In the nick of time another EVO slices the head of the Wolven clean off but Arthur gets a scratch on his cheekbone down to his jaw.
"AHH" he screams but the EVO shouts at him "GET UP YOU IDIOT". "It's just a scratch". Arthur clenches his jaw and as the EVO fights another Wolven and with the Badger bear getting attacked aswell. He drags mice's body away and says to him.
"It's going to be ok." as he puts pressure on his wound. Mice struggles to lift his arm and as he puts his hand on his neck and shows Arthur his necklace, as he whimpers he says "Help her" with blood gargling out his mouth.
The light his eyes start to go dimmer and dimmer, Arthur watches as his soul leaves his body.
Arthur pauses for a moment but his emotion start to bubble up. AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. The feeling of being powerless having him shackled and all he could do is watch those around him die. As he is about to scream out, a system window pops up and it says
[You have moved a step in the right direction.]
[New Skill: Art of Sanguine]
As he looks at the window, a hand moves through it and he gets grabbed by the collar and dragged. He looks up and sees corpses everywhere while fighting ensues between the Badger bear and Wolven.
The Wolven don't chase but instead all attack the Badger bear and a gnarly smile on the alpha as it watches then escape. Arthur feels it in his body and from the fear instilled into him, he passes out.
"Hey wake up" he hears as it sounds distant. Arthur opens his eyes and finds himself sitting up against something and sees Mia infront of him say "Help me" as she looks to be losing consciousness. Arthur looks around and notices that he is inside of a cave, then he looks back at her and sees she is slumped over.
Arthur rushes over to her and he panics. Arthur sees the wound and puts pressure on it, "AHHHH" She screams from the pain and passes out.
Arthur still has his bag with him and he takes it off. He gets everything out to see what can help her but only one thing can. "Only this can help her". As he holds a regen shot.
With the existence of monsters, rifts and the tower, the scientific advancements made have been leaps forward from all other generations put together. This regen shot has the capabilities to increase the healing factor within the human body by atleast five times. With improved genetic engineering, scientists were able to take the blood of a troll and create a synthesised shot which wasn't harmful to humans but couldn't replicate regeneration. The side effects would put that person into a coma for 30 days while they healed.
(List of items include: black dagger, torch, flare, snack bars, water, regen shot, regen pods and survival kit).
As Mia tussles and turns in agony and while profusely sweating, Arthur gets anxious and starts to pace around. He grabs his chin and feels his face and realizes that the bleeding from his wound has stopped and that it has already turned into a scar. A system window pops up and it says
Art of Sanguine:
A painter with magnificent control and intricate designs as he freely manipulates his creation. The manipulation of the blood arts allows the wielder to create and destroy.
Skill proficiency: 2
The increase of skill proficiency will also increase understanding and capabilities of skill.
"I can control blood??" says Arthur and then thinks to himself for a couple seconds and says "I must be able to...".
Arthur gets the regen pod which is a cylinder with a mana core in the centre and he turns the mana core which inflates into pod. Arthur puts her inside the open flap.
He takes in a deep breath and hovers his hand over her wound and just stares for a minute or so, but nothing happens. He gets frustrated and says "What?" "How do I even use this skill?".
Arthur thinks back to the interview of Lucifer and the words he said become clearer "In moments of dire need, thinking can slow you down. Every second and action you do matters. The time you put in to become strong enough, rely on it and just feel. Your instinct is your greatest weapon".
"Fuck that guy". "Why am I thinking of him all of a sudden.." says Arthur but he understood the principle of what he has to do. He closes his eyes once more and breathes. Clearing his mind and just feeling. He starts to hear her blood flow, he goes deeper and feels her blood. He starts to understand exactly what is going on in her body and he can differentiate between the healthy blood and the infected. Arthur gets out of the hypnotic state and grabs the black dagger. He makes a cut near the bite mark and before blood starts to pool out he goes back into that state.
He guides the infected blood out and opens his eyes and sees a ball sized of infected blood floating in his hand and with his other hand he uses the regen shot and his blood arts to close the wound he created and makes the blood clot on the bite mark. After doing all that he falls backwards against the wall wheezing and sweating. The system window pops up and says
[Increased understanding of Art of Sanguine has achieved!]
[Skill Proficiency: 2 > 3]
"Finally" he says as he sighs and catches his breath. While resting, with the infected blood still floating in his hand. He makes a gun sign with his fingers and releases the blood out of the cave which they were in. The blood goes outside making a whole through a tree.
While looking in that same direction, Arthur sees blood floating mid air and suddenly a person appears. The stealth skill fades and the scout leans against the wall saying "Please help me", as he cries out and continues to walk into the cave closer to Arthur. He loses strength and slowly goes down with his back to the wall. He continues to cough blood and say "I'll give you anything. Help".
Arthur looks at him for awhile and he starts to shake in fear. "Can I do it?" he thinks to himself. Dread and fear continue to circle his mind. "Breathe dear" he hears a voice say as he looks to his right. He sees his mother and she speaks to him saying "I know you're feeling a lot of things right now but you can't get anything done like that. So before you do anything just breathe first." with tears going down the face of younger Arthur, he breaths and says "Ok Mom" and she hugs him while looking at Arthur.
Arthur breathes and sticks his hand out and pretends that he is healing him.
"Anthony Hill. Age 30. At the age of 20 before the tower existed you sexually assaulted 2 women outside of a club and was given a community sentence. By the Age of 23, you used your powers to rape 3 underage girls. At 27 you killed the father of Isabella Jones. A girl which you had kept captured got 6 months before also killing her. At 30 you had.." Arthur holds his mouth and as he starts retching before vomiting. "You were sentenced to death for crimes committed against humanity."
"What?" he exclaims and continues by saying "Wait Wait". "I'm only 25 right now and anything can happen in the next few years." A silence that cuts like a blade rings around the cave. "I can change. Please". Anthony feels it. He can't move. "I will repent for everything I did and make everything right." tears start to flood down his face. "LET ME LI..." his body implodes as Arthur closed his fist.
Arthur stops the blood from getting close to him and Mia. He controls the blood that his body has turned into and condenses it while focusing. He steps outside and releases the blood into the air. Arthur goes right back to sitting down and starts to feel his emotions swelling up and tries to breath but he breaths too fast and just goes unconscious.