Chapter 218: Awakening Dragon Blood

Vlad clenched his teeth, his body squirming from the intense burning sensation. He felt as though he were being boiled alive.

Air bubbles escaped his mouth as he screamed. The golden liquid poured into his mouth, immediately searing his vocal cords and the insides of his mouth.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to maintain his position. He wanted to get out of the liquid that very instant, but sheer stubbornness kept him in place.

A few seconds later, the skin on his upper body began to peel away, revealing the raw, red flesh underneath. The burning sensation against his exposed skin intensified severalfold, forcing him to let out low groans of agony.

He wondered if it was truly the right decision to bathe in this lava-like liquid. But since he hadn’t received any warning from the system, he decided to push through.

After a few minutes of sheer agony, he finally felt something different from the burning sensation.

The golden liquid was being absorbed into his body through his exposed, raw skin. He could feel the hot liquid interacting with his blood cells, changing their form.

It seeped into his bloodstream, intertwining with his blood cells. Wherever it passed, the cells began to change. Their ordinary crimson hue slowly deepened, becoming a more vibrant metallic red, while faint golden patterns flickered across their surfaces.

The process was frustratingly slow. Around ten million of his blood cells were being awakened simultaneously, and each one took over a minute to completely change its form.

While his blood evolved, Vlad still had to endure this intense agony. But it no longer bothered him. Or, more accurately, another feeling had begun to take precedence over the pain itself. The excitement of what would change inside him once every cell of his blood was successfully awakened.

He steadied his breath and relaxed his muscles, allowing the golden liquid to enter his body more freely.

Four years later...

’When the awakened cells of my blood interacted with my bones and flesh, something changed inside them,’ Vlad murmured inwardly. ’It feels like a limiter that I never knew was there has been lifted from my body, returning it to how it was always meant to be.’

He slowly opened his eyes for the first time in four years. The sight of the empty, dark hole was the first thing that entered his eyes.

Ding...

[Congratulations! You have cleared the fourth floor of the Ascension Dungeon!]

[Would you like to return to the overworld?]

{Yes} {NO}

Note: If you proceed to the fifth floor, you will not be able to return until you finish it.

He moved his finger toward the screen in slow motion and pressed the No button. He sat cross-legged at the bottom of what used to be a pond of golden liquid. Now, it was nothing but a large pit, with plain walls and a smooth tiled floor.

He straightened his legs and rose to a standing position with a groan. He could feel the stiffness of remaining still for four years in his joints.

His eyes lowered to his own lean but muscular body. His burnt skin had recovered. Not just recovered, it had been completely renewed. His skin had become smooth like jade, carrying an undeniable glow that he had seen only on the skin of the highest-ranking nobles, like Seraphina or Lily.

He clenched his fists, feeling the strength coursing through his veins.

"Let me see what four years of agony brought," he mumbled, throwing a punch into the wall.

Bam!

The loud sound resonated throughout the entire room as if a cannon had been fired.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread outward across the wall from the point where Vlad’s fist had connected.

"H-holy shit," Vlad gasped, retreating his hand, shocked by his own strength. "Even Mana Blade could barely damage these walls, yet I cracked them with just a single punch."

He was aware that his body had grown stronger, but this level of strength was far beyond his expectations.

"Ren, show me the status screen," Vlad ordered excitedly.

---

Status Screen

• Host Name: Vlad

• Rank: D

• Attributes:

– Umbra (Res: Mortal)

– Electro (Res: Mortal)

• Core: Primordial

• Stats:

– Strength: 102 Speed: 101

– Defense: 108 Agility: 100

– Endurance: 120 Vitality: 115

• Skills:

– Foresight Eye

– Lightning Step

– Mana Blade

– Art of Dragon Breathing

– Sword Aura

– Sword of Abyss: Chapter One

– Dragon Tongue

---

"Damn, all of my stats have doubled," Vlad exclaimed, reading the screen. "Double stats doesn’t mean that my physique has improved by twice. It has most likely increased by eight to ten times."

With his current stats, Vlad was confident that he could crack open the skull of an orc with his bare fists.

There was one more peculiar thing that he had noticed when the golden liquid was seeping into his skin. He closed his eyes to confirm his suspicion.

"My doubt was true," Vlad gasped, his eyes shooting open. "My awakened dragon blood completely burned away the few torn meridians that were left in my body around my heart and core."

Thanks to the insights he received when he learned Dragon Tongue, Vlad could sense every part of his body. He understood that his blood didn’t destroy the torn meridians because they were already dead.

They were destroyed because they were incompatible with his blood.

Vlad’s hand moved to his mouth in shock as he muttered, "Even if my meridians weren’t destroyed in the battle, they would have still been destroyed during the awakening of my dragon blood."

The realization left him with mixed feelings. If his meridians were always meant to be destroyed, what was this Ascension Dungeon trying to turn him into?

He could definitely not wield Sword Aura without his meridians. Neither could he use Art of Dragon Breathing to recover his lost mana. He could only depend on the natural nutrition of his body to restore the mana in his core.

Thankfully, the golden pond provided his body with the required nutrition, or he would have already starved to death by now.

He only had enough food rations for a year in his storage ring, which he had packed before leaving for the quest.

He released a long sigh. "Since the Ascension Dungeon has only helped me increase my strength till now, I might as well see it through to the end."