B1 | Chapter 5

Aidan

Yeah, my body really is strange. I feel fine even after having about six holes drilled into my body. Two from the first bat and four from the next two bats I manage to bait into the tunnel and kill just like the first one. A single bat at a time.

And all six holes made by the bats fangs are leaking black blood while I’m still walking around without any further pain beyond the initial period where they didn’t leak any blood.

More important than any of that, though, is the dinging sound followed by System Messages that appear in my vision while I’m in the middle of draining the second monster corpse of source mana.

[Level 5 Cave Dweller has been slain. Appropriate source mana has been allocated.]

[User’s Class, Void Devourer, has reached level 3. User’s stats have risen by the following amounts: +2 Physical, +2 Magical, +2 Mind, +2 Soul.]

◊*New Class Skill*◊ [Claws of the Devourer(Uncommon) – Grants a small lifeforce drain effect to the Void Devourer’s claws, healing the Void Devourer with every slash.] ◊*New Class Skill*◊

◊ User has unlocked their Skills Menu. ◊

Skills Menu? I’m guessing it’s some sort of menu to see my skills?

Now that I actually have one other than Identify.

But… where is it?

I tilt my head as blood continues gushing from my wounds. Meanwhile I finish devouring the source mana in the corpse after reading the messages.

After a brief pause, both from noticing a countdown in the top right corner of my vision that wasn’t there before along with the words Skill Menu, I focus on the words Skill Menu. Making a new wave of words appear in front of me.

{Racial Skill} [Physique of the Void Crowne(UNIQUE) – The Void Crowne is the supreme existence of the Void Realm. None surpass it. Born to move around the Void, the Void Crowne’s near infinite blood is infused with the power of the void. Destined to return to the void should it ever be spilt. The Void Crowne’s blood, if given willingly, may evolve any void creature’s species once. However, if not given willingly to a void creature, the blood of the crowne will burn like fire until expelled from the void creature’s body. The Void Crowne’s body is also designed to devour the source mana of any System Item to improve his own source mana.]

{Basic Skill} [Identify – This is a skill used to identify living creatures. It is necessary in order to pierce through the natural defense an Awakened being has to any sort of scrying. Beware, for it may notify the creature being identified of the act should they be perceptive enough.] {Basic Skill}

{Class Skill} [Claws of the Devourer(Uncommon) – Grants a small lifeforce drain effect to the Void Devourer’s claws, healing the Void Devourer with every slash.] ◊*New Class Skill*◊

I stare at my skills for a few seconds before muttering, “Huh…”

Looks like I did have another skill before my first Class skill. Other than Identify. Although it doesn’t seem to be directly combat related.

Probably.

That explains my blood situation though. Except the ‘not coagulating’ part.

Considering the skill says ‘near infinite blood’ in it.

I guess that means I can’t bleed out?

Although nonstop bleeding is kind of annoying too.

I glance at my wounds with a frown. Briefly wondering if they will ever heal on their own.

Considering how supreme the System keeps making the Void Crowne species out to be, I doubt it wouldn’t let the species naturally regenerate its own wounds. So they probably heal.

Somehow.

As for that ‘Void Crowne blood evolves void creatures’ thing? That probably helps a lot with the Void Creator Profession.

Anyway, I can’t waste any time. It doesn’t take much to figure out what that countdown in the corner of my vision is for. And while I am already level three in my Class, I don’t know if later levels will be harder to get or not.

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They probably will if videogame logic is to be used. But it would be nice if that isn’t the case.

The countdown itself just says a simple twenty-seven days, twenty-three hours, and thirty-six minutes. Most likely meaning that I’ve been in this place for twenty-four minutes already.

I also want to see if using my claws on those bats can heal my injuries. So I quickly make my way through the tunnel again, once more leaving the corpse of the bat behind just like the last two. And when I reach the cavern filled with dozens of bats flying around, I make sure to hide behind a corner before identifying one of them. Making the thing start screeching before rushing in my direction.

A rather useful strategy I figured out after the first one.

After all, if they’re notified about being identified, then it’s the best way to get the attention of just a single bat.

I bait the bat around the corner and a little bit further, act like I don’t know it’s about to catch up to me, then I spin around and slash right at it. Only to miss as I time it incorrectly.

Because I forgot I just leveled up. So I’m faster now than I was before.

An entire twenty-five percent faster.

Still, I quickly manage to recover and rush up to the bat since it was startled by my sudden turn-around. Then I slash at it with my right hand’s claws. Cutting jagged lines all across its front.

And when I do, I see a faint black light shining from all the injuries on my body. With the injuries closing ever so slightly before the light fades.

Not bad.

I continue slashing at the bat until the thing dies. And this time without having any new bites thanks to the stats I got from my level-up. Not to mention my growing experience dealing with these things.