The Border (5)

[Would you like to sacrifice external souls?]

Yes…

[You have sacrificed a total of 3649 small souls]

[You have sacrificed a total of 3 large souls]

[Would you like to receive your reward or save for a bigger prize?]

Save.

[3649 small souls saved]

[3 large souls saved]

I think I can withdraw a prize now. Is it somewhere in my status?

『Status』

[Name: Lucy]

[Race: Ancient Snake (Half)]

[Level: 15/50] (70/100) XP Needed

[HP: 105/105 MP: 105/105 SP: 65/65] - Above Average

[Strength: 80] - Above Average

[Defense: 80] - Above Average

[Magic: 80] - Above Average

[Speed: 80] - Above Average

[Skills: [Ice Fossilized Snake Necromancy] [Royal Ice Crown] [Ancient Sacrifice] [Bloodthirsty Rage]

[Variant Skills: [Lesser Quetzalcoatl's Ancient Fire (Acid)] [Drizzle (Acid)]

[Passive: [Photographic Memory] [Boiling Frozen Blood] [All Language Perception] [Acid Immunity]

…

[Shop]

[Inventory]

[Map]

[Stored Souls]

…

Ah, there we go.

Selecting the [Stored Souls] option, I see some new panels displaying the number of small souls stored and large souls stored. I then looked to the very top and saw,

[Sacrifice souls and receive prize]

I immediately selected it with my mind and then saw a processing screen where there was an altar with a human laying on it. It was a cartoon but it was the most bloody cartoon I have ever witnessed.

The guy had all of his limbs tied and stretched out like a starfish to the point where he couldn't move anymore. Another guy with a small dagger stabbed it into his abdomen and ripped across, sending blood squirting everywhere… and that repeated on loop.

"Since I don't want you, girls, to struggle more than you need to, we can go back now," the PE teachers said.

I could see Aria regain her emotions as we both nod our heads in agreement.

The gruesome loading screen continued to loop as we made our way back to the wall. I was also able to see other students who went on the battlefield, struggling to even approach within 10 feet of the blue line.

The rest of our group follows us and we walk up the spiral staircase, behind our PE teacher.

"Do you think you can replicate that feeling again?" I ask Aria.

"H-how did you learn that? I felt like I could slaughter my entire family and I would feel nothing. I'm scared to use it again," Aria says.

I saw her hand and how it was gripping her other hand… it was shaking profusely.

"Killing. I learned it from killing monsters,"

"In dungeons?"

"Ye,"

"But you aren't part of any big family. How are you able to enter them?" Aria asks.

"Just sneak into one. If you get found out, either run away or kill everybody present, simple,"

I could see Aria had chills from my words but I soon averted my attention to the sacrifice soul panel that finished repeating the same scene.

[You have received three rewards due to the immense amount and quality of the souls]

[1. +45 to all stats

[2. Summon Servant: The Servant of Fear

[3. Skill Book: Flood

Opening my inventory, I see a piece of paper that says "Summon Servant" and a new skill book.

I'll use them later…

"Hey teach. Is this all we're doing today?" I ask.

"No, the Brave of Ice is going to be doing a demonstration and you'll get the chance to spar with her," The PE teacher replies.

We soon arrive back on the stone wall and we walk back to the grass field from before. Some groups had already arrived while the rest of the groups were on their way back.

Auntie was standing on a wooden platform next to the headmaster where they were looking down at the students with cold eyes. For a split second, I and Auntie's eyes met but her cold demeanor didn't waver in the slightest.

…

"Alright! Now that everybody has gathered back, Miss T will perform a demonstration. After that, you decide whether you want to test your skills on a brave or not," The headmaster announces.

All the students erupted in excitement. The commotion couldn't be quelled by any of the teachers or the headmaster who tried to yell over the hundreds of students without a microphone.

After about 5 minutes, Auntie had enough and released a burst of ice around the perimeter of our group. It looked like a glacier had appeared in the middle of the field. Also, our feet were frozen stuck into the ground but I was able to easily shake them off.

She jumps down from the wooden platform and creates another burst of ice that pushes us all to the sides, clearing a spot for us to spar her.

"One at a time, if you think you can take me then come. I'll use 10% of my power for power users and for the ones who don't have powers, I'll of course fight without my ice," Auntie says.

The first person to step forward was of course a cocky rich kid that thought he could compete with Auntie, but she quickly put him in his place with a flash step and pushed him over, knocking him to the ground. Long ice tendrils burst from the ground and locked his limbs in place.

Damn, he didn't even get to use his power…

"It's over… next," Auntie says, creating a bed of ice under the downed student then pushing him towards the edges of the mini ice arena she created.

Multiple students came one after another but were they never able to land a hit on Auntie. Since the students with no power users were wimps, they decided to stay back and not even try to test their skills.

"I guess I'll give it a go," I say, with Aria snapping her head towards me.

"Are you going to use your power or just use regular hand-to-hand combat? I know your power is amazing but are you sure you can go hand to hand with a pro?" Aria asks.

I just smiled sadistically at Aria's questions but quickly wiped it from my face as I stepped forward. I passed a guy who was sprawled on the ground and was being slowly moved away by ice.

"Ah, a no power user. Don't worry, I can guarantee that I won't use any powers. Just come at me with all you've got," Auntie says, pretending not to know me.

I got many stares of ridicule from the young masters and mistresses but Mia and her gang looked to be waiting in anticipation at this fight. Even the PE teacher was excited since he was impressed by my skills from before.

I was within 5 feet of Auntie as I extinguished my emotions. My calm expression soon turned colder and colder as Auntie only smiled. Without hesitation, I also released my bloodlust which made some of the surrounding students kneel and the rest have the wind knocked out of them.

Only Mia is the one to have witnessed my full bloodlust, but that was before I entered the centipede dungeon. Even without the ruler centipedes bloodlust, my bloodlust had at least increased 5 fold.

The teachers all narrowed their eyes as they soon paid more attention to our match.

"Cheeky kid. Already learning how to use bloodlust without a mentor… Marina, your daughter is a genius. If only you were here to see it," Auntie muttered which I was only able to hear, due to my enhanced senses.

I dashed towards her and did a very lazy flying push kick which she blocked with her arm. She tried to flick me away, but I used the momentum of the flick to help me do a front flip and then turn it into an ax kick.

She moved her head slightly to where I kicked her shoulder. Even before I could retreat, she grabbed my leg and flung me to the ground where I instantly recovered into a roll.

I tried to get a headstart but Auntie's flash step was so fast, that I was barely able to block her incoming punch. I was then able to predict a roundhouse kick to my head and I tried to retaliate with a knee to her stomach but,

BAM

I was sent flying across the icy grass when Auntie used the blocked roundhouse to jump up, twist her body in the air, and build up more momentum for a faster and stronger kick which was sent flying towards my right arm.

Auntie let me stand up but I wasn't stupid enough to continue so,

"I'm done," I say, raising both hands in the air and walking next to Aria.

The students all made way for me, despite them knowing that I "don't have a power."