Wolf of the Blood Moon: A Blood Magic

Book 2: Chapter 19: New Inherent Skill

Scarlet

The kid actually doesnt go to sleep this time and just keeps her eyes cracked open slightly, so I offhandedly ask, Do you know where your parents are?

Which turns out to be a bad idea judging by her stiffening up ever so slightly. So little that if she werent hugging onto my arm I wouldnt have even noticed.

She doesnt say anything for several seconds, so I just add, You dont have to talk about them if you-

The girl cuts me off by answering, Father is far away from here like always. Just fighting.

I blink in surprise.

Oh. I mutter.

She continues while squeezing my arm tighter between hers, I dont have a mother.

That cuts me deep. So deep that I cant help but reach over and hug her with my left arm despite my distaste of physical contact.

I blink at that thought.

Wait a second.

Shes been touching me for who knows how long and it hasnt felt uncomfortable? What?

Youre only just noticing this? Tar asks, apparently having noticed it himself a while ago.

But why?

My guess is that you see yourself in the girl somehow and are subconsciously not putting your guard up around her or something, Tar answers in a very unclear and uncertain way. If our guesses are correct, then she is likely the daughter of a Class V Guardian who doesnt seem to take good care of her. Possibly even abandoned her. Just like you in a way.

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. So I close it again.

Hes right.

We are similar.

Although now that Im thinking about the physical contact, I am starting to feel a tiny bit uncomfortable, so I slowly remove my arm from around her. Only for the girl to stiffen up at that, so I return it to its previous position.

Damnit.

Im willing to bet that I know whats up with the girls family situation. At least partially.

Most likely her father is a Class V Guardian who has an etched skill and was politely asked by the military and the government to have a child, but probably didnt actually want one. So he likely just had one artificially or through a donor to get them off his back but doesnt actually bother caring for his daughter, instead leaving her here while he fights on the front lines.

Thats my guess at least.

A cruel way to be brought up. Although still probably better than being an orphan, considering the clothes shes wearing and that shes in a Tier 1 city.

Might be best to avoid that subject now though.

I am kind of curious what her etched skill is though.

Nearly an entire half an hour passes with me continuously going out to fight fomorians every time they enter the floor every three to seven minutes or so. And every time I level up from the kills.

But now, after killing the fifth fomorian and beginning to walk back while letting my messages play out, I stop mid step at the sight of a new message included amongst the bunch.

{Level 110 Demon Fomorian defeated. A vast EXP bonus is awarded for killing a creature above your level.}

{Congrats, you have leveled up to level 75. Two Free Points have been awarded to you and your stats have been updated.}

{One Skill Point is awarded for killing a demon.}

{You have earned the inherent skill, Blood Diffusion.}

Finally! Another inherent skill!

Although whats blood diffusion?

I quickly open my status and then focus on the description.

{Blood Diffusion Allows the user to set up a faint magical barrier around their own body. This barrier will cause any attack below a certain level to burn the blood of the user instead of causing direct damage to them. The amount of blood burned is dependent on the level of the user and the power behind the attack dealt. The barrier does not work against affliction-based attacks.}

Oh? A defensive skill. Thats something I hadnt thought about before.

Maybe I should also try getting an actual shielding skill to go along with this one?

With the Skill Points youre earning in this Fracture, you very well can, Tar answers, making me nod my head in agreement.

Just gotta stick with a rare skill for the shield, since another epic would be too expensive. Not to mention that I dont actually have any defensive epic skills. Or other epic skills at all in my store available to me right now, for that matter. Except the one that poisons my blood. But that would burn a lot of skill points for an unknown, so I wont be getting it for a while at least.

I was kind of hoping for another blood lycan skill though, if Im being honest.

Youll probably get one after reaching Class II, so dont worry, Tar says, reminding me that Im actually getting close to Class II already. Only twenty-five levels away at this point.

A frown emerges on my face at the thought.

And I still havent managed to get a skill that can help me remain human

Honestly, I think you should give up on getting that skill at Class I and just accept that youll be losing some more of your human genes upon advancing to Class II, Tar states as I walk through the hall, making me grimace at the thought. In fact, Im pretty sure a skill like the one you need is most likely a mythical one. So even if you do eventually get it, youll likely be somewhere around Class IV by that point.

Well, shit. That thats not good.

Youre right, Tar says, appearing in the air as I walk but still speaking directly to my mind and not out loud. Losing your human ears which I can very much see happening at Class II very well might raise questions about your strange reality warp. Since everyone knows you to have straight up blood magic, despite you showing skills and a reality warp related to wolves.

Yeah itll definitely be a problem.

Although, it wont be serious enough to worry about someone figuring it out yet. The grudge between humans and demons is just too strong for someone to ever reach the conclusion that Im half demon. Especially half blood lycan. Not to mention the fact that humans know it to be physically impossible for a human and a demon to have a child. At least, from the knowledge they have at the moment.

Only royal fae like Tar know otherwise.

So itll probably be at Class III that Ill have to worry about. What do you think will happen then?

I cant be sure, Tar answers while flying over and landing on my shoulder. Its possible that the Class III changes might just be internal and nothing too obvious to the naked eye, like how you have two hearts right now thanks to your first reality warp.

I blink in surprise at that.

Huh. Actually forgot about having two hearts.

How do you forget about something like that? Tar mutters, sounding honestly shocked by my statement.

I shrug.

Our conversation cuts off again when I make it back to the set room just to find the girl standing up next to the window, looking out over the city.

Kind of surprised shes not sleeping.