006 - Class Change [Blood-Weaver]
Added 2025-04-03 20:16:19 +0000 UTCDing! Level Increased (1—>2)
All Primary Stats Increased by 1
[Blood Mastery] Skill Unlocked (0%—>10%)
Death Confirmed! Target Meets Requirements. [Blood Plunder] Activated Through Blessing of Slaughter (Partial)
Rolling Skill Check Through [Blood Mastery—10%]
[Blood Plunder] Activation Successful
A massive amount of information flashed before my eyes in but a fraction of a second. I felt slightly overwhelmed, but neither Stella nor my opponents seemed to realize what had happened. I seemed to be the only one privy to this information.
Still—this wasn’t the end of it.
Down on the ground, sinking into the soft forest floor, was the Cheetah's dead body. Blood flowed from its mouth, staining the many leaves littering the earth.
But then I witnessed something bizarre. Without any intervention on my part, the creature's blood sublimated into a red fog—not every part of it, just a tiny amount. That fog rushed in my direction before seeping into my flesh—not even bothering to use any orifice.
Absorbing Targeted Stat Through [Blood Plunder]
[Dexterity Attribute] Increased by 1 (7—>8)
Requirements Met. Beginning Profession Change
[Profession—Warrior]—>[Profession—Bloodweaver]
I couldn't make much sense of what was happening, and frankly, I didn't have the time. The Lycan reacted much faster than either Stella or the Rhino.
He opened his maw and howled.
Through [Blood Mastery—10%], [Status Effect—Dizziness] Partially Resisted
Although it stated so, I could barely stand on my feet, for my head was spinning. But even then, I seemed to be in a much better state than either of the other two.
Stella had collapsed on the ground, clutching at her head, mumbling something I couldn’t comprehend. At least, the Rhino also seemed to be out of the picture as she leaned onto a tree with all her weight, almost making it crumble under the pressure.
As for the wolf, he didn't miss his chance. He barely glance at his collapsed companion before rushing me, jaw wide open, ready to snap it back down onto my exposed neck. All the while, his claws would be digging at my flesh.
There was no technique to it, merely savagery. They may think themselves civilized, but deep down, all Therians were feral beasts. Their own bodies were more deadly than any weapons. A single swipe of those sharp claws would be enough to gouge my flesh and rip it apart.
I had no idea as to that creature’s current level, but it was assuredly higher than my own. I could only hope to rely on my experience in battle to fight it off—at least until the dizziness would fade.
After just a few moments, the world would slowly stop spinning, but as stated above, I didn't have the time. The beast was almost upon me.
So, I punched at random.
I couldn't see clearly or judge the distance, so I stopped relying on my eyes. Instead, I chose to close them and rely on instinct. In all my battles, it had yet to fail me. I believed that this time, it wouldn't be any different.
Unsurprisingly, my punch connected.
This wasn’t luck. How could it be—seeing as my luck stat was so low. In all my years, I had never relied on it, for it had always seemed to work against me, making my trials ever harder. However, this forged me into a man able to fight against luck itself—against my own destiny.
Still—luck wasn't something any man could outdo forever. I learned this the hard way when my world came crashing down not long ago. All that luck I ignored for so long came crawling back at the worst moment possible, returning it all to neutral.
And with now neutral luck—my punch connected.
Although subtle, with my ample experience, I could feel the slight changes that occurred once my stats were upgraded. At first, I found it laughable that one's strength could be quantified with numbers, but that was until I realized that this was the result of a divinity's blessing.
There was nothing impossible when it came to blessings. As long as The Divine approved of it, it could be made a reality. After all, everything that ever existed originated from him. To produce such a system of numbers was nothing for something that omnipotent. I only wondered why The Divine would acquiesce to the God of Games' bizarre whims.
What could all of this possibly achieve?
My clenched fist flew slightly faster than I expected, hitting the Lycan straight in the jaw. I felt the recoil throughout my body and opened my eyes, expecting the creature to reel back from the blow.
Instead, I found him staring back at me with a grin. He had stood his ground despite the force I put behind it without flinching. I didn't even see his hind claw digging into the dirt to stabilize himself. It felt as if punching a stable boulder.
How much higher than mine was his strength supposed to be?
For the first time, I couldn’t help but wish Sirius had remained here. His [Analyze] skill would have been valuable right about now. And yet, I couldn't help but shake my head, feeling ashamed of myself. In all my years, I had never felt the need to rely on such gimmicks, and I wasn't about to start now.
With renewed conviction, I steeled myself, tensing my body for the blow I was sure would come.
The Lycan’s reaction didn’t disappoint. It went exactly as I assumed.
He brushed away my fist with the back of his hand before stretching his neck forward toward my own. His maw was opened once again, ready to snap it shut once a morsel of my flesh was within range.
I twisted my body out of the way, but due to the dizziness still plaguing me, I couldn’t do so completely. If allowed to follow this trajectory to the end, the Wolf’s teeth would surely sink into my neck, crushing my windpipe and drowning me in my own blood.
To avert this future, I placed my left arm into its path, clenching my jaw as I knew what was to come.
I felt a jolt of pain reach my brain, and interestingly enough, it instantly snapped me out of my dizziness. However, I couldn't even celebrate as the pain was even worse. I felt my body stiffen, almost as if a paralytic poison was coursing through my veins.
I could still move, but only barely.
Through [Blood Mastery—10%], [Status Effect—Paralyze] Partially Resisted
I stared in disbelief at the information supplied through this blessing.
While blessings were often miraculous and incomprehensible, this one was even more so. To so thoroughly expose something that should have been as obscure and inscrutable as an individual's current state was bewildering, as it could change with the slightest nudge in either direction. Yet it seemed to do so effortlessly, even giving the reasons and conditions for it.
It was wild, yet I felt a strong revulsion. I felt leaning into it might make me stronger in the short term, but I would undoubtedly come to rely on it in the long term. As for what effects this would have in the end, I couldn't be sure yet.
Still—this was something to consider.
The wolf's teeth remained stuck in my arm. I would scream if not for the numbness spreading throughout my body. The creature seemed to gloat with his eyes, but then they widened in surprise, for my own were devoid of fear.
After all, things went according to plan.
It was reckless, but I had no choice, considering the difference in the condition of our respective bodies.
With his mouth digging into my flesh, some of my blood had inadvertently found itself streaming into its throat—a lot, in fact. It seemed he was too busy feeling good about himself to remember how his companion had perished in the first place.
I had struggled to think of a way to make him ingest some of it, knowing that he was now aware of my methods, but he seemed to be just as dumb as he looked. He may have learned to talk, but deep down, he remained a bloodthirsty beast.
Through [Blood Control], my blood flowed through to his stomach before seeping into his bloodstream. The amount was minimal, but it was more than enough.
After just a few heartbeats more, my blood flowed to his heart, where it began its rampage. Unlike when I was the Divinity of Slaughter and could form entire weapons out of my blood, my blood now wasn’t even sharp enough to break human skin, much less a wolf’s hide filled with a thick layer of fur.
But from the inside, my blood acted as a sharp blade. I only had to sever one of their most prominent arteries to make them bleed out in a matter of seconds.
And so I did.
I severed the largest one, distributing newly-oxygenated blood throughout the wolf's vascular system, allowing massive amounts of blood to flood his muscles and organs, but also seeped into his lungs, leading to drowning into his own fluids.
His teeth finally left my forearm, and he clutched at his throat with both hands, gasping for air, but the sweet release of breath was denied. A few moments later, he collapsed on the ground, lifeless, as both Stella and the Rhino stared in disbelief, unaware of the details of what I had just done.
Still, the fear was apparent in their eyes.
I had just killed two men almost instantly, with barely any time between them both. While my body was obviously wounded and much frailer than either of them, I had come out victorious.
Even while my chest heaved up and down, exhausted by what I had forced my body through, the Rhino still refused to act, stunned by her own dread. It only stared back at me as I tried not to collapse.
I even ignored the various notifications popping up in my head as I focused on my remaining enemy, unwilling to let her get away despite her obvious reluctance to confront me. I simply couldn't afford it.
Insufficient Mana Remaining
This message popped into my head, screaming over all other notifications as I attempted to form another ball of blood through [Blood Control] but was unsuccessful. Forcing it almost made me gag. I felt vertigo like I had never felt before and collapsed on the ground, unable to rise.
I expected to see another message containing the status effect I was now afflicted with. Still, no such message appeared, only Insufficient Mana Remaining being repeated over and over again like a damn parrot.
“Cure ailment!” Stella screamed as a light engulfed her.
Once it receded, she was back on her feet, looking as fresh as a summer morning. Her dread had vanished, and her expression was serene, if somewhat serious. She rushed in my direction before kneeling next to me, supporting me with her thin arms as she furtively glanced at the Rhino.
“Heal!” she exclaimed, and the light appeared once again, but its hue seemed slightly different.
While my vertigo remained just as strong, my arm ache rapidly subsided. It hadn't become numb but had disappeared entirely, leaving no vestige behind—not even any scars on my flesh. It could only be deemed a miracle.
I asked her what that was with my eyes, yet she only glared back as if to say she had no time to explain.
She was—in fact—quite right, as the Rhino was now out of its stupor, her dread quickly fading as rage seemed to engulf her. Her grey hide promptly turned to a shade of red, and she emanated an aura so forceful that I felt like a fierce wind was born inside her flesh only to be expelled from her every pore.
Meanwhile, I was just a wreck, unable to even stand unassisted. My limbs felt weak, and I couldn't even manipulate my own blood—the only effective weapon I could wield against such a thick-fleshed opponent.
My situation seemed most dire.
