CHAPTER 314: BLOOD SOVEREIGN’S MANDATE

Then came [Blood Requiem], a skill that used the caster’s own health to fuel area-of-effect debuffs. Bleed, slow, silence, it had it all. However, the skill had a huge cast time, and if interrupted midway, the backlash could leave the caster half-dead.

Damon frowned. The top-tier skills were not shaping the way he thought that they would. At this rate, the middle shelves would be a lot more useful for him than the top shelf.

He clicked his tongue and looked at the next one. The fourth book was the one Varnyx kept glancing at. [Cradle of the First Fang]. It was sealed tighter than the rest, humming with layered protection spells.

Damon couldn’t get any information from the system except for one term: Not Available. When he asked Varnyx about it, the old vampire hesitated, then murmured, "That was left behind by the first Lord of the Blood Hall. No one has dared claim it since."

Was this some legacy of sorts?

Well, it did not matter. If he couldn’t take it, then he couldn’t take it. There was no point in fussing over it. He moved on to the last one. There was the fifth and final tome.

Unlike the others, it had no bindings. No chains. It hovered in place, surrounded by drifting motes of blood essence. There was no title, only a mark etched into the air above it, shaped like a crown. The moment Damon looked at it, a chill ran down his spine.

[Ding! Unknown Skill Book Detected: Bloodline Authority required.]

[Ding! Warning: Interacting may alter your soul imprint permanently.]

[Ding! Condition: Only those who have unlocked a Fragmented Ancestral Bloodline may attempt to bond.]

Damon’s eyes narrowed. This one was clearly meant for him. He could feel his blood boiling with need, urging him forward.

In the back, Varnyx talked about how this one required some sort of recognition as well and warned him from selecting the book, but Damon reached out without hesitation.

The motes of blood coalesced, the crown symbol flared once, and the book shattered, its contents pouring into him like liquid flame.

[Ding! You have acquired the Incomplete Skill: Blood Sovereign’s Mandate]

[Ding! Passive Effect: All Bloodline-based skills gain +15% effectiveness.]

Damon exhaled, his vision flashing crimson for a moment. "Now that," he muttered, "was worth the trip." A 15% boost might not mean much for some other bloodlines, but his bloodline was special. This was once again going to improve his extraction ability and make it more efficient.

Damon grinned. He truly did not expect such a windfall sitting right inside his house.

On the side, Varnyx stood frozen in shock. No one had been able to touch these last two books for years and years, and now, finally, one of them had been claimed just like that. He turned to look at the young lord in a new light once again.

"It seems the vault has acknowledged your claim, my Lord. The Blood Hall may yet rise again."

Kaelthorn, standing off to the side, swallowed hard. His knees felt weak. His decision had indeed been the right one. He could feel it in his guts. The lord has become stronger yet again.

Damon took some time to sit down and fully absorb the aftermath of the skill book absorbing, but it looked like this was not a traditional skill. No memories or knowledge were transferred. It was just the passive effect. It was fine. He did not complain.

He then went back and picked the two choices he had already confirmed. He decided to learn these two later when he was outside the treasury. He still had one main treasure to pick after all.

"I will also take these two books." Damon pulled them out from the shelf, and Varnyx nodded with a bitter smile. One of his main treasured books was already gone, and the old vampire couldn’t care less about the mid-tier skills.

Damon continued looking around, his gaze sweeping across the room. There were more potion shelves, talisman shelves, and even some gems lying around. "The gems are considered as treasures and not consumables." Varnyx quickly added.

Damon chuckled and nodded. "Okay, I understand." He had already taken a lot from the poor guy, but that did not mean he was going to stop. He still had his quota left after all.

He drifted past the shelves, taking a look at everything. Still, he had one final pick. Currently, all of his items were shit, so he needed to make this one count. He browsed through shelves after shelves of more consumables before finally arriving at the equipment section.

The equipment section was pretty sparse. Just like the skill books, not many were there, the selection barely filling out three shelves. Even then, the items on the shelf were nothing to write home about. The good ones were definitely picked clean a long time ago.

Damon ignored the bulk of the shelf until his eyes caught something strange in the corner, enclosed in a blood barrier of sorts. An amulet. More specifically, a golden amulet that radiated holy energy.

"Wait, is this an Epic-tier amulet?" Damon instantly picked it up. He did not expect an epic-tier item to simply sit on shelves collecting dust. But then again, it made sense. No one in the blood hall would be able to use it.

"My Lord, are you sure? Many were injured just trying to pick it up." Varnyx was once again quick to remind him.

"It’s okay." Damon nodded. "I have some resistance." He vaguely answered before picking up the amulet and checking its stats.

[Ding! Sunveil Amulet]

Grade: Epic

Type: Accessory – Amulet

Origin: Sanctified Vault of the Dawn Temple

Once worn by a noble paladin, the amulet was designed to shield its bearer from corruption and deceit. Bathed in holy rituals for decades, it retains a stubborn light that rejects darkness. Yet the corruption of war, death, and betrayal has left a crack in its sanctity, because of which its effects have diminished. All holy skills have 30% reduced cooldowns. All healing is increased by 10% and the amulet can absorb up to 1 million damage every 5 minutes.

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Please thank Syphatrol for the mass release