The road stretched east. The capital's spires were still days away. Iris, Clara, and Tina walked ahead in silence, their cloaks drawn tight against the wind. Behind them, Noctis slowed.
He closed his eyes. The Blood Grid opened.
The lattice glowed brighter than ever before. Thousands of lives consumed in Redhaven pulsed within it, new lines branching, fresh nodes burning like stars across the crimson weave.
System Notice[Mass Harvest Integration Complete]→ New Doctrine Echoes detected→ Minor branches revealed→ Additional Blood, Faith, Iron, and Soul skills accessible
New Blood Skills
Blood TelekinesisCost: 15 Blood Essence per sustained actionEffect: Grants telekinetic control over any object coated in the user's blood.Notes: Allows thrown weapons (e.g., Bloodfang Reaper) to return at will.
Blood Memory SiphonCost: 25 Blood Essence per attemptEffect: Allows partial access to memories of consumed victims.Notes: Fragments only — the stronger the victim, the clearer the memory.
Sanguine LashCost: 10 Blood Essence per strikeEffect: Forms a whip of blood, up to 5 meters long, able to pull or entangle enemies.
Crimson MistCost: 25 Blood Essence + 5 Iron EssenceEffect: Expels a thick mist of blood to obscure vision. Can be ignited with Predator Flame for secondary effect.
Blood Puppetry (Lesser)Cost: 50 Blood Essence + 10 Soul Essence per corpseEffect: Temporarily animate fresh corpses for basic combat actions.
⚔️ Sword Doctrine (New Nodes)
Dual Blades MasteryCost: 30 Blood Essence + 10 Iron EssenceEffect: Enables full synchronization with twin swords, granting fluid dual-style combat.
Orbiting SwordsCost: 50 Blood Essence + 20 Iron Essence (upkeep 10 Blood/minute)Effect: Summons 2–4 swords that orbit the user defensively, parrying incoming strikes.Upgrade Path: Later can be expanded to orbiting weapons of all types, with options for automatic or manual attack patterns.
Edge ResonanceCost: 15 Blood Essence per weaponEffect: Imbues held swords with vibrating resonance, increasing sharpness by 30%.
Sweeping FangCost: 20 Blood EssenceEffect: A wide horizontal slash that projects a cutting wave.
Blade ReversalCost: 25 Blood Essence + 5 Iron EssenceEffect: Turns an enemy's blade strike back against them, redirecting the force.
Shield Doctrine (New Nodes)
Blood BarrierCost: 60 Blood Essence + 15 Iron Essence (upkeep 5 Blood/minute)Effect: Creates a barrier 5 meters wide that negates all physical damage.Notes: Immovable, centered on the user.
Marrow BulwarkCost: 20 Blood Essence + 10 Iron EssenceEffect: Forms a temporary shield of bone and blood in front of the user.
Chainbound Barrier (reinforcement)Cost: 25 Blood Essence + 10 Iron Essence (additional upkeep if sustained)Effect: When Blood Barrier is struck, chains erupt outward, binding attackers for 5 seconds.Notes: Extends the barrier into an active deterrent.
🏹 Archer Doctrine (New Nodes)
Piercing VolleyCost: 20 Blood Essence per arrow conjuredEffect: Fires 3 spectral arrows in a straight line. Each arrow continues unobstructed, piercing through all enemies in its path until striking a wall or barrier.
Blood ArrowCost: 15 Blood EssenceEffect: Forms an arrow from blood; upon impact, it detonates in a burst.
Sight of the HunterCost: Passive (requires 10 Faith Essence)Effect: Enhances vision, allowing zoom-like focus and tracking of moving targets in low light.
Faith Branch (New Nodes)
Blood BlessingCost: 120 Blood Essence + 40 Faith EssenceEffect: Bestows a blessing on allies. Doubles physical attributes and accelerates healing for 30 minutes. After effect ends, allies suffer fatigue (-20% attributes for 1 hour).
Crimson BenedictionCost: 40 Faith Essence + 30 Blood EssenceEffect: Empowers an ally's weapon with vampiric drain for 10 minutes.
Rejection WardCost: 60 Faith EssenceEffect: Creates a one-use protective circle that blocks a holy attack.
Bloodlit SermonCost: 80 Faith Essence + 20 Blood EssenceEffect: Emits a pulse that temporarily instills terror in nearby faithful (priests, zealots, hunters), lowering their Will by 30% for 10 minutes.
The lattice pulsed, nodes shifting like constellations across a crimson sky. So many new paths — but only some called to him directly.
Blood to control and retrieve.Blood to pry into memory.Blades orbiting like a shield of steel.A barrier of marrow to deny harm.A blessing to twist Faith into strength.
Noctis closed the Grid. His golden-crimson eyes burned in the dusk.
The capital would offer more prey. And when he arrived, these skills would no longer be dormant.
The campfire burned low. Iris, Clara, and Tina slept in their separate tents, cloaked in exhaustion from the day's march. Their breathing was steady, unaware.
Noctis rose silently.
Skill Activated: Sanctified Shroud→ Aura suppressed→ Detection by faithful or demonic forces nullified for 1 hour
He stepped into the open field. The night air was cold, the moon hidden behind clouds. He spread his claws, and the Blood Grid flared before him.
Unlock: Blood Telekinesis
Node Selected: Blood TelekinesisCost: 15 Blood Essence
[Unlocked]
Noctis drew Bloodfang Reaper from the Grid and hurled it across the field. The blade spun end over end, embedding into a tree.
He extended one claw. Veins of crimson tethered to the blade, invisible to mortal eyes.
The sword trembled—then ripped free, sailing back into his hand.
Skill Confirmed: Blood Telekinesis Functional
Unlock: Blood Memory Siphon
Node Selected: Blood Memory SiphonCost: 25 Blood Essence
[Unlocked]
A swirl of images pierced his mind: chanting priests, guards drilling in the courtyard, adventurers sharpening blades, mothers whispering prayers before sleep. Fragments of Redhaven burned like sparks and faded.
System Notice[Partial memories extracted]→ Accuracy 32%→ Fragment density: High
Noctis exhaled once. Useful. Enough to read prey before they act.
Unlock: Orbiting Swords
Node Selected: Orbiting SwordsCost: 50 Blood Essence + 20 Iron Essence (upkeep 10 Blood/minute)
[Unlocked]
Three spectral blades ignited, forged of crimson light. They orbited him slowly, rotating in perfect arcs. He raised his arm — one blade deflected downward, catching the swing of an imaginary strike.
The orbit accelerated, a halo of slashing steel.
System Notice
[Orbit stable — 3 blades]
[Defense boost: +40%]
Unlock: Blood Barrier
Node Selected: Blood Barrier
Cost: 60 Blood Essence + 15 Iron Essence (upkeep 5 Blood/minute)
[Unlocked]
A dome of hardened crimson flared outward, five meters wide. The air rippled as chains coiled within the barrier's walls.
Noctis struck the barrier himself — claws scraping across it. At the point of impact, chains lashed outward, seizing the target point before retracting.
Skill Confirmed: Chainbound Barrier Reinforcement Active
Unlock: Blood Blessing
Node Selected: Blood Blessing
Cost: 120 Blood Essence + 40 Faith Essence
[Unlocked]
The Grid pulsed. A crimson-gold aura gathered in his palm, heavy with Faith Essence. He extended the aura outward — and the field shimmered, ready to be cast on an ally.
System Notice
[Blood Blessing Prepared]→ Allies only→ Effect: +100% attributes, accelerated healing (30 minutes)→ Fatigue debuff applied after expiration
Noctis allowed the aura to fade. Not for me. For them.
He closed the Grid.
Essence Deductions
Blood: –270
Faith: –40
Iron: –35
Remaining Totals → Blood: 21,180 | Faith: 1,080 | Iron: 3,575 | Soul: 3,121 | Apex: 14 | Beast: 1,620
The blades dissolved. The barrier collapsed. The tether of blood to his sword faded.
Noctis stood in the darkness, silent, satisfied.
"These will serve."
He turned back toward camp, the shroud still wrapping him like a veil. The women slept on, unaware that the man they followed had grown more terrible still.
The night was silent. Iris, Clara, and Tina slept soundly in their tents. Noctis stood apart, his eyes closed, the Blood Grid unfurling across his vision.
System Notice
[Node Upgrades Available]→ Blood Telekinesis→ Dual Blades Mastery→ Orbiting Swords
His claws flexed once. He understood the lattice well: at Tier I and II, Orbiting Swords would accept only blades in sword-form. For Bloodfang Reaper, that meant restriction — orbiting possible, but locked to its sword-shape. The scythe and guandao forms would not be recognized.
That was not acceptable.
He directed essence forward.
Upgrade: Blood Telekinesis II
Cost: 35 Blood Essence
[Unlocked]
→ Range doubled.→ Objects maintain autonomous hover without hand contact.→ Integration with weapon doctrines enabled.
Upgrade: Dual Blades Mastery II
Cost: 45 Blood Essence + 15 Iron Essence
[Unlocked]
→ Perfect synchronization with dual weapons.→ Offhand strikes gain 25% increased speed.→ Cross-combo attacks unlocked.
Upgrade: Orbiting Arsenal III
Cost: 150 Blood Essence + 60 Iron Essence + 20 Soul Essence
[Unlocked]
→ Weapon type restriction removed.→ Any forged or telekinetically bound weapon may orbit.→ Weapon count increased to 10.→ Manual and autonomous modes can be layered.
Noctis summoned Bloodfang Reaper. The weapon shifted into sword-form. He cast it across the field; it embedded into a tree.
Skill Active: Blood Telekinesis II
The weapon tore free and returned — but not to his hand. It hovered at his side, blade angled outward. He willed it forward. The sword slashed in the air, then retreated back to orbit around him.
Then he willed a change. The Reaper stretched into guandao-form, its blade curving on a long shaft. It spun freely, orbiting like a halberd.
Another shift: the scythe, crescent edge gleaming, carving arcs in the air.
System Notice
[Orbiting Arsenal III Integration Confirmed]→ Multi-form weapons fully supported
For the first time, all three forms of the Reaper were his to orbit.
He reached into the Grid again and forged two more.
Weapon Forge: Bloodfang Reaper ×3→ Forms: Sword / Scythe / Guandao
The air filled with weapons. Three Reapers spun around him, shifting forms mid-orbit. One scythe swept low. One guandao slashed wide. One sword stabbed forward like a spear.
He gave a silent command.
The three attacked in sequence — one-two-three — each strike precise, each orbit flowing seamlessly into the next. A storm of blades circled him, autonomous yet perfectly under his will.
System Notice
[Orbiting Arsenal III Test Complete]→ Arsenal stable→ Offensive chain confirmed→ Defense rotation confirmed
Essence Deductions
Blood: –230
Iron: –75
Soul: –20
Remaining Totals → Blood: 21,220 | Faith: 1,120 | Iron: 3,535 | Soul: 3,101 | Apex: 14 | Beast: 1,620
The Reapers slowed, hovered, then dissolved into crimson motes, vanishing back into the Grid.
Noctis stood in the dark, claws flexing once. His golden-crimson eyes burned.
"Perfect."
He turned back toward camp. The women stirred faintly in their sleep, unaware of the arsenal now circling their master's will.
He thought of celebrating the triumph — but chose patience instead. The capital will be the moment.
The night stretched unbroken, the campfire long dead. Noctis stood again apart from the tents. The Blood Grid hummed faintly in his vision, pulsing with his will.
He extended one claw. Two new weapons ignited from crimson mist, their forms stabilizing into long, straight blades. Unlike their orbiting kin, these were fixed — forged to remain swords, meant for his hands.
He gripped both. The weight was perfect. Balanced. Hungry.
Three more Reapers appeared, orbiting him in a shifting halo. One scythe, one guandao, one sword.
Five in total.
He shifted into stance.
The twin blades in his hands blurred, crossing in sweeping arcs. Behind him, the orbiting Reapers responded instantly. The scythe swept low as his right blade cut high. The guandao stabbed forward as his left sword slashed across.
Steel moved as one.
He pivoted, twisting mid-strike. The orbit shifted with him, maintaining perfect spacing. He crossed the twin swords in his hands, then willed the orbiting trio to collapse inward. All five struck together, their edges converging in a storm of crimson light that carved deep scars into the earth.
Noctis hurled one of the swords from his grip. It spun outward, then stopped midair, suspended in crimson will. The guandao detached from orbit and fell neatly into his open hand. He swung once, then let it return to its circle, catching the sword again as it hovered back.
Weapons rotated, exchanged, flowed between orbit and hand as though they were extensions of his body.
His golden-crimson eyes glowed brighter. This is dominion. My blades, my will, my storm.
He ended the trial with a single command of thought.
The orbiting three collapsed inward in sequence — sword, scythe, guandao — followed by his twin blades crossing in a final strike. The shockwave split the ground at his feet, dust rising in silence.
The five weapons slowed, then dissolved into crimson motes, vanishing back into the Grid.
Noctis lowered his arms, his breathing steady, his satisfaction absolute.
"Perfect."
He turned toward the camp once more. The women still slept, undisturbed by the storm of weapons their master had just commanded.
Patience would hold until the capital. There, this arsenal would be tested on prey worthy of it.
By the third day of travel, the horizon broke open.
The capital rose like a fortress carved into the bones of the earth. Walls towered higher than Redhaven's ever had, layered stone darkened by centuries of soot and battle. Banners of the Sun God snapped above every gate, golden rays embroidered on white cloth, their edges gleaming in the light.
Beyond the walls, the cathedral spires stabbed the sky. Taller than mountains of stone, they gleamed as if cast in holy fire, their bells tolling slow and deep. Even at this distance, Noctis felt the weight of the faith woven into them.
Hunters patrolled the outer roads. Their armor bore the sigil of the Sun — shields on their backs, long spears at their sides. Eyes sharp, jaws set, they scanned every traveler that passed toward the gates.
Noctis walked at the front, sealed armor enclosing him like a shadow. Iris, Clara, and Tina followed close, hoods raised, their steps small and cautious. The hunters' eyes lingered on them but moved on, uninterested in another band of worn travelers.
The gates opened, and the city swallowed them.
The capital stretched wide. Streets carved in stone, lined with vendors and stalls, spilled into wide plazas choked with merchants. Smiths hammered in forges, their sparks flying. Tanners cured leather. Priests walked the avenues, their white robes trailing behind them, murmuring blessings to anyone who knelt. Hunters moved in disciplined units, pairs or trios, always armed.
The four drew no attention as they crossed the city, slipping into the press of travelers.
They found an inn on the edge of the western quarter — a tall, timbered building with lanterns burning in every window. Noctis paid without a word, coin passing across the counter. Rooms were given, the women settling with quiet relief. Their packs were laid down, cloaks folded, and for the first time since Redhaven they had a roof above their heads.
But Noctis did not stop.
"We continue," he said. His voice was even, brooking no refusal.
The three obeyed, and together they returned to the streets.
The market lay at the city's heart.
Stalls lined the square, tables covered with ironwork, jeweled trinkets, rare potions glowing in glass flasks. Spices filled the air — cinnamon, clove, saffron — their scents clinging to the press of bodies. Shouts of merchants rose above the crowd, hawking charms, blades, and coins. Children darted between legs, chasing after dogs.
Iris lingered near a jeweler's stall, her eyes flicking toward a necklace strung with opals. Clara studied racks of crossbows, her hand hovering above the wood as if weighing its pull. Tina moved silently, eyes sweeping the hunters who passed in disciplined patrols even here, amid the laughter and noise.
Noctis walked at the center, sealed armor unmoving, gaze calm. His eyes passed over every stall, every hunter, every priest, memorizing the layout of the city.
The capital was alive. And soon, it would be his hunting ground.
The press of the market was relentless. Voices rose from every direction, merchants calling, haggling, boasting. Bells rang from the cathedral towers in the distance, steady and measured, as if to remind all who bartered that the Sun watched over their coin.
Noctis led the three women through the crowd. His sealed armor made him a shadow among the light, but the market was too busy to dwell on one more silent figure. Iris, Clara, and Tina walked close, their cloaks drawn, heads lowered.
At the first stall, a smith displayed steel-lined leather and chain harnesses.
Noctis stopped. His golden-crimson gaze fixed on the armor. "Choose."
The women hesitated, looking at each other. Then Iris stepped forward, fingertips brushing the plated leather, testing the weight. Clara lifted a pair of vambraces, turning them to see the lining. Tina remained still until Noctis nodded once, then she too reached for a chestguard woven with mail.
Each piece was fitted in silence. Noctis paid without question, coin sliding across the counter. The smith bowed quickly, eager to be rid of him.
Further along, a merchant of potions shouted over the din, vials clinking in wooden racks. The women lingered, eyes drawn to the shimmering liquids.
"Stock for travel," Noctis ordered.
Clara gathered basic healing draughts, her movements quick and practiced. Iris selected vials of stamina tonic, counting carefully as if she had done so before. Tina lifted a flask of condensed magic essence, looking at Noctis for approval. He inclined his head. She added it to the pouch.
More coin passed. More goods changed hands.
At a stall of weapons, racks of crossbows, short blades, and throwing knives lined the table. Clara reached first, lifting a crossbow and testing the string. Iris chose a pair of short daggers, turning them with care. Tina lifted throwing knives, balanced each one with her fingers, then slid them into a small satchel.
Noctis watched them without expression. Their choices were swift, precise, without wasted motion. Not trained soldiers, but adaptable.
"Good," he said simply.
By the time they reached the end of the square, their packs were heavier. New armor rested against their shoulders, new weapons at their belts. Supplies hung from straps, clinking faintly as they walked.
The women glanced at each other now and then, a spark of something unspoken between them — relief, perhaps, or pride.
Noctis walked at their center, silent. His gaze swept the hunters stationed at the edge of the market, their eyes scanning, their hands never far from their weapons. He felt the pulse of Faith from the cathedral in the distance, stronger than even Redhaven's had been.
The market was finished. Their needs were met.
The true work lay ahead.