Dropping Out

[You died.]

Who the fuck is her son?

Noel wondered with his thoughts on the woman who had killed him.

In the end, the answer came easily.

It was probably Coren. Because he couldn't think of anyone else.

Noel, understood at this moment that Selena had likely killed Coren after he mentioned his name. And Coren's mother, unable to take revenge on Selena directly, had turned her fury on him instead.

That was probably it.

He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. No use getting stuck on it now.

[The simulation is over. You can choose two of the following.]

[1: Endurance Bloom (Seedling Talent)]

[2: Strengthened Soul (Slightly Recovered Soul)]

[3: Strengthened Physical Strength (First Stage of the Blood Refinement Path)]

[4: Blood Scripture (First Part)]

[5: Memory of this Simulation]

Noel's gaze locked instantly on the fourth option — Blood Scripture. A wave of relief passed through him. It was really there.

His eyes then slid to the first option.

This one feels proper this time…

With that thought, Noel made his decisions without hesitation.

[You have selected: Endurance Bloom (Seedling Talent).]

[You have selected: Blood Scripture (First Part).]

An inexplicable change happened to Noel's body. A quiet transformation that defied clear understanding, yet left his body faintly different.

But that could wait. The Blood Scripture now etched into his mind took priority.

He focused.

Vital Purification. Organ Tempering. Muscle Engraving. Complete Vessel Unification… then Crimson Echo.

One by one, Noel went through the names of the five stages the technique offered, before delving deeper into their contents. And the more he did so, the more awed he became. Every part of it was intricate, layered with a maddening complexity.

Even so, at its core, the technique centered entirely on refining his body — elevating his physical capabilities, improving efficiency and control… all through blood!

The problem was that there were no combat methods.

Is it meant to be like this? Or… is it because this is only the first half of the Blood Scripture?

He lingered on the thought for a moment, then let it go.

Anyway, there were still two simulations left.

But instead of diving into the next one immediately, Noel turned to his notebook. He flipped to the very last page, where he'd written a section about the Blood Refinement Path, and placed a neat ✓ beside it.

Then he moved back a page — to where he had written the question: "Are you under watch?"

Another ✓.

He kept going, flipping to another section, One Week, and placed an ✘ beside it.

After marking those three places, Noel paused. His pen hovered. He thought about adding something else, another note maybe. But in the end, he decided this was enough for today.

[Do you want to spend 10 Null Points to start a Premium Simulation?]

Noel took a slow breath… then nodded in agreement.

[Life Simulation begins.]

[21 years old. You suddenly felt something was wrong. But rather than dwelling on it, your attention was fully consumed by the Blood Scripture imprinted in your mind.]

[You took more than an hour, just scanning the technique, before finally, in a good mood, you went through the other information scattered around you.]

[It took some time, but after you did that, you finally made a decision.]

[The next day arrived. You went to the university, but instead of attending your classes, you submitted a formal request to drop out.]

[After that, you met with Selena, who seemed disturbed by your decision, her mood visibly low — but you deflected the topic with casual conversation and steered things elsewhere, before eventually returning home.]

[Two weeks passed. You devoted nearly all your time to the Blood Scripture — practicing its breathing and movement patterns to awaken bodily awareness. And at last, you reached the threshold of the first stage.]

[One month passed. Your relationship with Lilith had become better and better after you dropped out from the university, and Lilith's smile always seemed to be beaming in the house.]

[That aside, you also could now sense the blood flowing through your body more clearly, and began the early process of removing impurities within it.]

[Another month passed. With your relationship developing at a normal pace with Selena, you were content enough, but then she suddenly asked you about your current transformation.]

[She demanded an answer. But, you didn't give her that, and just like that, a fight broke out between you two.]

So, you will not say anything about yourself, but you want me to tell you everything about mine?

Noel, with a gleam in his eyes, thought.

In the end, he knew their situations were different. She was strong, and he was weak.

But that didn't mean anything to him.

[One month later. You had already started cleansing your bloodstream and blood vessels, and your physical strength alone had more than doubled compared to before you began this path.]

[On that day, while you were content with your progress, even though it was slow, Lilith — who had long since noticed your changes — wanted to have a conversation with you.]

[You thought she would ask about the source of your technique, like Selena had, and you had already decided not to tell her anything either. But it turned out, that wasn't the case.]

[Lilith told you that the path of physical strength is never walked alone — that it's always the Laws that propel true bodily power.]

[Even so, cases where someone was born with a powerful body, or later gained one through some rare encounter without the involvement of Laws, were not unheard of.]

["Your situation, though — where instead of a one-time thing, you have a proper path — that's more special," she added. Before, she asked what your current path was based on, so that she could help you.]

[You were slightly touched… but also a little doubtful. Still, in the end, you told her about the Blood Refinement Path, and how everything was ultimately centered around blood.]

[You explained how consuming more nutrients could support the production of blood, meaning faster progress. Then, after a moment of hesitation, you even told her about the possibility of drinking blood from others — although you made it clear that it wasn't recommended until the second stage.]

[Lilith, while slightly surprised by your explanation, still promised that she would help you with it.]

So, when Selena is seemingly out of the equation… this is how things develop with Lilith?

With a small smile, Noel wondered, as he didn't think the him inside the simulation would ever actually reveal the blood-drinking part.

It would contrast with the gentle image he had been projecting these past twelve years, after all.