Practicing With The Blood Energy

The last time Arin met with Lina, she had been very upset after losing their sparring match. He had promised her then that he would talk to her.

But since that day, he hadn't looked for her. He'd completely forgotten.

"Arin!" Lina called out again, running toward him.

Arin turned, seeing her rushing toward him until she finally reached him.

"Arin..." Lina panted, catching her breath. "I've been looking for you."

"Oh..." Arin muttered with a light laugh, scratching the back of his head. "The sparring class finished today, so I decided to walk around while looking for you."

A wide smile spread across Lina's face. "Okay, then! Now that I've found you, let's go to The Area!"

"Eh?"

---

A Few Minutes Later...

*BAM!*

Arin slammed the door shut, walking toward the bed before sitting down on it.

He'd managed to convince Lina to meet him an hour before curfew so they could head to "The Area."

The Area was a building with plenty of chairs and tables where food and drinks were sold, distinctly different from the cafeteria.

First, the students had freedom there. They could make noise and talk about anything they wanted, unlike the cafeteria, where the staff constantly observed their every move.

Second, both first-year and second-year students could access the area, making it a prime spot for meeting new people and possibly even making friends—if the second-year students were friendly enough.

First-year and second-year students had separate cafeterias, which made The Area even more unique.

Although no alcohol was sold and students had to pay with credits, they didn't mind. The freedom more than made up for it.

As expected, The Area was only open after classes ended for the day, so it was always empty in the morning.

Arin sighed as he stood up. "No time to waste..."

He instantly sat down on the floor in a lotus position, closing his eyes. Before meeting Lina, he wanted to make some progress with his Blood Energy and learn more about his Vampiric abilities.

He knew he'd need Seraphine's guidance later on, but for now, he had some idea of what he was doing.

Within seconds, Arin was fully concentrated, already sensing his Blood Energy. As a Vampire, his concentration was top notch, so it now even became faster than before.

'I can feel it...'

Arin could now sense his Blood Energy mingling with his Mana, and he began to move it.

The process was similar to handling Mana. All he needed to do was focus, sense his Blood Energy like he sensed Mana, and move it.

"Well, that was fast..." Seraphine murmured.

"Oh," Arin responded. "I guess a normal Vampire can't do it that quickly?"

"Hmm, a normal Vampire can do it fast, but not as fast as that. Only a Progenitor can move their Blood Energy with that kind of speed," Seraphine explained. "But for someone who just became a Progenitor, that was impressive."

Arin understood what she meant. It seemed like it took longer than this for the other Progenitors to be able to move their Blood Energy with such speed. Well, since the process was the same for Mana, it took Arin lesser time to do it.

"Hmm, alright," Arin said. "I'm just a special Progenitor."

After moving his Blood Energy around his body for a while, it was time to move to the next stage.

"Time to actually do something with this Blood Energy..." Arin muttered.

He had a feeling this would be more challenging, but he was ready.

*Ahem* *Ahem*

Seraphine cleared her throat, preparing to speak.

Arin sighed and shook his head. "Really? Did you have to do that?"

"Oh, sorry," Seraphine replied.

Arin shook his head again. She was clearly imitating Principal Orion, who had cleared his throat several times before making his announcement in the hall earlier.

"So," Seraphine continued, "to use your Blood Energy, you'll need to bring it outside your body."

"I know that," Arin said.

In fact, he already knew how to bring his Blood Energy out, as it was similar to how a Mage brought out their Mana for spells.

"Okay then," Seraphine said. "The first and most basic skill a Vampire must master is the Blood Spike."

Arin remembered Seraphine using this skill when they fought in the forest.

"First, you'll need to release your Blood Energy," Seraphine added.

Arin began the process. He moved his Blood Energy toward his hands, guiding it to his fingertips.

Within seconds, red Blood Energy began seeping from his fingertips, though he controlled it, keeping it in front of him. He couldn't risk letting it escape the room, as there was always a chance that a powerful Mage like Alex or one of the teachers could sense it.

As the Blood Energy flowed out, Arin noticed his fingernails elongating, slowly turning into claws. His hair began to grow longer, and its color started shifting to white. Though the transformation wasn't complete yet, it was clear that releasing his Blood Energy would change his appearance.

Arin squinted at his nails. "This just confirms it—if I release my Blood Energy, my appearance will change."

He stopped the flow of energy and decided to work with the small amount he had in front of him.

"Focus on your Blood Energy," Seraphine said softly. "It is yours. You control it. It must obey you."

"Shape it. Connect with it..." she continued.

Arin was already doing that. With focus and connection, he began shaping the Blood Energy, molding it with his will.

And then...

*WHOOSH!*