One of the new abilities Kang acquired was Compression (D), and the other was Ability Fusion (E). The first allowed him to compress his blood by up to 50%, consuming 2 blood per second, while the latter let him fuse and maintain two abilities simultaneously.
Although the Acid Bomb's rank didn't increase once the two abilities were combined, its name and consumption changed significantly compared to before. It became 'Devastating' instead of 'Blinding,' and its consumption rose to 800 blood.
Thanks to Precision and Compression, Kang was able to alter the way he used his bomb ability. He could easily reduce its size by half while maintaining its efficiency, allowing him to conceal it in his hand if needed for a surprise attack.
Three days later, leveling up became harder for Kang, as hunting C/D-ranked beasts was no longer sufficient. To reach level 12, he needed 128,000 Exp, and C-ranked beasts gave him only 10,000 at most. Spending an entire day killing just a few was a waste of time.
He questioned whether trading higher-ranked abilities and experience for more blood and sacrificial abilities was worth it. Still, it didn't bother him much since he had a clear plan. In the end, Kang chose to alternate between his strategies, as he had the ability to balance his stats.
{Blood Warlock System}
[Blood: 18,840 | Lifespan: 541]
[Class Evolution Path: Transcended Blood Knight (E)]
[Level: 11 | Exp: 84,000/128,000]
[Strength: 61]
[Dexterity: 48]
[Constitution: 54]
[Attribute Points: 10]
[Class Abilities (2/5)]
[Crimson Armor (S): Consumes 7 blood per second to summon crimson armor. Minimum blood: 50]
[Absorbed Abilities (4/10)]
[Precision (A): Passively allows precise control over every cell in your blood]
[Devastating Acid Bomb (C): Consumes 800 blood to fire a massive and bright ball of highly effective acidic blood]
[Compression (D): Consumes 2 blood per second to compress and maintain blood up to 50%]
[Ability Fusion (E): Consumes 3 blood per second to fuse and maintain two abilities]
After reviewing his status, Kang decided to go after his first B-ranked beast in a while, aiming for a final push to reach level 12 before attempting another evolution. This time, he had enough blood and ability to ensure he could make a few attempts, if not succeed outright.
"Missing input?" To test his bomb upgrade, Kang searched for a beast with a strong defense. Before long, he found a strange beast with no information available.
The only detail the system provided upon activating detection was the beast's rank. Kang wondered if the system's previous users were the ones who named the beasts.
He didn't rule out the possibility, suspecting most previous users weren't earthlings, so they hadn't encountered certain beasts before.
[Missing Input (B)]
[Description: Missing Input.]
The titan's height was slightly shorter compared to beasts of the same rank. It resembled a mutated turtle with a pitch-black shell adorned with silver embers arranged in a line down the middle. Surrounding the central, gleaming line, jagged spikes emerged on either side, reinforcing the turtle's defense.
The turtle's neck, extending from the shell, was slightly long compared to its scale-armored, massive limbs. Surprisingly, the beast's lower body was exposed due to its elevated stance.
"If its lower body isn't protected, it might be similar to the crab. Otherwise, those gleaming embers could be its true defense since no creature would mess with those spikes." After taking mental notes, Kang prepared to test his bomb by activating the ability and compressing it until it was no longer visible.
Ignoring the spikes, Kang charged forward, leaped high, and slapped the bomb against the beast's shell. Shortly after, a bright explosion erupted as the acid spread across the shell, gradually consuming it.
Keeping his distance, Kang watched in amusement as the acid did its work. Suddenly, the turtle let out a howl, causing the embers to shine brighter before releasing a wave of lightning that engulfed its body. Watching his acid evaporate, Kang's mood soured, irritated that his blood was wasted, and the beast's smug expression infuriated him.
"You bastard. You're proud of yourself, aren't you?" Kang muttered, glaring at the beast. He resolved to punish it for wasting his precious blood. Since it wasn't attacking, he guessed it either had no offensive abilities or simply looked down on him. This made it the perfect target to test his Ability Fusion.
"Let's see if you can defend against this, you piece of trash." Putting more distance between himself and the turtle, Kang conjured a massive spear in his right hand with his Blood Weapon and a bomb in the other.
Bringing the bomb closer to the spear, Kang activated Ability Fusion, causing the bomb to disappear as the spear shrank. The spear began to glow brightly, illuminating the area and changing the turtle's expression.
"Oh, now you're cautious!" Kang taunted as the turtle retracted its head into its shell and bathed itself in lightning. Mocking it, Kang changed his weapon's form. Since the beast decided to hide its head, he figured a swinging attack would work better against its shield.
Activating his Crimson Armor as he approached the beast, Kang's strength peaked. With all his might, he swung his sword, undeterred by the lightning. His sword sliced through the shell easily, as the acid spread across the beast's body, slowly consuming it.
[Ding!]
[You've successfully killed a B-ranked beast and gained 50,000 Exp. Would you like to identify it?]
[Your level has increased! You've gained 5 attribute points!]
"Yes." Seeing the familiar message, Kang grinned as the system prompted him to name the beast.
[What name would you like to give it?]
"Kang was here." Wanting to leave his mark on the system, Kang decided not to give the beast an actual name or description at all.
[Creature identified successfully, please provide a description.]
"A cocky bitch with an elemental defense ability and no attacks at all. Definitely an easy target to kill despite its rank." Choosing to keep the element unknown, Kang gave some information before moving on.