Chapter 26: Blood Demon
Raven took a deep breath and activated his Bloodline Devouring Ability.
[Bloodline Devouring System: Activated.]
[Blood Demon's Bloodline detected.]
[Analyzing purity…]
[Calculating…]
[Result: 23.3% purity of Rank-2 Blood Demon Bloodline Essence detected.]
[A "Blood Divinity Essence" has been found within the heart.]
[Absorption of both Blood Demon Essence and Divinity Essence is possible.]
[Proceed with Blood Devouring Ability? Yes/No]
[The demon must have absorbed a Divine Shard while trying to evolve into a Syreni Demon,] Zera murmured in disbelief.
In truth, the Syreni Demon and the Blood Imp belonged to entirely different races.
[By absorbing that shard, this Blood Imp might have transformed into something new—a Blood Demon.]
Raven hesitated for a second, then clicked Yes.
[Bloodline Devouring commencing…]
[Randomizing Ability Extraction…]
[Selected: Rank-2 Mimic Morph Bloodline Spell.]
[Warning! Host's Spirit insufficient to contain Rank-2 essence.]
[Demoting spell to Rank-1.]
[Host has obtained Bloodline Spell: Face Mimic.]
Before he could focus on the new spell model in his mind, another string of notifications appeared.
[Host is continuing to absorb Blood Divinity Essence.]
[New Bloodline Essence detected within the heart.]
[Absorb new Bloodline Essence? Yes/No.]
"Another one?" Raven muttered. Remembering Zera's earlier theory, he clicked Yes again.
[Bloodline Devouring commencing…]
[Randomizing Ability Extraction…]
[Selected: Rank-1 Syreni Demon Bloodline Spell – Blood Control.]
[Host has obtained Bloodline Spell: Blood Control.]
Then came another series of messages:
[Partial absorption of Blood Demon Bloodline completed.]
[Spirit +4.0]
[Vitality +2.0]
[Strength +3.0]
[Agility +2.0]
[Host undergoing mutation – estimated duration: 3 hours.]
[Warning: Do not lose consciousness.]
Pain exploded through Raven's body. Every nerve screamed as if molten metal was being poured into his veins. The influx of knowledge—the structure, function, and rune logic of both new spells—stabbed into his mind like lightning.
[That's because your understanding of Rune Language has grown. You're finally decoding the information waves you used to ignore,] Zera explained.
"Argh… my head feels like it's splitting apart!" Raven gasped.
[Keep it down, lad.]
"I—I can't!" he groaned as black blood began seeping out of his pores, dripping like sweat. His breath came in short bursts. His body trembled, and he crashed against the melting shards of ice, soaking himself in cold, black water.
The transformation lasted three long hours—an endless cycle of pain and distorted visions. When it finally ended, Raven lay motionless on the floor, his chest heaving.
"W-What the hell was that? I thought absorbing blood essence only hurt a little," he croaked.
[That's what happens when you absorb from a higher-ranked being. Don't do that again unless you're ready to die.]
Raven forced himself upright. The agony dulled, replaced by a strange, heightened awareness. He could feel the blood flowing inside him—every drop, every pulse.
He flexed his fingers. 'So this is Blood Control… I can sense and move my own blood.'
He recalled the other ability next.
'Face Mimic… It says if I touch someone's face and memorize their structure, I can replicate it perfectly.'
What shocked him most was that it didn't use mana at all—it worked purely through a biological shift triggered by runic signals.
'TMEM waves alter the eyes' width and depth… COL waves adjust the nasion distance… PARK waves reshape the mid-face height… FOX-2 handles the flexibility of facial muscles… and MYOD waves reorganize the muscle fibers.'
The more he read, the more amazed he became.
Then, another system message appeared:
[Mutation complete.]
[Host's damaged soul has been partially repaired using Blood Essence.]
[Current soul damage: 19.4%.]
[Lifespan increased by 38 years.]
"Oh? I've got ninety-six years now," Raven muttered, blinking. "Why so high?"
[Because of your Warlock pathway, lad. Even an Acolyte-rank Warlock can live up to 150 years. It's normal.]
'Good to know.'
He stood shakily, brushing the ice from his clothes, and made his way downstairs.
'I should never absorb bloodlines in unsafe places again,' he thought grimly.
A quick glance at his pocket watch made his eyes widen.
"12:30 already? Time to leave."
He slipped out through the back door, activated Shadow Stealth, and quietly escaped the museum compound without alerting the guards.
The night streets were silent. Raven moved quickly, his mind racing.
'I can't go back to the inn now. If the Bristol Street officers realize I used a fake identity, I'll be wanted by morning. And if Count Spade gets involved, I'm finished.'
[Relax. The Count will focus on the Gold Thieves first. He'll make his move by tomorrow evening. You know what that means.]
Raven nodded faintly. He turned north—toward the Industrial District, where factories spewed smoke into the cold night air.
The streets there were darker, crowded with workers and beggars. Long hours, low wages, and hazardous work had turned the place into a sprawl of misery.
'Half this district is slums,' he noted. 'Perfect for hiding.'
[And perfect for hunting,] Zera added with a hint of amusement.
Raven ignored her and continued forward.
'My next goal—find the Gold Thieves' base.'
The Next Morning
Count Spade's Mansion, Bristol Street – 8:00 A.M.
A man in his forties descended the grand staircase, each step echoing through the hall. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his pale face framed by short black hair and a neat handlebar mustache that added to his intimidating presence.
Count Andres Spade.
He walked down the corridor, greeting servants with curt nods until he stopped before his study.
"Hm? Who opened this room?" he muttered. The door was ajar.
He stepped inside—and froze.
A golden chest, nearly two meters long, sat in the middle of the room.
"Who put this here?" His tone sharpened instantly.
He slammed the door open and shouted, "Bryce!"
"I'm coming, my Lord!"
A young man with blonde hair and a thin mustache rushed in. "Good morning, Lord Andres! Do you require anything?"
"What is that chest? It wasn't here last night."
Bryce turned toward it, confusion washing over his face.
"I wasn't informed of this, my Lord. Perhaps Young Master Ellis—"
"I doubt it. The door was already open when I arrived. Someone entered without permission."
"An outsider? But our Elite Guards were on duty all night!"
"Hm. Open it."
Bryce hesitated, then obeyed. He unlocked the latch and lifted the lid.
His eyes widened. "My god…"
The chest brimmed with gold coins, gleaming under the morning light.
"Well, this is interesting," Count Spade said, smiling faintly. "Do you see anything else?"
Bryce blinked, snapping out of his shock. He rummaged through the coins and pulled out two pebble-sized gems and a note.
"My Lord," he said, holding them up.
Count's smile widened. "Now this… just got intriguing."
Count Andres picked up the two crystals and examined them closely under the morning light.
"One is a Rank-1 Life Magic Crystal, and the other… a Rank-1 Poison Magic Crystal," he muttered. "Both are rare. What's the market price these days, Bryce?"
The butler thought for a moment before answering.
"It ranges between three to five thousand gold coins, my Lord."
"Hmm. And there are around two thousand gold coins in the chest itself," Andres said, tapping the rim. "That makes the total worth easily over ten thousand. Who would send such a gift to my office?"
His gaze shifted to the folded notepaper in Bryce's hand.
"Give it to me."
Count Andres unfolded the letter. The edges were torn, as if ripped hastily from a notebook.
"The sender must have been in a hurry. Judging by the handwriting, probably a teenager," he murmured, then began to read aloud.
Good day, Count. I hope this small gift is to your liking.
I know you're aware of Thomas Holmes' kidnapping. I'll wait for three days.
I hope you arrest all members of the Gold Thieves and put them behind bars for kidnapping a fallen noble.
Although I'd like you to deal with Inspector Bennett and his backer, the Falcons, that's too much to ask.
Help me rescue Thomas, and I'll reward you with five inferior versions of the "Potion of Insight" by year's end.
If you cooperate with the Holmes family, we might maintain a long and profitable relationship.
The letter ended abruptly.
"No signature." Andres frowned. "How bold."
He leaned back in thought. "What is this 'Potion of Insight,' anyway?"
Bryce perked up. "I read about it in the Legacy News yesterday, my Lord. It was supposedly crafted by the famous alchemist Jonathan. The potion lets even Legendary Walkers glimpse 'Enlightenment.' Some claim it can help them break past their limits."
Count Andres' eyes narrowed. "And this boy thinks he can bribe me with an inferior version of such a potion?"
He crushed the letter in his fist and tossed it into the bin.
"Find whoever entered Bristol Street last night and bring me this thief at once. He dares order me around because he slipped a chest into my mansion? I'll teach him what a Lord truly is."
Bryce bowed quickly and hurried out.
Andres exhaled and sat down on the wooden chair behind his desk. His fingers drummed the table.
"If word gets out that Thomas Holmes was kidnapped by common thugs, it'll stain my reputation among the nobles. The Prince won't take it kindly either."
He glanced at the golden chest again. "And this thing… its shape looks almost like a coffin."
From his silver ring, he drew a small deck of ornate cards. Shuffling once, he drew a single card—the image of a coffin engraved in black ink. Words below it read:
Signifies endings, closure, and transformation. A symbol of grief… and new beginnings.
He stared at the card in silence.
"The Holmes Family's fall already ended. Does this mean their revival is near? And the sender… he might be an alchemist. If so, he may know about that place. Should I intervene or not?"
He sighed and set the card down.
"The Oracle Lore's predictions never miss. If I stay idle, Thomas will escape and rise again."
That was something Count Andres could not allow.
"If the sender doesn't see results in three days, he'll expose this to the press or nobles. I might as well earn the money he's thrown my way."
Minutes later, Bryce returned.
"I've already sent Paul and Wyatt to investigate anyone who entered the street last night, my Lord."
"Good. Also, summon Inspector Bennett from RA-02. Tell him it concerns the Gold Thieves."
"Yes, my Lord." Bryce bowed again and left.
Andres leaned back in his chair, his mind racing.
An hour later, the door opened again. Bryce returned, this time with a young man in his twenties.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore a dark-blue uniform with three chevrons on the sleeve. A long rifle hung across his back. His hair was a deep crimson, his eyes sharp and amber-colored.
"Good morning, Sir," he said with a salute. "I heard you wished to discuss the Gold Thieves?"
Count Andres looked up from the papers. "Bryce, you may leave us."
"Yes, my Lord." The butler exited quietly, closing the door behind him.
"Did something happen, my Lord?" Bennett asked, removing his hat.
"I plan to deal with the Gold Thieves tonight," Andres said flatly. "The information's leaked. If I don't act now, my reputation will fall again. Eliminate them before things spiral further."
Bennett's expression darkened. "If you grant us one more week, the Falcons can break the sealed door. We're close, my Lord."
Andres' tone hardened. "Using Thomas's blood to open that door was idiotic. I don't even know where the Falcons got such nonsense—that the Holmes family held a treasure capable of rewriting destiny. If it truly existed, why didn't they use it before their downfall? This entire kidnapping was a waste of time."
He paused. "Tell the Falcons to withdraw from Azmar."
Bennett opened his mouth to protest, but Andres raised a hand. "Don't make me repeat myself."
"…Yes, my Lord." Bennett straightened, then turned to leave. But at the door, he stopped.
"We have an Expert Walker with us, Count. Don't think too little of us."
Andres arched an eyebrow, then simply said, "Leave."
The door closed behind him. Andres exhaled through his nose.
"So, an Expert Rank Walker, huh? That complicates things."
He pulled out an empty scroll from the drawer, dipped his pen in ink, and began to write. When he finished, he pressed the family's wax seal onto the right corner.
"Bryne!" he called.
A young butler stepped in. "Yes, my Lord?"
"Send this to the Vipers' Branch Office. I need them to handle something before evening." Andres handed him the letter.
"Also, invite Aunt Leah to stay at the main house for a few days. If someone could sneak into this mansion once, I won't take chances again."
"Yes, my Lord." Bryne bowed and left.
Count Andres leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting toward the golden chest once more.
Its dull gleam reflected on his face as he murmured, "A coffin of gold, a warning in disguise... and a boy who tries to rescue Thomas."
He smiled faintly.
"This should be interesting."