Abyssal Awakening

\'Hmm… Wait, if my flames can cancel out beast powers, does that mean it\'ll lose control of the metal in my body?\' Alice thought to herself while making a small orb of violet flames above her finger.

"What even are you…" She muttered.

She had no idea what kind of flames this was and why it could counter the powers given by the Abyss. Was it a byproduct of the experiment done by the Zenia\'s? Was it something she was born with since the start? Or was it when she was injected with the concentrated Abyss Blood?

However, this would prove to be her strongest asset against the beasts and Hunters of the Abyss.

Setting the first book aside, Alice checked out the second book that documented the type of Sigil abilities you could get from the beast.

Unlike the other beasts, there were two main types she could pick from and a third that changed based on its environment.

The two main Sigils were the following:

[Blood Coil Manifestation]

A Sigil that allowed her to conjure the signature ability belonging to the beast. When activated, it coats her body with a swirl of blood and metal, granting her great defensive and offensive capabilities. The metal and blood can be controlled at will.

Not only that, but in this state, she\'ll gain a significant boost to her physical attributes.

As for the second Sigil, it was the Lifeblood Link that Thane mentioned earlier.

[Lifeblood Link]

With this Sigil, you tether yourself to your enemy and begin to share vitality. Any damage you do to them is reflected onto you. Any damage they do to you is reflected onto them. So long as this tether persists, you will continuously share damage with one another.

Healing done will also be shared.

The key to this Sigil is that after linking your lifeblood to one another, it will slowly equalize your vitality until they are evenly distributed as long as you can withstand the pain.

\'If a Hunter was to be categorized as having 10 vitality and the beast having 100, the Life Blood link will slowly equalize until it is a 55 split between the two. The danger to this Sigil is that if your body cannot handle the equalization, it will forcefully cancel this tether and the rebound is not something many Hunters can withstand…" Reading this, Alice couldn\'t help but furrow her brows.

From the sound of it, this Lifeblood Link seems to be a double-edged sword that could harm her more than the beast in a prolonged battle.

"But Thane said it was annoying to fight against… Why? Is there something I\'m not seeing?" She muttered while rereading the Sigil.

The key point to the Sigil was that she can now equalize her vitality with her opponent, very advantageous should they be stronger than her but with a risk of rebound. If used against someone weaker, she\'s practically stabbing herself to make it an even fight.

Next, any damage she does to them is reflected onto her and vice versa. Including the healing.

Narrowing her eyes at this part, Alice soon realized that even though she was taking damage, her vitality was still being equalized! Meaning she\'ll receive the pain that comes with the injuries but she\'s actually getting healed by the link.

Realizing this, Alice\'s smile couldn\'t help but twitch.

\'What kind of masochistic ability is this???\' She thought to herself while taking a sip from her flask.

However, despite the… Strangeness of this ability, Alice could see why Thane would say it was annoying to fight against.

If someone could withstand the link to an Abyss Lord then that means they practically become a fighting machine that can hold out until the target is equal to them.

Of course, the equalization doesn\'t include the difference in power but just being able to heal while fighting someone stronger was very beneficial and close to what she was needing right now.

The final book was on how to counter the beast.

\'The beast relies on its senses aside from sight to locate the prey, primarily vibrations through the ground when it waits underground for an ambush. Hunters can get an early hit by baiting it using false vibrations in the rhythm of walking.

\'Using blunt weapons can cause damage to the metal around it, making movement harder and reducing the beast\'s speed. Abyss Blood that can freeze liquid or Sigil abilities that let you halt the movement of blood will also restrict the beast\'s movements. The Blood Coil Amphiptere does not have a \'real\' physical body aside from the swirl of blood and metal that coils around the core of its being.

Focus on restricting its movements and deal with the core.\'

Furrowing her brows, Alice was silent. Her target this time was a beast with no \'body\' and with her current Sigils, restraining the beast would prove to be a difficult task.

\'I\'m not sure what kind of effect my flames would have on the beast… I should prepare for the worst case scenario and have some Abyss Blood ready. Which means I\'ll need to earn some more coin so I can actually afford anything.\' Alice lamented.

Once again, it came down to an issue regarding money. She doubted Thane would give her the money needed for the blood and with their reward of 250 gold still being held by the Guild for now, she\'ll have to go back to the arena.

Scratching her hair, Alice stood up and placed the books back where she got them. She needed to make her preparations as soon as possible and make her way to the beast before it got taken by someone else.

\'First, I need to see how expensive the blood is. Second, I need a blunt weapon to deal with the beast. I have that covered with Obsidian Retort since it can take the shape of any weapon I want. Third, I need something to throw off its senses so I can get the first hit in.\' Pausing at this step, Alice realized the book didn\'t say anything on how to counter the tethering ability.

*sigh…

"Seems like I\'ll have to take it head on in that aspect." She groaned while making her way out of the library.

Thankfully, the Veridian Blossom Apothecaries was nearby so it was a simple walk over to check the prices of the blood she needed.

Upon arriving at the store\'s doorstep, Alice could once again smell the fragrance of herbs and flowers placed around the shop.

Stepping through the door, she saw the same man behind the counter.

"Ah… Back so soon. I presume you are preparing for a hunt yes?" He smiled as Alice nodded.

"I am, how did you know?"

"There are variations in the gazes of people who step into my store. New customers like yourself last time have a curious light. Their gaze will be all over the place, seeing what\'s available. Those who seek to find a specific type of blood will come straight to me. After working this job for many years, I\'ve become accustomed to telling the difference in body language." He chuckled.

"So how may I help you today?

"Do you have any Abyss Bloods that will help me freeze liquids? The beast I\'m fighting constantly has blood swirling around it." Alice inquired as the man was silent for a moment before nodding his head.

Reaching behind the counter for a catalogue, he flipped through the pages before stopping roughly a quarter of the way in.

"I believe the blood of the Warden of Frost should suit your requirements. It temporarily grants you control over a frozen mist that circulates around your body. This will let you freeze most liquids rather quickly. Side effects include frostbite if you are not careful and something most would like to call Icebound Affliction for a few days."

"Icebound Affliction?"

"Indeed. It\'s similar to coming down with a sickness, your body will struggle to regulate your internal temperature and you\'ll feel quite sleepy along with a constant shiver. You become weak to ice attacks and during this period, it is advised not to drink any ice based Abyss Bloods. Including the vials you bought last time.

So if you are thinking of using both, I advise you to drink the healing blood first before drinking this." He warned while Alice looked over to the cost.

Immediately, she felt as though a dagger of ice pierced through her heart as the price was an astounding 35 gold per vial.

"We can make some arrangements if this price is above your currently available funds. Is this a commission from the Hunter\'s Guild?" He asked after seeing the bitter expression.

Shaking her head, Alice explained that this was for a Sigil hunt.

"That does make things a little more difficult. If this was a Guild Commission, I can put in a request and get some small compensation in the off chance that you fail and find yourself unable to pay off the debt. But since this is a personal Hunt, there\'s no guarantee." The man sighed.

"Actually… I still have the reward from a previous commission. But complications occurred and the money is being held by the Guild." Alice forced a smile. She didn\'t exactly want to say the reason out loud but if she could get her hands on this blood now, she could leave as soon as tonight.

"Give me a moment, I\'ll send a message to the Guild and see what they say about this." Excusing himself for a moment, the man left the counter while an assistant took over.

Left on her own, Alice browsed the catalogue to see if there were any Abyss Blood\'s that she\'s personally tested before.

Some had the symbol of the Zenia family printed next to them while others had symbols belonging to rival families.

Just seeing the symbol of her old family was enough to annoy her but it was something she couldn\'t avoid. They were the forerunners in Abyss Blood research after all, it would be stranger not to see their symbol next to these images.

Soon, the store owner returned and offered Alice a deal.