Book 4: Chapter 99: Aftermath Part I


    <strong>Scarlet</strong>


    I wake up with a start, finding my eyes opening to the sight of a stark white ceiling above me. And at this point Im starting to wonder if this is bing a nasty habit. Just waking up in a bed after going unconscious.


    <strong>It is bing a nasty habit, and you should stop it, </strong>Tar suggests, making me look down to find him lying on my chest. Which Im not sure is somewhere he should be right now considering I was a patient lying on a bed.


    Then again, I feel perfectly fine right now. So he probably only lied down on me after I was healed.


    <strong>Yeah, </strong>he answers my thoughts, making me smile for a second before I pat him on the head.


    I sit up and nce down at what Im wearing. Which is the same thing I was wearing under my armor before. A shirt and shorts with a jacket.


    Guess no one changed me. Thats good.


    Then again, they could just have someone using some sort of cleaning skill on me and I wouldnt need to change or anything like that.


    No idea how long Ive been out though.


    Looking around, I seem to be in some sort of medical wing of a military base. Considering the sleeping soldiers.


    I get out of bed while activating my armor, making a swirl of blood cover me for a moment before it appears on me as usual. Then I transform into blood and leave the room without letting anyone know that I even woke up.


    <strong>You arent going to tell anyone youre awake? </strong>Tar asks, sounding curious.


    No, best that I dont. Not before checking my notifications and messages.


    After all, theres a decent chance I got a Universal Notification or something, and I want to know about it before talking to anyone.


    <strong>Well you did get a Universal Notification, but Ill just let you check it out for yourself, </strong>Tar says, confirming my thoughts.


    Time to see whats up.


    <strong>{Level 1089 Nightshade defeated. An enormous EXP bonus is awarded for killing a creature over one hundred levels above your level. A massive EXP bonus is awarded for killing a creature above your ss.}</strong>


    <strong>{One thousand Skill Points are awarded for killing a creature of ss V while at ss IV without help.}</strong>


    <strong>{Five hundred Skill Points are awarded for burning several times the amount of life energy you have for the use of a single skill.}</strong>


    <strong>{Three hundred Skill Points are awarded for controlling over five thousand times your own body-weight in blood all at once.}</strong>


    <strong>{One hundred Skill Points are awarded for spreading hundreds of different gues to a single being all at once.}</strong>


    <strong>{Fifty Skill Points are awarded for controlling several different types of blood all at once.}</strong>


    <strong>{Two Skill Points are awarded for killing a ss V.}</strong>


    <strong>{Congrats, you have leveled up to level 987. Five Free Points have been awarded to you and your stats have been updated.}</strong>


    <strong>{Congrats, you have leveled up to level 1000. Five Free Points have been awarded to you and your stats have been updated.}</strong>


    <strong>{Congrats, you have leveled up to- Level up canceled due to you being at the cap of ss IV. Please ascend to ss V. To do so you must find and absorb five ss IV catalysts, have ten skills at their max level, have at least three legendary skills, have at the minimum Predator III, and have almost died at least once.}</strong>


    <strong>{Rare epic inherent skill Beast Transformation will now evolve into the legendary rarity inherent skill Beast Transformation while retaining any previous effects. There is no cost in levels due to the skill being static.}</strong>


    <strong>[Skill Blood of Ruin has leveled up to level 26.]</strong>


    <strong></strong>


    <strong>[Skill Blood of Ruin has leveled up to level 30.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill Null Magic Field has leveled up to level 28.]</strong>


    <strong></strong>


    <strong>[Skill Null Magic Field has leveled up to level 30.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill Blood Nullification has leveled up to level 20.]</strong>


    <strong></strong>


    <strong>[Skill Blood Nullification has leveled up to level 26.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill Rain of Blood has leveled up to level 18.]</strong>


    <strong></strong>


    <strong>[Skill Rain of Blood has leveled up to level 24.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill Blood Transformation has leveled up to level 11.]</strong>


    <strong></strong>


    <strong>[Skill Blood Transformation has leveled up to level 18.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill Blood Maniption has leveled up to level 11.]</strong>


    <strong></strong>


    <strong>[Skill Blood Maniption has leveled up to level 26.]</strong>


    And the skill level-ups just keep oning, making my jaw drop at the sight of arge majority of my remaining inherent and achievement-locked skills reaching the max level. Then my eyes narrow on the notifications that follow, deciding to put off considering the requirements to ascend till after I read them.


    <em>Warning! This is a universal notification!</em>


    Scarlet Art Asger de Archeron has be the very first being in the universe to defeat a ss V being while at ss IV.


    May their achievement ring out throughout the known universe!


    Yeah, that one is to be expected. Although I find it interesting that it didnt mention the etched skill slot.


    <strong>Yeah, thats odd </strong>Tar mutters, only to go silent when a System Message appears after that first notification.


    <strong>{Congrats, you have received two etched skill slots for being the first being in the universe to kill a ss V before reaching ss V yourself!}</strong>


    Oh. Guess thats why.


    Speaking of, when do you think I should start making my skills etched skills?


    <strong>Wait until you get mythical skills, </strong>Tar answers right away. <strong>Apex Predator doesnt count since its not etchable.</strong>


    Right. So wait till I have my best skills and know what I want to etch?


    <strong>Right, </strong>he says with a nod of his head as I finally reform myself on the roof of the base I find myself in. <strong>Since etching a skill grants the skill a boost, even if you arent nning on having descendants, you want to etch your best skills to help them the most.</strong>


    Makes sense.


    I let the notifications continue, including the ones I had suppressed from before my battle with the ss V.


    <strong>System Notice</strong>


    <strong>User haspleted six out of SEVEN of the necessary achievements in order to obtain a Title-Bearing [REDACTED] Skill.</strong>


    <strong>The achievements they havepleted include the following:</strong>


    <strong>Reach ss IV while under twenty years old.</strong>


    <strong>Defeat a being one hundred and fifty levels above you without any assistance.</strong>


    <strong>Reach ss IV within a year of having been initiated into the System.</strong>


    <strong>By being the descendant of the Demon King who is the original etcher of the skill Blood Domain or having obtained an inferior version of the skill yourself.</strong>


    <strong>By having both blood magic and null magic or being descendant from a user with them that has etched their skills.</strong>


    <strong>By defeating a ss V being while still not being ss V yourself.</strong>


    <strong>Complete the final achievement in order to attain the Title-Bearing [REDACTED] Skill.</strong>


    Okay, that one is still very interesting to see. Im curious about what the Title will end up being.


    Although thest achievement should be obvious. To get Blood Domain. Since this is obviously an upgrade to Blood Domain, I should have the skill in the first ce.


    Moving on.


    <strong>System Notice</strong>


    <strong>User haspleted all of the necessary achievements in order to unlock a Mythic Skill.</strong>


    <strong>The achievements they havepleted include the following:</strong>


    <strong>Have Blood Regeneration.</strong>


    <strong>Be a descendant of the Demon King.</strong>


    <strong>Nearly die over one hundred times within a year.</strong>


    <strong>Regenerate from damage directly to your reality all the way to a full recovery.</strong>


    <strong>Have at minimum Predator V.</strong>


    <strong>User may now purchase the Mythic Skill Lycans Regeneration whenever they wish.</strong>


    Yeah, saw that one too.


    Next.


    <strong>System Notice</strong>


    <strong>User haspleted four out of Six of the necessary achievements in order to obtain a Title-Bearing Mythic Skill.</strong>


    <strong>The achievements they havepleted include the following:</strong>


    <strong>having at least two blood gue rted legendary skills.</strong>


    <strong>By spreading hundreds of different blood rted gues to a single being all at once.</strong>


    <strong>By spreading gues throughout entire armies, contributing to the ughter of millions of beings through blood rted gues.</strong>


    <strong>having both blood magic and null magic or being descendant from a user with them that has etched their skills.</strong>


    <strong>Complete the final two achievements in order to attain the Title-Bearing Mythic Skill.</strong>


    Why do I get the feeling that I know exactly what the Title is going to be for that one?


    <strong>Because you probably do, </strong>Tar says with an amused snort.


    The next notifications are rather confusing though.


    <strong>System Notice</strong>


    <strong>Anomaly detected.</strong>


    <strong>Users Inherent skill Beast Transformation is branching from its designated gic path.</strong>


    <strong>Searching for possible solutions no solutions found.</strong>


    <strong>The Inherent Skill Beast Transformation will now branch away from the designated path of the Beast of the apocalypse and towards a new path.</strong>


    What the heck does that mean?


    <strong>It means you cant get your grandfathers etched mythic skill Beast of the Apocalypse anymore, </strong>Tar exins, sounding rather shocked. Then he pauses right as another notification appears recing the notice.


    <strong>System Notice</strong>


    <strong>User haspleted seven out of ten of the necessary achievements in order to obtain a Title-Bearing [REDACTED] Skill.</strong>


    <strong>The achievements they havepleted include the following:</strong>


    <strong>Reach ss IV while under twenty years old.</strong>


    <strong>By having both blood magic and null magic or being descendant from a user with them that has etched their skills.</strong>


    <strong>having the skill Beast Transformation.</strong>


    <strong>defeating a ss V being while still not being ss V yourself.</strong>


    <strong>having the Apex Predator Title and Mythic Skill.</strong>


    <strong>having the ability to directly manipte blood.</strong>


    <strong>having broken out of the bounds of the System before.</strong>


    <strong>Complete the final three achievements in order to attain the Title-Bearing [REDACTED] Skill.</strong>


    Another one? Thats a surprise.


    <strong>Thats seriously all you have to say about it? </strong>Tar exims, sounding bbergasted.


    I just shrug.


    Meh.


    He groans.