This was the trial’s fundamental requirement, elegant in its simplicity but completely unexpected for anyone who stumbled upon this place without prior knowledge. After all, who would naturally think to offer their own blood to an altar in a mysterious ruin?
The test was designed to weed out casual explorers while presenting a genuine challenge to those who truly sought the power contained within. Only someone who understood the shrine’s true nature would know to make the blood offering, and only someone with sufficient combat skill could defeat the guardians that would follow.
I approached the altar with calm steps, preparing myself mentally for the battle that was about to begin.
I drew my sword and made a shallow cut across my fingertip, watching as a single crimson drop welled up and fell toward the ancient altar below.
The moment my blood made contact with the stone surface, the entire shrine transformed dramatically.
Invisible runes that had been hidden across the floor and walls suddenly blazed to life with brilliant red light. The magical inscriptions spread like fire along predetermined pathways, creating patterns that connected every statue to the central altar in a complex network of power.
Crackle... crackle...
The energy flowed outward from where my blood had landed, racing along the glowing channels until it reached each of the warrior statues positioned throughout the hallway.
One by one, their auras erupted with overwhelming force. The stone guardians’ eyes began glowing with the same red light as the runes, and I could feel their dormant power awakening with terrifying intensity.
Crack... crack... crack...
Stone dust fell from their surfaces as the statues began to move, joints that hadn’t shifted for centuries groaning back to life with magic.
They were all at the peak of Elite rank, every single one of the statues. This was absolutely no joke of a fight. The sheer number of opponents combined with their individual strength meant I was facing a genuinely life-threatening situation.
The first statue stepped down from its pedestal, stone feet striking the floor with impacts that shook the entire shrine.
The others followed suit, creating a symphony of grinding stone and magical energy.
This was going to be incredibly difficult, far beyond what I had initially anticipated.
According to my knowledge from the novel, Kyle had faced these same guardians when he was already at Transcendent rank during his second semester at the academy.
But now, just a few days into our first year, even Kyle would struggle deeply against this challenge, he might even fail entirely.
The statues drew their stone weapons, swords, spears, axes, and maces that gleamed with the same red enchantment flowing through their bodies.
I found myself surrounded by eight Elite-rank opponents in the confined space of the shrine, each one programmed combat experience and powered by magic that showed no signs of weakness or fatigue.
Without hesitation, I immediately activated my blood enhancement abilities, feeling the familiar surge of power as my bloodline responded to my will.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
My heart began beating at an accelerated rate, pumping enhanced blood throughout my system and flooding my muscles with supernatural strength and speed. Every fibre of my being became more responsive, more powerful, as the enhancement took full effect.
Unfortunately, my opponents were not living beings, which meant I couldn’t use the more versatile aspects of my Blood Control traits against them. I couldn’t manipulate their blood to control their movements, stun them with internal disruption, or cause them harm through blood manipulation. All I could do was strengthen myself and form weapons from the blood I had stored in my collection.
Fortunately, I had accumulated quite a substantial amount of high-quality blood over recent days. I had transcendent-rank blood, as well as peak Elite-rank blood that I had obtained from the assassins who had attacked me in the forest when I was testing out the crossbow.
I made the strategic decision to save the transcendent-rank blood for truly desperate circumstances and instead utilize the peak Elite-rank blood from my attackers. This blood carried the power and essence of warriors who had been at the pinnacle of Elite rank, making it perfect for creating formidable weapons.
I retrieved several blood vials from my storage ring and threw them onto the stone floor of the shrine, watching as the precious crimson liquid scattered across the stones.
Immediately, I activated my Blood Control trait and began manipulating the spilled blood, gathering it into concentrated masses that responded to my will like extensions of my own body.
I formed four blood spears that materialized above my head, each one gleaming with the deep red colour of concentrated life force. Spears were currently the easiest weapons for me to create and maintain while still delivering substantial damage against my opponents. The elongated shape required less precise control than more complex weapons, while the pointed tips could penetrate even stone with sufficient force behind them.
Float... float... float...
The four crimson spears hovered above my head like deadly satellites, rotating slowly as they awaited my command to strike.
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The stone warriors continued their inexorable advance, their heavy footsteps creating tremors that ran through the shrine floor. Their glowing red eyes fixed upon me with determination, and I could see the magic driving them to fulfil their singular purpose.
Not wanting to risk taking unnecessary damage from their coordinated assault, I activated my Stone Armor Echo ability. The familiar sensation of protection spread across my body as the Armor materialized, covering me in layers of supernatural defence.
The Armor would ensure that unless multiple enemies attacked me simultaneously with overwhelming force, I wouldn’t sustain serious injuries. It was my insurance policy against the superior numbers I was facing.
I didn’t wait for them to reach me and initiate their attack pattern. Taking the initiative was crucial when facing multiple opponents, allowing them to coordinate their assault would put me at a severe disadvantage.