Pain & Golden Blood?

'What are you talking about? Items? Where did that thought come from?'

Surprisingly even Cain didn't notice anything wrong with Ryder at that moment. At first Ryder debated if he should tell Cain what happened but after awhile he finally let it all out.

'You already started to change!?'

It was clear Cain was surprised by this, he wasn't expecting something like this to happen so soon.

'It seems my presence has accelerated your growth… you were supposed to go through this when you turn 18…'

"What is this? What is happening to me Cain?"

'It is something very troublesome… my technique wasn't meant for humans. Now that doesn't mean it can't be practiced by them it's just… changes will start to happen'

"Like?"

'Well, you have already gotten a taste of it. With your cultivation rising constantly it's physically changing your body to be the most optimized physique for your body type. You have experienced the pain already but the benefits has already been shown through your heightened senses.

Of course this is only one of the many benefits my manual will give you. The downside is you are human, the technique revolves around constant growth through devouring. The best way to achieve that is to have no hesitation! You must devour everything that will help you grow!

If you don't have the heart to kill and eat everything like a human… then the technique will create a very powerful instinct that will crush and devour your emotions and ego till you become a wild beast wearing the clothes of a human…'

Ryder didn't know what to say. Just from practicing this technique he was placing everyone around him in danger! If his instincts hadn't been released in the wilds but in the academy he might have slaughtered an entire class of kids before he was stopped!

This thought made his heart race, the feeling of being overwhelmed took over as he tries to control himself only to feel a sudden pain rush through his head as the intense emotions were immediately cut off.

"H-huh? What was that…"

The moment his emotions started to go out of control was the same time the seal forcibly pushed back those emotions suppressing them.

'Mom… is this your way of helping me… did you have the same spirit? Did you go through the same thing?'

He didn't know where to even begin. He felt like he had so many things to do that his mind was constantly filled with tasks.

"I need to make a list or something…"

He took his claw before carving out a slab of stone from the cave wall before carving out his list while Cain watches Ryder silently from inside the soul realm.

'Hmm… where did I hear the name [Veiled Sanctum] before? I swear I've heard it once…'

After thinking for a few moments he began to write down everything he could think of at the moment.

[List]

1. Find the herbs

2. Sort out emotions about Kaylee

3. Learn Basic Soul Techniques.

4. Solidify Foundation

5. Find a way to cure Jacob.

6. Look up information on the Sanctus Kingdom.

7. Learn about Vampires.

8. Eat more beast souls.

9. Take more classes at Apex to learn everything you can.

10. Find friends you can trust and make a team.

He tried his best to come up with more ideas to put on the list but currently his mind was drawing a blank. It was clear that this list wasn't numbered in any order like most important.

Instead it felt like he just wrote whatever came to mind first. After having written the list he immediately closed his eyes before sending his consciousness into his Soul Realm.

"I'll be taking this real quick"

Ryder floated through his golden soul sea only to have Cain snap at his hand the moment he reached for the soul next to the beast.

"What do you think you are doing? Did I say you should eat this soul right now? You haven't even finished refining your physique yet, if you want this soul then wait till you become gold rank. By then your body will be perfect for an elemental infusion especially from a superior element like this one"

Ryder didn't understand at first but when he got a look at the soul he noticed instead of it's normal white flame it had become darker. The white flames still swirled around but inside the flames was a dark orb blacker then the void of space!

It was clear this soul had the darkness element attached to it, now that he was getting a closer look a feeling of danger began to fill his chest.

The suppressed instincts told him one thing "Don't Eat!" At that moment making him take a step back.

"W-why? I thought I could eat anything?"

"That is true but there is a limit to what your body can handle. When you get to gold rank your body will be complete, ready to take superior element and fuse it with your avatar. Currently both your avatar and you are premature, even if you got to gold rank it is just the bare minimum requirement to be able to handle this power"

"What will happen if I eat it now?"

"The darkness element is not to be trifled with! If you eat it right now instead of you being the one devouring it would completely consume you! With your weak strength you wouldn't be able to resist even for a second"

The boy couldn't help but gulp upon hearing Cain's words.

"Do you get it now? Instead of worrying about getting elements focus on the technique I'm about to teach you. It could save your life in the future"

Ryder only nodded in response before going out only to return to his meditation this time successfully clearing his mind with his emotions being suppressed.

'Good, now focus on your heart. Slowly explore its surface before looking deeper'

With a gentle calm breath the boy inspected every inch of his heart. Every time it beat he could feel the power behind it, this mildly shocked him since not long ago his heart never felt so strong.

'Is this the effect of my technique?'

After a few minutes of inspecting he finally began to take a look inside his heart.

There he noticed something odd, inside his heart was a small slightly glowing ball that would glow and dim in sync with Ryder's heart.

'That is called the [Heavenly Blood Pearl] there are 10 of these pearls inside your body. Each of them will be used to activate the technique but for now we shall start with step one.

Use your mental power and soul force to surround the Pearl. Feed it your energy, refine it into the purest form you can then I'll take over and put the final touches on the Pearl'

At first Ryder didn't like the sound of that but before he could say anything Cain spoke once more.

'I won't be taking over your body, I meant I'm going to help you refine the Pearl. Now get started'

He let out a sigh of relief as he followed Cain's instructions. At first it was comfortable, the soothing sound of his heart beat and the warm sensation that had enveloped his senses as he wrapped it around the pearl made remember the good times with his family.

Slowly he pushed those thoughts away not wanting to disturb the technique before finally using his energy to pierce the Pearl just to slowly carve away at the impurities covering it.

It took many hours to slowly sculpt the Pearl until it was finally clean, it's body was now pure white with a golden color swirling inside it.

'Now it's my turn!'

Cain finally started to take over, using his energy he began to carve into the Pearl once more, this time he decided to carve words into the Pearl.

It was an incantation made to help execute the technique, however each word had become like a little rune absorbing the golden light before something new appeared in his heart.

1 little golden blood cell escaped the Pearl just to collide with another one turning that one golden as well.

This began a chain reaction as his heart beat once more sending the new blood out of the heart and into the rest of his body.

'What is that? Golden blood? Why would golden blood come out of this little Pearl? Wha!? Where is this heart coming from!'

Moments after the blood had left his heart a sudden heat began to fill his body. Instead of the warm comfortable feeling it felt like he was dunked into a pot filled with boiling water!

He wanted to scream yet no noise came out, he wanted to stop but he couldn't muster any resistance. The blood inside his body was boiling to the point some of his veins had been snapped and or scorched by the heat only for the wounds to heal moments later.

Soon his entire body was filled with this golden blood causing every vein in his body to break only to repair moments later. It felt like an endless cycle of torture was being forced onto Ryder as he sat there only able to watch as Cain wrapped the incantation around the entire Pearl.

Even though Cain only needed to write a few words on the Pearl it took him nearly 2 hours but now the words had finished as he looked to Ryder with a slight smirk.

'Ok! Now that you have changed your blood and strengthened your body a little it's time to say the incantation!'

It took Ryder a couple seconds to gather the strength to focus on the incantation before he muttered it out.

"Lupine's Grace, Stars Align, Empower Me, Bloodline Divine!"

As soon as those words left his lips his blood suddenly stopped. He could feel that something wasn't right but this was more like the calm before the storm!

Instantly his body began to float into the air, the pups had already been placed on the ground ahead of time as his entire being was enveloped by this light.

His veins looked like pure gold glowing from under his skin before it began to mold and change his body to accept the divine bloodline more easily.

Once the sun finally came back up the process was done.

Ryder stood in the cave, his eyes completely closed as if asleep. Yet his entire body was brimming with power! His already strong heart was beating like a powerful engine while the rest of his body had taken on a golden shine showing how they have adapted to the bloodline.

Moments later his eyes opened, with a gust of wind a small shockwave left his body showing his gains from this one technique alone.

"I-I… is my strength at gold rank now…?"

He didn't understand why his body had suddenly jumped from silver all the way to gold yet he didn't need to wait long to get his answer.

'Why are you so surprised? This is a heavenly technique made to increase your power by a whole realm with only the first step of the technique. My bloodline also helped you to change your weak human blood into a much stronger form, it had merged with my power.

Now all you have to do is figure out how to awaken it. Though it will take a long time before your body is ready for that kind of power'

He took a minute to think to himself, after looking back over his list then to the pups he picked them up as he headed for the exit to the cave.

"Then it's time to get serious about this test, let's go hunt some more before heading back"

With that Ryder left the cave heading out of the mountains while hunting along the way.

'Let's test how strong this bloodline actually is shall we!'