The sounds that followed after the searing pain in his body died down, and finally, Lionel was able to get a hold of himself. He was finally able to think with a clear line of thought.
He opened his eyes, blinking as he took in the light. He felt his eyelashes gummed together from the sweat pooled around his body while he was seething in pain. He brought his hand up and wiped the moisture off his face, smearing it on his clothes.
He looked down at himself, and his clothes were also soiled with sweat and a mixture of blood, sticking to his body.
After he managed to assess all that had happened to him, his thoughts finally shifted to the notification that had sounded.
"Blood Essence?" he murmured, his voice tinged with curiosity. "What does that mean?"
Still trying hard to understand what it meant, the screen appeared again before him as though it knew his predicament, bearing words that clarified the situation.
[Upon completion of the Crimson Bloodline transformation, you have been rewarded with skills, abilities, and weapons. This awakening has infused your body with the ability to cultivate Blood Essence, the Vampire cultivation method, and the Human cultivation method, Natural Mana.
The Crimson Bloodline has also imbued your body with a rare affinity for blood. Unlike other vampires, you possess the ability to refine and cultivate blood to a high degree, wielding it as a resource.
As a mixed breed tied to the Crimson Bloodline, you are granted two distinct cultivation paths:
- Elemental Cultivation: Harness elemental forces tied to your chosen affinity, enhancing your combat abilities.
- Blood Cultivation: Harness blood, wielding unique skills related to blood manipulation.
As a Player, your progress in cultivation will be monitored by the system, tracking your growth and rewarding your advancements.]
His brows furrowed harder, digesting the information he was reading, trying to piece it all together.
"So, I'm still a player?" he asked himself, finding no one to answer as he swiped through the system interface.
Then, a new series of notifications blinked into view:
[Legendary skill rewarded.]
[Common skill rewarded.]
[Legendary ability rewarded.]
[Common ability rewarded.]
[Legendary weapon rewarded.]
[Common weapon rewarded.]
[Elemental affinity awakened.]
[Blood affinity awakened.]
[Click to check full rewards…]
Lionel was utterly startled as the notifications stretched on, and he stood up from the ground, blood dripping from his clothes as he steadied himself. He felt as though his leg muscles were stronger than before, and his vision was heightened as he could see the clearing in front of him more clearly.
He cast his eyes on the mess he had made on the floor while transforming—the retching that had come from his mouth and impurities from his body. The drained creature also lay on the floor a little farther away, a battered sight, a reminder of his newfound power.
Setting that aside for now, he selected the notification for his rewards, and his eyes narrowed as the details came into focus.
[Legendary Skill: Blood Evolution - The power to forge and command blood as both weapon and will, deepening with strength and cultivation.]
[Common Skill: Appraisal]
- A basic but essential skill, enabling the identification of race, level, and attributes of creatures or objects.
[Legendary Ability: Dormant]
- ?????
[Common Ability: Health Regeneration (Passive)]
- A passive ability that accelerates your healing over time, increasing in effectiveness as you grow stronger.
[Legendary Weapon: Bloodsiphon Blade]
- A blade that feeds on the blood of its victims, growing stronger with each kill and transferring the victim's life force to you.
[Common Weapon: Silver Dagger]
- A basic weapon, effective against low-level creatures and weaker enemies.]
Lionel's mind spun as he processed the rewards, especially the Blood Evolution skill. Its potential felt boundless. With it, he could manipulate blood into nearly anything, but he needed to understand its limitations.
He clicked on Blood Evolution for a deeper look.
[Blood Evolution Skill: Blood Evolution is a legendary skill that grants the user the unique ability to control, shape, and weaponize blood. The skill is inherently transformative, evolving as the user's power and proficiency grow. Each stage of mastery reveals new dimensions and abilities, making it both versatile and fearsome. However, this power comes at a cost, requiring focus, practice, and a willingness to push the body to its limits.]
[First Stage: Blood Manipulation]
[First Stage-Tier One: Bloodsmithery Unlocked (Stepped into Early Stage of Blood Initiate).
Blood Weapons: Form basic weapons like knives, swords, or spears from the user's blood. These weapons are sturdy but cost user health proportional to the weapon's size and density.]
[Second Tier: Blood Shielding: Locked.]
Lionel's eyes lit up as the concept of the Blood Evolution skill unfolded before him, and he couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at the intensity of the skill.
He clicked further on Bloodsmithery to learn more about it.
[Bloodsmithery – The ability to forge weapons using blood.
- Temporary weapons can be created quickly for combat purposes, akin to shaping spikes or blades from blood.
- Permanent weapons require more effort and precise techniques, akin to crafting using a blueprint.
- The crafting process involves Blood, Vital Blood Essence, and the wielder's expertise.]
The description challenged his mind as he considered how to practice it; the skill could be both practical and devastating in combat.
His mind continued to race with ideas on how to use it. Temporary blood weapons could be formed in battle at a moment's notice, while more intricate, permanent creations would require a deeper understanding of the skill and possibly other materials.
As Lionel continued to learn more about Bloodsmithery, another notification flashed across his screen, jolting him from his thoughts.
[Ding! After digestion of Bloodsmithery, a subsequent skill has been unlocked.]
His eyes widened as he read the message, a smirk creeping up his mouth. Bloodsmithery was a skill, an art that had intrigued Lionel from the start as he read the description. Akin to being a blacksmith, he was ready to start work on it but knew he lacked something.
The system sending a notification to him indicated it might be what he needed, and he couldn't help but smile brighter. His hand hovered over the screen interface as he clicked on the new notification.
[Blood Absorption Skill Acquired: Allows the user to absorb Blood from targeted creatures. This skill evolves as mastery increases, unlocking new features.]
The description of the new skill sunk in, and a thrill shot through him. Blood Absorption was the skill needed to bring Bloodsmithery to life. With it, he could harvest the Blood and Essence derived from creatures and weave it to form his creations.
Smiling as he continued digesting the guidelines of Bloodsmithery, his eyes drifted to the creature he had drained earlier before his transformation started.
Although its blood had been mostly consumed, he believed there would still be enough for him to test this new ability.
His eyes narrowed as he focused on the beast, ready to experiment.
"Let's see how this works," Lionel muttered, moving closer to the beast's withering form.
He activated his Appraisal skill, the common skill he had gotten, causing a small window of information to pop up:
[Name: Shadowflame Wyrm
Rarity: Rare beast
Rank: Spirit Core Creation (250 Blood Essence)
Blood/Vital Essence: Depleted]
"Hmm… so the system keeps track of all my actions," Lionel mused, his fingers brushing against the cold skin of the beast. "Not bad at all."
He looked at it for a while, concentrating his gaze on the corpse, and then his hands moved to place themselves on the Wyrm's head. Lionel closed his eyes, following the explanation on how to use Blood Absorption.
He felt the energy flow within his body, his hand brimming with energy that seeped out and entered the beast. Suddenly, blood surged out, plastering itself onto his hand.
The blood twisted and churned in his palm as Lionel stood up from beside the beast, eyes alight with amazement as he tried to control it.
"So, I can create weapons from blood," Lionel murmured, his newly acquired skill recurring in his mind, "and even enhance them with the abilities of the creatures I consume... like this Wyrm."
Without much thought, he attempted it for the first time, the blood dancing in his hand as he tried to recreate the blade he envisioned. However, the simple knife he'd often seen in his kitchen proved difficult to form.
The worst part was that when he used blood and failed, the blood became unusable as it formed debris.
As Lionel bent over the beast, the last of its blood twirling in his hand, he did his best to calm down. This time, he decided to form a sword.
He recalled the description of the ferocious nature of the Shadowflame Wyrm, a rare beast whose black flames incinerated anything they touched, leaving only ashes in their wake. As the system had indicated, Lionel could channel those traits into his weapons if he forged them correctly.
Taking a deep breath, he focused, channeling the last blood he had absorbed into his hands. The blood began to swirl, taking shape before him. This time, he recalled the necessary steps for crafting a proper blood weapon.
The process required not just the blood he absorbed, but also a drop of his own blood to forge a deeper bond with the blade.
With a sharp breath, Lionel pricked his finger, letting a drop of his own blood merge with the swirling mass. The blood coagulated, shifting and solidifying into a sword, its surface a deep crimson.
Then came the part he always failed to reenact—the crucial moment where he had to channel his energy into his dantian and touch the vital essence of the Wyrm's blood he had absorbed.
After the initial absorption, which granted him the necessary Blood Essence from the beast, what remained was just ordinary blood. To make the sword function more effectively, he needed to imbue it with the Wyrm's Blood Essence, rich with its innate power.
Cross-legged, Lionel took slow, deep breaths, calming his tense body. As he meditated, he concentrated on his Blood Absorption skill, guiding his energy inward until it flowed into his dantian. Finally, he felt a fiery Blood Essence draw forth from his meridians.
The sword shimmered with latent power, its edge sharp and deadly.
[Weapon Created: Low-grade Rare Shadowflame Blade]
[Innate Abilities Imbued: Shadowflame Wyrm's Fury – Imbues the blade with unquenchable black flames that burn through anything they touch. The longer it is wielded, the hotter and stronger the flames become.]
The blade pulsed with the residual power of the Wyrm, and Lionel could feel its fiery strength surging through his fingertips.
"Finally!" Lionel shouted, his face glowing with happiness as he observed the blade, watching as the burning energy amplified with every movement.
Even though he only managed to create a very low grade, he was still happy that he did create someone.
Unbeknownst to Lionel, if other cultivators heard him, they would spurt blood.
Lionel rose from his position and swung the blade experimentally. It cut through the air with ease, the innate ability of the Wyrm enhancing his physicality as he wielded it.
"That's more like it," he smirked, but before he could revel in his new creation, a rustling sound in the nearby weeds caught his attention.
Reflexively, Lionel hurled the blood-forged sword toward the source of the sound. The blade spun through the air like a black comet, trailing wisps of smoke as it sliced toward the disturbance.