserve summoning them for the most challenging battles, using them as my ultimate trump cards. Alright, I have decided.
With my resolve in place, I went ahead and purchased the Blood Hound and Blood Monkey skills.
*New Skills Blood Hound and Blood Monkey have been added to the Axe of ???*
*Special Condition has been met user has two different Blood Summoning Skills*
*Merging both skills to generate a new skill*
*Generation successful*
*Blood Summoning has been acquired*
Wh-what's this? This is exactly like what happened when I bought the skills, Mana Drain and Stamina Drain. It's almost like the things that are happening to me are intentionally done by someone or something.
Well whatever let's look at this new skill, deciding that I used my skill
"Appraisal"
Blood Summoning
Blood Summoning is an advanced skill in blood magic for those who are highly skilled in manipulating life essence. With this skill, the user can summon Blood Summons – mystical beings created from blood. These summons are powerful allies that only cost half the usual energy to bring forth, showcasing the user's mastery over this craft.
Effect: When activated, the Blood Summoning skill allows the user to summon potent allies called Blood Summons. These allies are made using the mage's energy but cost only half as much.
There are two types of Blood Summons available:
Blood Hound
Energy Cost: 500
Blood Monkey
Energy Cost: 500
Wait, what's this? It's actually quite impressive—I can now summon both of my allies at half the usual energy cost. This means I can use these summons more often without worrying about energy depletion. I'm really excited to try this out in future battles.
It's been a full and eventful day, and I notice that it's nearly midnight. It's a good idea to head back to Random Town and get some rest. With that decision made, I hop into Truck-Kun and start driving back, looking forward to some much-needed rest and relaxation.