The obsidian was slick. And warm.
Joshua's blood mixed with hers, a dark, almost black sheen coating the platform.
Lysandra lay unconscious where she'd fallen. A thin trickle of her own blood escaped her lips. The Soul Burn technique had torn through her, leaving behind a husk of the warrior who had stood just minutes ago.
It's weird… seeing the unbeatable demon princess broken to the point of passing out. Just what the hell are these trials?
The thought had barely formed when a brutal, electric heat flooded his veins. It wasn't a slow mend; it felt like reality was rewriting the code in his bones.
[CONGRATULATIONS! LEVEL UP x4!]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 10]
[VITALITY RESTORED: → 100%]
[AVAILABLE SKILL POINTS: 24]
The blood coating his skin glowed white-hot for an instant before being sucked back into him, sealing every cut and fracture shut. He felt whole again. More than whole.
He stumbled to his feet, the world coming into sharp focus. But his attention wasn't on himself. It was on her. The shallow rise and fall of her chest was terrifyingly slow.
[Crimson: Holy cow, Joshua! Four levels! Look at all those shiny skill points! You absolute madman! And you should see the rewards waiting in your—]
"Not now," Joshua grunted, dropping to his knees beside Lysandra. "The princess isn't doing well."
I have to do something. There has to be a way. "System," he commanded, a raw desperation in his voice. "Show me how I can help her. Skill Tree!"
The familiar diagram of his abilities bloomed in his vision. But it was different. Old branches pulsed with new potential, and a new, darker path had torn its way up from the trunk.
[BLOOD DOMINION BRANCH - UNLOCKED AT LEVEL 10!]
His eyes flew across the new options, heart hammering.
Blood Sense (4 SP)- Monitor vitality levels of all entities within life sense.
Hemostasis (5 SP)- Control blood flow and stop bleeding in others.
This is it. This is what I need.
"Unlock them. Both," he said. The words were a prayer. The number of his available points immediately dropped.
[HEMOSTASIS - ACQUIRED][BLOOD SENSE - ACQUIRED]
The world shifted.
Suddenly, he didn't just see Lysandra; he felt her. Her life force was a flickering candle flame, guttering against a storm. He could pinpoint the internal bleeding, the ravaged tissue where Soul Burn had eaten away at her essence. It was a roadmap of her death.
He placed his hands over her ribs, focusing his will. He didn't know how. He just… did. "Stop," he whispered.
Through Blood Sense, he felt the hemorrhaging slow, then halt. Her flickering life-flame steadied.
[Blood Sense Active: Lysandra's vitality stabilized at 14%]
It wasn't enough. She was stable, but still severely injured. His eyes landed on the third skill on the list.
Minor Life Drain (6 SP)- Slowly drain vitality from others through blood contact.
It was meant to harm. To take.
But what if… what if I push instead of pull?
"Unlock it," Joshua commanded, spending the points without a second thought.
He gently brushed the mess of crimson hair from her forehead and pressed his bleeding palm against her skin. He didn't think about drawing from her. He thought about giving. He pictured the white-hot energy of his level-up, his renewed vitality, and forced it into her.
The connection was immediate. Startling. He felt his own strength drain away, a dizzying emptiness. But in its place, he saw flashes.
[Your Vitality: 100% → 72%][Lysandra's Vitality: 14% → 42%]
The vision vanished, leaving an ache in his chest that had nothing to do with him.
Lysandra's scarlet eyes fluttered open, unfocused and confused. "Joshua?" she whispered, her voice a dry rasp.
"Hey there, Princess." He managed a tired, shaky smile. "Welcome back to the land of the living."
She tried to sit up, then paused, a look of pure shock on her face. "What did you…"
"Blood magic," Joshua said, helping her sit upright. "Figured out a new trick."
"You… healed me." Her gaze was intense, analytical, but underneath was a fragile awe he'd never seen before.
She leaned into his support for just a moment, her walls crumbling enough for him to see the vulnerable young woman beneath.
"Thank you," she whispered, so quietly he almost missed it.
"Always," he replied, surprised by how much he meant it.
[CRIMSON: Aww, you two are adorable! Anyway, since you're both not dead, you should really check your inventory! The trial rewards are incredible!]
"Right. Rewards," Joshua muttered, needing the distraction. "Inventory."
A new window shimmered into view.
[INVENTORY - UNLOCKED]
[NEW ITEMS ACQUIRED:]
[Crimson Vial of Restoration] x3 - User will restore 25% of Vitality upon use. Causes potion sickness preventing back-to-back uses within a 5-minute time frame.
Could have used those five minutes ago, he thought wryly. Better not waste them now.
[Soul-Forged Blood Catalyst](LEGENDARY) - ???
Whatever it is… legendary sounds good.
Lysandra was already struggling to her feet, her regal mask reforming. "We need to move. The royal court is—"
"Can wait a minute," Joshua interrupted, standing and steadying her with an arm around her waist. "You used a forbidden technique that nearly killed you. We're taking a moment."
"I don't need—"
"I can literally feel your life force rattling," Joshua said, his voice gentle but firm. "You're running on pure stubbornness."
Her protest died on her lips. For the first time, she didn't fight him, simply accepting his support.
As if summoned by the uneasy peace, the platform shuddered violently. The void around them began to crack and peel away like old paint, revealing the harsh, crimson lighting of the royal viewing chamber.
"Time to face the music," Joshua said, helping Lysandra stand tall.
"I know." He met her eyes. "Trust me, I'm as confused as you are."
He felt it through Blood Sense—a complex storm of emotions radiating from her. Gratitude. Suspicion. Something else—something he couldn't translate.
"We're going to be okay though," he promised as hundreds of hostile eyes materialized around them, waiting to pass judgment on their survival.
"Right. We are allowed a few days of rest before the Trial of Memory and the Trial of Soul."
"What do you mean and?"
"The next two trials we will have to complete at once. And there will be no spectators." She looked up at him, her expression tense. "No demon ruler has ever spoken of their Trial of Memory or Trial of Soul. Even I have no understanding of what's to come."
"If we put our heads together, we can figure it out."
"Yes. Today has proven that to me."
With the slightest burst of air, the rift disappeared around them, and Joshua found himself surrounded by demons. The crowd was wordless, simply staring at them.
The suddenly, the system's red text flashed in Joshua's vision.
[WARNING: HOSTILITY DETECTED]