Oban woke up in the domain again. The vast emptiness stretched out in every direction, the shadows twisting like tormented smoke. The detached voice of the system in his mind:
[New Quest Activated: Survive the Shadow Domain – Blood Manipulation Trial]
[Skill Unlocked: Blood Manipulation – Phase 1]
[Description: The user can transform his own blood into blades, spears, and whips. Warning: Overuse exhausts life energy.]
Oban stared at the lighted words floating before his eyes. His chest felt a brief moment of constriction. That's the price. my own lifeblood. White-knuckled fists controlled themselves tight enough. Hunger tugged on him like a chain, but flame burned in him. Finally, he had controlled an ability that felt nearly his own.
A bellow shook the darkness. A handful of beasts slid out of the shadows, their forms sewn together nightmares real — crooked horns, gaping maws, ghostly blue eyes aglow. They exhaled rust and ash.
The system beeped once again:
[Eliminate Shadow Beasts – 0/10]
Oban slowly exhaled. "Ten of them, you say? Guess I don't get to warm up.".
The first of the creatures struck. Its claws descended, sparks flying as Oban sidestepped out of the way. His heart beat faster, and with an image burst forth in his mind, scarlet beads welled from his arm wound, hardening in mid-air into a serrated knife. He swung it across the throat of the beast. The beast let out a gurgled scream, shadows spilling like smoke before evaporating into dust.
But torment coursed through his veins. His vision blurred for a moment. The dagger shattered, and his forearm pulsed as if he'd split it open himself. The system's warning rang out:
[Blood Level Critical – Reduce Usage]
Oban gritted his jaws. "So that is the cost. My blood for their death.".
More of them closed in on him, growling. He pushed himself forward, punching with a fist. His fist shattered one's jaw with brute force, splintering bone. Another charged at him from behind, but he dropped low, bowled it over and mashed its skull until it dispersed into nothing.
With every punch, every stride, he was heavier, but more powerful. His muscles seared, veins bulging with abnormal strength. The system whispered:
[Strength +2]
[Endurance +1]
Oban smiled as blood dripped down his lip. "So I'm leveling up even when I'm not using blood tricks. Good. I'll reserve that for when I need it most."
The monsters came in waves, each more twisted than the previous one. One had wings of bone and dark membrane stitched together; it screamed and dove, claws shining. Oban raised both arms, calling thin lines of blood into stabbing red spears. He hurled them, stabbing the creature through the air. It cried out, dissolved, and the spears reconstituted into scarlet fog.
His physique trembled with exertion, knees on the verge of buckling. "Damn it… can't overexert this…"
Council of Forgiveness
Far away, in the Castle of Foreverness, the Council of Forgiveness met in a black-torched room. Ancient vampire lords resided on intricately carved stone thrones, their cloaks heavy with age and hubris. At the core, Aijack leaned forward, his golden eyes piercing.
One of the messengers knelt, his voice trembling. "Lord Aijack, the mage guild has discovered one of our camps. Three young vampires were taken into custody. They're held alive… for now."
Grogans filled the room. A pale woman spat, "If humans confirm our existence again, war shall start anew."
Another elder snarled, "We must stifle them before the word spreads."
But Aijack raised his hand. His tone was stern, but under it was a whiff of fear. "Enough. If this gets out, the entire balance falls. We will dispatch our hunters to retrieve them. We cannot risk lunatic bloodshed… not yet."
The council did not speak. They all understood Aijack's word was absolute.
However, as he reclined, his jaw twitched. The mages are moving more quickly than I could have thought. If they persist in pressuring. everything that we built would collapse.
Mage City
In the heart of the mage city, spires stretched up toward the sky. The streets were lined with runes, glowing softly with light. In the practice circle, circles of young mages trained tirelessly, mixing fire, water, wind, and magical power.
Among them, Yuji stood out like a black flame. His cloak fluttered as he leaned lazily against a broken column, watching three captured vampires bound in chains of light. His lips curved into a bored smile.
"Well, well. Another day, another bunch of weaklings." He stretched his arms. "You're lucky, though. I'm not in the mood to kill. Let's make it fun."
One of the vampires spat blood, eyes burning with rage. "Let us go, human cur!"
Yuji grinned. "Oh, hot-headed. Good. Let us have a little game. Torture me, and I'll let you go on your way."
The vampire let out a howl, opening his jaws disproportionately wide. A screaming sound exploded out, a wave that was powerful enough to shatter rock. The ground shook as the incantation hurtled toward Yuji.
But Yuji didn't even blink. He raised his hand, and the air was frozen. The sound wave was crystallized in mid-air, shining like shattered ice shards. Gasp resonated across the training grounds.
Yuji's smile grew wider. "See? That's the problem. You think sound is an intangible thing. But I can freeze even what cannot be touched."
He snapped his fingers, and the wave of ice froze, shattering into shards that exploded outward. He carelessly flicked a new spear of ice from his hand and threw it. It went through the vampire's chest and pinned him to the ground.
The monster coughed, the sound of chains rattling, his eyes dulling. Yuji bowed his head, his face disappointed. "Weak. Too pathetic to entertain me." He turned his back on them, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. "Lock them up. Maybe they can be more useful as test subjects."
He strode away, frost adhering to each step he took. The rest of the mages crowded around, half in fear, half in awe.
Within the Domain
Oban's knuckles were raw, blood seeping onto the vacant floor. Ten monsters were scattered in ash, their bodies crumbling to nothing. His chest went up and down, every breath ragged.
Then the system screen again:
[Quest Complete – Shadow Domain Trial]
[Reward: Vampiric Nightblade Acquired]
[Skill Upgrade: Blood Manipulation – Phase 1 Mastered]
[Warning: Overuse of blood can cause fainting or death]
A burst of light came before him. Gradually, a sword took shape — long, dark as night, the blades smoldering faint red like it was sucking in the very air around it. Oban extended his hand toward it, and when his hand made contact with the hilt, heat coursed through his veins.
[Vampiric Nightblade: Forged from densified blood and darkness. This weapon adapts to the power of the wielder, sapping the life force out of its foes to restore energy.]
Oban's eyes popped. He swung the sword once, and a crimson cut of light sliced the ground. Power flowed through his arms.
He grinned, weary but thrilled. "Now this… this is just right."
The system's final message sounded:
[Training Complete for Today. Exit Granted.]
A light portal stretched out before him. Oban wiped blood from his mouth, tightened the Nightblade in his grip, and stepped through. His body vanished from the void.
In the other world, the cozy hall of the Castle of Foreverness awaited him. Shadows chilled more than usual, but Oban's spirit seethed with more intensity. He had built piece by piece, and he knew tougher trials awaited him.
For the first time in days, he whispered to himself with a smile, "I might just survive this world."