Chapter 54: Blood Demon
Raven took a deep breath and activated his Bloodline Devouring Ability.
[Bloodline Devouring System: Activated.]
[Blood Demon's Bloodline detected.]
[Analyzing purity…]
[Calculating…]
[Result: 23.3% purity of Rank-2 Blood Demon Bloodline Essence detected.]
[A "Blood Divinity Essence" has been found within the heart.]
[Absorption of both Blood Demon Essence and Divinity Essence is possible.]
[Proceed with Blood Devouring Ability? Yes/No]
[The demon must have absorbed a Divine Shard while trying to evolve into a Syreni Demon,] Zera murmured in disbelief.
In truth, the Syreni Demon and the Blood Imp belonged to entirely different races.
[By absorbing that shard, this Blood Imp might have transformed into something new—a Blood Demon.]
Raven hesitated for a second, then clicked Yes.
[Bloodline Devouring commencing…]
[Randomizing Ability Extraction…]
[Selected: Rank-2 Mimic Morph Bloodline Spell.]
[Warning! Host's Spirit insufficient to contain Rank-2 essence.]
[Demoting spell to Rank-1.]
[Host has obtained Bloodline Spell: Face Mimic.]
Before he could focus on the new spell model in his mind, another string of notifications appeared.
[Host is continuing to absorb Blood Divinity Essence.]
[New Bloodline Essence detected within the heart.]
[Absorb new Bloodline Essence? Yes/No.]
"Another one?" Raven muttered. Remembering Zera's earlier theory, he clicked Yes again.
[Bloodline Devouring commencing…]
[Randomizing Ability Extraction…]
[Selected: Rank-1 Syreni Demon Bloodline Spell – Blood Control.]
[Host has obtained Bloodline Spell: Blood Control.]
Then came another series of messages:
[Partial absorption of Blood Demon Bloodline completed.]
[Spirit +4.0]
[Vitality +2.0]
[Strength +3.0]
[Agility +2.0]
[Host undergoing mutation – estimated duration: 3 hours.]
[Warning: Do not lose consciousness.]
Pain exploded through Raven's body. Every nerve screamed as if molten metal was being poured into his veins. The influx of knowledge—the structure, function, and rune logic of both new spells—stabbed into his mind like lightning.
[That's because your understanding of Rune Language has grown. You're finally decoding the information waves you used to ignore,] Zera explained.
"Argh… my head feels like it's splitting apart!" Raven gasped.
[Keep it down, lad.]
"I—I can't!" he groaned as black blood began seeping out of his pores, dripping like sweat. His breath came in short bursts. His body trembled, and he crashed against the melting shards of ice, soaking himself in cold, black water.
The transformation lasted three long hours—an endless cycle of pain and distorted visions. When it finally ended, Raven lay motionless on the floor, his chest heaving.
"W-What the hell was that? I thought absorbing blood essence only hurt a little," he croaked.
[That's what happens when you absorb from a higher-ranked being. Don't do that again unless you're ready to die.]
Raven forced himself upright. The agony dulled, replaced by a strange, heightened awareness. He could feel the blood flowing inside him—every drop, every pulse.
He flexed his fingers. 'So this is Blood Control… I can sense and move my own blood.'
He recalled the other ability next.
'Face Mimic… It says if I touch someone's face and memorize their structure, I can replicate it perfectly.'
What shocked him most was that it didn't use mana at all—it worked purely through a biological shift triggered by runic signals.
'TMEM waves alter the eyes' width and depth… COL waves adjust the nasion distance… PARK waves reshape the mid-face height… FOX-2 handles the flexibility of facial muscles… and MYOD waves reorganize the muscle fibers.'
The more he read, the more amazed he became.
Then, another system message appeared:
[Mutation complete.]
[Host's damaged soul has been partially repaired using Blood Essence.]
[Current soul damage: 19.4%.]
[Lifespan increased by 38 years.]
"Oh? I've got ninety-six years now," Raven muttered, blinking. "Why so high?"
[Because of your Warlock pathway, lad. Even an Acolyte-rank Warlock can live up to 150 years. It's normal.]
'Good to know.'
He stood shakily, brushing the ice from his clothes, and made his way downstairs.
'I should never absorb bloodlines in unsafe places again,' he thought grimly.
A quick glance at his pocket watch made his eyes widen.
"12:30 already? Time to leave."
He slipped out through the back door, activated Shadow Stealth, and quietly escaped the museum compound without alerting the guards.
The night streets were silent. Raven moved quickly, his mind racing.
'I can't go back to the inn now. If the Bristol Street officers realize I used a fake identity, I'll be wanted by morning. And if Count Spade gets involved, I'm finished.'
[Relax. The Count will focus on the Gold Thieves first. He'll make his move by tomorrow evening. You know what that means.]
Raven nodded faintly. He turned north—toward the Industrial District, where factories spewed smoke into the cold night air.
The streets there were darker, crowded with workers and beggars. Long hours, low wages, and hazardous work had turned the place into a sprawl of misery.
'Half this district is slums,' he noted. 'Perfect for hiding.'
[And perfect for hunting,] Zera added with a hint of amusement.
Raven ignored her and continued forward.
'My next goal—find the Gold Thieves' base.'
The Next Morning
Count Spade's Mansion, Bristol Street – 8:00 A.M.
A man in his forties descended the grand staircase, each step echoing through the hall. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his pale face framed by short black hair and a neat handlebar mustache that added to his intimidating presence.
Count Andres Spade.
He walked down the corridor, greeting servants with curt nods until he stopped before his study.
"Hm? Who opened this room?" he muttered. The door was ajar.
He stepped inside—and froze.
A golden chest, nearly two meters long, sat in the middle of the room.
"Who put this here?" His tone sharpened instantly.
He slammed the door open and shouted, "Bryce!"
"I'm coming, my Lord!"
A young man with blonde hair and a thin mustache rushed in. "Good morning, Lord Andres! Do you require anything?"
"What is that chest? It wasn't here last night."
Bryce turned toward it, confusion washing over his face.
"I wasn't informed of this, my Lord. Perhaps Young Master Ellis—"
"I doubt it. The door was already open when I arrived. Someone entered without permission."
"An outsider? But our Elite Guards were on duty all night!"
"Hm. Open it."
Bryce hesitated, then obeyed. He unlocked the latch and lifted the lid.
His eyes widened. "My god…"
The chest brimmed with gold coins, gleaming under the morning light.
"Well, this is interesting," Count Spade said, smiling faintly. "Do you see anything else?"
Bryce blinked, snapping out of his shock. He rummaged through the coins and pulled out two pebble-sized gems and a note.
"My Lord," he said, holding them up.
Count Spade's smile widened. "Now this… just got intriguing."