Chapter 79 – New Spells
Tadeo's lips trembled. "Y–You—"
He didn't finish.
Raven's body twisted like a coiled spring snapping free. The spear cut through the air in a spiral slash, glinting with faint aura. The blade met flesh before Tadeo even realized he was under attack.
A wet shhk echoed.
Blood fountained from his neck.
Tadeo stumbled, clutching the wound with both hands, eyes wide and uncomprehending. His mouth opened and closed, choking on his own blood. The dizziness from Raven's earlier spell made him sway like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Raven froze, the reality of what he'd done slamming into him. His grip on the spear quivered.
"F–F*ck! I killed him!"
[Don't hesitate. Kill this Wizard before he uses a potion to recover.]
Zera's calm voice filled his head, sharp enough to pierce through the panic. Raven forced his breath steady, stepped forward, and thrust the spear straight through Tadeo's chest. The impact jolted his arm; the blade buried itself in the man's heart.
[No. Decapitate him.]
Raven grimaced. "A–Aren't you being too cautious?"
Silence.
His jaw tightened. He pulled the spear free, swung once more, and the blade flashed through the night. The head separated cleanly, rolling across the stone road as blood sprayed in a dark rain.
The body twitched, stumbled a step, and fell backward with a heavy thud.
The metallic stench hit him a second later. His stomach lurched. He doubled over and vomited onto the pavement.
"I–I killed a person…" His voice trembled, eyes unfocused. "I actually—"
[No time to cry, lad. The battle isn't over yet.]
Zera's cold reminder snapped him awake.
A gunshot cracked from his right. Someone screamed.
Raven wiped his mouth and grabbed Tadeo's belongings—pouch, ring, bracelet, vial—and stuffed them into his inventory. His heartbeat pounded like war drums.
"Jacob might need my help," he muttered.
[Even if you go there, you'll only get in his way. Divert their attention. Hide.]
Raven understood immediately. He turned toward the carriage, pulled out an oil flask, and lit it with a spark from his ring. The carriage caught fire in an instant, flames spreading with a hiss.
He sprinted toward a nearby abandoned building, ducked inside, and climbed up to the balcony. Smoke rose below him, painting the street in red and gold.
From his hiding spot, he watched the chaos unfold.
Minutes later, two men emerged from the opposite yard. Both Radiant Walkers. One limped, blood staining his coat; the other—Preston, if Raven remembered right—supported him.
'Did they… kill Jacob?' His pulse quickened.
A gunshot answered him. The two men dove behind a half-collapsed wall. Dust exploded where the bullet struck. They muttered something Raven couldn't hear, then fled, disappearing into the alley shadows.
Moments later, a man in a black suit arrived, scanning the area cautiously.
Raven stayed still, barely breathing. When the man finally left, Raven exhaled in relief.
'Wizards are terrifying… and that was only an Acolyte.'
[The ones from the academy will be far stronger, lad. Did you figure out what you lack most?]
'I need a movement spell… and a better attack spell.'
He stood up, called out, "Jacob! I'm here!"
Minutes later, Jacob appeared from behind a wall, covered in dirt and smoke but still alive.
"I didn't expect you to kill a Wizard, my Lord," Jacob said with a faint grin.
"I'm sorry for putting your life in danger," Raven replied quietly. "If Selene had come with us, this might've gone differently."
Jacob shook his head. "You handled it better than most would."
Raven said nothing, just studied him in silence. 'He threw me aside to survive the ambush… a gamble that saved both of us. Most mercenaries would've stayed and died.'
He exhaled. 'I need to get stronger. Or next time, luck won't save me.'
"Can you wait here for a while, Mr. Jacob? I need some time alone."
Jacob frowned. "We can find an inn to the east, my Lord—"
"No." Raven turned away before his face betrayed anything. "I'll be right back."
He walked back to the abandoned building. The air inside was thick with dust and dampness. Rusted tools and broken sandbags covered the floor.
"This should be enough." He tapped his spatial ring.
With a thud, a massive, blackish worm dropped to the floor—its skin slick, crawling with a thousand half-open eyes that stared without focus.
Raven's stomach churned. "Disgusting thing."
He placed his hand on its side and whispered, "Bloodline Devouring—activate."
A faint hum filled the air. The corpse convulsed. Blood coalesced into a glowing orb, pulsing like a heartbeat before sinking into his palm.
…
[Bloodline Devouring Ability is activated!]
[Mind Worm's bloodline has been found!]
[Analyzing the purity of the bloodline…]
[Calculating…]
[The corpse has 94% purity of Rank-1 Mind Worm's bloodline Essence!]
[It is possible to extract the Mind Worm's bloodline Essence and one of its bloodline spells!]
[Would you like to use the 'Bloodline Devouring Ability'? Yes/No.]
…
"Yes." Raven clicked without hesitation.
…
[Bloodline Devouring Ability is on commence!]
[Randomizing the Bloodline Ability Extraction!]
[The system has found two eye skills from the host's body and is proceeding to select Mind Worm's 'Mind Eye' Bloodline Spell!]
[Rank-1 Mind Worm's 'Mind Eye' Bloodline Spell has been selected!]
[Spiritual Scan and Night Vision skills have been fused with the Mind Eye spell!]
[Host has obtained Rank-1 'Mind Eye' Bloodline Spell!]
[Host has absorbed a part of Mind Worm's Bloodline Essence!]
[Host's spirit power has increased by 2.8!]
[Host's vitality power has increased by 1.0!]
[Host's strength power has increased by 0.5!]
[Host's agility power has increased by 0.5!]
[Host's body is undergoing a mutation!]
[The mutation will take 5 minutes 35 seconds to complete!]
[Please stand by!]
…
The world vanished into pain.
Raven's scream caught in his throat. His veins burned as if liquid fire flowed through them. A tearing sensation gripped his skull—sharp, deep, relentless.
Then came the eyes. The pain centered there, stabbing, twisting, burrowing deeper. He pressed his palms against his face, gritting his teeth. The agony dragged on, endless seconds stretching into eternity.
Finally, it ended.
Raven gasped, chest heaving. His vision blurred, then sharpened. Every detail around him—dust motes, cracks, light—seemed impossibly clear.
Inside his mind, a hexagonal spell model shimmered into existence, humming like a living thing.
He focused on a small fly hovering in front of him.
The world slowed.
Each flap of the fly's wings moved in perfect, slow motion. Raven could count every beat. The hum of sound stretched thin.
When he blinked, time returned to normal. His eyes widened.
"T–This is insane…"
[You're not slowing time, lad. You're accelerating your thoughts. You now perceive the world faster.]
Raven grinned weakly. "So this is how Mind Worms see reality."
[Good. Now, take out the next one.]
He did.
A glacial blue corpse fell from his ring—a massive Ice Wyrm with crystalline horns and six clawed legs. Its scales shimmered like frozen stars.
Raven touched its forehead. "Let's see what you give me."
…
[Bloodline Devouring Ability is activated!]
[Ice Wyrm's bloodline has been found!]
[Analyzing the purity of the bloodline…]
[Calculating…]
[The corpse has 80% purity of Rank-1 Ice Wyrm's bloodline Essence!]
[It is possible to extract the Ice Wyrm's bloodline Essence and one of its bloodline spells!]
[Would you like to use the 'Bloodline Devouring Ability'? Yes/No.]
"Yes," Raven confirmed.
[Bloodline Devouring Ability is on commence!]
[Randomizing the Bloodline Ability Extraction!]
[Rank-1 Ice Wyrm's 'Cold Breath' bloodline spell has been selected!]
[Host has obtained a Rank-1 'Cold Breath' Bloodline Spell!]
[Host has absorbed a part of Ice Wyrm's Bloodline Essence!]
[Host's vitality power has increased by 1.0!]
[Host's strength power has increased by 1.0!]
[Host's agility power has increased by 1.0!]
[Host's body is undergoing a mutation!]
[It will take 3 minutes for the mutation to complete!]
…
Cold energy surged through his veins. His breath turned white. Frost spread along the ground from beneath his boots, crawling up the walls. The pain was sharp, biting—but short-lived.
Three minutes later, the mutation ended. A new spell model—icy and radiant—appeared beside the first.
Knowledge poured into his mind. Memories of the creature's life—of blizzards, frost, and blue flames—flashed behind his eyes.
Raven breathed out. Frost drifted from his lips.
"So that's how it works… exhaling cold air strong enough to freeze flesh within seconds."
He clenched his fists, smiling faintly. "Perfect for anyone who tries to run."
[Not bad, lad. You're growing faster than I expected.]
Raven looked down at his hands. Tiny frost lines glowed across his skin, fading slowly.
"I'll make good use of it," he said quietly.
And for the first time that night, he smiled—not out of relief, but anticipation.