"Master as you requested, here are the brains of the enemy, also I have taken it upon myself, to subtract these powers from my body, so only you can have them, it only seems fitting after all."
Substance commented as she handed Merciless the remaining brains of the Aristaeus Elites—these brains contain the essential knowledge required to manipulate their distinct forms of energy, with each harboring a unique power of their lanca given Aristaeus brains are linked to the core also known as the Lanca.
On the other hand, her expression was deeply troubled, grim, and melancholic, as she observed Merciless sitting down with black blood seeping from every conceivable orifice. He was trembling, and, to make matters worse, a horrific stench filled the air. It smelled like burning oil mixed with the scent of charred monster flesh, along with something indescribable, beyond comprehension.
Her lord and master, after defeating the Aristaeus queen, was apparently suffering from an overheating ichor—an unheard-of phenomenon. Normally, ichor does not overheat, as it is designed to adapt and evolve with its wielder’s power.
Under normal circumstances, each evolution of an ichor enables it to handle increasing power effortlessly. Yet, due to Merciless Vadkos and his unique abilities, his mid-level 4 ichor had been pushed beyond its natural limits. His powers had surged to peak Level 4, but his ichor remained at mid-Level 4, causing immense strain on his body.
The only thing preventing him from collapsing entirely was the cellular regeneration trait of the Michellian clan, which was barely holding his form together under intense pressure.
"Master, are you going to be ok... you are not going to die are you?"
When Merciless heard this, he forced himself to stand, every movement causing excruciating pain beyond imagination. Many of his abilities were malfunctioning under immense strain, their sheer destructive power overwhelming his ichor.
Despite this, Merciless rose from his seat in his office. His servants—the Dampas, Anastasia, and Exile, who hung from Substance’s neck—looked at him with deep concern. This was the same man who had defeated an enemy an entire level beyond his own power, and now he was trembling with every step.
Yet, even in this weakened state, he managed to stand, taking the seven Aristaeus brains and placing them into a coffin he had crafted earlier, using the last remnants of his soul stock for a single purpose. From his vast reserve, 0 souls remained.
After placing the brains inside the coffin, Merciless glanced back at his companions and gently ran his hand over the surface of the coffin before speaking.
"You all did well. I just want you to know that...
Merciless said, a rare, and father like smile rose on his face, as he glance briefly on his servants, all of which were his creation.
From there he continued.
"I couldn’t have done this alone, not with those seven standing in the way. Heh… that final attack I used to kill the queen, to power my spacial cleave, required sacrificing 80% of the souls I had gathered."
Said Merciless, slightly chuckling to himself as he spoke aloud.
"It won me the victory and granted me new power. But in my current state, more power is a poison. I can’t take in any more, not with my adaptive abilities malfunctioning due to overheat."
Merciless paused, then continued, his tone more serious.
"As such, the time has come for me to do what’s necessary. Substance… Anastasia… watch over everything while I’m gone. I won’t be gone long, at least not from your perspective. For you two, it will be a few days, but for me, it will be instant. I’m entering a temporary Yanman state. However, for my body, it will take around 260 years—give or take—since that’s how I’ve set the machine."
He confessed, his gaze falling upon the enigmatic coffin before him. It was a fusion of advanced technology and arcane craftsmanship, constructed from obsidian and an array of other mysterious, inexplicable materials.
The coffin’s design exuded an otherworldly aura, combining sleek, mechanical precision with ancient, mystical elements, its true nature as elusive as the forces it was built to harness.
For the others, the coffin was something they had only just learned about; an unfamiliar and mysterious creation. But for Merciless, even in his weakened and agonized state, he had painstakingly pushed through unimaginable pain to craft it.
Every component, every detail of its construction had been shaped by his own power and hands, driven by sheer willpower and the knowledge that his survival depended on it. The coffin wasn’t just a machine to him; it was the culmination of his desperation, skill, and determination, a lifeline forged through suffering.
It took him around three hours to complete the machinery part of it, carefully assembling each part with precision, aided by his mastery of subjective reality and occasional use of matter manipulation.
Every element had to be flawless, for any mistake could jeopardize everything. This was a delicate process, and Merciless knew that once he entered the coffin, there would be no turning back.
He would remain inside until the machine completed its purpose, with no way to intervene or escape if something went wrong. The stakes were too high for even the slightest error.
However at the same time Anastasia step up and questioned.
"Um... are you sure there’s no way we can help you heal naturally? I’ve already assisted with the space-time aspect of the coffin, but I’m still unsure if this is safe."
Anastasia expressed, concern evident in her voice.
Merciless smiled calmly in response.
"No, it has to be this way. If this works, I’ll finally achieve my fifth evolution, so I’m more than willing to take this risk. Besides, I don’t really have much of a choice right now."
He admitted, and continued.
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"Right now, my body is overheating to the point where even if I deactivate the Vadkos, the strain remains. Some of these abilities have been imprinted onto me through my body’s own power. Let’s say if you all use Vadkos, it will push you to a mastery state, but my body learns from experience. Vadkos has etched that experience into me, both mentally and physically, affecting my muscles and organs... basically every aspect, in layman’s terms I just built differently to the point that even buff like these are poison to me."
He gave a dark chuckle.
That’s the irony.
If I want to operate normally again, I need to shed this inferior coil and become something more. For a vampire to evolve, they must constantly consume the blood of their subjective quarry until they ascend to the next level. The problem is, I’ve gained power far too quickly. My growth has surpassed my body’s capacity, and if my body can’t keep up with my own power, it will eventually kill me."
"My Darwinism has reached its ultimate potential, or rather, the power itself—resulting from Darwinism, not the vessel. This means that the Vadkos has successfully done what it was designed to do: it has pushed all my powers to the mastered state of my current level."
Merciless explained, drawing the keen attention of those around him."
"As a result of this Vadkos Awakening, my powers have indeed reached their peak potential. However, the nature of my abilities has transformed this blessing into a double-edged sword. Instead of merely empowering me, my own traits and the DNA I have assimilated have become toxic, rendering my body extremely unstable as the result of my eternal evolution."
"Imagine my body as a balloon. The power within me is like a raging waterfall, continuously evolving and reaching its peak with every passing second. This relentless influx of energy threatens to overwhelm the balloon—my body—pushing it toward the brink of explosion. Were it not for my cellular regeneration, which is barely holding me together, I would have long since perished.
He announced.
To which Substance then replied.
"I see... so you need to push yourself to the Endless Progression stage... so capacity for further power in the future will no longer be a problem."
Substance said as she recalled Jordan and Albedo’s memories about the different levels which are labeled under different stages.
Currently, Merciless is at the Refinement stage, where all aspects of his ichor power are meticulously honed. This process involves refining both the logical and illogical elements of his abilities, balancing the scientific parts of it with the esoteric and supernatural aspects of it. Each aspect undergoes a thorough polishing before it evolves into something significantly more powerful.
At the next stage, their powers continuously evolve, progressing further as they consume the blood of others and sharpen their skills; fighting other levels 5 also makes both levels 5 grow, for growth can be realized through suffering and challenge.
It is a level of power that requires relentless training and battling to achieve enlightenment.
Here, the concept of "Acquires" takes on a new meaning; it becomes less about simply empowering oneself via blood, and more about reaching enlightenment.
When vampires drink blood from their acquired targets, they enter a trance similar to those experienced during other stages of evolution. However, this trance provides a heightened clarity about the world around them, far surpassing the power-induced trances they undergo in the first five evolutions.
To advance to Level 6, a vampire must feed on their acquired powers—not just to gain strength but to reach a state of being that allows them to influence and control the universe around them. As they grow, their abilities begin to take on a conceptual form within the universe, allowing them to shape their own laws into reality. These laws expand as they evolve, eventually extending beyond their own universe and traversing into others.
However, what Merciless sought was not Level 6 but Level 5. He needed to attain an endless capacity so that he could eliminate any concerns about the strain he was currently under.
With that in mind, he responded to Substance:
"Your spot on as always Subtance.... hehe... smart slime you are indeed... but yes to utilize the Vadkos properly, I must undergo the limit-breaking process that all Level 5 vampires experience."
Merciless said and continued.
"This is the Endless Progression stage of vampirism, where the body gains infinite capacity. At this level, the vampire’s body recognizes that it is on the verge of obtaining immense power capable of affecting entire universes later on. To prepare for this, the vampire’s body transforms into an ultimate vessel, capable of handling any level of power without the need for further physical evolution. This transformation is essential to ensure that I can withstand the overwhelming strength that awaits me."
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