Ohhhhmmmmmm…
In the darkness of the sleeping quarter, I sat cross-legged, with a weight resting on one thigh.
The sound of whimpering bounced across the room's walls, but I did my best to ignore it.
Ohhhhmmmmmm…
My eyes were shut tight, and my body completely relaxed as I sat with my back leaning against the wall in the lotus position.
The whimpering gradually increased in volume and intensity, slowly chipping away at my concentration.
Ohhhhmmmmmm…
I tried to keep my intrusive thoughts to a minimum, exerting my focus on the present moment.
The weight on my thigh suddenly shifted, breaking my concentration, and forcing me to open my eyes.
Ohhmm– Oh for fucks sake, this isn't working at all!
[Perhaps, you can try again later? Being agitated would only affect your mind and efforts negatively.]
I know, I know…
I sighed quietly, rubbing the bridge of my nose in frustration.
Even though I'd been sitting here, concentrating for the last ten minutes, I still couldn't get it.
If anyone heard my thoughts, they'd probably think; what is this guy yapping about?
Why, I'm trying to acquire a skill, of course!
Though, I haven't been able to do so, much to my annoyance.
It was supposed to be simple; sit on the ground, meditate for a while, and voila! New skill acquired.
At least, that's how I imagined it would go, but reality is often disappointing.
Hah, guess I'll take Rusty's advice and try again later.
The weight on my thigh shifted again, and my eyes trailed down towards the source of the whimpering, falling on the face of my sister slowly waking up.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," I greeted her quietly.
"Good 'orning…" she responded, her tone lethargic.
She raised her head from my thigh, managing to sit up straight. Blinking her eyes repeatedly, she started blankly before crashing back down facefirst into my thigh.
"Ow, ow, ow!" I felt pain in my thigh, as the horns on her face pricked harshly at my skin.
My shouts of pain caused her to recoil, as she hurriedly lifted her face, eyes wide open and clear of any remnants of sleep.
I rubbed the spot she collided with, the pain dulling slowly but surely.
Thankfully, the horns weren't sharp enough to penetrate the flesh, so there was no blood.
As I massaged my thigh, another hand–Mehg's hand–came into view, as she started doing the same thing as me.
Looking up, I could see a clear look of guilt on her face.
"Sorry…" she voiced an apology in a hushed tone.
I deadpanned at her, giving her forehead a light finger flick.
"No need to apologize," I remarked, "T'was an honest mistake."
I received a nod from her in return.
"Doth thou want me to…" Saying that she waved her pinky in front of me.
I realized what she was referring to, and shook my head in denial.
I didn't want her to use that ability unless it was absolutely necessary.
It wasn't just because it was a valuable ability and that she had to injure herself to draw the blood out.
There was another reason for my caution.
Pulling up the System Menu, I found a new section added, called the {Party} section.
The section's title was self-explanatory, allowing me to manage my party, squad, or whatever you want to call it.
I could add or remove members from my party, and view their status and skills without any restrictions.
However, the best part of this feature was that if I killed something and gained EXP, other people in my Party also gained part of that EXP. It also worked the other way–if my Party members killed things, I would gain part of the EXP they received.
However, there was a condition that I had to satisfy to add someone to my Party.
If I wanted to add someone, I needed to have a certain level of emotional connection with them.
So I couldn't just add any random bozo I met to my Party, but that was fine, as I never planned on doing so.
Opening up the {Party} section, I saw a panel with a single name on it.
{ – Party – }
{Current Members}
{1. Mehg}
{2. _____}
{3. _____}
{4. _____}
{5. _____}
Other than that, it was mostly blank.
For now, I can only have a maximum of five members at any moment.
While there is a way to increase that number, I won't be doing it anytime soon.
Not because I don't want to, but simply because I can't.
Focusing on my sister's name, I pulled up her {Status} sheet first.
{ – Status – }
{Name: Mehg}
{Level: 5}
{Title: None}
{Class: None}
{HP: 900/900}
{MP: 100/100}
{SP: 120/120}
{VIG: 4.5 (9)}
{MND: 5 (10)}
{END: 6 (12)}
{STR: 4 (8)}
{DEX: 5 (10)}
{INT: 8}
{FAI: 15 (45)}
{LUC: 10}
Her stats were similar to mine before I leveled up, with some slightly higher, and others lower.
But the most unexpected was her FAI attribute, because I did not expect it to be that high at first.
But when I read through her skills, I understood why.
{ – Skills – }
{Demigod Physiology (1/5) (Passive): Born of the Golden Lineage, you inherited the immense might that comes with being part of the offspring of Queen Marika. Divine blood flows through your veins, tainted as it may be due to the Crucible's Blessing. Increases VIG, MND, END, STR, and DEX.}
{Attribute Increase: 100%}
{Cursed Blessing (1/5) (Passive): Blessings of the Crucible were revered in the ages past, but now are reviled as a curse. Accursed blood flows through your veins. Causes growths of horns and other animalistic features such as tails, and wings.}
{Dagger Proficiency (9/20) (Novice) (Passive): How well you can handle a dagger-type weapon. As a novice, you have little experience with daggers other than inefficiently slashing and stabbing. Increase damage output with daggers.}
{Mother's Beloved (2/5) (Passive): Chosen by the Formless Mother, your blood has gained the properties of flame, resulting in blood-flame. Blood-flame can be utilized offensively, defensively, and for any other purpose its wielder desires.}
{Increase FAI by 200%}
{NOTE: At max level, the user is able to commune with the Outer God herself.}
{Healing Blood (3/20) (Novice) (Active): An application of blood-flame, that allows the user to heal wounds by applying their blood on them. However, the effectiveness of the healing depends on the skill's level.}
There it is, the {Mother's Beloved} skill.
When I read it the first time, I honestly wasn't too surprised.
Mohg could use blood-flame, so it wouldn't be too farfetched for her to be able to do the same.
But what worried me the most was that once that skill was maxed out, she could fully communicate with the Formless Mother.
And I don't know if that is a good thing or not.
I mean, what if she instills some weird ideas in my sister's head, like creating a dynasty, or something worse, like hosting a diddy party?
I'm definitely gonna have to keep an eye out on her. After all, I'd rather she not become the leader of a blood cult.
"Drother?" Her voice sounded out from behind the screen, snapping me out of my… concerning thoughts.
I realized that I'd been staring blankly ahead for a while.
"Oh, ah, n– no… no need," I denied her offer, considering that there was only a little bit of pain, but nothing to heal.
"I– I see… then, doth thou wish to hunteth our next 'eal?" she asked with slight trepidation.
Hunt? Is there really a need to hunt?
Opening up the {Inventory} for a quick glance, I came to a swift conclusion.
{ – Inventory – }
{Lesser Rodent Meat (x30)}
{Greater Rodent Meat (x1)}
Nope, no need to hunt.
I shook my head, much to her confusion.
"Worry not, I shalt explaineth in due time," I told her.
"But first, canst thou get thy head off… so I canst standeth?"
X – X – X – X – X – X
[3rd POV]
Contrasting with the darkness and flickering shadows that plagued the sewers below, the populace of Leyndell went about their day above ground, under the shadow of the Erdtree.
Embroiled as they were in their tasks and duties, they would occasionally glance upwards, their gazes falling on the Royal Palace.
Standing tall in the heart of the bustling Leyndell, the marvelous architecture was built on the highest level of the city, connected directly to the base of the Erdtree.
The outside of the palace was shaped like a circle, with its base occupying the largest space, slowly becoming thinner as it gained more height.
At the top was a dome of shining gold, with a miniature spire jutting out from the peak.
Jutting out from the side were triangular gables, covered in golden tiles.
Windows lined its edges in an orderly fashion, allowing one to gaze outside, at the bustling city below.
Yet, astounding as it was, it did no justice to the interior of the Royal Palace.
Golden, hallowed halls existed with artistic designs, carved by the most skillful artisans, lined with breathtaking paintings, and decorations.
Each hall was connected to different paths, leading to various parts of the palace.
Striding through one of the gilded halls at the top-most parts of the palace, a lone female figure walked with light, measured steps.
Covered from head to toe in white garments, she wore a large apron depicting the Erdtree tied around her torso, covering the entire front of her body, signifying she was a Perfumer.
She carried a tray of food with both hands, careful not to spill anything onto the clean floor with movements displaying grace that showed it was not her first time doing such a thing.
Reaching the end of the hall, she turned a corner, passing by a pair of patrolling soldiers.
As soon as they saw her, they immediately bowed their heads in respect, as her station was higher than theirs.
She bowed her head in return, before passing them by. Walking for a few more minutes, she finally came across her destination.
Two knights stood in front of her, guarding a large, golden door, with a detailed depiction of the Erdtree carved into it.
They both carried weapons–the first wielded a large sword, the other a partisan, while both held an oval-shaped great shield in their other hand.
"Halt!" One of them intoned with authority, a masculine voice echoing from their helm.
The Perfumer heeded his order, stopping a few meters away from them.
"State your purpose," he asked, his tone less authoritative this time, yet he stood on guard.
"T'is I, Tricia," the Perfumer spoke curtly, revealing her identity, "I come, as the Queen asked for me."
Hearing that, the two knights briefly looked at each other before hearing a feminine voice echo from behind the door.
"Let her in." They heard and obeyed.
The door behind them opened, and they stepped aside, letting Tricia enter.
Stepping inside the room, it was the same room from years ago, where her Queen had given birth to the Omen twins.
Remembering how she reacted back then, Tricia felt a twinge of sadness pass through her…
Especially after seeing the scene in front of her.
Marika, lying in her bed, holding a baby of golden hair in her arms, with an expression of softness she hadn't seen in years.
X – X – X – X – X – X
AN: Sorry for such a short chapter, didn't feel motivated to write this past week, so this was all I could muster.