[Checking Blood Purity....

Confirmed. Racial Transformation discovered, Partial transformation already unlocked. Advancing Racial Potential...]

Belladonna felt her blood churning and boiling in her veins, as the power flowed through her and refined her potential. Deep within her, the ancient power that had been locked away stirred at this overflowing power.

The crack in its shell grew ever so slightly larger, adding to the power that was flowing through her.

Her body seized up, her back arching as her head pointed to the sky. Her throat closed, as she struggled to breath, all whilst her muscles visibly wriggled underneath her pale skin. Her eyes shifted, her iris’ melting as tears of blood dripped down her cheeks and her eyes turned completely black.

However a moment later, the blood tears retracted, but the colour did not return to her eyes. Instead the blackness retreated, creeping over her forehead and leaving her eyes pale as if she was blind.

The next moment, her body stopped seizing and her head snapped forwards. Panting heavily, Belladonna’s eyes returned to normal as she scanned over the notification that floated before her.

------

[Racial Potential Realised. Transformation Unlocked.]

[Transformation - Blood Frenzy: You are a monster of legend, an abomination born from the wretched desecration of a most beautiful thing all for the hopes of power. That power came at a cost.

You wear the skin of civility and mortality, but it is skin that can be shed. Return to your natural form, the form of the life drinking monster, and sacrifice the humanity you hide behind for the power you crave.

Activation information - Initial transformation lasts for thirty seconds. Requires consumption of blood to extend.]

[Transformation - ???: Error. Information Restricted.

Activation information - Error. Information Restricted.

Additional Note:- Mind your place little wizard. Do not try to gaze upon things that your puny mind does not deserve to understand. Oh! Not you my dear~ You enjoy yourself. Give me plenty more entertainment and don’t you worry that pretty little head about this.

I hope your little friend is enjoying my gift~]

----------

Belladonna narrowed her eyes at the last notification, especially at the strange note that it had attached to it. That had to be a note from Sylvi, no one else had that kind of power over her system or had that kind of attitude.

That begged the question, why did she have a transformation that Sylvi was actively hiding from her? Or... was it her that it was being hidden from?

The only time that she remembered another transformation, was her time with the Duke. But she didn’t know what it was exactly that transformation did or what had triggered it. Clearly, Sylvi didn’t want that information getting out, although that wasn’t going to stop Belladonna.

It was just going to take a little effort figuring it out, especially if she kept forgetting what she did while she was transformed. Perhaps she needed to find that Duke again, and have a little chat with him. She had a feeling that if she did, he would be very cooperative, even more so than last time.

"What’s up with you? You’re just standing here, scowling at the ground as if it took your lunch money." Vestra asked with a laugh as she skipped over to Belladonna and gave her a light poke in the arm.

"Oh, sorry... I was just looking at some notifications. I hit level 50, got my transformation and all. Well, I got it properly since I kinda already had it." Belladonna replied with a bashful smile, dismissing the screens and putting such thoughts to the side for later.

"Oh really? Can I see? I bet it looks cool! Mine is kinda lame, I just turn into a cloud." She pouted, before looking at Belladonna with sparkling eyes.

"Uh, It’s probably not a good idea I do it right now."

"What? Why not?"

"Well... You know... Because of last time when I almost..." Belladonna said slowly, until the realisation dawned across Vestra’s face.

"Oh. Oh! Right of course. When you went all... Grrr." She said, bearing her teeth and making claws with her hands, before smiling softly,

"Well maybe we can get it out for the next group, see how it feels to have it fully out."

"Yeah... I think that could be good." Belladonna admitted with a smile,

"But first, I think we should get the goods from these guys. No point in leaving all this loot behind." She said with a laugh, gesturing to the lizard hybrids lying at her feet. Vestra nodded in agreement, as the two of them started to carve through the corpses, pulling them apart for the useful or expensive loot, as well as collecting any ’Essence of Sin’ that they left behind.

That was much more commonly dropped than a source remnant, which was seemingly restricted to the spell-casters and was exceedingly rare even within their numbers. At least it was good for Lilith.

***

The next group of enemies that they found also happened to be the last one. It was a group of mingling Eye-spies, a pair of the spell casting lizard-hybrids, all gathered around a towering eight foot tall, muscular bodybuilder of a Demon with six arms, two heads and a mouth in its stomach.

All of these demons were gathered in front of a large, fifty foot set of double doors. The entrance to the second floor.

Belladonna glanced over the congregation of demons before her, then back at her party. All of her brave party members were currently huddled behind a large boulder a dozen metres away from her.

Their heads poked out from the boulder as they watched her nervously and curiously, occasionally giving her thumbs up of encouragement.

She laughed softly, rolling her eyes at their almost cartoonish hiding position, before focusing on the Demons and taking a deep breath.

Belladonna closed her eyes, feeling for the power inside of herself, and found where the power of the [Blood Frenzy] resided. Previously she needed to drink something’s blood to activate it, but now it was her power to control, at least until she lost herself to the frenzy.

She pumped her energy into the source of the power, which drained not her mana but her actual life force - most likely as a substitute for the blood she usually used to activate it - before the power started to well up inside of her and push itself to the surface.

Her heart started to thump in her chest, her mind screaming with the maddening, blood-lusted ravings of her other self, and when she opened her eyes again they had turned pure black.