Shamash commanded them to undo the lids on the first batch of blood. The only blood we’d save for later would be the vampire blood. Gifting Parth Gul Shapeshifting would cost me a good deal of experience but Draining so much blood would more than make up for the loss between now and when I’d have the chance to regain what I lost.
I cast Vampire’s Might on the first load of blood all at once. A pond’s worth gathered beneath the roof of the shop’s Blood department. Then it came. Within seconds, I had plunged into endless red.
Chapter 31 – Trueblooded Exchange
During my first visit to this shop, I’d purchased twenty different types of blood and three bodies of each. This time I purchased over a thousand types and approximately thirty bodies of each. After draining it all, I’d incorporated more than 70,000 gallons of monster and beast blood into my system. I also received more than one magnificent surprise.
Vampire’s Might has reached the Master Rank!
I didn’t dare to test it in the shop, but besides Draining monsters, Vampire’s Might had two other powerful abilities. It was capable of quickly breaking a Mana Orb down and filling my mana pool. More than once had I relied on it to power level Core Creation or find excess mana when I was running out in a tight spot. Secondly, even after my mana was full, I could use it to oversaturate myself with mana and even increase my maximum for a short period of time. At the Master Rank, this time limit should disappear entirely. Even though I wasn’t able to refine mana at the moment, after leaving here, I’d have to Drain some Orbs to buff my mana pool. Walking around with a fraction of the mana I had before just made me uncomfortable.
If that had been the only improvement, it would have been enough. But...
Note: The stats you have drained are now permanent.
The greatest Vampire’s Might drawback was that I had to consistently Drain creatures of their blood for a full year to keep a creature’s stats. But then, with each new creature, a new year-long timer would start, so as long as I was gaining new stats, I’d never be able to stop Draining blood. That perpetual cycle had finally ended. The moment I gained a stat, there was no longer a danger that I’d one day lose it. They were now mine.
Did this mean I was a real vampire, or less of one?
The last big change was that the stats I’d Drained had reached the maximum efficiency. This meant that I needed to Drain less blood to get the full stat bonus from each type of creature. In the end, my stats soared.
+3,111 Str
+3,419 Dex
+5,377 Con
+224 Int
+374 Wis
I immediately compared what I had to what I’d seen on Manu Shah’s Character Sheet. He had over 40,000 additional stats above what he’d earn for his current level. Before Draining, I’d only had 26,000. I was still more than 4,000 stats behind him, but that no longer mattered. I’d only been able to obtain the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution 10,000 stat bonuses with my Light Magic buffs before, but now, my base stats were more than enough.
With my current 8x In The Buff in place, my total stats were nearly even with Manu Shah even though he was 6,000 levels higher than me. I looked at my newly improved Character Sheet.
Character Sheet
Level: 10,013
Health Points: 8,460,316
Current Mana: 8,967,500
Base Mana: 8,967,500
Mana Per Minute: 505,980(8,433 Per Second)
Attributes
Strength: 16,769
Dexterity: 16,827
Constitution: 16,862
Intelligence: 17,935
Wisdom: 50,598
Max Mana – 44,837,500(Once Refined)
The biggest improvement was my HP. It made me wonder how mine compared to Russ’s now…
Even though we could’ve done this from the very beginning, winning the preliminary competition made it feel like this was a huge part of my winnings. I’d faced a freakishly talented Dark Mage vampire and come out on top while having less stats and a lower level then him.
Besides the thrilling feeling of such a power boost, a part of me internally sighed at knowing that I was nearing the limit of what Vampire’s Might could give me. There would probably always be rare monsters for me to hunt down, but as of today, I’d already gained stats from the majority of those in existence. This put me on even footing with the most privileged vampires, but only just. Knowing that there were guys like Manu Shah out there meant there were people that could beat me. Manu’s abilities were extreme, but he didn’t necessarily have the best Alignment for facing me. There would be others. I thought of Jale and the many other noble sons and daughters that I’d never met before…
***
We took our time heading to the meeting place with Parth Gul. I did my best to remove two Master Orbs from my inventory out of anyone’s view. They appeared in my palms with my hands already closed. They were both Master Dark Orbs, which were the hardest kind for me to absorb. Each one contained 4,000,000 MP, but even in my Vampire Form, they’d cost so much to Drain with Advanced Vampire’s Might that I’d only been able to hold on to 1,000,000 MP of it. Since it was still a positive, I might as well gain what mana buffs I could now as we walked.
I expected there to be an improvement now that Vampire’s Might had reached its Master Rank, but I stopped in my tracks only a second after casting it on the orb in my right hand. The difficulty of unraveling the extremely compact mana seemed to have disappeared. The muscles in my arm spasmed as I received the rush of mana. It had been a while since I’d oversaturated and buffed myself in this way. When I had, it had only been for a short period of time to help with the creation of Master Orbs. The amount of excess mana I’d buff myself with was always under 1,000,000 MP. But this…
I’d hoped that draining a Master Dark Orb would double the amount of MP I could gain from it. Instead, it had at least tripled. It still took a little mana for me to control the process, but the efficiency had gone from 25% to closer to 75% or even 80%.
“Don’t stop,” Shamash commanded through mind-speak. “You are now capable of absorbing all of that mana. What your body can’t hold will cling to you like an aura. Once the first orb is finished, do the second as well. You’ll lose some of its energy, but it should push you to your oversaturation limit. There is no official skill or mastery to holding on to this excess mana. Two things will improve how much you can hold—leveling up and constant practice.”
I nodded that I understood, for speaking even through mind-speak was a little difficult at the moment. There was so much going on in my body and I didn’t want to miss a chance to understand it. Ultimately, my body produced a certain amount of mana that was tied to my bloodstream and physical body. I could use my Master Core to refine it and compress it into a concentrated liquid state. In that way I could hold more of it. But this oversaturation was different. It was just extra mana that I pulled to myself. Some of it I could hold inside my body, while the rest clung to me like some kind of super static electricity. The best part was, I could tap into all three sources at will.
I let the mana flowing through me stabilize before starting in on the second Dark Mana Orb. The first orb had dissolved into nothing. I cast Vampire’s Might a second time. Keeping a close eye on my body’s mana, it wasn’t long before I felt the oversaturation reach its limit and start seeing it leak out of me. Instead of dissipating into the air, it created a mist-like aura that clung close to my skin. Turning my attention to my maximum mana, I watched as it climbed rapidly until it finally stopped at 14,105,600 MP.
The rest of the mana I was draining from the Master Orb flowed into me, but at the same time it was pushing my aura outward and causing me to lose mana. When the second orb had disappeared, my buffed mana stabilized once again and no longer changed. It wasn’t 40,000,000 MP, but it was better than being stuck at 8,000,000…
“Good,” Shamash said as we started to walk again. “From now on, I want you to stay in this oversaturated state. Even after you’ve co
mpletely refined your mana once again. This ability will only improve.”
***
We arrived at another shop on a side street closer to the outskirts of Hallow. It wasn’t run-down, and neither was it one of the higher end shops, so it didn’t stand out. We entered like a couple of normal shoppers. If the Tirs had someone following us, there was no reason to be suspicious. It was as if we were just going to another store.
Parth Gul stood near the middle of the small room in a red and yellow vine-print shirt. He had a warm smile with hands outstretched as he greeted me. “Master Zerin. Hallow’s champion!” he said with an actual bow at the waist. “Well done, my friend.”
I gave him my thanks.
Stepping forward, he grabbed my shoulder and led me into the room to where he had a man standing with a tray of drinks.
The shop looked to be a small jewelry store from the glass display cases that lined the walls. The man serving wasn’t just some servant or merchant. Using Creature Observation in a nonchalant manner, I saw that he was level 40,000. I wasn’t surprised. He probably doubled as Parth’s protection.
“Shall we toast?” He grabbed both glasses off the tray and handed me one.
He watched me eye the cup and grinned. “Smith’s Dregs. Your favorite, yes? I have to admit to being a little too curious when you invited Eshana to dinner after your match with her. With your joining the Tir family and the possibility of war between them and the Shahs, it was a good opportunity for us to do a little spying. Business, you understand. If Andheree Raat chose a side, then that would open up opportunities for us. In the end, the war was not to be, but a good spy always takes note of the finer details, like what someone likes to drink.” He gave me his best sinister smirk. “Impressed?”
I had to admit that I was. “I’m also surprised you are so forward about it.”
He waved his hand as if it were nothing. “It’s the way of things. Don’t take offense. Instead be flattered that Hallow’s major players are paying attention to you. And we’re friends now, so the least I can do is shine a little light on the inner workings of the city for you.”
He glanced back at his man who was holding the tray and said, “Secure the room if you would, please.”
Turning back to me, he said in a lower voice, “We wouldn’t want anyone spying on us, now would we?”
Similar to Shamash’s barriers that helped contain my Light Magic during its use, the waiter cast a spell that seemed to penetrate the walls, ceiling, and floor. A moment later, they started to glow with a neutral light.
Shamash’s voiced sounded in my head in the next moment. “Be on guard. This type of barrier keeps people out, but is also capable of keeping them in. That doesn’t make this a trap, but there is still the possibility.”
Parth held up his glass to toast and I followed his lead. “To Hallow’s dominance in the Festival of Parmida.”
As I downed my drink, I swished it around in my mouth to enjoy its taste and then swallowed it. It was the same sweet taste I remembered, but I immediately felt the Mana inside me react with it in a way it hadn’t before. It had a kick to it that hadn’t been there during my date with Eshana. As it settled in my stomach, I felt some pressure as if it were reacting with my system. I didn’t think it was poison, for I hadn’t become nauseous. Maybe it was more alcohol?
When I noticed the change, I heard the lich again. “Your drink was spiked with Light Mana. It’s a tiny amount, so it’s not dangerous, but it will have a drunkening effect. This is probably a common tactic used for negotiations. Use Vampire’s Might on it to rid yourself of the effects.”
I’d cast it on the pressure in my gut before he’d even got there. Immediately the reaction disappeared.
Holding up my glass, I said, “Great taste.”
Parth may not have any hostile intentions, but it looked like he might want more than just for me to gift him Shapeshifting. If his offer was good, then this might work to my advantage, but I certainly wouldn’t face any further negotiations in a drunken state.
“Are you ready to proceed with what we agreed?” Parth said.
“Whenever you’re ready,” I replied.
With a nod, he directed for his man to step forward. “Then as I promised, three bodies of Half-blood in exchange for Shapeshifting.”
Three? It had only been two if I hadn’t agreed to gift it to him before the preliminaries were over. Technically they were still going on, but all of his major fights had passed. He’d made it into the top ten, so he’d go on to the main competition, but the advantage of having Shapeshifting early had already passed.
Seeing the look on my face, he chuckled. “If I’d known you could win, I would have offered you three from the beginning. Take the third one as a token of my appreciation.”
“Thank you,” I said genuinely. It seemed that having Manu not finish first in the preliminaries was worth a lot to him.
Parth’s man stepped forward holding the gallon and a half jugs and handed them to me one at a time so I could place them in my inventory. Shamash confirmed without being asked that they contained what we had come for. They went right next to the Quarter-blood we’d purchased.
After taking a deep breath, Parth stepped forward and closed his eyes.
Following Shamash’s directions, I focused my mind on the Blue Magic Pillar Shapeshifting and visualized what I wanted to happen. It was just like the time I’d first awoken in the Underworld and the Head Mistress and her lich had gifted us a number of different things. At the time, it was mostly general magic and the awakening of our magic talents. This time, a cord of green light leaped from my palm and landed on his forehead for a few long seconds.
When he opened his eyes, he quickly scanned his popups and a big grin spread across his face. “Splendid.”
Gifting had cost me about 1,000,000 MP, but more importantly 903 levels worth of experience. It didn’t affect any of my stat bonuses, but it still hurt seeing the hit I’d taken. 4,515 Wisdom disappeared just like that. I already had an Advanced Dark Orb in my off hand and was draining it.
When he looked up, his countenance had changed. He looked… hungry.
The grin returned to his face as he thanked me again. “I was hoping we might make a second deal. The primordial beast form that you possess is far too impressive to pass up…”
Shamash’s voice blared into my head. “What he’s asking is impossible. It shouldn’t even be possible for you to have the Primordial Cat Form. If you were to gift it to him it would cost you over 10,000 levels’ worth of experience. Something that you don’t even have. It would leave you drained of most of your power. There is nothing he can offer that is worth so much unless he has 10,000 levels’ worth of monsters imprisoned somewhere that you can kill before gifting it to him. If that were the case, he’d be a much higher level.”
I tried my best to look apologetic as I replied to Parth’s request. “I’m sorry, but that would leave me unable to defend myself. I just can’t do it without enough experience to make up for the loss.”
“I’d help you gain the experience back, after you gift it.” He didn’t emphasize the word after, but he might as well have.
“I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous. I fear too many people will be tempted to take my life in my weakened state.”
His eyes settled on the floor as he came to grips with what I’d said. As I thought he was going to resign himself, he replied, “I’m afraid it’s already too late. The temptation has already take hold.” He looked up from the floor and gave me the most authentic vampiric glare I’d seen since coming to Hallow.
The door to a backroom opened as vampires started to file out. The first one was level 20,000. The next one was closer to 30,000.
“Let them get as close as possible before you attack,” Shamash said evenly through mind-speak. “Their barrier will hide your Light Magic and I’ll use my own once the caster dies. Without your mana refined you have one chance. You know what you must do. Give it everything. If you
fail, our contract allows me to save your life once. I’m ready to fulfill my part. But better yet, don’t die.”
“Sorry about this,” Parth said as five additional vampires entered the room before shutting the door behind them. Three of them were between level 20,000 and 30,000, while the other two were like the waiter at Parth’s side. They were just over level 40,000. The lower level vampires gathered behind Parth while the three higher level ones stood in front of Shamash. “It wasn’t originally my intention to force the issue. And don’t worry. We won’t kill you right away. I need you alive for you to gift me all the forms that you’ve learned. The same with your master.”
He looked to Shamash as he stepped back to let the three thugs take his place close to me. “Since your pupil is a Blue Mage, it’s my guess that you are as well, so you’re coming too. Please don’t struggle. You let Rishi Tir watch over Zerin during his match with Manu, so we know you’re not that powerful even though you’ve been hiding your level. If you play this right, we might let you live.”
The Advanced Orb had already dissolved in my hand. A Master Orb had taken its place and a second was hidden in the other. There was one thing that didn’t make sense. “You’d do this even though the entire city is expecting to see me tomorrow at the awards ceremony? Aren’t you afraid someone might come looking for me?”
“That’s a fair question. It will definitely cause an uproar, but no one has eyes on the Gul family, and you came to us. This shop isn’t associated with my family so as long as we clean up after ourselves there’s nothing to worry about. My friends here are experts at restraining magic, so you won’t have time to change into your Primordial Form. Come along nicely and I’ll treat you well. I can’t promise you your life, for I plan on selling you to Manu Shah after I’m done with you, but I can make your time with me more comfortable.”
Underworld - Scorching Sun: A LitRPG Series Page 29
