The moment they stepped out of the school building, Marie jumped to her feet. However, before she could approach them, she frowned, her eyes narrowing at the two of them.

  "Why does it look like James here just ran an entire marathon while you just rode a bike next to him?" she asked.

  It was a fair question. James looked like he had just crawled out of a warzone, dragging his feet as his chest heaved. In contrast, Isaac simply strolled beside him, looking almost relaxed. If not for the mix of sweat and blood smeared across his skin, no one would have guessed he had just cleared over half of the Quarantine Site.

  Current Progress: 67%

  "Bossman's regeneration is so fucking bullshit," James mumbled, collapsing onto the pavement the second they stepped out of the Quarantine's reach. "Also, screw whoever designed this building. Who the hell makes doorways and hallways that narrow inside a school?"

  "It's an elementary school," Marie pointed out.

  "Whatever," James waved her off. "Now, can I get a heal?"

  The woman rolled her eyes as she crouched beside him. "A please wouldn't hurt, but fine. Stay still, you oaf."

  James grumbled something under his breath but did as was told. In return, crystal-clear water enveloped Marie's hands. Slowly, she traced a path across the older man's arms, sliding over every little cut or bruise. The wounds didn't miraculously close right away, but the water cleaned them and lingered in the open skin, stitching it together over time.

  Healing Touch.

  According to Marie, it was one of the two abilities she had received upon awakening. It didn't really heal on its own. Instead, it just assisted the body in recovery with some simple steps. Isaac thought it was a bit amusing that an ability created to heal didn't even beat his own base regeneration. Especially considering just how much Viron one use took.

  "Much better." James sighed, lying flat on the ground. "Thanks, Ari."

  Marie scoffed. "And just for that, you're not getting another heal today. What did I say about giving me nicknames?"

  The man shrugged weakly. "Eh, you will get used to them sooner or later. Just look at our fearless leader. He doesn't care that I almost never call him by name anymore."

  "I wonder why…" she muttered, rolling her eyes. She then looked up at Isaac. "What now? With this dumbass out of commission, you're on your own… Do we come back later?"

  Isaac shook his head, feeling Root of Blood thrumming in his hand. "No. Two-thirds are already cleared. I can take care of the rest on my own. Shouldn't take too long. Just look after the big guy, and please try to contact Daryl or Tyler. I want to know where they want us next."

  "Hopefully in bed," James muttered. "I can hear it calling me."

  Ignoring him, Marie nodded. "Will do. Be careful, Isaac."

  He smiled slightly. "I will."

  With that, he turned on his heel and marched right back into the Quarantine Site. He passed the cleared-out building and headed for the smaller one nearby. Unlike the first, this one had only two floors.

  Let's do it.

  His smile widened into a grin. Symphony of Blood returned, and once he pushed past the entrance door and into another narrow hallway, the Wretched came almost instantly. Alone and in a bit of a hurry, he didn't hold back this time.

  A tug at his veins ripped out a small chunk of his blood. It rushed out alongside Viron, forming five massive clouds of miasma. Within a second, they shifted into the perfect image of a dagger—each longer than his forearm. They glowed with a faint crimson light, illuminating the dark corridor.

  Kill… Sacrificial Blood Dagger.

  Just like that, the blades rushed forward, tearing through every Wretched in their path. Two crawlers jumped out of the way of their charge, but it was all for nothing. Isaac closed the remaining distance between them in a few steps and swung the Root.

  It cleaved right through the first beast. Yet before it could touch the second, the Wretched used the corpse of its kin like a monkey bar and slipped past the attack. Within a second, it grabbed Isaac's leg, claws slicing through his skin and the flesh.

  He hissed in pain, but instead of panicking, he kicked the beast with his other leg. It let go, though not without cutting even deeper into his flesh.

  Shit, great start…

  Virus Integrity: 82%

  The Blood Daggers wreaking havoc through the enemy ranks had already vanished, giving the rest of the horde easy access to him. Isaac cursed again and put most of his weight on his healthy leg.

  Don't hesitate. Don't give up.

  Another chunk of blood rushed out with Viron, enveloping the Root in fresh crimson liquid. He waited a second, two, three, and then swung.

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  A wave of Sacrificial Blood Draw ripped through every Wretched coming at him, even carving deep gouges into the walls. However, that was far from the end, and as another group of beasts appeared behind the one he had just killed, he knew what to do.

  He swung again, still drawing on the power from the previous attack.

  Another crimson wave followed the path of his motion—a bit weaker and shorter but just as deadly. More Wretched died, yet they still kept coming.

  Isaac swung one last time.

  The final remnants of Sacrificial Blood Draw answered his call. The wave was shallow and thin, barely visible at this point. That said, thanks to the power of the Root and his sacrifice, it still cut deep into the few remaining Wretched brave enough to attack him.

  The other beasts, waiting at the end of the hallway, turned tail and fled to the second floor. Isaac let them go and leaned against the wall as he took in large gulps of air. Two sacrificial skills in a row were still a bit too much.

  At least it ranked up. I call it worth…

  Sacrifice has advanced a tier.

  Too bad his shin was once again bleeding all over his leg. He didn't expect that crawler to move so fast. A mistake on his part, one that could have cost him his life if not for his other skills. He was getting overconfident with all the Wretched he had been killing lately.

  Stupid… Should have kept using the daggers before rushing in. I'm not invincible because I heal faster… at least not yet.

  He sighed, looking down at his mangled leg. If not for the lack of bite marks, it could have been mistaken for a wound from a rabid dog. Either way, it stung like hell, and standing on it was a big no-no.

  A short break it is, he thought, sliding down to the floor among the sea of butchered bodies. Just in case, he summoned a salvo of Blood Daggers to hover above him. He doubted the Wretched would return, but like always, it was better to be safe than sorry.

  Where are you hiding? Isaac mused as he limped through the empty second floor of the school building. He had already killed every single Wretched he found here, yet the Interface refused to mark this area as cleared. Something was still out there.

  Current Progress: 99%

  He had already checked every classroom and even the teacher's lounge. At this point, he was beginning to think that either the Interface was messing with him or they had missed a Wretched in the other building. Isaac hoped that wasn't the case. His leg still hurt—especially with the Symphony inactive—and he had enough of walking.

  All right, it's either this or the other building, he thought, placing his hand on the knob of a door that led to god knew where.

  With a twist, the lock clicked open—

  And a screeching body pounced at him.

  Isaac jerked to the side, allowing the tiny creature to land on the floor. Its large yellow eyes, burning with hate, turned on him. Grimacing, he sent three daggers flying toward it.

  The child-turned-monster died instantly.

  Sorry…

  Well done, Hosts. You have managed to neutralize this Quarantine Site. Purging in progress. Your reward shall arrive soon. Level progression will be distributed between all contributors.

  You have leveled up! You are now level 9. Distribution of Ascension Power in progress. Toughness has advanced a tier. Agility and Insight have ascended to the next grade (Developed).

  Your Origin has awakened a new ability: Bloodbank. Blood Draw has evolved to the next grade, growing in strength.

  Okay… That's a lot more than I expected. Not that I thought I would level up already… Level progression, hmm?

  In the end, though, the universe didn't give him a chance to ponder that, as a moment later, a flash of light consumed the space where the last Wretched corpse used to be. It faded soon, revealing a small wooden chest in its place.

  "This is getting better and better," Isaac muttered, crouching to unlatch the clasps.

  What awaited him inside wasn't anything special, but he still couldn't help but feel pleased. The Interface decided to reward him with exactly five items. Four bigger than average Virality Gems—a quick Analyze confirmed they were of Normal grade instead of Inferior. And lastly, another Blueprint that he couldn't use as it taught a skill he already had, Viron: Potency.

  Whatever, Marie and James can decide who gets it.

  Just like that, he pocketed all the items, making the chest disappear. Without another thought, he headed for the stairs and summoned the information about his new skills.

  Blood Draw first.

  [Blood Draw | Grade: Superior | Tier I]

  An active Origin ability. By drawing onto the power of your Origin with Viron, you may now unleash consecutive waves of deadly blood. Best used when armed.

  Isaac blinked. Aside from the new grade and one added word to its description, the ability barely changed. He wasn't going to lie, he expected more. Though, getting to use Blood Draw consecutively without sacrificing extra blood was still nice.

  "Let's see," he muttered, stopping in the middle of the hallway and drawing the Root.

  With just a nudge of his Viron, Blood Draw came alive a bit faster than before, spreading over his blade. Not wasting another moment, he swung once, then twice, unleashing waves of crimson one after another.

  At first glance, they looked darker and maybe even a bit thicker. But what stood out most was how the ability felt when activated. The initial release carried more weight than before—not quite on the level of Sacrificial Blood Draw, but definitely stronger.

  Even better, the following strikes retained more power than they used to.

  Never mind, then. Pretty nice improvement.

  Dismissing the Root, Isaac summoned the description of his brand-new ability. What he didn't expect was for that action to send a spike of pain through his chest, right next to his heart.

  He gasped, stumbling and falling to his knees.

  [Bloodbank | Grade: Unique | Max Tier]

  An ability that creates a brand-new mystic organ right next to the Host's heart. From now on, it will store excess blood, slowly enhancing its potency. This blood may then be used for other abilities requiring sacrifice or be reabsorbed to replenish lost blood and slightly enhance regeneration. This ability cannot advance to a higher grade and will instead grow stronger with its user over time.

  Even as the description floated before him, Isaac ignored it. Something new had settled inside his body—something he couldn't quite feel but instinctively knew was there, connected to his heart. The thing even mirrored its rhythmical beating.

  That wasn't nice, he hissed, his teeth clenched. What the hell are you?

  His gaze traveled back to the description, and once he read it, everything started to make sense. Then again, a warning would have been welcome before the Interface decided to mess with his body again.

  Still…

  At least the pain was worth…

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