I wince with pain as my tooth cuts into a patch of nerves. Without the heat of battle, getting stabbed in the finger-tip hurts a lot worse, but such is the price of magic. Maybe. I’m still experimenting.

Light filters through the wall of ice blocking the cave entrance, illuminating my work with a cool blue glow. Dark stone surrounds me on all sides, but the feeling of isolation helps me concentrate on the delicate task at hand.

The blood dribbles down my finger-tip, welling on my claw. With a little boneshifting application, the claw of my forefinger has changed to resemble the tip of a quill. With deft stokes I trace the runes I carved into the ground, coating by using my blood like ink. The book doesn’t say exactly how to create a magic circuit using runes, so I had to guess. I have this feeling that image is more important than actual construction, so I focused on that aspect.

The center of the rune holds an enlarged rune of [Spear]. Outside the central rune I’ve carved out the runes for [Ice], [Eternal], and [Unbreakable]. The central rune connects directly to all three secondary runes, and the secondary runes are connected to each other by straight lines, forming a triangle. Between each secondary rune is an auxiliary rune. These runes are the smallest runes and they connect secondary runes together, creating a complete circle. The auxiliary runes are [Sharp], [Strong], and [Flexible].

Honestly, this project has taken me far too long. It was a huge effort finding the right runes, figuring out how to put them together, and carving them into the stone directly. What makes it worse is that this is my first experiment with my new knowledge. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll have wasted all that time. There are so many variables going on here that I don’t even know where I would start to try to fix things.

After barely completing the outline of the main rune, my regeneration kicks in and seals the flow of blood. I raise my finger to my mouth once again, using my sharp fangs to puncture another hole in my finger. My blood is essential to this experiment for a couple reasons. The first and foremost is to see if the price paid truly does alter the outcome. I mean, it makes sense when I consider Wisp, Legion, and Fear but I want to know. Knowledge is power. I think. I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere... Anyway, I also want to know if it is possible to use my blood as a medium to directly access the vampire in me.

I have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I’m not fully utilizing my Blood or Core. If I could learn how to bring that power forward and use it, it would be another arrow in my quiver.

Speaking of arrows, I need to think up some sort of mid to long range spells. If this new spear works out, there is no way in hell I’ll be throwing it around. I can’t stop and draw a rune like this in battle. Another magical experiment to add to my to-do list. Maybe I'll play around with incantations for that one.

Damn. Out of blood again.

***

With a final drop of blood, the magic circuit is complete. Every rune is connected. There are no broken lines. It is a masterpiece, if I say so myself. Well, a masterpiece if it works. If it doesn’t work, then this never happened.

I take a deep breath, centering myself. I clear my mind to focus on the image I want for this spear. I lay my hand on the central rune, focusing on what I've created. The runes I chose for the circuit are keywords to help me focus. Every rune leads to one central idea. What is a spear? What is MY spear?

My spear is [Sharp] enough to pierce through any obstacle standing in my way. It is [Strong] enough to crush my foes. My spear is [Flexible] enough to dance on the winds of death.

I look at every rune in turn, focusing on what it means to me and why I put it there. With each image, I force more energy into the circuit. The energy flows out of me, but not as fast as I would like. There is something holding me back.

As my Source has grown, it has become more and more apparent that there is a limit to how much energy I can pour out at once. Ideally, I’d release my Blood Energy into this magic circuit all together, like a flood. Unfortunately, I have to pour it in like a river running to the ocean. This forces me to maintain my mental image of the spear for a far longer period, which is a pain in the ass.

Focus. Feel the image.

My spear is [Ice], an unstoppable force of nature. My spear will not shatter or fade, for it is [Unbreakable] and [Eternal] like a glacier condensed into the form of a weapon.

I hold this image in my mind, repeating the phrases over and over. I relive the moments of triumph I’ve had, spear in hand. With each passing second the image grows stronger, more vivid. My hand, placed on the rune, can feel the sensation of my spear plunging into flesh, the shaft wrenching in my grasp as my enemy thrashes their death throes. The triumph of slaying a difficult foe courses through my bones. To know the touch of my spear is to know death.

The energy in my blood drains away, paying the price for my image.

My breath crystalizes with each exhale, the very air around me grows cold. With each inhale, the cold burns my lungs. The runes of the magic circuit glow, lightening up the cave with a sickly red light, the color of blood. Shivers crawl down my spine. Not because of the color of the light. I expected that because of the blood. No, there is a hunger in the light, an insatiable bloodlust. It as if the light has a will of its own. Like a starving predator it hunts for blood.

My energy flows into the circuit faster and faster. It exceeds the rate I can funnel it in. I try to slow it down, but I can’t. Something is pulling my energy in. The light grows brighter and brighter. Nevasca’s soft whines behind me are drowned out by the crackling of ice. A seed of fear grows in my heart.

The magic circuit lifts off the ground, becoming illusionary. My hand, against my will, stays attached to the center rune. A gasp of pain rips from my mouth as my hand is sliced open. Blood flows like tendrils from the wounds, hovering around the circuit. With a final surge, the circuit has devoured its fill of my Blood Energy, but continues to draw out my actual blood. The glow pulses, the tendrils of my blood casting disturbing shadows throughout the room.

The circuit begins to spin, matching the pace of the pulses as they grow faster and faster. The runes blur and the sinister feeling of hunger grows stronger. The pulse of light go faster and faster, to the point where they are so fast that the light seems solid again. The spinning circuit lengthens, my blood surrounding it. It elongates and sharpens, forming the shape of a spear. Ice crackles throughout the room. The tendrils of my blood plunge into the spear shaped circuit, filling in the gaps.

The pulses slow down once more, settling into an irregular pattern. Pulse. Pulse-pulse. Pulse. A heartbeat. The light is imitating a heartbeat. With each pulse, the feeling of sinister hunger grows and the runes solidify. The pulses grow faster once again, but maintain the same pattern.

Without me realizing it, my heartbeat mimics the light pulses. The pulses accelerate, matching my rising heart rate. Both my heart and the light increase in tempo. I can't tell which is leading which. My breath comes out in gasps like I've spent the last hour running Honey's hellish obstacle course. My chest aches, like my heart is going to pound out of my ribcage. The pain and the hunger crescendo in a final flash of light.

When everything clears, I can feel the smooth shaft of the spear in my hand, but a blue box blocks me from seeing it. Images of concern flash through my mind. I mentally reassure Nevasca that I’m fine and the spell just got a bit out of control. My familiar’s worries pacified, I read the boxes blocking my vision.

Achievement Unlocked! Magical Craftsman: Create a unique weapon out of magic. Adaptability +1

Assessment Override: As the creator of this item you may assess it without the necessary skills.

Blood Spear of the Unawakened Vampire Lord

Weapon History:

This spear was crafted from the blood of a Vampire Lord who has yet to fully embrace their heritage as a vampire. Until the Vampire Lord accesses their full potential, the true potential of this spear will be muted.

Weapon Bonuses:

20% Chance to cause Ice Elemental [Slow] effect.

15% Chance to cause additional [Bleed] damage.

Essence of the Devourer: This weapon grows stronger by consuming the lifeforce of slain enemies.

The notifications make me pause. There is a lot to process here.

Okay. Okay. I just have to process the information in bite size pieces. The easiest way to do that is in order.

Another achievement is good. That puts me one step closer to evolving and growing stronger, which is great. The achievement also implies that I can craft more things purely out of magic, which is good. I have, however, crafted things out of magic before. Lots of things actually. Spears, armor, shields... So the key word here must be “unique.” When I get more time, I can play around with that concept.

Okay. Assessment Override. Because I made it, I can assess it, which makes perfect sense. However, it says I can do it without the necessary skills, which implies that there are assessment skills. Those skills may extend beyond assessing items and gear, but also assessing creatures and people. As useful as a skill like that would be, I need to focus on finding a way to block skills like that. If an enemy can assess my weaknesses it could be lethal. Survival before convenience.

Blood Spear of the Unawakened Vampire Lord. There is a lot going on here. I guess, the most important thing here is that I have written, undeniable proof, straight from the system, that I haven’t tapped into my potential as a vampire. Hell, I’m not even sure what a vampire is supposed to be. We didn’t have them in my world and my dumb ass didn’t look it up in the Guild Library. I’m such a fucking idiot sometimes.

It’s okay. It will be okay. I still have Quinn and Kandra. They probably know. I can ask. There is no point in stressing out about it until I’ve explored all my options.

Next issue. Weapons have bonuses and stat screens. That is a HUGE surprise. Well, sort of a surprise. I mean, it makes sense with enchanted weapons and stuff. Better weapons means more efficient ways to kill things. Chipping away at health of a boss with high health would be easier. I mean, the whole health stat hasn’t really come into play yet, but that can be explained in a couple different ways. I hope. I’ll ask Quinn and Kandra that too. Believe it or not, speculating on facts about this world hasn’t done much for me up to this point.

I mentally dismiss the screens to take a good look at my creation. In my outstretched hand lays a dull red spear. The shaft is cool to the touch, but not the numbing cold I am used to from my ice spears. Runes, a slightly brighter red, trace patterns up and down the shaft, vaguely reminiscent of the runic magic circuit I used to create the weapon. The shaft, by my estimate, is about six feet long. The spear head is a cruel looking thing, adding about another foot on to the length of the weapon.

The sinister hunger I felt during the ritual emanates, in a lesser form, from the blade of the weapon. The base of the blade is thick with flaring edges. The blade tapers to a point, but retains a thickness that makes me think it could do a lot of damage chopping as well as piercing. It has a slight curve. The longer curved edge is smooth and sharp, leading to a double-edged tip for stabbing. The back edge of the blade is home to cruel, back facing barbs designed to rend flesh. All in all, it reminds me of a stylized fang.

With a crash like shattering glass, the ice wall I made to block the cave’s entrance bursts apart. I reflexively point my new spear at the entrance, startled by the noise. Kandra burst through the opening, once again in her humanoid form, but where her forearms should be are elongated bone scythes. She raises them up, her eyes blazing with ferocity and determination.