“Now hold on a just a minute!“ Reggie said suddenly. His eyes were open wide, mouth hanging slack. Far too late to stop the greedy creature, he hid his face behind his hand and groaned as the expensive object he'd planned to at least attempt to replicate was devoured before he had the chance.
He knew he should've spoken up sooner but he had been unprepared for the aromatic display that wafted from within the ornate box. For so very long, that tiny box had contained the Jade Dryad Blood Pill. Decades had come and gone as he'd contemplated breaking the preservation seal and absorbing the pill in an attempt to use the Dungeon's pattern generation functions to create an endless supply of top-tier loot.
Unaware of Reggie's consternation, nor the fact the Wraith was quickly backpedaling with a nervous expression etched into features that were alternating between vivid hues of blue and purple, Alan gasped as a blissful warmth spread through his face and down his neck.
This fucking thing tastes even better than it smells! Never before had his taste buds borne witness to such an intensely confusing flavor. The first thing to assault his palette was the powerful taste of citrus and cinnamon he'd already expected, yet he also detected notes of copper and something earthy. If he didn't know any better, he would've assumed he was eating some kind of candied mushroom.
Upon the briefest contact with his tongue, the pill melted into a cool, gelatinous substance that eased his scalded flesh as it slipped down his throat. Were he not so eager to benefit from its fast-acting healing properties, Alan would've held it in his mouth simply to study the strange taste.
A noise halfway between a contented moan and a dying Almiraj parted Alan's lips as a pleasant warmth tricked down his neck, rapidly building up to an intensity so staggering it would've dropped him on his ass had he not already been laying down. Alan brought his hand to his mouth and gasped as a massive influx of energy struck his Cultivation Core only to be pulled through the strange rift in the center that led to his newly formed Realm Seed.
The lingering pain was fairly intense, but nothing to cry over. Which left Alan uncertain why an uncontrollable flood of tears was suddenly falling down his cheeks. By the time the pill reached his stomach, his body was enduring waves of pain and pleasure that alternated so fast he felt himself slipping into crazed stupor.
Alan set his jaw, focusing on the description as a means to distract himself from the maddening healing process.
Peak (E-Stage) Jade Dryad Blood Pill (Spiritual)- The Jade Dryad Blood Pill is a Peak (E-Grade) spiritual pill brewed by a master Alchemist using the willingly harvested blood of a Jade Dryad and the pure essence of an unawakened nature spirit. It contains the raw energy of a being on the cusp of the (D-Stage) of evolution and provides instantaneous restorative effects while simultaneously bringing one more in tune with the Nature Element. It is often used as the first step towards Tempering one's body with the Nature Element, as the latent spirituality lingers far beyond the restorative effects. Jade Dryad Blood Pills are a highly coveted item in the world of alchemy and Spiritual Cultivation, as it is made using rare and powerful ingredients. The Jade Dryad is a mystical creature with a strong connection to the Nature Element, and its blood is said to contain potent restorative and spiritual properties. The pure essence of an unawakened Nature Spirit is also a highly sought-after ingredient due to its purity and potency. When combined, these ingredients create a powerful pill that can restore even grievous wounds while simultaneously capable of helping those seeking to become more in tune with the Nature Element, and enhancing Spiritual Cultivation.
Even in his current confused state, it was plain to see that attaining another level in [Appraise] had provided a marked improvement to the description it provided.
Through blurred eyes, Alan had only begun to puzzle through the description when he realized that the damaged scales on his hands had begun to emit pale green sparkles. The tiny flickers of light danced through the air like tiny embers before eventually drifting to the floor, where they kick-started an immediate, and startling surge of spontaneous recovery and new growth.
Craning his head, Alan struggled to ignore the way his vision was spinning. Narrowing his eyes to a slit, he watched as the glimmers settled to the floor. The soil darkened rapidly, as if subjected to a sudden spring squall, enhanced with a visible vigor far exceeding what it possessed only seconds before. Tiny shoots of grass broke through the reinvigorated surface, each developing a veritable sea of healthy green blades just as fast as the next shoot made an appearance.
Forming complete thoughts became next to impossible as a thick, warm fog settled into his mind. The last thing Alan felt before being wrapped in a blanket of sun kissed cotton and whisked away was his body being lifted off the ground by a mass of soft vegetation.
For a time, Alan drifted upon an endless cloudscape. He was without memories, worries, or cares. He was simply one of countless other fluffy masses loitering around the comforting backdrop. He would've been content to drift along endlessly among his peers had he not caught a glimpse of a green flash through the clouds and been unwillingly dragged along in its wake as it sped off into the distance.
When awareness returned to Alan once more, he was trapped within a translucent golden orb hovering in the depths of outer space. The surroundings were so strange it took him a moment to understand what was going on. Slowly, realization set in. For a reason he couldn't explain, Alan was once more within his burgeoning Realm Seed. And he wasn't alone.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Somehow, that eerie green light had made its way into the sanctity of his nascent inner Realm, and had taken on the shape of a tiny winged humanoid. The little energy fairy, as Alan decided to call it due to its resemblance to several of his favorite stories from Earth, was single-mindedly following a vibrant orb that Alan could see revolving around the outside of his Realm Seed like a pristine emerald moon. He didn't know when it had gotten so close, but the fairy was undoubtedly drawn to the satellite, continuously bouncing off the golden dome as it sought out a weakness in the barrier. Alan had an instinctual understanding that this was the unawakened Nature Spirit that had been infused into the Jade Dryad Blood Pill.
What he didn't know however, was what the fuck that actually was, or what he was supposed to do with it. Was he supposed to figure out how to give it access to the object it so obviously wanted? Maybe he was supposed to splatter it like a bug so it could be infused into the barrier? On the other hand, maybe it was only being stored here, and what he actually needed to do was shove it back through the rift, forcing it to return to his Core so he could cycle it through his body.
Could I use the Nature Spirit's energy to force open my Nature Tributaries and Deltas? Assuming I even have Nature Tributaries and Deltas…
It certainly would've helped to form a conclusion had he the faintest idea of what the emerald orb attracting the fairy was. Although it was the only the orb that had approached so far, there was a whole shitload of them out there. And that was only counting those that were a discernable shade of green.
Common sense was telling him that because this was the seed of a Spiritual Realm, those colored orbs had to have something to do with growing and nourishing his budding inner Realm. There was also the chance they would improve his Spirit itself. Either way, because the Nature Spirit was attracted to a green one, he felt it safe to assume that their colors had to do with the affinity they corresponded to.
The description of the Jade Dryad Blood Pill said its Spirituality would outlast its regenerative properties, and that it was oftentimes used as the foundational step towards tempering ones body in the Nature Element. It also said something about Spiritual Cultivation, which brought about another slew of questions that he was too distracted to hazard guesses at.
It hadn't been long since he'd been here last, but it was almost unrecognizable from what he remembered. The golden thread of Celestial Energy was still unspooling from the rift that led to his Cultivation Core, only it had increased in the number of individual threads, which had more than quadrupled its thickness. It now resembled a rope braided from multiple strings of colored light.
Not only was it far more dense than before, one of the rope's threads was a brilliant scarlet color. Now that he knew what to look for, it was plain to see that the tainted energy had already traced the outer limits of the Realm Seed. Fully encompassing the entire region, lending a slightly ominous hue to the barriers coloration.
A red stain reminiscent of blood on water was now spiraling around the bottom of the orb. The density of the energy visibly increased as it defied gravity, slowly spreading upwards to the top. Alan was in the middle of trying to piece together what was going on when an uncomfortable pressure settled on his presence. He tried to shrug it off, but the harder he struggled, the more it seemed to effect him.
Within moments of arriving, the pressure grew to the point that Alan was trapped in place. No longer able to move, or even adjust his focal point. He lost sight of the Nature Spirit, and then the Realm Seed as he began to drift backwards, caught in powerful suction that yanked him straight through the rift in the center.
Awareness was slow to return. When Alan realized he'd been awoken by a heated argument, he did his best to remain still. Every bit of his pain had receded, and the last thing he wanted to deal with was a headache.
“…can't blame me for this! I didn't know what was going on until he blew himself up! You know how Alan is, he saw the Jade Dryad Blood Pill and got that creepy look in his eyes! What was I supposed to do? He ate it without even giving me a chance to explain what it was I offered!“ Reggie stated firmly.
Without even looking, Alan was sure the Wraith was glaring daggers at Su'ong. Tugging at his frazzled hair, likely wishing he hadn't bothered to show up.
“It's funny you mention that, because Yes, Reggie, I do know how he gets. Which is why I am confused. Why would you show him the goods before explaining what you were about to give him? Did you truly believe this would turn out any other way? That you would just dangle something like that in front of him, and he would patiently wait for an explanation?“ Su'ong didn't sound confused. She sounded several steps beyond pissed off. A shiver ran down Alan's spine as he pictured what their next conversation was going to look like.
“And YOU!“ Su'ong shouted, quote obviously at the limits of her patience “quit pretending to sleep and explain yourself!“
The moment her penetrating gaze fell on his still form, Alan knew the jig was up, and his mind scrambled to come up with a plan.
Note to self, DO NOT not let her get behind me!
A sudden blow connected with Alan's side, but he was already prepared. Rolling with what he now knew to be a kick, Alan whipped his tail around in a wide arc to gain some breathing room, immediately using [Mirage Step] to further increase the distance between himself and his irate partner.
To his surprise, rather than pursuing, Su'ong stood in place, holding her clenched fists to her mouth. Her armor clanged and clattered as she collapsed into a pile next to the fire pit. “I thought you were… I thought you died… You stupid idiot!“ she wiped her eyes and cried out before turning her back to Alan and angrily stoking up a fire.
“I… What?“ Alan sputtered, looking around at his campsite with a perplexed look on his face. “Wait! What's going on? How did I get back here? Fuck… How long was I out for?!“ It must've been a while, because if he wasn't mistaken, the false sun was already beginning to set, casting a dusky orange sheen across the lake's surface.
“Well, right now you are in the Dungeon Safe Zone,” Reggie said, his voice dripping sarcasm. “Your name is Alan Robbins, and you are my dutiful man-servant. Here, how many fingers am I holding up?“
“Six,” Alan responded, “wait, four. Eight. Three, alright, cut the shit Reginald!“ He rolled his eyes as Reggie grinned add upped the count to four.
“Im sorry Su'ong,” Reggie said sadly, his bottom lip quivering for added effect. “It's far worse than I thought possible. I know not who this Reginald he speaks of is, but it seems safe to say that Alan has suffered extensive brain damage.“ The Wraith looked to Su'ong as if hoping she was going to play along with his charade.
Instead of responding, she silenced him with a single icy look and returned to angrily stabbing away at the glowing embers with a long stick.