The two adventurers passed through the city walls, guards looking at them with their mouths agape. The larger one of the two, and considerably so, was Plato who was carrying a bloody bag with something double the size of a human head over his shoulder. The smaller of the two was Athak and he seemed to be all smiles, though, his body was full of wounds. Finally, the two arrived at their destination - the guild hall. Entering through everyone fearfully made way all the while being greeted by Plato merrily.

Arriving before the counter there was a confused Lilith looking at the two, widening her eyes in realization she hushed them inside and they were now before Sean whose mouth went wide open and body began to sweat.

“Hello Sean… I’m sure you’re acquainted with little Athak here.”

Sean nodded and looked around before raising his palm in the air and speaking out an incantation in Latin. When it had been finished a thin membrane coated their surroundings and the man stood up as to shake his visitors’ hands.

“Welcome, welcome, would you like anything to drink?”

“Hot white powdered cocoa for me please.”

He nodded and walked out of the room with hasty steps while the three other individuals seated themselves, Lilith sitting next to Plato as to avoid Athak.

“Now, now… Lilith, don’t act like that in front of an ally.”

Hearing the word ‘ally’ Lilith perked up with a risen eyebrow.

“Why Plato? I thought he bested you and was about to blackmail us!”

“Oh, that’s half true, this is a business meeting of sorts. I trust the kid, though, don’t try seducing him I already told him you’re a Lust Sorcerer. Though… perhaps you two could have children seeing as he’s a sorcerer as well.”

Fearfully withdrawing behind her ally Lilith stared distrustfully towards Athak who smiled back innocently. Soon Sean came with the hot cocoa and Athak was pleased that he wouldn’t be burning his throat this time.

“So… how can I help the two of you?”

“Oh cut the crap, Sean, he’s an ally you don’t need to worry, if he wanted to kill you he would in a heartbeat.”

“I’m not that cruel Plato… though, I have some terms on how things will be moving forward. You’re to keep me a bronze level adventurer officially, but, I want full access to any quest I want to take up. Oh and a letter of recommendation for the local mage academy.”

“But aren’t you a rogu-… oh, right…”

Present day. Night time.

Moans and moans, so many that Athak grew tired of them all after but a minute or two. But alas he waited the whole duration before seeing a red faced Lilith exit Jonas’ room.

“He’s scrumptious, I swear.”

She whispered as Athak sighed and began walking towards the stairs leading to the bottom floor of the inn. Following him was the silver haired woman.

“So have you sent the recommendation? I have no time to spare.”

Bringing her chest next to Athak Lilith smiled seductively before feeling the boy’s cold stare on her pale skin giving her shivers. She retreated promptly and put on a sour expression before they were finally out of the inn.

“We sent the recommendation, the entrance exam is next week… have you done your studying?”

Athak snorted, not giving in to her teasing.

“Have you done the studying I’ve asked of you? Are you a suitable host for a blood sorcerer lineage?”

“Ah…”

Even though her class was one that had its magic grow by means of sapping men’s vitality, Lilith couldn’t help but blush at the boy’s straightforward question. However dry it may have been.

“Ah well… the two lineages would conflict and the stronger one would consume the other leading to the birth of… well, how pure is your lineage?”

“I see, let’s say it was perfect. What would the resulting lineage be?”

Shuddering Lilith looked at Athak incredulously. A perfect bloodline? That was unheard of… But if it really was one hundred percent pure…

“A child with blood sorcery would be born… but if the mother wasn’t a Blood Sorcerer herself, she would likely die in the first few months of pregnancy.”

Athak nodded. So, Lilith was off his list, he’d have to find a blood sorceress at some point to bear his child… So he may understand the workings of bloodlines better. It was unfortunate that he wouldn’t be able to find a pureblood like himself but it seemed that from the information Lilith had given him over the course of the past month that a sorcerer’s bloodline grew more pure the deeper they developed their magic… Did that mean that he couldn’t develop it further? Or was it just that that fact allowed him to develop his blood magic all the quicker…?

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With his thoughts racing Athak finally noticed that they’d arrived on where they’d heading – to meet up with Plato.

“Hiya kiddoes, how’s Jonas keeping up with you?”

“Splendidly, I have to go to the temple to check my class’ progress!”

Plato nodded and then looked at the zoned out Athak. Rubbing the back of his bald head the man chuckled and went up to the boy, picking him up and putting him over his shoulders. There he could think without stumbling on a stray rock. And so they commenced their walk, first, they left through the gate, then walked for a couple of hours, and finally, they were where Athak had been meaning them to go.

“We’re here kiddo.”

“Ah… Good job Plato.”

What stood before them was a village, Athak jumped off of Plato and went towards a particular house where a lantern was still lit and a man stood outside. When he saw them the man smiled widely and ushered them inside.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice adventurers… This is a quest no one must know about, as it’s… well, you know.”

“Just get on with it.”

Athak said coldly. Surprised that the boy was doing the talking the man cleared his throat and turned to Plato, giving him a questioning look, a look Plato simply laughed at. Seeing as the child before him was likely the leader in question, even though the man didn’t quite believe it still, he began to ask of them what he needed.

“There is a blood wyvern in the mountain above us… It has been sucking the blood of our village folk, I want you to protect it… The village chief hired some adventurers to kill it a few days ago, and they’ll be going to hunt it this morning… I have half of your pay here, the other half will be paid in a week when I harvest the last batch of eggs from the monster… Until then, please protect it…”

The team of three looked at each other in the eyes as if they’d heard a joke and were about to leave before the man placed a large egg onto the table. This would be their pay? Thought Plato and Lilith, but their third member seemed convinced…

“We’ll do it.”

Surprised the man stood up in glee, but then, realization struck him.

“Wait… But a child like you?”

“Check the back of your head.”

He placed a palm where he’d been instructed to and cold sweat covered his body, even more so when he saw what the boy was holding. The back of his head had been shaved clean and the boy? He was holding a handful of brown hair, the exact shade the man bore…

“Alright! Just be careful with the egg, it will hatch in a-“

(I warn anyone that’s eating right now, don’t read the following contents xD)

Not letting the man finish Athak had scrambled the egg and poured its bloody half developed wyvern fetus inside his mouth and chewed.

“YOU!?”

The man was about to pounce on the boy before remembering what he’d done just a moment before. Crunching noises could be heard from the boy’s mouth and soon he gulped the wyvern fetus with delight showing on his face, as if he was looking at something other than the man before him. And that he was, in fact, the whole time he’d been on Plato’s shoulders he’d been exploring the System along with a new skill called [Living Encyclopedia] he’d gained after spending days in the library the past month. The skill allowed him to keep all information he’d read into his system, letting him piece together information he’d gathered, mainly about sorcerers and bloodlines, and letting him deduce truths about the world. The reason he’d accepted the mission had been precisely because of this new skill of his.

“Thank you for the payment.”

Athak placed a palm on the man’s forehead and the man instantly turned into a mummified corpse. With that the three were off to the mountains where the blood wyvern lived. And Athak was all the more curious about what kind of effect the bloodline of the wyvern would have on him if he would consume it… Of course, he had no intentions on defending the beast if that wasn’t clear enough, after all, who would be such an idiot to believe the man’s words? He wanted them to become a meal for what was probably his master along with the other heroes who’d been sent the wyvern’s way.

Though, were wyverns intelligent enough to be someone’s master?

Pausing in his tracks Athak mumbled something, noticing the young man’s hesitation Plato rose an eyebrow and turned to the boy.

“What’s on your mind kid?”

“Ah, I think we should camp out till morning, we should wait for the other adventurers to come through the path.”

Analyzing the boost he’d gained to his bloodline from eating the wyvern… no, dragon’s egg, his suspicions were confirmed. And with Plato nodding they setup two small tents, two for those who’d sleep and the nonexistent one to the one who’d keep watch. With that they went to sleep with Lilith keeping first watch…

Morning came and indeed there were adventurers coming their way, a whole party of seven in fact. A warrior, a tank, a mage, a healer and so on. By the time the adventurers had come to the three’s little campsite it was dawn and the light of the sun was shining in Athak’s eyes.

“Greetings fellow adventurers, are you perhaps going to kill the wyvern up in the mountain?”

Our hero asked graciously. When the adventurers saw the young man and the two tents behind him they grew a little weary, but when they realized his age they calmed. The first of them to talk was the warrior who’d been walking in front.

“Hello! Yes, we are… and you are?”

“I am here with my companions hoping to make some cash from you! Here, my master’s finest health potions!”

Taking a few blood red glass vials from his robe he presented them to the warrior who seemed disinterested in the offer. Waving him off he just passed by Athak while giving him a “no thank you” and continuing on by the path. Feigning a look of sadness he had the healer stop in front of him and take three vials, throwing him a silver coin, and a wink. That seemed to make the boy’s day and so the adventurers left up the mountain.

“Was that your blood you gave them?”

A groggy Lilith asked as she came out of her tent. Athak simply nodded at her and went to wake old Plato, which took quite the effort by the way. Once they were all up though they collapsed their tents and bagged them up going up the mountain themselves. Though Athak made sure to keep the distance between the other party and his own through [Blood Sense].

“The kid seemed sweet enough, why didn’t you buy at least one potion?”

The healer pestered her captain until the man relented and sighed.

“Because we have you.”

The woman giggled and nodded at the admission. It was true, with their levels and classes a potion at the grade a child would be selling would be useless, but alas giving to the poor was something her Cleric class motivated. Whatever the case they already had their sights on the cave the wyvern would be in, only fifteen more minutes or so and they’d be in the midst of battle so even the lively healer put on a face of seriousness.

Elsewhere, or rather nearby in fact, there were three miscreants hiding in some bushes and waiting for the battle to commence. And just as the party of seven arrived in front of the cave the monster revealed itself, causing gasps and swears from the party. This was no wyvern. This was a blood dragon!