Chapter 91: Blood Bending (Patreon)

*Ding!* Your ability [Weak Blood Magnetism] has evolved into [Crimson Domain]

*Ding!* You have gained the ability [Crimson Domain (Rare)] - Blood and shadow belong to you. Actualizing this fact has allowed you access to your very own extra-dimensional space that represents who you are as a Blood Reaver. Within this space, your power is absolute and for others, entering and leaving becomes most difficult without your permission as a powerful barrier is created around the domain.

*Ding!* You have gained the ability [Sanguine Projection (Rare)] – Blood is your power. Now and always. You’ve taken your connection to blood to the next level and can now use basic Hemokinesis to shape blood into basic objects.

Both abilities were amazing. I reached inside myself for Crimson Domain first. Shadows and blood started pouring out around my feet. They spread out a little further before faltering and completely fading away.

Frowning, I tried it again several more times. Each time, it failed to properly activate.

There must be something I’m missing with this ability. I’ll need more time to practice and think further about this. Of course, the time I had was harder to quantify. I glanced at the shimmering blue portal. There’s no way of knowing how long that thing will stay open for. I should move on to the next ability.

Sanguine Projection proved easier. I mentally reached out for blood, and while my senses could not detect the blood of the dead woman on the altar, they found ample amounts around the cavern that Anders had spilled during the fighting. Stranger than that though, was that I could sense my own blood on various parts of the floor. I’ve never been able to sense my blood before. This must be a part of how powers evolved.

Magically, I drew a portion of blood from both of us and formed it into a floating ball like before. This time however, I concentrated and forced the blood ball to stretch out until it resembled a stick. I reached out to grab it and the blood stick lost all form and fell to the ground.

No, I have to keep the ability active the whole time. My focus is the only thing that keeps it in its shape. It only takes a fraction of lost concentration for it to return to its natural liquid form.

The second blood stick attempt was more successful and as I held the image of it hardening in my mind, I snatched it out of the air. Holding it at first felt odd, as I had to keeping thinking about how rigid it was even as I swung it around like a bat. It was good news. Despite the added complexity, the form held and I can now use the blood to make improvised weapons.

Deciding to test it out further, I swung the stick two-handed, like a baseball bat at a nearby stalagmite. In my mind, the blood stick was as hard as metal and when it struck, the stalagmite exploded.

I smiled. Even under such a strain, as long as I held my focus, the blood retained its shape.

Obviously, my next step was to try and form it into a blade, but imagining it becoming sharper was a more complex challenge. After all, a dull blade and sharp one can look the same until they’re tested. In the end, I had to settle for just using the blood stick for now. My fight with Anders had gone on for some time, and Martin wouldn’t keep the portal open forever. I had to get moving.

I retrieved my Viper Fang knife from the floor where Anders had dropped it. It was the only weapon that hadn’t been either destroyed or thrown through the portal. I slid it into my belt and as I passed the body of Damian’s wife, Maria, on the altar, I paused and briefly debated whether it was right to leave her here or not.

If I leave now, then Damian might not be able to find her again. I could loot her body to carry it with me? But then what if that disrupts the portal? Martin had used her to activate it. No, I can’t risk it. This might be my only chance to kill Martin and get out of this cave. I mentally apologized to Damian as I approached the portal.

It was just a shimmering shade of bright blue and aside from the cold wind blowing through from it, there was no way of telling what was on the other side. Martin had allied with Gundred, the goddess of conquest, to pull this off. So logically, it’ll be her domain that I’m entering. Her seat of power. I just have to hope it’s a large enough place to avoid being noticed.

I readied myself and stepped through.

Instantly, the icy cold intensified tenfold. I opened my eyes to see myself standing in a frozen tundra surrounded by hills and mountains that were all deeply covered in snow. The wind howled, and I shivered.

Even at my constitution level, I was not dressed for this place.

There was no sign of Martin or anyone else, though the portal still remained active. Frustratingly, there was also no sign of the weapons that Anders and I had thrown through here either.

My hands grew numb as I took an empty potion bottle out of my inventory and shoved my blood stick back into its liquid form inside it. Since there was no immediate danger, I chose to use both hands to wrap my cloak tightly around myself to ward off the cold.

I studied the ground next. The surrounding snow reached up to my ankles, but there was no sign of any tracks other than my own around the portal. This damn wind must have covered them already.

With no clues readily available, I picked the highest hill that I could get to in a reasonable time and started my trek over to it. At least once I was at the top, I’d have a vantage point to get a better lay of the land.

The wind chill hammered me every step of the way, and I regretted not wearing thicker clothes. I bet Elise has a set in her inventory ready to be pulled out at a moment's notice. But then she might not need it if she can just create a giant ball of fire to keep herself warm. I tried to avoid thinking jealous thoughts.

When I reached the top, there was nothing but more disappointment. It was more white hills and mountains in every direction. No sign of Martin or of any sort of civilization. Feeling lost, a desperate idea struck me. Samara’s cat, Persephone, had given me an important clue in the cave. Maybe she’s still watching me now.

“Hello, Persephone? Any hints on what to do now?”

Only the wind answered me, so I tried a different tactic.

“Pspspsps, here kitty kitty!”

Still nothing.

I almost debated going back through the portal when some white movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. But when I looked closer, I saw only static snow. Had the wind pushed it? As I turned away, the patch of snow moved again, this time shuffling towards me. But as soon as I looked at it directly, the patch of snow would halt. It was a small patch, and as I turned my back on it again, I casually took out my blood vial, uncorked it, and turned the blood back into a stick. The thing was almost upon me now and I noted that even here there wasn’t a System notification message.

Looks like I’ll have to wait for it to attack first. It wasn’t ideal since maneuvering in this thick snow was difficult, but maybe I’ll get it on the first swing and I won’t have to move my legs.

The creature, whatever it was, appeared to be taking its sweet ass time getting to me. It could be that it’s frightened or maybe it’s just curious. Suddenly, the thought of it being friendly and cute made me lower my guard.

I’m not in the tower anymore. I can’t just assume everything is out to get me now. Huh, I’m out of the tower. I hadn’t even realized that. Does this mean I passed the tower climb? I haven’t received any messages from the System, either punishing or rewarding me. And there’s no way that thing would miss an opportunity to gloat. Something tells me that it's not that easy.

The white patch of snow shuffled closer. I could see now that it was actually burrowing under the snow and displacing it as it dug. When it got within five feet of me, it stopped. I waited. Then I waited some more.

Has it gone deeper underground?

Behind me, snow exploded, followed by a loud roar as the creature emerged. It was a four feet tall, gangly thing, all white fur and fangs. The thing leapt at me and I swung my blood stick, which knocked it away. It reminded me of a Yeti, but smaller.

The junior Yeti landed in the snow and shook its head several times. I’d rocked it pretty good with my stick and was feeling confident as it got to its feet for round two.

It ran on all fours and dove at me, except this time when I went to swing, its claws were out. The Yeti sliced through my blood stick. It broke my concentration and shattered the image I had of it in my mind as a single object. The stick collapsed into liquid form just as the creature tackled me.

I fell onto my back and seized its wrists before it could tear my throat out. The creature was filled with tenacious fury, but it was too small to overpower me. It still tried though. Gnashing its teeth and trying to force its head closer.

My Viper Fang was still on my belt, but I didn’t have a hand free to draw it. We were stuck in a stalemate of sorts. I was strong enough to hold it in place but not remove it, while the little yeti was just waiting for one slip up. That was all it needed to kill me.

But I still had Sanguine Projection. Closing my eyes, I ignored the snarling little monster and focused on the blood that had fallen on the snow. It was sinking into it. Diluting it. Weakening it. My connection to the blood was growing more tenuous by the second. I had to take back control now.

I redoubled my efforts and called out to the blood. It answered my call and after reasserting my hold; I raised it up into the air and formed back into a stick behind the monster. No, this wasn’t enough. The little Yeti had a thick skull and the wind and snow were coming down hard. My connection to the blood was weakening further and if I just hit it, it might go back underground and try another surprise attack. There was only time for one or two strikes before my link to the blood would be severed.

I returned to shaping the stick. Picturing myself refining the end. Slowly stripping away pieces of it until the point of the stick was sharp. Or at least that was what I’d imagined. If I was right, then the blood now resembled a short makeshift spear.

I hope this works.

The blood spear floated down until it hovered next to the Yeti’s head. The creature paid it no mind, as its furious eyes were locked on me.

Mentally, I slammed the weapon into the Yeti. The point of the spear penetrated its brain, killing it instantly.

*DING!* You have slain [Baby abominable Yeti (Common)] Level: 55

Baby? I figured this thing was like a teenager. How big do they get? Plus, it did not provide me with any experience or currency. Could I only get those things in the tower?

I looted the Baby Yeti corpse yet got no further answers. The blood went back into the vial before it became too diluted. It was still viable, but with the snow coming down so thick, I’d have to keep it contained until I really needed it.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out from over the next hill and I ran towards it. Finally, civilization was calling.