Capítulo 23: 23: The Cave
"Time to feast!"
A ghastly yet captivating spectacle was ensuring in the Evernight Forest.
Blood seeped from the carcasses of horned rabbit, forming crimson pools mid-air before they morphed into ruby rivers that flowed seamlessly into Val.
As soon as the blood became one with his body, he felt a surge of revival wash over him.
A portion of the blood acted as a natural healer, mending his wounded flesh at a rapid pace that it left no signs of previous injury - not even a faint scar.
The remainder fortified his blood bar. As a result, his Blood Bar brimmed with newfound power, its numeric indicator flaunting an intimidating 666 - a number that seemed ironically fitting for the potent devilish power he commanded.
'My quest is far from over,' Val thought.
To complete the quest, he still needed to locate the habitat of the Double-headed Horned Rabbit and eradicate any potential threats there.
The distinct footprints of the Double-headed Horned Rabbit presented him with an excellent trail to its lair. They were deeper and more pronounced than those of regular horned rabbits because its superior weight and size was superior to them.
Val trailed these footprints of the Double-headed Horned Rabbit through the vast forest until he reached the threshold of a cavern.
[System Notification: By massacring the Double-Headed Horned Rabbit, you've completed the first task of the End of the Double Terror Quest!]
The inside of the cave was shrouded in darkness, impenetrable to the average eye.
However, Val was no average human. His Nocturnal Vision Trait enabled him to see clearly through the darkness of the cave, revealing the cave's inhabitants!
The cave sheltered several horned rabbit offspring and their maternal figure. The presence of a few herbs nearby them piqued Val's interest - these were Blood Purifying Herbs. Despite their inefficacy on Bloodline Users beyond the 1st level, they were an extremely valuable commodity in the Victoria Kingdom as they were capable of catalyzing the evolution of level 1 Bloodline Users without any risk of corruption. Why? It's because they were one of the rare herbs that were free from any corruptive energy.
Their volatility was not to be underestimated though. Only the robust and resilient bodies of Warrior-type Level 1 Bloodline Users could safely harness the herb's energy. If someone without a robust, stronger than average body attempted to, the energy within the herb would explode them on the spot!
The sight of these herbs suggested that the Double-headed Horned Rabbit had planned these herbs for his offspring's evolution. Who knew that it would be hunted down and the hunter would give its family a visit? Now, Val was here, and it seemed like he was the one who was going to claim the treasure!
'Let's get to it.'
Val stepped into the cave.
Seeing him approach, the mother rabbit stood up protectively. Her offspring cowered behind her, their tiny bodies trembling.
Val didn't fall for their act.
Despite their pitiful appearance, these creatures were not as innocent as they seemed.
Their past was drenched in darkness.
On an occasion in the past, a hapless human had stumbled into this cave. The mother rabbit, her husband, and her children had attacked him. Together, they had torn the intruder apart, relishing the taste of human blood.
The memory of that feast caused a sinister glint to flash in their eyes and their mouths to water in anticipation.
They remembered how they had capitalized on the human's inability to see in the dark, and now, they intended to use the same advantage against Val.
Little did she know that Val was far from average, and the darkness that would've blinded even Bloodline Users was no hindrance to him.
Silently, the horned rabbits crept up to him.
Seeing them close in on him, Val subtly moved his hand behind his back.
With a mere thought, blood spiraled out of his palm, forging a long, lethal blade, concealed from the rabbits' sight.
'Come. I will give you the darkest gift of life—Doom.' Val thought.
Just then, they pounced at him.
In response, he grinned and unveiled his crimson weapon and brandished it with fatal precision.
Given they were mid-flight, altering their position was out of the question.
Dodging his deadly surprise attack was an impossibility!
Whoosh!
A swift, brutal slash of crimson disrupted the darkness. The rabbits, caught off guard, were cleaved in two, their remains plummeting to the ground in a gore-ridden heap.
[Ding! With a swift stroke of your blade, one Level 4 and 4 Level 1 Horned Rabbits met their demise. You've obtained +4 EXP.]
[Ding! You've surmounted the final challenge of The quest "End of the Double Terror"]
[The quest "End of the Double Terror" now lays in the pages of your past victories!]
[You've been awarded +500 Mad Points for your exploits.]
The mad points immediately metamorphosed into valuable stat points, a total of five were at his disposal!
He reserved them.
Val cast a glance at the lifeless rabbits, a peculiar and disturbing urge simmering within him. The insatiable desire to drink their blood began to claw at him.
"Blood absorption," Val vocalized, invoking his 2nd bloodline skill.
As if heeding his command, the blood from the defeated horned rabbits started to lift off from their bodies and seep into him.
As he was not injured, their blood was directly added to his Blood Bar's reserves.
Its size increased to a whopping 800!
Looking at his blood bar, Val felt stronger than ever.
It was an amazing feeling, having so much blood that can be utilized as he wish.
'It's time to reap the spoils of the battle.'
With the threats to his life eradicated, Val redirected his attention to the Blood Purifying Herbs.
He squatted, carefully plucking them, ensuring that they were harvested without sustaining any damage. Once he'd collected them safely, he nestled them securely within the confines of his windbreaker's pocket.
Then he stood up to leave, but a peculiar sight within the cave arrested his steps!
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DurcalAka Can you guess what it is?
If you can't read the next chapter and drop some power stones and golden tickets if you would like to show your support!
Capítulo 24: 24: Stumbling Upon a conspiracy!
What he observed was reminiscent of a scene from a demonic rite – a pentagram, carved with precision into the corner of the wall at the end of the cave. Although it was shrouded in utter darkness, he was able to perceive it clearly, courtesy of his Nocturnal Vision Trait.
His gaze, brimming with a keen intensity, fell upon it.
'I am able to understand it?'
Although the inscriptions ensnared within the confines of the pentagram were of an unfamiliar language, he was somehow able to understand what was written.
'Maybe it's because of my bloodline that made me half a devil.'
Val concluded that this pentagram was something only those with devilish origins could interpret, and with the blood of the Blood Devil coursing through his veins, he fell into this unique category.
'Let's see what it says.'
Deciphering the pentagram, he found out that it was a hidden mechanism that hid a great secret that would cause great harm to the IronSpire Stronghold and that it required a devil's blood to be triggered.
'I am a half-devil himself. Would my blood suffice?'
'Well, It doesn't hurt to check.'
Val deftly sliced his skin open with a blade forged from his own blood and smeared the vivid liquid leaking out of his wound onto the pentagram on the wall.
Immediately, it pulsed with life, prompting the entire cave to tremble in resonance.
Hiss!
The wall before Val receded with a barely audible hiss.
A concealed chamber was unveiled, and his attention was magnetically drawn to an altar situated at its center.
It exuded an aura of antiquity and was adorned with intricate symbols. It seemed to be crafted from a smooth, ebony-hued stone, and it radiated an unearthly glow that cut through the shroud of darkness, illuminating the inside of the cave.
The Roman numeral – I – was inscribed on its base.
It signified that the altar would only respond to the touch of level 1 Bloodline Users. Anyone above that level wouldn't be able to interact with it.
"This is an entrance to a dungeon!"
Surprise flashed in Val's eyes as he discerned its purpose.
Dungeons, having surfaced globally over recent decades, all bore distinct commonalities. They were only accessible via a teleporter, with a Roman numeral carved onto it determining the level of bloodline users permitted entry.
The altar before Val was precisely one such teleporter. And the Roman numerical written on it showcased that it would only teleport level 1 Bloodline to the dungeon.
Each dungeon housed a distinct quest that the dungeon explorers had to uncover themselves. Successful completion of the quest would result in the dungeon vanishing, and the triumphant dungeon explorer being transported back to the entry point.
An unattended dungeon would trigger a 'dungeon break', causing a swarm of monsters to invade Eldrich.
This event would typically spell disaster for any nearby strongholds.
Dungeons also represented a lucrative source of resources. Monsters within differed from beasts in that they dropped cores upon defeat. Absorption of these cores enhanced one's attributes. Furthermore, each dungeon housed a boss, the vanquishing of which might yield materials useful for evolution.
The devil had woven a cunning spell of concealment around the dungeon for similar reasons.
Firstly, the devil desired the dungeon for its exclusive use, hoarding the bountiful resources that resided within. Every dungeon was a treasure trove of rare and unique materials, beneficial for humans, devils, and also beasts. By sealing the dungeon in a way that only a wise devil like itself would be able open it, the devil ensured that it alone would reap these benefits.
Secondly, sealing the dungeon served as an excellent camouflage. The seal masked the dungeon's presence, making it undetectable to any creature wandering through the Evernight Forest.
Through this, the devil meant to incite a dungeon break, a catastrophic event that would unleash terrifying adversaries upon the IronSpire Stronghold, intensifying the peril faced by its inhabitants. If this were to happen, devils like it would find it easier to invade the stronghold and prey on its inhabitants!
Even if one was fortunate enough to stumble upon this devilish seal, the ordeal of deciphering its enigmatic mechanics to unseal it would likely be a herculean task. There was no telling how long it would take before the seal could be broken, effectively ensuring the devil's plan went uninterrupted.
However, the devil hadn't accounted for one variable - Val.
He had managed to break the seal and discover the entrance to the dungeon, and he might even complete the dungeon, effectively ruining the plan of the devil.
Val wasn't worried about encountering the devil that was behind this. The devil was most likely only as strong as a level 1 bloodline user or even weaker than one in terms of combat. After all, only such a devil would want to horde a level 1 dungeon for itself. He was confident about crushing such a lowly devil with his fists alone!
Val ran his tongue over his lips, his mind abuzz with thoughts.
'I must prepare before I tackle it.'
Dungeons were inherently fraught with danger. Typically, a trio of bloodline users would dare to venture within - a warrior for defense, an offensive type for damage, and a healer for sustenance.
However, Val was a unique case. His physical prowess surpassed that of a Level 1 Warrior-type bloodline user. His Blood Absorption skill afforded him superior healing capabilities, and his ability to control blood gave him an offensive edge over many at the same level as him.
Basically, he possessed the capability to conquer a dungeon solo.
Yet, he held back for the time being.
The Blood Purifying Herbs he'd collected were still on his person, and a heated battle might damage them.
Thus, in order to sort them out, he returned to the safety of the IronSpire stronghold.
He set one herb aside for his personal use. Once he awakened the Whitemore Bloodline, he planned to use it to directly upgrade his Whitemore Bloodline to Level 2.
As for the remaining two herbs, he intended to trade them.
He could opt to vend them at the open market, but this would yield merely gold in return. Furthermore, it would also necessitate the bothersome task of actively seeking commodities that could be bartered for gold.
Thus, trading the herbs for an item from his father presented a far more appealing and convenient alternative!
'Let's go see Joshua.'
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