Chapter 138: Chapter. 123: Old Blood, New Blood

It was like hearing a pin drop. The entire world became muted as the notifications that went off in my head were shut by another notification, one that resounded in all of our ears. Buzzing with the System voice echoing throughout the air.

[A Powerful being of Old returns: Lumina of the Dark Calamity has revived. The entire Star Cluster has been notified. Bow before the new highest level being in the Selia Super Star Cluster.]

The gaping hole within her chest closed, mended by her growing flesh that wrapped as if it was wood. The wound closed as if it never existed as Lumina slowly stood up, she was almost like a deity as her unblemished skin regained color. She took a breath with a small smile.

“I am back.”

[Lumina, the Dark Calamity. Lvl. 599]

599? Just⁠—

“Impossible!” The Blood Drinker called out. “My Mythical Skill, gone?!” However he didn’t move as he began to take steps back.

Lumina ignored him, slowly turning to Elasia.

“You missed me a lot, didn’t you?”

Elasia said nothing as she gasped, she was clearly bleeding from her mouth and nose, and yet she just stood there frozen, joy evident in her eyes. Lumina’s gaze wandered to her body and then⁠— it froze.

“El, your… heart.”

Elasia shifted. “I will be fine. Remember, thousands of points of vitality? It’s gonna regenerate in a few days so long as I don’t run out of mana.”

Lumina just shook her head muttering something about it’s not fine in any way. Then her gaze landed on the Blood Drinker.

“You,” Lumina spat. “Not only did you try to kill my successor, Blair. But you also caused deep pain to El..”

The Blood Drinker simply scowled and began to mutter. “[Blood Harvest]!”

It was different from mana, but for a brief moment I saw death before my eyes. I felt my heart skip a bit, my blood boiled and for a split second, my blood was pulled. It rattled through my being and pushed through my veins, but Lumina simply scoffed.

Vines sprouted from underneath the Blood Drinker and latched onto his body, they grew thick and rose him on the air as his skill was interrupted. The vines pulled back, and as if it was nothing more than a toy, the vines swung⁠— The Blood Drinker was thrown off into the air with an explosive gust of wind.

“Just die moron.” Lumina snorted before turning to Elasia. She walked with decisive footsteps as Elasia took a step back. “I can tell it’s not going to regenerate. The weakest point of all beings is the heart after all. But now that I am here, you don’t have to worry about anything.”

Elasia sighed and nodded, her body visibly relaxed and then Lumina turned to me.

“And Blair, my successor, the one whose my memories guided and also⁠— huh.” Lumina tilted her head. “I can’t believe I killed El’s clone.” With a small shrug she looked at me and then froze. “Wait, you seriously tried to revive me at level 94? What the fuck is wrong with you, you would’ve just died if El wasn’t here. The entire quest was for at least level 170. What part of Mythical in a quest do you not get?”

I paused. It was strange to have the person that claimed the title of my mentor in the flesh reprimanding me. But there was also relief. I took a breath as the danger around us dissipated.

“I cleared the quest, what about my reward?”

Lumina smiled. “We can talk about that later. I’ll go kick that Blood Drinker’s ass.”

I nodded as Lumina began to walk out of the run, but Elasia called.

“No point in trying to torture him, just kill him⁠— he is one of those cockroach types.”

In reply she just frowned. “One of those guys that pop from the ground as soon as you kill them, blegh.” She shook her head. “And I was hoping to have some fun.”

With those words she left the room as Elasia’s legs gave way and she just plopped, falling on the ground. My mind panicked a bit.

“Elasia are you, alright?”

“Blair?” She asked a bit dazed, her chest heaving. “Yeah, just… I am not alright, I won’t die but I definitely won’t be able to protect you or even me from the Blood Drinker. Blood is a troublesome affinity.”

With some hesitation I began. “Lumina said your heart was⁠—”

“It literally exploded.” She sighed. “It hurts pretty damn bad too.”

“How are you even alive?” I asked with some confusion.

“I am more of an unkillable cockroach than you.” Elasia shook her head. “That said we could also try to make an Artificial Heart for me as well⁠— well it might be incompatible.”

I tilted my head. “No harm in trying. I have spare material, and well I don’t think the heart decomposes?”

Elasia gave me a stare for a moment before nodding. “I suppose we should just do that.” She slowly stood up wobbling. “Though help me up for a bit.”

I felt a bit weird but I passed my arm over her shoulders helping her stand as I moved her over to the chair. Her body felt like rock pretty much, there was the warmth and softness of her skin but as soon as there was muscle⁠— it was solid.

“Blair, what Feat did you get?” Elasia asked as she sat down. “Also, hand me the book to help you a bit.”

I nodded and peered into my ring for the Encyclopedia of the Dark, instead only finding Lumina’s journal. I paused for a moment before deciding to take it out and hand it to Elasia, subsequently also moving the Encyclopedia from the table over to the edge, at her arm’s reach. And then, I remembered her question.

I looked at the notification once more, taking in its full detail.

[Grand Feat Achieved — Herald of the Dark Calamity⁠ ⁠— You have heralded, brought calamity itself onto your Star Cluster. Everyone has their eyes on you and susurrations of your achievements echo throughout your Super Star Cluster. While this feat is active, all your Dark plants will be enhanced by a single Grade, you have a chance to learn biometrical data upon touching any Dark plant. Whether this Feat is active or inactive, your being is permanently linked to: Lumina, the Dark Calamity.

“I’m not in distress.” ⁠— Blair, the Herald of the Dark Calamity to The Light Maker.]

I nearly cried when I read the quote, but nonetheless I turned to Elasia.

“I got a Grand Feat.”

She nodded seemingly expecting the result. “Tell me about it, it might be a worthwhile upgrade.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Do not use that Feat under any circumstances.” She said with a deep frown.

I paused. “Why? Its effects are very good.”

Elasia nodded. “Yes, but if you are using it, anyone in the Super Star Cluster will kill you on sight.”

Now it was my turn to frown. “I don’t know what a Super Star Cluster thing even is.”

After a few moments of silence Elasia began to massage her temples as she began to explain: “You have a planet and a sun, that is a solar system.” I nodded following along. “Then you have the Asteroid belts, these go around Solar Systems, they are bigger and cover multiple of them.” I nodded once more. “Now you have a Star Cluster which is a conglomerate of Asteroid belts, with a lot of Solar systems.”

“Uh huh.” That sounded a bit complicated, but I followed.

“Then, the Super Star Cluster, commonly called Regions. They basically are just a conglomerate of Star Clusters. Now that may sound confusing until you realize that there is just a black void, endless space with the occasional rifts to cross to the nearest Super Star Clusters.”

I nodded. “So, so long as I don’t move Regions, or I guess migrate Continents, I will be hunted to death?”

Elasia nodded. “Yes, and well I am not exactly omnipotent so you’ll just die, with me or even Lumina unable to protect you.”

You are reading story Blair: A Non-Human LitRPG at novel35.com

Maybe it was because Elasia was tired, but her statement was a bit on the raw side. Nonetheless, it was like clashing with reality, which I nodded to.

“While we make the heart, do tell me about your experiences Blair.”

* * * * *

The Blood Drinker flew. He couldn’t fly, he knew this, but his body was just in an endless spinning motion. His mind whirred, he felt humiliated. However, at the same time all his logical senses told him that he had to escape. He had to after all.

Who hadn’t heard of The Rotten One, the Dark Calamity? He didn’t think he’d witness her revival.

Ever since she was chased from The Crucible to these places, everyone believed she was dead. And now, she has made her return. He felt foolish, he always thought the Monarchs of other regions didn’t concern him, aside from whispers carried from the wind he knew of no appearances. How was he supposed to know that that body belonged to that person? He cursed on it, and who the fuck was that other dryad with Refraction ability? Someone⁠—

The Illusionist? No, that made no sense, The Illusionist was a tall man with a monocle. Though he feared him deeply. The Blood Drinker did feel like the dryad was just as strong as the Illusionist. She was level 581 after all. He just had to run⁠— he had to make alliances with other Monarchs to cover his back. Not only was one of the most infamous A-Grade beings coming for his life now, but he had also gotten a grudge with the Corrupted Dryad that should be just as infamous.

He could tell she had held back, and that was the only reason he was still alive. He hated losing levels after dying, and it wasn’t an infallible thing, but so long as his heart remained within his body⁠— The Blood Drinker gasped as he threw blood onto his visor, the world spun as he was heading to the ground. He gasped for air as a numbing pain froze all over his body, and then he looked down⁠—

A pitch black stake, as thick as a pillar drove through his heart⁠—

“Cockroach, you don’t get to live after the damages you’ve caused.” A frosty voice reached his ears as the world spun.

With a bang, he hit the forest ground as everything around him encroached. The plants twisted, evolved before his very eyes as spikes of dripping venom poked, as maws ready to consume came to be, as eyes filled the trees. The entire forest became an apparition of nightmares as it gnawed.

* * * * *

Elasia helped me make the heart with a few pointers, but then she saw the contents of Lumina’s journal. Her fatigue seemed to increase and she seemed to grow worried as she read it, but as she finished the book there was only shock. Her body just relaxed on the chair as she let out a long breath.

“Are you alright?”

She shook her head but did not reply. Minutes passed as she finally decided to say something.

“If Lumina was dead and I found it…” She took a breath. “I might’ve just gone back to The Crucible and fight all of those fuckers to the death.”

“The Crucible?”

“Not important.” Elasia waved. “My point being is that I would’ve lost all reason to live.”

Her words made me pause, but she just continued to stare at the ceiling in a sorrowful mood. After a small sigh, she said out loud:

“Damn, I really want to strangle her now.”

“Well, she is alive.”

Elasia shook her head. “She is alive thanks to you.” She emphasized meeting my gaze with her golden eyes. She was still missing her ear, and her appearance was the real one. “Thank you, Blair.” She did a small bow.

I paused, my mind blanked for a moment. “It’s fine, Elasia, you don’t need to bow, you know you are…”

“A monarch?” She asked. “It’s fine, this is more important than status to me. I do regret coercing you into being my champion. I guess, another request is to: please make me an Artificial Heart, I do have normal plant affinity…”

Her gaze held full sincerity, enough to make me nod.

“I heard Patrons that care about their Champions do not power level them, is that true?”

Elasia nodded. “You’ve gotten two Grand Feats, and one of them is something that people would be jealous of. Even within B Grade. I believe I made the right call. That said, I am flattered you haven’t told me to dismiss the contract yet. Your Feats would make you look better if you weren’t my Champion.”

“I…” I considered it for a brief moment. “I think it’s beneficial for me too.”

Elasia nodded. “Let me know when you have to end it. I owe you my life now after all.”

Owe me her life? Before I could ask her anything else, she closed her eyes. Leaving me alone to make the artificial heart.

* * * * *

He only saw red in pain. The whole world was red, his body felt paralyzed and his mana was non-existent. The essence of his being was there, but with his flesh rent, with spikes of thorns in his very veins, with his bones on the verge of breaking, he couldn’t focus. Normally, the adrenaline would’ve kicked in by now⁠— he had commanded it to kick in. But the pain did not stop, it never stopped.

All he could do was scream in pain, wail and cry, twist himself. He didn’t know what this kind of pain was, it felt as if he had bugs crawling through his skin, maggots digging into his flesh, and snakes wriggling in his innards. There was no respite as the flares of increasing pain continued, he swore he felt the same arm be torn multiple times from the trees, eaten and gnawed from the planty mouths.

He could feel it, his nearly endless Vigor constantly dwindling, his life force extinguishing. The pain was insurmountable, and slowly, he began to lose the will to fight. What point was there in fighting? The Dark Calamity wanted him dead, he couldn’t escape even if he wanted to. He was going to die.

He was going to die.

The Blood Drinker, God of Biology, the Desolate One, all his titles and achievements flashed before his very eyes. Everything. The time he battled to gain the crown of his planet. When he made the contract to that being, when he forsook his name. When he went to The Crucible and slew numerous Monarchs, everything flashed, and he was dying.

He, the Blood Drinker, was dying…

HE⁠—

He couldn’t die!

From his very being he called forth his essence, his life experience, he saw everything before his very eyes as he had a revelation. One that was brilliant, one that might save his life. The pain vanished as he managed to speak.

“[The Cycle of Genesis begins anew, blood flows once more in an endless stream of rebirth.]” He croaked as a spear stabbed through his throat, nonetheless he continued. “[The old blood makes a return, those of new vanish and hide, run and whittle licking their wounds and recouping their losses.]”

At the top of his throat he screamed as a notification for learning a new Mythical Skill flashed before his mind.

“[Purge of the Old Blood: Return of the New Blood]!”

* * * * *

I focused on making a second Artificial Heart, looking at Elasia from time to time. Her last statement resonated in my mind quite clearly. Had I really done so much for her by reviving Lumina⁠— no, I could surmise they had something special going on like me and Sun in our pack. So, I could see where the statement came from, but wasn’t it a bit too much?

I didn’t get it.

The Heart was hard to make with more mistakes along the way, multiple iterations that I spent arduous minutes on. I also heard some screams in the forest, guttural ones that Elasia seemed to ignore⁠— no she had fallen asleep. I found it hard to concentrate, but I dedicated myself to working on the second Artificial Heart. Slowly but surely, I weaved the wood together to make it, and just as i was about to⁠—

The screams became worse and worse, filled with pain and misery until eventually a notification came. Elasia snapped her eyes open and met my eyes.

“The Blood Drinker is…”

“Dead.” I finished for her.

[Herald of the Dark Calamity ⁠— You have minimally assisted to kill: (A Grade) S̵̬̄a̷̤̐ľ̸̟á̵̟i̵̜̕r̶̥̚ The Blood Drinker. Lvl 52̶̥͋3.]

And then, the notifications came.