Chapter 24- Blood Momentum
"The Sinful Scholar…" Fiona muttered. 'Three extremely powerful runes, and all of them are of the fifth tier. I have already expected Elio to have a very strong arsenal of runes, but this… This is ridiculous. Will all his runes be of the fifth tier?'
At this point, Fiona started something that has been nothing short of a silly joke not that long ago. All fifth-tier runes? Nobody had such a thing happen to them before. The most she knew of were 3 fifth-tier runes at the same time, and even then, they weren't extremely useful like the ones Elio gained.
"Woah! This one increases my ability to learn anything! That's so good!" Elio exclaimed. The Sinful Scholar helped his mind digest information, analyse it, and then comprehend it way faster and better than before. Not only was this a very useful ability, but it seemed to apply to everything and not just Vampire-related things.
'This is great! I don't know what's happening, but I'm getting many good things! Maybe the next two will also be very useful!'
"Hmmm, the next one is… Oh?" Elio raised an eyebrow. "This one…"
"What is it?" Fiona asked, expecting another ridiculous rune. However, against her expectations, what Elio said was completely different.
"This one doesn't have any tiers next to its name… It's called… Hm, Blood Momentum."
"Blood Momentum?" Alex asked as he finally snapped out of his daze. "That's new. I've never heard of that rune before. Is it perhaps a unique rune?"
"You said it doesn't have a tier, Elio?"
"Yeah. I don't see any tier next to it."
"A tierless rune, huh? Those do exist. But, they are slightly rare since they can either be extremely good or extremely bad. Yours sounds quite unique, what does it do?"
"It says I can turn any Blood into energy and any energy into Blood."
"... Excuse me? You can do… What?"
"Turn any blood into energy and any energy into blood."
"T-That's… Any blood? So even your enemies? What the actual… Fiona, this rune." Turning to his fiancée, Alex noticed the shift in her expression. She had also realized quickly what this ability did.
'The law of thermodynamics. Any energy can turn into matter, and any matter can turn into energy. While this only seems to be applied to blood. Being able to turn blood into energy.' Fiona's face frowned. It was scary. A very scary ability, and what made it even scarier was the fact that it didn't have a tier, and she had never heard of it before. It was completely unknown to her.
'This has completely gotten out of control. As if his Blood Energy wasn't already strong enough. He also has an arsenal of runes that will make those bastards drool.' Fiona clenched her fist. 'Elio is only turning out to be a priceless gem more and more. I can't let anyone take him. I can't let that happen. For his sake and for the sake of this world, he must not be revealed.'
Her desire to protect Elio only kept increasing with every passing second. At first, she didn't think things would be this alarming. But, now, Elio to her was the most valuable thing. The fact that she came across him was a miracle, and she had to make sure she didn't blunder or cause a disaster, unlike anything she could ever imagine.
However, deep down, she was also a bit afraid. Afraid of what could happen in the future. She was holding a valuable treasure, but that treasure wasn't so easy to keep and protect in this world.
'I need to start planning. I can't let anything happen.'
While Fiona was contemplating everything, Elio was still busy thinking about his runes. 'I have received four really nice runes. One of them seems quite powerful, too. I don't know if this is enough to become strong, but I'm satisfied.'
"Hm, let me check the last rune." He muttered as he closed his eyes. "Hardened Skin IV… Oh! A fourth tier one!"
"... Somehow, this is reasonable." Alex facepalmed. "Yet, that is still a very powerful rune too."
"It grants me the ability to harden any part of my body. This seems like a good rune to defend myself, no?"
"Yes. That is quite good for defence. It can also be useful offensively. Just a versatile rune in general."
"Mmm! I'm satisfied with this!" Elio smiled. "I think these runes will help me a lot."
"Help you?" Alex wanted to laugh at how absurd it was, but he refrained from that and instead just rubbed his face. "You have received the strongest possible arsenal of runes any individual could ever have. Your abilities are strong enough to make all Vampire Hunters drool at their mouths."
"Haha, is that so?" Elio laughed awkwardly. "Ummm, but I need to work hard to learn how to use them, no?"
"Yeah, obviously. But, it's safe to say you will at least be a very strong Vampire Hunter in the future, if not one of the strongest. That's oddly irritating to think about."
'This random kid gets such a ridiculous talent without even realizing how valuable it is. It's like giving a baby the weapon to control the world. He doesn't know what the hell to do with it!'
Alex would be lying if he said he didn't envy Elio for such a strong talent. Even though he himself was a very strong and talented individual and one of the most prominent prodigies in the world, he still doesn't hold a candle to whatever monstrosity Elio was.
"Sigh. Well, at least we know everything we need to know, and we can start the training." Fiona said.
"Wait, right now?"
"Yes, right now. We don't have time to waste. You might be able to reach the necessary level to take the test in three months. We can't afford to miss any days. So, from today till the time of the test, you will be training daily after school."
"And what kind of training am I undergoing?" Elio asked.
"Physical and mental. You will learn all the basics, from sword fighting to hand-to-hand. You will also study all the basics required to pass the written test."
"There is a written test too?!"
"Yes, and it is relatively difficult, so you will have to study hard. You will also have to learn how to effectively circulate your Blood Energy to improve its efficiency and increase its quantity. There will also be-"
Then, Fiona went on to tell Elio everything he would have to do. The list kept getting longer and longer until his mind was a complete mess. 'S-So much stuff! In three months? How am I supposed to learn all of this in three months?!'
His head swirled before he lifted his hand. "Stop, stop. I understand." He said. "I-I don't think I will be able to learn all of this in three months but… I will try my best to do everything I can."
"It will be tough, and you will be exhausted. But it will be worthwhile. You will have a lot of fun learning all of this and feeling your progress."
"Unlike most other things, being a Vampire Hunter is extremely rewarding. Do the right thing, and you will almost always get instant results." Alex said. "That is why we are all power hungry. We always strive to gain more. You should do too."
'As if you already didn't gain enough.' Alex rolled his eyes.