It didn't take long for Billy to recall where he had seen that faint red glow… He had seen it in the sword and the armor of that skeleton he found. Now that he thought about it, it had that tone because the armor and the sword had been bathed in blood, but after such a long time… Why hasn't the blood dried up and turned black? Things were weird, but the fact that he was inside a dungeon explained most things, he just had to do some research to come up with some explanations.
"Was it because… Of this environment?" Billy thought. "Come to think of it, the effect of the sword and of the armor are different… I wonder if the effect of the sword is due to the blood of the previous user."
The effect of the armor was a bit similar to the effect of the weapons that Billy made using the scales of the tyrants. So, the blood in the armor belonged to a monster, and on the sword belonged to a demi-human who had the ability to make others fall asleep. That would explain a lot…
The environment was rich in mana, and the blood that bathed the equipment made the items obtain new properties. If that was the process of how dungeons created more powerful magic relics, that would explain why that weird ring had such an effect… It belonged to a merchant. Billy always wondered how the ancestor of that king managed to pass so much of its powers to that magic hammer. Still, perhaps he knew the answer, and he could take advantage of it.
"I can't let this information spread, but… It might be what I need right now," Billy thought.
While no one was looking, Billy created a chromium ring with a hollow part and filled it with his blood. However, he didn't get any results. Only when he forged the ring from the very beginning with his blood and chromium was that he obtain a result.
Experience Control Ring
It grants you the power to move the experience of a skill to another. The cost will be ten percent of the amount of experience transferred.
Durability: 30/30
"As expected, that skill in the shop was a tier below mine… So why can't I do that?" Billy wondered. "Well, I never tried to… I never had any reason, to begin with."
Regardless, Billy could think about that later. He proved his theory, so he needed some of Icarus, Lucyna, and Meryl's blood to obtain a part of their powers. However, how was he going to ask for it without looking suspicious? They were getting hurt here and there while they fought, but it would be even more suspicious if he started getting their blood before it fell.
In the end, Billy had one idea. He had to keep them busy with something else, and he couldn't use the magic items that he would make using their blood in that dungeon. The bait would be Spiritual Core… There was no other choice, and while that would increase their potential tremendously, it couldn't be compared to what Billy will gain. In one way or the other, he didn't like to scam people that much, so they would need some type of reward.
"... I didn't want to do this since I only gave this technique to those I fully trust," Billy said. "However, if we want to find the Manipulator, I don't have any other option. I will make you guys learn Spiritual Core."
They already knew what Spiritual Core could do, so they couldn't understand why Billy would help them learn that. They frowned even more, when he asked for some of their blood in exchange. From their perspective, both topics were completely unrelated. Still, they didn't make a fuss about it.
"Aren't you going to use our blood in some shady ritual, right?" Icarus asked.
"Of course not, dumbass," Billy replied. "I am studying the differences between the blood of the people here and the people on Earth."
"Did you learn something already?" Icarus asked.
"I started this research recently, so not much," Billy replied. "About what I learned… What do you have to offer for that Intel?"
"Ah, we don't have time for that…" Icarus said and then sighed.
Billy made some vessels to get their blood. After all, this time living on that planet, they didn't hesitate to wound themselves to make some of their blood fall on the vessels. Most people on Earth would hesitate for a while, but that world and their constant battles changed them. In any case, Billy didn't know how much blood would be enough to make some decent items, so he stopped pretty soon.
"Now it is my turn," Billy said. "This skill will level up pretty fast while facing those beasts, and since the efficiency of your powers is already at max, then it shouldn't take long for you to be able to use them nonstop. Now I want to see if each of you is going to get carried away first. After all, you all thought that I was going to turn to the other side if I got too strong."
Icarus, Lucyna, and Meryl took that warning to heart. They were going to obtain the chance to never run out of mana against most groups of enemies, but they couldn't let the notion of power get on their heads. They knew that Billy was acting with many things in mind. Avoiding causing wars and giving too much power to some people was one of them. So, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them if he had to keep the problems to a minimum.
Regardless, when Billy used their mana to create the core, they immediately felt their magic power was rising, and many paths and possibilities ahead of them. For the first time, they felt respect for Billy for not getting carried away when he had such a skill under his control for so long.
