Eater Blade: Grinding in Apocalypse

Johnquis jerked awake. He gasped and looked up, panting. The blood pool was still. The hallucination gone.

A boy in his mid-twenties, another Eater Blade, stood naked on the other side of the pool.

"You good? You’ve been in there too long."

Johnquis blinked, breath ragged, hands shaking.

"I... I’m fine."

"You need to strengthen your mind before dipping. Hallucinations happen. This damn eater stone messes with us, takes control. I’m not letting you be an anomaly while I’m bathing. Sheesh!"

"Uhm, sorry. I’ve just been too tired. A lot’s happened lately."

"We all have, let me guess. Unranked? Just got your first skill?"

Johnquis nodded.

"Figured! Listen, using skills burn blood. You use too many, you bleed out without realizing. And drinking it?"

He motioned to the thick red surface.