Bloodbath (2)

[Blood Crystal - Low Quality

A stone made of crystallised blood essence.

Effect upon consumption: (+0.1) Vitality, low chance to obtain [Blood Physique]

Side Effects: Vitality Potential will decrease slightly, lifespan will decrease slightly]

All 37 blood crystals Drake possessed were of 'low quality'. It only increased vitality by 0.1, and there was a limit to how much it could increase vitality. The more you consumed blood crystals, the less effective they became. Like all elixirs and poisons, over-consumption led to body resistance.

However, a high-quality blood crystal had appeared upon using the Blood Absorption Ritual.

'I drew the Blood Absorption Rune and infused a bit of mana in the rune like I did on the guards...Yet this time, a high-quality blood crystal was obtained. Does it mean that the stronger the being I use the Blood Absorption Rune on, the higher the quality of the blood crystal I get in the end?'

[Blood Crystal - High-quality

A stone made of particularly dense crystallised blood essence.

Effect upon consumption: (+0.5) Vitality, medium chance to obtain [Blood Physique]

Side Effects: None]

'No side effects?', Drake exclaimed in his mind.

Drake immediately swallowed the blood crystal.

[You have ingested a [High-quality Blood Crystal]. Your vitality is rising slowly. Upon consumption, your vitality will raise by 0.5]

His satisfaction quickly turned into fear as a volley of arrows reached him. As he was focused on analysing the loot, he had forgotten the fact that he still was in enemy territory. Four archers had reached him, and a dozen more guards were rushing towards him. Thankfully, his armour was of high quality and the arrows were repelled. Still, the arrows were quite heavy and he would get ematomes from the impact. One even hit his face and grazed his left ear. He was bleeding quite profusely.

'It seems like I lack experience'

[Demonic Raven Vision activated]

[Your reflexes, body synchronisation and vision are increasing tremendously]

As Drake activated his innate spell, the lightning-fast arrows shot by the preparatory knights became incredibly slow. At least, they were slow enough for Drake to repel them with ease as he marched towards the charging guards. They, too, had become very slow.

The guards expected to kill the intruder by ganging up on him. Yet, what happened was a terrifying sight of brutality and murder. As soon as a soldier entered Drake's range, a simple thrust of his would take his life. Sometimes, Drake would parry the occasional arrows shot by the archers.

Each one of these guards were elites chosen among hundreds. They possessed the bodies of preparatory knights and they were the shields of the Frozen City. Without them, the city would fall in the hands of wild beasts, not to mention magical beasts. Yet, these elites were being slaughtered like lambs in a farm.

In a matter of minutes, the 16 guards who had reached the place were lying on the floor, lifeless.

Drake then crouched, and drew strange runes on their bodies with a dagger. Infusing slight amount of mana inside, their blood condensed into small crystals, which he put in his pouch, before moving to the next corpse. By the time he finished, the corpses had turned in to some sort of sand, or ash releasing a putrid smell. The stronger individuals left a skeleton, but the weakest only left ash.

As Drake moved further in the town Hall, no one was spared. Officials, knights or even cleaners were killed. No witnesses survived the ordeal.

Besides Arthur Don, the veteran knight, Drake met no worthy opponent. There were three knights beside him, but they all died in a handful of collisions, unlike Arthur who could match him physically. The Mayor was part of them. Still, these knights were turned into 'high-quality' blood crystals and served to increase his vitality.

It was a bloodbath. In his pouch lied 146 blood crystals, all of them being of low-quality.

Only the Mayor remained. He was hiding in his room, fearful.

But there was no way Drake would let him live.

Kicking the door open, Drake entered and saw him kneeling.

"Young Master, please show mercy", the Mayor exclaimed, presenting a chest full of trinkets.

Drake smiled.

Even if he came from a Magus family, there was no way he could not be unmoved in front of such treasures. Still, repeating his mantra, he killed the trembling rat begging in front of him. The Mayor probably hoped that he would be spared if he took out all of his belongings. But this was meaningless. Drake would not risk exposing himself. He could always say that it was the effect of his spell that turned the guards into ash. But if someone saw him draw a rune, then this would ruin everything.

Because runes turning men into ash were often linked with blood rituals. And it was the case here. A simple investigator from the family would ruin his reputation. By the family's law, he would be sent into the dungeon, and sent on the frontlines in the future wars, like his parents. His ancestry did not help either, since many from the family loathed him already.

2.4 pounds of Frozen Leaves, hundreds of gold coins, eight ingots of Frozen Steel (magical resources), 12 claws of demonic beasts as well as many books related to alchemy. There was no doubt that it could amount to a dozens of magic crystals, if sold.

Drake smiled as he closed the chest. With this many resources, even if he was punished in the Ivory Tower, he would be able to grow stronger at a steady pace. He would not lack resources for a while.

[You have ingested a high-quality blood crystal]

[Your vitality is rising...]

[Your body is undergoing strange changes...]

[You have obtained [Blood Physique]]

[Your perk [Blood Physique] is in conflict with [Demonic Raven Bloodline]]

Drake felt a terrible headache, followed by hollowing pain throughout his body.

*SHRIEEEEEEEEEEEK*

Abominable sounds came out of his throat, reverberating throughout Frozen City.

Ten minutes later, the shriek ended.

[Your [Demonic Raven Bloodline] has absorbed all the impurities from the [Blood Physique]. You have lost the [Blood Physique Perk]. Your bloodline purity has risen slightly. It is recommended to continue consuming [High-quality Blood Crystals] to increase your bloodline purity]

At this point, Drake was about to faint, but a familiar face prevented him from doing so. The severe face of his uncle looking at him like a monster entered his eyes