Hellish Punch!
In the blink of an eye, Val thrust his fist forward. The hellish flame shot forth like a meteor.
Whoosh!
It cut through the air with a ruthless speed, homing in on one of the larger beasts. The creature barely had the chance to react before the flame connected with it.
Boom!
An ear-splitting shriek echoed through the forest as the ghastly fire exploded upon impact, enveloping the beast in a storm of red flames.
The fire clung to it like a cruel lover, searing and consuming its flesh.
What followed next were the pained cries of the beast that echoed in the forest. Its body convulsed as the unextinguishable flames not only burned its body but also relentlessly gnawed at its soul, reducing it to a pitiful, screaming mess. Its body and soul were reduced to a smoldering pile of ashes by the hellish fire in mere seconds.
[Ding! You have slain a Level 10 Plunderer. You have earned 2.5 EXP.]
The beasts began to retreat. They have comprehended the reality of the situation and knew they were no match for Val.
Val, however, wasn’t about to let them escape. He was mere inches away from leveling up. If he hunted down these fleeing creatures, he would certainly achieve his goal!
His fists, bathed in spectral grey flames, lunged forward with an uncanny precision. The grey fire leaped from his fists like a predator freed from its cage, hurling towards the scattering beasts with deadly intent. Each burning missile cut a swath through the night, a breathtaking display of cruel elegance with the singular purpose of obliterating the challenging prey.
The tormented cries of the beasts filled the night air as Val’s merciless onslaught reached them.
The eerie fire engulfed their massive bodies, leaving no room for escape or resistance. The roars of anguish turned into gruesome gurgles as the relentless flames seared their flesh, gnawing away until nothing but charred bones remained. But the hellish fire was insatiable, reducing even the skeletons to smoldering ashes.
A series of notifications sounded.
[Ding! Three Level 1 Red-Eyed Snakes have been killed by you. You’ve earned +1 Experience point]
[Ding! Two Level 2 Long-Tailed Monkeys have been killed by you. You’ve earned +1 Experience point]
[Ding! Eight Level 1 Giant Rabbits have been killed by you. You’ve earned +2.5 Experience points]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have leveled up. You are now Level 6. You have gained +2 Stat Points, and your Level 2 Blood Devil Bloodline has been upgraded by 10%.]
Val paused as the system notification rang out in his head.
A wave of mixed feelings swept over him. Progress was always a source of satisfaction, but the bitter realization that his Blood Devil Bloodline upgrade had been reduced to a mere 10% for each time he would level up left a sour taste in his mouth.
Previously, each level up had rewarded him with a generous 20% upgrade to his Blood Devil Bloodline. But now, with the rate halved, he would have to level up ten times to bring his bloodline to Level 2.
He let out a quiet sigh, the euphoria of leveling up dampened by this revelation.
“Things have certainly become more difficult for me,” he muttered under his breath.
He opened the system interface.
Name: Val V. Whitemore
Race: Half-Human, Half-Devil
Age: 16
Class: Blood Devil
Level: 6 (2/400 EXP)
Innate Class: White Devil Disciple (You can not upgrade it using EXP unless it’s registered as your secondary class in the database of the system) (You will gain the opportunity to register other classes as your secondary class when you reach level 10!)
Hidden Ailments: none
Trait: Unfeeling, Emotional Impairment, Nocturnal Vision, Minor Corruption Resistance Trait, Detect.
Stats:
Health Points (HP): 3/10
Strength (STR): 25
Agility (AGT): 25
Stamina (STA): 20
Reflexes (REF): 20
Blood Bar: 800 units of blood 𝞸𝔳𝓛xt.𝑪𝗈𝐌
Stat Points: 2
Mad Points: 50
Bloodline Skills:
1. Blood Absorption
2. Blood Manipulation
3. Blood Rush
4. Titan’s Reinforcement
5. Hellish Fist
Bound items:
1. Aquarius
2. Void Orb
Val looked at the EXP bar within his system interface. The count stood at a mocking 2 out of 400 EXP for the next level. It was like being a tiny pebble at the base of a towering mountain – a steep ascent of 398 EXP lay ahead. Reaching the next level was going to be a challenging task.
His HP was quite low and he was severely injured.
He couldn’t heal himself using the Blood Absorption as there was nothing left to cast it on. After all, the beasts killed by Hellish Fire didn’t leave behind any remains, not even a drop of blood.
It was a double-edged sword.
This was the disadvantage of his new bloodline skill.
The realization was bitter. This new bloodline skill, as overwhelming as it was, was inharmonious with his other bloodline skills such as Blood Absorption.
‘I should only use it when necessary.’
…
In order to replenish his health bar, Val wasted no time in seeking his next prey.
A pack of Greyhounds caught his attention.
These beasts, their bodies swathed in thick fur, were idly enjoying a feast of hapless rabbits. The crunching of the rabbit bones being crushed by their teeth echoed through the clearing.
Lost in their meal, the Greyhounds remained oblivious to Val’s presence.
“Found my next meal.”
Val smiled.
A deadly dance began, a crimson ballet of power and control. As Val raised his hands, the lifeblood in his veins responded. Fine lines of crimson liquid flowed out from his fingertips. It was an eerie spectacle under the gloomy forest canopy. The blood swirled and twirled mid-air like crimson ribbons dancing to an invisible rhythm, slowly condensing into an army of bullets.
The more it condensed, the more it solidified.
Each bullet was as tiny as a nail and was a concentrated core of lethal intent. Like obedient soldiers waiting for their commander’s command, they hovered in the air.
The reaper has summoned his army of spectral creatures to kill, but the Greyhounds were blissfully unaware!