Chapter 65: Scion of Blood

Chapter 65: Scion of Blood

By the time the final Abyss Demon collapsed onto itself in a crumpled heap, Toms new [Lifeblood] card had, unsurprisingly, reached [Level 5].

In the heat of battle he had ignored the phantom itchiness he had felt in the periphery of his vision, a phenomenon that he had come to associate with unread notifications.

[Congratulations, Uncommon Ranked Card [Lifeblood] has reached Level 5 (5025/50,000)!]

[Uncommon Ranked Card [Lifeblood] has unlocked Ability: [Blood Scion, Level 1]. You have received one Skill Upgrade Point.

[Card Name: Lifeblood

Rank: Uncommon

Level: 5 [5,025/50,000]

Skill Upgrade Point(s): 4

Description:

Ability:

1. Augmentation, Level 1: The wielder can manipulate the blood within his body, allowing for the augmentation of the composition and flow of blood to allow for enhanced oxygen delivery, freely modulating heart rate and greatly reducing blood loss from open wounds.

Augmentation allows the wielder to move at preternatural speeds beyond the limitations of their body and stem blood loss from open wounds via vasoconstriction.

SP Cost is Variable.

2. Blood Scion, Level 1: The wielder can manipulate the blood of recently slain enemies within twenty four hours of their demise to forge blood weapons. The size and composition of the blood weapons is capped by the wielders Blood Scion Ability Rank and his Mental Stat.

Successfully landing strikes that make direct contact with an opponents blood siphons a small portion of their stamina and vitality to replenish the users own. May treat minor wounds and greatly ease exhaustion.]

Tom sucked in a cold breath of air.

External blood manipulation, Alephs voice rang out from ahead of him, snapping him out of his reverie. It seems like a pretty useful ability. Though Ive got to say, Ive never seen a weapon as intimidating, if grossly impractical, as that.

Tom wanted to retort, but an instinct welled up within him as if he wanted to challenge that notion.

Right, Tom muttered and for a moment ignored the queasiness he felt despite his high Mental Stat. He knew that he wasnt actually all that affected by using the blood of an otherworldly creature that knew and understood nothing but killing, but a part of him still felt slightly wrong about it. Earths morality was clashing against Artezias he supposed.

Though those worries were for later.

Tom had seen Aleph control crystals with a graceful elegance that made it seem effortless. While his own card couldnt conjure blood out of nothing and neither was it capable of multiplying the volume of blood he maintained within his dominion, there was one thing he could definitely do.

With a flicker of motion, the scythe in Toms hands blurred into a more viscous, coagulated form and then, in a matter of mere seconds, shifted into two distinct forms.

A whistle in appreciation sounded out from Alephs direction as Tom took in the pair of blood swords, their dimensions mirrored in each hand.

Wouldnt want to be cut with that, Aleph replied with gusto.

Tom couldnt help but flash a grin in response.

I concur.

Well, now that all that is dealt with, you can allocate your points after we get out of this dingy cavern. Oh and what about this? Aleph asked as she stood in the middle of a raised podium, an effulgent golden chest radiating waves of warm, refreshing light, beckoning for their attention.

You can have it, Tom replied with a shrug as he let his blood blades melt away onto the floor. This was already beyond my expectations, he added gratefully.

The presence of the golden chest namely the additional reward for clearing the Dungeon was normally placed within the final room. To the Phantasmal Creatures, it trapped them within the confines of the Boss Room, ensuring that they couldnt create havoc in the lower floors.

To dungeoneers, the chest represented the culmination of their efforts a reward directly from the Divine System for meritorious service to the realm of Artezia.

Which was why the Abyssal Lurkers domain was such an odd and challenging sector, with the boss being allowed to roam free within the Dungeon and even retreat to other rooms if the situation called for it.

A loud groaning sound echoed out as Aleph opened the heavy-set chest and in the next moment, light flooded Toms vision. Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m