Chapter 169: Blood and Regeneration

The Blood Horn Glutton drifted closer, its many crimson horns pulsing with a steady, pedatory light. Its eyes were fixed on the cloud of blood drifting from the kraken corpses, and its mouth opened and closed with anticipation.

Gray didn’t wait for it to attack.

He activated Phantom Cloak and vanished, circling wide around the creature’s flank. The Glutton’s horns flickered, tracking the blood in the water, but it couldn’t sense him. It was a predator built to follow wounds, not to track invisible prey.

Cindy raised her hands, and a vortex formed around the Glutton’s tail, locking it in place.

"[Water Vortex]!"

The creature thrashed, its silver body twisting against the current. Its horns flared brighter, and the wounds on its body from some previous battle began to close, the flesh knitting together as it fed on the ambient blood in the water.

’It’s regenerating already,’ Gray noted. ’The blood in the water is fueling it.’

He fired Void Reaper’s Lance from the Glutton’s blind spot.

The void-edged spear shot through the water and struck one of the creature’s many horns dead center. The horn cracked, and the Glutton screamed, a high, piercing shriek that vibrated through the water.

[VOID REAPER’S LANCE — 236 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 864 / 1100]

[BLEED — 10 DAMAGE PER SECOND]

[ONE HORN — CRACKED]

[REGENERATION — WEAKENED]

The Glutton spun toward him, its eyes blazing with fury. Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of needle-thin teeth, and it lunged.

Gray activated Current Dash and dissolved, reforming directly above it. He drove all eight blade-tentacles into its back, targeting another horn.

[VOID REAPER’S LANCE — 228 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 636 / 1100]

[BLEED — 10 DAMAGE PER SECOND]

[TWO HORNS — DESTROYED]

[REGENERATION — SEVERELY WEAKENED]

The Glutton convulsed, its body seizing. The wounds on its body stopped closing as quickly, the blood in the water no longer feeding its recovery at full strength. But its remaining horns still pulsed, still drank, still fought to heal it.

Cindy’s voice rang out.

"[Glacial Lance]!"

A spear of ice shot past Gray and punched through the Glutton’s right flank, pinning it to the seafloor. The impact shattered two more horns.

[GLACIAL LANCE — 328 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 308 / 1100]

[TWO MORE HORNS — SHATTERED]

The creature thrashed, trying to free itself, but the ice held firm. Gray circled above it, his blade-tentacles spread wide.

Lily darted in, her points spinning. She projected a volley of black spines that shredded through three more horns, each one shattering in a burst of crimson light.

[LILY — DARK SPINE VOLLEY — 180 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 128 / 1100]

[THREE MORE HORNS — DESTROYED]

The Glutton’s regeneration was failing, its body riddled with wounds that no longer closed. But it wasn’t dead yet. Its remaining horns still pulsed, still fought, still clung to life.

’Persistent little thing,’ Gray said.

Cindy’s voice rang out. "[Ice Shard Storm]!"

A spiral of frozen shards shot toward the Glutton, striking its crown from every angle. Five more horns shattered, their crimson light guttering and dying.

[ICE SHARD STORM — 156 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 2416 / 2800]

[FIVE HORNS — DESTROYED]

[REGENERATION — WEAKENED]

But the Glutton wasn’t done.

Its body began to glow, the remaining horns pulsing in unison. A wave of crimson energy erupted from its crown, washing over the shattered stumps. And then, slowly, they began to regrow. New horns pushed through the broken bases, shorter than before but already pulsing with fresh light.

[REGENERATION — HORN RECOVERY INITIATED]

[Horns will fully regrow in 20 seconds.]

’It can regrow them?!’ Gray snapped.

"That’s cheating!" Cindy shouted.

Lily darted forward, her five points spinning. She projected a volley of black spines that shredded through the newly regrown horns, shattering them before they could fully form.

[LILY — DARK SPINE VOLLEY — 180 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 2236 / 2800]

[REGROWING HORNS — DESTROYED]

[HORN RECOVERY — INTERRUPTED]

The Glutton screamed, its crimson eyes blazing with fury. It lunged at Lily, its mouth gaping wide, but Gray was already there. He activated Current Dash, dissolving and reforming directly in front of the creature, his blade-tentacles spread wide.

’You don’t touch her.’

He drove Void Reaper’s Lance into its open mouth.

[VOID REAPER’S LANCE — 236 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 2000 / 2800]

[BLEED — 10 DAMAGE PER SECOND]

[THROAT — DAMAGED]

[REGENERATION — INTERRUPTED]

The Glutton recoiled, choking on its own blood. But its horns flared again, and the wound in its throat began to close.

’It’s still healing! Cindy, I need you to freeze its horns!’

"Okay!"

Cindy raised both hands, her silver glow flaring bright.

"[Frozen Current]!"

A wave of frost spread through the water, coating the Glutton’s crown in a layer of ice. The horns slowed, their crimson light dimming as the cold seeped into them.

[HORNS — FROZEN]

[REGENERATION — SEVERELY WEAKENED]

Gray saw his opening.

He activated Abyssal Lance into the frozen crown, the void-edged spear shattering through the ice and the horns beneath it.

[VOID REAPER’S LANCE — 240 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 1760 / 2800]

[BLEED — 10 DAMAGE PER SECOND]

[TWELVE HORNS — DESTROYED]

[REGENERATION — CRITICALLY WEAKENED]

The Glutton thrashed, its body seizing. More than half its crown was gone, the remaining horns struggling to heal the damage. But there were still too many.

Gray fired Needle Storm into the cluster, the crescent blades carving through the frozen horns.

[NEEDLE STORM — 168 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 1592 / 2800]

[EIGHT MORE HORNS — DESTROYED]

Lily darted in again, her points spinning like saw blades. She carved through the remaining horns with wild, joyful abandon, her dark core pulsing with excitement.

[LILY — HORN SHREDDER — 220 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 1372 / 2800]

[FIFTEEN MORE HORNS — DESTROYED]

The Glutton’s crown was almost gone now. Only a few horns remained, their light flickering weakly as they struggled to heal the creature’s wounds. But it wasn’t dead yet.

It lunged at Gray, its mouth gaping wide, its few remaining horns flaring with desperate light.

Gray met it head-on, driving all eight blade-tentacles into its throat. Void Reaper’s Lance activated at point-blank range, the void-edged spear tearing through flesh and bone.

[VOID REAPER’S LANCE — 244 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 1128 / 2800]

[BLEED — 10 DAMAGE PER SECOND]

The Glutton convulsed, its body going limp. But the last few horns flared, and the wound in its throat began to close.

’Not this time.’

Gray wrapped his tentacles around the creature’s head and activated Grip Jaw, crushing the remaining horns with his bare barbs.

[GRIP JAW — 68 DAMAGE]

[GRIP JAW — 64 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 996 / 2800]

[ALL HORNS — DESTROYED]

[REGENERATION — DISABLED]

The Glutton shrieked, a high, keening sound that vibrated through the water. Its body thrashed, but the wounds no longer closed. The blood in the water no longer fed it. It was just a fish now.

Cindy’s voice rang out one final time.

"[Glacial Lance]!"

A spear of ice shot past Gray and punched through the Glutton’s core, pinning it to the seafloor.

[GLACIAL LANCE — 328 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 668 / 2800]

Gray drove Void Reaper’s Lance into its exposed flank.

[VOID REAPER’S LANCE — 240 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 428 / 2800]

Lily finished it with a volley of dark spines that shredded through its body.

[LILY — DARK SPINE VOLLEY — 180 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 248 / 2800]

Gray wrapped his tentacles around its head one final time.

’Bye bitch!’

Overcharge released directly into its skull at contact range.

[OVERCHARGE — 243 DAMAGE]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON — HP: 0 / 2800]

[BLOOD HORN GLUTTON DEFEATED — 2,400 EXP]

[TRAIT FRAGMENT ACQUIRED: "Abyssal Regeneration" (5/5)]

[Trait Complete! Abyssal Regeneration will be available as an evolution option at Level 50.]

Gray absorbed the corpse, the taste rich and metallic, like drinking warm blood mixed with seawater. His carapace mended with each mouthful, the cracks sealing, the fractures smoothing over.

’Alright,’ he said. ’That’s two traits complete. Undying Heart and Abyssal Regeneration.’

Cindy drifted beside him, her frills swaying with exhaustion.

"That thing was a nightmare. It just kept healing."

’Not anymore,’ Gray said. ’And I got what I needed.’

Lily pulsed happily beside them, her core glowing with satisfaction. She had grown again during the fight, her body now nearly three times the size of Gray’s bell.

Gray pulled up his status.

[Level: 50]

[Stat Points: 140]

[Skill Points: 14]

’Now,’ he said, ’let’s find somewhere safe. I have an evolution to complete.’