Chapter 149: Level Up
[Eyeless Cave Stalker blood absorbed.
Blood Quality: Medium-Low.
Underground Beast Trait Detected.
Blind Blood-Sense Trace Detected.
Cold Marrow Trace Detected.
Assimilation: Partial.
Progress toward Level 30: Complete.]
Lucard felt the change before the next message appeared.
His blood stopped for one heavy beat.
Then it moved again.
The movement was deeper than before. It was not only blood flowing through veins. It felt like a door opening inside his body. The blood he had absorbed from humans, beasts, and mages during the past days gathered together and sank toward his heart. His first two blood circles trembled. A third ring began to form around them, thin at first, then brighter, then steady.
His body became hot.
Then cold.
Then strangely clear.
The pale blood of the Eyeless Cave Stalker mixed with the bloodfire traces from Garran and Dorian. The cold marrow power tried to suppress the flame, but Lucard’s blood authority forced both to kneel. The bloodfire changed after that. It no longer burned like a wild flame. It became sharper and deeper, as if red fire had learned to hide inside blood and wait before exploding.
Lucard slowly breathed out.
[Level 30 reached.]
Third Blood Circle formed.
Rank Advancement Complete.
Current Rank: Third Blood Circle, Blood Mage Vessel.
Blood Mage Vessel acquired.
Blood capacity increased.
Blood magic control increased.
Mana absorption through blood greatly improved.
Bloodfire Trace strengthened.
Bloodfire Lv1 upgraded.
Bloodfire Lv2 acquired.]
[New Power Acquired.
Blood Spell Formation Lv1.
Description: The host can form simple spell patterns directly through blood, using absorbed mana traces, blood energy, and suitable spell memories.
Note: The host may now create basic blood-based magic circles without external ink or tools.]
Lucard’s eyes became calm, but interest moved inside him.
Blood Spell Formation.
That was useful.
In this lower world, mages needed circles, chants, symbols, elements, and learned patterns. Lucard had ignored most of that because blood was his true path. But now, with the Blood Mage Vessel, his blood could hold spell shapes more properly. He could turn absorbed fire magic, trap magic, blood control, and other traces into blood-made spell patterns.
It was still weak compared to divine arts.
But it was a proper step.
The system continued.
[Status Window]
[Name: Lucard Vardros.
True Origin: Blood God Reincarnated.
Current Body: Human.
Blood Path: Blood God Rebirth Path.
Level: 30.
Rank: Third Blood Circle, Blood Mage Vessel.
(Blood Circle One: Mortal Vessel.
Blood Circle Two: Crimson Vessel.
Blood Circle Three: Blood Mage Vessel.)
Main Ability: Blood Absorption.
Core Blood Arts: Blood Control (max), Blood Concealment (according to rank), Blood Shape (according to rank), Bloodfire Lv2, Blood Shock Lv1, Blood Spell Formation Lv1.
Absorbed Traces: Ember Core Trace, Fire Mana Trace, Bloodfire Trace, Underground Beast Trait, Blind Blood-Sense Trace, Cold Marrow Trace.]
[Companion Creature: Unnamed Mutated Mother Blood Bug.
Blood Parasite Eggs Remaining: 3.
Controlled Hosts: Brant Ashwolf, Lysa Ashwolf.
Body State: Stable.
Growth Requirement: Higher-quality blood recommended.]
The messages faded.
Lucard continued absorbing until the beast’s body collapsed fully. The creature dried into a thin, pale corpse. Its long arms curled inward. The claws remained black and sharp, but the rest of the body looked like old leather stretched over sticks.
Lucard removed one claw with a blood thread and kept it.
The material might be useful.
Then he turned toward the cave.
"I told you I know you are there."
For a moment, nothing answered.
The breathing inside became even quieter.
Lucard walked to the entrance and looked down. The cave was not deep at first. It sloped under the old border fort, with broken stone steps half-covered by dirt. The air inside smelled of blood, cold water, and fear. A small shadow moved behind a fallen beam.
The girl’s voice came out weakly. "Are they gone?"
"One escaped," Lucard said.
The shadow became still. "He escaped?"
"Yes."
Her fear rose so sharply that Lucard could almost taste it in the air.
"He will tell them," she whispered.
"Probably."
"You should have stopped him."
"The beast interrupted."
"But now they will come."
"Then you should move before they arrive."
There was silence again.
Then the girl stepped out from behind the fallen beam. She looked worse than before. Mud stained the bottom of her dress. Her sleeve was torn almost to the shoulder. A shallow cut marked her cheek, and her hands trembled as she held a small wrapped object against her chest. She stared at the dried beast corpse near Lucard’s feet, then looked at Lucard with even more fear than before.
"You killed it."
"Yes."
"What are you?"
"A traveler."
She looked at the pale corpse again. "Travelers do not kill cave stalkers with their bare hands."
"Most travelers die often."
She did not know how to answer that.
Lucard studied her properly for the first time. She tried to look like a common runaway, but her posture betrayed her. Even frightened, she held herself with the remains of training. Her speech was too clean. Her hands were soft under the dirt. She had not lived long on streets or roads. Someone had hidden her identity badly, or she had tried to hide it herself without knowing enough.
The Red Hook man had said she was the city lord’s daughter.
Lucard did not mention it.
"What is your name?" he asked.
The girl hesitated.
That meant whatever name she gave would likely be false.
"Anna," she said.
Lucard looked at her.
She lowered her eyes.
He did not expose the lie. "Then Anna, leave the cave."
"I cannot go back."
"I did not say go back."
"The road is watched."
"Then do not take the road."
"I do not know the forest."
"That is unfortunate."
Her eyes widened slightly. "You are leaving me?"
"Yes."
She looked at the beast corpse, then toward the dark outside, then back at him. "But they will find me."
"Then hide better."
Her face became pale with anger and fear. "How can you say that?"
"Easily."
The girl stared at him as if he was colder than the cave monster. Perhaps to her, he was.