6th Floor Plaza (1)
Rank D — Blood Demon Qi efficiency increases by 3x.
Rank E — All stats +2, and Blood Demon Qi can be operated voluntarily.
Rank F — Constantly absorbs mana from the outside, converting internal mana into Blood Demon Qi.
It was hot. Burning hot.
As if his body temperature had spiked several degrees higher than normal. Choi Yun-seok focused on the Blood Demon Qi spreading throughout his body.
It wasn't the same as vitality. So what exactly was Blood Demon Qi?
"……."
After a few experiments, Yun-seok had a rough grasp of it.
Blood Demon Qi was an energy born from the fusion of Blood Pact and Heavenly Demon Body vitality.
Blood-red sword aura via sword.
Wounds on the body would heal automatically as Blood Demon Qi circulated within. However, unlike Blood Pact, there was no core. Even that sole weakness had vanished.
"……."
Yun-seok tentatively willed the Blood Demon Qi inside him to move as he desired. It shared much in common with Heavenly Demon Body vitality. Focusing it in his hands made them harden; in his legs, he could leap farther.
Can I circulate it?
He'd only tried circulating energy twice before, but Yun-seok remembered the path perfectly.
He circulated the Blood Demon Qi counterclockwise nine times from his body's core.
No notification appeared saying the quality had improved, as before. But….
"……."
He wanted to fight. To clash with someone and smash them to pieces. His blood boiled with the urge to battle—it was getting impossible to hold back. His heart pounded, a volcanic surge of exhilaration flooding him.
Yun-seok forced himself to observe the situation coolly. These emotional shifts clearly stemmed from the Blood Demon Qi. The cause was undoubtedly the circulation. So was this state just a loss of composure with no benefits?
Really no gains at all?
With those thoughts, Yun-seok kept searching for advantages in circulating the Blood Demon Qi.
"……."
This time, he didn't stop at nine cycles. Yun-seok kept circulating it counterclockwise, over and over. As the cycles lengthened, acceleration built in the Blood Demon Qi's flow.
Battle lust—no, it was full-blown madness now—dominated his body. Even as he surrendered to the frenzy, Yun-seok ceaselessly examined himself. And in that instant, the circulation sped up further.
A runaway state.
Before he knew it, red mist rose like heat haze from Yun-seok's skin. It even carried a faint bloody scent.
Yun-seok swung his sword at his arm. Even without sword aura, the blade didn't so much as nick his skin. Like Steel King Keriksis.
His entire body was reinforced with Blood Demon Qi, not just parts of it.
Maintaining reason was growing harder. To vent even a fraction of the overflowing power, he punched the waiting room wall.
KABOOM!
True to the room's absolute composition, the wall showed no scratch. But the rebounding shockwave let Yun-seok gauge the immense force in that punch.
Yet the Blood Demon Qi didn't quiet. It accelerated more, igniting inexplicable rage.
Kang Hyung-woo, Lee Chang-hoon, classmates who'd ignored his torment, teachers, even his parents who couldn't help when he needed them most….
"Filthy vermin…."
Yun-seok snapped out of it, realizing he'd muttered that aloud, and halted the circulation. Rationality returned as if from a dream, but so did profound exhaustion as the intense power drained away.
He took deep breaths to steady himself for a while.
Drawbacks and all, can't use it recklessly.
It heightened his caution, but also hinted at the vast potential of Blood Demon Divine Art.
Soon, Yun-seok opened the shop. He spent a total of 150,000 AP to raise its rank by one.
Rank C — Extracts Blood Demon Qi by absorbing mana from others' blood.
He wasn't sure about the activation conditions. And mana wasn't an issue now—it refilled just by breathing. Still, Yun-seok saw it as highly useful. Absorbing mana meant depleting the enemy's.
Without mana, no one could fight properly.
"Not quite what I expected, but not bad."
After testing Blood Demon Qi movements a few times, Yun-seok checked his remaining AP.
Its nature differed slightly from vitality, but not by much. No need to waste time adapting to the new ability.
Used a lot already….
Current balance: 257,000 AP. Half the reward AP gone already.
He spent 48,000 AP repurchasing Mana Resistance and Sword Mastery to restore their original ranks. Since Blood Demon Qi was influenced by mana stats, he then poured 168,000 AP to raise mana from D- to C rank.
30,000 AP to upgrade Weapon Enhancement and synthesize it with One Flash, leaving 11,000 AP.
Skill has been synthesized.
You have acquired Crescent Slash Enhancement.
Rank D — Slash attacks gain a random attribute (poison, lightning, flame, freeze, steel).
Rank E — Slash attacks can project sword energy at range.
Rank F — Slash attack power doubles.
An active-active synthesis yielding a passive was unexpected. The ranged trait remained, but the condition shifted from One Flash to any slash attack.
Yun-seok coated his sword in sword aura and slashed the air. A blood-red crescent shot out, exploding on impact with the waiting room wall.
KABOOM!
Much better.
Satisfied, Yun-seok glanced around. Poison attribute from the explosion? Something sizzled and bubbled in the blast radius—sizzle!
Reminded of the Giant Hydra heart, Yun-seok picked it up from the floor.
Thump! Thump!
It twitched like it was alive. What the hell was this thing for?
Pondering, Yun-seok spent 6,000 AP on Appraisal (Rank E-) to check.
◈ Consuming increases mana stat by +1 (up to A- rank).
Mana boost—perfectly suited, coincidentally. But usable up to A-, so he'd save it for higher efficiency.
Finally, Yun-seok bought a mask for 5,000 AP, donned it to conceal his face, and finished preparations.
Expensive for a mask, but damn convenient.
Thus ended the long maintenance session. Yun-seok glanced at the timer still at zero, then activated Dimensional Transfer: Plaza, acquired upon reaching the 6th floor waiting room.
Moving to 6th Floor Plaza.
Time to step into a new world.
* * *
Raguna Hamblton had mentioned it, passing down her ancestor's tales. On the way up, there was a place to meet challengers from other trials.
This was that spot, where Yun-seok now opened his eyes.
Adventure, Exploration, Mission, Duel. Regardless of trial, same floor meant direct interaction was possible.
"……."
Elle had said he'd learn info she couldn't provide due to restrictions, from other challengers here.
So why….
Upon arriving in the vast plaza, dozens of people surrounded him, glaring daggers—weapons trained on him.
Interference Barrier Authority prevents dimensional transfer.
They'd camped out, blocking escape entirely.
"Wearing a mask too—looks like this one's got plenty to hide."
The man who seemed the leader spoke.
Yun-seok quietly drew his twin swords.
He had no clue what was happening. But one thing was clear: their hostility.
"Pulling swords right away without knowing the situation—classic Arena breed."
The man smirked arrogantly at Yun-seok.
Yun-seok genuinely couldn't comprehend. They acted like they were absolutely safe….
They were already in his range.
That confident because of their skill?
Same floor or not, they'd arrived first, so maybe they looked down on the newbie. More experience, sure.
But for that, they were too sloppy. Their weapon stances screamed it. Gaps everywhere from a single glance.
Stats and skills mattered, so short or long would only show in combat—but still. This basic?
"Eyes full of murder, huh… Hey! What're you doing?"
The man barked at a robed woman. She channeled mana into her staff, chanting something. Mana in the crystal spread like spiderwebs.
Silence Authority prevents mana use.
Ah, that was their confidence source. No mana meant numbers won.
Only then did Yun-seok relax. It might cripple other challengers, but not him. He used Blood Demon Qi, not raw mana.
Their loss.
"Still glaring? Betting on coins? But this ain't a trial space—death here means no resurrection."
Actual death? News to Yun-seok.
Misreading his silence, the man swaggered closer, handing over a paper.
"Contract. Sign at the bottom."
Yun-seok read it. Unfamiliar script, but readable as if conversing naturally.
Terms were brutally simple.
1. This contract holds for the next 100 years.
2. Contractor shall not harm challengers from Adventure, Exploration, or Mission trials in any way.
3. Contractor must obey all demands from Adventure, Exploration, or Mission challengers.
4. Breach incurs death penalty on contractor.
Slave contract, plain and simple. Yun-seok frowned; the man blustered.
"This is a sanctuary for challengers under threat. Want those rights? Sign."
Rights? Sanctuary? Yun-seok scoffed lightly.
Fancy words for a haven of stragglers too weak to ascend.
"What if I forgo those 'rights' and leave?"
The man stayed smug at Yun-seok's sharp retort.
"Then we'd have to stop you. Can't have you banding with your own in waiting rooms."
Some prior incident? The contract and vibe screamed anti-Arena bias.
"As long as you uphold public good duties, we promise no unfair treatment."
"Public good? You signed this crap, then?"
"It's the alliance's measure against selfish Arena types with power. Doesn't apply to us."
What nonsense. Spouting that with a straight back, so boldly.
Put it in the contract if so.
"Trouble."
Elle had wished him a life free of duties, enjoying only rights. This violated that.
Not that he'd sign anyway.
"No need to worry. Just sign and…."
"……."
Another misunderstanding. He wasn't the troubled one—they were.
Riiip. Rip!
Yun-seok shredded the contract before the man's eyes. Fury flashed, but paled instantly.
As Yun-seok summoned Blood Demon Qi, blood-red haze rose around him.
"M-mana-less, yet skills…? W-wait!"
No words needed. Dialogue was pointless now.
You have encountered evil.
All stats +1 until judgment is complete.
From the moment those appeared, passing it off wasn't an option.