Chapter 22: Slaying the Blood Mother

The "Runs of Insight" rune was an amazing rune to have, a realization that dawned on me during my confrontation with the Blood puppet. Its ability to heighten my awareness of magical energies and provide insights into magical phenomena worked seamlessly, allowing me to discern the mana fluctuations within the abomination before me.

Observing how mana moved across the abomination's body, from areas of high concentration to those devoid of any trace, enabled me to identify its vulnerabilities. I could even anticipate its attack patterns, from their initiation to their ultimate destination, thanks to my heightened awareness and the insights granted by my rune.

And only because of this overpowered ability was I able to survive against relentless and vicious attacks from the monster in front of me. Even counterattacking the monster by exploiting the insight I had already gained on the attack I was going to face.

Although everything was going well, I noticed a serious problem: the monster in front of me wasn't going to die anytime soon. It was regenerating its body as I was destroying it. The battle was getting repeated with me chipping away its armor and it regenerating as soon its armor was destroyed..

It was in a moment of frustration, while staring at the Bloodmother hovering above, that I discovered the crucial missing piece hindering the death of the Blood puppet.

"Strings made of mana."

Indeed, I spotted strings made of mana controlling the abomination I was battling. These blood-red strings were almost invisible, evading even my enhanced perception of magical energies.

Knowing the main problem, I was able to relax as I could easily cut these strings made up of mana by infusing my long sword with the mana I had on me. So, I did the job, I slashed my blade right above the abomination's head, missing it in the process. Although I missed my attack, the attack incoming towards me also stopped since the string controlling the abomination was destroyed by my blade.

"Hoho… quite intriguing for a Human," the Bloodmother chuckled with amusement, before gesturing once more with its hands.

I could see string forming on his hands and swiftly attaching themselves over the head of the abomination that had stopped moving. I was able to clearly see the formation of these strings—it was a skill allowing the monster to mold its mana into tangible forms. 

The spell that it was casting was merely an attempt to intimidate adventurers who were fortunate enough to sever the strings while engaging in battle with the abomination, as it floated in the air. The idea of witnessing the abomination you've slain being resurrected by the monster floating in the air with a mere gesture and incomprehensible spells was truly terrifying.

The scene's impact would undoubtedly leave any frustrated adventurer who had faced the seemingly immortal blood puppet feeling utterly hopeless. This sense of hopelessness would likely lead them to make mistakes, providing numerous opportunities for the Bloodmother to kill the adventurer, whether by coordinating attacks with the abomination or directly engaging in the battle.

Even I would have succumbed to hopelessness if forced to battle this monster for hours without making any progress. I would have welcomed a swift death, knowing that it would likely be my final day alive, especially since leaving the dungeon was impossible without defeating the Boss monster hovering above me.

However, with the ability to see the string connected to the puppet, I wasn't driven to such despair. I could simply continue slicing the string apart whenever it reattached to the puppet, waiting for the 'Blood Mother' to make mistakes in frustration or simply attacking the 'Blood Mother' myself.

"I chose to attack the monster before it made any mistake in frustration."

'Nightmare' had already left me, tearing through the air and it swiftly reached in front of the 'Blood Mother' before plunging itself into the ruby etched in its forehead.

" Human..." It was trying to say something while pointing toward me with shaky bands but…..

I commanded the 'Rune of Confusion' to activate, silencing the monster and preventing it from speaking. Following that, I triggered the 'Rune of Poison,' inflicting damage on it. The monster's bloodied red body began visibly rotting; it couldn't withstand the poison for even a minute.

The abomination before me collapsed, crashing onto the ground and causing the floor to crack. Blood sprayed out like a fountain as if a dam holding back water had burst. The once ferocious creature now lay before me, unable to regain its strength, as I had poisoned its controller, rendering it a marionette without any strings.

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The 'Blood Mother' was melting from corrosion caused by the poison, its withered skin sloughing off along with pus and blood.

"Ah! Human... you dare!" it exclaimed.

"Yes, I did," I replied, watching as the monster slowly corroded, its fury growing stronger with time.

The scene of the monster's body gradually dissolving and its agonized cries broke the silence of the dungeon, sending shivers down my spine. Each drop of corrosive poison that fell from its withered body sizzled against the cold stone floor, reminding me of its impending demise. 

As time passed, the once formidable 'Blood Mother,' which had nearly pushed me to despair, weakened further. Its movements grew increasingly labored as the relentless assault of poison took its toll. Gradually, it descended to the ground, its wings unable to sustain the hovering prowess it once commanded as a king, looking at me with a scrutinizing gaze while it controlled the Blod Puppet earlier.

Despite the agony evident in its twisted features, its eyes held a fierce determination, refusing to succumb to the cruel fate awaiting it. However, its low vitality and lack of resistance to poison left it with no chance to defy the cruel fate that awaited it.

As I witnessed its slow dissolution, a mix of horror and fascination gripped me. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of empathy for the 'Blood Mother', especially because of its will to live by defying the inevitable. It reminded me of my past self, who was also trying to defy the inevitable by entering the dungeon filled with monsters as a monster, seeking a chance to awaken as I was doomed to live as a mortal. 

The only difference between the 'Blood Mother' before me and my mortal self was that I was fortunate enough to obtain the legacy that gave me the opportunity to defy the inevitable. Meanwhile, the 'Blood Mother' succumbed to its fate, perishing due to poison despite its ability to control an almost immortal monster, an Abomination for itself. While it could manipulate an immortal creature, it lacked immortality itself, leading to its ultimate demise at my hands.

The echoes of its agonizing cries reverberated through the dungeon, leaving me with the sense that I was witnessing more than just a monster's demise. It served as a stark reminder of life's fragility, the inevitability of death, and the resilience of the human spirit in confronting unimaginable horrors. It reminded me of the past when I had tried defying my fate on several occasions, whether it was by seeking vengeance against the culprits of the massacre of the old couple that loved me, daring to traverse the monster-infested forest to leave the town, or even entering the dungeons as a laborer in hopes of awakening myself.

Today, I was here, inside the dungeon, looking at the puddle of pus and blood in front of me. I had defied my fate, gained the ability to sense mana, and grown stronger. But, the death of the 'Blood Mother' filled me with the determination to never give up, to keep pushing forward, and to always strive for greater strength and resilience in the face of challenges.

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[Succesfully killed the boss of the dungeon.]

[Obtained the loot 'Rejuvinative potion', 'Minor healing potion' and monster core dropped by the Boss.]

[The adventurer can now exit the Dungeon.]

[Do you want to exit the Dungeon??] [Yes/No]

I was ready to exit the deugeon and return to my house as I was tired both mentally and physically after battling the monsters here today.

But….

[Or do you want to stay in the dungeon, searching for the artifacts that might be hidden in the dungeon?]

Looking at the last notification from the legacy, my curiosity was piqued. Although I wanted to leave this dungeon and return to the otherworld to relax my body and mind, I decisively chose to remain here and search for the artifacts that may be hidden inside this dungeon. And, any artifact hinted at by the legacy definitely wouldn't be something that could be found everywhere. It must be a runic equipment at the very least.

''What if I was able to get something that provided me with more information related to my legacy?''

This was the question that made me decisively stay in the dungeon. And I wasn't wrong with my intuition as this place had something that I could utilize forever, something that would become my greatest strength in the near future.