Chapter 142

Chapter 142
## Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Blood Vassals

Despite having witnessed an endless stream of chronicles over my vast tenure as the “Brilliant Hero’s Constellation,” I had been left with nothing but a recurring sense of letdown.

And yet… there he was.

“Randolph.”

An author who had achieved every milestone in a manner so transcendent it defied belief.

He had wagered his very existence on the outcome.

Had I been in his shoes, would I have possessed the resolve to make that same gamble?

The determination to internalize the very origin of rot, embracing corruption to invoke the “Blood Demon King”?

No, I would not have done it.

The mere thought would have been beyond my grasp.

I would have simply taken up Isabella’s dying wish and allowed the metropolis to be swallowed by the void.

“I wish… to witness more.”

That was the reason.

I believed I was satisfied, but I was mistaken.

I craved a further glimpse into the narrative he was weaving.

I desired to chronicle the grand saga of the champion he was destined to become from this point forward.

Regardless of the cost I had to endure. Even if it required me to further incinerate my own essence.

……I simply needed to see it.

-Is there more you can proffer?

As the radiance of the stars dimmed and flickered out.

A maw materialized within the shadows.

-You claimed a desire to see more. In that case, you must have further tributes to yield, correct?

What?

Had I not surrendered every last bit already?

……Ah.

There remained a solitary thing.

A single element I had yet to provide.

Something I had kept back from that wretch.

-Every tale you have gathered until this moment. How delightful.

The chronicles he had observed and collected coiled together like the pages of a tome.

Then, they vanished into the “maw.”

Hee-hee!

The “maw,” savoring the flavor for a long duration, cackled with gluttonous joy.

The second I stepped into the Tower of Rifts, I took stock of my environment.

“Level 1 zone.”

Wilderness.

An endless expanse of greenery was all that met my eyes.

Verdant blades of grass with solitary trees dotting the landscape.

Utilizing the Heart of the Eternal Lord, I had bypassed the standard requirements to arrive in the level 1 zone unaccompanied.

“The ‘Rifts’ truly do disperse individuals based on their personal levels.”

It partitioned comrades according to their individual strength.

That was the logic behind the name Tower of Rifts.

However, the contributions of all allies would be pooled together for the concluding confrontation.

《If the combined marks from 5 allies surpass 500 units, you may challenge the ‘Lord of the 1st Floor, Solbaren.’》

《Overcoming ‘Lord Solbaren’ provides authorization to ascend to the 2nd floor and deactivates one tier of the ‘level restriction zone.’》

《Superior marks diminish ‘Lord Solbaren”s martial prowess.》

《An increase in rifts augments ‘Lord Solbaren”s martial prowess.》

《’Lord Solbaren”s current martial prowess is 999,999.》

Martial prowess?

Likely a holistic measurement of attributes, designations, and similar factors.

One reality was evident: this place felt entirely distinct from any other structures that had surfaced in Pangeniar previously.

‘This spire didn’t manifest solely because I struck down the Blood Demon King. His demise was merely the catalyst.’

Upon reflection, the true beginnings of the towers were shrouded in mystery.

Pangeniar possessed a multitude of “towers,” each governed by different masters and presenting distinct tribulations.

Perhaps these spires took shape when entities of the Blood Demon King’s caliber perished, or when a whole civilization flickered out of existence.

The Blood Demon King was certainly a force significant enough to warrant a caution from Yormungandr.

‘……Confirmed as a level 1 zone—not a soul in sight.’

No other explorers were visible, even after a thorough scan.

It made sense—who would have the audacity to scale a spire at level 1?

No organized group would ever dream of bringing a level 1 along.

Barring a death wish, no sane person would test the spire at such a low level.

Ssssk.

Shiiiisk!

In that instant, tendrils shot out across the ground, snaring my ankles.

The entire meadow was infested with these creeping growths.

“Carnivorous flora.”

Vegetation designed to entrap travelers, pull them close, and consume them.

A grave peril for those at level 1, but…

Snap! Crack!

With every stride I took, the tendrils snapped like dry twigs.

Regardless of how many attempted to restrain me, they could not impede my movement.

“These organisms are vulnerable to heat and sub-zero temperatures.”

I unsheathed “Winter.”

And then.

Whiiiiiirrrrr!

“Winter” descended.

《The entire region is encased in ice.》

《Development: 100%》

《The level 3 zone guardian has surfaced.》

《The level 3 zone guardian has been vanquished.》

《Collected 30 SP in total.》

《Collected Fragment of the Golden Rule 10h.》

《The gateway to the succeeding zone is accessible.》

《Combined group score: 285 units》

《1st – Randolph (250)》

《2nd – Serengeti (20)》

《3rd – Rommel (15)》

《4th – Balte (5)》

《5th – Andrew (0)》

《Top Solo ranking out of 3,788 groups.》

Not a single soul had attained the 3rd floor yet.

Consequently, I was able to tear through the levels in a heartbeat.

‘Everyone is putting in the effort.’

Andrew, serving as a priest, would find it difficult to accumulate marks. Unless they possessed a build like mine, no other groups had likely managed to secure significant scores yet.

“13,788 groups. Roughly sixty-nine thousand individuals.”

Precisely 68,940 competitors within the Tower of Rifts.

A higher turnout than I had anticipated.

It wasn’t just players—it was clear that a vast number of Pangeniar’s native residents were testing their luck as well.

‘The compensation is quite thin in these basement zones.’

30 SP and fragments of the Golden Rule lasting 10 hours.

The ultimate prize for finishing the first three floors.

Yet, for this specific level bracket, it was a fairly hefty sum.

Where else could one obtain such compensation in the introductory sections?

‘Ascending to superior levels will produce greater prizes.’

Nonetheless, I couldn’t simply rush to the top immediately.

Clearing every section on the ascent offered numerous benefits.

‘Amassing SP is always a wise strategy.’

Following the passing of Wilhelm when I generated my current persona, I allocated 1.6 million SP into the all-random pool.

As a result, every aptitude reached its maximum threshold, birthing 13 concealed characteristics.

Even the acquisition of “King of the Bloodkin” pushed the associated aptitudes to their limit.

At this stage, there were virtually no aptitudes remaining that required an infusion of SP.

However, SP could be converted into feat points within the “Achievement Shop.”

Furthermore, exactly two aptitudes remained completely dormant.

“Truth Seeker and Dimensional Comprehension. Neither has received a single point of investment.”

To illustrate, while aptitudes like “Black Blood” and “Blood Awakening” were fully realized, those two sat at zero.

I could choose to hoard SP for feat points or sink them into those dormant aptitudes.

“H-Help me!”

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Suddenly.

Shouts of terror resonated from the distance.

Those were unmistakably human cries.

From the level 4 zone and beyond, other competitors were present.

As I drew near, I caught sight of two individuals being pursued by something.

“Nobody mentioned this would happen!”

“That damn Master!!”

Master?

Had Master entered the Tower of Rifts as well?

But rather than the two fleeing, my attention was held by their pursuers.

“What… are those things?”

Creatures possessing a disturbingly familiar shape.

A human chest cavity split down the center, spreading wide like leathery wings and lined with countless tooth-like spikes.

Bloodkin, without a doubt.

However, unlike the Desert Queen, the spikes were tiny, and their overall stature was much more compressed.

They reached no higher than a person’s mid-thigh.

Whoosh!

As I moved closer, the pack of Bloodkin cocked their heads.

Then.

Sniff! Sniff!

They caught a scent in the air, pivoted, and directed their gaze toward me.

Had they identified a new target?

“W-What?”

“They aren’t chasing us anymore?”

The two escapees looked back, stunned, then shifted their focus to me, mimicking the behavior of the Bloodkin.

Momentarily, as the Bloodkin began a collective rush toward me, the pair shouted a desperate warning.

“Hey! You need to run, now!”

“Once those monsters sink their teeth in, they never let go!”

They tried to alert me, but I remained perfectly still.

How much of a threat could Bloodkin in a mere level 4 zone truly pose?

Kyarrarrr!

Kiiiiiiii!

The Bloodkin emitted shrill, haunting shrieks, closing the gap in a flash.

The moment they reached my position.

“……What is the meaning of this?”

The diminutive Bloodkin encircled me and began to move in a rhythmic loop.

It resembled some form of ritualistic display.

Shaaaa!

Then, they all gaped their mouths toward me in unison.

Like fledglings in a nest waiting to be fed.

There was no malice.

Only confusion on my part.

They had converged after catching my scent, so there had to be some instinctive recognition of our connection.

“Is this because of a concealed characteristic?”

It was a strong possibility.

I was the King of the Bloodkin.

They likely perceived my status through sheer instinct.

But what were they seeking from me?

“Could it be blood?”

The solitary thought that occurred to me was “blood.”

Since all related aptitudes centered on the manipulation of “blood.”

There was no other logical conclusion.

As an experiment, I made a small cut on my finger using “Winter,” allowing a single bead of blood to surface.

I offered that one drop to the creature in the lead.

Brrrrr!

The small Bloodkin that tasted my blood began to shake violently, its physical form steadily expanding.

And that wasn’t all.

《’Blood Contract’ has been established.》

《The ‘Blood Demon King’s First Vassal’ has been created.》

《Concealed characteristic ‘Beast Lord’ is now active.》

《The subjugated species has exceeded its boundaries!》

Crack-!

The Bloodkin, growing larger in an instant, now looked distinct from its peers.

The tissue that had functioned as wings shifted into a dark mantle, its entire exterior shimmering with a metallic, steel-like sheen.

【Lv. 7】

A jump from level 4 to level 7 in a single step.

Achieved with nothing more than a lone drop of blood.

‘Utilizing blood to broaden my dominion—this must be a power of the Bloodkin King.’

I wasn’t sure if this applied only to Bloodkin, but I could certainly empower these creatures with “blood” and compel them to follow me.

It was quite fascinating.

I distributed the rest of the blood to the remaining small Bloodkin.

Once twenty of them had tasted my blood and accepted their roles as subordinates.

“W-What are we seeing?”

“No way… that’s not a person, that’s a boss monster…!”

The two who had been observing from the sidelines were paralyzed with shock.

They had expected me to be slaughtered, but instead, I had fed the monsters blood, triggered a transformation, and now they were dropping to one knee as if paying homage to a monarch.

-Your Majesty.

However, I paid no mind to those two.

An unexpected voice vibrated in the air.

-Provide us with more of your essence.

-We must define the order of rank.

-Mighty vassals! Battle brothers!

-More blood!

By giving them each exactly one drop, I had left them without a clear social structure.

Did a greater amount of blood lead to further progression?

Even if my blood carried the weight of authority through the Blood Demon King’s concealed characteristic, the ability to evolve through my essence was likely a trait unique to the Bloodkin.

The Bloodkin themselves appeared to be fundamentally boosted by the life force of the Blood Demon King.

‘A species that thrives and evolves through my very blood.’

Truly intriguing.

Sacrifice Skill

Roughly twenty Bloodkin.

They hungered for my blood.

They also craved a “rank” amongst themselves.

Competing to prove themselves as my most steadfast retainers based on who received the most blood.

‘A single drop boosted it by 3 levels.’

From level 4 to 7 in the blink of an eye.

Even in these beginner zones, climbing 3 levels usually required a significant time investment.

‘How far can I push this evolution?’

My curiosity was piqued.

Blood Subordination.

With the concealed characteristic “Beast Lord” in effect, they were officially recognized as my “companions.”

Which meant betrayal was impossible.

In that case.

Drip! Drip!

I offered two more beads of blood to the primary one, and its frame began to expand once more.