[Quickstep] The skill floated through her mind, and the familiar drain tugged at a place deep within her chest as she mentally toggled the skill. The tree line blurred as her legs moved faster, propelling her forward so quickly it felt like she teleported.

  The rogue stumbled as she perked forward, faster than she had expected, but found that her feet knew where to land to stop a tumble. A grin crossed her face, as once again she activated [Quick Step] once again. The trees around Octavia turned into a blur as she dashed forward a few more meters.

  At least ten meters ahead, the trees parted fully, and the distant mushroom cloud grew clearer. As well as the massive plain that it sat on. The grass had faded from deep verdant green to a shimmering sea of ruby red. Monsters fought in the space of the plains, from large squirrels, wolf rabbits, and even giant lumbering turtles.

  The monsters tore at each other at a frenzied pace. Blood soaked the landscape and even formed a small river that flowed back towards the mushroom cloud. The crimson mist was heavy here, forming trails of red vapor rising from the rivers of blood. It was the scene straight out of a horror film that made Octavia’s stomach churn. This couldn’t be real, could it?

  But as the rogue watched on, something else caught her attention. From the sanguine mushroom cloud, blood rained from the air, forming thick, pulsating masses of flesh. Fur and feathers melted into existence, followed by a roar, as a strange bird-like creature was crafted from the torrential downpour. It crashed into the blood-soaked earth, shaking its feathers.

  There was a beast wave because this mushroom cloud was creating them. But how? What strange magic was the focal point of this all? Octavia looked around, crouched under a bush, watching the monsters tear each other into shreds.

  The blinking notification nearly caused the woman to yelp. She hadn’t expected the system to open its mouth at a time like this, but the new skill was welcomed nonetheless. Why was it labeled a class skill and not a general skill though? Was it because it was tied into the rogue class? Regardless, it was a godsend. What kind of rogue would she be if she couldn’t merge into the shadows at will?

  Even after staring at the scene questions lingering in her mind. It would be helpful if the system was a little more forthcoming with the information. Annoyed, Octavia dismissed the notification, and sat under the bush, watching the beats tear into each other.

  All the blood was making her feel queasy, yet it lit fire in her chest. Was she actually blood thirsty? It was frustrating to deal with the alien emotions but once again, she didn’t have any answers. Even more so because she didn’t know who to talk about this with. For all intents and purposes she was trapped in her own head.

  Octavia took a breath to steady her nerves and pulled her hood up higher. She would work through it alone, as she always had. It was better than pouring out her heart and feelings to someone else.It made her feel like a burden and that was something she avoided like the plague.

  Gazing at the bloody plains, Octavia watched as the monsters dropped from the mushroom cloud, only to fight and die in a constant cycle. The gallons of blood from broken corpses seeped back towards the mushroom cloud in the distance. It was twisted but Octavia knew it had something to do with the beast surge. As to why, however, she would have to get closer to figure out what was causing it.

  Octavia threw a glance backwards towards where she left her team, her mind racing with potential paths forward. She could rush towards the mushroom cloud. It would spare her friends from having to deal with this , and it would give her some experience. But on the other hand, she told them not to do anything dumb, so why was she going to be a hypocrite? If the heart of the mushroom cloud was the reason for this floor to be the way it was, then it would be their ticket out.

  In no way would she going to risk her friends' lives for that, so perhaps it was best. She rushed forward and scouted out the area. Her eyes wandered down to her minimized HUD, and she glanced at the bars there. Octavia's mana bar had refilled since the time she ate lunch, and her stamina bar was only down by a tenth, but looked to be recovering at a steady rate.

  Octavia shrugged as she peeled away from the underbrush and crossed onto the blood red grass. She would scout ahead then. The other two should be okay. In the end, she would rather it be her than them.

  The grass under her feet crunched and was wet and sticky. It clung to her skin as she pushed further into the plain. Her chakram was at the ready; its edge glistened in the bloody light. The rogue activated [quick step] once more, dashing across the blood plains. The only sound she made was that from the squelching of the grass.

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  She focused on the mushroom cloud but also watched the creatures rushing across the planes. White teeth glimmered in the red light, and the sounds of meat being shredded filled the air as the beasts clashed. The throng was growing thicker as she rushed towards the mushroom clouds. The beats cared little for the human who ran past them. Their glazed-over eyes were focused only on the creatures they were fighting.

  Another burst of movement from [Quick Step] sent her deeper into the plains. Her heart raced from the freedom that she felt. Her lungs ached from how much air she was sucking in, but she felt alive.

  The mushroom cloud was still distant, but it was growing larger as Octavia moved closer. Her legs were burning and the weight from the chakram weighed her down, but she didn’t pause. A nearby monster’s thrashing caused blood to be thrown into the air, splattering everything around It. Gritting her teeth Octavia pushed her shoulder forward and averted her head, avoiding the vast majority of the blood from getting to her face.

  Nimbly she dashed onto the wet grass, pumping the muscles in her legs as she ran. The air thickened; and a fire ignited within her. One that grew hotter with every labored breath. It sparked and sizzled as it coursed through her body.

  Octavia jumped over the body of a fallen giant tree rat, landing on the soggy ground. Her eyes quickly flickered scanning the area. Luckily, it seemed like the monsters just didn’t notice that she existed. She bent her torso low, trying to make her profile smaller as she flowed over the ground. The internal knowledge from her [Acrobatics] skill helped her stay balanced, correcting her form.. That was something else she noticed. It was like the system dropped her a blueprint and expected her to figure out the rest.

  A growl close by reached her ears as she kept running, and her eyes darted to the side. A giant squirrel had noticed her, and it was barrelling towards her direction. Its brown fur was slick with blood, and on its teeth lingered bits of flesh mingling with blood tinged foam.

  The woman’s eyes widened, but she didn’t want to stop moving. Not when she was getting so close to the mushroom cloud. “Eat this, you fucking rat.” Her whisper was harsh as she twisted her body around and activated her [Wrathful Disc] skill. The chakram took on a strange silvery sheen as it soared through the air. Octavia twisted her body around. Her legs kept pumping as she extended her other hand out, trusting her weapon to return to her.

  Her weapon sang as it cut through the air and slammed into the face of the giant squirrel. The sound of it whimpering was drowned out by the roars of nearby creatures smelling a fresh source of blood. With a bloody squelch, the chakram tore itself free, arching back to the outstretched hand of the rogue.

  A notification flashed in the corner of the woman’s vision, but thankfully, it didn’t expand. “Good job girl.” Octavia whispered to her weapon, before mentally lambasting herself. Now she was talking to her chakram like it was some sort of living creature. Maybe she was losing her mind a bit.

  With the chakram settled in her palm, she kept dashing towards the mushroom cloud. The rivers of blood were growing thicker, and the miasma was becoming denser. Furthermore, the warmth that was nestled within Octavia’s chest had grown hotter.

  She gritted her teeth as she slowed down and glanced around. The grass plains still stretched all around her, but now that she was further in, she could make out a shape just below the mushroom cloud. It was a small rocky altar. Four rectangular rocks stood equidistant from each other, surrounding a pedestal where blood was gathering. Strands of red energy rose like grasping hands from the river of blood as feeding the cloud behind it.

  Whatever had happened here was beyond her level of understanding. There was no telling what would have happened if this kept going. Perhaps the monsters would have kept growing stronger, until everything spiraled out of control.

  The rogue activated [Quick Step] again, dashing across the blood grass. The altar was still a small distance away, but each quick step brought the woman closer. Miasma clouded her vision, and the taste of blood was so strong that Octavia felt like she was drinking a gallon of the stuff with every breath. However, it only stroked the flames that were burning inside of her. The heat, though searing, felt like that which came from the Jovial Nightshade. It was comforting, yet this energy was a little more painful.

  Octavia stumbled as the fire in her veins grew hotter. She could feel her blood bubbling as the heat inside of her rose. Nausea welled in her stomach as her legs stopped functioning. Her world spun as the fire blared to life.

  However, just as suddenly as it all started, she vomited. Black bile left her lips tasting like death and rotting meat. It came out in a wave that burned her lips and made her feel weak and queasy. Octavia fell to her knees as a wave of weakness passed through her body as the air felt lighter. Blood and black bile splashed up and stained her dress pants and shirt, but she didn’t even notice. All she could see was a flashing notification.

  A weak grin pulled her lips upward as a wave of strength pulsed through her tired muscles. “Hell yeah!” Her voice was a little more clear, and her lungs could hold a little more air then she remembered. Octavia's eyes narrowed on that altar, and a wicked grin appeared on her face. That so-called blood stone boosted all her stats. That would mean, if she claimed it, then she could boost her friends’ stats as well. Hell, if that city thing they discussed earlier was real, then it could be used as well.

  Octavia stood up, her muscles felt like springs, ready to launch at a second notice. Her heartbeat felt stronger, and the soreness in her muscles had faded. She felt fresh, and she was beyond ready to check out the altar, to see if she could put a stop to whatever this was.