Alan felt like he'd just been shoved through a meat tenderizer while chewing on a ball of molten steel fish hooks. It was a total shit-show of a fight, that damned Scumbag's movement Skill caught Alan with his pants down, and he'd once again been forced to take drastic measures.
The outcome was less than ideal, but it would've been acceptable had the Scumbag provided a worthwhile amount of Experience. Alan did not consider the 122 Experience he was provided to be worthwhile. It was by far the least Experience he had recieved from a Level 10+ Beast thus far, and no matter how he pondered the situation, he couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Several unseen notifications were flashing in the background, Alan knew he should do the responsible thing and figure out what in the Nine Hells he'd just done to himself, yet all he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and disappear.
He was incredibly tired, and the annoying ache of his bloodied feet was an unwanted distraction. It was nothing he couldn't handle by now, but worse than the paltry Experience, Alan was having a hard time dealing with the lingering shame and embarrassment. He'd become arrogant and overconfident, refusing to ask Su'ong for help out of a misguided sense of pride. The outcome of which was getting chewed up and violently spit out by a living ball of flesh eating sludge and dead animals.
Would you like to loot this Lvl 11 Scumbag? Yes/No.
Through blurred and stinging eyes, Alan focused on the lingering notice and selected Yes. All at once, the wretched filth layering his battered body, along with the many random Scumbag bits and chunks that littered the area dispersed into a hazy of purple fog.
Remarkable! You have received 34 Phials of Rancid Scum!
You have received 1 (Iron) Lotus Coin.
You have received 1 (F-Stage) Nature Attuned Beast Core.
At current, Alan was not at all in the mood to deal with the pile of old-timey stoppered glass vials filled with what looked like someone mixed vomit with neon paint and packaged it up. Nor did he care to study the off-green marble he knew to be the Scumbag's Beast Core. Instead, Alan enjoyed a deep breath free of the noxious scent of decomposing flesh, allowing himself several moments of self chastising for once again letting the pressure of an intense situation overwhelm his better judgement.
Alright, so that was fucking stupid… I'll go ahead and get that out of the way. But what the hell happened? Why did my Core have such an unstable reaction to the Fire Attuned Mana when I have a Fire Affinity? And what was with that tiny wisp of scarlet fire?! That thing was utterly terrifying.
Alan shuddered, picturing that tiny flame evoked thoughts of the plasmatic core of the sun. Consuming its very essence to fuel the birth of countless life forms, over impossible stretches of time. Thoughtlessly giving of itself until inevitably overtaxing its own reserves, succumbing to the same cycle of death and rebirth it had for so long sustained in its tiny corner of creation.
That tiny scarlet flame brought to mind the calamitous devastation unleashed as the depleted star uttered its final, exhausted gasp. Succumbing to the embrace of the end. Of that fated moment of implosion leading to the utter annihilation of vast sectors of the very galaxy it for so long nurtured. It was an energy both lethal and chaotic, while simultaneously remaining an undeniably vital component to life.
Then again, there was always the chance it was just his imagination. Perhaps the stress of the moment left him with an over exaggerated recollection of what he'd seen, but Alan honestly didn't believe he was making shit up. That one flicker of scarlet had been all it took to leave a lasting impression of what real fire was capable of.
Even the Daemonic flames paled in comparison. That realization sent Alan spiraling down another deep rabbit hole of potentiality. Were those what the flames of a Cultivator looked like? Had his Core done something to the Mana? Changed it in some fundamental way that increased its volatility to previously unseen levels among the mortal races?
Most importantly, could this discovery somehow lead to a way for him to banish [Daemonfire of the Impure Realm] once and for all? It was far too early to make such a grandstanding proclamation, but Alan sensed he was at the cusp of a breakthrough that could very well offer a lasting solution.
Needing real answers, and not just the endless stream of randomized theories his mind seemed all too eager eager to dream up, Alan set aside his discomfort and called up his notifications.
*WARNING!* Your Cultivation Core is assimilating an abundance of [E-Stage] Fire Attuned Mana. Nearing current capacity threshold.
*WARNING!* The capacity threshold of your Cultivation Core has been exceeded! Refining excess Fire Mana to Fire Essence at a ratio of 100:1.
*WARNING!* Conversion rate is insufficient. Internal Core pressure reaching dangerous levels. Increasing conversion rate to 500:1.
*WARNING!* An overabundance of Fire Essence has accumulated within your Cultivation Core. Attempting to incorporate Fire Attunement to mitigate potential backlash… ERROR!
Querying System Database for potential Fire Attunement incorporation procedures… 192 methods located.
Scanning energy signature to dictate proper Attunement incorporation procedure… (Celestial Energy) detected.
*WARNING!* Your Cultivation Core harbors an Unorthodox Energy source (Celestial Energy). Unable to incorporate Fire Attunement.
Querying System Database for alternative methods… 1 method located.
Incorporating [Fire Affinity]… ERROR! [Fire Affinity] Detected.
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Querying System Database for alternative methods… ERROR! 0 methods located.
*WARNING!* Your Unorthodox Energy source (Celestial Energy) is becoming incredibly unstable. An unknown temporal anomaly has been detected within your Cultivation Core.
*WARNING!* Your Cultivation Core is emitting erratic spatial fluctuations. Querying System Database to determine root cause… Success!
*WARNING!* An isolated subspace has been established in your Spiritual Core. Attempting to stabilize Spiritual Wellspring… Success!
Remarkable! You have established a Realm Seed! Your Cultivation Core has advanced to the [Mid] (Copper-Grade)! Density of (Celestial Energy) increased! Capacity Increased! Absorption rate increased! Control increased!
*WARNING!* Further progression of your Cultivation Core may result in Heavenly Tribulation and/or profane Calamity. Proceed with caution!
Caution! Attempting to purge the excess Fire Essence accumulated within your Cultivation Core... ERROR! Fire Tributaries Detected! Stabilizing… Success.
Remarkable! You have Stabilized your Fire Tributaries! (Hidden System Quest) Stabilize your Celestial Tributaries has been updated! (1/??)
Completion Reward: +1000 Exp.
Caution! Attempting to purge excess Fire Essence… ERROR! Clogged Fire Deltas detected! Attempting to clear remaining blockages… Success!
Remarkable! You have Unclogged your Fire Deltas! (Hidden System Quest) Unclog your Celestial Deltas has been updated! (1/??)
Completion Reward: +1000 Exp.
Remarkable! Purging the over accumulation of Fire Essence from within your Cultivation Core has conjured a wisp of Primordial Flames! Your body is being Tempered in Fire of the purest form!
Remarkable! You have been issued the (Hidden System Quest) Primordial Element Tempering! (0/9)
Remarkable! You have completed the first objective of your (Hidden System Quest) Primordial Element Tempering! New objective gained!
✓1/9- Temper your skin in Primordial Flames. (3/3)
Completion Reward: +2500 Exp, Personalized Body Tempering Manual.
Remarkable! You have successfully reached the first Stage of Primordial Element Tempering and advanced your Mortal Physique to the rank of Primordial Copper Physique! Due to the rigorous nature of your tempering, you have earned the upgraded *Unique* Title Primordial Fire Body!
Primordial Fire Body- Increases resistance to all forms of Fire Elemental damage and effects, simultaneously increasing aptitude with, and control over, the Fire Element. +10 Endurance, +10 Constitution.
+4500 total Experience gained! Exp divided evenly between Race and Class.
Remarkable! You have reached level 6! +10 Free Status Points!
1279 Exp to next Level.
Remarkable! Your Class [Warden of Blight] has reached Level 6! Status Points automatically allocated. +10 Free Status Points! +1 Class Upgrade Point!
2775 Exp to next Class Level.
Bodily damage detected. Sacrifice current Level of [Warden's Arsenal] to temporarily boost recovery rates? Yes/No.
The crunching of something fairly heavy crushing dirt somewhere uncomfortably close drew Alan's migraine-addled gaze away from his PSA and over to his left.
Reggie stood looming over Alan, shaking his pulsating blue head sadly. Alan was so surprised by Reggie's sudden appearance that he never even saw his Quest reward dropping out of midair until the corner of a heavy leather bound tome crushed his battered pinky toe into the ground.
After expelling a lengthy and diverse array of colorful swears that would've made a sailor blush, Alan concentrated on the physical connection between his throbbing toe and what he assumed to be his Personalized Body Tempering Manual. With a thought, he dismissed it to inventory and squinted up at Reggie, already making plans to study the book's contents at a time when it no longer seemed like the ambient light was digging into his eyes with overheated ice picks.
Before saying anything, Reggie dipped a hand in his pocket and withdrew a small ornate green box. “I must say, that was extremely… What's the word I'm looking for…” Reggie scratched his chin and gave Alan a look radiating so much cold fury that it chilled Alan's blood. “Idiotic? Maniacal? UTTERLY FUCKING STUPID?“ He roared, kicking a cloud of dirt in Alan's face.
Biting back a sarcastic remark, Alan tried to brush the debris from his forehead, but winced at the briefest contact and immediately gave up. He'd never once in his life suffered from a sunburn, but this certainly felt similar to Uncle Alex's description of the effects of overexposure to the Sun's rays. Even the cool breeze stung as it caressed his exposed scales.
Squatting down next to Alan, Reggie slid a hand down his face and hissed. It wasn't easy dealing with a creature so new to life, yet instead of giving Alan the verbal lashing he felt the shortsighted Human deserved, he decided to try to talk some sense into him instead. Perhaps in the process, he could gain an understanding of just what had occurred.
“Listen Alan, I understand that this…” he sighed, a look of helplessness passing across his features before he mastered his emotions and continued, “…was a unique and unexpected situation, but I don't think you understand how serious this is. I truly thought you were obliterated.“
“Those flames you created… I honestly don't know what they were, but I could feel their insatiable hunger all the way from the Dungeon's Core room… Your energy signature vanished entirely, so I assumed the worst and brought the only relatively powerful recovery item I have left.“ He held the sliver box out to Alan and lifted the lid. “Although I highly doubt it could've un-vaporised you… It should be more than enough to deal with your current condition.”
As the lid was removed, a small green orb was revealed. It emitted a dense aura of vitality that was so thick the air around it seemed to shimmer. The heavy aura struck Alan's senses right before the scent of citrus and cinnamon assaulted his nostrils. All it took was a single breath to make him salivate. His cells practically hummed with anticipation. It took every ounce of control he could muster to not snatch the enticing object out of Reggie's glowing hands and eat the entire thing. Box and all.
“That's… holy shit man, what is that thing? Alan croaked out, eyes glued to the enticing object, each word agonizing to force through his blistered throat.
“This,” Reggie stated, looking down at the orb with unmistakable reverence. “… is called a Jade Dryad Blood Pill. As the name suggests, this is a recovery pill formulated from the blood of a Jade Dryad.“ Catching the suspicious look Alan was giving him, Reggie held up a hand and rolled his eyes.
“I assure you, the blood used in its creation was sourced from a willing subject. Jade Dryads live in isolated communities and their main export is, you guessed it, their own blood. Not only does Dryad Blood have countless applications on alchemical processes, it is also inordinately expensive. The Lotus Coins they rake in are more than enough to afford their day to day needs. Which is all the reason they need.“
Its made of blood? But then, why the fuck does it smell so delicious? Alan knew he should've been revolted, but it was difficult to focus beyond the pleasant aroma.
The overwhelming yearning it elicited in the depths of his being brooked no question why these Jade Dryad creatures lived in isolation. There was no question in his mind that were he to stumble upon a Jade Dryad in the wild, and could resist the temptation to eat it alive, Alan would do everything in his power to hit it with a [Rune of Subjugation].
So far as Alan knew, there were no rules that said you couldn't beg your familiar for a bit of its blood from time to time.
Before he knew what he was doing, Alan accepted Reggie's offering, tossed out a quick [Appraise] and crammed the grape-sized green ball into his mouth.