3 Months Later
Lucy's figure flashed through the foliage like a white flash of lightning. Her feet pounded on the forest floor as the world around her became a blur. Occasionally her figure would disappear in a patch of shadows before appearing out of another patch tens of meters away.
At this moment the vampiric gift of power over the shadows was on full display.
Shadow jumping was one of a vampire's supreme modes of transportation. It was quick, efficient, and had a low blood energy per use cost.
Compared to transforming into a bat it was much more convenient. Lucy had put valuable time into practicing this skill for these very reasons. Now she was like a fish in the water as she seemingly swam through the foliage and shadows.
'I'm almost there'
Over the past 3 months Lucy's skill with shadow jumping had primarily grown for three reasons. She had fully digested the blood from the Hellephant, she'd started hunting newer and harder to catch prey, and she liked to visit the human girl Sera.
Due to the higher class the Hellephant was, it took Lucy's body a bit more time to break down and turn the nutritious blood into Blood Energy for Lucy's cultivation.
All vampires body's naturally did this and it was a big part of how they cultivated. Lucy had learned by actively meditating and focusing on the Blood Energy thrumming inside of her body she could speed up the process a bit, but Lucy was never one for meditation.
The Rank III Hellephant still remained the highest quality blood Lucy's ever tasted but her other exploits were more exotic and flavorful. Like the Rank I adolescent 3 eyed basilisk blood and the Rank I horned rabbit den she happened upon.
Lucy drank her fill every night as she tried to progress in her vampiric cultivation. Right now she was at the peak of the Fledgling rank or second stage of a vampire's cultivation, and she expected to breakthrough at anytime. This and taste were why Lucy decided switch up her palate a bit. But because her new meals were harder to catch, Lucy was forced to utilize her other gifts such as shadow jumping.
Lucy continued on her shadow jumping run through the forest without breaking a sweat. She couldn't wait to tell Sera all about the breakthrough she had. After that fateful meeting 3 months ago, Lucy began to enjoy the young woman's company a bit.
She was the only source of interaction Lucy could actively converse with as of now.
Literally before Sera the last voice beside her own Lucy had heard was Amara's! And she technically wasn't human. Nor alive.
Lucy wasn't sure what humans' reaction to vampires would be and she wasn't strong enough to be willing to find out just yet, but Sera was an exception as she'd already revealed her true nature to her.
As Lucy ran through the forest she suddenly stopped and displayed a sparkling grin.
'Haha how are you Sera?' Lucy projected her thoughts.
The two shared a mental conversation over a considerable distance away from each other.
Usually Lucy would just appear on her window as a bat. But today Sera tried to surprise with her increased telepathic projection range.
'How'd you know you were in my perimeter?' Sera asked perplexed.
Lucy explained to Sera since her telepathic prowess had grown, she also needed to work on making her psychic presence stealthier. As the two carried on their conversation 20 meters away from each other the sun made its way across the sky.
Lucy told her she would be back later today after she attempted a breakthrough to the Apostle rank.
'Good Luck I'm sure you will have a smooth advancement. But do try to come back before nightfall. My father will be back by then and if he catches you I-'
Sera couldn't bear to imagine.
'Don't worry I'll be back before then' Lucy assured.
After saying their farewells to each other Lucy rocketed back the way she came through the long shadows all around her. As she traveled back to her base she'd stolen from the Hellephant, she thought of her breakthrough to the Apostle rank.
According to her memories, the Apostle rank or third stage was a significant step in a vampire's cultivation. It was the stage where a vampire could finally spawn other vampires. Along with overall improvements in her strength and speed Lucy would be one step closer to building her kingdom.
Lucy's ghostly figure dashed into the waterfall clearing as her blood boiled and surged beneath her skin.
"It is time" she said.
All Vampires instinctually know when it is time for their advancement. Once their internal Blood Energy levels reached the sufficient threshold for advancement certain indications would appear as well.
Along with increased hunger and irritability, once the moment is near, they get symptoms of a condition known as Blood Boil.
As the potent and powerful Blood Energy inside the vampire's body builds and congregates. The very essence and life blood of the vampires begins to boil and crescendo as it comes into contact with the tyrannical energy.
The onset of Blood Boil warns a vampire that the advancement to the next rank will soon begin and usually worsens as a vampire progresses in power.
Lucy continued running as she shot through the waterfall in her base. Behind the curtain of rushing water, Lucy had discovered a small cave and had planned on using it for this very moment. Inside the cave there was very little light, and the bones of multiple creatures could be seen piled up in the far back right corner.
The air was damp, and the sound of the thundering waterfall ricocheted off the cave walls.
Lucy chose this cave to drown out her screams once her advancement starts. A vampire advancement to the next rank is usually a rather painful experience as their body undergoes a rebirth. It is also one of their most vulnerable states once their bodies commences it's metamorphosis.
Stronger muscles, fangs, and bones require changes at the smallest levels of their being, but most vampires make it through with no problem with the protection of their progeny or coven.
Lucy didn't have either at the moment but she was sure certain nothing would come near the Class 4 magic beast's former cave.
In the center of the cave was a hollowed-out pool filled with thick crimson blood. Lucy had hunted day and night tirelessly to fill this pool.
All the magic beasts she hunted were at least Rank II, which was the strongest she could take in a head on fight for now. Each kill she would bring back here to exsanguinate over the hole she'd made with her bare hands.
Lucy quickly took off the long white cloth dress that Sera had once gifted her before dipping her voluptuous figure into the pool of blood. The pool was not very deep, the blood only came up to Lucy's breasts, but the liquid was thick and viscous.
"Mmm delightfully warm" Lucy said as her figure disappeared in the red pool.
Focusing on the boiling of her blood, Lucy fell into a deep trance like state. As Lucy's eyes closed, her blood began to boil even more furiously. Soon enough it was visible beneath the skin as strangle bubbles pulsed throughout her blood.
After bubbling beneath her skin Lucy's blood began to breach her skin as she bled all over. Every pore from her head to her toe oozed blood as her previously white skin was dyed red. Luckily Lucy's deep trance like state protected her from the torture of her boiling blood exsanguinating her.
A heavy blood mist began to permeate the interior of the cave along with a strong metallic scent.
Once Lucy's blood met the blood in the pool it would cause the blood to roil and crash as if it was alive. After some time of her body bleeding in the pool the entire pool roiled and crashed from side to side.
To the naked eye it appeared that Lucy's entire body was being boiled alive in the pool of blood but something miraculous was happening!
The domineering bloodline talent of a vampire was assimilation. At this moment Lucy's blood was modifying the blood present in the pool before replacing it back into her body.
Through this process and feeding vampires have been able to transform blood of prey and enemies into Blood Energy for the vampire.
The pool Lucy was once in eventually became empty except for a blood red crystal-like structure in the center. In the air damp with blood mist, crimson waves pulsed out from the large blood crystal in the hole.
This large, crystallized structure was Lucy as she advanced from a Fledgling to an Apostle rank vampire.
Hour after hour passed in the dark cave where Lucy's screams were drowned out by the roaring waterfall. The crystal cocoon shook and reverberated with each pained yell from Lucy.
Inside the structure Lucy blood, bones, and cells were becoming stronger by being destroyed and remade. At this moment Lucy's cold dead heart was lighting up wildly. All over and around her heart thick red meridian-like lines could be seen, but none more so than around her left and right anterior coronary arteries.
The two arteries looked ruby like and intangible at the same time, a stark contrast to to her dull and garnet pair of lower arteries. Her still heart seemed to thrum or vibrate as the glowing red tendrils around the two arteries pulsed and thrummed in sync .
After a grueling three more hours Lucy's screams eventually ceased as the blood mist and red glow in the crystal also dissipated.
Suddenly tiny cracking noises came from the crystallized structure as large slabs of the structure fell off and shattered. Little by little the dull red crystal fell apart revealing the smooth and stunning body inside.
Lucy's long and slender limbs were fair and seemed to glitter even in the dark cave. Her voluptuous and well-proportioned body released a pulse of condensed air with a shockwave, knocking the remaining crystal cocoon off her body.
Now fully free Lucy flipped her lush and silky snow-white hair as it cascaded down her back. As her molten gold eyes glowed mysteriously the various pieces of broken blood crystals turned into blood mist which hovered around Lucy's form.
With a flick of her wrist the thick blood mist in the air climbed around her body. After a few moments Lucy was clothed in a luxurious looking seductive crimson gown complete with high heeled boots.
During the 3-month period Lucy had been on Verak island her skill with her Blood Domain ability had improved tremendously. Though the Blood Domain ability had the highest Blood Energy cost per second out of all Lucy's abilities so far, it was still her favorite and most handy. This is why she had spent valuable time and energy trying to figure out how to best utilize the ability.
By tapping deeper into Amara's memories, she had found a host of unique and practical uses for the Blood Domain skill. One of these uses was as clothing and weapons. Apparently the Blood Energy cost of Blood Domain dropped drastically with the increased proximity to the blood one is controlling.
After finding this out Lucy had almost perfected molding the blood into clothes but was having a bit of trouble molding it into weapons. However, she knew she would perfect it in time and for now she was more than satisfied that she would no longer be without clothing.
"Mmm a smooth advancement, excellent" Lucy said as she stretched her new and improved body.
Lucy felt stronger and brimming with energy.
The advancement from each rank to the next was definitely a qualitative jump. Even Lucy's eyesight was sharper and farther. As Lucy's watched as the sun dipped below the horizon through the waterfall's curtain, she had a sudden thought.
'Oh, my I forgot about Sera!' With just a slight kick off the ground Lucy's body flashed out of the cave as she dashed towards Sera's home.
Lucy appeared in the middle of a large clearing surrounded on all sides by trees. Focusing with all her might Lucy extended her senses, trying to gain as much information about the growth of her abilities and senses as possible.