NOVEL NEXT Chapter 100: Let's Not Be in a Rush...
Bruce's blood… rebelled!
Every drop within his veins turned against him. He felt it moving without his command, surging like molten lead, crushing him from the inside out. His own heartbeat became his enemy, thundering with unnatural strength, each pulse hammering him downward.
The force was overwhelming.
A sharp pain tore through his muscles as his knees buckled, slamming into the dirt with a muffled thud. His body refused to obey him, every cell trembling in rebellion. It felt as if invisible chains of blood had coiled around his organs, tightening each time he tried to move.
"What?!" Bruce's thoughts shattered into disbelief, his breath leaving him in a rough exhale.
He couldn't even lift his head.
His heart pounded violently, veins bulging as his own blood refused his command. He had faced gravity fields, mana storms, and beasts that crushed mountains, but never had he experienced this.
To be bound, not by magic or strength, but by his own blood.
'What… the hell is this?!'
Shock rippled through Bruce's mind as he found himself kneeling before her, powerless for the first time in the entire trial.
Bruce's mind screamed as agony exploded through his veins. One moment he was standing tall, confident and unshaken, the next, he was kneeling, his muscles convulsing violently, every drop of blood inside him rebelling against his will.
His breath hitched as a metallic taste filled his mouth. He could feel it, his blood wasn't his anymore. It flowed backward, twisted, coiled like serpents beneath his skin, writhing to a tune that wasn't his own.
And standing before him was Claire.
Her red hair shimmered like molten rubies, her expression a chilling mixture of elegance and insanity. She raised her hand slowly, a devilish smile curling on her lips.
Then, with a single graceful motion, she raised her hand.
And then,
Bruce's entire body lurched upward.
He didn't jump. He didn't fly. He was pulled.
Invisible strings of force yanked him into the air, twisting his limbs with unnatural precision. His veins bulged violently, glowing faintly red beneath his skin as his own blood turned against him once again, but this time, it wasn't rebellion. It was control.
Claire's control.
It felt like a thousand invisible hooks dug into his flesh, threading through his arteries and tendons, tugging his body in every direction. His back arched sharply, joints cracking under pressure. The veins in his neck stood out like dark cables, writhing as if alive.
Bruce gritted his teeth, a guttural sound tearing from his throat as his body twisted unnaturally in midair. His arms jerked backward, one shoulder nearly dislocating with a sickening pop. His legs bent at angles no human joints should ever allow.
Every motion sent waves of agony through him, not the blunt pain of impact, but something deeper, inner. It was pain from the core, as if his blood had turned to molten iron, boiling through his veins while crushing him from within.
"Ahhh!" A strangled sound escaped his throat. The pain was beyond comprehension, it wasn't an external wound, it was internal domination. Every nerve screamed, every heartbeat felt like a hammer slamming against his skull.
Claire tilted her head, eyes glowing a dark crimson as she watched him writhe. Then she laughed, a sharp, manic laugh that echoed through the area.
"Blood Manipulation is the best!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with exhilaration. "Look at you, Bruce. The mighty number one ranker, brought to his knees by his own blood!"
She took a step closer, fingers curling, and Bruce's body twisted again, his shoulder snapping backward, ribs groaning under invisible pressure.
"With all your strength," she said, her grin widening, "I'll reduce you to mangled flesh and blood by controlling the very life inside you."
Her tone dripped with satisfaction, as if every scream that tore from Bruce's throat was music to her ears.
Bruce's eyes narrowed through the haze of pain.
'Alright,' he thought, gritting his teeth as his bones creaked, 'I've been taking this way too casually…'
He had been curious, too curious about her class. He'd wanted to see what it could do. But now that he understood what he was facing, his expression darkened.
A single word echoed in his mind.
'Heal.'
Light pulsed beneath his skin.
Instantly, a brilliant glow erupted from within his chest, spreading like wildfire through his veins. The same blood that had been her weapon now turned traitor.
CRACK! CRACK!! POP!!!
Bones shifted back into place, muscles realigned, the shredded vessels mended in an instant. His twisted limbs straightened midair, the distorted shape of his body reforming perfectly as if time itself reversed the damage.
Suddenly, wet cracking sounds filled the air as dislocated bones snapped back into place. His spine straightened, his joints realigned, veins that had swelled grotesquely began to calm. The pain was still there, but fading, fast.
Claire's grin froze. Her hand trembled slightly as she felt the connection, the control, begin to slip.
Her crimson eyes widened in disbelief.
Her fingers twitched, trying to regain control, but it was useless. The more she tried to manipulate his blood, the less it responded.
"Impossible…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
The blood flow she commanded so effortlessly just moments ago now resisted her will. The pressure rebounded, fighting her pull. Bruce's body glowed brighter, his aura flaring as the light coursed through every vein like a divine antidote to her corruption.
For the first time, it wasn't Bruce who was trapped... It was her.
And for the first time, she felt fear.
Her crimson eyes flickered with disbelief before hardening into fury. Realizing that her class was becoming useless, Claire gritted her teeth and let out a low growl.
In one fluid motion, her hand shot down to her curvy waist. A glint of red flashed.
SHING!
Two blood-red, serrated daggers slid free from their sheaths, their edges glistening as if soaked in fresh blood. The air around them shimmered faintly, those blades weren't just forged; they were alive, resonating with her mana and the scent of iron that followed her every step.
Without hesitation, she lunged.
WHOOSH!!!
The ground beneath her feet cracked as she exploded forward, a streak of crimson light slicing through the air. Her movements were vicious, beautiful, and precise, each slash whistling through the air with a sound sharp enough to split stone. She was fast, insanely fast.
But Bruce only smiled.
With effortless grace, he stepped back, each movement perfectly timed, avoiding her blades by the smallest margins. Her daggers carved shallow grooves into the earth where he'd been standing mere milliseconds ago.
His body was still recovering, faint lines of strain visible across his skin, but even then, he seemed utterly relaxed.
"Let's not be in a rush, shall we?" he said calmly, his tone carrying an almost teasing composure.
She snarled, her attacks growing even faster, fueled by anger, but Bruce's expression never changed. His body shimmered faintly as golden light coursed beneath his skin, knitting muscle, sealing micro-fractures, restoring him piece by piece.
Her blood aura and manipulation still interfered with his regeneration, slowing the process slightly, but only slightly.
Then...
[You've Healed.]
[You've Gained Immunity to Blood Manipulation.]
***
A/N:
Finally, we've reached a hundred chapters!
Thank you all for joining me on this incredible journey. Let's sit back, enjoy, and witness Bruce's rise to become the strongest being in the entire Multiverse!