As my understanding began to accelerate, I felt the imbalance immediately. I was drawing in nearly half of the blood mist by myself. If this continued at the same pace, it would slow everything down for others.
So I pushed harder.
I activated Psynapse Fracture.
The change was instant. It felt as if my mind had been flooded with something sharp and overwhelming, like stepping into a storm made of pure thought. My comprehension sharpened violently. Concepts that would have taken hours aligned in seconds, and I began devouring the Blood Laws instead of merely observing them.
I tried activating the Abyss Core, testing whether it could consume the laws directly.
It didn’t respond.
So I continued the hard way.
Bit by bit, layer by layer, my understanding deepened. Then, just as suddenly as it began, it ended. The blood mist was gone, completely devoured by me.
I opened my eyes.
Outside the pocket space, the demons were still immersed in Fire Laws, but confusion had crept into their expressions. The absence of blood mist had not gone unnoticed. Steve, however, stood out. His eyes were open, unfocused, and his lips kept moving.
’You piece of shit,’ he muttered repeatedly
I smiled.
Using my connection to the world core, I reached for the blood drop. Now that I understood the process and knew the System wasn’t deeply involved, it was simple. I applied my will and drew out two small drops. One I sent back into the ground to continue the ritual.
The other drop, I kept for myself within the pocket space.
Outside, the moment the remaining drop fused with the ground, the blood mist erupted once again. Crimson smoke poured out of the glowing veins, spreading through the stadium as if nothing had been interrupted. The ritual resumed its normal flow, steady and controlled.
Inside the pocket space, my full attention was fixed on the blood drop floating before me.
I guided it closer, slowly, carefully. Then, with a simple flick of my will, I merged it directly into my blood.
A tremor passed through my body. It was more clarity.
This time, the understanding of Blood Laws became far sharper. Connections revealed themselves cleanly, without resistance. I could see how blood acted as a bridge, between body and soul, between memory and evolution. Once again, it had no effect on my physical body. Not even the slightest change. My physique had long since moved beyond what this level of blood refinement could influence.
Still, the knowledge itself was invaluable.
I let myself sink into comprehension once more.
Time passed quietly.
When I finally opened my eyes, my attention shifted inward, to the Dawn Core.
Something new was forming.
Within the endless void, a small island drifted into existence. At its center, a volcano began to rise. It was blood-red in color, smaller than the others, but unmistakable. Faint crimson mist curled around its surface as it continued to grow, rising higher and higher until it stood complete.
Then, with a sudden burst, it erupted. At the same time, a familiar notification echoed in my mind.
[Level 5 – Minor Law of Blood]
I exhaled slowly and let the tension leave my body. This was enough. From here on, turning it into a major law would be simple.
From within the pocket space, I shifted my focus outward.
The ritual continued smoothly now. Fire Laws rolled steadily across the stadium, stable and intense, while the demons below remained seated, lost in their own struggles and breakthroughs. I let my perception sweep over the crowd once more, then narrowed it, searching only for the three I cared about.
They sat close to the platform, closer than most. The fire pressure around them was strong, but they were holding steady. That was when I reached out again to the world core.
The blood drop inside the world core answered my will without resistance. I drew out another small drop. It hovered before me, pulsing faintly. Without hesitation, I sent it downward and allowed it to fuse with the ground beneath the stadium once more.
The reaction was immediate.
Crimson veins flared brighter, and a fresh eruption of blood mist burst from the ground. The demons stirred as the smoke spread but I did not let it disperse freely this time.
I gathered it.
Like threads drawn toward a single point, the blood mist curved unnaturally through the air and flowed straight toward Primus, Steve, and North. It wrapped around them, thick and heavy, then began seeping into their bodies.
I watched carefully.
Primus reacted first.
The blood mist merged smoothly with him, and I felt it instantly, his fire affinity surged. Not explosively, but cleanly. His comprehension of fire sharpened, deepened. The flames within him became more refined, more obedient. This ritual suited him. Fire answered him willingly.
Steve was different.
The mist entered his body, but it met resistance. His blood accepted it, but without enthusiasm. There was no clear increase, no sudden change. Lightning remained dominant, unmoved. The blood mist passed through him like a visitor with nowhere to stay.
It was expected.
Then there was North.
The moment the mist touched her, her body reacted violently.
Her skin flashed red then returned to normal then shifted again, briefly taking on a pale silver sheen before settling. I felt her blood heat up rapidly, circulation accelerating beyond its normal limits. Her heartbeat thundered, fast and powerful.
She began to sweat almost instantly.
Her brows furrowed, jaw clenched as pressure built inside her. Wind stirred around her without command, sharp and restless, forming faint currents that twisted along her arms and shoulders.
Then the changes deepened.
Her body adjusted.
It was subtle, but unmistakable. Her height increased slightly. Muscles tightened and defined themselves naturally, not growing bulky, but perfectly aligned. Her blood rushed faster still, no longer fighting the change but guiding it.
The wind around her no longer surged at random. It began to move with intent, wrapping tightly along her limbs and spine, flowing in narrow, controlled streams instead of wild currents. Every breath carved invisible lines through the air, as if the space around her was being sliced cleanly and left behind.
It was clear that the blood mist was having an evolutionary impact on her.