Path of BlooDld

The sky was a dull gray, and the sun was lost behind dark clouds. The Great Wilds had quieted... but silence here was always the herald of a storm.

Since his last battle, something had changed inside Ashen. He had grown more silent, but his silence wasn't weakness—it was focus. Years of brutal cultivation were finally bearing fruit.

Ashen stood atop a black stone in an abandoned valley, his body tense and still, as if carved from stone. Around him, the air was stagnant… but something in the soil was shifting.

"It's starting…" he murmured, his eyes blazing with a crimson glow.

From the dead shrubs, a three-eyed beast emerged, its body covered in thick red skin and its fangs writhing like ropes.

It lunged at Ashen without warning, but he didn't move. He simply whispered:

"Primordial Iron Skin."

A dark energy erupted over his body, and his skin turned into solid black metal. The beast's fangs struck him and shattered, as if hitting a steel wall.

With a cold smile, he raised his hand.

"Blood Rebound…"

Tiny threads of blood burst from his fingertips, transforming into coiled red wires. They wrapped around the beast's neck and yanked with such force that the crack of its spine echoed across the valley.

But it wasn't alone...

Two more beasts emerged, identical in features: wide mouths, bat-like wings—one capable of firing blood spikes, the other of emitting sound waves that disturbed balance.

"Blood Beast Body."

Cheetah Blood Mark

Crocodile Blood Mark

His legs ignited with blood energy, transforming into glowing cheetah limbs.

He leapt at a terrifying speed, dodging the sonic wave by partially liquefying his body and merging with the blood around him.

A bloody aura surged from his back, forming crocodile-like scales over his body, increasing both his power and defense.

Then, he activated his Blood Frenzy skill, pushing his strength even further. With a sudden strike to the first beast's neck, he brought it down instantly.

The second beast tried to retreat, but a bloody hand shot out, tore its jaw, and dragged it to the ground.

The battlefield had become a lake of blood.

A small beast appeared, but its speed was catastrophic. It moved in blinks, fired deadly blood sparks, and could temporarily paralyze its enemies.

This time, Ashen fully activated Bloody Bear Grip for the first time.

A halo emerged from his arms, forming giant bear limbs. Upon first contact, the impact caused an internal shock that pierced the beast's heart directly.

"Even speed is useless against internal shock…"

The fifth beast was different. Covered in seven red runes, Ashen couldn't attack it directly.

"I'll have to use harmony now…"

He ran with cheetah speed, leaving a blood trail in the air, then unleashed explosive blood wires behind him.

The beast countered with a blood projectile, but the Crocodile Blood Shield blocked it. Ashen dove from above and struck with Blood Tyrant Claw.

A final blow caused the beast to explode from the inside.

The wilds went silent once again.

Ashen sat in the midst of the blood, his body throbbing, his energy depleted—but his spirit burning.

Inner voice: "You are getting closer… bearer of the ancient blood."

He lifted his head toward the horizon, a strange feeling sweeping through his heart.

"I must evolve the Blood Beast Body technique… I must fuse the runes."

Months passed…

Endless battles, each one a test of strength and mind. His body began to change. He started seeing red lines beneath his skin—pulsing, guiding, tempting.

Until that day came...

He found a cave…

There it was, between two scorched mountains, releasing black steam and the scent of burnt metal.

He stepped inside, not knowing whether it would be his salvation… or his end.