Chapter 23: [Day 8] – “Blood Magic”
∼ Day 8 ∼
[Evolution completed]
[ALERT - Due to your trait "Limit Breaker", the assimilation of a "Lesser Crimson Core", your trait "Sanguine Blood", and your evolution into a "very rare" race, has synergized with each other resulting in your race becoming an elite variant!]
[Race changed to Azde - (Blood Fiend)]
[You've acquired 4 new skills!]
[Skill - Dash, has been added to the skill list]
[Skill - Mana Control, has been added to the skill list]
[Skill - Blood Magic, has been added to the skill list]
[Skill - Blood Shaping, has been added to the skill list]
[You've assimilated with a core, you now generate mana!]
[Trait - Crimson Mana Veins has been activated!]
For a full minute or two, I just lay on the ground traumatized by the experience I had just gone though.
My mind hadn't even registered that the pain was gone and prompts had started appearing in my vision.
...
Does every monster go through this when they evolve?
How come it only starts the evolution progress when I least expect it?!
Can it have something to do with me having to relax before the process can start? Or is there some mischievous god making fun of me, delighting in my pain?
And why the fuck does the pain have to increase every goddamn fucking time!
"Urgh..." - Me
Still, a bit shaken from the last whole HOUR of torture, I groan.
...
Wait...
Did... I just make a sound?
"H-hello?" - Me
HOLY FUCK, I CAN SPEAK AGAIN!
Although I could speak again, something was very off-putting by the sounds I produced.
My voice was tinged by a very slight humming echo at the end of each syllable.
Getting to my feet I look around at my surrounding.
Um...
I got to my feet?
I've got feet!
Looking down I see a pair of feet, although slightly weird-looking.
The next thing I notice is that my sight is no longer a full 360-degree field of vision. But it still was noticeably wider than an ordinary human would have.
So I started to inspect my body.
I had all four of my limbs, which I had so very much hoped for since I didn't know if the evolution would've helped with after losing a limb.
Something interesting about my skin was the fact that is was a weird mix between actual skin and carapace.
Generally, my whole body was hard, with lockable joints in my carapace.
I had five fingers on each hand but it would probably more accurate to say that were claws since they were wickedly sharp. Not at all comparable to my previous claws.
My toes also ended in sharp claws, although not as sharp as the ones on my hands.
On my back still were a pair of insect wings that ran down to the small of my back.
Touching my face, I realize it's almost more of a mask than a face.
I could move it like any face but it was rock hard and it simply felt like one.
My hair was non-existent apparently.
One thing though, that really stood out to me.
By looking at my surroundings, and reinspecting myself, I realize that I've shrunk a bit.
Currently, my stature was that of a midget or a 12-year-old boy...
Looking down, I almost cry...
N-no...
My dick, where is it!?
I had really hoped I'd get it back as a humanoid creature, although not that I needed it as an insect-boy-thing.
But a man's pride ain't something you joke about!
Wait...
Ew...
Nevermind, I've got it.
It's simply hidden beneath a patch of the carapace that can open.
While quite nasty, I must say it's convenient and I was happy to see it was uncannily human-like except for the coloration.
With no clothes, I'd rather not get my johnson cut off mid-fight.
My next evolution better fucking provide me with better utility as man, you hear me!?
Now! Let's check them rewards!
Focusing on the prompts which I had yet to read, I become somewhat stunned.
Holy.... shit.
Elite variant?
I suppose that it's the blood fiend tag at the end of my race.
But what does that even mean? What do I get for it?
Four new skills, hell yeah! And I'm finally able to do magic.
I can definitely guess what blood magic is about, but what does it actually entail?
Well, practicing magic can wait for now.
I need to get used to this new body of mine for now.
Stretching I felt the raw power in my limbs. I've become many times stronger than before.
Oh yeah! My attributes.
-Status!-
[Status]
Name: "???"
Race: Azde (Blood Fiend)
Sex: Male
Rank: F
Level: 1/35
Health: 82/82
Stamina: 32/32
Mana: 5/5
[Attributes]
STR - 11 ⇒ 10
VIT - 16 ⇒ 20
AGI - 27 ⇒ 35
DEX - 18 ⇒ 20
INT - 18 ⇒ 20
CHR - 2 ⇒ 5
WILL - 15 ⇒ 18
MAG - 12 ⇒ 15
[Trait, Titles, and Skills].
Skills - 15 ⇒ 19
Traits - 4 ⇒ 5
Titles - 2
Skillpoints - 5
[Resistances]
Phy. Resistance - 5 ⇒ 10
Mag. Resistance - 0.802 ⇒ 5
Men. Resistance - 7 ⇒ 8
Well, that's quite the increase I must say.
But huh? My strength actually went down a point?
That's quite weird since I feel more strength in my limbs than ever. Looking around I find a spot in the tree and punch it.
Suddenly a boom sounded out as my punch made a slight indent in the wood.
Holy fuck!
I guess with a body that as armor-like skin and muscles that are wired like a human, those points in strength and agility can really do some work.
Looking at my resistances it would seem that I'm quite resistant to magic now, and my physical resistance has also increased like crazy.
And would you look at that! I finally have mana!
Not exactly sure if 5 points in mana is little or much, so I will have to find out.
It's nice to finally see all of my stats above 0 atleast.
Hey, wait wasn't there also a new trait?
-Traits!-
[Traits]
-Siphon-
A natural ability of monster-type mosquitoes. Consuming blood provides the user with EXP and attribute increases. The stats that are added by siphon are the two highest attributes of the selected creature. A higher difference power will either garner fewer or more stat points to the user depending on which way the difference swings. Drinking the blood of a rare creature or drinking blood a great number of times of the same creature with similar or higher power level to the user provides the user with a very small chance of acquiring a compatible skill from said creature.
-Skill shop-
A unique trait that provides the user with skill points each level and allows the user to use the system to open a shop, where they can purchase skill with said skill points.
-Limit breaker-
A unique trait that allows the user to be unhindered by the limitations of levels, evolutions, and skills.
-Sanguine Blood-
Your blood is sanguine blood. Your blood carries the sanguine plague and other effects.
-Crimson Mana Veins-
Mana veins created by matured cores increases the magic power of the body. The mana veins created by your core have turned into crimson mana veins due to the alignment of your core and your body's natural affinity for it.
Ah, it makes sense now why my magic power attribute sky-rocketed so much when I first fused with the core. That light show of glowing veins in my body must've been those veins being created.
Anxious to try out all of my new powers, I begin to tentatively test out my new body, making sure I can use it.
Luckily it was very easy to adapt to this new body of mine.
For all the evolutions before, I've noticed that the instinctive knowledge of how to use my current body at the times were included in the package when evolving.
Moving over to the edge of the tree I jumped down, surprised at how gracefully I managed to land.
The impact from the ground meeting my feet was practically non-existent, reminding me of almost a cat when they jump from large heights.
Walking over to a somewhat large pond, I look into it to see my reflection.
Damn! I looked creepy.
My body was like a midget or hobbit with ripped muscles, covered in skin-like carapace.
And my eyes were that of a normal human but my irises were almost glowing red, and I didn't have any pupils.
Coupled with my face and other appendages, I looked extremely ominous but still in some very mesmerizing way but I could probably be passed off as either a halfling or a human boy at a glance from a bit of distance.
Looking around, I see no creatures in the vicinity.
I guess it's time for me to try out this new body of mine in some real combat.
Looking back at my wings, I slightly flutter them to get a feel for them.
The raw power in those wings was almost palpable, no doubt allowing me to fly easily.
Slowly increasing the speed of my wings, a slow humming started.
Soon I was lifting off the ground slowly.
About a 1 meter up I smiled, and then like lightning, I bolted upwards.
The sheer speed that my wings could now produce, was absolutely staggering.
While I couldn't be sure, my speed was at least 3 or 4 times faster than before my evolution.
Hovering high in the air, feeling my newfound power rushing through my veins, I scout the rocky hills beneath me.
Before long, I spot a goblin party of five.
"Well, hello there fellas..."