[Do you want to use the "Blood Arts Scroll"?]
[Yes] [No]
"Yes."
As the blood seeped around him, the scroll absorbed it, darkening as if feeding off the energy.
His vision began to blur, the pressure of the blood pressing against his body, yet he gritted his teeth, determined to see it through.
A faint hum began to resonate from the scroll, growing louder as it siphoned his energy.
His veins pulsed, filling with newfound power, but the strength was double-edged—his stamina ebbed away with each second, his body struggling to hold on.
[Hold on.]
He clenched his fists, muscles straining, every instinct in his body screaming at him to break the surface, to breathe.
But he forced those thoughts away, focusing on holding out just a little longer.
[20%...]
[30%...]
He counted the seconds, fighting through the blood pressing in from all sides.
His heartbeat was a steady drum in his ears, each pulse echoing louder as the scroll continued to draw his energy.
[50%...]
He was halfway there.
Every muscle ached, his lungs screamed, but he wouldn't give in.
His vision blurred at the edges, dark spots creeping in, but he forced himself to endure.
He could see something emerging from the abyss, but it must be his imagination... right?
[70%...]
Sweat mingled with the blood on his brow, his hands clenched tight, nails digging into his palms as he gritted his teeth.
The small dot of darkness grew bigger.
[90%...]
He was almost there.
And under him, he finally saw the image of a creature emerging from the abyss, its massive hands grabbing Alex's legs.
Then the creature seeped inside of him.
[100%...]
Who said learning an Art wasn't difficult?
At last, a final ding sounded.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have acquired "Blood Art" (Unique Art)]
[Blood Arts Mastery: Very Low]
Much like skills, talents and items, Arts also have their very own ranking system.
Every [Art] you acquire starts at a [Very Low] mastery, but the more you use it and get familiar with it, then the strongest it gets.
There are six categories for its mastery: Very Low, Low, Average, High, Very High, Mastered.
Some were chatting, others farming, but the moment they saw him, their attention shifted entirely.
They were immensely grateful to Alex for saving their village from the demon army.
Best of all, there had been no casualties among them—a blessing given that their numbers were already low, with just under 1,000 left.
For Alex, that was a victory he could be proud of.
In his past life, he'd fought alone or with less than ten people against a twisted world, many of his companions dying.
But now, he had people worth protecting, allies he'd fight for again if it came to it.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Alera and Lilith approaching.
"Oh, you're back?" Alera greeted, a faint smile on her face.
"Yeah," Alex nodded, sighing with relief. "Done with everything I needed to do."
With the items he'd wanted secured and Alice equipped with the [Blood-Soaked Armor Set] and [Blood Arrows Creation], he had no reason to participate in the event anymore.
"You can rest as much as you want," Lilith beamed, clearly happy to see him safe.
"Thanks," Alex said, nodding.
But rest wasn't a priority just yet.
First, he needed to confirm the completion of his SSS-Level Hidden Quest with Aiden.
Then he'd focus on training the [Blood Arts]—his current mastery was too low to unlock its full potential.
As he reviewed the new information on the Blood Arts, he saw its brief description.
[Blood Arts (Very Low Mastery): Able to control your blood, as well as those of allies and monsters, to create weapons, skills, and summons to aid you.]
[Tip: Focus on controlling your own blood in the beginning.]
The description was vague, but the tip gave him a place to start.
Learning to control his own blood would be the first step, and from there, he'd explore the art's potential.
"I'm beat," Alice sighed beside him. "I think I'll rest here for a bit."
"Of course," Lilith nodded, guiding Alice toward the largest house in the village where she and Alera lived.
Alex watched as they headed off, feeling a small sense of relief knowing Alice was safe. "Please keep an eye on her."
"Of course," Alera replied, glancing at Alice with a fond look. "She seems to be close to my daughter."
"Yeah," Alex agreed, a small smile forming.
With Alice in good hands, he opened his [World Map] and selected [Bell City].
The dot on the map expanded, revealing several options: Market, Entrance, and World Association.
He chose the third option, teleporting directly to the front of the World Association building.
The World Association's plaza was bustling with players, each one rushing around with an urgent purpose.
"Quick, I heard there's only 42 items left in the Blood Shop!" a nearby player yelled as they ran.
"Stop slowing us down, man! We're going in without you!" another player shouted, pushing through the crowd.
The players were frantic, clearly realizing just how valuable the [Blood Moon] event items were.
The rush was inevitable, given the power and rarity of the rewards on offer.
But Alex had his own goal in mind.
Ignoring the crowd, he stepped inside the World Association, his sights set on finding Aiden.