Path of BlooDld

Three full months had passed since the last battle, where fangs clashed with claws, and blood with stone. That day, the leopard's screech and the crocodile's roar had faded into Ashen's own, but he hadn't come out unscathed.

His body had teetered on the edge of destruction, only to be reforged through the technique of the Primal Body. Despite the grotesque wounds, something within him had refused to fall. The Ironhide continued to regenerate, layer after layer, like armor born from pain.

Throughout that time, Ashen remained silent. No screams, no groans, no thoughts. Only eyes staring at the stone ceiling and a breath so faint it could barely be heard. Every passing moment was like a needle piercing his heart. Three months of silent pain, suppressed hunger, and distilled hatred.

At the start of the fourth month, he moved.

The first thing he did was reach for the clay bowl filled with the blood remnants of beasts. He grabbed it and drank... not as a human, but as a beast returned from hell.

He refined.

He fought.

He devoured.

In the following seven months, the wilderness turned into a field of bloody madness. Beasts fell, blood was stored, and energy was infused into his bones and muscles. Every part of his body was reshaped.

The Blood Bear Fist became like a nuclear explosion with every strike. His Ironhide grew darker, solidifying against wind and blow alike. The Blood Frenzy evolved, igniting his body with power every time he fought.

Then... the transformation came.

After killing and refining the blood of countless beasts, dancing to the rhythm of death for months, he reached the peak of Blood Trainee.

Twelve thousand kilograms of physical strength.

He had also completed the first rank of the Primal Body refinement.

As if the heavens rewarded his relentless effort, he finally unlocked the ability of Direct Blood Control, granted only to those who reached the peak of Blood Trainee. In the world of refinement, it had another name:

"Blood Rebound."

Sharp blood threads surged from his palm, dancing in the air, surrounding an imaginary opponent before piercing it like red needles of rage. Then the blood reformed into a veil that absorbed another phantom strike. The new ability wasn't just flexible — it hinted at blood power moving beyond the body, watching, striking.

But he wasn't satisfied.

He thought, "This strength... still isn't enough."

He decided to consume the remaining beast talents.

He pulled out a core stone from the crocodile's blood, then another from the leopard's. He sat within a circle of ancient runes and prepared.

As soon as he began devouring the two cores, his body started to convulse. Extreme heat. Frenzied pulse. He screamed.

The rune of the Bear Fist clashed with the intent of the fierce leopard. The heavy will of the crocodile disrupted the flow of blood itself.

This wasn't blood merging.

It was three intents battling inside his body.

The bear wanted dominance, the leopard wanted possession, and the crocodile sought to devour them both.

Even his bloodline began to fracture, crack, and clash. His blood boiled, bursting through his veins. Bleeding from his nose, ears, and eyes. Miniature blood explosions ruptured inside him.

He fell to the ground, screaming.

"Stop… enough..."

But no one heard.

In the darkness, he began to see the shadows of beasts.

The leopard… circled him, whispering:

"I am speed. I am agility. Let me take control."

The crocodile... opened its jaws, roaring:

"I am resilience. I am depth. Take my power and leave the rest."

Then the bear… appeared like a living wall, growling:

"I am the origin. I am blood. I am the beginning of all!"

The shadows crept closer.

Ashen could no longer tell illusion from reality. Each beast's intent was trying to devour him — not just physically, but spiritually.

In the moment his heart began to stop, he suddenly felt something strange.

Coldness seeped into his body.

A strange pulse… like it wasn't his own.

Through blood-soaked eyes, he saw something. Not light, not a shape — just a feeling.

Something… or someone… had entered the domain of his blood.

The three intents… froze.

The blood… calmed.

It was as if something commanded all to be still. But who? How?

No sound. No light. No energy signature.

Only silence.

Then it vanished.

Ashen opened his eyes. He was alone. Everything felt like a dream... but it wasn't.

He looked at his arm. Blood still flowed. But the pain was gone.

Slowly, he stood.

But deep within… something had changed.

Something he saw. Something he didn't understand…

Something he didn't want to forget.