Blood and his partner were violently hurled into a red-clouded space after the forceful pull of the tumultuous space. Spatial energy still bound them together, and they tumbled over one another as they rolled downhill.
They had appeared on a section of a hill—or so they believed. The slope stretched beneath them like the spine of some ancient beast, its true height seemed hidden in the haze of red clouds.
They closed their eyes, hoping the momentum would lessen, but instead it only grew more relentless.
Both were astonished as realization dawned on them—the gravity of their situation was undeniable. Their bodies, battered and bruised, continued to roll downward.
"Haaa!"
Their screams tore through the silence, desperate for aid, but only the oppressive hush of the domain answered.
It was a cruel and silent welcome.
"Help! Help!" the duo cried as they plunged further down the slope, yet no voice replied—only the heavy stillness of the strange land.
Blood, refusing to yield to despair, forced himself to focus. Spitting a mouthful of sand from his mouth, he barked, "Quickly, envelop yourself with your energy! Let's see if we can shatter this binding force."
The spatial bind still held them fast, making every movement a struggle. They knew they had to break free.
Ballock understood, though he was doubtful. Still, it was better than waiting for death. Smashing the ground at their current speed would surely crush them into paste.
Together they unleashed their energy, which gushed out violently. The blast hurled them upward, bouncing them nearly five meters into the air, but gravity soon dragged them down again at a crushing speed.
The moment they hit the ground, they felt the spatial bind weaken, gaps were formed between them, but the cost of their attempt was also immediate.
"Ouchhh… damn it!" they spat, gritting their teeth.
Blood coughed, struggling to contain the pain. "Oh my!" he groaned, clutching his ribs. The impact was brutal, leaving them aching, yet alive.
Moreover, as they continued to slam themselves against the ground, it seemed their reckless persistence was paying off. The binding shattered at last, perhaps by the sheer force of their repeated impacts.
Relief washed through them, and they quickly drew their weapon to slow their descent.
Far ahead, vegetation came into view, which was a sign that they were nearing the end of the steep, treacherous slope. If they struck the foot of the hill at their current speed, the rebounding effects would be fatal.
Gripping their weapon hilts tightly, they drove them deep into the semi‑hard soil. Each strike sent tremors through the ground, carving long scars across the slope and reducing their deadly momentum.
With every plunge, they hauled themselves upward, using the weapons as anchors against the merciless descent. They struck again and again, embedding their weapon into the earth, slowing their fall.
Bit by bit, their speed lessened until their descent could almost be called safe.
They were only inches from the ground when they finally stopped, as though narrowly avoiding death. Their feet hovered above the surface, able to touch it at will, however, they remained suspended as heavy breaths escaped from their lungs, filling the eerie silence of the red domain.
At least, that breath was a proof that they had survived.
Ballock's eyes were red, tears threatening to fall. He had truly believed they were finished. After all, they were still children.
Though they had felt secure when they reached ten meters above the surface, the terror of their initial momentum was something else entirely.
Blood lowered his feet carefully onto the leveled surface, scanning the surroundings to regain his bearings.
One might have thought he was composed, but the rise and fall of his heaving chest betrayed him. That ordeal was something he never wished to endure again.
Before him was a vast field of vegetation, sprawling as far as his eyes could reach. The hill from which they had fallen stretched endlessly into the distance on both sides, its length was impossible to measure from their position.
Blood patted the trembling Ballock, trying to soothe his panic even as he fought to calm the thunder in his own chest.
His gaze instantly fell on his spear. Its shape had worsened; the once‑sturdy structure was now weakened beyond use. The spearhead looked ready to fall off at the slightest touch. It was nothing more than an empty weapon.
Blood remembered the weapon he had once seen for sale in the shop section of the Blood Book—a long halberd with sharpened, thinned edges and a sturdy handle. The moment his eyes met its image, he knew it was perfect for him. But his experience points had not been enough.
He also discovered weapons, alchemy products, and other items he couldn't identify in the shop before encountering those groups. Even though he had slain many beasts in the forest before that trouble transpired, he never checked if his accumulated points were sufficient.
Alas, all the exps he had earned were converted into mutation exp, leaving him with nothing.
The duo soon moved toward a fallen tree, knowing that they had to regain their strength and tend to their injuries.
Blood sat Ballock down gently, since the younger boy bore more bruises and fresh tears, before lowering himself beside him. He drew out a small vial of ointment but soon realized with dismay that their healing pills and potions were nearly depleted.
They would have to manage with what little remained, especially now that they had arrived in this unknown place, a realm that was shrouded in eerie silence and unsettling aura.
Blood soon realized that the heaven and earth energy flowing through this place was unlike the one they cultivated in the normal world—though they didn't even know where this strange domain was.
The energy here was heavier, sharper, and carried an apprehending touch that seemingly pressed against his very soul.
Blood was skeptical, before a rough thought instantly formed in his mind:
Perhaps… a great perhaps… we have crossed into another world through that abrupt seizure. That sudden pull must have dragged us into this foreign domain, far from the home we once knew.
Blood had heard and read about other realms different from theirs, though their portals were rare and difficult to find. However, portals to empty worlds and beast worlds appeared more frequently.
His doubts were confirmed when the Blood Book stirred to life. A glowing screen unfolded before him.
[Host has come in contact with a primordial energy—Blood Qi]
[Description: Blood Qi, an essential energy cultivated by Blood cultivators, a paramount ingredient in their path that without it, they cannot exert more than sixty percent of their true strength. Should they break through realms without cultivating in Blood Qi, their proficiency, talents, and abilities linked to it will be severely weakened, until they eventually become as ordinary cultivators with only basic efficiency.]
Blood's eyes lit up as he read that.
The revelation meant that the Blood Qi he had just encountered was of utmost importance—not only to him, but to all who walked the Blood path. It also meant he had been cultivating with the wrong energy all along, stunting his potential and lowering the heights he could reach.
He nodded repeatedly, pressing a finger to his jaw, seemingly lost in deep thought.
When he finally returned to his senses, a new light seemed to burn within him. He knew he had to be cautious from now on, choosing carefully the energy he used for cultivation.
Looking out into the green forest, his lips curved into a smile. Red fumes that looked like a segment of blood itself drifted in the air, saturating the domain as though it were natural only to this place.
He handed Ballock the ointment and stripped off his shirt, only to notice something startling—Ballock's wounds were healing on their own, albeit slowly. The red fumes were seeping into him.
However, comparing his healing to Blood's own recovery speed would be like comparing a snail to a pregnant ant.
Both were astonished. Ballock's body was mending itself, and Blood thought it would be wiser to conserve their dwindling medicine for another time. But still, he carefully applied the ointment, his mind half‑focused on the notification he had missed amidst the hassle.
[Blood Book World mutation complete]
[Blood Book World established (locked)]
[Quest Issued]
[Quest: Consume any world of whatever magnitude]
[Quest Reward: Complete the quest to enter the Blood Book World]
[The Primordial Weapon "Soul Transcending Trident" has been released]