After my waist set, I got out of the pool. Red needed more time to set her new height. I go to my true self. My waist 2.0 was here now too. I look around our cliff. I place a set of stairs that lead down. When I reach the bottom I expand the floor to be a copy of my domain. It resonates with me. I look up and see the sun…it's not a copy. This is the plains. I'm not in my dungeon. My horns form. My crown.
I look behind myself, the stairs are gone. I sigh. I walk towards the center of my domain. It is a plateau. I climbed it. I see a nest of a giant bird. Said giant bird looks at me, looks large enough to lift an axen. Its plumage is sky blue with white patches. To blend in with the sky?
? ? Roc
It bows to me. I walk past it. I start walking downwards, I shift the stone as I go. I create a narrow pathway that leads to a wall.
I am about to make myself permanently tied to the land. I do not ask Red whether I should do this.
-I wouldn't have argued.
I wish that could be a small comfort. I place my hand on the wall. A door forms. Its edge is made of black vines like my throne. The door itself is ornate. The citadel marks form on the black door. I will my rift out of me into this door. This door will never move. I do not place a mana interface. This door will only open for my soul.
You have gained [Dungeon 3] Intermediate 1
Intermediate - A new key, you may now leave an entrance when you venture from your dungeon.
Gain 24 exp
We are growing faster because of the influx of adventurers. I pass through the door. The stairs I made before greeted me. I shift into my attendant form, my aura returns into me and I climb the stairs.
“Greetings mother.”
She spies my waist and grows more annoyed, “I see it's both of you that wish to be easily found.”
“You told us to wait until we are fully grown, well we are always fully grown.” I give her a toothy grin.
Exasperated she continues, "Could you have waited until after you hosted every noble here. Included [Baron] Anvar.”
My eyes narrow at that.
“Killing him would cause you more problems than solve. Also I thought you were minimizing this instance to provide more room to the others.” She is looking at the new stairs.
“Come I'll show you.” A short walk down the steps and we reach the door.
“This isn't like your temporary rifts.”
I shake my head.
“The monster title I got pulled me to the plains. I felt a connection and formed a permanent door to this place.”
“You have a monster title…”
A new toothy grin, “You're looking at the new [Lady of the Plains].” She looks ashen now, "What's wrong?”
“Don't tell anyone you can't trust that you have that title.” She sees my confusion and she sighs, “One, it shows that you're a monster. Two, title monsters are used as an initial power source for fountain barriers.”
“I thought the title monsters were driven away…”
“No, they are killed and their corpses are buried in the ground. Then a fountain goes over the top. The beast stays dead and mana is extracted until it finally withers its soul away. It's rather ingenious in a way. Contains the creature while providing an initial barrier for construction.”
“Why did Delores say something different?”
“You don't tell children there is a giant monster buried under the fountain if you expect them to touch it every day.”
O. Note to self don't become fertilizer for a new town.
-Seconded. Monster life, amiright?
I bark a laugh as we walk to my silly sister.
-----
Ah my changes have released my blood passives. Excellent. Mags and Violet approach.
“Just in time. Time to etch some bone.”
Two hundred and thirty bones. Twenty-four in my tail. Not all of them needed arteries. Time slows as I use body morphic to gouge the patterns. My other attention continues to pull the blood through the bones. A bone gouges, a blood passive sets. I repeat it two hundred times. My notifications stack but this is my universe right now. Finally I am done.
My blood core is slowly dipping even though I am in a pool of blood. Perhaps it would have been better doing this piece meal. It should be enough.
“Well, start it already.”
Violet is curious, I'm nervous. She hadn't seen the initial tests. I take a breath. Please don't explode. My other attention lets go of my blood. I channel mana through my bones. The blood pulls…a few adjustments need to be done to ensure proper flow. I'm making them now.
“I did it, I remade my heart.”
“Considering you took the original, it's the least you could do.”
I look annoyed at Violet but she just barks a laugh.
“Think you can try to run around? Need to see if you can perform physically.” Mags asks.
I nod and lift the blood pool with me. It's now an inner tube around my waist. Mags gets annoyed.
“If you could do that from the beginning, why have you been sitting in your pit?”
“Cause it was relaxing.”
I start running as she chases me. She is still faster but not by as much anymore. Anytime she gets close I simply will myself elsewhere. To be pursued again. The chase lasts a good hour before she catches me. Seems I had become predictable in the end.
“Seems you're still breathing. Didn't need to use your kinesis right.” I shake my head no, “Good, one final test.”
I tilt my head as she finds where I am ticklish. I am gasping for breath in the end but still alive. Success.
-----
“Not alternating anymore with Red?”
“Not for another four days, mistress.”
My sister is taking care of a new born hydra at the moment.
Oooo can I go see?
I chuckle, “Considering she feeds the thing like a momma bird I suggest a different activity mistress.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“And what is she feeding it?”
I smile, “Spiderlings.” That she stores in her body.
She blanches and turns, “Perhaps afternoon tea with Jasmine is preferable… I see you regained some of your height and all of your ampleness but your waist is so … that's quite provocative Violet.”
I smile, “What color would you like the flower to be today.”
-----
Another feeding.
Barbain, how is your unlife?
Must you always start the conversation so absurdly?
It's what I do.
It goes, I track down a Macknor bear every evening with Bea, it's a family outing that devolves in blood.
You're not taking little Xena with you are you.
The thought of her being eaten by a bear…
Ah she's fine in her sling, your super charged senses keep us out of trouble. We stun the bear from a distance. By the way, Bea is annoyed that she is tier capped… I am too.
You know she can't proceed. Your next step is a big one. It's going to impart what Violet blasphemy was.
Which was?
Guess we hadn't talked about it have we.
Figured you wanted space.
I fed myself to her. Fully. You have seen intermediate [Blood Kinesis], right? What she had to give up to return me…we lost access to life magic. It's been replaced with blood magic but using it increases your thirst.
…does this mean I need intermediate nine in [Blood Kinesis] before I can proceed?
Not there yet?
Not all of us have two bodies, Red. I'll reach it tonight.
I shut my eyes, and breathe. I direct my thoughts again.
That's fair. Are you sure you want to give up life magic?
How else can I show you that you're not a monster?
…Barbain, I am a monster. Violet and I accepted it a long time ago. But being a monster doesn't mean I have to continue to hurt people. I can be more than that. I will be more.
Seems you came to some sort of truth then. Fine monster prodigy Red, I will direct a thought when I reach intermediate nine. You're not going to drink me dry again are you…
I haven't decided yet.
-I have.
It will be her choice…
-It will complete you.
-----
Or damn us. I don't direct the thought to her. She was frightened of herself as is.
“Your tea, my mistress.”
“Seriously Sara you're going to become bald if you continue stripping your hair like this…also you have become quite exaggerated? You shouldn't use your wages on a life mage like that. Far too young.”
“Apologies, miss.” Who appeared to be the same age as me.
She nods and gets back to chatting with Delores.
“I heard they are going to hold the tournament of choosing at the dungeon? It sounds insane but Father got an invitation to attend.”
“Yes, my father was quite excited until he saw all the upfront costs. There was a call for rather highly skilled crafters to create furniture suitable for the arriving nobility. That it has raised their prices has made it more onerous for us to expand the inns in town.”
“How ever will he pay for all this?”
“Ah the dungeon has provided a boon recently, the flow of mithril has increased. It's brought in a rather large number of adventurers. Which is swelling fathers coffers.”
-----
I will myself back in the throne room. Red joins me. She muses.
“Never figured out where this was.”
“It's the end of all our instances. Our core. Should someone arrive here, one of us would be pulled here to confront them. No one ever got to the mithril rabbit habitat so you never got forced to be there. I formed this place beyond it. All instances connect here.”
“That doesn't make sense, I watch people walk into the cave.”
“The cave with our flower you mean?”
“You're saying those flowers were our stand in? But didn't our family fail at forcing us into a confrontation before.”
“I can't be in two places at once. Simply put, I used our body as an anchor to keep myself from appearing elsewhere.”
Before she questions me more, I walk to the throne, my clothing willed away, I assume my true self and sit on my throne. My crown forms. The black leaves cover me.
I see Red already kneeling in front of me head down. It hurts to see it.
“So you know then? Speak Attendant.”
She does not look up.
“I know that you were too late in recreating me, my [Queen]. A part of my essence went into you. It completed you but I gave you my empathy. I have only been borrowing it from you since.”
“You also have been borrowing my control… I fear I must make you do a terrible thing.”
-----
I stand behind the [Queen]. I had felt it when she grew her horns. The authority that I lacked. I watch Barbain enter our core.
“This is your last rite Barbain Blacknell, you can remain as you are or trust that when Red devours you whole that you will be reborn anew.”
Barbain pales as she looks at me, pales further at my impassivity.
“Why does she not balk at this?”
Violet sighs, “The process that brought her back places me above her in hierarchy. She needs a part of your essence to fix herself.”
Her eyes widened, “She would never agree to such.”
A sad smile forms on Violet's face, “You are correct, but it is your choice to give it. This is what it means to join us. Your soul will be chipped and you will need to find a [Supplicant] to fill it. Thus our mistake shall be perpetuated. One of you will need to remain with us until that day.”
“Is there no other option?”
“You are more than welcome to consume your own soul when she is done. To end the cycle and become what you claimed we were not.”
She murmurs the word, “Monster.” She takes a breath, comes to a decision. “I am ready.”
How cruel, the queen rises and approaches me, not Barbain. She cups my face and looks into my eyes.
“She is willing to go this far Sara to help us, do you truly want to break another to fix yourself.”
I cry, they are tears that are clear. Terrible thing indeed. I sink my fangs into her neck. My horns start to come out as I drink Violet into myself. She does as I did, slowly converting her body into more blood. Barbain rushes to stop us but she is back in her dorm room now.
Mothers stop, please.
I do not. Can not. Violet was not cruel enough to devour our own soul. I am. When the horns are completed she is gone.
0 exp gained for Vampire, Lady of the Plains
A monster's death. Her consciousness dissolves into me. I watch, an eternity of ever mote slowly becoming nothing. I will not bring her back. Singular once more. I huff out a breath. My many legs form. The bones of which have my changes. After the initial blood cost to change I feel no greater draw. I have finally resumed my true form. A second throne is next to the first. I sit on my throne looking out.
-----
This is a daily reminder: You have 48 unallocated stat points
“Your tea, my mistress.”
She nods and I take up my position behind her.
“Back to being, Red.”
I give the mistress a sad smile, she returns it. The seed she had was dissolved.
“So it would seem, Sara, you're excused for the rest of the day.”
“As you wish, mistress.”
-----
This is a daily reminder: You have 48 unallocated stat points
“Qorth you look like ye have lost a pet.”
“Apologies, Dame Hecnae.”
Together they channel dirt constructs for me to replace. The commoner stands come up. I think crafting some cushions later will help get my mind off things.
“Is it me Qorth or does the [Priestess] seem not all there.”
“Lady Sara is lamenting, she has yet to sleep.”
-----
This is a daily reminder: You have 48 unallocated stat points
I sit in the core, I have skipped out on my duties. I would have admonished my sister for missing a day. I wasn't able to start the coverings for the stands. Just sitting on my throne. A fifty fifty chance she had thought. I wait. I had matured my babies through sustainer and placed them in the eighth dungeon. The ninth dungeon is full of dungeon monsters. I've been avoiding my mothers. Afraid to confront them until I know for sure.
So I sit and wait. And wait. And wait. When my despair hits its zenith I feel my cores begin to empty. My thirst increases. Fire, mental, arcane cores all empty. My reserves are empty. My blood core is empty. My soul core starts to go down. It is empty. I feel the blood in myself start to be consumed. My skin paler as even that empties. My body dies and I wait.
And she wasn't here. Whatever happened failed. Is it impossible? To bring out a soul equal to my own. She had died as a manifestation and returned. But we are more now. I can't even attempt to birth her. Her soul is my soul. My cores refuse to fill. The priestess is here. Guess she got tired of my hiding.
“Sara, what happened?”
“Violet thought I could restore myself by fully absorbing her.”
“Did you not already do that before?”
“Before…before my sister created a new body and put my mind into it. The problem was she had already absorbed parts of my mind to fill in the missing parts of her own. I was a puppet she was moving around.”
“Then why are you here and not her.”
“She thought of a brilliant idea, if I ate her completely I would repair what I was missing.”
“So why didn't you make her a body?”
“I said completely, I absorbed her whole. She was too afraid to be alone. She couldn't absorb me till I was gone. But she knew I was cruel enough, if given no other option. She used Barbain ascension as a way to force me to do it. A choice given. Heal myself by crippling Barbain or risk my sister's death.”
“You still haven't answered why you didn't recreate her.”
“The plan was to use the dungeon's own respawn mechanic to bring her back. Eating her would make my mind whole then she would return whole. None of the making bodies and filling them with partially dissolved minds.”
“That didn't happen then?”
“The dungeon pulled the mana but she didn't appear. Even now my mana doesn't recover. There is something wrong. Worse still, it's just making me thirstier. Soon enough I'm going to need to devour. The lakes are empty.”
I'm already behind her. She was talking to an illusion. I spring at her. My vision splits apart. My two halves fall to the floor to either side of her. My own body is blocking my vision. I feel her despair before everything starts to burn.
