Blood was puzzled by the message and instinctively touched the octagonal pendant his grandmother had bestowed upon him before her death. It still shone as it always had, a quiet reminder of her presence.
Seeking more answers, he sat close to Ballock and gazed toward the wolf. The creature heaved with exhaustion, its eyes was heavy, as though the weight of battle had drained every ounce of its strength.
It was fast asleep.
It seems the wolf won't be a problem. Blood thought with a sigh.
Though he had some healing pills that could hasten the wolf's recovery, he was reluctant to part with one. Those pills were precious, costly, and of a rare grade. Who could say what the wolf might do afterward? His kindness might well become the source of his death. He remembered the countless tales he had read.
Being the only one awake, Blood focused his attention on the panel glowing red before him. Different signatures shimmered at the top, and beneath them lay words that seemed tied to those marks.
That was its main background!
One of the signatures, labeled as 'Notification', glowed green. He raised his hand and stretched it out, hoping to feel its presence, but his fingers passed through as though the panel were nothing more than empty air.
Honestly, Blood had felt some changes a few minutes earlier, though he couldn't quite place them. His senses were sharpened, his vision widened, and a new energy coursed through him. Most striking of all, when he ran, he felt no fatigue.
He was only in Stage‑3 of the Iron Realm, and for years he had been unable to progress further. Every ounce of Heaven and Earth energy he gathered in his spiritual space would vanish the moment it entered, leaving him speechless and worried.
Yet that never deterred him. He continued to gather, strive, and chase the dream that burned deep within him—the Central Academy. There were plenty of resources in the Central Academy, enough to accelerate his cultivation. But the first prerequisite was clear; one had to be at least a mid‑stage cultivator of the Iron Realm.
Blood had never managed to cultivate beyond the low stages, so the dream of the Central Academy remained a distant, almost unattainable vision. Still, he continued to cultivate when he overheard his parents' conversation once; strength could be increased and enhanced through constant battles.
Since then, he took it upon himself, and the forest became his battleground. He never dared to go deep, though. He remained in the outer region, where danger was minimal.
Only Iron Realm and primitive beasts could be found here. Blood fought and tempered his body, and soon realized it truly worked. His endurance grew, allowing him to walk for longer time.
A thought suddenly formed in his mind.
Since this could happen, maybe his realm might increase by itself, or perhaps the strange disappearance of his energy might finally stop.
But he soon realized that his body consumed his energy even faster than before whenever he cultivated. He was perplexed at the sudden change in rhythm. Yet, a change meant something was happening. What he was doing was working in some way, even if the reason remained unknown.
Not until this moment...
What is this?
He thought in confusion.
At this thought, the lettered panel shifted upward, going steadily until it reached the top and halted. New words appeared, glowing faintly against the red backdrop.
Ding...
[Initiating]
[Compatible host found]
[Blood Book initiation begins in 3..2..1…]
[Initializing]
[Linking with host...]
[Anomaly detected (cannot identify)]
[No threat detected]
[Synchronizing]
[5% of 100%… 20%… 99% of 100%}
[Bond established]
[Congratulations Host. You have successfully bonded with Blood Book]
[Status section unlocked]
[Quest Hall section unlocked]
[Notification section unlocked]
[Explore]
Blood wanted to explore more, but he restrained himself. Ballock's safety came first, and the wolf's presence wasn't something he could ignore. He leaned closer, his eyes narrowed as he studied the beast.
He wouldn't wait around to become a meal for an awakened, hungry wolf.
Blood appeared before Ballock, who had finally stopped shivering, and gave him two mid grade‑1 healing pills.
Growl…
Ballock growled instantly, red hues flickering off his body from time to time. Blood stood with a thoughtful gaze. Ballock needed proper care. The pills alone wouldn't be enough.
He then shifted his gaze toward the wolf in the corner.
The wolf was thoroughly wounded. Without proper healing pills or measures, normal recovery would take far longer. The scent of blood was still heavy in the air, which could draw other beasts in at any moment. Also, the cobra's carcass still lay sprawled across the ground. He had to harvest its crystal and check for a beast core, though he wasn't expectant as beast cores were rarely seen.
Beast crystals were found in every slain beast, except for the primitive ones which was the most ordinary of all, but beast cores were far rarer. They weren't found in every beast.
One had to be truly fortunate to claim a beast core. They mostly appeared in mutated beasts, especially ones who had stumbled upon some proper or improper opportunity that twisted their nature and elevated their strength. Their worth are five to ten times, or even more, the value of a normal beast. They were far more powerful than their peers.
Blood quickly cut the cobra's body open. He moved to its head, searching for a core, but found none. It didn't bother him. Instead, he searched through its body and found a crystal.
The crystal was round, edged with sharp spikes. With the properties of snakes, he might have been poisoned if he weren't careful. He had seen many crystals before but never possessed one himself. All the days he had spent in the forest, he had only slain primitive beasts, and none had yielded any crystal.
Although Blood had fought Iron Realm beasts before, because his cultivation was at the lower stages, the battles rarely ended in victory. Often, the beasts would flee, or he would be the one forced to run when encountering stronger opponents. But this time was different. He had finally slain an Iron Realm beast at the sixth stage.
He was satisfied, even though he had a helper.
On the thought of a helper, he quickly stored the beast's carcass in his spatial ring. Then, he stepped closer to the wolf, stopping just three feet before it.
Should he let it die?
His thought was strange but soon shook his head. He wouldn't help it here. He would take it home.
What puzzled him about the beast was how it could already stand above the mid‑stages of the Iron Realm. Furthermore, since it was still a cub, taming it would be easier. He would consider it a gift for his little Ivory.
Blood lifted the wolf, who was asleep and unaware it was being carried. The cub was truly exhausted. He felt its soft fur as he passed his fingers and patted it gently. Never before had he been so close to a wild beast without confrontation.
He then took a small piece of cloth and wrapped the cub tightly, leaving space for it to breathe. With Ballock on his back, Blood stepped out of the cave.
A hard, long journey awaited him...