Chapter 36: Considerable Growth
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As Chris started messing around with his tail, Paul took a look at his current Status.
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[Player Name]: [Vlad Von Sange VII]
[Titles]: [Iron Blood Empire's Seventh Prince]
[Blood Core]: [Blood Empowering Realm (Tier 4: Rank 4)] (Blood Energy: 6.000/12.000)
[Bloodline]: [Lesser Vampire Chimera Bloodline (Tier 2: Rank 1)]
[Soul]: [Spiritual Golden Red Sea Psyche (Tier 3: Rank 1)]
[Race]: [Dhampir]
[Class]: [Seventh Vampire Prince: ★]
[Subclass]: [None]
[Blood Power]: [15.150]
[Soul Ether]: [6.450]
[Strength]: [7.000]
[Arcana]: [5.800]
[Vitality]: [6.800]
[Dexterity]: [6.950]
[Character Background Traits]: [Insatiable Gluttony (Legendary Grade)] [Heavenly Demon's Soul (Legendary Grade)]
[Character Background Flaws]: [Triple Shattered Meridian Physique (Legendary Grade)] [The Lonely Demon's Last Wish (Legendary Grade)]
[Racial Skills (6/6)]
[False Immortality (S): Lv3] [Blood Bending (A): Lv3] [Bloodline Absorption (S): Lv2] [Moonlight Boost (C): Lv3] [Ogre's Muscles (C): Lv3] [Bat Transformation (C): Lv2] [Chimeric Body (A): Lv1]
[Class Skills (4/6)]
[Soul-Eating Fist Technique (S): Lv3] [Treacherous (D): Lv3] [Beast Hunter (D): Lv3] [Shadow Spear (C): Lv2]
[Subclass Skills (5/5)]
[Alchemy (C): Lv6] [Crafting (D): Lv4] [Runic Engravement (B): Lv4] [Echolocation (D): Lv2] [Sewing (D): Lv4]
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Quite a lot had changed; his Blood Power had increased to a whopping fifteen thousand, and his Arcana was nearing six thousand too. The rest of his stats were fairly balanced; Vampires had unfairly high growth stats compared to other races of beings in the world of Genesis.
However, Vlad was unable to fully use these stats, as they were lowered by 90%. His true stats would actually look like this:
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[Blood Power]: [1.515]
[Soul Ether]: [645]
[Strength]: [700]
[Arcana]: [580]
[Vitality]: [680]
[Dexterity]: [695]
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"Pitiful…"
It was incredibly low!
However, his Blood Power was still fairly decent…
In terms of strength, it could be said he was at the strength of a Tier 1 Monster.
Wow, so weak…
Even the narrator was rather disappointed.
"I have to find ways to somehow be able to get my stats back. This annoying curse... If only there was a way to remove Traits!" Vlad groaned in annoyance. "This Chimeric Body ability is not bad though; it gives me bonus stats that aren't decreased by ninety percent, somehow."
Vlad noticed that at the side of his normal stats, there were small brackets. By touching them with his finger, he was able to expand them, showing him the bonuses he gets from buffs and skills.
His current Werewolf form granted him a bonus of +1000 Strength and Dexterity and +500 Vitality. It was not bad at all, and it made him decently strong at long last.
The duration, however, was only ten minutes, and the cost was quite a lot of Arcana, but as the skill leveled up, the bonuses would increase, so he didn't mind the Arcana cost; he had plenty of items to give him Arcana after all.
"What? Upset because you're weaker than me~?" Chris began teasing him. "I think I got higher Strength than you, lol!"
"Yeah, sure, say whatever you want for now," sighed Vlad. "Maybe I won't be upgrading your stuff, I guess?"
"Wha…?!" Alitheus panicked, and the incubus then started floating around him. "Come on, dude, don't take it so seriously; I was joking! It was le joke!"
"Okay…" Paul looked at his inventory while feeling slightly healed after feeling so underwhelmed. The incubus-cheery attitude did make him happy. "Now we have a lot of items; should we use them?"
"Right, we did get a lot of stuff…" Chris said. "I'll open my treasure chest then… What about you?"
"Yeah, I'll open the two I have. Based on what we get, we can distribute and share it," said Vlad. "What do you think?"
"Hmmm, I would rather keep it all for me!" Chris said, quickly flying somewhere else and bringing a huge treasure chest onto the floor, glowing with a crimson and orange color.
Vlad did the same, bringing two of them. His eyes were still looking at the stored corpses of the raid bosses. His Gluttony Trait wanted to devour them completely, but he knew they were valuable materials, and just eating them all would be stupid.
The treasure chests were opened almost by a mental command, revealing the treasures inside. There were thousands of silver-colored coins, Credit Coins, aside from other items such as elixirs, skill books, and even some equipment pieces.
Defeating a Raid Boss was certainly going to reward him well; not only were there these treasure chests, but also Raid Points he could exchange for unique items only sold in that shop and no other.
Ding!
[You have opened the two [Raid Boss Treasure Chests]!]
[You received the following Items: [Credit Coins] x200.000 [Refinement Elixir (S Grade)] x10 [High Arcana Potion (A Grade)] x20 [High Health Potion (A Grade)] x20 [Antidote Potion (A Grade)] x20 [Skill Fusion Ticket (A Grade)] x1 [Skill Evolution Ticket: Raid Boss Soul (A Grade)] x1 [Skill Book: Blazing Doppelganger (A Grade)] x1 [Skill Book: Vessel of Flames (S Grade)] x1 [Unending Crimson's Tear Ring (S Grade)] x1 [Blazing Heart Crystal Earrings (S Grade)] x1]
"Oh wow, really good. I got a lot of stuff in these two…" Vlad said with a smile.
Although Paul's treasure chests were two, Chris had the biggest, as his treasure chest belonged to the third raid boss and was the strongest of them all.
He ended up getting slightly more rewards than Paul: three hundred thousand Credits, fifteen Refinement Elixirs, twenty-five potions of the three types, three skill books, and so on. He even obtained three pieces of equipment. One ring, a bracelet, and a new weapon—a huge crimson axe.
"Heh, it looks like I got better rewards this time~" Chris giggled mischievously.
"Well, I still got this other item from the Dungeon we completed before the whole Raid began…" Vlad suddenly summoned a third treasure chest.
This one was dropped by the Vessel of the Unending Crimson of the Dungeon they had visited prior to the Raid that happened on Elderbridge. Both received personal rewards, so Chris couldn't complain and ask him to give them to him.
As the treasure chest was opened, something inside was revealed…
Ding!
[You have opened the [Unending Crimson Raid-Themed Equipment Treasure Chest (S Grade)]!]
[You received the following Items: [Credit Coins] x50.000 [Eternal Cursed Fire Sword (S Grade)] x1]
"A sword… And fifty thousand Credits, not bad. This sword is awfully weightless too, weird."
As he wielded the crimson and black-colored blade, with intricate designs resembling flames, Vlad felt like the sword itself emanated an aura of its own, constantly attempting to create a connection with his own soul.
["Hey, be careful; that weapon is cursed. If you lower your guard, it'll curse you!"]
The voice of the Heavenly Demon resonated within Vlad's mind as he dropped the sword into the floor almost instantly.
CLANK!
The sword's black aura quickly dissipated, looking as if it had never looked suspicious before. Whatever that curse was, it felt strange. Vlad could swear he heard a voice telling him to burn everything.
"Eh? What happened?" Chris wondered.
"That sword's cursed… Ugh, my Avatar was about to get a bit crazy," sighed Paul. "Anyways, I don't think I can wear it right now. It's not like I am immune to curses."
"Can't you eat the curses?" Chris wondered.
"What? How do I even… Hmm," Paul rubbed his chin.
The handsome vampire then approached the sword again, trying to channel that strange hollowness within his body he always felt when eating.
He knew instinctively that this hollowness was where the power of the Curse of Gluttony was located, and then his eyes glowed bright red.
FLASH!
"There…!"
He touched the blade as his power surged, encompassing the entire blade. A sudden, loud scream echoed from it, as if there was a creature inside.
"Gryyaagh!"
The form of a demon made of fire surged, groaning angrily, but Gluttony continuously expanded through its body, consuming every inch of it.
"GULP…"
Once the endless jaws made of Demonic Energy finished their meal, the blade fell to the floor, shining brightly, no longer cursed.
"It worked…?"
Both Paul and Chris couldn't believe their eyes at this very moment.
Ding!
[You have consumed the Masterful Curse of the [Eternal Cursed Fire Sword (S Grade)] cast by The {Unending Crimson}!]
[You gained +1.000 Strength and Arcana.]
[You learned the Skill: [Cursed Fire Conjuration (B): Lv1]!]
[The [Eternal Cursed Fire Sword (S Grade)] has transformed into the [Heroic Flame Sword (S+ Grade)]! Several of its original cursed effects have been deleted, and its true power has been awakened.]
"The sword improved too…!" Chris noticed the glistening blade's black color becoming gold. "This is nuts! Maybe you could try eating the curses of other things- Wait, can you eat my curse too?"
"Let me try…" Vlad touched Chris shoulders and concentrated.
However, the hollowness would not react at all, simply ignoring Chris entirely.
Deep down, there was only one way to do it, and it was by Chris dying and leaving a corpse of his Avatar.
But of course, he would not obey such wicked thoughts from a Curse inside of his Avatar, so he simply said there was no way.
"Nope, it seems impossible."
"Fuck… Oh well, not bad though; you even got a new Skill, right?"
"Yeah, you guessed right… I can conjure… Cursed Fire?"
FLUOSH!
Vlad's hand suddenly conjured a black fireball, overflowing with a malicious, blazing aura. This cursed fire was similar to the fire the other monstrosities of the Unending Crimson conjured.
"Not bad; it seems strong, and it becomes stronger based on my soul," said Vlad. "Hm, I suppose what the sword's curse did was imbue this flame into my soul or something and make the avatar go mad."
"Weird, well, glad it's gone," said Chris. "But can you even wield a sword? You always just battle with your fists or your legs."
"I don't know, but it's worth giving it a try, at least…" said Vlad. "A sword is definitely sharper than my bare hands. It seems to carry its own abilities as well. Did you get the Refinement Elixirs too?"
"Yeah, let's drink them together, our last little powerup before we get into crafting stuff… I'll try to help this time," said Chris. "Last time I just watched, and that didn't sit well with me… Because it kind of feels like I'm just leeching off you."
"Oh? So you have finally realized…" Vlad laughed.
"E-Eh?! I wasn't leeching off you; it just FELT that way, okay?!" Chris said. "I already paid you well for what you crafted for me, so… Let me help. I think I could learn Alchemy quickly? You did pretty fast after all. So there's no way I can't do it just as quickly, maybe even faster than you, because I don't have all my stats lowered."
"Maybe," Vlad nodded.
The two drank the Refinement Elixirs, containing high quantities of pure silver-colored essence that could replace any type of energy requirement to Rank Up.
Ding!
[You have consumed the [Refinement Elixir (S Grade)] x10!]
[Your body has absorbed the Refining Silver Essence! Your Blood Core, Psyche, and Bloodline have absorbed its energies and strengthened themselves.]
[Rank Up!]
[Rank Up!]
[Rank Up!]
[Rank Up!]
[Rank Up!]
[Rank Up!]
[Rank Up!]
[…]
[Your [Blood Core]: [Blood Empowering Realm (Tier 4: Rank 4)] Rank has increased to Tier 4: Rank 8!]
[Your Blood Power has increased by +1.400.]
[Your Strength, Vitality, and Dexterity have increased by +1.200.]
[Your Arcana has increased by +1.200.]
[Your [Bloodline]: [Lesser Vampire Chimera Bloodline (Tier 3: Rank 1)] Rank has increased to Tier 3: Rank 5!]
[You gained +1.200 Blood Power]
[You gained +1.000 Arcana.]
[Your [Soul]: [Spiritual Golden Red Sea Psyche (Tier 3: Rank 1)] Rank has increased to Tier 3: Rank 5!]
[You gained +1.200 Soul Ether]
[You gained +1.000 Arcana.]
Four Ranks for all things, his stats once more increased, and although the curse remained, he still felt his Soul becoming much stronger and his Blood Power rising exponentially.
"Hm?"
As he grew stronger, he suddenly felt like the Hollowness within him felt "satisfied" and that the heavy weight weighing him down was lifted… slightly.
"T-This is…?!"
Ding!
[The {Sin of Gluttony} feels satisfied after having eaten so many delicious things and sources energy so far.]
[The Curse that permanently decreases your Stats by 90% within the Flaw: [Triple Shattered Meridian Physique (Legendary Grade)] has been reduced to 70%.]
"S-Seriously?!"
Just when Vlad thought that things were only going to get worse from now on and that his overreliance on equipment was one day going to bite him back.
A miracle happened!
Gluttony was a living being, a Sin.
Therefore, despite being part of a Trait, it could evolve and grow.
Once it felt satisfied enough… Its Curse would become lessened, like a parasite that had grown fat enough to not require being latched onto its victim for so long now.
However…
[Keep the {Sin of Gluttony} well fed, or the Curse might eventually worsen!]
"Right, it can't be too easy…"
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Can't wait to see what's next? You can join my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/pancakeswitch
and gain access to all these Advanced Chapters:
55 Advanced Chapters of
The Protagonist's Sister Is Actually The Strongest
33 Advanced Chapters of
The Heavenly Martial Empress Returns
17 Advanced Chapters of
Fantasy Story Online: The Crippled Vampire Prince Walks The Heavenly Demon Path