Chapter 16 Black Route (5) (2/2)
A handle with a reddish tint, and azure blade uniquely shaped like a lightning bolt. It was about 30 centimeters long.
‘That must be it, the most prized weapon of the Lord of Vampires.’
[Bathory’s Vampiric Sword]
Number 352
Classification: One-handed Weapon
Rating: Unique
Description: The Vampire Lord’s most prized weapon. It has the ability to drain the blood of its opponent. The spirit of its previous owner resides within the sword, so it is known to personally choose its wielder. If the wielder isn’t approved by the sword, it will constantly try to take over their mind.
* Blood Mark
If the target is struck with a critical blow, the target will be inflicted with ‘bleed’. Targets under the effect of bleed will receive a certain percentage of the weapon’s damage as damage over time.
* Power of the Vampire Lord
Ability locked. (Sealed)
Yeon-woo clenched his fist as he thought he had finally found it.
Bathory’s Vampiric Sword was a hidden piece that could help him narrow the gap between him and the frontrunners.
The sword was also holding the legacy of the Vampire Lord, so he was expecting the sword would bring him steady growth even after advancing into The Tower.
‘And this isn’t all there’s to it.’
Yeon-woo’s eyes turned towards one of the item’s options. The last option marked as locked, with the word ‘sealed’ next to it.
Of course, even without this option, Bathory’s Vampire Sword was remarkable enough. Not only the damage itself was high, but also the ‘Blood Mark’ option was above average. Even so, the real value of the artifact lied in the sealed option.
‘Only with this option unlocked it can be called the true vampiric sword.’
Yeon-woo began to climb the stairs as the corners of his mouth turned up at the edges.
At that moment, he felt as if the eyes of the statue were watching him carefully. Yeon-woo gently nodded so as to pay his respect and brought his hand to Bathory’s Vampiric Sword.
Then.
‘Hup!’
Yeon-woo felt something piercing through his palm and squeezing into his body. It was something hot, sticky, and alien.
The veins of his right hand holding the sword were bulging all the way up to his arm. The skin on his arm turned into a pale, dark reddish color, his veins tensed up as if they would burst at any moment.
He could clearly see something black crawling up inside his veins.
Yeon-woo gritted his teeth in enormous pain.
The phrase “personally choose its wielder” written on the information window popped into his head.
The Lord of Vampires was known as the greediest being of all time. Even though I never met her personally, I’ve heard that all the people who had spoken with her had been shocked by greed. She was often compared with the Devil Archduke for her greed.
If so, then how greedy is the sword she left behind?
In order to properly wield the sword, he had to constantly withstand the threat that it posed to him. However, were players who had just entered the tutorial capable enough to suppress that kind of threat? That was the reason why several players who had found the sword had suddenly evaporated into thin air.
If the sword was meant to be found by beginners, how should they handle it?
And then, one day I had an idea. Since the sword was given as a hidden piece, wouldn’t there be another way? Just like the way of eating White Moss?
After spending a long time researching, his brother had found a way for beginners to deal with Bathory’s Vampiric Sword.
In a way, that was also a hidden piece.
“Hidden piece of a hidden piece.”
Yeon-woo spat out curses at the designer who had set this trap up to put the players in trouble.
He lifted up the sword and stabbed the back of his left hand.
*Snap*
Others would have thought he was crazy if they saw it.
However,
*Tsss*
Suddenly, the black energy that had climbed up to his right shoulder through his veins began to withdraw. Then it poured down into the back of his left hand at a rapid pace.
The black energy congealed on the back of his left hand and his palm. At first, Bathory’s Vampiric Sword seemed to contort, then it melted down and wound around his left hand. It looked as if it was being transplanted into his palm.
There is a secret behind Bathory’s Vampiric Sword. Although it looks like a weapon and it’s described as an artifact in the tooltip, it has a true form it has been hiding from the players.
‘If you’re the one who chooses the wielder, I will force you to choose me.’
A skill.
Bathory’s Vampiric Sword was originally a skill, but posed an extreme difficulty.
The Lord of Vampires was so greedy that she didn’t want to pass her most prized weapon on to others even after her death. So she sealed off the sword’s real form and ability and left it behind in the world.
And it was only now that the seal had been lifted.
*Ssss*
Bathory’s Vampiric Sword had now completely melted away.
However, Yeon-woo’s left hand looked no different from usual. So was his palm. It was completely normal.
The black energy that had been radiating ominous aura until just now was nowhere to be seen. It was as if it had evaporated somewhere.
Yeon-woo grinned and stretched out his hand. It was a flat palm with nothing on it. But the moment he focused his senses on his left hand,
*Whoosh*
Suddenly, black energy streamed out of his palm and gathered into a lump, then spread out like a vortex.
When the process concluded, the skill had taken a shape resembling jaws full of serrated teeth like that of a beast.
*Clank*
The jaws opened and closed repeatedly.
[The seal has been lifted.]
[(True) Bathory’s Vampiric Sword]
Number 66
Proficiency: 0.0%
Description: The Vampire Lord’s most prized weapon’s true form. It can drain the life energy out of its opponents and devour their souls.
* Blood Mark
If the target is struck with a critical blow, the target will be inflicted with ‘bleed’. Targets under the effect of bleed will receive a certain percentage of the weapon’s damage as damage over time.
* Power of the Vampire Lord
Drain the target’s energy and extort a portion of the target’s attribute points. If proficiency reaches its maximum, the target’s skills can also be stolen.
Number 66!
Even high rankers would have to work their fingers to the bone in order to obtain a numbered skill. But at point in time, a Unique Skill had come into Yeon-woo’s possession.