Chapter 13.2

As he bounded around, his every move adjusted to the feeling that lingered in the back of his mind, Hakon could not help but think about his growth.

The Rite had only been a few nights ago. Night filled with less sleep than he had since forever. But he did not feel all that bad. If anything, it was almost like he could go several nights without sleep before he’d collapse. As long as his mind and body weren’t dead-tired or severely wounded that is.

That aside, Hakon felt great. Only a few nights had passed since the Rite and he was already close to the 1st Ascension. That was phenomenal.

Continuing to grow like that would ensure he’d perform exceptionally in the Battle of Generation. That made him wonder how the others were doing. Björn and Astrid, but also Ulfar and the Bloodbearers.

Astrid might be close to her 1st Ascension.

The rest…Hakon doubted it. The 1st Ascension was the easiest to reach, yet it took most warriors a fortnight to reach. The average warriors might actually take a little longer. We only had half a fortnight between the Rite and the Battle of Generation. It was a feat to reach the 1st Ascension in that time. Something only the strongest Barbarians could do. Even then, it was hard. After all, not every power was as easy to wield as Enhanced Comprehension had been.

But our generation is nothing like those before us. The current generation was strong. Some of it was owed to the cycles the young warriors spent training, waiting for the Rite. They had been ready for cycles, only to wait and train…and fight among each other.

Rivalry was yet another reason Tribe Taskur’s youngest generation was greater than others.

Still, Bloodbearer needed time to get used to their Ancient Power. To tame their Bloodline as it merged with their Ancient Power. The stronger the Blood they awakened, the harder it would be to control – to tame. Ulfar was a prime example. He was bound to have the most difficulties managing his power. Behemoth Blood. As mighty as it was, it was ferocious.

But as soon as he subdued the beast within him, Ulfar would be the strongest. And, knowing him, Hakon was sure Ulfar would tame his Bloodline before the Battle of Generation. There was no doubt about it. The only question was how long Ulfar would take. The longer taking full rein of his Bloodline took, the fewer Levels and Skills he’d earn.

He won’t reach the 1st Ascension. That was something Hakon was sure of. Even if Ulfar would be getting close to the 1st Ascension, Ulfar’s father would stop him. Not because he wanted his son to lose but because the 1st Ascension would strengthen Ulfar’s Behemoth Blood once more. Ancient Powers grew stronger through the Ascension. For Bloodbearers that was as precious as it was dangerous. Failure to remain in charge of their Bloodline would result in death. Precisely, a loss of control, the birth of a monster, and a merciful end by decapitation.

Losing control was not something Hakon had to fear. If anything, he looked forward to Enhanced Comprehension’s growth. It excited him for he needed as much power as possible to deal with his enemies.

For every Level Ulfar earned, he’d be twice as strong as others. In terms of physical strength, Hakon stood no chance. He had too much of a head-start, his physical prowess likely surpassing those of regular non-combatant Barbarians at Level 10, possibly even 15 depending on the Behenmoth Blood’s potency…all while he was Level 1.

The other Bloodbearers would be less of an issue. Hakon was confident in his strength. As long as he reached the 1st Ascension and learned how to properly wield [Circulation], he’d be strong enough to face the Giant Blood warriors head-on. Ulfar was experienced, and so were the others, but there was a drastic difference. Hakon had always been stronger than all of them. Ulfar had been the closest, and he’d beat Hakon a few times as well. The others: Never.

He knew them all. The strength of every single one of them. Their prowess with every weapon and their antics. Hakon had sparred with all of them dozens of times. So even if they improved their Skills by a few Levels, would that and a few new Skills really be enough to change the hierarchy they had established many cycles ago?

Hakon did not think so. But even if it did make a change, he still had three nights before he had to be back.

[Proficiency gained. [Running Lv.6] improved to [Running Lv.7]]

He smiled at the message. Even deep in thought, Enhanced Comprehension was at work.

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Discarding doubts and plans, Hakon followed his gut feeling. He continued to run around, his posture adapting accordingly. The Crawling Expanse was massive. It extended much farther than the eye could see, yet he didn’t find any more Giant Ants or Acidic Beetles.

Instead, he found a few other monsters. A bunch of eagles that attacked him the moment they sighted him and other monsters that seemed as mindless as the birds. They attacked and suffered the consequences, Hakon’s blades drinking in their blood.