[[Sanguine Arts (Third Rank Evolution Skill) Lvl 3: Basic understanding of blood's properties; sensing blood flow and detecting injuries.]
[Simple blood clotting, minor healing of cuts and bruises. Ability to control one's own blood to an extent; minor blood bending. Stemming blood flow, causing minor bleeds in others. The effects of the skill depend on the user's Primal Constitution, Primal Force, and imagination]
A strange blood-red scroll appeared in his hands. The scroll emanated a sinister aura, and although it was clean and smooth, it gave off a faint smell of blood from its interior.
"This is really a powerful skill!... And from the looks of it, it's only a Lvl 3 Third Rank Evolution Skill, which means it could be upgraded further to higher ranks." Damien grinned from ear to ear as he held the scroll.
Although he didn't know why the world he once knew had changed into a world filled with dangerous and powerful flesh-eating monsters. At the very least, he now had a means of protecting himself.
"But how do I learn this?" Damien quietly asked. But immediately he uttered the word 'learn'; his brain seemed to receive a flood of information as flickering red lights coalesced into a strange blood-red rune in his consciousness.
The world around him seemed to pulse with an ominous red hue. His veins throbbed with newfound power, and he felt a strange connection to the life force coursing through his blood.
His vision sharpened, allowing him to see the faint aura of vitality in every living thing around him. He could even hear the blood inside Finch's body rushing fast, showing nervousness or excitement.
At the same time, he instinctively felt that if he wanted to, he could affect the movement of his own blood; as for Finch's blood, he didn't feel that he could do anything major to it at this moment.
[You have learned an active skill. You can learn 4 more active skills]
As he opened his eyes again, golden letters flickered in his retina, and the blood-red scroll in his hands just a moment ago disappeared as if it had never been there.
Damien frowned, trying to understand the meaning of the message, but it was impossible for him to comprehend it unless he sat there to study everything carefully. He shook his head and turned towards Finch.
Finch, at the moment spotted a large grin on his face. He stood there blankly, staring into space. Obviously, he was quite happy with whatever he picked up from the dead zombie.
"Hey! Finch!" He called out.
"Uh-huh..?" Finch, startled awake from his reverie. He arranged his glasses and smiled at Damien. "Hehehe... I got a rather powerful skill. It's a Second Rank Evolution range type skill, Tempest Archery. What about you?"
"I got a Third-Rank Evolution Skill, Sanguine Art. It should be quite powerful." Although he hadn't tested it yet, he felt like it was much more powerful than it looks.
"Woah.. a third-rank skill. It'd have to be a very powerful skill." Finch exclaimed.
Although he had gotten a Second-Rank Evolution Skill, Tempest Archery. He currently lacks a bow and arrow in order to fully bring out its power and could only make due to the broken metal pieces lying around.
Turning to scan the now empty 2nd floor, Finch furrowed his brows. He could clearly hear the loud screams of dread and despair all around. "What do we do now?"
"We'll have to find somewhere safe within the school premises for the time being. And hopefully, the military will be able to send rescue teams." Damien sighed as he replied.
He really hoped that the military would be able to overcome the sudden appearance of these flesh-eating monsters. Sending rescue teams in search of survivors. Although aware of the difficulty, he still hoped they'd prevail.
He continued, "We should head over to the school coliseum. Although it's close to the dormitories, it should be able to hold off these zombies."
Dawnstar Academy's coliseum is situated in the eastern part of the academy. It is strategically placed between the male and female dormitories. This central location makes it a bustling hub of activity and a unifying space for the entire student body.
But currently, it would be one of the most dangerous places within the school premises, as it'll be crawling all over with zombies.
Finch nodded in agreement. Although it'd probably be crawling with zombies, it was the only plausible idea right now.
Bang!
Suddenly, four students who had turned into zombies staggered into the second floor of the cafeteria.
Their blood-stained faces looked grotesque. They could even see several bite marks where the flesh had horribly sloughed off.
If it were the Damien a few minutes ago, it would probably be hard for him to bear the urge to vomit from the sickening odor given off by the four moving corpses. However, after learning the skill of Sanguine Arts, everything was different for him.
He knew very well that emotions affect the cardiovascular system of the human body to a certain extent. Stress and anxiety can increase heart rate due to the release of stress hormones like adrenaline.
These emotions can also raise blood pressure, as blood vessels constrict in response to stress. Fear also triggers the fight-or-flight response, leading to increased heart rate and blood pressure as the body prepares to deal with perceived threats.
Then Damien had a thought, 'Was it possible that in some sense, blood circulation inside the body could affect the emotions a bit?'
Since there has never been anyone capable of controlling emotions by blood circulation, such a thing could never be proven.
But after acquiring the Sanguine Arts, Damien discovered to his delight that while he was still a bit nervous, he was no longer as scared as before.
The four zombies were clearly stronger than the previous three, as they advanced a bit faster. In a few moments, there were only a few meters away from the duo.
"Perfect time to try out this skill." Damian said with a hint of anticipation.
"Finch, hold the rear and attack with those metal spikes while I hold the front." Damien instructed. Not waiting for Finch to reply, he charged towards the zombies.
As he moved, he concentrated. With a thought, he quickly mobilized the primal energy within his body and circulated the Sanguine Arts according to the instructions.
Damien used the blood of the zombies killed by him and Finch earlier, and, just as the four zombies passed by the corpses of their kind, two arrows of red blood shot out at full speed towards the back of the zombies head.
The solidified blood arrows were extremely sharp, and after being controlled by Damien, they easily pierced through the heads of the four zombies, crushing part of the brain and killing the four creatures easily.
[You have acquired Primal Energy of Level 5 Normal Zombie. Strength + 2, Dexterity + 2]
[You have acquired Primal Energy of Level 5 Normal Zombie. Strength + 2, Dexterity + 2]
You have acquired Primal Energy of Level 4 Normal Zombie. Stamina + 1, Dexterity + 2]
[You have acquired Primal Energy of Level 4 Normal Zombie. Stamina + 1]
[You have reached level 2. You get 2 status points to distribute freely]
"Strong!" Damien's eyes flashed as he looked at his hands. However, he soon noticed that from the entrance of the 2nd floor, two more zombies staggered through.
But before he could attack, two piercing sounds came from behind him. Immediately, the heads of the two zombies burst open as metal spikes pierced through.