Chapter 143

Chapter 143
## Chapter 143: A Providential Opening

《’Demonblood 1′ enters a phase of explosive growth!》

《’Demonblood 1′ has transitioned into a ‘Greater Demonblood’!》

The creature expanded, its frame stretching until it finally mirrored the high-ranking Demonblood from my memories. While not a perfect replica, its silhouette bore a striking resemblance to the Desert Queen.

【Lv. 8】

A rapid ascent, bypassing level 7 to land firmly at 8. It was remarkable how much potency lay within just three droplets of my essence. Since I wasn’t feeling the effects of blood loss yet, I decided to push the boundary.

《’Greater Demonblood 1′ enters a phase of explosive growth!》

《’Greater Demonblood 1′ enters a phase of explosive growth!》

*Bang!*

I introduced two more drops in rapid succession, but the vessel of the Greater Demonblood failed to contain the surge. Its physical form reached its breaking point and detonated.

*Grrk! Screee!*

Crimson mist and gore erupted, coating the surroundings. The creature was torn apart as if a grenade had been detonated internally.

*Krr!*

*Krra!*

Without hesitation, the surviving Demonbloods lunged forward, scavengining the remains of their fallen kin. It appeared a ceiling existed for this method, or perhaps specific prerequisites were missing for further evolution. Realizing that over-saturation led to self-destruction, I began to manage the distribution with precision. I elevated one specimen to level 9 and brought the remainder of the group to level 8.

Simultaneously, new notifications materialized.

《’Greater Demonblood Pack (1)’ formation finalized.》

《The lead Greater Demonblood has manifested the ‘Fire’ element.》

《The skill ‘Eons of Flame’ is now available by offering ‘Greater Demonblood Pack (1)’ as a tribute.》

《Hidden Insight: The nature of the tribute skill is dictated by the element of the alpha.》

《Hidden Insight: To surpass their current biological caps, Demonbloods must execute ‘additional directives’.》

As the pack consolidated, a different set of instructions emerged.

‘Tribute skills?’

It was a system of exchange. Essentially, I could extinguish the lives of these Demonbloods to trigger a devastating ability. Such skills were notoriously potent but carried a heavy price. They allowed one to wield power far beyond their natural tier, though the cost was the total annihilation of the units involved.

‘So, this is the true essence of the Demonblood King.’

His primary strength wasn’t just leadership, but the tactical sacrifice of his subjects for overwhelming magical output. I began to suspect that even the ‘Dimensional Gate’ might have been a product of such a ritual. It explained why he had deployed the Desert Queen as a vanguard.

‘That accounts for why the vectors of contagion mirrored the Demonbloods.’

The realization was chillingly logical. The Demonblood King had sent the Desert Queen to Pangeniar ahead of the invasion to study ‘pollution.’ Following that, he instigated a continent-wide epidemic across Paysalmer to artificially bolster the population of ‘Demonbloods.’ The ultimate goal was likely to sacrifice the final concentrated source of pollution to facilitate his own manifestation. While other variables likely existed, the pattern was clear.

‘The more high-level packs I cultivate, the more devastating the tribute skills become.’

That was the crucial takeaway. Enhancing the packs opened the door to a completely different echelon of power, with the specific effects determined by the alpha’s elemental alignment.

‘I’ll subjugate every Demonblood on this level.’

Expansion was mandatory. While there was a chance more existed on higher floors, there was no guarantee. I needed to harvest every available resource here.

* Give us a task.
* Shall we slaughter those two mortals?
* My monarch! We crave the hunt!
* Vitality! We need more vitality!

The creatures were consumed by bloodlust, their muzzles dripping as they stared at the two humans retreating in the distance.

‘I told them that obedience was the path to greater strength.’

I gave a curt nod and gestured toward the fleeing duo.

“Capture them. I want them breathing.”

—

“Mercy! Please, have mercy!”

“Don’t kill us, great lord!”

Pat and Might were dragged back by the Greater Demonbloods, instantly collapsing into desperate bows. Despite their terror, they exchanged frantic looks.

‘He must be the floor guardian commanding these freaks!’

‘But he looks like a normal human…’

A man appearing out of thin air, commanding monsters and using his own life force to evolve them—he might have the face of a human, but his nature was something else entirely.

“A level 4 shouldn’t even be attempting this climb.”

“We were deceived! The Master tricked us! He promised it was a simple job and paid us well! That treacherous snake!”

I rubbed my chin as they poured vitriol on the Master. It seemed this individual had been gathering ‘test subjects’ to throw into the tower in bulk.

“Did this Master enter the tower himself?”

“He did! He was right behind us. He had some strange monsters with him… I think.”

“With monsters?”

That was an unusual detail. Why would the Master move with monsters instead of a standard player raid party? Coordinating with monsters was nearly impossible for humans unless one possessed a unique disguise, similar to my use of Corpse Raven. The mutual hatred between the two races was usually insurmountable.

The man’s companion chimed in quickly.

“Y-yes! Laktusha! I’m certain I heard that name. There was an orc and a dark elf… Two others were hidden under heavy hoods, but they felt incredibly dangerous.”

‘Laktusha?’

Could it be the same Swordmaster Laktusha from the Mountain of Aspirants?

‘He survived?’

When Baal had manifested on the Mountain of Aspirants, I had assumed Laktusha perished in the chaos. Perhaps his subordinates had bought his life with theirs. But the bigger question was why Laktusha was aligned with the Master. It felt out of place.

‘Laktusha and a dark elf… those are assets of the Black King.’

If the Black King’s inner circle was traveling with the Master, it meant the Master had likely struck a bargain with them. Given the Master’s obsession with forbidden research, he probably possessed vital data regarding this ‘Tower of Rifts.’

‘Laktusha was level 13 back then. Our paths shouldn’t cross just yet.’

The tower’s floors were gated by level. The strongest member of my group was Serengeti, a 1-star at level 11. We weren’t in the same bracket as the Black King’s group yet, but the possibility remained if I pushed into level 13 territory.

* My king! Can we feed?
* Flesh! Warmth! Killing!
* So hungry!

The Greater Demonbloods were circling the two men, their hunger palpable. If I turned my back, they would leave nothing but splinters of bone. I gave a slight dismissive shake of my head.

“Find every remaining Demonblood on this floor. Bring them to me alive.”

Expanding the legion was the priority.

—

Pat and Might watched in stunned silence as the monsters fanned out across the entire floor. In a terrifyingly short span of time, they returned dragging other creatures, all of whom immediately knelt in submission to the man.

‘Who is this person?’

He was a focal point of instinctive authority. By sharing his blood, he had transformed a disorganized group into a small army of over a hundred empowered beasts.

‘…I’ve seen necromancers raise the dead, but this is different.’

Commanding the living was far more potent. The undead were static, but these creatures could evolve and grow stronger. And he achieved this with mere drops of blood. He was an anomaly that defied categorization—something beyond even a vampire.

Then.

*Whirrr.*

The man unsheathed his blade, and a sudden, violent blizzard swept through the area. The temperature plummeted instantly, turning the floor into a frozen wasteland.

《The floor is completely encased in ice.》

《Completion: 100%》

《Level 4 floor guardian has manifested.》

《Level 4 floor guardian has been eliminated.》

The boss of the floor didn’t even have time to reveal its face before it was extinguished.

《Level 4 cleared. Initiating forced transport to the ‘Waiting Room’.》

《Exit is prohibited until Floor 1 of the Tower of Rifts is cleared.》

A teleportation circle ignited beneath the two men, pulling them out. But before they vanished, they caught a glimpse of something else.

‘What is that? A different gate?’

A radiant golden portal had opened for the man and his monsters. Its color and aura were entirely different from the standard exit—a privilege they didn’t share.

—

《Total SP gained: 45.》

《Total Fragments of the Golden Rule gained: 15.》

《Access to the succeeding floor is granted.》

《Current Party Ranking: 420 points》

《1st – Randolph (330)》

《2nd – Serengeti (50)》

《3rd – Rommel (20)》

《4th – Balte (10)》

《5th – Andrew (10)》

《Global Rank: 1st out of 13,754 parties.》

《2nd place party: 180 points.》

《3rd place party: 120 points.》

We were climbing with a massive lead. As the number of active parties dwindled, it was clear the tower was filtering out the weak.

‘The ratio of power to level is the defining factor here.’

Serengeti was performing admirably. As a 1-star nearing the 2-star threshold, she was effectively untouchable by standard level 11 entities.

‘The Greater Demonbloods can transition through the gate.’

Upon entering the level 5 floor, my army of over a hundred and twenty followed.

《’Greater Demonblood Pack (6)’ formation finalized.》

《Alpha Greater Demonblood (6) has manifested the ‘Darkness’ element.》

《The skill ‘Piercing Veil of Darkness’ is available by offering ‘Greater Demonblood Pack (6)’.》

《The skill ‘Burning Catastrophe’ is available by offering ‘Greater Demonblood Horde (1)’.》

By crossing the threshold of a hundred units, the pack had evolved into a ‘horde,’ unlocking strategic-scale abilities. ‘Burning Catastrophe’ sounded immense, but it was far too valuable to expend on these early stages.

* We desire strength. Grant us your essence!

The first alpha, the one attuned to fire, stepped forward. Its successful missions had clearly pushed its potential higher. I placed a single drop of blood upon it.

*Vvvrr!*

Its frame shook as if struck by lightning. It grew in stature, and flickering embers began to dance across its skin like a permanent aura.

【Lv. 9】

Its power spiked again.

《The skill ‘Great Eons of Flame’ is now available by offering ‘Greater Demonblood Pack (1)’.》

The sacrifice skill had evolved alongside its leader. It was becoming clear that the ceiling for these abilities was tied directly to the quality of the alpha. I was eager to see the eventual limit of this growth.

*Kreek!*

*Kirrk!*

The fifth floor was also home to Demonbloods, though these were noticeably more robust than the ones below.

“Capture them all. Do not kill them.”

I issued the order. I would continue to harvest and dominate every Demonblood in my path.

**Heaven-Sent Opportunity**

*Ziiing!*

Laktusha’s massive sword hummed with concentrated energy. It wasn’t just basic sword qi; it was a materialized beam of pure destructive force.

‘Consume everything, Black Heaven Sword.’

The jet-black blade swept through the air, trailing a wake of darkness.

*K-Boom!*

The ground fractured, and a massive swarm of Demonbloods was reduced to ash. Anything caught in the arc was obliterated into countless microscopic pieces, silenced before they could even realize they were dead.

Shortly after.

《Massive Demonblood horde eradicated.》

《+3 points awarded.》

《Current Party Ranking: 429 points》

《1st – Laktusha (100)》

《2nd – Saint (99)》

《3rd – Recluse (98)》

《4th – Saluman (97)》

《5th – Master (35)》

《Global Rank: 2nd out of 13,311 parties.》

The data updated instantly. However, Laktusha’s expression remained grim as he stared at the screen.

‘Still stuck in second place.’