The following morning, while Ryo sat at the breakfast table, Selena suddenly looked at him with a puzzled face.
"What were you asking the instructor yesterday?"
Ryo stopped eating in mid-munch before answering, "When I first got here, I saw a lake. I was asking where it was because, at that moment, I was lost."
Selena's eyebrows furrowed. "A lake in the south wing, then? Do you know about any legendary lake that has the ability to bring out latent powers in a soul or bloodline? It's said by some that it can enhance them to a certain degree as well."
Ryo paused to chew, thinking about what she said. The lake once more. Is that connected to his unusual powers?
"No," he finally replied. "I was raised and born in the human world, so I've never heard of such things."
Selena leaned back a little and waved a hand in dismissal. "Well, it's just a legend anyway. Forget about it. More importantly, you should train with me."
Ryo arched an eyebrow. "Train? But we don't have battle practice today. Why?"
She smiled maliciously. "Because my dad will be having a meeting with you soon. You'd do well to cultivate your skills ahead of time."
After school hours, Selena brought Ryo to a closed training area. She folded her arms and gave him a hard look. "Describe your abilities."
Ryo paused before giving his answer. "Blood Weaponry, Blood Rampage, and other related vampire skills."
He made an effort not to mention Limitless Regression or Paradox Physique.
Selena stroked her chin. "Blood Rampage and Blood Control, eh? Those are strong but uncommon. You should train them."
Ryo scowled. "I've never employed them before. I have no clue how."
Selena laughed. "Of course not. Nobody from this time knows how to employ them. You'll have to learn it on your own. For now, work on making the abilities you can control better."
Ryo assented and started training. Hours went by as he practiced his Blood Weaponry. He was able to conjure some small blood blades but yet lacked complete control over them.
A commanding aura arrived after a while. Selena's father was there.
The towering vampire lord, clad in royal dress, gazed down at Ryo with disdain and annoyance. His scarlet eyes shone with disapproval.
"Selena," he growled. "Who is this half-breed commoner?"
Selena moved forward boldly. "He's the one I've taken as my fiancé."
Her father laughed. "Not strong enough. Unworthy."
Ryo let out a breath of relief. "That's fine. I'll be taking my leave then—"
"Wait," Selena cut in. "Why don't you test him first?"
Her father's face grew darker. "Test him? Sure, why not? But I'll make sure he doesn't live to see the next day of his life."
Ryo scowled. "Why does this feel more like an execution than a test?"
They took him to a big training grounds, where he was instructed to battle against Selena's father's top guards.
The fight started, and Ryo was utterly outgunned. The guards were merciless, pummeling him with speed and brute force. He was badly injured in minutes.
Clenching his teeth, he triggered Paradox Physique. In an instant, his injuries healed in a matter of seconds. He attempted to control his strength so that he wouldn't unintentionally destroy the world around him. Even with his factor of healing, though, he was still being overpowered.
Every time he got hurt, he recovered—only to get hurt again. The pattern continued endlessly, stretching his body to its limits. His blood was burning, a strange feeling enveloping him. It was as if it was burning.
And then, from nowhere, there was a voice in his mind.
"Activate Blood Rampage."
Without hesitation, Ryo complied.
Immediately, the air around him changed. Blood from the ground, the battlefield, and even his own wounds began rising in the air. His previously Black eyes became crimson red.
On his back, wings composed solely of blood formed, extending outwards like a foreboding presence. Then, suddenly, they fired off a salvo of blood-feather missiles.
Each missile was draining, taking the blood from anyone it hit. His foes weakened immediately.
Above him, more than a thousand blood-hewn weapons appeared—swords, axes, spears, and so on—hanging in the air, ready to obey his orders.
Then, he sensed something else awaken.
One of his nicknames activated, and in his hand, a red-black scythe composed of coalesced blood appeared.
Selena's father and the nearby guards were shocked.
"Impossible…!" someone whispered.
Looking at the overwhelming power before him, his opponents surrendered immediately. Even Selena's father, who just now had nothing but scorn for him, was left speechless.
But before Ryo could even try to process what had just happened—
His vision warped.
His body fell.