BXBX NOVEL Chapter 23 23: The Cave
Blood seeped from the carcasses of horned rabbit, forming crimson pools mid-air before they morphed into ruby rivers that flowed seamlessly into Val.
As soon as the blood became one with his body, he felt a surge of revival wash over him.
A portion of the blood acted as a natural healer, mending his wounded flesh at a rapid pace that it left no signs of previous injury - not even a faint scar.
The remainder fortified his blood bar. As a result, his Blood Bar brimmed with newfound power, its numeric indicator flaunting an intimidating 666 - a number that seemed ironically fitting for the potent devilish power he commanded.
'My quest is far from over,' Val thought.
To complete the quest, he still needed to locate the habitat of the Double-headed Horned Rabbit and eradicate any potential threats there.
The distinct footprints of the Double-headed Horned Rabbit presented him with an excellent trail to its lair. They were deeper and more pronounced than those of regular horned rabbits because its superior weight and size was superior to them.
Val trailed these footprints of the Double-headed Horned Rabbit through the vast forest until he reached the threshold of a cavern.
[System Notification: By massacring the Double-Headed Horned Rabbit, you've completed the first task of the End of the Double Terror Quest!]
The inside of the cave was shrouded in darkness, impenetrable to the average eye.
However, Val was no average human. His Nocturnal Vision Trait enabled him to see clearly through the darkness of the cave, revealing the cave's inhabitants!
The cave sheltered several horned rabbit offspring and their maternal figure. The presence of a few herbs nearby them piqued Val's interest - these were Blood Purifying Herbs. Despite their inefficacy on Bloodline Users beyond the 1st level, they were an extremely valuable commodity in the Victoria Kingdom as they were capable of catalyzing the evolution of level 1 Bloodline Users without any risk of corruption. Why? It's because they were one of the rare herbs that were free from any corruptive energy.
Their volatility was not to be underestimated though. Only the robust and resilient bodies of Warrior-type Level 1 Bloodline Users could safely harness the herb's energy. If someone without a robust, stronger than average body attempted to, the energy within the herb would explode them on the spot!
The sight of these herbs suggested that the Double-headed Horned Rabbit had planned these herbs for his offspring's evolution. Who knew that it would be hunted down and the hunter would give its family a visit? Now, Val was here, and it seemed like he was the one who was going to claim the treasure!
'Let's get to it.'
Val stepped into the cave.
Seeing him approach, the mother rabbit stood up protectively. Her offspring cowered behind her, their tiny bodies trembling.
Val didn't fall for their act.
Despite their pitiful appearance, these creatures were not as innocent as they seemed.
Their past was drenched in darkness.
On an occasion in the past, a hapless human had stumbled into this cave. The mother rabbit, her husband, and her children had attacked him. Together, they had torn the intruder apart, relishing the taste of human blood.
The memory of that feast caused a sinister glint to flash in their eyes and their mouths to water in anticipation.
They remembered how they had capitalized on the human's inability to see in the dark, and now, they intended to use the same advantage against Val.
Little did she know that Val was far from average, and the darkness that would've blinded even Bloodline Users was no hindrance to him.
Silently, the horned rabbits crept up to him.
Seeing them close in on him, Val subtly moved his hand behind his back.
With a mere thought, blood spiraled out of his palm, forging a long, lethal blade, concealed from the rabbits' sight.
'Come. I will give you the darkest gift of life--Doom.' Val thought.
Just then, they pounced at him.
In response, he grinned and unveiled his crimson weapon and brandished it with fatal precision.
Given they were mid-flight, altering their position was out of the question.
Dodging his deadly surprise attack was an impossibility!
Whoosh!
A swift, brutal slash of crimson disrupted the darkness. The rabbits, caught off guard, were cleaved in two, their remains plummeting to the ground in a gore-ridden heap.
[Ding! With a swift stroke of your blade, one Level 4 and 4 Level 1 Horned Rabbits met their demise. You've obtained +4 EXP.]
[Ding! You've surmounted the final challenge of The quest "End of the Double Terror"]
[The quest "End of the Double Terror" now lays in the pages of your past victories!]
[You've been awarded +500 Mad Points for your exploits.]
The mad points immediately metamorphosed into valuable stat points, a total of five were at his disposal!
He reserved them.
Val cast a glance at the lifeless rabbits, a peculiar and disturbing urge simmering within him. The insatiable desire to drink their blood began to claw at him.
"Blood absorption," Val vocalized, invoking his 2nd bloodline skill.
As if heeding his command, the blood from the defeated horned rabbits started to lift off from their bodies and seep into him.
As he was not injured, their blood was directly added to his Blood Bar's reserves.
Its size increased to a whopping 800!
Looking at his blood bar, Val felt stronger than ever.
It was an amazing feeling, having so much blood that can be utilized as he wish.
'It's time to reap the spoils of the battle.'
With the threats to his life eradicated, Val redirected his attention to the Blood Purifying Herbs.
He squatted, carefully plucking them, ensuring that they were harvested without sustaining any damage. Once he'd collected them safely, he nestled them securely within the confines of his windbreaker's pocket.
Then he stood up to leave, but a peculiar sight within the cave arrested his steps!