James didn't go far after their talk. He just dropped onto Isaac's makeshift bedroll and leaned back against the boulder beside it. Within a minute or two, his breathing evened out, signaling he was out cold. How he managed to find that position remotely comfortable was yet another mystery of the universe.

For Isaac, it always took at least a good half an hour to force the sleep to take him. And sure, with the way he lived in the past, he wasn't exactly picky about sleeping arrangements. However, having dozens of tiny pebbles trying to skewer his back wasn't his idea of a good night's rest either.

There was a reason why he hated camping.

At least nowadays, thanks to his regeneration, he didn't wake up sore and stiff from tossing and turning all night. He might be young and should be more resistant to those things. Still, from experience, he knew that without his enhanced healing factor, his team would have been stuck dealing with a much grumpier version of him every morning.

Lucky them…

Isaac sighed, raising his gaze toward the distant sea of monsters. Even from a mile or two away, he could still see the different figures moving there. Every now and then, a small burst of bright flames would erupt somewhere, signaling the beginning of another fight among the monsters.

Part of him still itched to get closer, to study the Unregulated Quarantine Site up close. But no… it was too risky, especially now. Some of the beasts there should be even more powerful than the Wyvern. His curiosity wouldn't be a reason someone in his team died. He had enough self-control.

Another day then, when I'm stronger… and alone. LA first thou—

His musing was cut short when he heard a soft rustling behind him. He turned, his eyes falling on Marie, who had just climbed out of their camping tent. Another small solar lamp lit up her face as she looked around. It didn't take her long to locate James and then him.

A moment later, she was taking a seat next to him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Isaac asked, watching the woman turn her lamp off.

She grimaced. "You could say something woke me up."

Isaac frowned, and then the realization hit him like a brick. "You heard us," he stated.

Marie gave a small, guilty nod. "Was gonna go back to sleep, but then James said what he said, and well… I couldn't stop myself from listening in. Guess it's a problem of mine…"

A problem most of us have, he thought as silence settled between them. He glanced at the woman. She looked tense, constantly biting her lip, while her hands could barely stay still.

He turned away, rubbing his brow. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was eating at her. He just wished it wasn't him who had to deal with this. One emotional conversation was enough for him for one night, or hell, a week.

Still, staying silent also wasn't an option.

When did I become the team's therapist? I can barely take care of myself… Oh, whatever…

"He will be fine," Isaac muttered, earning the woman's attention. "We will be fine."

Marie's nervous fidgeting stilled, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I know. Doesn't mean I will stop worrying, though." She glanced toward where James was sleeping. "He's good at hiding it, but what happened in Sacramento really shook him. Losing Mr. Thomson…"

It shook all of us, Isaac wanted to correct her. They all just dealt with the aftermath of the battle differently. Elaine used it to fuel her need for revenge, letting her anger bubble underneath the surface. What happened earlier today was probably just a tiny bit of the rage she was hiding.

James, on the other hand, had slapped on that happy-go-lucky mask of his to hide all the pain of losing a close friend. Having something else to focus on—like reaching LA—must have helped, too.

As for Isaac? He had made a simple promise to himself. To never be so weak again. To never have to watch hundreds of people die on his watch. In the end, strength was all that mattered now. Without it, none of them would have made it this far.

And with the Virus Wars coming up… He sighed, shaking his head. A gentle nudge at his shoulder forced him to look up and meet Marie's concerned eyes.

"You okay, Isaac?" she asked softly. "You kind of drifted off on me there."

He offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Sorry. Just thinking. Did you say something?"

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Marie shook her head. "Nothing important. Just throwing my concerns to the wind. Though… there's something I wanted to ask you."

Isaac arched an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

"It's about Elaine," she admitted, making him wince a little. "Will you two be okay? Normally, I wouldn't ask, but well… teamwork kind of matters. Especially now."

He exhaled, allowing the tension to drain out of his body. "Don't worry about it. The fight we had earlier?" He chuckled. "It's nothing compared to some of the stuff we have thrown at each other before. If we moved past that, we can move past whatever this is."

"If you're sure…" Marie muttered. "Just talk to her, okay?"

Isaac spared her a short glance and nodded. "I guess I can try. The worst she can do is yell at me some more, right?" He smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Men…"

That only got her another snort from him.

"You should go back to sleep. It's my shift anyway," he pointed out, gesturing back to the tent. "Wouldn't want our healer to be dead on her feet tomorrow."

Right on cue, Marie yawned. "Betrayed by my own body," she grumbled, standing up. "But fine, I'm going. Remember to wake up Elaine in two hours."

He just waved her off, earning a half-hearted glare. Still, the woman didn't say anything else and returned to the camp. However, instead of stepping back into the tent, she sat down next to James and rested her head on his shoulder. Within moments, she was asleep.

Isaac stifled a laugh. Maybe those two had more in common than he had initially thought. With another shake of his head, he averted his gaze from the pair. He was finally alone once more.

Unless Elaine decides to wake up too, he mused. That would be three for three tonight.

Yet, as minutes flew by, no one else interrupted his watch. Only the distant howls of desert creatures sometimes filled the silence. Other than that, it was peaceful, almost too peaceful for a place like this.

Guess it's time to get back to work.

With that thought in mind, Isaac pulled on his Viron and Origin without any assistance of a skill. Like many times before, the artificial blood spilled onto his hand, shaping itself into a narrow, handleless blade. He forced it to float above his open palm and rotate a few times.

Good enough, he thought, and with a flick of his finger, the blade shot into the night.

At first, it looked like everything was going well. But the moment the construct was about half a dozen feet away from him, blood began to peel away from its surface. In a matter of a second, the blade vanished like it was never there.

Isaac clicked his tongue. He might be getting good at forming those little constructs, but their integrity still left much to be desired. With their current strength, they would just splatter uselessly against a monster's hide.

Need to improve compression and work my way up from there.

Nodding to himself, he summoned a bit more Viron out of his body and got to work. Even if it took him the whole night, he had to succeed.

Failure wasn't an option.

Isaac took a deep breath.

One… Two… Three…

With a sharp yank at his Viron, a cloud of blood appeared at his side. Another mental command pressed it against an invisible wall, forcing it to condense. It took a few seconds of whirling and twitching, but by the end of it, instead of a shapeless mass of blood, an almost black dagger floated before him.

He reached out, wrapping his fingers around its guardless hilt. Like with all his personal creations, the weapon fit him like a glove.

Now for the real test…

Letting go of the construct, he gave it one final order.

Go.

Without delay, the dagger shot toward a boulder on the other side of the camp. Its integrity held through the entire flight, and with a solid thud, it slammed into the rock, half of its blade vanishing from sight.

Isaac smiled.

"Success."

As if agreeing with him, a notification appeared before him. One that signaled the end of his hard work for this night.

First Origin milestone achieved. You have obtained a new skill, Blood Manipulation.

His smile widened. So there really was a skill for it.

Let's see it.

[Blood Manipulation | Grade: Mystic | Tier I] A passive milestone skill. Acts as a measure of your current mastery of unassisted blood control. Additionally, it slightly strengthens the Host's connection to Blood and enhances the efficiency of all Origin skills below Mystic-grade.

The moment Isaac finished reading, he felt a faint shift ripple through his Origin. He couldn't tell what exactly had changed there, but it definitely burned a bit brighter than just a second ago. An obvious sign that the new skill was already at work.

So that's why Rakin told me to wait, he mused, dismissing the notification.

Other than that, having his skills permanently enhanced was also a welcome surprise. Sure, it didn't affect Crimson Death or Symphony of Blood, but Blood Draw, Harden, or even Sacrifice? Those three would still benefit from it.

At least until Harden evolves, Isaac corrected himself before looking down at his Storage Brand. It's time…

A quick pull on his Viron summoned the Perfectly Processed Essence of Blood into his hand. He grabbed the cork and pulled it out. Instantly, the powerful, iron-like smell assaulted his nostrils.

Without a reason, the Symphony's song filled his veins while his heartbeat sped up. His Origin, the bright link to the aspect of Blood, swelled as if preparing for what he planned to do next.

Isaac snorted.

"Bottoms up."

With those words, he brought the vial to his lips and, in a single motion, drank it all. A beat later, the crimson liquid went down his throat, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

And so it begins…

Blood Artifact consumed. Reawakening of Origin in progress. Well done, Host.

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