Chương 23: Aftermath

The translucent red notification hung in Zander's vision, a stark contrast to the oppressive gloom of the Ironwood forest.

'ding' BloodForged Lord has reached level 10. 5 Will and 1 free point received. Zander stared at the floating text, his breathing slowly returning to a normal rhythm. The adrenaline of the fight still coursed through his veins, a hot, electric current that demanded motion, but he forced himself to remain still. He mentally swiped the notification away, banishing it to the periphery of his awareness. He would come back to that shortly. He looked down at Mira. The level 11 Rogue lay motionless in the dirt.

Just moments ago, she had been a lethal blur of spinning steel and leather, a predator masquerading as prey. It wasn't her death that held his attention; it was the chilling economics of it.

'ding' You have killed [Rogue - lvl 11]. For killing an adversary above your level, you receive 300 System Coins. Three hundred coins. Zander ran the math in his head, a cold, sinking feeling settling in his stomach. When he had killed the Stone-Hide Bear, a massive level 9 beast two levels above him, the System had rewarded him with a mere 50 coins. Even the Ironfang Patriarch, a special beast three levels above him, had only yielded 80 coins.

Yet, a human opponent, just two levels above his own, paid out nearly four to six times as much. The implications were horrifying. Killing humans was more lucrative than killing beasts. If Zander could figure out this grim economy, others would or already had. This massive bounty would undoubtedly entice the worst kinds of people to hunt their fellow humans for profit.

Why risk getting crushed by a giant centipede or mauled by a stone-plated bear when you could slit a sleeping survivor's throat for a king's ransom in System Coins? He hoped, with a fleeting sense of optimism, that the murderers would be a minority, but he wasn't holding his breath. Humanity was inherently flawed, and the System had just handed the darkest aspects of human nature a blank check. Zander wiped the Ironfang Dagger on Mira's worn trousers.

Humans were infinitely more dangerous than the beasts of this forest. The monsters in the Green Maze operated on instinct and hunger. They were brutal, yes, but they were not smart for the most part, the elite squirrel being the sole exception he had encountered so far. Mira, on the other hand, possessed intelligence and cunning. She had orchestrated her stumble over a root.

She had played the role of the exhausted survivor, citing a fake party and a fabricated Warrior named David who supposedly sacrificed himself against Thorn-Back Centipedes. She had appealed to his humanity, shared a campfire with him, and then, without a single outward sign of hostility, launched a concealed, poisoned needle directly into his neck. If not for his transcendent BloodForged trait instantly nullifying the neurotoxin, he would be the one bleeding out in the dirt.

Zander paused, taking a deliberate inventory of his mental state. He had just killed another human being. He thought taking a life would have wrapped him in guilt. Yet, standing here in the dark, he realized he felt absolutely nothing of the sort. There was no remorse, no shaking hands, no sickening guilt. She had tried to kill him; therefore, she was fair game. It was a brutal, binary equation, and his mind accepted it without hesitation. Still, a small, rational part of his brain raised a warning flag.

He had to be careful. The line between being a pragmatic survivor and becoming a sociopathic monster was razor-thin. He could not afford to start killing people willy-nilly just because the System rewarded it, or because his conscience had seemingly packed its bags. He would defend himself with maximum prejudice, but he would do his best not to go too far. His thoughts drifted to how quickly he had adapted to this apocalyptic reality. Before the System, his life had been defined by his illness.

Now, not only was the pain gone, but he felt undeniably alive. He was actually thrilled by battle. The life-or-death struggles against the vipers, the boars, and the rogue invigorated him. It was as if his very blood sang a dark, triumphant melody every time he fought. He wondered if this was a literal manifestation of his bloodline. Did being a BloodForged mean he was to grow and thrive through the violence of combat? If so, he was entirely fine with it.

Zander shifted his focus away from his own psychology and back to his encounter with Mira. During their brief confrontation, she had been genuinely shocked when he said he knew her class and level. She said that she used Identify on him, but the skill had given her absolutely nothing. She couldn't see his class. Why had her skill failed when his own worked flawlessly? He leaned against the rough bark of the Ironwood tree, piecing a theory together.

When the System first assigned his class, his bloodline had violently rejected the standard Warrior template. His BloodForged trait explicitly stated that his blood reigned supreme and rejected all foreign influences, rendering magical enhancements and potions completely inert. Because of this total rejection, the System couldn't directly implant a class or skills into his being. It had to find a workaround. That was why his [Identify] was specifically classified as a "System Assisted Skill".

He wasn't actually casting a spell or using an innate ability. Every time he focused his gaze, the System was performing the identification for him remotely, and merely feeding the result directly into his vision as a visual feedback panel. Since Mira's [Identify] was likely a standard, magical skill, it bounced harmlessly off his transcendent trait, just like the healing potion and the poisoned needle had. Another perk of my bloodline! But then people will be wary if I'm the only one without information. Shit.

But did that mean Zander's System-assisted version was omnipotent? He doubted it. There were probably some limits to what the System would show him. He had an idea. To test his theory, Zander knelt beside Mira's body. During their tense campfire conversation, he had discreetly tried to use [Identify] on the twin steel short swords she kept close at hand, as well as her worn leather armor. He had received nothing back. Now, he turned his attention to the dropped steel blade resting near her lifeless hand.

[Twin Crescent Shortswords (Uncommon)]: A well-balanced, lightweight blade favored by skirmishers. Grants a minor increase to attack speed. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He shifted his focus to her armor. [Shadow-Stitched Leather Armor (Rare)]: Armor woven from the hides of nocturnal beasts. Dampens the sound of the wearer's movements and provides moderate resistance to piercing attacks. Then her boots.

[Silent-Step Leather Boots (Uncommon)]: Form-fitting footwear designed for maximum mobility and evasion. The enchanted leather dampens the wearer's footsteps and grants a minor boost to Dexterity. A grim smile touched Zander's lips. He had found one of his System assisted skill's limits. He couldn't identify items, weapons, or gear that were actively owned and equipped by a living person.

The System essentially granted privacy rights to people, protecting their belongings from being scanned by potential enemies, as long as they were alive. But the moment the owner died, those rights were revoked, and the items became standard loot, open for identification. Zander then set about appropriating her belongings. He stripped the Shadow-Stitched armor and the leather boots from her corpse. Her boots were in better condition than his. He replaced his old, worn boots with Mira's.

He also decided to wear her armor. Boots and armor both expanded to fit his form. Great. His BloodForged trait had likely nullified the speed enhancement, but the boots were very comfortable. The dampening of my footsteps should work, as that is not a modification of anything on me. Guess I will know once I resume my march in the morning. Then, he picked up the twin shortswords. They felt expertly weighted in his grip, the cool steel a stark contrast to the organic, porous feel of his Ironfang Dagger.

He twirled one of the blades, wondering if he should switch his loadout. Dual-wielding swords offered better reach and undeniable speed. But as he slashed the air, he frowned. It didn't feel right. His current fighting style was built around the brutal synergy of blunt force trauma and close-quarters piercing. He liked using his left arm as an indestructible battering ram, setting up his enemies for a devastating, point-blank execution with the bone dagger.

Steel swords were elegant, but Zander was not ready to change his fighting style for now. He sheathed the short swords and secured them to his pack. They were excellent backup weapons or trade goods, but the Ironfang Dagger remained his primary blade. He was ready to move to his latest level up. He brought up his status. The blood-red screen materialized, its ethereal edges pulsing softly in the gloom.

Name: Zander Edwards Level: 10 Class: BloodForged Lord (Rare) System Coins: 820 Unspent Stat points: 1 Stats Might: 24 Resilience: 20 Will: 60 The jump to level 10 had pushed his Will to 60, further deepening his blood well and cementing his iron-clad control over his own body. He looked at the single unspent stat point. His philosophy remained unchanged: dead things don't hit back. He needed more physical power. He allocated the free point into Might, watching the number tick up to 25.

Next, he navigated to his class skills. He needed to see if hitting level 10 had brought any changes. Reading the descriptions, he noticed a change in [Mind's Dominion]. [Mind's Dominion]: Your will is a cornerstone of your power. You can transfer points from your Will to any other stat. Conversion rate: 0. 5 point increase for every 1 Will point transferred. You can transfer no more than 20 Will points. Zander blinked. He read the last sentence again. You can transfer no more than 20 Will points.

The cap had doubled. Previously, he was hard-locked at transferring 10 Will points, which netted him a 5-point increase to either Might or Resilience. Now, he could funnel 20 points of Will, translating to a 10-point stat boost. With his base Might at 25, a full transfer would temporarily spike his offensive power to 35. I can now increase my Might by a massive 40%. He mentally triggered the skill, shifting 20 Will points into Might. The transfer was still instantaneous, which was good news.

He was happy not to go back to a slow transfer. But he wasn't done testing. He dismissed the transfer and activated his second offensive skill [Scarlet Gauntlet]. He expected the familiar, heavy woosh of blood erupting and caking into a thick block of vitrified blood. Instead, the sensation was entirely different. The blood didn't erupt; it wove. It seeped from his pores and rapidly spun itself across his skin like microscopic crimson threads. It didn't stop at his wrist or bunch up at his knuckles.

The red, vitrified luster spread smoothly up his forearm, tapering off cleanly just below his elbow. Zander held his breath as he looked at his hand. The bulbous mitten was gone. In its place was a sleek, perfectly form-fitting gauntlet. It looked exactly like his own hand, mirroring every contour of his knuckles, tendons, and joints. The only difference was the color—a deep, polished, blood-red obsidian that shone faintly in the dark—and the sheer, terrifying density of the material.

Slowly, carefully, Zander curled his index finger. The red obsidian articulated perfectly, the hardened segments sliding over one another with a frictionless grace. He opened his hand, spreading all five fingers wide, then clenched them into a tight, devastating fist. He reached down to his belt and grabbed the leather-wrapped hilt of the Ironfang Dagger. His newly armored fingers wrapped around the weapon with absolute precision. No slipping, or popping out of his grip.

"Finally," Zander breathed, a genuine smile breaking across his face. The hammer and the scalpel were no longer restricted to separate hands. He could wield both simultaneously. He could punch with the force of a wrecking ball and slice with the precision of a surgeon, all without dismissing his primary defense. The skill hadn't just evolved; it had perfected itself. He dismissed the gauntlet, watching the crimson armor evaporate back into a fine mist and absorb into his skin.

Exhaustion finally began to creep into his bones, the adrenaline crash asserting its claim. He had survived the ambush, unraveled a treacherous rogue, and unlocked more potential from his class. Zander moved away from the dying fire and the corpse, finding a sturdy spot between the massive, gnarled roots of a nearby Ironwood tree. He sat down with his backpack, resting his back against the petrified bark, and closed his eyes. He didn't feel like climbing a tree in the middle of the night.

He let the quiet of the sealed forest wash over him, keeping his breathing steady. With his new strength, he was excited to continue his journey towards the top of the food chain.

Name: Zander Edwards Race: Human Bloodline: BloodForged Class: BloodForged Lord (Rare) Level: 10 Alignment: Earth-7 System Coins: 820 Unspent Stat points: 0 Stat Bonuses per Level-Up: +5 Will, +1 Free Point for every 4 Will points gained. Stats Might: 25 Resilience: 20 Will: 60 Health: 200/200 Blood Well: 599/600 Traits BloodForged (Transcendent): Your blood reigns supreme in your body. It will not allow any foreign influences. You are immune to all poisons, curses, mental effects...

However, your body rejects all external magical enhancements, rendering health potions, mana potions, and other beneficial elixirs inert for you. Class Skills Scarlet Gauntlet: Your blood is your most deadly weapon. Your hands and forearms are covered in a layer of hardened blood, granting them improved resistance to any type of attack while significantly increasing your offensive power. Mind's Dominion: Your will is a cornerstone of your power. You can transfer points from your Will to any other stat.

Conversion rate: 0. 5 point increase for every 1 Will point transferred. You can transfer no more than 20 Will points. Blood Infusion: You can use blood from your well to restore your health. Every 1 unit from your Blood Well will restore 0. 5 points of health. Can be continuously channeled. System Assisted Skill Identify: This skill is freely offered and managed by the system. It allows you to try to identify any object or creature that is the subject of your focus.