Chapter 554 - 497: [Heart of Blood Fury]! [Sanctuary of Indomitable]

Chapter 554: Chapter 497: [Heart of Blood Fury]! [Sanctuary of Indomitable]

Roland’s gaze lingered on the description of [Rift Walker] for a long time, a strange feeling stirring within him.

This was no longer a Trait that passively endured the effects of time, but something else...

The possibility of actively reaching into the dimension of Space-Time.

He took a deep breath and decided to make a preliminary attempt.

Closing his eyes, he withdrew his focus from his physical senses. He tried to follow the abstruse guidance in the Trait’s description and "feel" the "texture" of the space around him.

At first, there was only darkness and silence, mingled with the faint noise from downstairs.

But gradually, as he slowly extended a minuscule thread of Spiritual Power, guided by his newfound instinctive Space-Time Affinity, the world began to change within his Perception.

The hard wooden walls, the thick floorboards, the still air...

On the spatial backdrop formed by these ordinary things, extremely faint and fleeting "ripples" began to emerge.

They weren’t physical entities, but more like a sensation.

Near an old stain in a corner, the air seemed a billionth "thinner" than elsewhere.

Where an old scratch marked the window lattice, the light had an imperceptible, unnatural, and minute refractive misalignment.

Even above the bed he had just been lying in, there seemed to be a nearly imperceptible fluctuation, a "trace" related to his own awakening.

’So these are...’

’...the "rifts" or "weak points"?’

They were so subtle and brief, appearing and disappearing in almost the same instant.

If not for the special Perception granted by [Rift Walker], he would have certainly dismissed them as a trick of the mind.

A bolder thought surfaced.

’What if...’

’...I try to touch one of them?’

He locked on to the faintest ripple by the door, which was comparatively the most "obvious" one.

Concentrating, he carefully guided a thread of Power of Origin—one mixed with his own will and Space-Time Affinity—and, like extending an invisible finger, touched the "point" in his Perception with extreme lightness and speed.

BUZZ!

A low thrum that only he could "hear" exploded in his mind.

The next second, the world spun around him.

It wasn’t the room that was moving; it was his own "existence," which had been enveloped, pulled, and then "flung" by an irresistible yet gentle force.

The process was indescribably brief, taking almost no time at all. It was as if the outcome was determined the very moment the thought arose.

"Ugh!"

With a muffled grunt, Roland staggered, steadying himself against the nearby...

’...wall?’

He looked up in astonishment, realizing he was no longer beside his bed.

That momentary "touch" had actually allowed him to complete a small but very real "leap."

He had gone directly from his bedside to the corner near the window.

The distance was only a few feet, but it was a genuine spatial jump that ignored the obstacles in between.

His heart began to race uncontrollably.

’Teleportation!’

’Even over a short distance, its strategic value is terrifying.’

’Whether for dodging a fatal blow or crossing an obstacle for a surprise attack, at a critical moment, it could be enough to turn the tide of battle.’

However, just as Roland’s excitement was building, the cost immediately became apparent.

First, a wave of intense dizziness and nausea surged into his throat, several times more sickening than stopping abruptly after spinning at high speed. His vision swam with black spots.

This wasn’t just physical discomfort; it felt more like the aftereffect of his mind’s entire spatial coordinate system being forcibly twisted and then snapping back into place.

Second, during that extremely brief "traversal," his consciousness seemed to have been forcibly crammed with fragmented, illogical "static."

A blurry figure hunched over an identical wooden table, writing. The scratching of a quill pen across rough paper was infinitely amplified...

Intense anxiety and a faint glimmer of Hope, with no discernible source, made his heart pound as if he were experiencing them firsthand...

What sounded like the clinking of glasses downstairs was stretched, played in reverse, and mixed with unidentifiable fragments of an ancient language...

These fragments were meaningless, even contradictory, and brought with them a piercing mental pain and a feeling of revulsion.

If he were to receive this passively during a battle, it would be enough to distract him at a critical moment and lead to disaster.

More importantly, he had originally aimed for the spot by the door, but his destination had deviated to the corner by the window.

The destination of this "leap" was, as expected, completely random and uncontrollable.

Roland leaned against the wall, slowly regulating his breathing to suppress the dual discomfort in both his body and his Spirit.

Yet, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

’[Rift Walker]...’

’This is truly an ability with astonishing, even game-breaking, potential.’

’It has opened a door to the application of higher-dimensional Power.’

’If I can find more stable, larger "rifts," does that mean I can perform longer-distance, or even more targeted, Space-Time travel?’

’And while those temporal fragments are currently more harmful than helpful, if I could find a way to filter and analyze them, could I truly glimpse precious fragments of the past and future?’

"However..."

Feeling his head grow groggy from the side effects, Roland gently shook it.

’I need to practice more and find a way to perceive stable "rifts"...’

For the time being, he suppressed his thoughts about [Rift Walker] and turned his gaze to the room’s small window.

He leaned to one side, peering down through the hazy glass.

Below was a rather spacious hall, with rough wooden tables and chairs arranged somewhat haphazardly.

A few plainly dressed patrons sat scattered about, talking in low voices or silently sipping their ale.

A fire burned steadily in the stone hearth, illuminating the slightly stout old man wiping a glass behind the bar, as well as a man dressed like one of the Mercenaries who had just walked in and was shaking raindrops from his coat.

The din was low, a mixture of clinking plates, the crackle of the fire, and the persistent sound of rain outside. It exuded the slightly somber tranquility characteristic of a tavern in a border town.

Seeing this, Roland felt a little more at ease.

’It seems this is indeed a perfectly ordinary lodging...’

After confirming there was no danger, he no longer hesitated. Just as he was about to close the floating Professional Panel and head downstairs to investigate, a flash of scarlet caught his eye.

"Wait... what’s this..."

Roland froze, his gaze locking onto the bottom section of the panel.

[Host detected to have undergone a high-intensity battle of life and death, deeply experiencing and ultimately mastering an extreme will to fight...]

[Analyzing host’s bloodline potential and combat instinct tendencies...]

[Conditions met to trigger a specific hidden sequence...]

[Integrating relevant combat memories and emotional imprints...]

[Skill Acquired: Heart of Blood Fury. Current Level: Level 1]

[Heart of Blood Fury: You have a deep understanding of the power of surging emotions in battle. While inactive, your will to fight is more focused, significantly weakening the effects of mental shock and Fear.]

[Upon active use, you can selectively evoke and command intense inner emotions like fighting spirit and anger, converting them into a temporary wellspring of Power that enhances physical burst strength, pain tolerance, and mental Concentration.]

[However, excessive or frequent use of this Power may lead to emotional imbalance or an uncontrollable rage.]

’Heart of Blood Fury...’

After reading the panel’s description, the final moments of his deathmatch with Yemiga surged unbidden into Roland’s mind.

It was the feeling of being backed into a corner, all rational strategies exhausted—an almost instinctual, scorching fury and indomitable war cry erupting from the depths of his soul.

It was in that state that his Power, speed, and ability to endure damage had all seemed to break through their usual limits.

The advantages were obvious.

It provided a way to break a stalemate and surpass his limits at a critical moment.

Whether he needed a Thunderbolt strike to fell an enemy or had to complete a crucial action while heavily wounded, the actively triggered "blood fury" state could be the deciding factor.

As for the effect of weakening mental shock and Fear...

As he was pondering this, the text before him changed once again.

[High resonance detected between the Skill ’Heart of Blood Fury’ and the Extra Benefit ’Will of Steel’...]

[Resonance Domain: Spiritual Resistance/Willpower Command]

[Analyzing...]

[Deep synergy confirmed...]

[Integrating relevant Rule imprints and willpower models...]

[Integration Complete]

[Trait Acquired: Sanctuary of Indomitable]

[Sanctuary of Indomitable: Your will has been tempered, no longer a mere emotional Flame or cold steel. It has been sublimated into an inviolable spiritual Sanctuary with your very existence as its cornerstone.]

[Grants complete immunity to hypnosis, Illusion Techniques, Charm, Fear, Chaos, and all other forms of Spiritual Control and Spiritual Attack. Any power that attempts to invade your consciousness will be completely blocked and dissipated the moment it touches the boundary of your Spirit.]

[Furthermore, when subjected to the aforementioned Spiritual Control and attacks, your spiritual Sanctuary will produce a pure and stable "recoil." This gives the attacker a chance to suffer a weak backlash from their own attack and endure a brief spiritual disturbance.]

[This Trait primarily defends against direct interference with consciousness and the senses. Its protective effects may be reduced or require additional conditions to trigger against pure soul impacts, cognitive hazards based on information infusion, or extremely high-level conceptual influences.]