chapter 5 : Blood sacrifice method

Training ground of the orphanage. A group of children can be seen running, clearing obstacles in front of them. A few of them showed an excited expression while others were sad. The harsh reality is that only 14 children were identified with the potential of being shinobi out of 48 children.

'Lucky I wasn't found out for being able to utilize chakra. Now that it's cleared, shinobi won't come back to the orphanage for a while. Now it's time to take a step on my path to becoming an official wizard.'

" System, what are the requirements to reach Tier 2 wizard apprentice?"

"Reporting: Based on the available information, it was found out that the host needs to increase the quantity of chakra."

'Increasing the quantity of chakra will be hard. Based on my memory, shinobi were only able to increase chakra as they grew. If I consider this path, it might take a minimum of 5 years. I need to come up with a solution.'

"System, is there any method for me to increase my chakra?" Inquired Merlin.

"Reporting: Host could develop potions or use the blood sacrifice method, based on the available information from Wizard Ambrose."

'Developing potions will require a huge amount of time and money, and the blood sacrifice method is a demonic technique used by dark wizards to increase their mana. I could try to create a new method based on the blood sacrifice method, like instead of only using humans, I could try to improve it by consuming both humans and animals.' thought Merlin.

"System, is it possible to improve the blood sacrifice method to consume both humans and animals?"

"Reporting: There is a 45% chance to develop a new method. To further increase the chance, the host is required to gather additional data."

'I should find animals to develop this method, and I don't want to hurt innocent civilians unless there is another way.' The next morning, Merlin left the orphanage early.

In the forest, inside a cave, one could see a child drawing various geometrical symbols using blood. At the corner of the cave, you would find a lot of dead animals placed inside a special spherical barrier that prevents the smell of blood from being noticed. "I was correct, it requires a lot of time to successfully develop a new method, even with the help of AI. I should take it slow; rushing will not get me anywhere." By evening, he reached the orphanage.

Time skip of 2 years

"Finally, I created a sustainable method. Now I can start the process." As Merlin placed the animals caught in the forest in a complex geometrical circle, he stood opposite to them and started to use chakra to activate the circle. The animals started a terrifying cry, trying to break free from it, as if they knew that if they waited a few more minutes, something bad would happen to them. But whatever they did, they could not escape. Finally, the cries stopped, and they started to melt, being absorbed in the process. It was finished with a loud noise, and a particular red liquid was formed. Without wasting any time, Merlin took the liquid, flying in the air, to a glass tube.

"So this will be the new blood sacrifice method by me. Kind of cruel to watch. Let's consume it. System, record the complete data of the process."

As he consumed the liquid, he felt a sudden rush in the increase of chakra. 'The improvement is not that great. If I want to get better result, I should do this with animals that are able to use chakra. The best would be animals from the three holy places, but that is not possible now. Once I reach senior wizard apprentice, I could give it a try.' Thought Merlin.

"System, what are the changes that happened to me after consuming the sacrificial blood?"

"Reporting: after consuming the blood sacrifice host body and chakra quality indicate slightly improvement."

As he walked back to the village, he remembered that children could only stay up to 6 years in the orphanage. "Well, I cannot stay there forever. I need to leave the orphanage. But I remember some talk about a star falling from the sky. I should try to get the stone; it might be useful to me. But I am not able to get it. I even heard shinobi talking about how it is protected in the village."

As Merlin reached the orphanage, he was informed that the orphanage warden wanted to meet him.

"Hey, Ameyuki, do you know why the warden called me?"

"Well, Merlin, you know that we are going to reach 6 years old, and the orphanage does not keep children above 6 years. The warden might want to meet you regarding this."

"Well, thanks. I should not keep him waiting. See you later."