Trial

[Name - Drake Moonfall | Age - 15 Years Old

Race - Human / Wereraven

Demonic Raven Bloodline (Stage I) - 21% Purity

Attributes:

Strength - 3.0 (+1.5) | Agility - 2.4 (+0.5) | Vitality - 3.8 (+1.5) | Magic Power - 4.8

Perks: Demonic Raven Bloodline (Stage I: +0.5 Strength, +0.5 Agility, +0.5 Vitality), Knight Physique (+1.0 Strength, +1.0 Vitality)

Skills: Moonfall Knight Swordsmanship (77), Magical Knowledge (43), Etiquette (40), Archery (35), Horsemanship (30), Cartography (26)...

Spell: Demonic Raven Vision (36)]

Upon waking up, Drake felt revitalized.

"Biochip, how long have I slept for?"

[Beep! You have slept for two days]

Drake smiled. It seemed like the absorption of blood crystals was helpful.

'My bloodline purity...It rose to 21%!', Drake exclaimed in his mind. It was definitely on par with the main family heirs. In fact, it was even higher. Reaching the advanced acolyte realm was more than likely, as long as he meditated daily.

However, the biggest changes lied in his physical attributes. Besides his vitality that rose by almost two points, even his strength and agility increased significantly. Although he could not obtain [Blood Physique], it seemed like his physique still improved significantly. His magic power also rose slightly along with his bloodline purity.

"It seems like you woke up", Uncle John's voice disturbed his train of thoughts

"Yes, uncle", he answered.

"The messenger I sent to the family returned with grave news", Uncle John said, "You have been judged guilty of indiscriminate murder"

Drake's eyes were shaken.

His hands trembled slightly. He never expected such a charge.

"What is my punishment then? I did what I thought the most beneficial to the family", Drake said

"Without consulting me, you killed over a hundred soldiers, who were loyal to our family. Your actions left a whole city and its thousands of inhabitants, vulnerable to attacks"

"I...I should have told you what I was thinking of doing before acting. But by the time Moundir attacked me, I thought that losing momentum would lead criminals to leave unpunished", Drake faked tears to appease his uncle's anger.

His uncle was a righteous man. A bloodbath could not be justified in his eyes.

"If it were up to me, I would have sent you into the extermination squad. There, you would have redeemed yourself of your crimes by risking your life and suffering for decades", Uncle John said in a severe voice, "I fed you, taught you, and transmitted my dream to you. Where are the values and principles I taught you? You killed so many...For what sake? Strength? Honor?"

Drake bowed. He could not find words.

"Anyway, your actions earned the respect of the patriarch and elders. Men in power lose reason. They do not consider human lives as something very valuable, and it's true that the scheme of Moundir Yale would have killed many fold more if left alone. And I admit I would not have solved the problem alone"

Drake raised his head: "So...I am not punished?"

John punched his nephew in the face: "Still, you are a murderer and such a bloodbath has tarnished our family's reputation. Since Everlasting City cannot welcome Frozen City's inhabitants, you are to stay in this place. You will protect Frozen City for the next three years, and train a hundred trainees into loyal guards in this timespan. This way, the Moonfall Family will have a good grasp on Frozen City and such a terrible event will never happen again"

'Damn it...Three years is quite a long time. Plus, the family sent trainees who will report every action of mine to the main family. This is their way of putting shackles on me while showing everyone that I am being punished accordingly. I can't say it is too bad, though. They have no idea about the resources I got my hands onto, and they turned a blind eye to the fact that I might have used a blood ritual'

Uncle John gave a death stare to his nephew: "You can forget about the mission rewards I promised you. It seems like I raised a monster. I failed your parents"

These words probably hurt Drake more than the self-inflicted lacerations on his back.