Vlad spent the next few days alternating between tempering his body and spirit in the pool of Molten Demonblood Essence and carving runes.
He would be away from Nagan Mountain for who knew how long and could not simply leave a treasure like the corpse of the High Champion Abyssal and the Molten Demonblood Essence unprotected.
Of course, Vlad had already sent the command to Grand Marshal Anglius, who had arranged for spies to be positioned around Nagan Mountain. However, these people would only be lookouts and could not be expected to protect the place from a large force. This is where the runes came into play, as their purpose was to form a Runic Formation that covered all of Nagan Mountain’s peak.
The Runic Formation that Vlad was using was the Demonic Veil of Dread. It was a Rank 2 Runic Formation designed to conceal a location using powerful illusions and fear-inducing effects. Utilizing demonic blood as the main component, this formation creates an aura of terror and confusion, making the hidden location virtually inaccessible.
Since Vlad used the blood of the Level 14 Abyssal as the main component of the Runic Formation, its power was so high that unless a High Champion with a powerful soul force or fear-resisting talent appeared, it would be inaccessible. It was not a matter of numbers, as Mortal Tier warriors would simply run away in fear as soon as the illusion of the Demonic Veil of Dread Runic Formation reached their minds.
In four days, the entire peak was filled with runes that connected in a massive Runic Formation, and that was also around the time Vlad’s body had fully healed. And that was not the only good news either.
"A.I. Chip, scan me!" Vlad shouted in his mind, with a large smile appearing on his face as the robotic voice of the system echoed inside his brain along with a long stream of information.
[Beep! Scanning the Host.
Lineage: Thunder Lord (Champion Tier)
Strength: 22.5 --> 25.7
Agility: 16.7 --> 19.1
Vitality: 24.8 --> 27.5
Energy Pool (Force): 2.6 --> 2.9
Lightning Forged Charge
Vlad was thrilled with the rise of his energy pool and Warrior Level as it not only improved the amount of Force he had but also pushed his body higher, bringing him very close to reaching Level 9.
Vlad was not the only one who improved. He turned toward the small cat inside the Molten Demonblood Essence and could feel the raging energy in its small body. He did not resist the temptation, and his eyes glowed. "A.I. Chip, scan Jormungandr."
A sharp light appeared in the eyes of the small yellow cat as his A.I. Chip warned him of the intrusion, but as he saw it was Vlad, he did not bother with it and kept training inside the pool of blood.
[Beep! Scanning target
Target scanned successfully
Energy Pool (Magic): 16.9]
Thanks to his passive ability to consume energy due to his identity as the Depravita of Gluttony and his Runic Set that constantly drew lightning energy and nourished his energy pool, the small yellow cat was able to catch up with Vlad at Level 5.
And that was not all since, as Vlad noticed the physical stats, it was clear that Jormungandr’s body had risen to the Champion Tier as well.
’He could crush a normal Level 6 Warrior without using anything but his claws.’ Vlad showed a great smile as he felt just how much the small cat had improved, making it easier for him to survive the upcoming battles and tribulations they would face.
Finally, after scanning his and Jormungandr’s stats, Vlad turned his focus to the newest member of his group and focused on Freya with the A.I. Chip.
[Beep! Scanning target.
Target scanned successfully
Energy Pool (Force): 3.9
Energy Pool (Totem): 9.9]
Freya’s improvements since the start of their journey through the Nagan Mountain were very small, especially considering the pressure they had put on their bodies and the enhancement granted to her totems by the sacrifice of the Lightning Abyssal Blood Elemental.
At first glance, it would seem that the young woman’s talent and potential had been exhausted, but Vlad knew that was not the case.
’I can feel her energy pool and totemic force ready to explode at any moment. She has reached a bottleneck in both her Warrior Path and totems. Once she breaks through, her stats will rise immensely and very fast.’ Vlad smiled, happy to see that the woman would grow stronger soon.
That would add a very powerful warrior to his troop, and although Vlad did not want to be sentimental, her strength would also mean she could stay and fight by his side. After all, no matter his sentiment for her, he would not march into battle with someone whose weakness could cost him and Jormungandr their lives.
"Everybody, it is time to leave!" Since everything was in order, Vlad would not waste time and shout at the young woman and small cat.
Freya and Jormungandr nodded to Vlad, and the next second, the trio began to descend the mountain as fast as they could.
On the way down, they saw how new beasts and monsters began to appear in the path they had taken. While the group had killed thousands, they only cleared a path to the peak, and the rest of the mountain was still riddled with mutated beasts and monstrosities. Fortunately, they had yet to seal the path, and with so few of them, it was easy to go down and avoid a fight.
Vlad was very happy to see the monsters around the path to the peak, as they would add another layer of protection to the Level 14 Abyssal demon’s corpse and the Molten Demonblood Essence.