Chapter 4

458 A.C.

"Easy, become my apprentice and pass down our legacy to the future generations." My mind blanked after those words. A legacy apprenticeship requires one to be able to cultivate. The apprentice must learn how to form the core seed of their teacher's profession. To pass how to form the seed down, the apprentice needs to first turn it into a core.

As I placed my hand where my right eye used to be, confusion and panic began to wash over my mind. What are they even thinking? Are they crazy? Do they know that I have already formed and lost my core? It is impossible for me to re-cultivate. I thought.

Realizing that something was off, I, once again, started to look for a way to escape. I tried getting up, but the tome that I was given was heavy enough to stop me. Shit, why is this tome so heavy? Wait, it only just grew in weight. I thought. Looking for help with the tome, I looked at Daska. When I glanced at their face I saw that they stared at me with anticipation, as if oblivious to my thoughts. I thought they were mocking me.

Is this a joke?! Are they stupid?! I lost my core. To build a core, one needs to fuse their magic with their bloodline. This is accomplished by implanting one's core seed within one's body.

I sighed. I chose my right eye, because my fire core seed, paired with my bloodline source, would allow me to see the fire element when I did so. It took years to form that seed, and many more to nurture it. My panic turned into a bit of anger. I had spent 8 years, from core formation to solid core, by myself. Now that I have lost my core, even if it was a joke, their request was like asking me to spit on and abandon my life’s work.

I carved a Flaming Field array on my core seed after it was integrated with my left eye. It took two years to integrate, and another year to carve. My anger grew as I counted the years. I could not tell if I was angry at Daska or myself.

Then, for four years, I patiently helped the core seed bloom, by feeding it with the source of my bloodline to the seed. This took a year to complete. Feeding the source to the core seed makes the eventual core the source of the bloodline. Everyone knows that this is the only way to keep a core stable… When I lost my eye, I lost my ability to reform my core. My bloodline lost its source…

A deep melancholy started to consume my anger.

"Don’t keep me waiting!" Their exclamation snapped me out of my thoughts. "I have things I have to do. So hurry!" They scolded me, while taking back their tome. Daska was acting impatient, as if I was a fish that kept nibbling at their bait, only to continually get away. Yet, their face betrayed their tone. They had a smile as wide as a Cheshire Cat's. My melancholy was replaced by the anger it had briefly swallowed.

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"Why should I become your apprentice? Don’t joke with me! How would I even start? I was a fire mage. My cultivation had reached the mid-solid core realm! I have already fused my core with my bloodline source! You know as well as I do that I lost my bloodlines’ source! Seriously, what-"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. If you refuse to become my apprentice, I will kick you out of my Lime Copper! " They cut me off while I was shouting. "You seem to have recovered enough. I mean, look at all the shouting you have been doing."

They barely said the last line before bellowing in laughter. Although unlikely, perhaps they are not just joking... I thought. I hesitated, yet, because of the fear of being kicked out, I responded "It is impossible even if I wanted to. I lost my bloodline." I doubted if I could survive on my own, if I was kicked out. Especially since I have both lost my cultivation and was injured.

"Why do you need your family’s bloodline to cultivate?" Their face was serious. Oh, they're just an idiot. I thought. My anger had completely quelled by then. I had a mocking gaze as I said, "The only way to grow a core seed is to integrate it with your bloodline. It’s a fact of nature. Everyone has heard of the explosive deaths of those unlucky people who manage to get a cultivation method, despite having no bloodline."

They started laughing, "Pft…Do you..ha.. even know…what you're talking about?" They said this while struggling to hold back laughter. "Bloodlines can be created by anyone, you know?"

"Are you stupid!?" I exclaimed, "Bloodlines were rewards from the Celestial Cultivators, rewards for bravery and skill shown during the calamity! Those people who were able to kill a demon were granted a bloodline. It is only through great honor and sacrifice that we nobles can cultivate. My great-great-great grandparents took down 10 demons! For that, our family earned the bloodline of the Hundred Fire Serpents."

They narrowed their eyes before responding. "Listen here, where do you think bloodlines come from? The Celestials? You must be kidding! They don’t care about the bloodlines of inferior life forms. In their eyes, we humans and those ‘demons’ are nothing more than dogs. Bloodlines are gifts, you say? Did you know that it was the Archanesits who developed them? Rewards? They were clearly experimenting with the technique. Did you know that we sold the knowledge on how to create these bloodlines to those pompous bastards!? When you recover, I will show you how to create a bloodline." Daska was both amused and pissed. They looked as if they were talking to a child who kept asking questions.

"No more chit-chat, no more stupid questions, become my apprentice. A world full of treasures and blahblahblah awaits you if you accept." Their voice was filled with sarcasm.

Daska was clearly annoyed. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be thrown out if I did not accept this crazy person's proposal. I will play along for now, but I am escaping as fast as possible when I recover. I thought.

"I will become your apprentice, just don’t expect much."

"Good! Now then, go to sleep or stay awake. Though, if you stay awake, don’t panic. I am just going to carve a little tracking array on you!"

Shit, I should have rejected it. I thought as I tried to stand up and run, only to pass out on the floor once my feet touched the ground...