The moment Isaac made his final step into the ancient building, the entire place moved. The ground beneath his feet shook while the walls around him trembled, flinging tiny pieces of debris in all directions. Worst of all, a deep, echoing thud sounded behind him as a massive slab of stone slammed into the floor, sealing the entrance off.

  He clicked his tongue, scanning the short, dimly lit corridor ahead. In hindsight, maybe he should have expected something like this to happen. The last ruins trapped him inside a barrier, so why not take away his way out again. No Interface notification though.

  Well then, only one way forward now…

  Slowly and without making much of a sound, Isaac crossed the short hallway, following the light of the single flickering torch. He stopped on the other end, right before another massive slab of stone that once more blocked the path forward.

  This time, however, the ruins offered him a choice—a familiar lever attached to the wall.

  His hand reached out, ready to pull the wooden handle, only to pull back at the last second.

  Not yet.

  If the boss, or any other monster, was waiting on the other side, Isaac wanted to be ready. He didn't fancy going in with only his sword drawn when he had other options now.

  He reached out to his Origin, while also focusing on the feeling of his blood. Of how the crimson liquid coated his hands not that long ago. And how it now waited at the edges of his half-healed wounds.

  The process was easier than expected. Then again, maybe he shouldn't be surprised. After all, the last few hours exposed him to more blood than all the years of his short life.

  Now then…

  A smirk tugged at his lips as his Origin grasped hold of the blood within his veins.

  Let's start with this, Sacrificial Blood Dagger.

  Still, Isaac winced as he felt some of his blood being ripped out by the Viron surging through his body. He didn't stumble, though, and instead watched as two much larger clouds of crimson miasma swirled into the shape of long, deadly blades.

  Unlike the standard daggers he could summon, those two pulsed in the rhythm of his own heart. Blood also dripped from their edges, each droplet tapping against the stone floor and echoing through the corridor.

  Then, there was the link between his new creations and his mind—much stronger and easier to reach. Isaac would bet he could now command the blades to do much more than just shoot forward.

  Guess I will find out soon enough.

  With the two long daggers floating at his side, he once more reached for the lever. There was no hesitation in his movement this time around. After a quick and sharp yank, the entire building trembled again as the stone slab before him parted in two.

  At first, all he could see on the other side was darkness.

  Then, one by one, torches flared to life along the walls, revealing a massive chamber reminiscent of the one he had initially landed in at the beginning of this trial. There were no weapon racks or stone tables here, though. Instead, right in the middle, lay a creature, one he had grown all too familiar with during his stay inside this Quarantine Dimension.

  A gremlin.

  A very, very large gremlin with muscles that went beyond even the best bodybuilders back on Earth.

  Potential Threat: Moderate

  That's new.

  The results of Analyze, however, didn't stop Isaac from acting. He wasn't one of those people who would wait for their enemy to recover to give them a fair chance at winning. No, with the massive beast just waking up, it would be stupid to just stand here and watch.

  And so, with a mental command, the Sacrificial Blood Daggers shot forward, curving around the chamber. Then, just as the gremlin lifted its head off the ground, the blades struck from opposite sides, sinking deep into its thick skull.

  The beast let out a guttural growl that shook the chambers' walls and almost burst Isaac's eardrums.

  Yet, even with all that, even with two blades in its head, the gremlin didn't fall. Instead, it moved even faster.

  Not good, Isaac cursed internally, calling on two more normal Blood Daggers while also charging forward. At this point, the beast was almost on its feet, its crouched form already towering over him.

  Once more, he called on his Origin.

  Crimson liquid spilled over his blade.

  Just as the beast finished standing up and locked its yellow gaze onto the charging human, Isaac struck. His sword slashed across its exposed chest, Blood Draw exploding outward with the motion. At the same time, his two fresh daggers flew right for the monster's eyes.

  But somehow, despite its size, the monster raised its arms just in time to defend.

  Thick, corded muscles met the torrent of blood head-on.

  Neither side won the clash.

  Even as flesh parted under the slicing power of Isaac's Origin, the beast's arms held firm, stopping most of the potential damage. All it lost were a few fingers. His Blood Draw failed to even reach the bones beneath its thick muscles.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  One thing his charge did succeed at, though, was enraging the beast.

  It roared again, in pain and rage, as it lashed out with its fists.

  Isaac, unsuspecting of such a response after all the power he put in his previous attack, barely had the time to duck under the first swing. The next one, he could do nothing about.

  The gremlin's open palm slammed into his side, sending him tumbling across the chamber.

  Fuck!

  He groaned even as Symphony of Blood fought to get rid of the sudden pain. Not that the skill could do much about it. He was pretty sure he had heard a few bones crack on impact.

  Still, he couldn't just lay there. The gremlin was coming, fast.

  Gritting his teeth, he rolled away just as the beast slammed into his position. His body screamed in protest, but he ignored it as best as he could and raced for the sword he dropped in the middle of the chamber.

  At the same time, his hand dove into his pocket, fishing out the miraculously unbroken vial of brown liquid.

  He downed it in one gulp.

  A surge of raw energy went down his body, sweeping over his battered muscles and shattered bones, numbing the pain by just a tiny bit. His heartbeat quickened, and the world around him slowed, the potion's effects combining with the rising tempo of Symphony of Blood.

  Isaac took a deep breath, grasping his sword with one hand. With the other, he unsheathed his knife.

  Round two.

  The gremlin came at him again, bloody fists swinging. Isaac shuffled out of the way and slashed the overextended limbs. The beast roared and tried to retaliate with a backhand slap.

  He ducked again and stepped in, slicing its chest first with his knife and then the sword as he pivoted out of the way of another swing. More and more blood coated the monster's body.

  Isaac didn't even smile.

  He just moved to the rhythm of the Symphony playing in his veins, ignoring everything else around him. All that mattered to him was the gremlin in front of him. Even the pain faded into the background, letting him dance around the beast faster than ever before.

  His technique with the sword was abysmal, nothing close to what the alien displayed, but it didn't matter.

  His newfound speed and strength more than compensated for his lack of skill. Just yesterday, he would have never been able to move like this, weaving in and out of battle, swinging a sword like a maniac.

  But now? The potion and all the level-ups were paying dividends.

  Yet, Isaac knew he could not go on like this forever. His body still had its limits, and after a few hours of almost constant fighting and almost a whole day of no sleep, he was slowly reaching them. If not for his enhanced regeneration attribute, he would have collapsed long ago.

  I have to use it again, he decided, reaching out to his Origin.

  Another pinch of blood vanished from his veins, nearly making him stumble straight into the gremlin's swing. Thankfully, its injuries made it slower and sloppier, giving him enough time to recover. He leaned out of the way, only feeling the kiss of wind on his cheek instead of that of the beast's large hand.

  Just then, blood, almost as dark as night, spilled onto his sword, angry and restless, begging to be released.

  Isaac held it in and advanced.

  A sidestep here, dash forward there, and the gremlin's chest littered with dozens of cuts once more stood before him. He lunged, plunging his sword right into the beast's thick hide.

  Sacrificial Blood Draw followed.

  As there was no swinging motion to the skill, the blood exploded at the tip of the blade, surging forward like a spear. It blasted the flesh in its way to bits, leaving a gaping hole behind.

  The gremlin howled, stumbling back and falling on its rump.

  It never got the chance to rise again.

  With another Blood Draw forming alongside his knife, Isaac jumped after the beast and drove the blade right into its eyes. His skill erupted, blowing up the gremlin's skull apart in a shower of gore.

  [Mutated Deepearth Gremlin (LVL. 5) slain.]

  More notifications arrived after that one, rushing in alongside the familiar power rush of a level-up. Isaac, however, ignored them all and let himself drop to the ground, rolling onto his back.

  As always, with the fight coming to an end, the pain held back by the Symphony of Blood came rushing back. A wave of exhaustion followed, dulling all of his senses. The potion must have worn off, too.

  Wonderful.

  Isaac groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. There wasn't a single part of his body that didn't hurt. He could only pray that his regeneration would soon fix the worst of it. And if it couldn't?

  Well, he wasn't planning to go anywhere anytime soon.

  Is it a bad time to take a nap?

  He didn't take a nap despite his best effort. Although the old man had always joked that Isaac could fall asleep even on gravel while sitting up, that ability apparently didn't extend to his current situation. Who would have thought that having a good part of his body broken and then forcibly rearranged by his regeneration would make sleeping difficult?

  Well, Isaac did.

  And so, he lay there, sprawled on the cool stone floor for over thirty minutes—he counted—before the worst of the pain faded. He still had the desire to double over and vomit, but at least now he could breathe without feeling like one of his ribs was trying to pierce his lung.

  He still had no idea how his regeneration had fixed that one so quickly. He wasn't complaining, though.

  All right then, let's see what you have for me, Interface.

  Isaac dragged himself next to the gremlin's corpse—which still hadn't disappeared for some reason—and leaned against it. Then he summoned the notifications, one after another.

  You have leveled up! You are now level 6. Distribution of Ascension Power in progress. All attributes, except Toughness, have advanced a tier.

  Pain Tolerance, Sacrifice, and Blood Draw have advanced a tier.

  Isaac cracked a smile. Even though he paid for it with more pain, seeing the proof of his progress was getting addicting. And he had no plans of fighting against it, at least not now.

  Next.

  Congratulations, Host! You have successfully slain the boss of this Quarantine Dimension. You are the third Human to complete this trial. As only one among them to slay another Host, you may release the exit key and your rewards manually.

  Do you wish to proceed?

  Isaac's eyebrows shot up.

  Only the third human to finish?

  That didn't fill him with much hope. Sure, the others could still be out there, fighting, but considering how his trial went, he had doubts. Hell, he had only survived thanks to his fast regeneration.

  Others might not be so lucky, depending on what Origin they received.

  And then there are the alien Hosts. Some of them definitely know how to fight with more primitive weapons. Damn…

  Isaac sighed, shoving those thoughts out of his head. He wasn't one to worry about what-ifs anyway, so why start now? The other humans in those trials had to survive on their own.

  And if they didn't?

  That was an issue for another day.

  For now, I got rewards to claim. Go on, Interface.

  Proceeding… Performance rating in progress…

  "What?"

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