Chapter 182: Day 399 (7) – The Red Meat of Power

I sat in my office, and it was my office. Not Clarissa’s office I was repurposing. It had a conference table, so it doubled as a meeting room. Clarissa was present along with the good doctor, Ben Katz. He had requested an emergency meeting, but didn’t say what the issue was.

There was silence, before I spoke up. “You wanted this meeting, Doctor Katz. I was thinking I was about to meet Elliott in discussing crystal types.”

“There is another issue that I hesitated bringing this to you. This is…disturbing,” Doctor Katz said. The fact he was so hesitant was really concerning. I waited to let him get his bearings, not wanting to rush him. He had done okay work, nothing groundbreaking so far. It appeared that had changed. He wasn’t one to waste my time, since he knew me personally.

“It began with looking at hybrids as a source of raw biological materials we normally would not have access to. Tests were done on this material. For the most part there was nothing unique. The hybrids are sterile, their organs resemble humans to some degree with the wolf hybrids.”

“Further testing with other hybrids showed that the transformation is a combination of a monster’s template and a human being in a weird mix. There was some speculation about using organs and parts, to investigate energy. But nothing has come of that,” the good doctor explained.

I looked at Clarissa. She shook her head slightly. Apparently, this research hadn’t been reported before since this was the first time either of us heard about it. I wasn’t happy about that, but was willing to hold judgement The good doctor kept speaking.

“Since I had to explore all avenues of research, leaving nothing uncovered. I fed pieces of hybrid flesh to a condemned prisoner. There was an interaction.” I sat up a bit more at that. “Champion Michael, I won’t ask for a promise, since I know you won’t give it. But this information, it is concerning.”

“For now, it will stay between the three of us. If I share or use the information, you will be consulted,” I said. I wanted the information. After that I could decide whatever I wanted. The good doctor knew I was bullshitting him, but he also knew he wasn’t going to get anything better.

“I wouldn’t even had done these tests or shared this, if the Ritualist wasn’t out there. But we need to know. Eating hybrid flesh caused a permanent ability boost. In addition, the person afterwards was able to sense energy and channel.” Channel, the ability to use active enchanted equipment. My mind was already racing at the possibilities.

“It was incredibly limited but appeared a flat increase across all stats. Possibly stats and abilities that we do not have access to yet. The increase is biggest with the first consumption and decreases after that. But the increases don’t stop.” A path to power outside the limitations of the System.

“How high stats did the test subject get and was their ability to purchase from the store impacted?” I asked the most critical questions in my mind. Hybrids could no longer access the store and the amount of stat increase was critical.

“This is where it gets complicated. The person could use the store, but the cost of regeneration was around 40,000 points after already having a regeneration and not being injured. Their stats reached around 40, across the board. I don’t think it is coincidence. I had them use a regeneration. The stat boost mostly went away, but there was still around 20 stat points left,” Doctor Katz explained.

“After that they could gain more stats through consumption. I repeated the process. They went up to 30 stat points, then another regeneration for 30,000 points. They were left with 25 stat points. It didn’t impact the store purchases, but it is an addition modifier.”

There was a long period of silence as we all sat there digesting the news. Digesting was a poor description, but it added a layer of complexity. Oh shit. That was when the real implications hit me. “The math doctor! The math. How high?” I asked, a sinking feeling in my gut.

“Unlimited if you have the points and will consume hybrids for a long time. The most efficient way would be to gain as many points as possible through consumption. But the gain caps out after a certain point, where you will measure each stat point with multiple bodies, rather than the other way around. I would estimate a person could gain 100 points without excessive consumption, or 100 stat points in all areas, even ones the store doesn’t show.”

“But that is with level 1 hybrids. As you know attempts at level 2 hybrids cause an explosion. While combination hybrids get around this issue to some degree, the result is unstable. But with stats? I managed to make a level 2 hybrid from one prisoner with 10 Body stat. Their flesh has a greater impact. While a bit unsure, they could push up another 500 stat points is my estimate. Higher levels of the Body stat would give more of a boost to all stats with consumption.”

This is why I had a research team. But I hated the result. Dammit! “So, you both know, I am not mad at either of you, give me a moment to process this,” I said very calmly while I raged inside. I stood up and picked up my chair. It was a miracle I held in my rage even this long.

“AHHHH!” I screamed and smashed it onto wall with a crash, shattering the entire thing. I got a mental alert of damage to my property. I ignored that. I wanted to strangle a person. The stupidity of the Systemic Lands and my ignoring a threat. I smashed the raining pieces in my hand against the wall splintering them. After a couple more strikes with nothing left, I dropped what was in my hands.

I leaned against the wall. Was the Ritualist going to be handed everything on a silver platter, including meals that made him stronger. I had no doubt that he had already made this discovery. All my grinding was countered. While not worthless, what a cheat!

I didn’t dare use the method myself. The same reason I didn’t ingest crystal powder, there were risks and no long term studies. There was going to be a twist one day, people will get super cancer, or have some weakness. But that was in the far future. In the short term I was screwed. The Ritualist and how the Systemic Lands functioned was forcing me into a corner. I hated this situation and raged at the unfairness.

Now we needed to turn Purgatory into a slaughterhouse. Just round up the people of the other cities and turn them into power that could be consumed. Sure, it didn’t matter that much for Purgatory now, but as stats became more expensive, people would want to take this path. The path of cannibalism. The people that would sit on the Immortal Council would demand this offer be extended to them.

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Was I going to be forced to cross all bounds of human decency? I went over and picked up another chair, brought it to the head of the table and sat back down. Clarissa and the good doctor had been completely silent not even daring to breathe loudly.

This was the first time I had lost control in a long time. I just sat there brooding. This information would lead to a blood bath. Each step into the mysteries of energy just unveiled more horrors. If this was just the tip of the iceberg, I was almost scared what discoveries would be made in the future.

I didn’t even know what I wanted to do. This information would completely change everything. I knew why the good doctor had been so cautious. I couldn’t even muster up the willpower to figure out how many points such a process would save. I just knew it would be a lot.

The longer I waited, the greater the savings. So, if I pulled the trigger, or cooked the meat now, then I would far ahead of the Ritualist. Right now, I had to guess we were about even, with him having an edge.

Letting the Ritualist wait until I was super strong, was no longer a good decision. With this knowledge, he would easily be able to outpace my stat growth. Combined with his savant level summoning ability and traps, it would be a nightmare, not the cake walk I had hoped for our future confrontation.

One step forward, ten steps backwards and back into the pit of despair. “Clarissa,” I said softly. She quickly turned her head to look at me, barely making a sound. “Increase investment in your guards and the defense of the city. After Truth, I will return and defend the city while we purchase a City Shield for one million points,” I said. I needed to rush forward purchasing high cost items over one million points to increase Purgatory’s defenses.

“I will make the arrangements,” she said.

“Anything else Doctor Katz?” I asked.

“That was the extent of my findings,” he said. I could tell he wanted to ask me a question on what I was going to do with the information. Unfortunately, I had no idea.

“What about monster type?” I asked to give me more time to think.

“I didn’t test that, but my hypothesis that certain stats would be boosted more than others. Especially with the higher level monsters. There is a greater imbalance in stats at the higher levels from what I have observed and heard,” the good doctor explained.

I didn’t know what to do. For the first time in a very long time it felt like, I was unsure about what to do. Set up a secret restaurant for elites, that consumed other people. That made feel sick. Ban the process and idea, but it was only a matter of time and would put me and the city behind. I also wouldn’t find out the long term effects.

If I authorized anything like this, it would create unrest. But if I didn’t authorize this type of decision, it would undermine the foundation of Purgatory’s strength and build resentment from people who wanted this path to power.

Just eat a human being that has been hybridized, to save millions of points and gain loads of stat points. “How many people at level 1 to get 100 stat points and level 2?” I asked.

“It appears to follow other processes in the Systemic Lands. A factor of ten, but with diminishing returns. After ten people, the returns are incredibly marginal,” Doctor Katz explained.

“So, 20 people for 600 stat points in all stats. That is at least 4,800 stat points, but probably 6,000 or more stat points with hidden stats. That is probably around 150,000,000 points for me with my current stats.” I did the math out loud. It was even more depressing. Consumption would be a quick path to power.

That made me believe there was a hidden a trap in the process. Without the safety net provided by the Almighty System, it seemed too good to be true. Like a trap, which was waiting for a person to step on the path and to the end. Once tempted on, there would be no easy way off. They would rush faster and faster, until it was too late, and they self-destructed.

I felt confident about that self-destruction, hence the regeneration costs. The problem was all the power they had before that happened. I had no idea how long the path was either. There was only one good option, a third option. If I didn’t dare tread down this path myself, but I also needed to counter the Ritualist. The operation to purge Truth would now serve a secondary purpose.

Meat was going back on the menu.

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