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The Demon Lord who wished to be a Hero
Chapter 17 - A New Home. A New Life. A New Future [Part 4]

Chapter 17 - A New Home. A New Life. A New Future [Part 4]

Bloodmancy [Wizard Rank]

Blood Daggers: [Active] With your own blood, create daggers out of your blood! Easy, convenient, and lethal! You can create as much as you can control and the blood to make them! With your intelligence and HP regen, this won’t be a problem anytime soon. [250 Mana per Dagger]

Blood Sensing: [Semi-Passive] You have gained the ability to sense blood around you. This will also allow you to see veins and arteries in your opponents if they have any. It will show a blue or red outline respectfully. You may turn this ability on or off at your leisure. Congrats on becoming more like a vampire!

Blood Transfusion: [Active] You may give your blood to others to heal them. Certain effects that are affecting your blood will affect those who are affected by this spell, such as poisons or diseases. However it is also beneficial as you can give beneficial buffs if you drank a regen potion or wanted to debuff someone. Range is within 10 meters [Mana Cost is 500 Mana per meter] HP Ratio given is 1:1. (Don’t worry about Blood types, you’re O Negative anyways)

Well, I got my new rank I asked for. I can’t complain about that or the other stuff I got from it. Healing ability and a sensory ability, which could work well in tandem with Heat sensing so that's pretty good.

Fear me warm blooded villains! You shall not escape my sight! Even in the darkest of nights I will find you!

It’s a pain there is no ability for my blood to be able to exit my body without resistance yet when I do it. Maybe I can change that with Biomancy… No way in hell am I going to do that until I can find a way to prevent me from wanting to kill myself when I use it on myself.

I’ll just have to deal with cutting myself like some depressed or edgy teenager until I get another method of excavating blood from my life canals… Isn’t life canal actually used for a different part of the body.... Vitality canals, then…

Thank god no one can read my thoughts… Ughh…

The healing spell is going to really help tonight with the attack though! With the range I can heal any of the Hobgoblins that are injured while fighting! This is all coming up milhouse.

Smiling constantly to myself, I watch the blades made of liquid life gleaming in the rays of the sun.

Make them swim through the air, moving like birds in the air or jets doing tricks. I can easily manipulate them anyway I like as I move them, spinning, doing barrel rolls, corkscrews or other techniques.

I had as much control over it as if I was highly skilled at telekinesis with real daggers. I could easily hit a target in rapid succession in several different areas of their body or at specific unarmoured targets. It also helps that I can somewhat modify the shape of them even while moving. Making it sharper, pointier, thicker, dull, or even morphing serrated edges.

Thoughts of gaining bloodborne pathogens come into my mind, so that I could spread it to each of my targets. But that quickly dies as even if I did infect some, it would only work if it was instantaneous or I knew the target was going to escape. Then there is the problem of having to deal with the pathogen within me, possibly wreaking havoc in my body.

Before I give it a test drive of it’s damage potential against a few trees, I try to put all the daggers together to form a spear. It succeeds, growing in size as does my manic smile. After it forms into a spear, ignoring the sight of a notification and continuing to change the now blood spear into different weapons. Swords, Warhammers, Halberds, Axes, even several boomerangs!

All depending on the amount of blood I used would change the size of the weapon and how many I could have. I could make the weapons smaller on purpose to create more of the weapon or have multiple different weapons available to me.

Imagining a whole armoury of weapons of blood swirling around me slicing, bashing or piercing anything that dares comes towards the bloody blender I would become.

This is all just a thought of using my own blood. What happens when I am able to control another being's blood? Forcibly rip it out of their body to generate more weapons or heal allies? Make their blood explode like shrapnel to piece any ally nearby them?

Something I will have to practice more when I have test subjects for it and Biomancy. I feel like these two will work very well together once I gain a better understanding and mastery of them.

Commanding the two blood swords to start to ‘dance’ and slash at the tree in front of me. I watch in awe as they easily cut through the tree with little to no resistance. It only falls after one of the swords pokes it to fall down, and doing that left a gouge from poking it.

The best part about this, is that I do not feel any more pull on my mana pool after casting the spell, I only feel an almost abysmal amount of strain in my head while controlling them. I believe this is due to my wisdom, but could be my intelligence stat. I’ll have to get more information.

With that thought, I snort with content as I plunge the two swords into the ground. The two blades explode into a shower of sanguine rain as they hit the earth, spraying everything around the impact. Including me.

Sighing, I turn around and go to head back to camp. I stop as I see a 'little friend' on a tree trunk however.

A spider about the size of a large dog, like a bull mastiff. It’s long furry stick legs twitch on the rough bark of the tree and it’s octuple ruby red eyes stare at me. What really catches my eyes however is the giant black and blue markings of a skull on it’s bloated red coloured abdomen.

It clicks it’s adic dripping finger sized mandibles together as we mutually stare at each other. Neither of us really make any obvious signs of movement except the spider’s twitchy legs.

Let it be known I am not really an arachnophobe. Being locked in a giant glass box as your father dumps boxes of live spider after live spider as if they were puppies to be given to loved starved orphans, kind of prevented me from getting the fear. Claustrophobia and being buried alive are two seperate reasonable fears I have gotten from the experience however.

But seeing a fucking dog sized arachnid staring at you, is I would have to say, the scariest thing I have seen so far in my life. That includes all the horrifying things I've seen my mother committed.

The only three things that I can say that makes this situation at least somewhat okay. It's about ten meters away from me, it could be the size of a human or larger, and at least it isn’t moving any clo-!? Oh god no!

It lunges and scuries forward to my location as a colourful blur. I jump back with some force, almost slipping on the blood soaked grass. I land ten meters back on the edge of the clearing, as the spider sits where I was standing just a moment ago, staring at me once again.

What the hell does the sucker want from me! It just charges then stops, if it wants to eat me why isn't it still coming…

Now it’s just cocking it’s head to the side as it’s pedipalps (two tiny front looking legs near it’s fangs) start to wave as if in greeting…

You're so lucky I don’t have enough grasp on my hellfire to not burn this whole forest down while roasting your ass alive…

As I think that, the spider starts to dance. Moving from side to side, waving it’s pedipalps, front legs into the air and having it’s abdomen up in the air. Well, it could actually be dancing or could be trying to intimidate me.

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It's better not to try to seduce me. I can just faintly hear a french accent in the back of my mind saying ‘Seduce me!’, but I don't want any of this. If this is what being an entomancer entails with bugs being ‘friendly’ with you, I’m concerned for the future.

Well, might as well try to conscript it regardless, it's not like I can just deny any chance of growing my troops. Plus, I can try to live my fantasy of being a beast tamer. Even if I can only do it with bugs.

I mentally command the spell Ento conscription to work, feeling mana go towards my frontal lobe before shooting out forward with a mental kick towards the spider.

I see an illusionary transparent net launched right at the spider. The spider does not show any response to the net until it falls and encapsulates it.

The spider struggles for the briefest moment before rapidly relaxes as the net tightens on it and dissolves into the spider's skin.

Feeling a bit more of my mana leaves me in a trickle like fashion, I know the spell is working properly. When the trickle stops, the net is completely gone. I feel a new strange feeling of confusion in the back of my mind just before I see a notification pop up.

I'm assuming everything went without a hitch?

Congratulations!

You have started creating your own hive mind! As of currently you have a Level 22 Female Vitreous Thievius Spider under your control. As of the moment you should be able to give it simple commands with 'Forward my swarm!' spell and know it's general emotions. You have probably already sensed the new feeling in your mind. Be careful, as stronger creatures and the more you get in your hive mind can be unhealthy to your mental health!

Without a hitch it seems. Got a new buddy! It starts to strut over to me, with a swagger in it's step. It rubs itself onto me like a cat or dog would while looking for attention.

I start to pet and scratch it's hairy head which earns me a strange clinking, purring and hissing mix of sounds.

Pretty cute in a weird way. Also funny now how the situation started and ended with this.

What is everyone going to think when I get back to camp with… Vita. Let's go with Vita.

They'll probably be spooked for a moment and then not care after seeing Vita is under my control. Some of the Hobgoblins might not want to be around Vita, but who would naturally be okay with being around a giant ass spider?

"Let's go Vita. I'll show you to your new family" I smile at her as she makes a small hiss in return.

I get a spike of happiness coming from her when I say that, and a small pang of loneliness that disappears as rapidly as it showed up.

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"Master, where in the 13th circle of Desturom did you find that!" Erlin shrieks as he points to Vita on my back.

Nibbit, and the other important members of the inner square of the leadership also look concerned at Vita.

"I found Vita on a tree while I was coming back from training, why?" I scratch my nose while answering nonchalantly. "Do you want one?

"Ye- No!" Erlin starts but catches himself. "Do you realize what species that spider is and how dangerous it is?"

I sigh "Erlin, I already told you where I come from, so I think you already know that answer."

He grits his teeth and his bones rattle. "That doesn't let you just, excuse my language, fucking tame one of the most deadly and venonomous spider species on this side of the continent! How did you even find one in the first place when they live in the deepest darkest pits of the Vernium forest?" Erlin askes exasperated as he slouched in his seat.

I shrug and reach back to pet Vita's head, who does her usual hissing purr. "I guess I'm just lucky."

Nibbit snorts at my answer, while stronk nods sagely. The mage twins just stare with their mouths wide open and Sek and his lieutenants just watch bored.

"Lucky he says…" Erlin says. "I found and tamed a legendary creature that was out of it's strict and only ecosystem, just a tad bit lucky."

I raise an eyebrow at his antics. "This is unlike you Erlin. You are usually more composed than this. Except the times when you're arguing with Nibbit."

His fiery eyes stare right through me as he gnashes his teeth. "Master, with all do respect. Do you even know how powerful that creature is? Truly, how powerful that thing is and will become?"

I sigh deeply, closing my eyes and bringing my hands together. "Do I need to repeat myself with your rhetoric questions? And she is not an It. This is Vita." I gesture to her, who waves a forelimb in response.

Erlin shakes with anger before slowly calming down and putting his cranium in his hands. "I-I don't know what to say, master… You have a Vitreous Thievius, also known as the Soul Drinker spider, Life stealer, Eternal embrace, Death's fangs, and many more names… and… and, you have it riding on your back like a backpack…"

"Her, Erlin, her." I correct him.

He slowly nods his head in defeat. "Yes, Master, her…"

"...Would petting her make you feel better?" I ask.

Erlin stares at me dead in the face, unmoving. After several seconds I shrug and say, "Your lose." and start to pet Vita some more. Kind of hard to be honest, but worth it.

As I pet Vita, I look around at everyone gathered here. Everyone is in their own little clique.

The hobgoblins sticking together, Nibbit, Mibbit, and Stronk huddled together in the right corner from me. All ready to hear what I have to say with varying levels of euthasium.

Erlin sits dejectedly with his two sons in the opposite corner where the light of a torch doesn't reach them in the hut. Without some kind of dark vision you can hardly see their dark musty robes and their ghastly glowing fire eyes.

Then there is Sek and his lieutenants all standing at attention in front of me, at the back of the hut. Rigid posture, unflinching, unmoving unless trying to get a better view of me or what I'm gesturing to. Their eyes are trained on me like lasers, it makes me feel as if they try any harder they will shoot lasers from their eyes.

"Now, that we are all gathered here and have finished the discussion about Vita." I send a mental command for her to come lay on my lap, which she does quickly. "We should discuss and finalize the plans about the Citadel, before we leave." I make a sweeping gesture to them all. "Agreed?"

They all answer in the affirmative in one way or another.

“Splendid” I clap and relax in my seat. “So far as we have discussed, we will all start making our way towards the Citadel when night falls. We will all make sure we stay under the cloak of night and shadow as long as we can. Once we get within sight of the Citadel, Rezvorn here.” I gesture to him which he creepily smiles. “...Will go out to scout the fortifications, the patrols, where they are and how many there are.”

“Is everyone getting this so far?” Looking around I see them all watching me attentively. Once again they all nod their heads, even Stronk seems to be understanding. Unless he is just following what everyone else is doing.

Nodding my head back to them I continue. “Once Rezvorn comes back with his report, we will either decide to continue on with the sneak attack or retreat and think of another plan with the new information.

“If everything is mangeable from Rezvorn’s report, we will attack, quickly and decisively. Rezvorn.” I look over to him. “Do you remember what your task is after the report?”

He salutes by banging his chest and then nodding. “Yes Master, after the report and we get the go, me and my men will cherry pick the defenders.” His cheshire smile reaches his ears revealing his four inch sized blade like teeth. “Once the wretches are destroyed, we continue onto phase two of the plan.”

“Sek,” I say, the answer I get is the sound of his salute echoing throughout the ‘war room’. “Explain phase two of the plan.”

“Understood Master.” Sek says. “Phase two will be the general assault upon the citadel. Rezvorn will open the main gates into the Citadel, once that is done, the combat available Hobgoblins will be the ones mainly doing the fighting as us, the legion, will act as support to step in at critical moments to prevent dire injuries or death to allow them to gain levels.” Once he finished speaking he banged his chest and bowed his head to me, his eyes never leaving mine however.

“Any questions for what the plan is?” I pet Vita scratch under her ‘chin’ which she purrs at. No one says a word about my question though. That's good. “Perfect, let us move out. We are wasting moonlight.”

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We are all moving towards the Citadel. We are lucky that today is a moonless night. I can’t say the same for those defending the Citadel however, as I doubt that they will have any dark vision like us.

The trees sway with the howl of the wind, the sounds of animals screeching in the distance, with the sound of our marching accompaniment for an eerie orchestra on our march to death and battle.

The hobgoblins and my elites stay close to me while the ‘normal’ undead surround us as we continue. Except for Rezvorn and most of his men are scouting our surrounding area to prevent ambushes upon us.

My people have grim but determined expressions on their faces. I however sense unshakeable amounts of faith and confidence in their steps. They know our new home is near and they will fight for it and win. Or die trying.

Pains in my chest start to arise thinking about the battle if we continue after the report. The fear that some of them will die. It would be so much easier for me just to send the undead in to rofl stomp the lot of them instead of sending them.

But the chance to make them stronger out of this overrides this. I wish for them to get strong enough that I do not have to worry about it. However if any of those cocksuckers hurt or heaven bid actually kill one of them…. Ohohoho… I will put my Mother’s teachings into maximum practice.

Scratching my chin I look around curiously if I can spot any of the scouts or anything of interest within the foliage. There is nothing besides trees, bushes and the occasional scare of thinking of seeing something but is just Vita’s legs in my peripheral vision as she lays attached to my back.

I wonder if I could get a hosta- I mean a volunteer to let Vita test on. So I could see why Vita is apparently so infamous. I bet they are going to shrivel up like a mummified corpse to be completely honest.

I could also just use more biomancy training amongst other things. Food for thought… Heh

“Master,” Rezvorn suddenly whispers in my ear. A little too closely.

Not able to control myself, I twitch from the unexpected stimuli and force a smile on my face as I look over to him. “Yes, Rezvorn. What did you find?”

“There have been almost no differences from last time I checked, Master. The only difference is that one of the defenders has left the fortress and is coming this way.” Rezvorn smiles viciously. “It seems that he has been kicked out, by the cursing he and the other defenders were throwing at each other before he stormed off.”

“Really now?” I smile as I crack my knuckles. “What chances do you think that if we are able to catch him we will get some more information about the defenders?”

“Near 100% chance, Master. The only problem we might find is that some info he might give such as guard routes and so on will change. Why would they allow a disgruntled ex member to know such damning information about their defences unless they are going to change it.” He states.

“That is true. But I do not believe they would change much in less than an hour of his departure, no?”

“Highly unlikely. It would be tomorrow at the soonest if they were paranoid. Since how much damage can one man do at their skill level.” He replies easily.

Perfect. “We will wait and ambush this poor son of a bitch then. As soon as he walks into your ambush, bring him to be. Alive, preferably, I don’t wish to raise him yet.”

Rezvorn nods before slinking off. “By your will Master.”

Well, it is time just to relax until our guest arrives. Nothing much else to do at the moment. Can’t train magic unless I wish to give ourselves away even if Rezvorn is going to ambush the poor sod a bit far ahead of us.