Chapter 78: Seeds of Sacrifice

After scouring the library room for potential solutions, Darius honed in on three possible remedies, each with their own inherent risks.

'Regenerating an limb is never straightforward,' his hand resting on the memory tome within the resource room. He voiced his first choice, "Necromantic Flesh."

Silence answered him; the tome remained inert. "Not unexpected given the potential side effects and rarity. Next, Star-Newt Essence."

Again, nothing stirred. With a frown, Darius visualized his crystalline arm crossing its fingers in hope. "Let's try, Sylvan Renewal Seed."

A sigh of relief escaped Darius as the tome's pages began to glow, flipping open to the designated entry: R-13 Sylvan Renewal Seed, three seeds. "R thirteen...where are you?" He muttered, scanning the shelves until his eyes landed on the marked door. He slid the ladder across, climbed up, and pulled open the narrow drawer.

A burst of invigorating energy washed over him, like inhaling the entire season of spring all at once. "Such vitality!" His enthusiasm briefly faltered as he peered inside. "But why do they have to look like that?"

Hesitantly, he reached in and retrieved what appeared to be a grotesque, deceased fetus of some unidentified creature. It was squishy and sticky, with a tail that continuously oozed a thick, viscous fluid. "Thank goodness I don't have to swallow this," he commented dryly, examining the peculiar seed. "What a fascinating specimen. I wonder about the fruit that bears such seeds..."

His thoughts drifted to the potential appearance of the fruit as he stepped out of the resource room. Heading towards the center array of the All-Room, he spoke a single command to change the setting, "Firmary."

As Darius spoke the command, the All-room began its transformation. The stone walls emitted a series of soft clicks, revealing hidden compartments. From the floor, panels opened, allowing beds crafted from light elm wood to rise, each covered in clean, white linens.

Alongside the beds, slender metallic stands began to grow, topped with empty crystalline vessels meant for concocting magical remedies. The ceiling’s enchanted crystals brightened, casting a soothing glow over the room.

To the side, a large basin filled with clear water materialized, alongside shelves stocked with empty vials, mortar and pestle sets, and basic bandages—tools for those skilled in the magical arts to create their own potions and salves. The air filled with the crisp, sterile scent of cleanliness.

Darius nodded in satisfaction as he approached the basin of water. Touching his pouch, he summoned a bright blue leaf before him, which danced lightly in the air before falling into it. Upon contact with the water, the leaf immediately began to dissolve, emitting bubbles as it released its vivid blue essence, tinting the water then clearing gradually.

He allowed his gauntlet to disassemble into its orb form and stowed it in his pouch. Watching the last of the leaf disintegrate, "This plant's too valuable to be left to only grow in the wild. Instant water purification with no mana could change lives, not to mention its potential for generating crystal revenue. I should try to figure out a way to grow it as a crop, if I get the chance."

Removing his signet ring, chestplate and the Immortal Beast Codex, awkwardly maneuvering with one arm, Darius then discarded his tunic. He began to wash his stump and crystal arm, the infirmary's light reflecting inside the crystalline structure, causing all five elements to pulse. "I really hope this works," noting how his bones had remained intact despite the damage. "It’s lucky they aren’t falling apart, but I’d hate to have a skeleton arm sticking out of me any longer than necessary."

A slight smile tugged at his lips as he imagined the pranks he could pull on Percy if it didn’t. Shaking his head, he finished washing, using a sterile cloth provided by the room to dry himself.

"According to that brief passage, inserting the seed into the stump should allow it to fuse, growing a new limb. The cost is some life force—a few years for a new arm seems a fair trade."

Darius approached a sterile metal tray and picked up a sharp, small knife. His expression set, he gritted his teeth. "Can't regrow it if it's already healed." Carefully, he started to cut away the freshly healed skin at his shoulder, concentrating to control the bleeding.

The blade slid through his skin with alarming ease, each cut sending sharp pains through him. Sweat beaded his brow as he maintained steady, controlled breaths. A metallic clink against crystal halted his movements momentarily, sending a shiver cascading down his spine.

Gritting his teeth, "And done." With a final slice, he removed the last piece of flesh. The crudely carved wound lay exposed, and through his meticulous control, not a drop of blood was lost.

Holding the fetus-like Sylvan Renewal Seed, Darius noticed a small puddle of fluid accumulating in his palm. “This fluid should have healing properties. I should experiment with the other seeds later as well, start a garden like mother."

Darius engaged his Arcane Gaze, scrutinizing the seed’s inner structure. The cells resembled plant fibers, yet pulsed with a vibrant amber liquid, akin to blood. This seed brimmed with the earth element, visible as radiant bursts concentrated within the cellular walls.

Settling down, he invoked his earth mana, his aura manifesting as a robust, yellow column enveloping him. Eyes shut tightly, he tensed, bracing. With a sharp inhale, he stabbed the seed into his flesh, his finger acting as a spear.

Besides the obvious pain from his fingers, a mild burning sensation followed, likely from the seed's fluid interacting with his wound. He grimaced, uneasy at the thought of the seed—resembling a tiny fetus—bursting and leaking its essence into his body.

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Suddenly, Darius's muscles locked, his eyes widening in alarm as veins bulged and writhed under his skin. Pain surged, turning his skin a flushed red while the flesh around the wound quivered and morphed into a sickly green hue. His shoulder skin bubbled, swelling grotesquely with an audible fizz. The acrid stench of the fumes from his shoulder made him recoil, 'the book didn't mention this!'

Growing and pulsing, his shoulder resembled a bark-covered tumor erupting from his flesh. Overcome by agony, Darius's roar reverberated through the firmary, his scream shaking loose anything not anchored down.

His crystal arm began to rise, lifting from the burgeoning growth. Then, like a bursting dam, an eruption of fluid burst forth, coating his skeleton instantly, with a viscous, meaty fluid. Darius watched in fascination as the fluid dripped away, revealing a writhing mass of exposed muscles and veins, twisting and growing around the crystalline matrix of his arm.

As the pain faded, he observed with keen interest as muscles, tendons, veins and skin began to seamlessly weave and grow. Unseen to him, at the same time his lifeforce dimmed subtly, the seed drawing from his lifespan.

It didnt take long for the seed to finish its magic, "this is incredible!" Darius marveled, flexing his newly regenerated arm; its skin still pink but gradually returning to its natural color. "I need to find more of these. The toll on my lifeforce felt minor, perhaps ten years or so, though that's with my mana aiding the process. For someone without such assistance, regaining a limb might cost them fifteen years." His thoughts quickly shifted towards potential opportunities, "I should carve out a section of the farm to start a garden."

Darius's thoughts inevitably drifted to his mother, her garden having been a sanctuary at their home. He recalled an instance when he startled her as she tended to a flower, causing her to prick her finger. The pang of guilt from that day still lingered unexpectedly, "She always had a way of making me feel...awkward."

Rising to wash off, the initial elation from his restored arm quickly gave way to a deep-seated melancholy. "Here, souls still reincarnate. One day, I'll find you both. Once I truly master the Arcane Talisman Technique and achieve the final layer, not even reincarnation will prevent me from bringing you back."

His eyes alight with resolve, Darius dressed himself, putting on a fresh tunic after changing the all-room to a wardrobe. He strapped his chestplate, and buckled the Immortal Beast Codex to his bicep, his black gauntlet crawling back up his new arm. Setting the All-room to empty and securing the invisible signet ring, he walked towards the farm, doing his best to recover his mood.

Upon entering the beast-farm, Darius stiffened, his eyes widening at the chaos unfolding before him. Half of the farm was ablaze once again, while at its center, Haku, in his enormous beast form, was embroiled in what seemed like a fierce battle with Neko. The latter, a streak of purple lightning, darted around and collided with Haku, who snapped his jaws in frenzied attempts to catch him.

"STOP NOW!"

Both Haku and Neko ceased their antics instantly. Neko, who had been clinging to Haku's cheek by his teeth, let go and zipped to the safety of Haku’s head, chirping triumphantly, 'Second big brother strong! Too slow too!'

Activating the rain again, Darius waited until the flames were extinguished before confronting the two beasts. He looked up at Haku, demanding, "Explain!"

"We were just sparring," Haku began, his tone uneasy. "Neko wanted to test my strength, and I wanted to test his." Glancing at the further ravaged beast-farm, his ears drooped. "We might have gotten a bit carried away."

"You think?!" Darius rubbed his temples, surveying the damaged farm with growing irritation. "Lower your head, now!"

Obediently, Haku lay flat, lowering his massive body to the ground. Darius approached and parted Haku's fur, revealing Neko tucked away inside. "And you! Why are you hiding?!"

Neko gave the biggest, roundest eyes he could muster, slowly sitting up. 'Neko sorry. Neko bad.'

Darius rolled his eyes and sighed, observing the two remorseful beasts. 'This is their first encounter, and I did leave them alone.' He rubbed his forehead thoughtfully, squinting at Haku, "It's not your fault Neko. It's this big idiot's."

"Why me?!"

Darius smacked Haku's head, which probably hurt his own hand more. He then strode toward the control stone, calling back, "Because you're the older brother and you've been here longer! You should know better!"

Standing by the control stone, Darius placed his hand on its cool surface, his eyes closing briefly. "If there's any permanent damage, forget about going out."

Haku's whine carried a hint of disappointment, his aura visibly dimming. "Big brother, we didn't mean to. Besides, I'm sure we can fix it."

The ground suddenly rumbled beneath them, halting their concerns as they scanned the area, tense and alert. A moment later, Haku let out a relieved sigh as the scorched earth began to regenerate, and the charred trees around them sprouted anew.

"See! Nothing's broken," Haku grinned, a playful air returning. Perched atop his head, Neko chirped in agreement.

Removing his hand from the stone and opening his eyes, Darius walked toward the hatchery, his voice firm. "From now on, if you want to spar, use the All-room. We also need to find a better place for both of us to break through in the future. Although it was unintentional, if I had arrived any later, little sister could have died from the heat you created."

Haku looked shocked for a moment, his head drooping slightly. "Is she alright?"

"Fortunately, yes," Darius replied, standing at the edge of the hatchery. He activated the Codex, releasing the Swamp-Roach into the cooled waters. She immediately swam towards the freshly placed bones Darius set out for her. Looking at Haku, he continued, "We also need to give her a name. Any suggestions?"

Neko chirped instantly at the suggestion, causing Haku to frown. "Your name is Neko; we can't have two Nekos."

"How about Ursie?" Darius proposed.

Both Haku and Neko turned their gaze toward the swamp-roach, considering the name. "I like it, Ursie," Haku decided. Neko's thoughts chimed in, 'Ursie big sister! Family Neko!'

A smile spread across Darius’s face as he looked at Haku, Neko, and now Ursie. He felt a fleeting warmth but quickly pushed it aside. "Alright, there's one last thing we need to settle before we leave. Marcus and Percy are probably worried by now, so I need to get back."

Tilting his head, Haku squinted. "Darius? Where are we?"

Darius paused, straightening up as he cleared his throat. "We're inside the human city, Floeur d'Alene."

Haku's eyes widened in shock. "You didn't wait for me?! How long—how long have you... how long have I—" He shook his head, taking a deep breath, his tone resigning as he released it slowly, "what is this thing we need to settle before we can leave?"

Raising his eyebrows, Darius nodded. "Showing growth beyond just strength, good for you. What we need to resolve is whether you will bind yourself to the Immortal Beast Codex or not."

His lip curled with a growl of irritation at Darius's supposed compliment, "Why do we need to settle that? Seems obvious I would, right?" Haku glanced up, trying to see Neko perched on his horn, then looked over to Ursie, "if they did it, why shouldn't I?"

Darius shifted to projecting his thoughts directly to Haku. 'There’s something you need to carefully consider. If you bind yourself to the Codex, it’s permanent. You must submit to me, essentially giving me complete control over your life. Forever.'

Darius offered a reassuring smile, "just know, if you choose not to, I won’t be upset. The decision is entirely yours." Then gestured to Neko, raising his arm for him.

Neko chirped, his form sparking as he materialized on Darius's shoulder, enthusiastically sniffing into his ear.

Haku stood pensive for a moment, then inhaled deeply, his gaze meeting Darius’s with resolve. "I'll pass then."

Clapping his hands loudly once, Darius beamed, his thoughts still linked to Haku, 'I was hoping you'd make that choice. You should not live beneath me, but alongside me as an equal.' Haku's expression softened, a flicker of pride crossing his features.

"Neko, once we leave the farm, you’ll need to stay inside the Codex, remember our arrangement?" Darius murmured, gently rubbing behind the weasel's ear as Neko nestled comfortably on his shoulder.

Neko purred contentedly, his tongue lolling slightly. 'Trade! Neko remember.'

"Good, here," touching his pouch to draw forth a high-grade lightning Beast crystal. "Enter the Codex. I'll call on you soon and introduce you to some new friends."

Zipping down Darius's arm, Neko curled around the crystal, his thoughts buzzing softly, 'Neko listen, wait, but tired. Neko sleep soon.'

As Neko disappeared into the Codex with a beam of light enveloping both him and the crystal, Darius turned to Haku. "Shift to your normal body and use your Ghost-form. The portal leads directly to the Kinneman household—"

"Kinneman? Who's that?"

Darius proceeded to recount his experiences since Haku's seclusion, from first meeting Percy to the recent encounter with Lady Clarke.

Listening intently, Haku's expression darkened progressively with the tale. As Darius concluded, Haku couldn't hold back, his voice laden with incredulity and annoyance. "You went through all that without me?! You even had ribs?! When's the last time I enjoyed cooked meat?! Huh?!"

Laughing, Darius headed toward the exit, his voice carrying a light-hearted promise, "Come on, let’s go meet my new friends, and I’ll show you around the city, okay?"

Haku, still visibly irked yet unable to fully mask his excitement, transformed into his normal Ember-Fox form amidst a flurry of flames. His tail betrayed his mood, wagging despite his attempt to appear stern. "You owe me some ribs," he declared, trotting towards the exit.

Rolling his eyes, Darius followed with a smile, pondering how he'd explain everything to Marcus. Beside him, Haku left a trail of drool in eager anticipation as they both stepped out of the farm.