Ryo was alone in the middle of a desolate wasteland. His battered body, bruised from the last training, still hurt from the numerous wounds he had endured. But his mind was clearer, more concentrated, and he had no option but to continue.
The voice of the system resonated within his mind again, cold in its directness.
"Phase 3 starts. From phase 3 to phase 6, only one offense skill can be used at once. All other offense skills will be locked. During this phase, use only Blood Manipulation."
Ryo's heart ached. Blood Manipulation was one of his strongest talents, but it wasn't as diverse as the whole set of powers he had access to. Without his other elemental abilities and upgraded attacks, it seemed like he would be robbed of his strongest assets. The potential of having to endure another painful stage with just one attack power was all it took for him to wonder how in the hell he was going to make it through.
"What now?" Ryo demanded, his voice tightened. "How am I meant to cope with this?"
The system replied brusquely, as though it fully comprehended what Ryo was thinking. "Survive. Draw on your blood to its best abilities."
"Wonderful. Just wonderful," Ryo spoke quietly to himself. His hands formed fists. If survival were the aim, then that was precisely what he'd do.
The earth shook beneath the feet of another wave of monsters, their bodies bursting from the ground and the darkness. Their eyes smoldered with hatred, and the air reeked with the smell of blood and death. This wave of Ryo's foes was much more diverse, each new one unlike the previous, but all of them deadly.
First off were the Shadow Wolves—beasts that were both quick and relentless. Under normal circumstances, he could just incinerate them with Fire Magic or play with the elements, but now he only had Blood Manipulation on his plate. The fangs and claws of the wolves ripped into him, sending him on the defensive. He created a shield of blood to ward him off, the red liquid coalescing into an invisible barrier surrounding his form. It wasn't ideal, but it got the job done.
Ryo's Hemokinesis activated, and he formed sharp, spiky weapons using the blood of the wolves he killed. In a precise manner, he hurled the blood-spikes toward the charging beasts, each of them piercing the beasts with a nauseating splat. The rest of the pack faltered, but momentarily, before rushing again. Ryo's body still ached from past fights, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on, employing every last bit of his Blood Manipulation to keep up the onslaught. Finally, the final wolf fell, but not without consequence. Ryo had lost a limb in the process, his arm nearly ripped in two by a wolf's savage bite.
"Dammit," Ryo growled, as his arm reattached itself using his Regeneration Boost power. He had long since learned not to think about the pain. He didn't have a choice.
As Ryo pressed on, the second wave of monsters came. Trolls, Orcs, and Ogres, each one standing over him with brute power. These beasts were not as quick as the wolves, but their strength was monstrous. The Trolls started throwing rocks, their massive strength able to crush Ryo with one hit. Ryo did not have time to think—he had to adjust to the situation, and quickly.
With Blood Puppetry, Ryo commanded the blood of the dead Troll to move its body, making the huge creature stir. He maneuvered the limbs of the creature and sent it charging at the other Trolls and Orcs, employing the sheer size as a weapon. The charge proved effective—at least temporarily—but Ryo was far from invincible. The Orcs charged up with their axes, and one of their swings sliced through Ryo's ribcage. The agony was crippling, but his Infinite Regeneration took effect, his body fixing the wound nearly instantly.
Ryo was unrelenting. He called up blood blades from his own body, drawing them out like whips and snapping them at the Orcs and Ogres. He couldn't hold back. Every blow of his Blood Weaponry chopped limbs off, every swipe sent bodies flying. But the creatures never ended, and they just kept on coming.
An Ogre snapped Ryo by the neck and picked him up from the floor. Ryo tried to gasp, but his blood wasn't doing too well with him being crushed in the middle. But Ryo was far from defenseless. He again resorted to Blood Puppetry and made his blood run rampant with rage. He concentrated on the brain of the Ogre, restricting its blood supply and making its own weight press it to the ground. As it plummeted to the ground, Ryo pierced his blood blades into its heart, finishing off the battle.
He was stained in blood—his own, as well as that of his foes—but he still stood. Barely.
The second wave was an uglier one: Vampires and Zombies, their deformed bodies shambling toward him with inexorable greed. The Zombies were weak, but they numbered in the hundreds, and they all had rotting, decayed flesh that made them hard to kill quickly. Each swipe of his blood weapons ripped through the undead, but they refused to die. Each attack took more energy, and with his one offensive power limited, Ryo could hardly keep up with the attacking horde.
Even worse were the Vampires. These were no ordinary monsters. Their bloodlines were old, and their power was great. They moved with unnatural speed, avoiding his blood weapons with ease and striking back with ferocity. One Vampire cut at Ryo's throat, opening a deep wound. Ryo staggered back, feeling the draining effect of the Vampire's bite. He didn't have time to think before another one charged at him, but he swiftly deployed his Blood Puppetry to push the blood from his own vessels into the attacking Vampire, which exploded in flames from the inside out.
The Zombies were simpler to control, though. He employed Blood Manipulation to bring their corpses back up from the ground and have them slam into one another, their decayed bodies piling up like a macabre mountain. It wasn't quick, but it worked.
As he battled on, Ryo's body grew weaker. The repeated utilization of Blood Manipulation took its toll. He moved slower, and his eyes clouded. His body felt like it was about to collapse, but he couldn't let himself give up.
The final wave saw even more challenges—Magic Beasts, Boars, and the frightening Berserk Beasts. The Magic Beasts possessed strong elemental powers, and the Boars were quick with tusks that could penetrate through anything. The Berserk Beasts were huge and monstrous in form, their shapes almost as big as those of the Ogres, but with even more speed and strength.
Ryo was spent. His blood had been drained near to dryness, his body ripped to shreds, and his mind about to break. But he just couldn't keep from it.
With all his last strength, he shaped his blood into the shape of Blood Scale Armor, bolstering his body against the squashing impacts of the Boars and the Berserk Beasts. His blood clasped him like a second skin that hardened to become nearly invulnerable armor. With each blow, his energy dissipated, yet he would not give up.
Lastly, after what seemed like forever, the final Magic Beast went down. The battlefield was quiet, except for Ryo's labored breathing. He could hardly keep his eyes open.
The system's voice echoed in his head. "Phase 3 complete. You have endured and survived."
Ryo fell to his knees, his body collapsing under the fatigue. His flesh was only clinging together, his blood supplies low enough to worry him seriously. But somehow he had survived.
"What next?" Ryo managed, his voice little more than a murmur.
"Rest. Phase 4 approaches." The system answered unfeelingly, as if what he'd just gone through was little more than a stepping stone.
As Ryo fell to the ground, his body repairing itself for the hundredth time, he couldn't help but ask himself how much longer he would be able to carry on.
Author's Note:
Hello, readers! Welcome to Chapter 29 of The Accidental Supreme: Limitless Regression and Endless Fiancées.
This chapter goes in-depth about Ryo's intense training during Phase 3, wherein he's made to use only his Blood Manipulation powers. The process of going through this phase was intended to test him to his limits—not only physically, but also mentally. The training during this phase is intended to demonstrate how much more Ryo has to learn before he can actually master his abilities and know his own strength.
The monster waves he encounters are diverse and difficult, ranging from Shadow Wolves to Orcs, Zombies, and even Vampires—each with a different kind of threat. I wanted to highlight how a single error could cause him to fail and the psychological pressure of dying repeatedly. This is not about brute force but survival, learning, and above all, perseverance.
Ryo must use Blood Manipulation, which he is competent in but limited by when combatting such large numbers. But this limitation helps to mold him into a stronger and more creative fighter, although it pushes him towards madness to do so. It's the reminder that there is no direct path to achievement—sometimes pain and failure lead us to real strength.
I hope you all enjoyed this grueling phase of Ryo's training. His ordeal is not yet over, and Phase 4 will be just as arduous. Thanks for continuing to follow the story, and as always, please don't hesitate to leave your comments! Your input is greatly appreciated.
Until next time!