Chapter 30: Ashes Do Not Kneel!
They were waiting at the cliffside.
Seven of them, bounty hunters, mercenaries, cult blades, all cloaked in armor and stitched leather.
But what caught Kael's eye were the red emblems stitched crudely onto their cloaks:
> The Vire Crest.
> "That mark…"
> "You don't get to wear that."
One of the mercenaries laughed, flashing sharp iron fangs.
> "Funny thing. When you burn up an ancient noble House to ashes, their name becomes cheap."
"Shut up and bleed, boy, now."
---
Kael dropped his pack.
No words.
No hesitation.
The book flared open mid-air.
> [Crown Sigil Resonance, Triggering Mutation Pathway]
▸ Mutation Path: Crimson Heart, Stage I
▸ Ability Unlocked: Blood Pulse Reverb
▸ Effect: Bloodflow Sync, Enhances speed, perception, and reflex during adrenal overload
Kael's skin burned.
His veins pulsed like war drums.
His heartbeat echoed across the battlefield like a warhorn.
The hunters rushed him.
And time shattered.
---
Kael moved like a blur, not teleporting, not vanishing, but flowing.
He twisted around one, shattered another's shoulder with a backfist, then ripped the stolen crest from the third before kicking him into a stone pillar.
> "You wear what you don't understand," Kael hissed.
> "So I'll remind you."
With a roar, he released a Blood Pulse Reverb, a shockwave of liquid crimson energy that slammed outward, destabilizing the cliff beneath them.
Three mercenaries fell screaming into the abyss below.
Only two remained, crawling.
Kael walked between them and dropped their stitched Vire crests into the dirt.
> "Ashes don't kneel."
> "They rise."
---
One of the wounded hunters looked up, terrified.
> "W-what… what are you?"
Kael glanced down.
His eyes glowed blood-red.
His hand burned with the Crown Sigil.
And for the first time, he smiled, not kindly.
> "I'm the one who remembers."
He turned and walked into the night.
---
📜 [Status Screen – Kael Vire]
Bloodbound Record, generated from the Crimson Grimoire system
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🩸 Name: Kael (True Lineage: Kael Vire)
🧬 Race: Vampiric Hybrid (Progenitor Mutation Active)
🏷️ Titles:
Orphan of Flame
Progenitor-Blooded
Last Heir of Vire
The One Who Remembers
Ashborne Survivor
---
Core Type: Crimson Core
Core Level: Tier I (Awakening Phase)
Sovereign Will: Flicker Lv.1 (Stabilized)
Bloodline Authority: Vire Crown Sigil (Dormant – Bound)
---
⚔️ Abilities & Traits
➤ Crimson Heart – Stage I [Unlocked]
Blood Pulse Reverb: Releases a shockwave of high-density blood energy; destabilizes enemies within range.
Bloodflow Sync: Enhances reflexes, perception, and physical speed during combat or adrenal spikes.
Mutation Effect: Minor resistance to divine glyphs, rapid muscle fiber reinforcement.
➤ Bloodburn Overload – Lv.1
When severely wounded or enraged, Kael's blood ignites, increasing strength and aggression temporarily.
Comes with increased fatigue post-use.
➤ Sovereign Will – Flicker Lv.1
Passively suppresses weak divine sigils or angelic barriers.
Can disrupt enemy enchantments with brief pulses of ancestral intent.
Begins to affect enemy morale during combat.
➤ Ancestral Book – Crimson Grimoire (Bound)
Blood-activated relic that tracks status, stores ancestral knowledge, and allows interaction with sealed vampire ruins or relics.
Acts as both a guide and a dangerous archive - some pages are sentient.
---
🧠 Mental State:
Awareness of Lineage: Partial
Memory Fragments: Recovered (7%)
Emotional Stability: Suppressed rage, calculated detachment, rising ambition
---
Known Weaknesses:
Vulnerable to high-tier divine seals (unless Sovereign Will upgrades)
Emotional memory triggers can cause disorientation
Core Tier I limits regeneration and teleportation skills
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End of Chapter 30
End of Volume 2: Blood and Shadow
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