Thalion was pretty happy with himself despite messing up four items with his smithing skill while trying to build a sword, but it was only natural to fail the first few times.
Gladly, the system shop would open soon, and he had a lot of credits available for shopping.
He appeared before the voice of the system after the system shop opened and instantly asked, "Hi, can you give me body-tempering manuals for my humans and beast form?"
Instantly, a lot of items appeared in front of him, but two drew his attention immediately.
Crimson Vein Codex
This manual channels the user’s blood essence into a powerful weapon. It strengthens the blood vessels and heart, allowing the Blood Mage to control their blood with greater precision and intensity. As the body is tempered, the user gains the ability to harden their blood into protective armor or sharpened spikes. [21,000 Credits]
Shadowforge Doctrine
This manual teaches the user how to infuse their muscles and bones with shadow essence, significantly increasing both their strength and resilience. As the body is tempered, the user’s physical form becomes more powerful, allowing them to deliver devastating blows while remaining nearly imperceptible in darkness. The combination of enhanced strength and stealth makes the practitioner a formidable force, capable of overpowering enemies in both direct combat and surprise attacks. [28,000 Credits]
Another way to power up his blood and gain better blood control that would push his power to new heights. The second sounded even better; to infuse shadow essence into his muscles and bones sounded very powerful and exactly what he needed to achieve a good evolution in E grade. Both were just perfect. As he looked greedily at the two manuals, it took all of his control not to buy those two right here and now.
For now, he would actually ignore the forging stuff and go for items that had the most synergy with his current path; forging was something of a side profession. So, he asked the voice of the system, "Could you show me items that enhance my abilities as a mage and improve my combat skills as an Umbral Hunter?"
Scroll of Arcane Mastery
This ancient scroll contains the knowledge of battlemages, offering guidance on mastering combat techniques that blend martial prowess with magical control. When studied, the scroll imparts crucial insights into controlling mana in high-stress situations, enabling the mage to cast spells with greater precision and speed. It also outlines defensive techniques for close combat, transforming the mage into a formidable opponent in both ranged and melee engagements. [31,000 Credits]
Scroll of Predatory Control
This ancient scroll, inscribed with the secrets of shadowy hunters, is designed for a predator. It teaches the user how to harness and control their predatory instincts, allowing for more efficient and lethal strikes. The scroll also enhances the predator’s ability to manipulate mana to cloak themselves, track prey, and deliver devastating attacks with unerring accuracy. With this knowledge, the predator can dominate the battlefield with unmatched precision and deadly efficiency. [18,000 Credits]
He liked both scrolls, but with the first, the price was 31,000 credits, which was just too much for him. He could buy so much stuff, and he already had a scroll that explained the basics.
He got another idea. "Do you have things that could teach me blood magic or how to better control the sanguine thorn?" Thalion asked, with all the abilities that already were purifying his blood to a remarkable degree. A lesson about blood spells would be welcome.
Scroll of Sanguine Mastery
This unique scroll, bestowed by the vampire god Tenebrice, is the pinnacle of blood magic mastery. It contains the secrets of the most potent blood spells known to exist, granting the mage unparalleled power and control over the life force of others. [22,000 Credits]
That would be perfect, Thalion thought; he desperately needed some clues to better use his blood abilities.
As he was contemplating whether this was everything and if he should buy it and leave it at that, the voice spoke, "The vampire god Tenebrice has invited you. If you decline now or after the talk, all memories of the meeting will be lost for the god."
"Oh, this is not good," Thalion thought aloud. He asked the voice, "How does he know of me? Can gods freely watch the tutorial?"
To his surprise, the voice answered without charging him, "No, they can only see you in this space. After the system shop ends, all information about you will be lost to the god. The only option for the god to keep the memory of you is if you allow him to by accepting his blessing."
"Can the god force me to take his blessing by some sort of mind control?" he asked the voice, as it was currently in a talkative mood.
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"No, they have no way to influence you beyond their words. They can’t even touch you," the voice answered.
"Well, great then. I accept. Let’s see what the guy has to say."
With that, he was teleported away for the second time that day and stood before a vampire in space. Behind the vampire, he saw a giant red palace, bigger than a planet, rising into the sky... or into space, since they were not on a planet after all.
The eyes of the vampire glowed a deep red as he spoke, "You are not even a vampire but received my sanguine thorn. Interesting. How did you get it?"
"Well, I killed a vampire," Thalion answered, crossing his fingers behind his back, hoping the system had not lied to him.
"Do you wish to become a vampire? The system has restricted me a lot, so I can’t sense much of your body, but I can smell your blood, and it is strong for your level," the god asked him, his hands corssed before his chest.
Thalion was surprised. He had thought the god would be angry for killing one of his blessed, but it seemed like he didn’t care in the least.
So he answered honestly, "No, not really. I’m already a shapeshifter and prefer to keep my human form."
"A pity," the god retorted. "So why did you come here if you’re not interested in a blessing?" The god asked, still completely calm.
"Well, I’ve never met a god before and wanted to see what’s possible. I was also hoping for a few pointers," Thalion replied, though he thought maybe he should have asked for pointers before declining the god’s offer.
"Hmm, I will forget this conversation until you allow me to remember it. But even if you are not blessed by me, we can work together in the future. I am the strongest blood mage in existence," the god said, still very calm. Thalion started to believe the god was holding back some anger and internally was cursing him.
"Sure, I don’t seek enemies. Can you tell me something more about the sanguine thorn?" He asked the god, hoping to get some information.
"The sanguine thorn is a combination of a tempering method and a spirit weapon. What it becomes in the end is up to you. Just feed it well, and you should have no trouble," the god explained.
"How can I control the evolution of the sanguine thorn into what I want?" Thalion asked the god hopefully.
"Like with every evolution, push as many stats into it as you can. Affinities can also influence it. Once its awakening is fully complete, you can speak with it. That should make things much easier," the god answered, the red glow in his eyes spiking a bit. "Now, to business. Have you noticed that your tutorial has a special quest?"
"Yes, is that not normal?" he asked, puzzled why a god would be so interested in his tutorial.
"Yes, quests are normal, but not this one. Do you know who Ankhet Sekhmara is?" Tenebrice kept asking.
"No, I have no idea," Thalion replied, now confused about why something at F grade would even be important to a god.
"Ankhet Sekhmara was one of the core disciples of Amun Ra. He is late F grade and has already reached immortality," Tenebrice explained in a serious tone. "That means his race or class, likely both, are of divine rarity or even higher. Since the four great gods disappeared after the extinction, nothing like this has happened. Ankhet is recognized by the system as the master of soul, undead, and sand, which is extraordinary, and he likely possesses long-lost knowledge."
"Wait, how did someone like that end up in a tutorial? I thought it was for newly integrated planets," Thalion exclaimed, now worried.
"Yes, but sometimes the system throws materials from regions where the apocalypse has occurred into tutorials, and it seems Ankhet's survival plans have succeeded," the god answered. "The core strength of the undead faction is grounded in the remains of Amun Ra's empire. If Ankhet is allowed to awaken, even at half his strength, despite the massive backlash from his rebirth, he will kill or turn everyone in this tutorial. The undead faction would very much like for him to do exactly that."
"Aren’t you also undead?" Thalion asked, trying to play the stupid one, which would hopefully force the god to explain a bit more. It was funny that one of the earlier civilizations had a god named Amun Ra. Wasn't Amun the god of life back on earth... well, whatever.
"Yes, which is why I want you to help the undead faction to ensure Ankhet's resurrection. It should be impossible for Ankhet to die if one of the pillars remains active. As an ally, you would be left alone and could continue your journey," Tenebrice said, calm as ever.
Thalion continued with his plan, but his bullshit radar had been tripped. Playing along, he said, "I’m only at the third stage. I probably won’t be of much help, and won’t the undead attack me on sight?"
"Well, if you give me permission to remember this conversation, I can tell them, of course," the god replied, still feigning calm, though Thalion could sense his frustration.
"So, how does communication work, and how often can you talk with your blessed?" Thalion inquired.
"Often enough, don’t worry about that," the god replied, still composed.
Amused, Thalion thought of testing his limits, curious to see how much he could irritate the god.
"The other thing is, I don’t have a map or anything. It would probably take me a long time walking around until I find the undead. So far, I’ve only met some vampires, and that’s it," Thalion said innocently.
The vampire god finally exploded and the space around him lit up in a red glow. "Then fucking run, you... you... you think you can make fun of me? I am the leader of all vampires! Nothing comes close to my might! And don’t think I’ve forgotten that you killed one of my blessed and stole the sanguine thorn. The vampires on the higher levels are already instructed to use your sanguine thorn to power up their own. You will die like the good cattle you and your race are."
With those words, Thalion reappeared in the system shop. The god had ended the conversation, much to his disappointment—he had a perfect comeback ready. But, well, what could he do? He hoped that the god had lied about instructing the other vampires on the higher stages. It shouldn't be possible since the god had already forgotten the conversation. Or this had already happened after the god had noticed that one of his blessed with the sanguine thorn had died.
This whole business with gods and whatever the undead faction was planning was unnerving. Nothing he could do about it for now, but he would have to accelerate his plans.
Thalion bought the Crimson Vein Codex, Shadowforge Doctrine, Scroll of Predatory Control, and Scroll of Sanguine Mastery. After saying goodbye to the voice of the system, which didn’t respond, he was teleported back onto the soft moss of the third stage.
This was definitely a change in plans, and he would head for the fortress in the north immediately, beginning his journey in the form of the umbral predator.