[Silver Dagger] = Silver (Bar, 0.15-0.3m) + Wood (Hard, 0.1-0.15m) + 2 Silver (Bar, 1-2kg) + Twine (Hemp+1, 0.1-0.2m) [Knife] (Flint+2) + [Hammer] (Stone+2) + [Workbench] (Any)
----------------------------------------
Blood. What a sweet, venerable elixir.
Jay gasped for air, his enemy’s arm wrapped tightly around his throat from behind. No matter how hard he tried to wriggle free, he could not escape.
He elbowed his attacker’s chest. His enemy grunted, but held firm. Jay went again and again. The other man winced with each hit, but his choke-hold did not relent.
The walls were closing in. Vision blurring… Body numbing… Spots forming wherever Jay looked…
But he could only laugh at the glory of it all! Just as blood had given him life to reach this point, so too was its absence taking it away. He could feel it. The pressure against his jugular depriving his brain of its much needed blood, slowly wearing him out.
And with that came a revelation. All aspects of his soul craved blood, not just his heart.
Blood was life. Blood was knowledge. Blood was power.
And he would not lose that too.
With every ounce of strength remaining, he [Leaped], taking his attacker with him.
Both plunged deeper into frenzied madness…
* * *
Jay gazed upon the Crafting page, his [Forbidden Knowledge] throwing out a list of designs he’d never seen before.
He drank in all with glee.
[Vial of Infinite Natura Grease] – 5 Cores (Monster, level 11+) + Essence (Natura, 5L) + Essence (Terra, 3L) + Blood (Expatriate, 2L) + 10 Bones (level 21+, 0.1-0.15kg) + Glass (Vial, 0.3L) + [Cauldron] (Any, 5L, 450-500°K)
[Hellstone Coal] – 2 Cores (Nightrealm, level 11+) + 4 Cores (Monster, level 21+) + Essence (Ignis, 5L) + Essence (Terra, 2.5L) + Blood (Expatriate, 1L) + Coal (Any, 100kg) + [Cauldron] (Any, 10L, 450-500°K)
[Vitaberry Bush] – 5 Cores (Monster, level 16+) + Core (Expatriate) + Essence (Vitus, 1.5L) + Essence (Sanguin, 2L) + Blood (Expatriate, 5L) + Blood (Monster, level 21+, 0.5L) + Bone (level 26+, 0.2kg) + 3 Bone (level 21+, 0.05kg) + [Cauldron] (Any, 10L, 375°K)
Jay examined the options, the visions of each growing in his mind. As long as his [Forbidden Knowledge] remained active, he could identify what these items did, along with their exact terms and conditions.
The “Vial of Infinite Natura Grease” was simple enough. This tool gave him access to a grease that worked specifically against Natura’s manifestations, sundering its creations with fell Wyrm magic. It was such an effective grease that he would be doing over fifty percent bonus damage and armor penetration whenever he infused his weapons with it. The only consequence came from a vitality loss when each charge was applied.
The “Hellstone Coal” would make for an interesting tool as well. It worked like an infinite fuel source, allowing him to forever hold a fire in any crafting bench that required it. Moreover, he could control the temperature and smelt a tier above what the bench was capable of, though his sanity dropped whenever he uttered this command.
That last “Vitaberry Bush” was perhaps the most appealing. Once per day, the bush would manifest three berries that could each restore twenty-four units of hunger, or the equivalent of a full day, without affecting his diet. He could not get stronger if he fed on this bush, but he wouldn’t get weaker either. Nothing else was taxed with this item’s creation.
Such options! This was a truly glorious revelation that had been gifted to him. Jay could see each of them in their final machinations. He could contemplate their brilliant designs. But with that truth exposed, another more sinister one lay beneath.
This was the last moment where Jay would still have any autonomy whatsoever. The second he made his choice, that strange power of the Curse would propel him onward, puppeting his every decision until he reached its end.
If he even could finish at all. That very Curse had almost killed him before…
* * *
The two men crashed into a bed of jagged rocks.
Jay’s wheeze turned into a cackle, the blood once again returning to his brain.
He’d lived! Blood had chosen him!
“The fuck’s wrong with you!?” his opponent called out, now struggling to breathe himself.
The fool! Even as Jay recovered from their starting bout, the crimson life-force now leaked from Wounds he’d sustained. Did this man not see his own blindness?
With his death averted, Jay launched again into his attacks. He might have lost his weapons early in their sortie, but the power of the blood was coursing through his veins, and that fire brought him a greater sense of euphoria.
He swung, he kicked, he grappled, he bit. Anything to give himself an advantage before he bled out.
For that was the nature of life itself. It was not a mere race to survive, but a competition to see who could retain the most blood. That ethereal essence mattered above all else.
And so the two went against each other, destined to drain the power of their opponent before too much of their own became lost.
A fist hit Jay’s face. Nails clawed his cheek.
He struck back, his fury burning hot to bring this bastard down.
And so they fell into a primal dance. A savage one. Almost carnal in its intimacy, yet powered by hatred and not love. Just two vampires, siphoning off the blood of the other.
One would become stronger before this waltz ended, and the other would get swallowed by the chaotic abyss of death.
Jay knew which he preferred to be.
He still had a recipe to complete, after all.
* * *
The sweat built on Jay’s forehead.
His hesitation had already cost him. Despite not making a choice, his sanity was ticking down anyway. No, the power of the Curse did not take effect once he made the choice like he first assumed.
It started the moment he’d plunged into this [Forbidden Knowledge].
Crunch time. Jay had to think hard, carefully, and most of all, quickly. He could waste no more time needlessly meandering.
The Vial’s benefits were obvious. Instant wins against the night. So long as Jay kept access to this tool, his advantage against Natura would be unprecedented.
But the others had to be considered too.
Hellstone Coal seemed useless at first, but the ability to circumvent a table’s minimum requirement could not be ignored. He’d been struggling hard to reach Iron Age, and this gave the easiest path of all. Just stick a piece of magical coal into the furnace and be ready to go. He’d still be limited to one furnace at a time, but Jay could work past that.
The Vitaberry Bush also stood out. Not a way to grow his vitality, but a perfect pause against his current crisis. While everyone continued to starve, he’d be back in action. So long as Viktor didn’t get that too, anyway.
Before Jay could choose, a second concern came to mind. He was on the clock with these. Couldn’t waste time grinding out impossible recipes. He had to be quick. Daylight was burning, and his sanity could only last so long. Which recipe wouldn’t guarantee his death?
Nightrealm ingredients would be a tough sell. Even if he got to a Seam, he wasn’t sure how to navigate that plane and come back. His last ones had come from the feral Wyrm’s nightmare.
Not worth the risk.
Regular cores weren’t much better. Aiming for volume would be tricky with this climate. Speed was the name of the game.
What about essences though? Bones? Intermediates? Coal?
His finger hovered over the appropriate option. Yes, this is the one he’d have to do. Even with the path daunting, it would accomplish everything he needed. Not just now, but for the journey to come.
Yet, as he made this final choice, one thought came to mind.
Why did all these recipes need blood?
* * *
A knee hit his groin. Jay gasped for air, the shock sending him down.
His enemy drew a dagger and twirled it between his fingers. The silver blade fluttered in the light of day, but it was the slick coat of blood that drew Jay’s eye. He couldn’t see anything else.
That was the reagent he’d been missing.
Expatriate blood.
With another shriek, he dove forth, intent on capturing this coveted prize. His enemy was flat-footed against the attack, and stumbled as Jay piled into them.
Both fell against the rocks, writhing against each other like feral beasts. What else was to be expected? The moment that blood became spilled, there was no other choice. Hunters, predators, sharks, wolves. It was all the same to the monsters of the world. They all gorged on the blood of lesser creatures to grow stronger still.
In the miasma of his [Forbidden Knowledge], Jay had never seen this truth until now. He’d always been trapped as that lesser creature. That sheep cowering to the wolves. But with the brilliant vision of his next craft available, he could no longer be trapped by such low emotions.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
For there was nothing in this world but blood, and blood was where all power resided.
The knife cleaved through his exposed flesh, gushing more of his life force free, even more than normal. But that only made Jay stronger, for with the scent of his treasure thick in the air, he knew how much closer he’d be to his prize.
The sensation fueled his passion, and Jay once again soared forth. This man was nothing other than a bag of blood to be drained after all, and this world deserved to see the grand product of his [Forbidden Knowledge] unleashed.
* * *
The cauldron continued to boil.
Jay tapped his foot impatiently. Why did this piece of shit have to take so long?
He checked the Guide to see how much time he had left.
Sanity – 63/65 (Cursed)
Breathe, Jay. Breathe. He was letting his emotions cloud his judgment. Now, more than ever, he had to stay in control to see this craft through.
But then again, how could he not? He tittered with excitement for the prize soon to come. The dazzling display would be brought to this land of dreams, and through its impossible mechanism, not only would his own life become better, but the entire world would be graced by its divinity. Who could stand in the way of that?
Jay smacked his head. Fight it. Don’t let this Curse win. If he succumbed to this alien madness that slowly perverted his thought process, he’d never be able to see the recipe through.
The cauldron’s contents melted into its alchemic bases, forming a slurry of essence. Jay grimaced, once again dispirited to see how little had come.
Need more cauldrons, he considered. Yes, that was the solution. If deconstructing proved to be this slow, then he had to ramp up production. Standing and waiting was but a fool’s strategy. Not when the stakes were so high.
Jay clenched his fists. He would tear the whole world down if that was what it took to see this trophy built!
* * *
More blood erupted like geysers from the earth, but Jay only grinned.
He was so close now, he could feel it…
His opponent spit out a glob himself. “Listen kid, I don’t know what you think you’re doing here, but this is your last warning. Back the fuck off!” He twirled his knife in hand to accentuate the point.
Only now did Jay see the visage of this human again. Perhaps a decade older than him, with crow’s feet beneath sunken eyes, and pale, wrinkled skin beneath a bald scalp. Where had he seen him before?
But then he caught sight of the vein bulging from his opponent’s forehead, capillaries transporting the coveted elixir he needed to finish this recipe.
And Jay saw nothing else.
He hurled a rock with all his might, howling in reverence for the battle that would birth this holy creation. Just a little further, and it would be brought to this dream…
The dagger suddenly flashed in front, shattering the rock before it could land. Jay instinctively tried again, only to meet the same fight. Their dark cave flashed with silver light where the dagger spun around.
Jay growled. He recognized the sign of an advanced technique.
These were skills being used. Jay could identify both [Slice] and [Flourish] being used by his own understanding of it, having spent time Investing Skills to see how other weapons worked. But he had others, and one appeared to be [Parry].
But Jay did not let that stop him, and through pure force of will, he drove his fury forth. Blood was blind to the suffering of its owners. It knew nothing more than its purpose.
So Jay would do the same. Kicking. Punching. Throwing. Screaming. His armor rocked against a mix of [Flourishes] and [Slices], but his speed and force were too great. Like a feral beast betwixt instinct and enlightenment, Jay threw every drop of blood against this wall.
This was all part of the craft. A crucible to forge their spirits into something more.
Another kick sent him back. Jay gasped from the force exerted, his limbs beginning to fail.
His enemy approached, blood-soaked knife ready to finish what it had started. The shadow of the ravine they’d fallen into tightened further, sunlight no longer able to gain purchase here.
Jay rose again to his feet, only for his knees to buckle against their own weight. No, not now! Not here! He was so close! He’d almost completed this recipe for good.
He looked around, and watched as the edges of their world folded over themselves. The sky began to dim into a starless night, and the vines turned gray and gnarled. The dirt cracked beneath their feet, even as the rocks formed a more solid hue.
Suddenly, his enemy’s eyes widened, trapped in the same closing darkness as him.
“What the fuck!?” he screamed. “What’s happening?” He gripped his dagger tight, focusing on everywhere but where Jay stood.
Jay blinked. He could see this hallowed place too? Could their enlightenment have been shared when they partook in this blood sport?
It didn’t matter. An opportunity had been created here, and Jay refused to let it pass.
He flexed his knees and [Leaped], the raw force once again propelling them deeper into this ravishing nightmare.
* * *
Blood. That was all Jay needed left.
He closed his eyes, the recipe forever etched in the darkness within his mind.
When he opened them again, he saw the man in front.
Older, bald, and brandishing a dagger as he hacked a deer apart. He’d only caught a glimpse of him once before, back on the beach when Viktor had first come. Only by chance did Jay happen upon him on his way to his Kevin, where he knew his good friend would gift him all the blood he needed…
But this man was closer. He was more immediate. More accessible.
Yet… Could Jay do what he planned? He had no quarrel with this person. Hell, he never so much as learned his name. This man was just another Expat on this island, trying to hunt in peace.
Jay swallowed the lump in his throat, knowing the truth. Time was ticking down, and the recipe had to be fulfilled!
More than that, there was one ingredient even more crucial than the blood, and it was something he could never fulfill on his own.
Jay rushed into the open with a scream, ready to sate this new thirst!
* * *
The two broke through the membrane of their conscious minds, plunging into the depths of insanity together.
Jay once again fell behind, but it was his enemy that proved more shocked. He’d never graced this divine realm before, and could not contemplate the beautiful horrors that now grew around them. With baited breath, he clung to his knife as if it would make a difference.
And that gave Jay the opening he craved.
He [Quickstepped] to his opponent’s flank and yanked the dagger free. Before this unfortunate soul could mount a proper defense, Jay painted a second smile across his throat.
Like a child emerging from the womb, blood erupted into the world anew. It was a violent birth. A chaotic birth. And one that claimed its host.
And Jay could not let this moment go to waste.
He tightened his arm around the man’s throat. None of it could be left to waste. Not while the recipe remained unfinished.
He poured out his waterskin to make room for this holy substance, then pressed it against the exposed jugular. The bag swallowed the blood like a newborn suckling on its mother’s teet.
The Vitaberry Bush would be finished, no matter the cost! It was a construct born in a sea of blood, defined by blood, and fed by blood.
His victim’s struggles slowed with time, and then ceased.
Jay sucked in fresh air, feeling that taste of profaned victory yet again. Such power!
Cores, essence, bones, and now blood. This was it. The last component. With the blood of an Expatriate secured, Jay had everything he needed.
Almost, anyway.
The Expatriate Core still needed to be harvested. Unlike monster cores, these could be found in the brain, resting where the pineal gland once sat, a portal for the Wyrms to inject the powers of their Guide more efficiently. Jay would have never known this truth, but his [Forbidden Knowledge] had opened so many doors.
He bent low and went to work.
But when Jay reached the end, he did not feel the satiation of a victory gained. Only now could he pierce through the veil of the bloodlust instilled upon him by this fell magic, and see the world in its true self again.
Jay had murdered a man in cold blood, and he’d done so for no reason other than to fulfill a recipe’s requirement.
The bile grew in the back of his throat, but even now, he could not bring himself to feel a moment of regret. The Vitaberry Bush remained incomplete, and he’d wandered into the worst trap of all. As Jay studied the living shadows and all the grotesqueness they held, he knew that this day was far from over.
Not after he’d wandered into the Nightrealm again.
Name: Jay Reis (Copper Age)
Vitality – ??/99
Hunger – ??/72
Thirst – ??/24
Fatigue – ??/48
Sanity – ??/?? (Cursed)
Main Crafts: Alchemy 2, Armor Crafting 2, Base Building 3, Cooking 2, Jewelry 2, Medicine 2, Tailoring 2, Tool Crafting 3, Vehicles 1, Weapon Crafting 2.
Weapon Crafts: Axes 5, Bows 6, Clubs 5, Daggers 5, Spears 5, Swords 11.
Armor Crafts: Heavy Armor 5, Light Armor 5, Medium Armor 8, Shields 6.
Sub-Crafts: Curved Swords 5.
Character Skills:
[Forbidden Knowledge]
Armor Skills:
Heavy Armor: [Push], [Stampede]
Medium Armor: [Recover], [Leap], [Waterform], [Quickstep]
Light Armor: [Dash], [Feather Fall]
Shield: [Brace], [Track], [Break]
Weapon Skills:
Axes: [Chop], [Whirlwind]
Bows: [Sharpshooter], [Longshot], [Scattershot Arrow]
Clubs: [Bash], [Paralyze]
Daggers: [Slice], [Flourish]
Spears: [Thrust], [Sweep]
Swords: [Power Attack], [Slash], [Rend], [Shirk], [Violent Storm]
Armor:
[Pig Ironplated Hat+2] (Hardened+2), (Reinforced)
[Pig Ironplated Coat+2] (Hardened+2), (Reinforced)
[Pig Ironplated Leggings+2] (Hardened+2), (Reinforced)
[Pig Ironplated Shoes+1] (Hardened+2), (Reinforced)
[Pig Ironplated Gloves+1] (Hardened+2), (Reinforced)
[Silver Amulet]: Socketed with [Chipped Tourmaline] (Tempus)
[Silver Ring]: Socketed with [Chipped Ruby] (Ignis)
[Silver Ring]: Socketed with [Chipped Ruby] (Ignis)
Weapons:
[Silver Dagger+?] (???)
[Basic Leather Quiver]: Contains 17 [Silver-tipped Arrows] (Elemental+2), (Stability+2) and 3 [Scattershot Arrows] (Elemental+2), (Stability+4)
Tools:
[Copper Knife+3]
[Copper Axe+3]
[Copper Hammer+3]
[Copper Pickaxe+3]
[Copper Shovel+3]
Boons:
[Minor (Speed)] (x3)