A cruel smile appeared on Vlad's face as he remembered all the events that led to this point. The moment he saw Jormungandr's death, he felt pain like never before, and the spiritual stress allowed him to awaken the memories of his Second Past Life.
That was why his eyes were so void of emotion as Asmael grabbed him by the neck. He kept looking down the entire time, as he did not want to alert everybody to what was happening.
The memories of his Second Past Life could only be described as millions of years of knowledge, evoking all sorts of esoteric paths and cultivation. However, just like the first time with his First Past Life, he only obtained common knowledge and had no information about his previous identity or personal details.
Luckily for Vlad, among that sea of knowledge were Runic Formations. In his memories were insight and wisdom related to Runic Formations dozens of times more complicated than the one Asmael took out. After obtaining that, it only took a single glance at the parchment to understand the functioning of Asmael's Runic Formation and how to alter it.
"¡AHHHHHH!"
Asmael's screams brought Vlad's mind back to the present as he saw how the runes began to devour the blood of the angel and funnel it into his own body.
The angels and the Gifted who witnessed the scene were shocked and confused, as they did not understand what was happening. The Runic Formations should transfer Vlad's life force and soul to Asmael, not vice versa.
"Monster, stop it!"
One of the angels shouted before aiming her Holy Rifle toward Vlad and firing a shot. However, the shot did not even make a ripple in the force field covering the Runic Formation. Clearly, its defensive power was even more potent than the force field protecting the group from the horde and abyssal mantis.
Vlad glanced at the angel that fired at him but did not bother with her. Instead, he focused on the changes happening inside his body. The angel's life force was healing his wounds, but there was something else.
'There is a power coming into my body from Asmael's blood, but it is more than just vitality.'
A sharp light appeared in Vlad's eyes as he glanced at the formation and became certain of what was happening.
"I am obtaining his bloodline? Although extremely cruel and brutal, this Runic Formation is certainly impressive."
Bloodlines, with their inherent powers and potential for evolution, form a cornerstone of individual strength and identity within the world order, according to the knowledge Vlad obtained from his Second Past Life. They not only provided a stronger body but also gave access to different types of talents and abilities, providing a path to grow stronger beyond the Level System.
Even though the bloodline Vlad obtained from Asmael was one of the most common among the Angel Race, it was still very helpful and would greatly aid him in this first part of his journey.
"¡AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Vlad could not focus too much on it as the next second, Asmael's screams grew even stronger, and he felt a spiritual force flooding into his Sea of Consciousness, falling into the waters he used to store his Force.
Before his memories, Vlad understood very little about this place, but now everything was clear. The size of his Sea of Consciousness was critical for his growth as it marked the limit of energy he could contain. The larger the Sea of Consciousness, the more energy he could store and the higher the Level he could attain.
'My Sea of Consciousness is much larger than a normal person. That must have drawn the killing intent in the demonic mantis. It must also be what Asmael was after, to devour my soul through this runic formation so he could improve the size of his own and advance in the Levels.'
Although it was a guess, Vlad was almost sure he was right. The next second, he was able to confirm it as he obtained the soul of the angel and the memories of this one. He couldn't help but frown as he was sure the Runic Formation was not responsible for the soul reading.
"It must be my Gift."
While Vlad was going through the angel's memories and adapting to his knowledge, seeing the answer to all his questions, the once youthful Asmael had transformed into a decrepit old man, however, the Runic Formation did not stop, as it kept devouring everything from him.
Vlad did not feel the slightest sign of mercy; after all, if not for his memories, he would have been the one in that condition. Finally, the screams of the angel faded, but the Runic Formation kept devouring until there was nothing but dust from the man.
However, Vlad knew that things were not over yet, and to everybody's shock, waves of bright golden energy appeared after the angel's death.
The Gifted could not help but be shocked to see the Origin Force appear after the death of Asmael. That was the power God gave them as a reward for killing the abyssal demons, and it did not make sense for it to appear after an angel's death and much less to flow into Vlad's body.
Vlad could see the shock and confusion in their faces, and he only shook his head. It was definitely not God who provided the Origin Force after the death of the abyssal demons, but he could not bother with those thoughts right now.
The killing of Asmael granted him an overwhelming amount of Origin Force, and if he sent it into his Sea of Consciousness, he could easily reach Level 2 or maybe even touch Level 3. However, Vlad knew that would not be enough, as he saw the angels looking at him with murderous glances. To make things worse, he also needed to face the horde of abyssal demons.
In simple words, he was in the middle of two beasts who wanted to rip him to pieces, but he had something in mind. Before the Origin Force could change into something else, he took control of it and generated a seal with his hand.
Vlad took a deep breath, and a solemn expression appeared on his face. Then, he spoke in a deep, guttural voice.
"To summon from darkness, the Sinful Seven."