The Witch Hunter System

Right after Vaan entered the blood bath, his skin felt warm and pleasant, like he was dipping into the hot springs.

Such boiling temperatures would have scalded normal people. But for Vaan, it was still far from damaging his skin. In fact, his skin absorbed the heat instead.

Possessing the Earth Spirit Body with high defense, Vaan's body was just like every other piece of metal; they were good heat conductors.

Alas, the blood in the tub was hardly enough for him to soak in it. At most, it was just enough for a light dipping. As such, he continuously scooped the boiling blood and poured them over his body like he was washing, except in blood instead of water.

Vaan made sure all the boiling blood touched every surface of his body.

'The temperature is still a bit low,' Vaan thought before he increased the kinetic energy in the boiling blood and silver tub.

In that instance, he felt his body absorbing even more heat—to the point that it started to feel very hot, even for him.

His body was like a piece of iron being smelted in a furnace. In a way, he was tempering his body while trying to stimulate the awakening of his Immortal Lycan Bloodline.

Ding!

<Your body's defense attribute has successfully increased through body tempering>

<Your body's defense attribute has successfully increased through body tempering>

…

Vaan's eyes brightened for a moment.

If his body could withstand the tempering of fire, he could increase his defense attributes even further. At the same time, a good flame could purify the impurities from his body.

Nevertheless, as he raised the temperature with Kinetic Energy Manipulation, the boiling blood gradually became a hot sticky substance.

When it turned into such a state, he plastered it all over his skin, completely covering his body. Over time, the sticky blood substance solidified, enclosing him like a blood cocoon.

At the same time, the blood within his own body was agitated by the inferior wolf bloodlines.

Ba-dump!

Vaan's heart started pounding harder.

The same heart that was punctured and reformed by the Immortal Lycan Blood hidden inside the Etherstone along with the system.

It could be said that most of the Immortal Lycan Blood he inherited were gathered in his heart.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

Vaan's heartbeat increased, pumping blood through his body faster and faster. Within moments, he felt hot in both flesh and blood—No, his entire being felt like it was on fire.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

His heart was beating so fast that he felt like it would burst apart; it felt uncomfortable and painful.

At the same time, he felt a violent urge to destroy things. Over time, the feeling only grew stronger, as if a destructive power was growing inside his body and was dying to be unleashed.

Vaan tried to contain it with gritted teeth as the surface of his skin turned red.

Veins protruded on the surface of his skin, and his muscle masses seemingly bulged, causing several increasing cracks to appear on the blood cocoon.

Eventually, the destructive feeling in his heart burst.

"Rarghhh!" Vaan roared.

He quickly shot to his feet in the same instance, causing the blood cocoon burst into numerous flying fragments that smashed against the walls of the pocket space.

'Kyuu!' Topaz cried as she dived behind a rock for cover.

Meanwhile, Vaan's pupils turned yellow, his nails sharpened, his body grew taller, his muscles more toned, and his black hair grew, turning silvery-white like the bright moon of the night.

Ding!

<You have successfully achieved a partial awakening in your Immortal Lycan Bloodline>

<Your physically attributes have significantly improved>

<Your sense of sight, hearing, and smell have improved>

<Regeneration (Mid-rank) → Regeneration (High-rank)>

<You unlocked a dormant ability, Lycan Transformation (Low-rank)>

=====

[Lycan Transformation (Low-rank)]

Overview: The unique ability of Balmodon the Undying to willfully inherit some of the powerful traits of the Evil Wolf God, Kezan, and enter a peak combat state.

Effect: Enhanced defense, strength, speed, senses, and regeneration.

Note: The degree of enhanced defense, strength, senses, and regeneration varies, depending on the user's state before entering Lycan Transformation.

Limitation: When you exit the Lycan Transformation, you will enter a weakened state equal to triple the time spent in the transformed state.

Limitation 2: If your transformed state exceeds six hours, you start to suffer severe internal damage or even death.

=====

«Physical Attributes»

[157 → 257 Defense (↑100)] [Mid-level Rank 2 → Low-level Rank 3] [100 Aura Power] [Total Defense: 357 (Mid-level Rank 3)]

[101 → 201 Strength (↑100)] [Low-level Rank 2 → High-level Rank 2] [100 Aura Power] [Total Strength: 301 (Low-level Rank 3)]

[85 → 185 Speed (↑100)] [High-level Rank 1 → Mid-level Rank 2] [100 Aura Power] [Total Speed: 285 (Low-level Rank 3)]

=====

<You are under the state of Lycan Transformation (Low-rank)>

<All physical attributes are raised 50%>

=====

«Lycan State»

[Total Defense: 357 → 485 (↑128) (Mid-rank Rank 3 → High-level Rank 3)]

[Total Strength: 301 → 401 (↑100) (Low-level Rank 3 → Mid-level Rank 3)]

[Total Speed: 285 → 377 (↑92) (Low-level Rank 3 → Mid-level Rank 3)]

=====

After sensing how strong he had become, the corners of Vaan's lips twitched.

Although he had anticipated explosive growth in his physical attributes, the significant improvement still left him speechless.

'Truly worthy of being a Divine-rank bloodline that belongs to a Rank 6 or higher being. Even a partial awakening could raise my abilities by this much…'

Vaan applauded in his heart.

In his present state, he didn't feel like he could lose to anyone below Rank 4. Heck, he felt like he could even challenge Low-level Rank 4 beings if he used everything he had.

His body was overflowing with power.

However, his heart was beating loudly like drums, continuously pumping his body with power. Like the system mentioned, the Lycan Transformation wasn't a state he could stay in indefinitely.

Vaan forcefully reduced the rate of his heartbeat before his body exited Lycan Transformation, reverting to his normal appearance as if time itself had been rewound.

'Kyuu?'

Topaz peeked over her rock, checking if the onslaught of flying blood fragments had ended.

"Did I startle you, little one?"

'Kyuu!'

After Vaan asked her with a wry smile, Topaz nodded her head vigorously for various reasons.

...