Ch. 11 — Breaking the Bloodline
Pressure Breaks the Strongest Shields
The last shot from the Purifier Coil cracked the ward wide open, shattering the blood-forged magic around Sorrell in a burst of scarlet fragments.
The ward cracked, splintering with a sharp hiss before finally shattering like glass under pressure.
Essence Flow: 26 / 100
Caidyn didn't pause. In a single, fluid motion, she holstered her three primary weapons—Twin Vipers, Purifier Coil, and Heavy Suppressor—and slid them into her pre-loadout system. Her HUD blinked an acknowledgment as each was secured.
With her load lightened, she darted forward.
The vampire reacted instantly—scarlet magic surged to life in his grip, forming into hooked, arcing blades of sanguine force. They came fast and wide, meant to cleave momentum, to control space.
She slid beneath one, rolled around another.
Essence Flow: 27 / 100
He swung again, cleaving downward toward the space she just occupied. She feinted right—then snapped left.
Essence Flow: 28 / 100
The floor lit up under her boots with jagged runes, exploding into grasping coils of blood magic. She vaulted over them mid-sprint.
Essence Flow: 29 / 100
Another barrage lanced across her path—she dipped low, sliding through the narrowing space between two searing edges.
Essence Flow: 30 / 100
[Skill Activated: Shadowstep Surge]
The air itself dimmed as shadows snapped around her.
For a heartbeat, she dissolved into a blur of sleek motion—trailing whispering tendrils of night essence—and reappeared at his flank, just behind his dominant hand.
The vampire's eyes widened—too late.
A flickering surge pulsed through her arms as the buff finalized.
Next attack: +25% damage.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
She was in. Close. Deadly. The positioning couldn't have been better.
She didn't waste the advantage.
The instant her boots hit solid ground at his flank, Caidyn reached into her Quick Loadout interface, hand slicing the air as she triggered the familiar magnetic pulse that summoned her next weapon. The Heavy Suppressor snapped into her grip, pulled directly from her pre-registered loadout slot—already equipped with the humming Gravity Core nestled deep within its massive chamber.
She didn't raise it to fire—not yet.
She swung.
The weight of the Gatling body and the embedded core lent the impact a brutal finality as it smashed into the vampire's spine. He staggered forward with a breathless grunt—but before he could even process the hit—
She pulled the trigger.
The weapon roared.
Each round cracked through the air with a pulse of gravitational force, like miniature black holes detonating one after another in rapid succession. The arena shimmered under the weight of the distortion field building with every hit.
Essence Flow: 31 / 100
Essence Flow: 34 / 100
Essence Flow: 38 / 100
The vampire twisted, eyes flashing red, ready to retaliate—
Too late.
Essence Flow: 42 / 100
Essence Flow: 47 / 100
Essence Flow: 50 / 100
She ceased firing.
For a heartbeat, the space hung heavy with tension—then, as the last bullet found its mark, the Synergy Effect snapped into action.
[Synergy Effect Triggered — Gravity Core + Gatling Body: Gravitational Collapse]
Effect: Upon cessation of fire, accumulated gravitational density detonates, unleashing an explosive directional pull that hurls the target in the direction of the final impact.
The air cracked like a whip.
Invisible force erupted from the point of the last hit.
The vampire was snapped violently away, flung like a ragdoll across the Colosseum. His body collided with the far wall, sending shards of barrier plating skittering across the floor.
System Notice: Opponent Status: Stunned.
Caidyn lowered the suppressor, steam curling from its barrel. Her expression was cool. Measured. Locked in.
Essence Flow: 50 / 100
But she wasn't finished.
Not even close.
The vampire staggered from the initial hit, but Caidyn wasn't done.
She shifted her aim swiftly to his left arm, firing a precise shot that ignited the layered fire, ice, and fissure damage-over-time effect. The crackling frost and sizzling flames crawled over the limb, weakening it instantly.
Before he could react, she moved to his right arm, landing another searing hit. The elemental assault overwhelmed the vampire's defenses, the damage compounding as the fissure effect spread, fracturing bone beneath the surface.
Essence Flow surged at 50 points, and as the timed damage effects neared their peak, the explosion triggered—unleashing a sudden burst of fire and ice damage that tore through his body.
Finally, she took careful aim and fired a precise headshot, sealing the fight.
[System Notice]
Critical Hit!
The blast from the Purifier Coil tore through his defenses with devastating armor penetration, amplified by the ongoing synergy between the Heat and Cryo cores.
The vampire's knees buckled, his body collapsing with a heavy thud.
System Notice: Opponent Status: KO.
Caidyn lowered her weapon, the hum of Essence Flow still pulsing softly at 53 points.
Her breath steady, she readied herself for whatever awaited next.
Caidyn stood over the fallen vampire, chest heaving with exertion. The last fight had drained her far more than the previous rounds. Her Essence Flow pulsed steadily, but her muscles ached, and her mind felt heavy.
She weighed her options for a long moment. The Colosseum challenge was relentless—a test of endurance that stretched far beyond physical prowess. Pushing forward meant risking more than just defeat; it meant risking collapse.
With a steadying breath, she reached into her interface and selected the concede option.
[System Notification]
Challenge 10 conceded.
Rewards will be calculated based on matches completed.
No reward window popped up. Instead, a quiet reminder lingered in her HUD—an unresolved promise of recompense awaiting her final confirmation.
Exhausted but satisfied, Caidyn gathered her weapons, securing them into her quick loadout. She moved with slow, deliberate steps toward the exit of the arena.
Outside, the cool air met her face—a welcome relief.
She didn't linger.
The fight had taken everything she had to give.
Today, rest was the only victory she sought.