∼ Day 52 ∼

As the twin suns crested the horizon once again with their morning splendor, the only things that could be heard besides the bird's chirping were the roars and clanging of weapons was ringing out into the air cold morning air.

Lazily dodging the attacks that went for more vital areas like the head or groin, I let the eight orc's ceaseless attacks hit my body. If I did not infuse my skin and organs with mana, the attacks would just barely be able to draw blood and cause some scratches on my skin. However, when infusing some mana into the skills, I would become virtually impenetrable to these orc's attacks.

Just after setting off yesterday to get both my skills to level ten and therefore to their advancement, I had found this group of orc mercenaries. It had originally consisted of twelve orcs and when I appeared they wasted no time before they attacked me. However, once they realized that although I didn't attack back, they simply weren't my match.

Trying to hastily retreat, the four orcs out of the twelve suddenly met a ruthless end as their very blood from the inside turned into spikes that penetrated them through and through; instantly killing them. I was very surprised at just how much more efficient and lethal my magic had gotten after evolving into the 4th-tier, but not as surprised as the horrified companions of the orcs I had just mutilated with their very own blood. But they could only stare petrified at the streams of blood flying through the air to become consumed by me.

Realizing that they stood no chance against either killing or escaping from me, they resigned themselves to their fates. And ever since then, I had commanded them to actively try to kill me with a variety of strikes while I protected myself with my skills. This kind of forced skill training usually wasn't very effective as I've found out in the arena, but seeing as I only needed one skill level in each it shouldn't take too long.

And just as the eight orcs looked as if they were about to keel over in exhaustion, I got the notification I had been long waiting for.

[Lesser Mana-Infused Organs has reached LVL: 10 and can now be advanced!]

"Finally..." - Me

Signaling the orcs to stop, I sighed in relief as I had been gotten very bored due to the lengthy and stale process of grinding those two skills. Seeing that they were done and that I was satisfied, smiles spread across the orcs' ugly mugs. They were each hoping that now that I had gotten what I came for they could finally leave and get away from this odd and powerful monster. But they weren't that lucky...

Their hopeful and nervous gazes directed towards me pulled me out of my ruminations. But I simply glanced callously at their pleading expressions. Seeing the disdain in my gaze for their very existence, they all simultaneously turned pale and immediately turned to run.

They didn't get far.

[You have slain 8 Orcs!]

[You have been rewarded with 1205 points of EXP]

Long spikes of solidified blood ran through their bodies from every angle and instantly killed every orc as their insides had been rendered utterly destroyed. Reading the prompt, I could only sneer at the meager experience that the orcs garnered, but I still conjured Blood Shaping to consume all their still fresh blood.

[Siphon]

[You've consumed the blood of 8 Orcs!]

[876 points of EXP has been acquired and stats have been added]

While leveling Lesser Mana-Infused Skin had finished relatively quickly, Lesser Mana-Infused Organs was another story. Since I had to actually receive damage to my organs while protecting them with the skill and mana, it was quite hard when they barely were able to penetrate or harm my skin.

Undergoing multiple blunt and slashing attacks, I remembered an odd tidbit from back on earth. I remembered that human skin was considered an organ in itself, so I wasn't sure the skills overlapped or not. It didn't seem so, but I couldn't be entirely sure.

-Advancement, Lesser Mana-Infused Skin, Lesser Mana-Infused Organs!-

Skill advancement - Lesser Mana-Infused Skin Choose one advancement -Mana-Infused Skin- Enhances the resistance and toughness of your skin. Can reserve mana to increase all effects.

Skill advancement - Lesser Mana-Infused Organs Choose one advancement -Mana-Infused Organs- Enhances the resistance, toughness, and improves the effectiveness of your inner organs. Can reserve mana to increase all effects.

Unsurprisingly, they only had one evolution path seeing as I already took the divergence down the 'Mana-Infused' path. Their descriptions didn't really change, but I knew that they were now essentially the full version of themselves as they no longer had the 'Lesser' to them anymore.

-Mana-Infused Skin, Mana-Infused Organs!-

[Skill - Lesser Mana-Infused Skin has been advanced to Mana-Infused Skin!]

[For advancing a skill you receive 3 skill points!]

[Skill - Lesser Mana-Infused Organs has been advanced to Mana-Infused Organs!]

[For advancing a skill you receive 3 skill points!]

Happily observing the influx of skill points enter my status page, I immediately activated Synergize with giddy anticipation of what would happen.

[Synergize]

[Compatability rate - 94%]

[Cost - 8 skill points]

[Want to fuse?]

[Yes/No

Already expecting that when I advanced the two skills to the third tier that the price would rise, I was still pleasantly surprised to see that it was only by a relatively small amount and that the compatibility rate didn't fall at all. I had already tried a few configurations while I waited for my two defensive skills to level, but these three skills were the only ones I really could afford to fuse right now.

So without any further ado, I accepted the prompt.

[Synergize]

[Skills - Iron Gut, Mana-Infused Skin, Mana-Infused Organs have been fused into Onyx Body!]

[Skill - Onyx Body has been added to the skill list!]

"Hmm... Onyx Body..." - Me

Saying the skill's name out loud, as if tasting it, I found out that I liked the name. However, I was still anxious if the skill really was an improvement or if it might've actually turned out for the worse instead.

-Onyx Body!-

Skill list Name Tier LVL -Onyx Body- NEW 3 1/15 A body, impenetrable in nature, wreathed in the essence of magic; The Sanguine Lord's body is a treasure in itself. Enhances the resistance and toughness of your body while simultaneously increasing the effectiveness of all of your internal organs and processes. Can infuse the body with mana to increase all effects, which will reserve mana to continuously power the amplification.

Surprised by the flavor text in the skill's description, I couldn't help but have a smile crease my lips seeing as Synergize had seemingly created a skill specifically for me with the fusion of the other skills. It was obvious that this Onyx Body skill was unique to me. Spending a few moments, I just marveled at the skill and its effects as I poured mana into the skill.

To my delight, the overall effects of all the skills I've combined to create this skill had slightly increased, meaning that the fusion was one of creating a whole greater than the sum of its parts. And not only that, it had even shored up some more space on my skill-list. Closing the prompt of the Onyx Body, I moved on to the two other skills that should have now been unlocked as a result of Synergize.

Tapping into the state of being one with the element I wanted to control, I slowly circulated my mana. All around, the shadows started coalescing, using me as the center. The shadows completely defied common knowledge as they moved as if they had a life of their own. While my control over the shadows definitely wasn't as good as the control I had over blood seeing as Blood Shaping was higher-leveled, but the experience I had with the skill gave me better familiarity.

It was exactly this experience with a similar skill that gave allowed me to control the shadows with such ease. Playing around with the shadows, I quickly found out what most of the shadow's qualities were and what they could be used for. I could for example twist and bend naturally formed shadows, and even hide them completely from sight.

If I also wanted, I could cloak myself in the darkness, increasing my stealth and subduing other's ability to detect me with their auras and senses. However, I realized after forging a shadow dagger that the skill wasn't exactly as good as creating permanent objects like how Blood Shaping was.

Due to Blood Shaping utilizing actually tangible material like blood, the products I made tended to stay solid even after the magic left. However, with forging something from shadows, the weapons would slowly deteriorate over time as the magic didn't support the item anymore.

I also didn't have the fortune of synergizing better shadows with Shadow Manifestation as I did with potent blood and Blood Shaping. But I knew that while Shadow Manifestation had its downsides compared to Blood Shaping, it also had areas where it was better than compared to Blood Shaping.

That was for example, in mass control.

With Shadow Manifestation, I could easily gather many times the amount of shadows than I could blood with Blood Shaping. This meant I could create much bigger things and control the shadows on a larger scale. This was why I had been so excited to unlock this skill. With a heavy heart, I knew that with this evolution that I didn't have wings anymore. The feeling of flying was like the purest form of freedom, but I no longer had that.

However, Shadow Manifestation could possibly fix that.

Suddenly, all the shadows around coalesced at my feet and sprung up to take the shape of two massive ominous and shadowy black wings. It took me some time to get used to using them, but once I was prepared to take off, I was utterly startled at the raw power produced. Shooting in the air, I rose dozens of meters into the air with just a few flaps.

Giggling like some maniac, I flittered through the air at insane speeds. While I could already fly insanely quick as an Azde, my speed had now increased fourfold, at the least.