The Black Pool of Northbudge was an octagonal pendant, an ordinary treasure bestowed upon him by his grandmother. Perhaps even when the Blood Book invaded his spiritual space, it had failed to notice the pendant's existence—until it finally manifested and was detected.
Thus, the pendant was clearly no ordinary treasure.
This led Blood to wonder why he, of all people, had been chosen to receive it, and why his grandmother had warned him earnestly, never to reveal its existence.
It was evident she knew far more about the pendant than she had spoken. His parents had likely dismissed it as a sentimental keepsake from a dying grandparent, nothing more.
However, with the knowledge he now possessed, Blood understood that the Blood Book was neither an ordinary treasure nor a mere tool for contracting beasts.
To treat it as such would be an insult to a divine treasure. He decided to search his grandmother's room when time allowed.
The Black Pool of Northbudge was not to be underestimated—especially given how effortlessly it concealed itself from those nearby, leaving others oblivious to its presence.
Only faint traces could be perceived, like the previous notification of an anomaly being detected but not identified.
Possessing a divine treasure was already a lifetime's fortune—yet now he possessed two.
Without hesitation, Blood called out:
"Blood Book."
Blood expected the closed red interface to reappear so he could browse the other functions, but that didn't happen. Instead, he was met with a staggering surprise.
The instant these words were uttered, a divine book of incomprehensible presence materialized before him, levitating silently in the air. Intricate lines traced its corners and spine, releasing a bloody radiance that swept the room as the building trembled beneath its magnificence.
Its front cover glowed with a crimson array. At its top was a seal inscribed with an unknown character, and yet Blood instinctively understood its meaning, his brows lifting in astonishment.
Diverse paintings and writings covered the surface, and when he focused, the images seemed to stir with life.
At the center was an octagonal prism, imprinted amidst the shifting images.
Hovering just below the seal was the pendant itself, misty blood veins spurting outward as if reaching for something.
Unbeknownst to Blood, his eyes had turned blood‑red. The shimmering light from the hovering pendant suddenly darted forward, piercing his unguarded gaze.
Blood raised his hands in alarm but was struck blind as darkness slowly consumed him.
His body collapsed to the floor, his eyes still aglow and shimmering with an eerie brilliance, while his consciousness was pulled into another space.
___
Light slowly appeared.
"Where am I?" Blood whispered, opening his eyes slowly, while trying to steady himself and grasp his surroundings.
He recalled the incisive light—inescapable and impossible to evade.
He remembered being pulled into that starry space in exactly the same way before. Had he been teleported back there again?
Blood soon realized that he now stood in a vast expanse; far larger than the starry void he had once visited. But here, no stars shone. Instead, an enormous octagonal prism emerged into view, seeming to extend endlessly, encircled by an imperfect ring.
At each angle point of the prism, a smaller and perfect circle was tightly bound, myriad colors of energy racing along its edge.
Silken, netlike paths stretched from each circle toward a distant silhouette. The figure itself embodied desolation, standing silent in the void.
Energy raced along the paths, swirling from one angle to the next, chasing itself in endless pursuit—unable to pierce any of the circles.
At the summit of the silhouette lay a small, nearly imperceptible circle, oozing a strange substance without end.
This very prism resembles the one etched upon the book's surface earlier. Blood thought as he traced his gaze upward, but his eyes instantly began to burn with a fierce brightness, while his face suddenly grew hot and itchy.
He quickly averted his gaze, easing the pain.
What even is this? he thought, his heart pounding.
At the base of the silhouette, letters were etched in the same language—still unknown to him.
Still, he understood them instinctively as though he had practiced them since birth. They were the very same words written within the technique column of his status:
Blood Formation Manual — Blood Balancing Art.
These words suddenly became so overwhelming that it felt as though he had the weight of the world pressed upon his shoulders.
Blood immediately sat cross‑legged upon the vast floor, gathering his energy to test what would happen, because the moment he read the words…
___
Meanwhile...
Ivory slept peacefully in her room for the first time in many nights.
The surrounding space suddenly twisted and churned as energy became turbulent and abundant, forcibly drawn from the void toward the figure seated cross‑legged. The disturbance roused her from sleep; she yawned and opened her eyes to assess the situation.
Her eyes instantly widened. A phenomenon of immense scale unfolded before her. It was unlike anything she had ever witnessed.
"He's started again." Ivory murmured, looking at the energy growing rampant.
Heaven and earth energy spiraled into a whirlpool above Blood's head, its diameter expanding rapidly. The torrent was being sucked into his body in staggering amounts.
Ivory could scarcely believe anyone could absorb such vast energy in a single breath—yet now, she saw it happening right before her eyes.
The energy sizzled as it entered him, making Blood jerked, though his blood‑red eyes remained serene amidst the storm.
In truth, he felt no worry. It was as though this state was his rightful domain, the place where he truly belonged.
___
Unaware of the chaos outside, Blood remained in meditation. He drew in the world's energy, circulating it through his body.
Normally, it would flow along his energy paths to his core, strengthening him. But this time, something was different.
The energy was drawn continuously to the octagonal prism, which began to rotate counterclockwise, energized by the influx of energy.
The myriad colors of energy racing at its angles became dense, growing denser until the lead stream touched its base.
A brilliant glow suddenly erupted, as though it had reached the very limits of its threshold.
The light grew so intense that Blood, watching within his meditation, was forced to tighten his eyes. His focus faltered and—
Paa…
A low, resonant sound echoed that could be heard only by him. The colorful energy had finally pierced one of the bound circles, filling it completely.
With nowhere else to flow, it raced through a path and pierced another circle, then another, continuing until the seventh.