Soul of Blades - Chapter 73: Emissary of Doom (Patreon)

[Skill 'True Sight' has further discerned the energies of the items you have inspected. Further details available]

[True Sight: Mastery 5 > 12%]

[Sword 'Eclipse' (D) - Growth type weapon - An early work of a master craftsman of planet designation 'Hellven'. Ritualistically forged and doused in the blood of countless captured system beings, Eclipse's insatiable hunger for unique and higher blood grants the weapon potential for growth. Drawing strength and power from the blood it spills. The more unique, compatible, or higher blood it absorbs, the stronger it becomes, granting increased durability to the weapon.

Weapon skills: Absolution,]

[The weapons consumption has yielded growth, and Enchantments. Further consumption of higher or unique blood will yield better results.

Absolution: With every enemy slain, the sword absorbs a fragment of their essence (0.001%). As the wielder continues their conquest, the weapon will retain a faint infinitesimal imprint of the prowess displayed by the defeated enemies during combat.]

As they walked past the gate, Alex experimentally pricked the skin of his finger, dripping his blood onto the dark sword. A slight gasp escaped his lips as crimson ripples spread across the weapons surface, almost as if the sword was both savouring and absorbing the life essence contained in the liquid.

Does that mean it has the smallest portion of my fighting instincts now? Or would it need more blood? He wondered, rubbing at the beginnings of stubble that crowned his chin. It only took less than a cupful of Jun Li's blood... But it did take a boatload of the Thundering Bulls blood, and that was D ranked. And come to think of it, who knows what rank Jun Li's race was… he mused.

Absorbing the cultivator had completely upgraded Alex's race and stats, but he could tell by the tiny size of the bundle of Qi he sensed in his navel that his glitched skill had not given him all of the cultivators power. Far from it, he had only gained a small portion. Jun Li had called the vortex that consumed them both an 'abyss', whatever that meant. He claimed it would ‘doom them both’, but Alex was fine— better even.

Made stronger by absorbing his fallen enemy.

Although... his small flame of Qi- a portion, did not compare to the memory of Jun Li's blazing furnace. At the time the man had seemed like an unclimbable peak. His cultivation had simply made him too fast, too strong, and too powerful.

And his sword, a weapon capable of growth, had absorbed some of that power. However small. Maybe that's why it totally wrecked those bandits Alex thought as his mind went back to the memory of the savage slaughter.

It was grim, but he guessed it was a weapon worth closing an incursion for. Without his class, loot, Mei, or the glitch, this change in his weapon would not have been possible, or would have taken years upon years to achieve. How else could someone of his rank have the opportunity to defeat a Thundering Bull, and a cultivator? Someone in the E Rank would not stand a chance against someone or something in the rank above, at least not without levelling up to a ridiculous degree. He further rubbed his chin as he considered the possibilities. And even then, who's to say they wouldn't find a weapon with a better base? with better 'weapon enchantments?

He considered the weapon’s enchantment. 'Absolution'. It would be useless on its own, at least without a skill like 'Sovereign Clone' to turn the weapon into something that walked on two legs, capable of using a weapon of its own. His weapon would grow more durable and gain abilities the more it consumed. Maybe if he fed it even higher ranked blood, it would evolve? Rank up? So that explains why it was chomping down on enemies, its a skill. A part of the weapons design. He mentally concluded as they walked into the palace proper.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief, further convinced that his weapon wasn't about to go turn around and try to eat him. He had too much to worry about as it was.

It was interesting to finally know what 'growth' meant, where his weapon was concerned.

He felt the rush of possibility surge through him at a different and more pressing realisation; didn’t the weapons enchantment ’Absolution’ pair extremely well with his passive skill ‘BladeBody?’

Alex plunged the blade into his chest without hesitation, right above his heart as if to pierce himself and witnessed his sword seamlessly vanish into the depth of his heart and disperse, without even so much as breaking his skin.

The dark blade transformed into particles of energy before his eyes, breaking down to become one with his mana and flesh, infusing him. There was no pain, only the sensation of becoming greater, as the metal dissolved and its essence spread through him, merging with his mana and flesh to become part of his very essence.

[Grade D Skill: EclipsedBody (Active) gained!]

Immediately he felt it, a change within him—a sudden surge in knowledge and understanding.

It wasn’t much, not when compared to the deluge of information he received when the system granted him skills, but it was still noticeable. The slight urge to tilt forward when avoiding attacks, the lack of desire to do anything less than crush the enemy with skill, and a strange desire to witness blood and carnage, and an even stranger desire to control his breathing with every movement. It was subtle, but he felt as though the weapon had made his fighting style slightly more skilled, and significantly more aggressive.

He was tempted to experiment further, but the time for such displays had passed and the gates drew closer.

As Alex and Mei advanced past the looming golden-armored guards, they saw an ambassador of some sort waiting for them. He was a peculiar sight: his height was no different from Alex's, yet his body bore the characteristics of a dragon, with small overlapping scales on parts of his body and a slim tail that looked as sharp as any sword.

The man's slitted eyes landed on Alex, then drifted to Mei, regarding her with an unreadable expression. "We've been expecting you," the ambassador responded, his voice flat, and his eyes devoid of enthusiasm. "The god-mistress has informed the Lord of your arrival. Follow me."

They followed.

"So this 'Lord'," Alex’s curious gaze shifted from the ambassador to Mei, who was following the guide with an irritated expression "who is he?" Alex asked.

Mei's already irritated expression grew even more so as she considered his question. "His name's Tarabyzan. Before this place even got the System and magic, this dragon was around. One of the few on this planet with a half decent class.” She scrunched up her nose in frustration at the concept. “Rumour has it he could fly through valleys and mess with gravity a little before the system came, without using any mana. And when the system finally introduced mana and skills, he... They, kind of evolved."

She shuffled her feet as she walked, adjusting her gear. "With the rise of the System, his power over gravity is supposed to have become even more pronounced. They say it's like he’s one with the earth, rooted, 'eternal'." She air-quoted at the word 'eternal' with a roll of her eyes. "I've heard he embodies gravity, controls it.” She paused, her gait slowing to match Alex’s pace. “He isn't kind. He's taken what he wants and twisted this world. Imagine the oldest mountain you can, and that's him. He's annoying. They all are."

Alex gulped, and mentally checked the weapons in his Inventory. "Sounds like we're meeting the big boss."

Mei rolled her eyes in response "Psh. Not really."

"From what I've heard," she continued, seemingly unconcerned with being overheard by their escort, "Tarabyzan and his kind hold some sort of key to understanding the System. But they're... complicated."

The dragon-man's gaze lingered on Mei at this, his curiosity evident. “You seem to know much, and yet human visitors are rare.” He ventured, a question hidden beneath the words.

In response, Mei simply shot the ambassador a glare, "Mind your own business."

At her harsh words, the ambassador's expression turned cold for a split second, before a thin, almost mocking smile appeared on his face. And with a sweeping gesture, he directed them to a nearby courtyard. Alex's gaze was immediately drawn to the enormous figure at its center.

Alex found himself in a vast courtyard, where amidst a series of floating hills and spiraling waterfalls, a colossal draconic man was sipping tea. This being easily dwarfed them both. Alex estimated that even if two or three of him stood on each other's shoulders, they'd still look up to meet the eyes of this titan. The imposing figure's very aura twisted the surroundings – rocks floated as though weightless, water defied its nature and danced in the air. His presence was as commanding as the tallest mountain, yet as graceful as the gentlest river.

"You must be Tarabyzan," Mei said confidently with a single step forward, not waiting for introductions.

"I am.” The dragon lord looked down, his green eyes narrowing to regard the two human visitors. “And who might you be to address me so informally?"

Alex took a moment to observe him; the intricate patterns of his scales, the large spikes on his head, the deep and endless green of his eyes. The beings armor, covering patches of rough, scaled, and almost human-like skin, was vast and sturdy. Alex could only imagine the number of men it could arm if broken down and smelted. Tarabyzan’s posture made it evident that he held an undisputed command over this region and perhaps even beyond.

The dragon lord shifted, a movement that carried the power of one who rarely saw contest. A bowl, comically small in his massive hand, was raised to lips that huffed out sparks of flame.

"We are here on Yan Hua's bidding," Alex began, leaning on a spare sword he’d summoned before entering the courtyard, his voice resolute, and his mind prepared for any outcome.

The lord glanced at him, almost dismissively, his voice dripping with derision. “And you think that gives you authority? That she is someone worth following? Or that I would simply obey?”

The dragon lord shifted further, this time to face them, though his face held neither malice nor aggression. “That woman…,” he began, “she rules through false might. She relies on the Empire’s energy, so rigid, so confined. But mana…” he let out a breath, deep and rumbling. “Mana has the power to birth entire worlds. In time, the dragons, the ancients, will reclaim this system. The universe itself will bend to us.”

His voice lowered, a dangerous edge to it, smoke pluming through his nostrils. "I have millennia. I can wait."

It was Mei who broke the silence that followed, her foot tapping the ground and her voice dripping with impatience. "Yeah, that's pretty cool 'my lord'. But we need the Thundergod Jade.” She huffed. “Tell us where it is."

Lord Tarabyzan’s scoff echoed in the courtyard. “Ah, the Jade. Many of my kind desire it. But it is Phurafel’s. While he may be on the brink of death, he remains formidable. Unbeatable.”

Then he grinned, each sharp teeth appearing as blades in formations that summoned images of sharks within Alex’s mind. “But we can feel it,” the dragon said. “Phurafel’s end. Soon though, when his life spark dwindles further, we will rise to claim it. All of us. Your 'mistress' might wish to be careful then."

Mei's irreverent tone surfaced once more as the the tapping of her foot finally stopped. “Hey, T, we don’t care about dragon politics and I'm not waiting around for some old dragon to croak.” Her arms unfolded to fall by her sides. “Just tell us where Phurafel is.”

The dragons piercing green eyes scrutinized them, and every exhale seemed to spark flames. "Your tone is amusing."

A younger dragon, slimmer yet still imposing, stepped into the courtyard. His tail moved with an eager energy, betraying his otherwise calm and stoic demeanor. His eyes keenly observed them with zeal and what Alex interpreted to be thinly veiled excitement.

Despite the younger dragon’s relative size and slim demeanor, he still dwarfed Alex and Mei in stature.

"This is my son," Tarabyzan announced as if sensing the unspoken question, a hint of pride in his voice. "He leads our expedition to claim the Jade.” His son folded his arms behind his back in the face of their attention, his demeanor increasing in assumed regality. Tarabyzan continued, “You may join the exposition. If you survive the journey, then perhaps you'll have a shot at the jade.

“Many will try, but only one can claim it." The dragon lord rumbled.

A loud boom sounded behind Alex, soon followed by an explosion of earth as the ground rumbled and wind billowed around them. A giant guard had landed behind him and Mei, huffing blue flames as it grunted in its landed.

The guard, had fallen from the unseen sky above.

At the sound, Alex summoned a blade to nestle between his fingers, the words of each of his skills on the tips of his tongue.

If they sought to ambush him here, he would ensure that they paid dearly for it. Even Tarabyzan.

Additional guards slowly entered the courtyard, surrounding its edges. First one, then two, three, four, until finally, ten stood in formation, forming a square that blocked all exits. All of the guards brandished gargantuan weapons while towering over Alex and Mei with hunger in their eyes.

Tarabyzan stood, then, and walked slowly towards his son with booming steps. He marched to the other side of his courtyard and sat, continuing to drink his tea.

He gestured towards the ten giant draconic guards surrounding Alex and Mei.

They advanced.

"But first you must prove your worth." He boomed, his deep voice rumbling in the silence. "'Mistress' or no, weaklings have no place amongst us."

Alex attempted to jump to action, but he found himself rooted in place, as if gravity had held him prisoner.

He glanced at Tarabyzan, and the dragon smirked.

"You know, none of the mistresses' messengers have ever left this courtyard alive.” The lord didn’t grin this time, instead, his eyes were cold and lacked neither joy nor malice. “I hope your deaths are entertaining. Begin."

At his word, the guards all lunged, their blades whistling towards Alex and Mei’s frozen figures.

A storm of flame and metal engulfed their frozen forms.