NOVEL WEB B2 Chapter 2 Hide and Seek.
Sanguis Ophiotrix Squamae
Dark, glistening scales cover portions of the user’s body, resembling those of a demonic serpent. These scales are not just physical armor; they embody a fusion of Blood, Ice, and Space magic affinities, offering the user a range of potent abilities while having a unique connection to mana and blood. Due to being a True mutation you have created a new demonic physical trait.
The scales reduce incoming magical damage by 15%, providing the user with a solid defense against spells. When an enemy casts a spell within a 10-foot radius, a portion of the magic is absorbed, restoring a small amount of the user's mana. This absorption is most effective when the incoming magic aligns with the scales’ elemental affinities.
The scales draw spilled blood from the surrounding area into themselves. This absorbed blood can be utilized in two distinct ways passively: 1: It can flow directly into the user's stomach, feeding them energy and enhancing their vitality. 2: Alternatively, the blood can be absorbed directly into the scales, fortifying their strength, and increasing their durability. As the scales accumulate blood, they grow stronger and more resilient. They are immune to losing this stored power unless drained by a Blood Magic user stronger than the wielder. The more blood absorbed, the greater the scales grow, though growth is minimal at lower tiers. It takes the blood of hundreds of beings or much stronger entities to see significant changes.
As blood is absorbed into the scales, they harden with an icy resilience, their surface becoming more difficult to pierce. The combination of ice and blood magic creates a unique synergy where the scales not only absorb life force but also fortify against physical impacts, growing increasingly difficult to shatter or damage. As the scales grow in strength, they emit a faint cold aura, chilling the area around the user and potentially freezing incoming attacks or enemies.
Space magic works in two distinct ways: 1: It increases the speed of the user based on the amount of blood absorbed into their body, giving them enhanced reflexes and agility in combat. 2: Alternatively, the user can channel space magic to warp the area around an incoming attack, especially one that threatens to be fatal, bending space to divert or nullify the strike. Once this is activated it goes on cooldown, and depending on how much blood the scales have absorbed the cooldown decreases and gains more charges.
While the scales can grow stronger with time and blood, much of the effort is often wasted due to their limited capacity to expand quickly. Only through consistent use and powerful sacrifices will the scales evolve to their true potential. User can evolve the tier without increasing the demonic tier of Hellish essences, but it is faster it increase it through Hellish essences.
As I read through the new notification, my twisted smile deepened. The Blood Serpent Scales I had just acquired were already beyond my expectations, and now I was being offered yet another opportunity to mutate my abilities. However, the system's message made it clear: no Dual or True Mutation this time. My body had reached its current limits, unable to handle more power of that magnitude until I ascended to a higher rank. Still, this new chance wasn’t to be taken lightly.
I glanced at the three options presented for my Imp Claws, each one hinting at a powerful upgrade, though they lacked the sheer overwhelming potential of the True Mutation.
This was a moment where strategy mattered just as much as strength. My Scales already gave me unmatched defense and mana absorption—an edge no one else had. But these claws could become something more. Whether it was to bolster my offensive prowess, increase my ability to manipulate elements or provide an unforeseen edge, each option had to be carefully weighed.
I settled in on my throne, leaning back slightly, savoring the feeling of the raw power thrumming through me from the Scales. My mind shifted into an analytical mode, burning the data from the notification into my brain as if carving it into stone. As I gazed at my claws, the potential danced before me. My thoughts drifted to the future, to the battles I would fight, the foes I would crush, and how best to use these next enhancements.
Choosing the Space Magic option for my Imp Claws was the most logical and strategic decision. My claws, with their current burning damage, interfered with my Blood Magic, and there was no point in overlapping abilities when I could push for something new, something more versatile and unpredictable.
Blood magic was my core, and enhancing it through the claws wouldn’t provide anything novel—I already controlled blood in numerous ways, from manipulation to freezing. The Ice option had its merits, but with my newfound power to freeze blood, it seemed redundant. What I needed was an ability that added another layer of complexity to my arsenal.
Space Magic was the answer. The possibilities it could offer were far-reaching—teleportation, dimensional rifts, spatial distortion—each one more deadly than the last. I could think of countless ways to use it in combat, escape, and most importantly, in pursuit of my ultimate revenge. I closed my eyes and imagined the potential: ripping open space itself to move through dimensions, pulling enemies into voids, and distorting the battlefield to my advantage. The very idea of such power pulsed through my veins, filling me with anticipation. Space Magic would open new doors, allowing me to outmaneuver my foes, tear through defenses, and make the impossible possible.
The claws were about to become more than just physical weapons—they would become tools to bend reality to my will. With my decision made, I accepted the Space Mutation, bracing myself for what was to come.
The pain of the Space Mutation surged through my claws, sharp and relentless, yet somehow manageable compared to the agony of the True Mutation I had endured earlier. It felt as if my claws were being torn apart from the inside, the flesh and bone beneath them being carved and reformed by some unseen force. The sensation of molten metal being injected into my very bones was vivid—hot, searing, and unyielding.
Despite the pain, I could tell something remarkable was happening. My claws were no longer just flesh and bone; they were evolving, becoming instruments of something far greater. I clenched my fists, feeling the power shift and churn, the air around me seeming to ripple as the Space Magic began to take root. Each throb of agony was a step closer to transformation, and with each pulse, I felt my claws moving beyond the mundane, entering a realm where they could bend the fabric of reality itself.
I bit down on the pain, refusing to let it overwhelm me. I had survived worse, and this was merely the power's price. When the process finally stopped, I flexed my fingers, feeling the new potential humming through my mutated claws.
Voidrend Claws
Once blazing with the fiery power of the infernal realms, these demonic claws have undergone a dark transformation, trading their ability to burn for the far more elusive power of Space magic. Now known as the Voidrend Claws, they allow the user to manipulate and affect the very fabric of space, though such power comes at a significant cost.
Spatial Manipulation: The Voidrend Claws allow the user to distort and manipulate space with each strike. Instead of cutting physical flesh, these claws can slice through the fabric of reality itself, creating rips or folds in space to alter the environment or displace objects and enemies. When used to attack, the claws can momentarily create distortions in space, allowing the user to hit opponents at unexpected angles or bypass defenses entirely by bending the space between them.
Mana Requirement: Manipulating space is immensely mana-intensive. The user must have a significant amount of mana stored before the claws’ full potential can be activated. Until the required mana is accumulated, the claws behave as ordinary sharp weapons without their spatial abilities. This restriction makes the claws a weapon of last resort or for when the user has carefully managed their mana reserves.
As the last remnants of pain faded from my body, I pulled up the notification to review the details of my new ability. The Space Mutation had granted me claws capable of more than just cutting; they now held the potential to tear into the very fabric of reality itself. The power I wielded had expanded, and yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment when no new mutation for my eyes appeared. I had expected a secondary change, especially after my experience with the True Mutation, but nothing came. It could be due to my Identify Skill, which might not have triggered anything detectable at the moment, or perhaps there was something deeper at work—some restriction or condition I wasn’t yet aware of. Whatever the reason, I wasn’t going to dwell on it now. There was still much to do.
I had lost days in the midst of these transformations, time that could have been spent more wisely. Had I prepared ahead of time and had Vorthan lead the summoned Shadow Imps and do it for me while I was completing trials, I could have had the area around me mapped out. The surrounding areas remained unexplored, and my shadow Imps had been idle. Touching the thread of the connection I shared with Vorthan, I summoned him to me. As he arrived, I commanded him to gather the shadow imps immediately. They would be scouting out the areas I had neglected.
While Vorthan carried out my orders, I took the opportunity to summon 10 more shadow imps. These creatures were invaluable, not only for their ability to scout and remain unseen but for their complete loyalty—something I ensured with every summoning. As I established pacts with each imp, one dared to possess a pact with another demon. Its disobedience was rewarded with death. I killed it on the spot, its blood spilling at my feet, which I used to summon two more shadow imps to replace the traitor. The work was efficient, and I now had a loyal group of shadow imps ready to serve me without question.
Once Vorthan had brought the others I gave my orders. "Spread out," I commanded. "Scout every inch of the surroundings, and return to me with any signs of life, threats, or opportunity. Do not fail me." With that, I sat back on my throne, watching the imps fade into the shadows, their forms dispersing into the darkness.
After the imps disappeared into the darkness, I turned to Vorthan with a new directive. "Find the demon with the best artistic skills. I want a detailed map made of this region—one that includes all significant landmarks, possible resources, and any other notable information. I will need this for future planning."
I could see the recognition in his eyes, understanding the importance of what I had just commanded. A map would have made the goblin attack smoother, preventing needless complications.
With detailed knowledge of the terrain, resources, and any nearby human settlements, I would be better prepared for the battles ahead. Knowledge was as valuable as power—perhaps even more so.
"Master, as you wish. I’ll have the most talented of your demons begin immediately, once the Imps return." Vorthan replied, bowing as he prepared to leave.
"And Vorthan," I added, stopping him before he left, "ensure that the map is as precise as possible. I want every cave, every settlement, every monster den marked. If we are to thrive, we need to control our surroundings. And I even want the location of where and what monsters roam in areas to make those the hunting grounds to build our power. Leave nothing to chance."
"As for humans," I mused aloud, more to myself than to him, "they could hold knowledge of this world that neither you nor I possess. They may not be as powerful, but they could prove useful in other ways. If I can subdue one into a pact, their information will be invaluable—and I’ll know their truth since they will be bound by the pacts."
Vorthan nodded, his expression thoughtful. "A pact would indeed guarantee loyalty and accuracy of what we can gain from them, Master. Humans may be weak, but they can still be cunning. Binding one to your service will ensure we have full control over any knowledge they offer." I waved my hand, signaling Vorthan to continue his task. He hurried off to find a demon with the necessary skills for the map, leaving me alone on my throne once again. With the imps scouting, the demons preparing the map, and the thought of subduing a human or two for information, the pieces were slowly falling into place.
My claws tapped rhythmically on the arm of the throne, the faint gleam of my new scales catching the dim light. There was still much work to be done, but this...this was how I would ensure I wasn't just surviving but thriving in this new world.