Even the five red masked men, who had remained motionless throughout the fight, rose to their feet.
They, too, could not ignore the anomaly that had just unfolded before them.
---
In the depths of the unknown, within a vast and mysterious hall that shimmered under a celestial glow, countless colored lights reflected off the polished floor, casting an ethereal beauty over the space. It was a place where time seemed to stand still, where reality blurred with illusion.
At the very center of the hall sat a lone figure, cross-legged in deep meditation. His eyes were closed, his breathing steady and composed. Clad entirely in black, his flowing hair moved as though swayed by an unseen force, almost alive. The atmosphere around him was tranquil yet charged with an underlying energy, as if the universe itself was holding its breath.
Suddenly, his deep ink-black eyes snapped open, and a subtle tremor ran through his sword-like eyebrows. At that moment, the hall dimmed, the stars above flickering as if they acknowledged his awakening. This figure was none other than Morca's clone.
"Second Awakened..." the clone murmured softly. Yet, despite the quietness of his voice, the space around him trembled, as though the very fabric of reality resonated with his words. He frowned, a rare expression of concern flickering across his face.
"He has awakened the second bloodline," he muttered, his gaze distant. "Although weaker than the Nihility Bloodline, it's still something worth paying attention to. A bloodline I don't have access to must be unique... and most importantly, it seems like..."
---
In the middle of the arena, Morca 004 stood, his chest rising and falling violently. His usual calm and composed expression was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his face was marred by confusion. He glanced around the battlefield, his mind struggling to process what had just transpired.
His eyes widened in shock as he took in the scene before him, monsters lay flat on the ground, lifeless, each with a single precise hole between their brows. They had been eliminated with surgical precision.
"What... happened just now?" Morca whispered, his voice barely audible. "I didn't move... So how are they all dead? And why can't I remember anything?"
A strange silence enveloped the arena. He couldn't hear the murmur of the crowd, couldn't feel the usual energy of the spectators. It was as if the entire hall had fallen into a void. His instincts screamed that something was amiss.
Determined to find answers, Morca willed his status interface to appear before him.
-----
Status
---
Name: Morca Sherman Nihility
Age: 16 years
Rank: Awakened+ (Core Formation+)
Level: 9 -> 13
EXP: 120/500
---
Attributes:
Strength: 16.7 -> 19.5
Agility: 17.4 -> 19.9
Endurance: 15.6 -> 18.9
Intelligence: 13 -> 17.1
Will: 4
---
Affinity/Class: Darkness, Shadow, Blood
Bloodline: Infinity Nihility / Battle Crimson Moon
Talent: Ultimate SSSZ+
Unique Skills: Blank, Oblivion Blade, Crimson Moon Thread
---
Mission: Awakened - Be the solo winner of the Dark Avengers Club
Reward 1: 200 EXP
Reward 2: +5 to all attribute stats
---
Curse: Eternal Doom
-----
Morca's breath hitched as he absorbed the information. The system had changed, almost everything had been altered, though his initial attributes remained. A sigh of relief escaped his lips, but his mind quickly refocused.
His gaze landed on his rank, and disbelief flashed across his face. "Core Formation...? What is that?"
He made a mental note to research the power system of Eden through the Eden Al network when he had the chance. But what truly caught his attention were the breathtaking changes to his bloodline, class, talent, and skills.
As if responding to his thoughts, detailed information materialized before him:
-----
Bloodline: Crimson Battle Moon
Grants the ability to cultivate while in battle.
---
Affinity/Class: Blood
Description: Grants the ability to control blood flow, both his own and others'.
Note: Currently, Morca can only manipulate the blood flow of beings ranked below him due to his low Will stats.
---
Talent: Ultimate SSSZ+
Description: A talent never before seen in this universe or the Oblivion Realm, first of its kind, without another equal.
Effect: Authority over talents; allows the host to strip or bestow talents upon others.
Limitation: Can only affect talents ranked C+ or below due to low power ranking.
---
Unique Skill: Crimson Moon Thread
Description: Controls the power of the Crimson Moon and host's blood to form a formation blade that attacks the opponent's weak points.
Limitation: 30 seconds.
Side Effect: Loss of hearing for 24 hours due to low Will stat.
-----
Morca stared at the notifications, stunned beyond words. This was overwhelming, especially his talent. Although he couldn't strip the abilities of top-tier geniuses yet, the very possibility of doing so in the future sent a thrill down his spine.
And that wasn't all. Every single change in the system would only benefit him in the long run.
However, his excitement was quickly tempered when his eyes fell upon the side effect of the unique skill.
"I'll lose my hearing for 24 hours?" A chill ran down his spine. "I need to be more careful with this skill... And once again, it's tied to my Will stat."
---
Meanwhile, in a shadowed area where five red-masked figures sat observing, one of them in a deep thought.
"What is happening to him?" Emmett Lee muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. "He clearly awakened the Black Blade class... So how is he controlling another class entirely? What kind of anomaly is he?"
His mind raced as he exchanged glances with his brother. At first, he had only frowned in contemplation, but now a headache was beginning to form.
"If those guys notice this, things will become problematic. I need a plan," he thought grimly.
No.1 turned toward him, his tone carrying the weight of curiosity and authority. "Why does it seem like he is wielding two classes simultaneously? Black Blade and Blood, two rare classes at that."
The other three nodded in agreement, though No.2 remained silent. His usual silly smile had vanished, his gaze fixated on Morca in a way that suggested deep familiarity. His reaction only confirmed the suspicions of the others.
Emmett Lee forced a lighthearted chuckle, trying to mask his concern. "You must be mistaken," he said smoothly. "Perhaps it only looks like he has two classes."
No.3 narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Don't play dumb. We saw it clearly, he used darkness to summon his blade when fighting the forty-nine one-star monsters. Then, just now, he used blood to kill the ten one-star+ monsters. There's no denying it. So, tell us what you know."
Emmett gritted his teeth internally but maintained his carefree facade. "Maybe... he's simply hiding his true class? He had that confident smirk when he challenged the monsters. Who's to say he didn't awaken a mutated class, like... say, 'Dark Blood Blade'?"
The four men exchanged thoughtful glances. Though still suspicious, they lacked evidence to disprove his claim. For now, the mystery of Morca's second awakened remained an enigma.