“Not going to lie, I kind of expected my reward for this would purely be Records,” Jake said after the First Sage mentioned he wouldn’t let Jake leave empty-handed. Something he truly didn’t feel like he was even if he left here and now.
“In some ways, no matter what you gain, it will have purely been Records... but I understand what you mean. Records are certainly part of the reward, but it is as much a reward for me as you. No, it’s only fair of me to give you something more tangible, something not made purely of my Records.”
“What, you’re gonna teach me a Transcendent skill or something?” Jake asked jokingly.
“A Transcendent skill cannot be taught, only learned through personal enlightenment not influenced by any other forms of transcendent insight. Something I believe you will have a very hard time ever achieving due to your Bloodline being so all-encompassing,” the First Sage shook his head.
Jake gave the old man a look asking for him to elaborate, making the First Sage smile.
“I asked you who you were when we first met, and while you did give me a surface-level answer, it didn’t really tell me much. As you’ve observed my life, so have I observed your reactions to everything,” the First Sage said, waving his hand as the library was instantly cleaned up, looking new once more. He motioned for Jake to take a seat at the same table as before, which he promptly did.
“You react to external stimuli instantly, your subconscious mind making you respond before your conscious one can even catch up, yet your reactions remain sound. Moreover, you don’t really look at things a lot of the time, yet you know what’s going on anyway. Despite displays of power or immediate changes in surrounding, you never flinch or put up your guard, as if you know that no danger is posed to you. Usually, even when a person knows they’re within a vision where no harm can come to them, they’ll still instinctively react to what could be a danger... yet you don’t,” the First Sage continued.
“It’s obvious to me that Perception is by far your highest stat, but there’s so much more than that. You also didn’t react even when the Void Dweller was seen, at least not to its aura. All of this makes me believe that your Bloodline is innately tied to your instincts, if not your senses in general, seeing as you have some kind of omnidirectional detection as part of your Bloodline. I also feel something hidden deeper inside, something even more powerful... likely what led to you being what you are. A human more human than any other.”
Jake didn’t exactly feel great about being analyzed this deeply, nor the fact anyone was capable of it.
“Am I that obvious?” Jake muttered.
“No, I’m just good at distinguishing if someone is using a skill, Bloodline, or Transcendence. Bloodlines tend to be more passive in nature or become automatically applied when certain actions are taken, and, like me, yours is constantly active. However, even when Bloodlines are active, there is a spectrum. You are familiar with Nature’s Attendant and his Bloodline to communicate with all plant-life, I take it? His Bloodline is also technically always active but only a small part of it. It’s only when he communicates actively you can see it get even close to being fully active.”
Jake nodded along, once more done questioning how and why the First Sage knew certain things he really bloody shouldn’t.
“Yours is highly active at all times, meaning you are constantly using many aspects of it. This in itself isn’t surprising, considering I believe it has many passive elements... what is surprising is that I can feel there’s a lot more hidden. If I’m correct, you are actively suppressing aspects of your Bloodline, likely because it’s too powerful for your current body and soul to fully handle it,” the First Sage continued.
So far, he hadn’t said anything wrong. Jake was suppressing his Bloodline by making his Sphere of Perception smaller and only releasing pulses, as having it fully active at all times indeed wasn’t something he could handle. Hearing the First Sage mention it couldn’t help but give Jake hope.
“Do you have a solution?” Jake asked expectedly.
“I do indeed,” the First Sage nodded, Jake getting excited at the prospect... right until he heard the answer: “Evolve.”
Jake deflated and sighed. “I kind of hoped for something faster.”
“Matters of the Bloodline cannot be solved through external factors,” the First Sage shook his head. “It’s your Bloodline. It revolves around the dominion of your Truesoul. I wouldn’t even want to try and help you, as doing so would be to trespass on territory I feel like I’m very much not welcome.”
“Good point,” Jake sighed. Yeah, Jake would definitely have an adverse reaction if the First Sage tried to do anything that had to do with his Bloodline.
“The root cause of your issue isn’t even a problem in the first place,” the First Sage explained as he looked at Jake deeply. “Your current body simply isn’t capable of properly handling your Bloodline, meaning the strain you would be under if it was fully active would likely prove detrimental if not outright fatal.”
“I know,” Jake sighed. He was fully aware his Bloodline was far too powerful for him to truly handle.
“This may seem like a change of topic, but do you know what happens when someone relatively weak gets an extremely powerful high-rarity skill?” the First Sage asked. “Say if the average mid-tier C-grade got a mythical skill?”
“No?” Jake asked, confused.
“It’s extremely rare, but there have been instances where individuals got skills too powerful for them to handle. Of course, with the skills being system-granted, some level of protection is built-in, but it’s not always enough,” the First Sage began explaining.
“Using the skill will, even under ideal circumstances, be akin to using a powerful boosting skill. They will strain their bodies immensely, with repeat uses potentially resulting in soul damage or even death. The reason this happens is because they are simply too weak for their own skill. Their body cannot handle it. Take that very same skill and give it to someone like you with far higher stats, and you would be able to handle it without suffering any weakness afterward, as the skill would fit the person.”
“You’re saying I’m like that with my Bloodline?” Jake questioned.
“Precisely. The stronger you get, the more you will be able to handle your own Bloodline. At least, that’s my theory. I reckon after evolving to B-grade, you will be able to fully handle your Bloodline,” the First Sage explained.
Jake was surprised and breathed out a sigh of relief... as he asked something without thinking: “Even with the Bloodline also evolving, right?”
For perhaps the very first time in their conversation, the First Sage stared at Jake, a face full of confusion as if whatever Jake had asked was either the stupidest or most surprising thing he could have ever said.
“What do you mean when you say it evolves?” the First Sage asked calmly as he leaned forward.
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At that moment, Jake knew he’d fucked up and said too much. Villy had warned Jake many times not to talk about his Bloodline in detail, but in this conversation with the First Sage, he had kind of let his secrets just flow freely out. He’d let down his guard and wasn’t sure how to get out of this one or if he should just answer truthfully.
In the end... he was already in too deep, and Jake saw no world where he could make up a convincing lie or story in the moment. He also didn’t want to just deny elaborating, so he decided to at least be a little truthful.
“As you said, my body can’t handle my full Bloodline, so I believe the system restricted it somehow,” Jake shrugged, trying to act a bit more ignorant than he actually was. It wasn’t a lie that he didn’t know why it was evolving, though he did have his own theories.
The First Sage looked at Jake for a few seconds before he smiled. “I’m beginning to see why Vilas believes you worthy of being a friend. You’re a rather interesting one. I will admit, I did have a hard time seeing how you and my disciple could ever be friends considering how different you are. He is a schemer by nature, someone who uses cunning to achieve victory. Meanwhile, you seem like the kind who prefers to just kick down the door and start fighting.”
“Hey!” Jake said, acting all offended. “I wouldn’t kick down the door... I would blow off the roof with an arrow.”
“Same result,” the old man shook his head. “I want to ask more, but seeing as I haven’t been the most forthcoming either, I shall also allow you to keep your secrets. The world is ultimately more interesting when there are still unknowns left to ponder.”
Jake was surprised the old man gave up that easily, but he definitely wasn’t complaining. The First Sage looked at Jake for a few seconds before he spoke again.
“I believe we have been off-topic enough. Our time is still limited, so let us not delay any further. As you recall, our first meeting happened during the time Vilas was forming what would one day become his Legacy skill known as Sagacity of the Malefic Viper,” the First Sage said, Jake perking up as he knew what was coming next would be important.
“You too possess this Legacy skill, I feel, but its Records appear a bit... hollow. Usually, the way to get this skill is to learn a variety of different disciplines of alchemical crafting to a certain level and study enough alchemical ingredients to pass a certain threshold, along with a few other requirements, all while of course having sufficient Records related to the Malefic Viper... but you didn’t do any but the last of these things, did you?”
“No, my way of getting it was a bit more... novel, I would say,” Jake answered truthfully. The only reason Jake had unlocked Sagacity when he had was because of the drop of blood he consumed during his Trial of Myriad Poisons. That drop contained so much knowledge it was enough to qualify Jake to get the skill way back then. It had been a massive lucky break; no two ways about it.
“You consumed something containing a massive amount of Records, didn’t you... would you allow me to look more closely?” he asked, holding out a hand.
Jake was hesitant but felt no danger as he nodded and let the old man touch his hand. The moment he made contact, it was as if an electric current ran through his body, and he felt his heartbeat begin to speed up right as the First Sage let go again.
“I only took a little peek,” the First Sage smiled, shaking his head. “To consume a drop of blood infused with Records of a Primordial while still remaining who you are... my curiosity continues growing. Alas, I’ve benefitted enough, and now it’s your turn.”
The First Sage looked at Jake. “I will not decide for you, nor will I give you anything but an opportunity. I do not plan on saddling you with more of my Records, which is why Sagacity is the perfect skill to upgrade, as it already innately contains some of my Records, even in the Malefic Viper’s version. I can help you unlock some of the Records innate to the skill by using the drop of blood as a catalyst while merging it with a few of my own insights.”
Jake listened intently while nodding along, knowing this was an opportunity.
“Whatever you gain will be solely up to you, but do be warned that the process won’t be pleasant,” the old man warned. “What do you say? Are you interested?”
Jake failed to suppress a smile as he looked at the old man. “Not gonna say no to an opportunity.”
He also couldn’t help but notice that the First Sage would infuse Jake with even more of his own Records, not that Jake was complaining. Having seen the power of the First Sage, he couldn’t see a world where having the man’s Records wouldn’t be beneficial.”
“Very well,” the First Sage said as he lifted his hand and pointed a finger at Jake’s forehead. “Good luck.”
Without any warning, they just jumped right into it. A beam of light hit Jake before he could even react, making Jake instantly close his eyes and send his consciousness into his Soulspace as he used Serene Soul Meditation.
He appeared within his soul just in time to see a beam of light descend upon the drop of the Malefic Viper’s Blood floating in there. The moment this light hit the droplet, a shockwave erupted from it, washing over Jake’s entire Soulspace as he fell to his knees.
An immense headache assaulted his mind as the drop of blood released an inexhaustible torrent of knowledge fueled by the beam of light that didn’t show any signs of fading.
Jake felt almost similar to when he unlocked a new skill and was infused with innate knowledge, except this case was far worse. In fact, the best comparison he could make was the times he had failed to suppress his Sphere of Perception, and the information provided by that overwhelmed him.
It was also similar in the fashion that Jake instantly knew he could make everything stop... but the moment he did, he would have no way of starting things back up again. If he fainted, everything would also end, but Jake had no intention of letting his consciousness fade away.
If Jake was confident in one thing, it was his stubbornness and refusal to give up, and just like the Trial of Myriad Poisons back then, he had no intentions of backing down before he had extracted every shred of benefits he could get from this.
Knowledge continually flooded his mind as Jake took everything in as well as he could, trying to internalize it all. However, he quickly noticed that with every passing second, everything intensified. The beam of light that struck the drop of blood grew denser as the Records released improved not only in quantity but quality.
Jake barely registered the first system notification of an upgrade as he even pushed himself to stand up within his Soulspace. Despite everything, Jake forced himself forward as he took heavy steps toward the maelstrom of Records being released from the droplet of blood.
He took everything in as his eyes remained determined. He refused to faint and instead drew closer to the blood. Even as his vision blurred and he felt his mind muddle as a headache unlike any other assaulted him, he didn’t stop.
Step by step, he drew closer. Images flashed in his head as he knew things he’d never even heard of mere moments ago, new disciplines of alchemy that he had never even studied innately becoming familiar.
Yet Jake kept feeling like it wasn’t enough. He also knew that no matter how much he was trying to hold on, with the ever-increasing intensity, it was only a matter of time... so he took a final gamble.
Pushing through, Jake soon stood before the drop of blood as his form within Soulspace distorted. He reached out, his hand getting destroyed and remade constantly as it drew closer to the droplet right until Jake had his hand right in front of it.
His mind was on the verge of giving up as the faint sound of a heartbeat echoed throughout his Soulspace, and a final flood of focus went through Jake’s body, his soul momentarily fully stabilizing as Jake clenched his fist around the droplet of blood.
What could only be called a tsunami of Records and knowledge instantly flooded Jake’s mind as the beam of light sent in by the First Sage hit Jake’s body as well as the droplet of blood directly.
A massive shockwave instantly blasted Jake back from the drop of blood as the beam disappeared and the droplet of blood calmed. Jake’s body within the Soulspace faded away as it was blasted back, his counciousness fading as a faint smile marred his lips as the final thing that entered his mind was a notification.
[Sagacity of the Malefic Viper (Legendary)]
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[Sagacity of the Malefic Viper (Mythical)] – The blood of the Malefic One, combined with the teachings of a sage, leads you toward omniscience. Allows the Alchemist to extract knowledge from a fragment of the Malefic Viper’s Records to claim his knowledge as your own. Grants the Alchemist of the Malefic Viper a far better understanding of mana and most affinities. Grants the Alchemist knowledge of a myriad of alchemical ingredients, allowing him to far more easily Identify them. Allows the Alchemist to make creations he does not have the associated crafting skill for (if no associated skill is found, a small bonus to stat effectiveness shall still be provided). You can freely modify and change the displayed information of anything you create, fooling most Identify skills. Knowledge further increases Records infused when crafting. Passively provides 9 Wisdom per level in Alchemist of the Malefic Viper (C-grade variant). May your search for knowledge be as inexhaustible as the Malefic One as you strive to prove yourself worthy of being considered a sage.
--
Back in the library, the First Sage looked at the fainted human before him. He appeared in thought for a moment before he spoke:
“I changed my mind... let’s also give him a gift of my own Origin.”
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Assuming Jake would wake up in time to receive it, of course.