City of Sin

Book 2, 212

To Return Home

Bloodline abilities had been studied extensively in Norland. They did not pop out of thin air, instead drawing power based on the wielder’s class. For a warrior that was energy and for mage mana, but there were other options like astral power, fire, and moonforce. This absorbed power was then mutated into the ability, be it powerful or useless. That was why only a lucky few had the gift to be born with them. Most people unlocked abilities as they grew in level.

Those like Richard, possessing multiple bloodlines that could grant abilities, were often met with the quandary of choice. The more they used one of their bloodlines, the more it would develop. With time, it would grow to dominate the rest.

Richard allowed his mind to still once more, his soul force gradually spreading out. The mana within his body started to radiate outside, seemingly sensing something.

With the mana rippling out from his silent sea of consciousness, it revealed the occasional ray of blue astral light nearby. These rays were trapped by the mana, pulled into his body to slightly strengthen him. This light immediately dissolved once it entered his body, but it turned a small portion of his mana blue.

This was the beginning portion of Sharon’s unique meditation technique, the Deepblue Fantasy. This method allowed one to sense rays of astral light that held unknown properties, not using elemental mana. This blue energy was somewhat similar to astral power, but it wasn’t exactly the same. Outside of the ability to substitute for all other kinds of mana, Richard hadn’t been able to find any of its unique strengths yet.

Richard had only begun to use the Deepblue Fantasy after he advanced to level 10. Every ray he caught was equivalent to a tenth of a point of mana. He could normally capture anywhere from one to three rays for every hour of meditation, making the technique thrice as fast as any ordinary methods. These details were proof of how rich the Deepblue’s inheritance was.

Meditation was not easy. Richard found it difficult to enter the depths of his mind, which was why he only managed to find a single astral ray within the hour. On top of that, his Archeron bloodline suddenly grew boisterous the moment it entered him, absorbing the power quickly!

This was the first time his bloodline was absorbing power of its own accord. All of a sudden it flashed an image in his mind, one that was extremely familiar to him: a fragment of the future scenes he had witnessed due to the divine grace. It was an image of Sharon, her body floating in the boundless void.

Richard abruptly opened his eyes, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The crimson liquid did not even make it to the floor, vapourising the moment it spurted out!

*Bang!* The door to his room was suddenly pushed open; Flowsand had darted in from next door, barely in time to see the wisp of bloody mist. She couldn’t help but cry out, “What’s wrong?”

Some shuffling sounds rang out, and Waterflower and Phaser charged in as well, in that order. They were both closely connected to Richard’s soul, and immediately sensed him wavering. This distress was like a haze that stretched out to push them down, as if about to devour the entire world in a moment.

Richard swayed, suddenly feeling fatigued and weak. He couldn’t help but lean into Flowsand’s embrace, looking pale as he closed his eyes and said gently, “I’m... I’m fine. I... I just want to go home.”

Seeing the blood still flowing from the corner of his mouth, Flowsand hugged him tightly, “We will! We’ll go back very soon! What’s wrong with you? Don’t... don’t scare me!”

She tried to wipe the blood off his face, but her ice-cold hands were shaking. She only managed to smear the bloodstains further.

The blood Richard had coughed out reeked with the aura of magic, feeling very similar to the greatest catastrophe a mage could ever be plagued by— mana disintegration. Flowsand’s mind had blanked the moment she came through the door to see the evaporating mist. She was no longer the divine cleric who was calm as water, instead holding the young man tightly in her arms as she felt just as helpless as any other.

Although their souls were not connected, she could still sense the haze of despair appearing in the depths of his soul, practically covering the last light of his consciousness. It felt like the heavens themselves were collapsing, leaving her without the strength to reach out and resist.

Stood at the side, Waterflower just held the Shepherd of Eternal Rest tightly while at a loss. She only knew to kill, not to heal. While those delicate fingers of hers were pale with the exertion already, she knew that her blade could do nothing in this situation.

It was instead Phaser, standing silently in the corner so far, that said something stiffly. This was still divine tongue, but it was the same language used in Norland so Flowsand could understand. “Divine spell. Restoration.”

Flowsand suddenly returned to herself, only then remembering that she was a cleric. She helped Richard up and quickly started a chant, preparing the healing spell. It would not fix the mana disintegration, but at least it would treat the wounds. However, even this spell that she could recite in her dreams she failed twice, only managing to cast it properly on the third attempt.

The rejuvenating power immediately seeped into every part of Richard’s body, returning a rosy tint to his pale face. The violent movements of his Archeron bloodline finally abated, the berserking mana quieting down.

Richard closed his eyes, recovering for a moment before he opened them again, “I’m fine. There were just some small issues during the meditation. There’s no need to worry.”

Flowsand opened her mouth, but eventually decided not to continue the topic, “Alright... But don’t meditate anymore tonight. The spell needs time to work.”

Richard nodded, smiling as he always did, “Fine, no problem. You lot should get back to sleep now!” His elegant elven face had been sharpened and restrained by numerous trips to death’s door.

It was indeed late. Just like they had arrived, Waterflower and Phaser turned into two shadows that silently left the room. When Flowsand was at the door, she suddenly turned back and said earnestly, “We will return quickly.”

Richard maintained that striking smile as he shook his head, “There’s no rush. We shouldn’t hurry the matter, just keep working on our own schedule.”

“Mm!” the cleric nodded hard before returning to her room, giving him some space.

Richard lay down on the bed, but just couldn’t fall asleep. The restoration spell was showing its effects: the divine power had activated his body’s healing abilities, healing the injuries very quickly. By the time the divine force was completely exhausted, a biting fatigue ate into every sinew of his body that left him craving rest. However, the moment he closed his eyes those premonitions that shook him to the very core appeared in his sight once more. They were impossible to get rid of.

Since he couldn’t sleep, he got dressed and made his way out of bed, taking out his tools as he began to craft runes.