Book 3: Chapter 33: Blood of Ruin
Book 3: Chapter 33: Blood of Ruin
Book 3: Chapter 33: Blood of Ruin
Scarlet
Almost immediately, I let out a grunt as droplets of my own blood shoot out of me and through my clothes with ease before hovering in the air in between me and the arachne. Meanwhile the arachne just freezes in place after turning around, the hairs on its body quite literally standing up as it begins to back away from the random orb of my own blood.
Interesting.
The orb changes color slightly, taking on a black tone to it, as if the blood was corrupted somehow. Then it begins to spin.
It does it rather slowly at first, but the spinning gradually grows faster and faster until its moving so fast that even I cant keep up with it with my eyes. And almost immediately after, little droplets of blood begin to appear all around us. Although these dont have the black shade that the main orb has, nor are they as large.
The taracht actually jumps back when a droplet appears near it though, which has me growing genuinely curious about why the skill is having that big of an effect on it. Although I havent actually tested this skill outside of a training hall monitored by White, considering its an etched skill from a demon. So its probably recognizable.
I dont get to think much on it though as Im immediately struck by dizziness as my mana begins draining like someone had just pulled the plug in a sink. And it continues draining and draining and draining until I find myself dropping to one knee and panting with only ten percent of my mana left, the skill having taken seventy-five percent of my maximum mana capacity just to be used once.
This skill is unpleasant to use.
Well, the mana price should decrease as it levels up, and the skill itself is worth the price, Tar comments as I raise my head to look at the fruits of my labor.
Each and every droplet of blood grows to form a ball of spikes. The balls then shoot out spikes of blood that each connect to other spike balls, turning them into a complicated array of bloody lines throughout the sky, with them all connecting each other to the main orb of blood. Then the black blood in the main orb begins to spread throughout the array, all while the arachne frantically looks for a way out of the area.
But its already enclosed in by lines blocking any attempt at escape, and the thing seems too terrified of the blood to even touch the lines.
I begin to sit back, only for Tar to shout at me to keep moving. So I let out a short groan and continue moving ever so slightly just to make sure whatever the poison is doing doesnt do whatever Tar is afraid of.
After the black blood is distributed across the lines, a loud screeching sound comes from the arachne as I see some small parts of its body beginning to groan and stretch only to return to normal. As if a part of it were being pulled outside but the part failing to make it.
Interesting. Guess the spider is too strong for its blood to be pulled into the skill.
On the other hand, any blood that was spilled in the area is immediately pulled into it. And I go ahead and open up my blood storage, letting all of the blood in there join it with a look of expectation on my face despite the incredible discomfort Im in.
Then, after all of the blood in the area is pulled into the skill including both the spilled blood and the blood of any animal or even any of the stray spawn that had wandered into the area during this fight leading to a pitiful death of the animal or demon, it happens.
A loud cracking sound echoes throughout the area, following which the various lines and orbs of blood show cracks on their surface. These cracks then begin to leak a type of corrupted blood that covers the ground in the entire area, slowly corrupting and poisoning and even burning anything and everything it touches.
Except me, who the blood just slides right off of without even soaking into my hair, clothes, or armor.
Then another cracking sound echoes as the arachne lets out terrified and pained screeches, briefly bringing my attention to the orb to find it having cracked again along with the lines, increasing the speed of which the blood is leaking out. So I look towards the arachne, soon finding the thing writhing on the ground as the blackened blood corrupts its body, burning it, mutating it, and overall destroying it.
Leaving it in ruin in every way possible.
But the process only speeds up when more blood floods the area. And its not just the arachne thats hurt, as the blood burns and corrupts every living thing aside from me. Including the plants, the animals, and any other demons nearby. Even including the grass at my feet.
It all eventually turns to black and red ash, with the sole exception of the arachne, who is still struggling on.
Until one last crack and a shattering sound echoes through the area, following which all of the blood in the orb and the lines immediately rushes towards the last living thing in the area besides me.
The arachne.
Holy fucking shit I mutter, a little stunned by the absolute destruction caused by the skill.
All thats left is the black and red ash shimmering with a faint crimson glow all across the ground, along with a vast orb of red thats thrashing about as I hear muffled screeches coming from inside. Screeches that are growing quieter and quieter by the second until they vanish entirely and the blood calms down.
A short time passes in silence, the orb of blood left remaining only barely making a blubbing noise once in a while until the orb itself just bursts, painting everything in blood around it and dropping a large amount of ash on the ground.
I look around from my place trying to walk back and forth before smiling a little.
Then the sensation caused by the poison grows worse.