Aldric nodded.
"And with that..."
"That's where a blood tool comes into play."
Draven raised an eyebrow.
"A blood tool?"
"Yeah."
Aldric folded his arms.
"Exactly what it sounds like."
"A blood tool is a weapon created through blood magic."
"But it's not just an ordinary weapon."
"It's a weapon that forms to suit its master."
Draven's eyes narrowed slightly.
Aldric continued.
"You used yours during your fight with that elf."
"Or at least, that's what it seemed like."
Draven stared at him.
"So..."
"That scythe was my blood tool?"
"Yeah."
Aldric raised his arm.
"Mine is this."
Blood suddenly spread across his arm.
**WHOOSH!**
A massive poleaxe formed in his grasp.
The weapon was large enough to look heavy in the hands of an ordinary person.
But Aldric held it casually.
Draven stared at it.
"So the magic forms into a weapon that's fitted to its wielder."
"Exactly."
Aldric nodded.
"You can create pretty much any weapon you want using blood magic."
"But you'll be surprised by how naturally a blood tool fits into place."
Draven looked down at his hand.
"I didn't use mine after I gained control over my body."
"But when I held it..."
He paused.
"...it felt..."
He searched for the right word.
"Comfortable."
Aldric nodded.
"Yeah."
"I get what you mean."
He dismissed the poleaxe, allowing it to dissolve into blood before disappearing.
"Now..."
"Let's begin with the first step."
"Internal control."
"I've already explained it and demonstrated it."
"So I'm not repeating myself."
"If you didn't get it..."
Aldric shrugged.
"That's your problem."
Draven stared at him.
"Shut up."
He lowered his gaze.
He began thinking.
Remembering Aldric's explanation.
*Control the blood inside my body...*
Draven closed his eyes.
Then—
He forced his mana throughout his entire body.
**WHOOM!**
His mana spread through his veins.
He focused on the blood flowing inside him.
At first—
Nothing happened.
Then—
One of his fingers twitched.
Draven's eyes opened slightly.
Another finger moved.
Then—
**CRACK!**
His fingers suddenly bent in different directions.
Bones broke.
But before the damage could become serious—
**CRACK!**
They regenerated.
The black cat's ears perked up.
*"Papa?"*
Draven didn't pay it any attention.
He continued.
His wrist twisted violently.
**CRACK!**
It regenerated almost instantly.
Then—
His entire arm moved.
The muscles shifted.
The bones twisted.
The limb bent in unnatural directions.
Each time—
It broke.
And each time—
It regenerated.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Finally—
Draven raised his arm.
He clenched his fingers.
Then released them.
He rolled his shoulder.
But he wasn't moving the muscles himself.
He was controlling the blood inside his body.
Draven stared at his hand.
"I think I get the gist of it."
A smile appeared on Aldric's face.
"Instead of proceeding gently and gradually..."
"You used force to figure out how it works."
He chuckled.
"Sure, it caused you a few injuries."
"But your regeneration countered the damage."
"And through rapid trial and error..."
"You quickly learned how to control your own blood."
Draven slowly turned toward him.
"Will you shut up?"
Aldric blinked.
"Who the hell are you explaining this to?"
Draven narrowed his eyes.
"I don't remember asking you for an interpretation."
"You didn't keep your mouth shut before..."
He paused.
"But it seems your sickness has gotten worse."
Aldric's jaw tightened.
"Damn bastard."
"Is that the thanks I get?"
Draven scoffed.
"Thanks?"
"Like hell I would do that."
Aldric glared at him.
"Damn."
"I hate you."
Draven looked away.
"Same."
He pulled up his coat, exposing his forearm.
Then—
He pressed a finger against his flesh.
**SPLAT.**
His skin broke.
Blood slowly began to seep from the wound.
Draven stared at it.
The crimson liquid rolled down his arm.
His eyes followed it closely.
*Now...*
*The blood outside my body.*
The blood slowly began to flow upward.
Draven's eyes narrowed.
The crimson liquid rose from his forearm, gathering together in the air.
It formed a small sphere.
Draven stared at it.
Then—
The sphere moved.
It stretched.
Compressed.
And transformed into a dagger.
**WHOOSH!**
The dagger suddenly melted back into liquid.
It changed again.
A needle.
Then—
A ring.
A fist.
A gun.
And finally—
It returned to a sphere.
Draven released his grip on his forearm.
The wound immediately began to close.
He stared at the floating sphere.
Then—
He looked toward the black cat.
"Can you do this too?"
The cat tilted its head.
*"Hmm..."*
*"I don't know."*
*"I'll try."*
Draven immediately shook his head.
"Don't."
The cat blinked.
Draven pointed toward the floating blood.
"Try blood magic instead."
He turned his attention back to the sphere.
The blood suddenly stretched.
**SHING!**
It formed into a long crimson blade.
Draven raised his hand.
Then—
He launched it upward.
**WHOOSH!**
The blade tore through the air.
It shot higher and higher into the sky.
Until—
**BOOM!**
It suddenly shattered into countless droplets of blood.
The crimson liquid scattered through the air before disappearing.
Aldric stared upward.
"...Quite far."
Draven released his mana.
After a while—
Blood spheres formed in the air.
Aldric looked back at him and the spheres.
Draven had been doing this for only a short while.
Yet—
His control was already precise.
Aldric gave a small smile.
"Quite impressive."
"I'd say it's exactly what I'd expect from someone with Royal Blood."
Draven stared at his hand.
*Bullshit.*
*I'm able to do this so easily because First Blood took over my blood.*
*He used blood magic.*
*Even though I wasn't in control at the time, I was still there.*
*It was my body.*
*Not only that...*
*I already have complete control over my mana.*
*And the memories of years of using it.*
*That's what's actually at work here.*
*Not luck.*
*Not talent.*
Draven glanced at his own hand.
*Though I guess my bloodline has a hand in it too.*
He looked toward the black cat.
"Now you try it."
The cat stared at him.
*"Okay, Papa!"*
It released its mana.
**WHOOM!**
The mana spread around its small body.
The cat concentrated.
It tried again.
And again.
But—
Nothing happened.
After a while, the cat lowered its head.
*"Papa..."*
*"It seems I can't do it."*
Draven stared at it.
"So you can't use blood magic."
A sudden laugh came from Aldric.
"Hahaha!"
"Though I had my doubts after seeing what that creature is capable of..."
He looked at the cat.
"It seems there was no use."
"Which is actually how it should be."
Aldric folded his arms.
"It can use different types of magic."
"But blood magic isn't just any ordinary magic."
"It's inherited magic."
"Something passed down through a bloodline."
He gestured toward himself.
"Not just any vampire can use it to the same degree."
"The same principle should apply to the Night Elves and their shadow magic."
Aldric glanced toward the black cat.
"That creature was able to use a form of it."
"But I doubt it's the real thing."
"At least, not in the same way a true Night Elf can."
He shrugged.
"Of course, that doesn't mean blood magic has no imitations either."
"Humans have their own talents for certain things."
"The same goes for every other race."
Draven remained silent.
Then—
The cat's voice reached him.
*"Sorry, Papa..."*
*"I couldn't do it."*
Draven looked at the little creature.
He shook his head.
"Don't worry."
The cat's ears perked up.
*"Really?"*
"Yeah."
"You don't have to be able to do everything I do."
The cat stared at him for a moment.
Then—
Its tail began wagging.
*"Okay, Papa!".