Chapter 15: Demonic Blood
The boar charged again, and Hajin barely managed to roll out of the way, his ribs screaming in protest with every movement while dirt kicked up around him.
’Goddammit, this is so annoying,’ he thought, pushing himself up on one knee while his free hand pressed against his side. ’Trying to fight with broken ribs is like running with a weight tied to my chest.’
The sword in his other hand felt useless, barely scratching the thing’s hide. He found himself wishing for something, anything, that would actually cut through this monster’s durability.
He sidestepped another charge, the boar’s tusks missing him by inches while he pivoted on his heel and drove his fist into its jaw. The hit sent it stumbling back a few steps, its head snapping to the side while a low growl rumbled from its throat.
It recovered fast, swinging a thick leg toward him, but he ducked under it and swept his own leg behind its front knee, taking the weight out from under it.
The boar crashed forward, its chest hitting the ground, and he used that chance, jumping up immediately, pulling both knees into his chest before driving them down onto its back with everything he had.
The impact made it throw up a mouthful of blood, its body shuddering while its legs kicked uselessly against the ground.
He pushed off and landed a few feet away, already winding up for another strike, but the boar’s body suddenly lit up with dark mana.
A blast erupted from its mouth point-blank, the force tearing past his face so close he felt the heat singe his hair. He threw himself backward, landing on his feet and sliding several meters while his heart pounded in his throat.
’What the fuck,’ he thought, touching his cheek and feeling the slight burn where the blast had grazed him. ’This thing just won’t stay down.’
He put distance between them, breathing hard while his ribs throbbed and his legs felt heavier with every second.
’Annoyingly tough,’ he thought, watching the boar push itself up again, blood pouring from its mouth but its three Shards still spinning steadily. ’Guess that’s the limit of my base stats.’
He let out a slow breath, then felt the mana inside him shift as he finally let the ring activate.
A thin golden light appeared around his wrist, orbiting slowly while the pressure around him changed, the weight of it settling into his bones like a familiar coat he hadn’t worn in a while.
’Alright,’ he thought, flexing his fingers while the ring’s power flowed through his arm. ’Let’s try this again.’
He pulled up the system panel with a thought, the stream tab sliding aside to reveal the main menu while the boar was already charging at him again.
[ Stream Credits: 800 ]
’Eight hundred?’ he thought, his eyes widening for a split second before he quickly navigated to the weapons shop. ’The donations must have kept stacking.’
The boar slammed into the spot where he had been standing a second ago, its tusks tearing through the dirt while he barely managed to sidestep.
’Dammit, it’s not giving me a break,’ he thought, his fingers flying through the shop menu while his feet kept moving. ’I don’t have time to browse.’
The list of weapons scrolled past him, most of them way out of his price range or requiring stats he didn’t have, until one item caught his eye near the bottom.
[ Chains of the Goddess ]
[ Condition: 99% Damaged ]
[ Price: 750 Credits ]
[ Note: Binds to unique bloodline only ]
’Nineety-nine percent damaged?’ he thought, staring at the listing. ’What the hell does that even mean?’
The boar turned and charged again, forcing him to jump back while his hand hovered over the purchase button.
’Whatever, I don’t have time to think about this,’ he thought, pressing confirm before he could second-guess himself.
A heavy weight materialized in his hand, the chain dropping like a stone and almost yanking his arm out of its socket. His knees buckled under the sudden mass, dragging him toward the ground while his fingers locked around the links.
’Wtf,’ he thought, trying to shake his hand loose. ’This thing weighs a ton.’
His hand wouldn’t open, the chain somehow fused to his grip and the metal links pressing into his palm while the boar closed the distance with terrifying speed.
A system window popped up in front of his face.
[ Passive Trait Triggered: Fragment’s Blessing ]
[ ×10 Worth Gain Applying to Shop Purchase ]
[ Rarity Upgrade: Normal ➔ Rare ]
[ Bond Required ]
[ Chains of the Goddess requires unique bloodline to activate ]
[ Bind now to unlock functionality ]
’Wait, my trait actually works on shop items?’ he thought, his eyes widening as the rusted metal in his hand started to pulse with immense heat. ’But seriously, I’m about to die and it wants me to do a bonding ceremony now?’
He didn’t have a choice. The boar was already in the air, its tusks aimed at his chest, so he bit down on his thumb, feeling the skin break and blood well up, then smeared it across the chain in his other hand.
A bright flash erupted from the metal, the golden light rapidly purging the rust from every link until it shone blindly, while the system panel updated in front of his face.
[ Bond Successful ]
[ Chains of the Goddess ]
[ Type: Growth Weapon ]
[ Rank: Rare ]
[ Active Skill: Divine Bind ]
[ Status: Active ]
[ Divine Bind: The chain autonomously locks onto a target upon impact. Once latched, its physical weight multiplies to permanently pin the target down and restrict their movement. ]
’It acts as an automatic heavy anchor?’ he thought, his eyes lighting up as he read the description. ’That is exactly what I need.’
The weight shifted instantly, the crushing mass lightening into something that felt like a seamless extension of his arm. He smirked, feeling the mana flow through the links, and snapped his wrist forward.
The chain uncoiled like a whip, cutting through the air with a sharp crack before catching the boar across the face mid-charge. The impact sent it tumbling sideways, its body crashing into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dirt.
He pulled his arm back and the chain retracted, floating around his forearm in loose loops while it took on the same golden light as the ring on his wrist. It was long, easily fifteen to twenty feet of interlocking metal that moved with his thoughts instead of his grip.
The stream panel in the corner of his vision was already scrolling so fast the text blurred.
[ CringeSlayer91:] wait what the hell was that
[ ShadowMage44:] bro just pulled a legendary weapon out of nowhere?? And he looks badass too.
He ignored the comments, flexing his fingers while the chain responded instantly, coiling tighter around his arm before loosening again.
"Round 2, big boy."
Princess Didi stood at the edge of the clearing with her arms crossed, watching the last monster dissolve into ash while the knights around her cheered and started packing up their gear.
"I said I wanted to fight it," she said, her voice carrying irritation. "Not watch you kill it before I even draw my sword."
Sir Gazel, the knight who had delivered the final blow, wiped his blade clean and sheathed it before turning to face her with a slight bow. "My apologies, Your Highness. The creature was moving toward the supply line, and we acted on protocol."
"Protocol," she repeated, the word tasting bitter on her tongue. "You always act on protocol when it means keeping me out of the fight."
"We act to protect the royal family," he said, his tone calm and respectful, not rising to the bait. "Your safety is our priority."
"My safety is a cage," she muttered, turning away from him while her boots crunched against the dirt. "At this rate I’ll never be allowed to enter a Gate. I’ll just sit in the capital and wait until someone decides I’m ready, like experience grows on trees."
She walked back toward her carriage, her knights falling into step behind her. She was about to reach for the carriage door when the ground shook.
The earth bucked under her boots, throwing her off balance and making her grab the carriage door to keep from falling.
Sir Gazel was at her side in an instant, his hand on his sword. "Your Highness, are you—"
Another tremor hit, cracking the dirt near the edge of the clearing. The knights around them were already moving, drawing their weapons while the horses started pulling at their reins.
Then something spoke from underground, its voice deep and distorted, "interesting, is that royal blood I sense."