Chapter 11: Awakening in Blood
The morning sun was creeping over the hills, casting a soft golden glow across the open landscape. Inside the rattling carriage, Sky sat lazily, his arms folded, and Serena quietly at his side.
The warm wind brushing in through the open window stirred her silver hair just enough to make her look like a painting in motion.
Sky grumbled as the wheels bumped over rough terrain. "This carriage is just uncomfortable," he muttered. "Guess that's what you get for three bronze coins…"he said as he put his head on serena's lap
[DING!]["hey lil pp wake up"][WARNING: Six wolves approaching fast — 5 E-Rank, 1 D-Rank]
"hey man l am 10 inchs"
Sky's eyes sharpened instantly. The relaxed energy vanished.
He stood up and calmly reached for his sword.
"Old man," he called toward the driver, "Get inside the carriage. Now."
The driver, already hearing the howls in the distance, didn't argue. He climbed in and shut the doors behind him.
Serena sat up straighter, watching Sky with a worried expression.
Seconds later, the wolves emerged from the nearby trees—growling, their ribs visible from hunger, and their eyes glowing with bloodlust.
Sky stepped onto the grass, drawing his longsword slowly. His expression remained blank. Cold. Focused.
Two of the wolves sniffed the air and locked onto him—he looked thin, human… weak. A decent enough meal.
They lunged together, fangs bared.
But before they even reached him—
Slash!
A silver arc sliced through the air. In a single motion, Sky split the mouth of the first wolf clean open. The second stopped mid-air—confused—before its head was removed by a spinning backslash.
Blood splattered across the grass as the two beasts collapsed, twitching violently before going still.
The remaining three wolves hesitated.
They moved smarter now coordinated. One took the front, while the other two flanked him from either side.
Sky watched, eyes cold.
They charged.
He reacted instantly, sliding forward on one knee across the dirt. As he passed under the front wolf's leap, he slashed upward, cutting deep into its chest. It dropped, howling in pain.
But the two on the sides didn't miss their chance.
One clamped down on Sky's forearm with a violent crunch.
"Argh—dammit!" he cursed.
The other leapt at him, but Sky twisted and drove his blade into its belly. It let out a broken cry before falling to the ground.
Sky raised his bloodied hand and muttered, "Heal… Heal… Heal…"
Green light shimmered faintly around his arm. The wound closed slowly, enough to regain control of his grip.
Then came the final one.
The D-Rank wolf.
It didn't growl. It didn't leap. It just stared—calm, controlled, and murderous. The leader.
The two circled each other in silence.
Then, with terrifying speed, the wolf lunged. Its claws swiped out with ferocity, forcing Sky back. Blow after blow came in a flurry—claws, fangs, lunges.
Sky blocked, ducked, slashed—until one hit landed, cutting across his ribs. He hissed through his teeth.
The wolf moved in for the kill.
Sky planted his feet, let it charge—and at the last second, he sidestepped, grabbed its neck, and—
Shunk!
Drove his sword through its throat.
The beast jerked, legs twitching. Then collapsed with a dull thud.
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[Magic Unlock Conditions Met]
[All elemental roots are being planted in the host body.]
[Brace yourself, Tobby…]
Then the real pain began.
Sky dropped to his knees. His chest felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside—his lungs burned, his bones felt like they were breaking and reforming at once.
His screams echoed across the empty plains.
Inside the carriage, Serena's heart stopped. She pushed the door open and ran toward him, falling to her knees.
"Sky?! Master Sky!" she shouted, gripping his shoulders.
Her eyes widened as she watched his veins glow faintly with light. The earth itself seemed to react to him. Is this… is this a magical root being planted into his body? This early?
She had only heard of this in ancient texts.
Sky clenched his fists, his body shaking violently. He felt something digging into his soul, roots threading into every part of him. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Could only endure.
Finally… it stopped.
[Magic Root successfully applied to host body][Loot Acquired:]
– E-Rank Cores ×5
– D-Rank Core ×1
– Wolf Fangs ×12
– Wolf Skins
– Wolf Meat
Sky lay on his back, sweat soaking his shirt, his body steaming slightly.
He blinked once. Then whispered, "Status."
A new screen unfolded in front of his eyes, clear and glowing:
Name: Sky
Race: demon (Diabolos – Stage 2)
Level: 10
Magic Root: Applied (All Affinities)
Unlocked Affinities:
Fire
Water
Earth
Wind
Lightning
Ice
Light
Shadow
New Skills:
• Slash Mastery
• Beast Sense
• Elemental Root Control (Dormant)
Available Stat Points: 40
Sky let out a shaky breath.
His lips curled into a smile.
"Now we're talking…"