After letting the ice melt in the sweltering heat of the dungeon, and quickly healing the multiple different wounds in Vestra’s hand, including healing away the glyph, Belladonna reviewed her findings.

It seemed cruel to call the accidental mutilation of her friend her ’findings’ but it felt more cruel to do it and not have a reason for it. At least that was how she briefly justified it to make herself feel better about it, before promptly forgetting all about that bad feeling a second later.

Belladonna had always known that, when she was training for her class and especially after she had gained it, that her mana seemed to point inwards. It didn’t want to leave her body, instead seemed comfortable saturating her muscles, and actively fought against her whenever she tried to push it outwards to use things like her bloodline ability. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

It was a quirk she had always been aware of, and it was obvious that it was because of her class, as her real life body did not suffer from the same affliction. However she had never really considered the how or the why.

The how was still a mystery, most likely it was something the wizard did or how the class system worked in Dawd, but the why was now clear.

If she had to give it a real life example, it would be the electric eel. A creature that generated its own electrical current through... actually she didn’t know, but that wasn’t important. It generated electricity and needed physical contact to use it.

They lived in freshwater, because otherwise if they were in saltwater, then the salt would pull the electricity out of their body and conduct it too well, striking themselves in the process.

Although it wasn’t exactly the same, the similarities were there. Belladonna’s magic refused to be pulled out of her, so it didn’t strike herself. But it was more than that, as Vestra didn’t just suffer from ice damage, but bone fractures from the physical recoil of her body simply rejecting the glyph.

In her best estimation, Belladonna’s body hadn’t just been refined into a metaphorical weapon, she had been turned into a literal living weapon.

Armour, weapons, spell scrolls. All needed materials that could withstand the magic of the glyphs carved on them for enchantment. Belladonna was the same, and was being treated like just another weapon that was being enchanted.

She had been enhanced, given stronger endurance, and it was why she could use glyphs without a care, so long as they were on her level.

To answer her question, a Glyphborne was a literal living weapon that could enchant itself. The only question now was could someone wield her, but that was not one she was ever going to try to answer. She was not going to be someones weapon, even if she would make the best one around.

With that question answered, Vestra’s injuries fully healed and a heartfelt apology for using her as an experiment, Belladonna used a [Blood Bullet] to kite the group of twenty Eye-Spies over to them. Her bullet tore through the massive eyeball of the closest of the group, splattering its insides like a bursting water-balloon as its corpse dropping to the ground alerted its many friends.

The group quickly got into position as the Eye-Spie’s flapped their oversized wings, shooting over to them with their pole-arms raised. Belladonna and Lilith took the front line, Figg and Vestra took the middle and switched between support and long range attacks when need be, and Saige took up the rear pulling full support.

Once they got close enough, Lilith summoned her [Hellish Armaments] binding the thick black aura that curled from her body into a physical form that manifested as a shield and an axe, and coated her existing armour.

With a roar, she drew the attention of half of the group, leaving the rest to Belladonna, who immediately rushed forwards.

Skating across the stone, Belladonna raised her arm and activated the shield rune, manifesting a circular shield of pure mana to deflect the blade swinging straight towards her, before skating and swerving around the other two.

Twisting her body, Belladonna wove between the crossing guisarme’s, and stepped into the air to meet her flying opponents. She punched, her fist spearing straight through their eyeballs, and kicked, sending them flying like the bright red footballs they laughably resembled, all while avoiding most of their attacks.

There were still some that landed, however for once her armour actually did its job, deflecting a lot of the blows and not letting it cut through to injure her.

When she ducked past one swinging guisarme that came from behind, and twisted her body, ready to kill the one that ambushed her, it suddenly exploded. Blood sprayed across her face, along with the strange insides of this little demonic football, and the [Mana Bullet] that had caused it struck her straight in the chest.

It forced Belladonna to stumble back, not quite piercing her armour, but enough to put her off balance and cause her to be unable to dodge the next hooked blade that was already swinging towards her.

She managed to tilt her head enough that it wasn’t fatal, but the hook of the blade still managed to lodge itself in her throat. With a twist and an icy kick, Belladonna managed to punt the demon with a bicycle kick straight into nearby lava, before continuing the flip and landing on a pair of air platforms.

Glancing to the side, she cast Vestra an annoyed glare, causing the girl to sheepishly smile back in embarrassment. She had just wanted to help and get the one that was sneaking up on Belladonna, how was she supposed to know it would end up like that?

With a gargled grunt, Belladonna ripped the guisarme from her throat, spilling some blood as the wound was wide open. However it wasn’t long until a warm sensation flowed through her, quickly followed by a refreshing feeling like a morning breeze.

The wound rapidly closed itself under the influence of the warm sensation, whilst the refreshing feeling caused small vines to sprout from her skin, stitching the wound closed despite the fact it was already closing.

Saige and Figg both lowered their hands, as they had each cast a different healing spell onto Belladonna, healing the same wound that didn’t need to be healed in the first place, as her natural healing would have done the job.

Clearly there were some teamwork issues that needed addressing, but there were some coordination issues to be resolved. But better to do it now, than when their actual lives were in danger.