∼ Day 18 ∼

Standing outside the walls of the tribe, the figures of Mia and I could be seen. Mia currently double-checking all her equipment before we headed out. I couldn't help but notice the poor quality of her weapons, so I created a quick mental note to get something new created for her. After all, it's been a while since I've created anything with blood shaping.

Looking to me, she indicates that she's ready with a pert nod of her head. Without waiting any further, she began walking towards the treeline in pursuit of our destination. But I actually didn't follow, and she yet to even notice that I wasn't right behind her yet.

Fufufu- Oh, ho- she has no idea know what she's in for.

I simply chuckle as I had other means for traveling in mind for this excursion. She suddenly lets out a cute squeal surprise. I had swooped in from behind and picked her up effortlessly.

As soon as her feet left the ground, she looked around in panic only to spot the teasing grin plastered across my face. Mia was not nearly as heavy as Bob is, and my wing has already patched itself up to its previously pristine condition. So flying whilst carrying her should prove no problem.

"W - what are d-doing! Ah!" - Mia

She was stuttering in fright as she was staring down at the ever-shrinking earth beneath her. I couldn't help but chuckle, as with her cute nature very poorly portrayed just how panicked she was.

"Ah, come on. You really didn't think we were going to walk all the way, were you?" - Me

She was clutching fiercely at my arms in a desperate attempt to calm her nerves. Seeing her poor state, I lifted her up and into my embrace. Placing a kiss on her cheek, she instantly calmed down as my touch allowed her nerves to settle. Holding her tight, I whisper in her ear.

"Just look to the horizon." - Me

Tentatively opening one of her tightly closed eyes, she gasps at the sight before her. By now we had already flown quite high up, and the rocky hills were splayed naked before our eyes. With the twin suns shining their soft radiance upon the azure blue sky, and the scarce but lush vegetation covering the hills and cliff. The sight was undeniably something to truly behold.

This was the first time Mia had ever seen the world from such a perspective. And it left her breathless. I simply enjoyed the look of awe glinting in her beautiful ruby-red eyes as she took in the scene before her.

"It-its... beautiful..." - Mia

I could barely hear the whisper of her words on the wind but I could only concur as I wholeheartedly agreed with her on that. Without further ado, we simply kept a steady flight towards our destination.

***

For most of the day, we just cruised the skies of the rocky hills, only taking a few breaks to recover my stamina. Since there were no big predators in the sky, we were pretty much completely unhindered by the wildlife.

As we flew deeper and deeper into the depths of the rocky hills, or what was also called the western wildlands as the two orcs, Rena and Grul, liked put it, I began seeing numerous different and much more powerful monsters and animals.

Flying high above, I couldn't appraise them unless I dove down to close the distance. But I decided not to since I would have more than enough time to do so on a later date.

I doubted the rocky hills would be moving anytime soon, so exploration and documenting the wildlife would come at a later date. But from the height we flew, I could still recognize many of them as being those new alumn beetles in various different sizes and colors, but other insect-creatures had also started popping up here and there.

There was even one that looked like a giant mantis. It was about the size of a dog and sported some vicious looking blades on its claws. Knowing that mantis' are usually known to be able to leap large distances, I decided not to go and appraise it, even though I was very fascinated by it compared to the others.

Asking Mia how the hell she and her warband had ever traveled so far into the rocky hills without being killed by the ever-increasing powerful wildlife, I was told that all the creatures had recently been culled by a large clan or army of greenskins at the time.

Very intrigued by this large greenskin force, I asked, but she didn't know anything as the tribe had only heard the warhorns in the distance. Even so with the wildlife so heavily reduced, her warband didn't manage to escape unscathed as she had lost almost half her entire warband in that one excursion.

After looking to the numerous creatures and monsters littering the ground beneath, I geussed that the area had already been mostly repopulated since then due to just how much the ground was teeming with life.

By the time we had settled down for our last break, the suns had moved to the horizon and dusk was about to break. But we were already almost there. To my delight, I had even managed to get another level in swift flight as we flew.

[Swift Flight has reached LVL: 6]

To spend the time whilst resting, I decided to finally replace those two shoddy and old-looking daggers hanging by her tiny waist.

"Mia, could you pay attention to the surroundings for a minute or two? It's important that you don't let anything disturb me." - Me

With a bit of confused expression, she simply nodded in affirmation. Although she was paying attention to everything around, she also kept shooting me curious glances every now and then to see what I was up to.

Sitting down in a lotus position, I center all of my focus within my core. With a slow stir, I begin swirling the saturated mana inside of my core, to get it malleable and ready for use.

[You have taken 2 damage!]

Without any further ado, I with the flash of my claws, slash both my wrist whilst holding them out before me. But instead of the flow of blood spilling out onto the ground unceasingly, long tendrils of crimson liquid began flowing out to simply float in the air instead, right before the piercing gaze of my crimson-colored eyes.

With astonishment and worry coloring her face, Mia could only look on at the scene. As I had a lot more mana to play with this time around compared to the last I played with blood shaping, I drew out as much blood as I could. Cringing a bit at the weary state that suddenly encapsulated my mind from the mana and blood loss, I stop the drain.

Before me now, was a big blob of brightly glowing crimson-red blood. Even I was a bit stunned by the vibrant glow and sheer sense of boundless vigor that radiated off the liquid's red sheen. It would seem that my blood had turned even more potent and special over the many fights and increases of power that I've experienced.

You didn't need to be a powerful or smart individual to see that my blood had even become somewhat of a treasure. Just looking at it, you would instinctively know that ingesting it could bring benefits to your body, and that went even as far as improving the constitution of a normal adult human.

Just how much more powerful will my blood become? Will I someday day turn into a walking fountain of youth and life? If so, I need to become warier of who I show its power to...

Shaking the wandering thoughts out of my weary head, I begin drawing upon the ominous and powerful magic residing within my body. Soon red veins lit up all around my body with a deep crimson glow, as if liquid mana pouring through them directly from my core.

Slowly but surely, a blue mist of red-tinted mana flowed from my hands and fused directly into the blob of blood floating in front of me. Splitting them apart with a mental command, the ball of blood turned into two.

Centering my consciousness on this one task, I prepared for the hardest part. With the exertion of an immense amount of mental pressure, the balls of blood began taking shape. Slowly, they reduced slightly in size until they're both about the size of my head.

Firstly I started on the handles, as from the top of the blood balls they shrank even further to take shape. A small two-pronged handguard sticking out from the blob of blood could now be seen.

Even though I hadn't exactly intended to make them look like they did, they somehow ended up looking ornate and well-crafted with multiple lines and grooves carved into them. The next to take shape was the blades of each of the weapons.

Deadly sharp edges, and with a flat finish. I used up the rest of the blood to form the blades, and now there were two deadly-looking curving blades connected to the handguards.

Hovering now in front of me was two savage-looking but deadly beautiful daggers. Both of the daggers had turned a deep dark crimson hue, with darker accents coloring the edges and curves of the blade.

To my astonishment, I could even feel a faint aura of danger coming from the blades. They were both magnificent blades, and I could hardly believe I had created them.

[Blood Shaping has reached LVL: 4]

The system seems to agree with my workmanship as it just now rewarded me with another level increase in blood shaping with the competition of my work.

Grabbing both daggers from the air, I feel their touch on my hands. They had a healthy weight that allowed for more powerful striking and slashing. While they were a bit small for my hands, I hadn't created them for me.

Looking to Mia, I see her gaze of astonishment pointed directly at the twin daggers resting in my hands.

"Come. They're yours." - Me

With eyes going wide with the implications of my words, she stuttered with a flush face.

"R-really, those are f-for me?" - Mia

While she seemed very happy, she was also quite overwhelmed by what had just transpired. I had to slowly get to my feet because of the toll the missing blood had taken on my body. But with firm steps, I walked over to her.

Handing her the blades, I saw they fit perfectly in her grasp. As soon as she had properly grasped each dagger, I felt her aura suddenly become a lot more intense and menacing.

It would seem the magic of the blades resonates well with her magically enhanced body. Walking over to a tree, I see her do a single slash at it.

To both our astonishment, the blade cut cleanly through the bark and wood of the tree without almost any resistance. The slash she had made wasn't even backed by a lot of force, it was only just a tentative slash.

"Okay now... make sure you don't cut me with the presents I just gave you. Okay?" - Me

Looking to me, she just shoots me teasing and a bit evil smirk.

"Hmm... I don't know." - Mia

Cheeky girl...

Before I can even regret that it might've been a mistake to give such dangerous weapons to a volatile girl like her, she turns around and says.

"Rest up master, we're not long from our destination." - Mia

It was funny to me how Mia was this ruthless and borderline ice-hearted beauty when it came to anyone but me. But whenever she was around me, she quickly became this shy and infatuated cute girl that simply was way too easily teased. But that wasn't to say she didn't indulge in some teasing of her own every now and then when an opportunity arose to do so.

Just sighing at the crazy but wonderful personality of this petite hobgoblin, I sit back down to rest my mind, so the dreariness that had encompassed my mind might just give me some leeway in the rest of our travels.