The transformation of the Thorn felt endless from Thalion’s perspective. Agonizing waves of searing pain surged through his body, forcing every muscle to convulse as the parasitic plant burrowed deeper into his veins. Twenty minutes passed in a tornt that stretched ti itself. Then, at last—blackness.
When he awoke, he expected to feel weak, drained, sluggish. Instead, his body humd with power. There was no trace of exhaustion, no lingering pain—only a raw, primal energy coursing through his limbs. He could feel it beneath his skin, coiling like a beast waiting to strike. His veins no longer felt like re conduits of blood; they pulsed with sothing denser, sharper, alive.
Pushing himself upright, Thalion called forth his status screen, his gaze locking onto the changes. As he read, his eyes widened in shock.
Crimson Virethorn (Ethereal)
The Crimson Virethorn is the awakened form of the Sanguine Thorn, a symbiotic plant that has unlocked its full potential by consuming another of its kind. No longer a re blood-drinker, the Virethorn has fully integrated, fusing plant and flesh into sothing beyond human, beyond nature.
Gone are the fragile, hidden tendrils that once lay dormant beneath the host’s skin. Now, living vines coil through their veins, reinforcing muscles with fibrous strength and sharpening reflexes to inhuman precision. Their skin takes on a faint, ever-shifting pattern of crimson veins, as if petals stir beneath the surface, waiting to bloom. When injured, thorned tendrils erge, sealing wounds and drinking deep from pain itself. Yet, for all its gifts, the Virethorn is never silent. It whispers in instincts, in urges. It craves growth, battle, dominance. And should the host’s will ever falter, they may find themselves less of a person… and more of a vessel for sothing ancient and patient, sothing waiting to take root in the world.
"Holy shit." Thalion grinned, his fingers trembling slightly as he reread the description. This was beyond anything he had expected. The Sanguine Thorn had already been powerful, but now? It had evolved into sothing far deadlier.
A thought struck him—Kael still has that item for the Sanguine Thorn… and there are dozens of them growing along the outer walls. If he had been able to force an evolution by feeding one to another, then what would happen if he fed it more? A shiver of excitent ran down his spine.
Turning back to his status screen, he noticed another change. His previous abilities—Blood Thorn and Vine of the Sanguine Thorn—were gone. In their place, a single new ability had taken root.
Virethorn's Wrath (Ethereal)
The Crimson Virethorn, having fully awakened through consumption, manifests its ultimate ability—an unholy fusion of tendrils and bloodthirsty thorns. When activated, a web of crimson-black vines erupts from the host’s body, writhing and lashing out like living serpents, seeking the warmth of flesh. Each vine is lined with barbed, hollow thorns, piercing into victims and draining their vitality with every pulse. The mont a thorn embeds itself, it acts as a sanguine conduit, spreading through the target’s bloodstream like invasive roots. The more blood they siphon, the faster and stronger the vines grow, entangling enemies in a writhing, tightening web of living crimson.
"This… is insane." Thalion's grin widened. The ability seed similar to his old ones but on an entirely new level. He had already learned how to grow the Sanguine Thorn inside an enemy, slowly draining their lifeblood and resources. But this? This was raw devastation.
Still, he needed to test it. Without hesitation, he activated the skill. Instantly, multiple tendrils tore free from his left side, whipping through the air before slamming into the stone wall with terrifying force. The impact left deep cracks, the sheer power far beyond what he had expected.
"Damn… power and lethality on an entirely different scale." And that was without him even pushing it to its limit.
Curious, he willed one of the thorns to launch itself. The tendril coiled back, then snapped forward, sending a barbed projectile hurtling toward the stone. The thorn embedded itself deep, its bloodied tip pulsing faintly.
"I can still fire them individually?" That wasn’t even ntioned in the ability description. A hidden function, perhaps? His excitent only grew.
With a satisfied smirk, Thalion reabsorbed the bloody tendrils, feeling them slither back into his skin. His status screen still flickered before him, but at this point, he didn’t even need to check it. The power thrumming through his veins told him everything he needed to know—he had ascended beyond what he once was.
Thalion could feel the difference. Strength surged through his limbs, his muscles coiled with explosive potential. His entire body felt reinforced, his very being thrumming with newfound energy.
Had his stats increased? With a smirk, he summoned his status screen, eyes scanning the numbers.
Strength: 610
Intelligence: 462
Vitality: 790
Those were insane power boosts. Maybe his agility had risen too, but he couldn’t recall the exact number from before. If it had changed, the increase was probably minimal. Regardless, every fiber of his being felt stronger, faster, sharper.
As he closed the screen, his thoughts drifted back to sothing from the Virethorn’s description—its hunger, its whispers. Was it truly trying to overtake his mind?
No.
Thalion felt nothing foreign—only a shared thirst for blood, an unshakable hunger for more of its kind. And honestly? He fully agreed.
The only thing left to do now was test his power—and what better way than to slaughter so vampires? With that thought, Thalion rushed up the stairs, eager to join the battlefield.
User Comments
0 comments from readers