The assistant tried to hide her smile, moving away with a blush.
“So, what you got me doing today?” Erik asked Bouchard.
“You want to increase the power of your bloodline, to purify it. So, we’re going to test to see what these do.” She waved at the different monster cores.
“Never seen them all lined up like that. As they get bigger, they get less murky.”
“Yes, in the higher-level cores the elements separate out. Past the mortal grade of monster cores, variants are much more likely.”
“Because the beasts only take in one kind of element?”
“That is the running hypothesis.”
Erik was strapped, hooked up to, standing on, under, and around dozens of different sensing systems, with at least another dozen spells being targeted at him by the testing staff.
The things I do in the name of science.
“We’re ready.” Melissa looked at Erik, her eyes a thermal peering purple.
“Thank God. About ready to fall over with all this testing crap.” He indicated to the stuff stuck to him, took the Lesser Mortal monster core, and consumed it, eager to get through this.
Nothing happened for a second. Then the built-up elements entered his body, flowing through and straight into the core at the center of his chest.
Medics and formation masters described what they were seeing while scribes diligently recorded everything. Melissa moved around the room, checking the influx of information.
It quieted down after a few moments.
“Next.”
Erik picked up the next monster core.
==========
Monster Core
==========
Do you wish to absorb this Common Mortal Grade monster core?
YES/NO
You will gain 10,000 EXP
==========
Erik consumed it.
“What are you feeling?”
“My elemental core draws in the elements naturally, through my mana channels, and my pores and veins. But only the elements I’ve tempered my body with. It’s like mana gathering, except with elements, and I’m using monster cores instead of mana stones. I can draw some elemental energy through my mana gates.”
“Hmm. So, do you think that tempering, while it increases the body’s abilities, is training you to refine your bloodline?”
“Sure, that’s a possibility.”
The different scribes and medics in the room started to quiet as they finished recording their information.
“Next core then.”
So it went as Erik consumed monster core after monster core.
Melissa pulled out another monster core. “This is a water variant Mortal monster core. Could you try to consume it?”
Erik took the core and used it. The water element entered through his skin and he tried to draw it into his elemental core like he had with earth, fire, and metal. It didn’t move.
“I don’t get the sense that it will harm me. It sank into my bones and started to temper them. With enough of these variant cores, I could temper my body, I think. As the mantra goes: The foundation Tempered, the soul grounded, the mind forged, bones reformed, muscles that flow, and blood with the power of the realms.
“My foundation was tempered with flames. My body had an explosive rise in regeneration under the pressure of the earth. My mind was altered with the metal tempering, while my overall defensive ability grew, the bones reformed. I guess that has to do with water, but I think that it might have been part of the metal tempering, Muscles that flow sounds water-based.”
“What do you think of the last line?”
“And blood with the power of the realms.” Erik pursed his lips. “Well, the only remaining element is wood, but the mention of blood makes me think of the bloodline. It has to be connected.”
Melissa nodded and made a note, flipping over a page on her notepad, and looked up again. “We found information that talks about monster cores being used in body cultivation. It talks about concoctions, which are stronger but also gentler on the body. There are fewer complications and it is harder for someone to die or be crippled.”
“If we can use the cores in combination with the tempering instruments, it could assist. The more we know.” Erik shrugged.
“Exactly. Okay, shall we move on?”
Erik continued to consume the monster cores, moving through the Earth grades and into the Sky grades.
His experience increased at a massive rate as his own core increased in scale.
“Well, congratulations! You have reached the Variant Earth grade monster core. Some of the energy is lost, so consuming a grand monster core. Doesn’t mean that yours will be the same grade. You have a three-attribute core. Once your elemental core reached the Earth grade, you started to draw in more of the water element passively and increased the amount of fire, metal, and earth you drew in as well.”
“I thought it was easier to pull them in. I thought the water mana was just from the cores.” Erik stretched in the chair. “Feel tired, even with my high stamina stat.”
Erik pulled up his experience.
==========
226,356,128/344,700,000 EXP till you reach Level 66
==========
“Are you ready for the last one?” Melissa handed the core over.
==========
Monster Core
==========
Do you wish to absorb this Earth Lesser Sky Grade monster core?
YES/NO
You will gain 450,000,000 EXP
==========
“Level sixty-six here I come.”
Erik consumed the monster core.
His pores opened to the electrifying chill of metal, the deep calming energy of the earth, and the heat of the fire element. His bones itched as he gritted his teeth against the water element that scoured through his body.
His elemental core was a starved scavenger that had found scraps to eat.
The elements had nowhere to flee as the air shifted in the room. Erik’s body glowed with elemental power.
His muscles bulged and his veins popped. The mana within a meter around him stilled; the mana beyond created a storm. The formations within the room flickered as the elemental power of their formations was drawn into Erik’s body.
Paper and equipment were torn free and sent flying around the room.
The wind disappeared and the formations brightened as Erik opened his eyes. He scratched his head, looking around the room. “Uhh, crap.”
==========
Quest completed: Bloodline Cultivation 1
==========
The power of the body comes from the purity of the bloodline.
==========
Requirements:
Form an Earth Grade Elemental Core with 2 elements
==========
Rewards:
Earth Grade Bloodline
+100,000,000 EXP
==========
==========
Title: Earth Grade bloodline
==========
You have brought 2 elements to the Earth grade in your Elemental core.
==========
Strength, Agility, Stamina and Stamina Regeneration increase by 5%
Mana and Mana Regeneration increase by 2%
==========
==========
You have reached Level 66
When you sleep next, you will be able to increase your attributes by: 5 points.
==========
==========
431,656,128/434,200,000 EXP till you reach Level 67
==========
“Well, that seems to have had an effect. Next, we’ll look at consuming meat. We’ve prepared some samples for you.”
Erik went through similar tests throughout the day, using every idea any Alvan had thought up.
“Okay. So in summary, you can only increase an element in your core if your body has been tempered by it. And you should only draw in elements that you have tempe
red your body with or should use next. Water works for you, but wood is dangerous right now. Monster cores are effective. So is drawing in mana heavy with the element, as long as you have the capacity for it. Eating monster meat is less effective, and concoctions heavy in the elements can be the best way to increase your elemental capacity. For now, I don’t think it is useful for anything but your ability to control the elements.”
Erik pulled up the last notification.
==========
Quest: Bloodline Cultivation 2
==========
The power of the body comes from the purity of the bloodline.
==========
Requirements:
Form a Sky Grade Elemental Core with 3 elements
==========
Rewards:
Sky Grade Bloodline
+10,000,000,000 EXP
==========
“Okay, so what should we do?”
“I think that you should increase your body cultivation. Right now, your monster—sorry, bad habit—elemental core is lopsided. There is more room within it. Once you temper your body with water, I would be surprised if it doesn’t start to get absorbed into your elemental core. Maybe something will happen then, too?”
“Bleeding edge of research. We’ll find out eventually.” Erik stood and stretched.
“With that, I have some work to do.”
Erik said his goodbyes and left the training facility.
He climbed onto Gilly and they headed toward the crafting sector, through the streets.
“Did you know that the basic standard of every person that becomes a soldier of the Alva military is to have opened all of their mana gates and reached the Vapor Mana Drop stage? And they have to have reached Body Like Stone,” Erik said to Storbon as he rode alongside with half of Special Team Four.
“I think I heard that somewhere.”
“You reached Sky Iron the other day?”
“Yes, I did,” Storbon said.
“Congratulations,” Erik said as he pulled out a box and passed it to Storbon.
“Sir?”
“Something to help you out. I had to get reports from Niemm on what stage everyone in the special teams is at.”
“These… they’re body-altering concoctions?”
“Yeah,” Erik said, rolling his shoulders. Everything had transformed now that the traders were moving supplies to the front line.
“Sir?”
“Take them. We can mass produce the concoctions needed to form liquid drops and reach Body Like Iron. Beyond that, we have to rely on ourselves.” Erik looked in the distance. “Just trying to do everything I can to prepare for this war.”
Storbon put the box away. “Thank you.”
“No worries, time to get back to work.”
They had reached the crafting district. People flowed into the workshops along with materials, while carts filled with provisions left. Crafters staggered out of different shops and into their beds to rest, only to do it all over again hours later.
Erik dismounted and joined the stream heading into the workshops district with four special team members.
He went into the alchemist workshop, taking a key for a vacant Experts level crafting room. He looked at a board filled with concoction requests.
“Earth level tempering pills.” They were always in need. It allowed those that tempered their bodies with the earth element to recover faster and be stronger. Revival concoctions only reacted to the people who are wounded.
He took the request to the quartermaster and put it on the table.
The quartermaster glanced up, eyes wide, and snapped out of his work. Erik pushed the request forward. The quartermaster accepted it with both hands and headed to the shelves behind him. He brought out a box with prepared ingredients.
Erik checked the box. “Who prepared these?”
“I-I’m sorry. I can get new ones,” the man squeaked.
“I was just wondering.”
“Uhh, it was Apprentice level alchemists. They’re organizing the ingredients and portioning them out according to the formulas.”
“They did a good job! This will save me a lot of time.” Erik stored the box away. “Thanks.”
He checked his key and went up to his crafting room.
“Gonna need a nap first to sort out these points.”
Erik took out a sleeping concoction, drinking it.
==========
You have 5 attribute points to use.
==========
“Strength. Fastest way to increase my fighting power,” he muttered. “Though it's getting hard to control it all. Fine, three in agility, two in strength. Or should I do mana pool? No, all my spells are cheaper, and I can recover naturally or with potions. Strength and agility it is.”
==========
Name: Erik West
==========
Level: 66
Race: Human-?
==========
Titles:
From the Grave II
Blessed By Mana
Dungeon Master V
Reverse Alchemist
Poison Body
Fire Body
City Lord III
Earth Soul
Mana Reborn
Wandering Hero
Metal Mind, Metal Body
Earth Grade Bloodline
==========
Strength: (Base 90) +53
1501
==========
Agility: (Base 83) +80
937
==========
Stamina: (Base 93) +35
2016
==========
Mana: (Base 37) +94
1336
==========
Mana Regeneration (Base 40) +61
63.62/s
==========
Stamina Regeneration: (Base 142) +59
43.26/s
==========
Darkness fell and faded all too quickly. Erik opened his eyes, filled with energy. He stretched as he woke, and rolled to his feet, perched on the edge of the cot.
He pulled out his cauldron and placed it down. Flames appeared around and within it, starting to heat it up. Erik opened the box of ingredients and organized them on the side.
“Time to get to work.”
The flames grew in temperature and started to dance, turning into beasts that roved across the metal surface.
Several hours later, Erik was sitting looking at the cauldron. The flames receded as he collected the pills in the middle of the cauldron.
He stood and stretched, feeling the satisfying pops through his body. He pulled out a stamina bar with a groan and started eating. With his higher cultivation, he needed stronger potions to have an effect, but he wasn’t really eating much more than he had before.
He flexed his right forearm, feeling it tense and the rush of blood.
I wonder how my blood has changed.
He finished off the bar and stowed the wrapper, frowning. What if he was to do a blood transfusion? Would others with a lower cultivation be affected? They didn’t really do blood transfusions as the stamina potions increased the speed that the body created blood. But would it be worth having a blood bank or doing blood transfusions instead of using the stamina potions?
Erik started pacing, holding his chin as his brows furrowed. It might be a good idea to look at what happened with blood transfusions and see if they were better than stamina potions in some situations. If someone’s blood with a higher cultivation blood worked on people with a lower cultivation...
What would the effects be? Would it increase their cultivation? Would it help them to heal faster?
Erik smacked his hands together. “If I took a stamina potion, would it show up in my blood?”
Erik turned, snapping his fingers. “Wait. Hell, what if we were to use the blood as if it were a potion in itself?” It would help them recover from the blood loss and take a straight hit of potions.
He stopped, his skin tingling.
He turned back to the cauldron, on the cusp of an idea. “Furnace, cauldron, blood, body.” He held his hands to either side of his face, framing his vision, blocking out everything but the cauldron. “What if… what if the body was the cauldron? The blood the product?” The rampant energy in his body stilled as if a train had arrived suddenly at its destination, his energy directed to his brain.
“If I were to ingest different ingredients, my body would break them down, consume and use them, add it into my blood. If I were kept supplied with stamina potions, my high body cultivation would replenish the blood fast.” Erik pulled out the revival potion he had made in his crafting session.
“What if I make a potion like this, but from blood? Wait, backtrack. If I knew what ingredients made my blood like this potion, wouldn’t I have a revival potion in my veins? If I could eat the right things, then I could increase the stamina and healing effects of my blood, right?”
He conjured a mana pin in his hand and pricked his forefinger. He pulled out the mana pin, and the wound healed fast.
Erik muttered, but saw the red stain on the mana pin.
He held it above his mouth and removed the conjured mana pin from existence. The bare drop of blood fell into his mouth and he used his reverse alchemist and his alchemy knowledge to understand the breakdown of his blood.
Erik stood there, unmoving, for several minutes.
When he opened his eyes, his lips lifted into hearty laughter. He moved to the preparation table and pulled out ingredients. First, he needed to experiment, test it all out. He pulled out a sound transmission device and called Jen.
“Erik?”
“Jen, do we do blood transfusions?”
“No, stamina potions work well enough, and we would need to get another IV or IO line into the patient to get blood into them. Why?”
“Do you have kits to draw blood?”
“Uhh, I don’t think so.”
Erik checked his gear. “I’m going to need some empty IV bags.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m looking into combining blood and the potions using my body to create the revival potion instead of using a cauldron. I should be able to produce it faster and in greater quantities. I’m going to need you to get some medics together to test it out and see how it works!”
Seventh Realm Part 1: A LitRPG Fantasy series (The Ten Realms Book 8) Page 26
