Chapter 11: New Ability
[Raven, I want to test something. Can you place your hand on the Orc's chest?] Zera's voice echoed within his mind.
Raven didn't fully grasp her intent, but he nodded and approached the cart.
As he neared the corpse, a powerful stench of blood hit him like a hammer. The odor of rotting flesh mingled with the sharp, acrid scent of urine. His stomach churned violently. He gagged and turned to the side, vomiting onto the cobbled path.
"Don't push yourself, Raven. You can give instructions from a distance," Shirley said gently. Her eyes were filled with concern as she hurried into the house.
She returned moments later with a jug of water, letting him rinse his mouth.
"I'm okay," Raven murmured, wiping his lips. "I want to see it up close. Help me, sister."
Athena nodded silently, her expression unreadable. She stepped forward, lifted him effortlessly in her arms, and placed him on the cart beside the corpse.
Even now, the Orc Commander's body radiated an oppressive aura of violence and death. The putrid scent still lingered, drilling into Raven's senses. His legs trembled slightly as he stepped onto the creature's mottled skin. Still, he forced himself forward, ignoring the slick blood that stuck to his hands and knees.
His heart pounded.
[Place your hand over the chest wound,] Zera instructed.
'What are you trying to do?' Raven asked.
No answer.
Suddenly, a flurry of messages in blue boxes flashed before his eyes.
…
[Bloodline Devouring System activated!]
[Warrior Orc's Bloodline Essence detected.]
[Analyzing purity of bloodline...]
[5.3% purity of Rank-1 Warrior Orc bloodline confirmed.]
[Absorption is possible. Do you wish to activate Bloodline Devouring? Yes/No]
…
Raven blinked in stunned silence.
[This Orc Commander is likely a descendant of a Rank-1 Warrior Orc. Raven, choose 'Yes.']
'Wait—what is this system? What's going on?' he demanded.
[I only know fragments,] Zera replied, her tone unusually solemn. [But I'm certain absorbing this bloodline could help extend your lifespan.]
His eyes narrowed. If there was even a chance it could heal him… was it worth the risk?
He exhaled slowly and said aloud, "Yes."
A strange force surged from his palm when the word left his lips. A pull, unnatural and primal, reached into the Orc's lifeless chest.
Blood began to seep from every part of the corpse—beads of dark red slowly gathering and swirling toward Raven's hand like droplets drawn to a magnet. The blood twisted, condensed, and vanished into his palm.
Athena stepped back, startled by the unnatural sight. Shirley froze, her eyes wide.
Then—
…
['Bloodline Devouring' ability activated.]
[Randomizing Bloodline Ability Extraction…]
[Selected Ability: 'Iron Resilience.']
[Purity too low. Downgraded to: Regeneration.]
[Skill Acquired: Regeneration (Incomplete).]
[New Class Obtained: Warlock.]
[Rank Up: Mortal → Level 1 Acolyte Warlock.]
[Stat Increases:]
Spirit: +1.0Vitality: +0.3Strength: +0.2Agility: +0.1
[Warning: Host's body is undergoing mutation.]
…
Pain exploded through his body.
He opened his mouth to scream—but no sound came out. The agony twisted through every muscle and bone like a branding flame.
Athena noticed first.
"O-Oh no! Something's wrong!" She leapt onto the cart, gathered his shivering form in her arms, and gasped. "He's burning up! His body's like a furnace!"
Without a second thought, she jumped off the cart and dashed toward Shirley.
"Don't panic," Shirley said, placing a calming hand on her niece's shoulder. "I don't sense anything life-threatening. His aura… It's changing. This might be a breakthrough of some sort."
She glanced toward the street and sighed in relief—no one had seen them.
"Bring him inside. Let him rest. We'll wait until he wakes. For now… we need to dismantle the Orc and extract the Heartstone."
Athena nodded grimly and rushed Raven inside, laying him gently on his bed. Though fear gripped her heart, she knew there was little more she could do.
Outside, the dismantling of the Orc began in silence.
…
Thirty agonizing minutes passed.
Then, the pain in Raven's body finally started to ebb. He lay on the bed, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving.
Within the quiet of his mind, something stirred—an emerald-green hexagonal symbol, rotating slowly.
…
[Soul damage partially repaired using absorbed blood essence.]
[Current soul damage: 72.4%]
[Lifespan increased by 12 years.]
[Body status updated.]
…
[Name: Raven Sillalus Jorvot]
[Age: 7 | Nationality: Zenith Empire | Title: 66th Prince]
[Level: 1 | Class: Acolyte Warlock (0th Circle)]
[Soul Rank: Mortal (72.4% damage)]
[Pathway: Beginner Alchemist]
[Attributes:]
Strength: 0.5Agility: 0.5Vitality: 0.6Luck: 1.0Spirit: 2.4
[Bloodline Spell:]
Regeneration (Incomplete)
[Additional Skill:]
Instant Memorize
[Affinities:]
None
…
[The Regeneration skill will help you recover minor injuries over time,] Zera said. [Your body is now comparable to a ten-year-old's. But be careful—don't overexert yourself or get into fights. You can't use Knight Techniques anymore. You've stepped onto the Warlock Path now.]
'Does this mean… Can I become as strong as Athena one day?'
[Not yet. Not easily. First, you must focus on physical training and raise your body stats to 1.0. In the meantime, continue your alchemy studies. Brew potions to enhance your lifespan and awaken affinities. When you turn fifteen, I'll teach you the Elemental Circle and Spirit Circle techniques.]
"Elemental Circle? Spirit Circle? Why wait until fifteen?" Raven asked, confused.
[If we start too soon, it may hinder your physical growth. These techniques are foundational for Wizards, Warlocks—even Knights.]
[Elemental Circle gathers specific elemental energy into your Inner World. There are ten circles total. Each stores one elemental type and links to spell models in your mind.]
[Spirit Circle, on the other hand, gathers spirit energy to strengthen your soul.]
"Strengthen… So can it heal my broken soul?" Raven asked softly, hope flickering.
[No. Spirit power can't repair soul damage. But... the bloodline essence did.]
Raven's eyes widened. "Then… if I absorb more bloodline essences, I can heal completely?"
[Yes—but only if the essence contains remnants of will. And acquiring such corpses won't be easy.]
Raven sat up. "Even so… I'll try. For now, I should help Aunt and Athena. They're probably dismantling the corpse for alchemical parts."
He climbed out of bed and stepped outside.
The once-menacing Orc Commander now looked pale, shriveled—a husk of what it was. The smell was gone.
'Was it removed during the bloodline extraction?' he wondered.
He spotted Athena standing silently over the body, lost in thought.
"Sister?" he called.
She startled and turned sharply. "Raven? You're awake already?"
She rushed to him and placed a hand on his forehead.
"You feel… stronger," she said with narrowed eyes. "What happened earlier? That blood… it gathered into your hand like magic. Then you collapsed."
Raven hesitated.
'What should I say, Zera?'
[Tell her it was your teacher. Say he used a secret technique to transfer life force.]
That was close enough to the truth.
"I'll explain once Aunt returns," Raven said calmly.
He looked back at the corpse. "Did you remove the Heartstone yet?"
"Yes. We took out its magic stone, but found something... unusual," Athena said, retrieving a thumb-sized, pale green crystal from her pouch and holding it up to the light.
"Instead of the usual orange hue, it's entirely different. And it's only the size of an Intermediate Rank Magic Stone."
Raven studied the gem, then shook his head slightly. "It's not that strange at first glance, sister. Normally, a magic stone just contains condensed mana. The higher the Rank, the purer the mana. But once a monster evolves into a Magical Beast, its magic stone transforms based on its elemental affinity—it becomes what's known as an elemental stone."
He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing calmly, "But the thing in your hand? It's neither. Alchemists refer to these as Hybrid Mana Stones. They aren't as valuable as pure elemental stones, but they're still worth a lot—I'd estimate around five hundred gold coins in today's market."
Athena's eyes widened. "Five hundred gold?!"
She took a sharp breath, steadying her racing heart. Before she could say more, soft footsteps approached. Shirley had returned, walking quietly toward them, her presence calm and grounded.
"You look healthier than before," she remarked with a small smile, handing over a bundle of over ten delicate crystal vials to Athena.
"What are these for, Aunt?" Athena asked, puzzled.
"I bought them from a shop in the Black Alley. Supposedly, they help preserve materials for over a week," Shirley replied. Then, without missing a beat, she bent down and gently lifted Raven into her arms.
"So? What happened?"
Raven forced a small smile, repeating the words Zera had advised him to say.
"It's a spell from my teacher, Aunt. Earlier, he helped me extract part of the Orc's life essence to strengthen my soul. Because of that, my lifespan's been extended—by twelve years."
Athena jolted. "What?! Your teacher was there? Why didn't we see him?"
Then her eyes sharpened, remembering his last words. "Wait... you said your lifespan increased by absorbing the Orc's blood? Does that mean... your teacher can heal your injured soul?"
Her voice had dropped to a whisper, laced with restrained hope. She turned to Shirley, searching for answers.
But Shirley met her gaze with steady seriousness. "Athena, don't ask too many questions about his teacher. He may be far more powerful than any wizard we've ever known—and might not want to draw attention. The important thing is… there's hope for Raven now. That's all that matters."
She turned to Raven, gently patting his head. "Now, tell us, which parts of the Orc are valuable?"
Raven nodded. "After the Magic Stone, the most important part is its blood. But I already extracted all of it while taking the life essence. So, the next important components are the eyeballs. Inside them, you'll find a hexagonal crystal called a Feral Eye Crystal. They're used to create a potion called Night Walking Vial. It permanently enhances night vision and slightly boosts perception."
Athena blinked. "You mean… we'll be able to see in the dark like it's day?"
"Not completely, but close," Raven replied. "The potion won't be as effective as regular low-rank ones, but for any mortal Knight, it's an incredibly valuable skill potion."
He continued in a calm, instructor-like tone, "The next item is the Trollsbane Glands—two sac-like organs near the throat. They're used in making a potion called Nullify Regeneration, which is especially useful against regenerative creatures like lizardfolk. The glands can also be processed into a reagent used to make anti-regeneration weapons—unique low-rank artifacts."
"And lastly," he said, eyes glinting faintly, "the Orc Commander's bones. Especially the thigh bones—they're dense with magical essence. Any beginner Rune Mage could use them to forge a low-rank artifact sword for Knights."
Shirley raised an eyebrow. "You've learned quite a bit about alchemy from your teacher, haven't you?"
She leaned back thoughtfully. "So? What should we do with these materials? Keep them and make potions? Or sell them?"
Raven hesitated, then asked inwardly, Zera, what do we do?
[You can make the Night Walking Vial for yourself. But the other materials—particularly the bones—carry risks. Orc-crafted weapons carry an aura that could attract other Orcs. If there's an Orc Nation hiding in Mirage Forest, they'll track down anything tainted by their kin. We don't want another invasion. For now, tell your aunt to dismantle and store the materials. We'll decide what to do later.]
'Got it.'
"I'll guide you through the dismantling, Aunt. If you follow my instructions, it'll be easier to extract the important parts."
Shirley and Athena nodded. With Raven's directions, they began the careful process. First, the eyes and Feral Eye Crystals, then the Trollsbane Glands, and finally the Thigh Bones—all carefully stored in the preservation vials.
When they were finished, Raven looked at the mutilated corpse with a solemn expression.
"The rest isn't worth much, Aunt. Also, my teacher said the corpse must be burned. Not buried."
"Burned?" Shirley asked, surprised.
"This Orc wasn't just a monster. It had a connection to something stronger. If we leave any trace, it could be tracked. We need to burn everything before a higher-ranked monster notices."
Shirley's expression grew grim. "Understood."
"As for the materials we extracted," Raven added, "we should sell them separately. Sell the Trollsbane Glands and Thigh Bones discreetly at the Royal Auction House—they're valuable to mortals, but shouldn't attract attention from wizards or the Royal Family."
"And the Hybrid Mana Stone? And the Feral Eye Crystals?"
"Keep them for now. They don't carry the Orc's aura and won't spoil. In a few years, we can sell them—or use them ourselves."
"Alright," Shirley said, decisive. She left briefly and returned with workers from the Administrative Department and two carts. They transported the corpse out of the town's walls and burned it at the edge of the Mirage Woodland.
With the remains destroyed and the valuables hidden in the storeroom, Raven finally returned to his bedroom. He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"I've got extra years now. I don't need to worry about dying soon, right? So… what's next?"
[Before anything else, we need to talk about Class. For mortals, choosing a class is like choosing their destiny.]
'You mean Acolyte Warlock? I got regeneration from that. Isn't it just as good as being a wizard?'
[It is powerful, Raven. But there's a difference. Wizards comprehend nature's laws through elemental affinity. They craft spell models and seek knowledge. Warlocks, on the other hand... they plunder. They take bloodlines and make them their own. Wizardry is soul-based. Warlocks use bloodline spells, enhancing the body. The more you devour, the more monstrous you become.]
Raven's expression tensed. "I… have to kill to grow stronger?"
[If you want power, yes. Even Knights and Wizards must kill to survive. The path of strength is painted in blood. But your gift—the Bloodline Devouring System—lets you absorb multiple bloodlines. Fuse them. Become something unique. Something powerful.]
[Let's talk about bloodlines. In this vast universe, there are countless races—humans, goblins, kobolds, elves, dragons, phoenixes… even Seraphs. Each race has a unique bloodline, full of potential. Ancient humans could shapeshift, predict the future, deceive reality itself. Elves control dreams and nature. Magical beasts hold incredible powers in their flesh.]
[And now, so can you.]