HDXD: Omni Harem System-Chapter 60: The Mark of War

’I need this... No matter what.... like come on, the perks are too good to pass up, hell the DLC version of it was even better.’

Adam said to himself, as all the good memories, and overpowered moment’s in the game, came back to him, it was a nostagic feeling to say the least.

As such, he said.

’I know we are approaching it, but just track it for me in live time for me will yah System.’

Upon saying this, the System soon replied, saying as such.

『Noted... I will make sure to keep tracking active, Master. The item is still within range, after all』

’Good, it’s only a matter of time now before I get all the perks of this one DLC item.’

Adam said inwardly.

After all, The Blood of Allash.

It was a cheat-tier DLC item for a good reason. It could turn even the most average player into an unstoppable force. It was the kind of upgrade that made developers regret their life choices.

Xeres, the original protagonist, got a weaker version of it in the base game, and even that was enough to make him a monster in battle. But the DLC variant? That was something else entirely.

The difference?

The DLC version came with three of Allash’s personal traits, or rather three of his own powers that he commonly uses, so it’s like getting some of Allash’s original skill sets.

And the three traits that come with the DLC variant of his blood were rather broken.

First was the Martial Comprehension trait.

A skill that lets the user copy and master any martial art just by seeing it once.

No practice.

No training.

Just instant, instinctual perfection.

The second trait was the War Body Constitution trait.

It was a terrifying trait that grants the user the ability to turn killing into growth. Every enemy slain by the user’s hand will make the user faster, stronger, and deadlier. But physical characteristics aren’t the only thing that upgrades; rather... every aspect of the body improved, mind, body, and soul.

And last but not least, the third and last trait, also called the Killing Point trait, was easily the most deadly trait.

A trait that lets the user create and see fatal weak spots in a target’s body, mind, and soul. The catch, however, is that the weak spot disappeared after a set time if created. Stronger opponents will usually have a shorter timer, some as long as three days, others as short as three seconds. It’s utterly random and depends on their overall status of being weak or strong. But once that point is hit, it’s over, as it will instantly kill the weak point that was hit.

And that wasn’t even counting the intrinsic benefits of Allash’s blood.

Which covers a wide range of natural abilities like.

Instinctual battle mastery... The ability to turn anything into a weapon... A presence so terrifying it could paralyze weaker foes... A threefold power boost whenever war raged around them... A body that functioned at peak efficiency... And a soul so resilient that even death wasn’t permanent, as after a Monarch dies, their soul can roam even after death for seven days straight, and those with stronger souls can even go years just roaming.

But as Adam thinks about all these benefits, Keira snaps him out of his thoughts, as she said.

"We are nearing the halfway point... ahhh just running this bridge brings back good and bad memory, the more vivid is the latter though, as you can see, my sister’s blood trail is prominent on the stone ground."

Keira called out, getting both Nyla and Adam’s attention at that moment.

Both of them at tis moment look at the long rope of expanding blood drops that goes southwards, as if coming from the North.

"...Ahh... Damn, is all that my blood?"

Asked Nyla, as she was bleeding for five miles straight, alone on this bridge.

"Yeah... you were pretty injured, sis. If I hadn’t run into Adam, you most likely would have died of blood loss before you and I were even eaten by the Antmens."

Replied Keira, to which Nyle said.

"Ghaaa... Thank god we did... again, Adam thanks alot for saving our skins."

The moment heard this, he just replied back to them, saying.

"Again, you don’t need to thank me. The both of you were dying, and I had the means to help."

The moment this was said, it caused Keria to reply back, saying.

"I know, but we are still very, very grateful nonetheless for your help."

Adam looked at the both of them and just smiled, but his attention was soon shift, when he heard the voice of the System in his head, as it began to speak...saying.

『Master, I have pinpointed the Blood of Allash... we are approaching it』

『It is located at that statue near the side of the bridge just up ahead』

At these words, Adam’s gaze flicked forward, and it was exactly as the System had said.

There was indeed a statue up ahead.

It was a statue of a woman.

A colossal stone figure that stands just beside the bridge’s midpoint.

Nine cat tails fanned behind her.

Wolf ears perched atop her head.

Her arms were crossed, gaze set forward, as if watching over something unseen.

But the detail that caught Adam’s attention the most was the fact that the statue was covered in bloody handprints.

Some old, darkened with time.

Others were still fresh; as such, they were still red.

Hundreds...no, thousands of them scattered across the stone surface.

Adam slowed to a hover, eyes narrowing in confusion as he asked.

"Why is this statue covered in some many bloody handprints?"

As he stopped before it, the girls seemed to realize that Adam had stopped following them, instead, he was before the great statue, looking at it with awe and equal confusion; as such, they went back to him, and Nyla was the one to speak up, as she said.

"That’s the statue of Nephari."

Adam glanced at her, kind of already guessing that might be the case, but he wasn’t interested in the statue’s identity itself; rather, it was the many bloody handprints on it. As such, he had to ask.

"And the handprints?"

Nyla exhaled, her silver eyes softening as she touched one of the older marks with her wolf claw. Oddly, it was a perfect match. It was clear that it was her paw print coated in blood on the stone surface of the statue, as such she began to explain.

"In the Ultima Clan, this is how we honor our fallen, you see."

She said...then quickly continued right after.

"Warriors, or anyone who wants to pay their respects to a fallen warrior, would usually cut their palm, and smear their other one’s with their own blood, then press their bloodied hand against the statue, and leave their mark."

Seeing this weird behavior, it confused Adam.

Causing him to frown slightly and asked.

"Why, though?!"

"It’s a promise of sorts."

Keira jumps in, saying.

"The gesture itself is symbolic, as it means ’I know your story. Your pain isn’t forgotten.’ By bleeding for them, we show that we remember and promise to never forget them. That we carry their will forward till the end of time."

Adam didn’t respond right away.

But it was clear to him that this weird action of theirs was a cultural thing.

His gaze moved over the statue again, taking in the sheer number of prints.

Just seeing it made him wonder.

"Ha... just how many people have come here to pay their respects to Nephari?"

"And how many warriors have left a piece of themselves behind?"

There was something weighty about it. Something that made the air feel heavier... like a bittersweet moment in reality that is eternal, being both tragic yet epic.

But as Adam watched on, he soon began to feel something calling him.

Causing his eyes to flicker.

Among the thousands of bloodied handprints, one stood out the most to Adam in that moment.

It was glowing... and only he could see its glowing figure.

A faint, pulsing light, barely noticeable at first glance.

His gaze locked onto it immediately.

It was high up, on the left thigh of the statue.

’So that where it is, ha?!’

He said to himself as he floated upwards.

’This is the Blood of Allash.’