116 Deduction
The wind howled, the rain lashed down, and a bone-chilling cold gripped the land.
A monstrous tiger, ten yards long, its fur a tapestry of black and gold, bounded through the hills, its every leap shaking the earth, its passage marked by a trail of splintered trees.
The moment its brother's belly was ripped open, the younger tiger vampire fled, not daring to look back. It never imagined it would become the "chosen one" this way, the sole survivor, the one their father would pin his hopes on.
But there was no joy in this victory, only a bone-chilling terror. A monstrous vampire was on its heels, whose overwhelming aura signaling a power far surpassing its own, a creature with a thousand years more cultivation.
"My Lord!" it shrieked, its voice echoing through the storm. "My father is the Mountain Lord of Chuckanut Mountains! My Godfather is Lord Moonfeather! Spare me, for their sake!"
A black blur shot through the air, faster than the eye could follow. The ceremonial sword pierced its hind leg, pinning it to the cliff face.
"Aagh!"
A scream of pain ripped through the storm. "My father is in Bellingham." the young tiger vampire roared, its eyes wild. A slender figure emerged from the rain, approaching the trapped creature with an unhurried pace.
I grabbed its head, my fists raining down, blow after blow, fueled by a seemingly endless torrent of demonic power. The tiger vampire's skull cracked, its eyes glazed over. It was helpless against this onslaught.
Bang! Bang!
Blood splattered, staining the tiger's face crimson. It didn't even notice the gradual waning of my aura.
I couldn't recall how many punches I'd thrown, but I didn't stop until the tiger vampire's face was a pulped, unrecognizable mess. Only then did the crimson mist in my eyes begin to fade.
[Crystal Realm Tiger Vampire slain. Total lifespan: 3820 years. Remaining lifespan: 1912 years. Absorbed.]
[Remaining Absorbed Lifespan: 4378 years]
Another drop of a Crystal Realm vampire's heart blood flowed into the bell.
I approached the tigervamp's corpse, drawing my sword. With practiced ease, I sliced open the creature's belly, extracting the crystal core and any other valuables, depositing them within the silver bell. Then, utterly spent, I collapsed onto the vampire's carcass.
I gasped for breath, my right arm outstretched, the sleeve sliding back to reveal a network of crimson lines tracing across my wrist.
This was the first time I'd unleashed the full power of Vampire Devouring External Crystal. My eyes, no longer clouded with red mist, held a hint of apprehension.
I might not know what a true Crystal Realm crystal looked like, but this External Crystal... despite its appearance, it was a different beast entirely.
When facing Kongo Shintai Jushoku, I'd only opened a small channel, letting just enough demonic power flow into my blade for a killing strike. But unleashing its full power—removing the Melting Sun Furnace's restraints—released a volume of demonic energy I couldn't hope to control.
That seemingly simple palm strike I'd used against the elder tiger vampire, for instance, had consumed nearly a fifth of the External Crystal's reserves. It had shattered the creature's veins, yes, but the strain on my own body had been immense.
A true Crystal, connected to my chambers and orifices, wouldn't allow for such reckless expenditure of power.
"I need to focus on body tempering," I realized, "or this thing will tear me apart."
I winced, turning my attention inward. The Melting Sun Furnace had reasserted its control, suppressing the External Crystal. But the crystal's reserves were significantly drained, the demonic energy within reduced to a mere thirty percent of its capacity. I needed to replenish those reserves, and quickly.
… …
With a sigh, I retrieved the External Crystal and Chloe's gift—nascent Leviasaur crystal core. Instead of swallowing the latter, I brought the two together. The Vampire Devouring External Crystal pulsed with a voracious hunger, threatening to devour the nascent core whole. Its reserves swiftly replenished, reaching the Melting Sun Furnace's current limit of fifty percent. I quickly separated the two, returning the External Crystal to my essence pool.
I examined the Leviasaur crystal core. It was as I'd suspected. A nascent core could replenish the External Crystal by roughly twenty-five percent. This one was nearly depleted. I'd have to consume it soon, before its essence dissipated entirely.
I rested for a while, allowing the lingering bloodlust to fade, then sat up, my mind clear. This was my greatest gain so far.
I summoned my panel, my consciousness focusing. A thousand years of vampire lifespan condensed into a single, shimmering Mind Shard.
[Remaining Absorbed Lifespan: 3378 years]
[Crystal Realm - Resurrected Body (Volume 1): Grandmaster]
Bolstered by my vast reserves of vampiric lifespan, I no longer felt any trace of my earlier apprehension. I didn't need anything fancy, just a complete Crystal Realm body tempering technique. No more risky, unpredictable External Crystal shenanigans.
With that in mind, I concentrated on the Mind Shard. I waited, my anticipation growing with each passing moment.
… …
[Year 1: You consume the vampire crystal, attempting to deduce the second volume of Resurrected Body. The lingering consciousness of the slain vampires begins to stir.]
[Lifespan +20 years]
[Year 3: The young foxvamp scoffs at your attempts at body tempering. "A pointless pursuit for brainless brutes," it sneers. "A waste of time."]
[Year 5: The ape vampire awakens. "Why not just die for a bit?" it suggests. "See if that life essence of yours can bring you back. If it works, your martial arts will surely improve by leaps and bounds."]
I chuckled to myself. I hadn't expected much from these lesser vampires. The Mind Shard could awaken their lingering consciousness, yes, but it took time. If I recalled correctly, the young Leviasaur had taken nearly thirty years to stir.]
[Year 28: The young Leviasaur, Maple Rex, and the Wave Realm tiger vampire awaken. Both are naturally endowed creatures, their physical forms resilient. The Leviasaur takes an interest in the black and white energies swirling within you.]
[Year 46: Maple Rex is tormented by the conflicting energies of life and death, the black and white light binding it like chains. Observing this, you gain a deeper understanding of the technique.]
[Year 127: You attempt to subdue the demonic power with the essence of death, harnessing its vitality for your own benefit. The Leviasaur provides detailed feedback, aiding you in refining your understanding.]
[Year 193: With the Leviasaur's assistance, you finally grasp the fundamentals of the technique. To express your gratitude, you decide to name it the "Subduing Leviasaur Golden Body". But then, the Wave Realm Perfection Leviasaur reminds you of your Hundred Renewal Exoskeleton abilities, suggesting a further refinement.]
[Year 293: The Wave Realm Perfection Leviasaur, mimicking its living form, demonstrates the transformation process. You struggle to grasp the intricacies and request another demonstration.]
This is..., I had been observing patiently, but could no longer contain my excitement. A breakthrough was within my grasp—a complete body tempering technique just moments away. Yet as I read the latest entry on my panel, my fingers tensed.
Even within the same realm, martial arts had varying grades of quality. And this Leviasaur, a mere Wave Realm Perfection creature... was it attempting to elevate this body tempering technique to a higher grade?