Chapter 90: Demonic Blood (1)

“You want me to teach you how to handle demonic blood? Right now?”

“Yes.”

Go Geonho turned his gaze toward the great courtyard, now a chaotic battlefield teeming with endlessly regenerating demonic beasts and undead that refused to stay dead. His eyes drifted to the distant, swaying giant tree.

“You seem to have devised a clever plan to deal with that thing.”

He nodded.

“I intend to use Blood Magic. To do that, Lord of the Nine Heavens, you must teach me how to manipulate demonic blood.”

By mastering the Heavenly Blood Book, I had unlocked Demonic Blood, the foundational skill of Blood Magic. But that was merely laying the groundwork.

“I understand that Blood Magic operates on fundamentally different mechanisms than traditional skills in the Magic System.”

Unlike conventional magic, Blood Magic lacks standardized skills. Instead, it relies on blood infused with Mana.

Demonic blood could be used to manifest boundless mysteries.

Simply put, demonic blood was like clay, and Skills were the shapes molded from it.

From this perspective, the mechanism of Blood Magic shared a fundamental similarity with Technique Nullification.

Demonic blood was merely the foundational Skill that allowed blood to be used in place of Mana.

However, crafting effective Skills remained entirely the caster’s responsibility.

And right now, I was asking Go Geonho to teach me that very “crafting” method.

”…”

Without a word, the Nine Heavens Bone King whipped his arm, holding a massive bone blade, backward with lightning speed.

Crack!

“Gurgle!”

A Silver Fang, attempting to sneak up on us with suppressed breathing, collapsed in two pieces.

To prevent its easy regeneration, Go Geonho tossed the upper and lower halves to opposite sides as he continued speaking.

“I can teach you,” Go Geonho said, “but it’s impossible for you to wield Blood Magic effectively enough to construct that right now.”

”…”

“Shaping your own blood into Skills isn’t easy.”

Go Geonho stared at me with calm, steady eyes.

“Even after receiving Azazel’s teachings, it took me a month just to properly control my demonic blood. Shaping a Skill with the power of Fireball took another two or three months.”

In truth, even that was absurdly fast.

Typically, Awakened individuals who unlock demonic blood require over six months to master it. During that process, more than a third become crippled from excessive blood loss while trying to control their demonic blood. In the worst cases, they even die.

This was why Blood Magic was reserved for a select few skilled Hunters.

“I acknowledge your abilities,” Go Geonho said. “You’ll likely master demonic blood far faster than I ever could. But even so…”

The Nine Heavens Bone King gazed at the Heavenly Blood Tree, its branches spreading across Daehwa Island.

Then, he declared with unwavering certainty, “It’s impossible for you to construct that thing with Blood Magic right now, no matter what method you’ve devised.”

”…”

I silently stared back at Go Geonho.

I understood why he was so certain.

Go Geonho didn’t doubt my potential. In fact, he had even admitted that I would surpass him soon.

However, using Blood Magic in this situation wasn’t a matter of skill.

Even with a heaven-sent talent for combat, it’s impossible for a baby who can barely crawl to topple a giant over two meters tall.

“You’d be better off focusing on distracting it, preventing it from extending its domain beyond Daehwa Island.”

Krrrrrrrumble!

The Heavenly Blood Tree loomed over us, its earth-shattering roar reverberating across Daehwa Island, shaking the very ground beneath our feet.

“With a demonic beast of that magnitude, Alliance Headquarters would have detected the anomaly immediately and dispatched reinforcements by now,” Go Geonho said.

I would have agreed, had I not checked the Heavenly Blood Tree’s information on MonMonWiki.

The truth was, even with the support of the Big Three Guilds, it would be impossible to subdue it. In fact, deploying them would only worsen the situation and increase casualties.

“I want to try defeating it with my own strength first,” I said quietly. “So, please, would you teach me how to handle demonic blood?”

“Hunter Taejun…”

“My motto is, ‘Even if it’s impossible, just give it a shot!’” I replied with a playful grin.

Go Geonho froze, his face a mask of bewilderment and disbelief at my flippant response. But only for a moment.

Go Geonho sighed, acknowledging the seriousness in my eyes. “Alright. But promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“You must cast Blood Magic in front of me. I don’t want to have come all this way just to witness your self-destruction.”

If that’s all it takes…

“Understood.”

“I’d prefer to demonstrate it myself, but…”

Go Geonho had lost his demonic blood when his contract with the Heavenly Blood Book was severed. He nodded brightly.

“A verbal explanation will suffice.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

I am Lee Taejun.

Despite appearances, I graduated from Hunters Den with perfect scores in all theoretical exams.

Go Geonho stared at me for a moment before speaking. “Miss Serin.”

Yoo Se-rin, who had been busily buffing the Undead Legion, turned her head. “Yes, Lord of the Nine Heavens!”

“I’m entrusting you with command of the battlefield for a while.”

“Huh?”

“I’m entrusting control of my Undead Legion to Miss Serin. Taejun and I need to take care of something briefly, so I’m counting on you to lead them in my absence.”

“Uh, uh-huh? Me?! In charge of these skeletons?!” Yoo Se-rin stammered, her face a mask of disbelief.

Instead of answering, the Undead Legion facing the demonic beasts simultaneously turned their heads toward her, like soldiers awaiting orders.

“A-alright!” Realizing this was no time for hesitation, Yoo Se-rin nodded firmly. Still anxious, she added, “But… you should really hurry back, okay?!”

“I will,” Go Geonho replied with a smile. He channeled pitch-black mana into his hand and swirled it upward.

Thud-thud-thud!

Suddenly, dozens of massive bones, resembling the ribs of a colossal monster, erupted from the ground, arching around the battlefield to form a circular barrier.

With this protective zone established, impenetrable to the claws of the demonic beasts, Go Geonho turned to me and issued his command without hesitation.

“Activate Demonic Blood.”

I immediately activated the Skill.

Thump!

My heart lurched violently.

Then, an indescribably nauseating sensation swept through my entire body.

This was it.

It felt as if cold snakes were slithering through the blood vessels of my entire body.

“This is the first major hurdle,” Go Geonho muttered. “The process where Mana and blood mix to create Demonic Blood. Most people give up right here.”

I understood why he called it a hurdle.

An ordinary human couldn’t possibly endure the terror of this sensation—the feeling of snakes teeming throughout their body, ready to burst through their skin at any moment.

But with a calm expression, I accepted the mixing of Mana and blood, my expression serene.

I stared intently at the Status Window floating before my eyes.

My personal physician, who knew my body better than anyone, assured me that everything was normal.

That was all I needed to hear.

The demonic blood would never harm me.

I was absolutely certain of it.

“You have to endure this, even if you feel like you’re about to die…” Go Geonho, who had been trying to reassure me, suddenly gaped in astonishment.

“Don’t you feel anything at all?”

“Yes, I do.”

“But you seem so unnervingly calm.”

“Because I know I’m not going to die.”

I tried to smile to match my playful response, but it wouldn’t come. Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to even twitch my lips.

Still, Go Geonho’s shocked expression told me that even this small gesture had far exceeded his expectations.

Not long after, the overwhelming discomfort that had consumed my entire body slowly began to subside.

The veins, which had been writhing like living snakes, returned to their proper places. My heart, which had been pounding as if about to burst, regained its steady rhythm.

Then, suddenly:

Drip.

A single drop of blood fell from my nose, swirling with blue mana.

“What the…” Go Geonho gasped, his face twisted in shock. “Demonic blood can stabilize this easily, in a single go…?”

To be honest, it hadn’t been easy at all. I had simply endured it by stubbornly focusing on my Body Information window, somehow holding on. Since I had chosen Blood Magic myself, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and bear it. Still, if I had to go through this process every time, I’d rather pass.

Wiping the blood from my nose, I asked, “What should I do next?”

”…”

“Lord of the Nine Heavens?”

“Hmm, my apologies. That was so far beyond my expectations that I was momentarily stunned.”

Go Geonho regained his serious demeanor and continued, “Next, we’ll extract the demonic blood from your body and shape it externally. Focus your consciousness on your wrist. There’s a tiny opening there; imagine drawing the demonic blood out through it.”

Frankly, his explanation alone wasn’t enough to make sense.

But the moment I focused my attention on my wrist as he instructed…

A subtle twitch.

My right wrist.

The very spot where traditional Korean medicine practitioners take a pulse.

I felt movement there.

Sluuuurp.

Simultaneously, a thread of blood infused with blue Mana began to emerge from my wrist.

Go Geonho nodded, watching the shimmering thread of blood undulating from my wrist.

“As expected, you’re handling this easily. But don’t let your guard down. The real challenge comes next.”

The next step was shaping the demonic blood into the form I desired.

“Demonic blood is a weapon of limitless potential. You can mold it into bullets that pierce anything, a blood mist that melts flesh on contact, or even golems that fight for their caster.”

“Yes.”

“The problem, however, lies in the unpredictable cost. Casters have no way of knowing how much demonic blood they’re consuming.”

In the current Magic System, all skills have standardized, fixed resource costs. If a caster’s Mana falls below the required amount, the skill simply won’t activate. When Mana is completely depleted, the body immediately signals distress.

But Blood Magic is different.

Until every last drop of the caster’s blood is drained away.

Blood Magic reveals no anomalies until death is imminent.

In simpler terms, it has no limit.

Yet it consumes the very resource most intimately tied to human life.

“That’s why Blood Magic must be manifested gradually, starting with the smallest mysteries.”

The caster has no choice but to discover their own limits firsthand.

Which is why Go Geonho was trying to stop me.

“So, to shape Blood Magic, I simply activate the demonic blood and visualize the desired effects and properties?”

“Precisely. But at your current level…”

“I’ll create one right away.”

“Wait, don’t be reckless…!”

I closed my eyes and began ‘shaping’ the demonic blood.

It wasn’t difficult.

The Archmage’s Fireball, capable of countless variations, worked on a similar principle.

I visualized the shape within my mind.

A sphere the size of a baseball.

Twitch.

Simultaneously, I felt the movement of the blood vessels connected to my wrist.

A cool sensation as blood drained away.

A gurgling sound filled my ears as the demonic blood gathered into a spherical mass above my palm.

Hardness sufficient to pierce adamantium, ejection speed comparable to a Fireball.

Glug!

The blood flow through the vessels in my wrist surged even more violently.

“Hunter Taejun!” Go Geonho shouted from beside me.

But it wasn’t ready yet.

Though a wave of dizziness washed over me, it was still manageable.

The “situation” I desired hadn’t materialized.

In that case…

“Create 100 Blood Orbs with these properties simultaneously.”

Immediately afterward—

Thud!

The sound reverberated.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

The Blood Orbs had lost their form and oxidized.

And the Status Window appeared before me:

The message continued:

The corner of my mouth lifted involuntarily.

The greatest risk of Blood Magic—its lack of limits—

As expected, it posed no problem for me.

Previously, when I first attempted to use the Soaring Dragon Divine Fist, which I had copied using the Mimic Crystal, the Current Status Window had forcibly canceled the skill’s activation because it would strain my body.

I was certain that Blood Magic would operate on the same principle.

My intuition proved correct.

Though I never expected the “calculator” to intervene here.

“Hunter Taejun, are you alright?”

“Yes.”

I straightened my posture and bowed to Go Geonho, who stood there with a dazed expression.

I wanted to express my gratitude more fully, but this wasn’t the time.

I had grasped the mechanics of Blood Magic and mastered its application.

Now it was time to put it to the test in real combat.

And so.

I charged forward without hesitation, reaching Silver Fang, who lay collapsed beneath the bone barrier.

The same creature Go Geonho had bisected with his golden blade moments earlier.

“Krrrk—”

Though only its upper body remained, the monster glared at me with bloodshot eyes, baring its fangs.

I avoided its gaze, instead focusing on the nape of its neck.

The spot where a Heavenblood Vine as thick as my forearm had burrowed in.

Without hesitation—

Thud!

I plunged my hand into the monster’s neck.