I stopped reading the book only when all the pages about the nerves were finished. 'There is no specific way to connect them, it only mentions that I need a specific solution that could be used to connect the nevers otherwise it is not possible. From what I remember, there was a recipe for something like that in Great Scriptures of Evil Medic. The problem is ingredients as well as tools to make such solution' I thought.
Finding the ingredients would not be easy but creating that solution without any tools would be impossible. I needed tools, ingredients and everything in between. 'Where will I get those tools now? I have no current map available so finding a village and getting some tools would be very difficult. Besides, I don't want to encounter these people again. I have no clue where they came from but with my current strength and a crippled hand? Meeting them again would be the worst case scenario' I thought.
There was one way to solve that problem but it was time consuming, time was something I didn't have a lot of. The half of my arm inside the bag wouldn't rot very soon. Although I had some time, it was not a lot. 'The only way to solve that problem, is to make a rough solution with whatever tools I can manufacture myself and test it out before I use it. It's time consuming but at least, it's something' I thought.
My plan was to find the ingredients needed and then catch a live specimen. A wolf or rabbit, whatever it was, I would have to experiment with them. It seemed inhumane but I didn't care about those things at that moment. 'Was it humane for that woman to attack me for no reason? Was it humane that I lost half of my arm? I don't give a shit if it is inhumane! If I have to, I will kill 1000 wolves just to heal my own hand!' I thought.
It was well into the night already. I had my plan formed and the next day, I needed to search for those specific herbs. I would also need to make some tools that could be used to create the Trantum Solution. That was the name of the solution from Nick's book. I laid down and tried to support my injured arm on top of something, this would prevent it from getting dirty and I would be less likely to injure it even more.
With my eyes closed, I fell asleep. When my eyes opened again, I was in a dream. This time, the Dark Traveller was nowhere to be found. All of a sudden, I smelled blood. I looked down and saw a pool of blood underneath me. "What the…" I mumbled. I reflexively looked at my right arm and the wound was still there, moreover it was bleeding, excessively!
I tried to stop the bleeding but I couldn't do anything. The amount of blood gushing out of my arm was not normal. I lost much more blood than a human body can possibly contain and yet I didn't feel weak or anything. The blood stopped gushing out after a while as if there was no blood left. What shocked me was not the fact that my wound arbitrarily stopped bleeding but that the blood underneath my feet, started to move.
"What the fuck is going on?" I exclaimed as I took couple of steps backwards. I was now outside the pool of blood that seemed to live its own life. I watched with shock plastered on my face as the blood started to gather and rise. It raised more and more, until it was about my height. Then it transformed into a humanoid figure and what followed totally blew my mind.
"This… This is me?" I said loudly. The blood copied my look and even my wounded arm. Although the whole figure was as red as blood, the features were the same as mine. "Just what is going on over here?" I said as I was lost for words. I had no ideas, nothing. My mind was like a blank piece of paper, with no words on it.
The blood figure didn't say anything and started to move towards me. Then a blood dagger appeared in its hand, at that point it started to run. I got startles and tried to reach for a weapon as well but I had nothing on me as usual. I had no time to think about that situation and decided to use my hands as the means of fighting.
I threw a punch using my left hand but the blood figure evaded it and slashed with its dagger. "Rip" the sound of torn clothes could be heard. 'This thing is as powerful as me and it seems to know all my moves as well as my intentions!' I thought as I backed away.
The blood figure charged at me again, this time there was something familiar with its charge. 'It even knows how to use Natural Path skill'. I did the same as I intertwined with the blood figure and exchanged some blows. Neither of us could harm each other for a while. Then the blood figure did something I thought as impossible and utilised the Natural path skill again but this time, it was different.
'Impossible! This thing's Natural Path skill improved, by a lot!'. I was barely able to trace the blood figure at that point. The movements were so intricate and erratic I had no way of predicting them. The blood figure slashed left and right and then threw that dagger at me "Swoosh!". I tried dodging it but it still grazed my leg. 'Shit, I got distracted by its improved Natural Path skill!'. I focused more and tried to counterattack.
After a few more exchanges, my wounds started to accumulate. I could barely stand at that point. The blood figure stopped and looked at me. I didn't know what was going on either. It then actually spoke in human language "You are weak. That is why you lost your dear friends". I was shocked and said "How can you speak? You sound like me as well!".
The blood figure continued "You are weak. That is why you were swindled out of your heirloom". I responded "Shut up. What do you know? I was different then!" but the blood figure continued "You are weak. That is why the Eterian woman used you and betrayed you". I shouted "Shut up bastard! How should I know she would do that?". The blood figure said "You are weak. That is why you lost your arm to that woman who played with you like a child". I was lost for words. 'Why do I have to hear that and in my own voice as well? What did I do to deserve this?' I thought.
The blood figure continued "You are weak. You can't even defeat me". I looked at the blood figure that resembles me and asked "What are you? What do you want from me?". The blood figure responded "I'm the blood, that runs through your veins. I'm the shadow, that lurks beneath your stealth. I'm your wrath, your hate and your vengeance. I'm... Your destiny!".
"Boom!" "Woosh!"
The blood figure rushed at full speed and slashed with its dagger right through my my body, leaving a long cut along my whole chest. The slash was so powerful that I flew through the air and landed on my back couple of metres away. "Urrghh!". The blood figure started walking towards me slowly and spoke "You are weak".
I picked myself up slowly. Not only was I pissed but I also had enough. Enough of creatures I couldn't explain. Enough of people who wanted to kill me for no apparent reason. Enough of people who betrayed me and enough of bullshit, I always had to listen to. I stood straight and focused my vision on the blood figure walking towards me. I said "I had enough. I had enough of people or things spouting bullshit at my face. Weak? Ha! WEAK! Then let me show you weak!".
A heavy aura woke up inside of me and everything in the surrounding seemed to freeze. The blood figure stopped walking and spouting bullshit at me. I on the other hand, started walking towards it and said "Weak? What are you to tell me that? Some blood from my body has the balls to call me weak? You came from my body, I'm your master. KNEEL IN FRONT OF ME!". The pressure released after I shouted made the blood figure tremble and slowly kneeled down on one knee.
I said "If I'm weak, then you are just a part of that weakness" then threw a punch at the blood figure kneeling in front of me. "BOOOOM!" the blood figure shattered back into pool state. I stood inside that pool of blood for a while as I noticed that less and less is visible. I was absorbing the blood back into my body.
When all the blood was absorbed back, darkness enveloped the whole area. I saw nothing, until I opened my eyes and woke up at my camp. It was early in the morning and my arm was still injured but fortunately didn't bleed through the night. I sat up and thought about the dream I just had. 'Was this real? I'm tired, even though I slept through the night. My hand doesn't hurt as much but I still have to get those herbs. I will eat something first and then have a look' I though and ate some breakfast.