Rising god
Chapter 99: First Vessel of Gore

Chapter 99: First Vessel of Gore

Around the body, connected from the core to every part of the body, are streams. Invisible to the physical eye, those spiritual streams carry energy from the core around the body. Another reason they were called spiritual was that they weren’t visible even when the body was cut.

And along that whole connection of streams, there were nine that were very crucial in distribution. What the Blood Clan thought of was using those distribution points as gathering points instead. The head, groin, middle point, wrists, knees, and shoulders were the Nine Vessels of Gore.

Baines chose the middle point, where his core resided, to forge his first vessel. The audacious plan was to form a secondary core within his existing one. Easy right? Except it wasn’t.

His body, honed by the mist’s purifying effects, was in a state of deep focus, as if submerged in enlightenment. His core was unlike others was a void where six stars hovered, with half cloaked in decaying air, and half crackling with cutting force.

’Can I just demarcate it?’ he wondered. Since his core was void in the first place, he wouldn’t leak any aura from his core. He acted on it and targeted the streams on the right side of the core, intending to reroute them to the left.

Basically, he was going to remove the streams latching on the right side of his core over to the left side.

However, before then, he had to reconnect them first.

The streams were stubborn, glue-like, clinging to themselves and resisting manipulation. Baines worked meticulously to branch each stream one by one, connecting them to the left side. Hours passed, his concentration unyielding despite the tedious labor. When the final stream was rerouted, a surge of energy roared through him, his aura flaring briefly before stabilizing.

He had filled one side with more energy pathways; of course, his aura would temporarily increase. Afterwards, he used another stream to demarcate the core with the stars and the empty right side.

It took hours for his left core to balance and recognize its new space. He didn’t move one bit and stayed for the whole process.

After that, the right side was finally almost free.

With a deep breath, he began the agonizing task of yanking the right-side streams free.

Pang!

The first stream snapped, the sound like taut rubber breaking.

His brain stopped for a moment as the pain exploded in his body. This was a visceral torment unlike any he’d endured. It wasn’t a physical wound but an assault on his spiritual essence, the kind that drove warriors to madness.

The pain was so much that Eye went into effect to dull his pain receptors, and he still felt it. Eye stopped the pain on his body but not on his spiritual system.

Baines grunted, his sanity fraying as blood trickled from his nose. His vision went in and out. This was the worst pain he had ever experienced, even emotional pain didn’t hurt this badly.

When someone said they got an internal injury and it wasn’t their internal organs, it was this. And the pain varied according to the level of injury on their stream.

What of tearing it off?

The blood that had been finding it difficult to come from his body burst out. He screamed to the top of his lungs simultaneously.

Without hesitation, he tore the second stream.

Blood rushed to his head, the pain a white-hot inferno threatening to consume him.

It was too maddening. Unfortunately for him, he still had four more. Suicidal thoughts flickered; at this time, it was better to die than to feel this pain.

Eye released countless substances in his body to keep him awake. He couldn’t control it again when Eye took over and snapped the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth streams in succession.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" His roar echoed, a primal cry of suffering and defiance bouncing across the walls of his room. Blood poured from his mouth, eyes, and ears, pooling beneath him as he collapsed. It didn’t take seconds for his consciousness to slip away.

Five days later, his eyes fluttered open, his body soaked in crusted blood. The mist had worked tirelessly, knitting his ravaged spirit and body back together. Pain still throbbed, but he could move.

Without pause, he sank into meditation, finding his core transformed. All streams now fed the left side core, leaving the right side a blank canvas. With a slight focus.

Shuu...

The cores split from themselves. The division was complete.

The effects were immediate.

Shaaaa...

Aura flooded him, his body toughening, his perception sharpening, his will crystallizing. And for a fleeting moment, a concept glimmered in his mind, the concept of a domain, a grandmaster’s threshold. He had reached high 6th star.

That wasn’t all,

[NATURAL SHIFT HAS BEEN MADE TO YOUR BONES]

’What does that mean?’

[YOUR BODY HAS AGED A YEAR.]

His birthday. Today was his birthday.

He stared into the void, his heart heavy. "Eye, replay it," he whispered, and like a memory, Eye reminded him of everything that had happened to him. How his family was taken from him.

Tears mixed with the blood dripped from his eyes. As he aged, he shouldn’t forget.

Now, it had been twelve years since he had seen his brothers and father, and seven since he had been betrayed, and last seen his mother and sister.

Everything calculated, and it had been around over six months since he left the ruins of Ashenfall. He had accomplished a lot; however, to him, the only ever true achievement was finding his brother.

’Just wait for me,’ His eyes closed again.

Baines was now nineteen years old.

***

The Sun Destroyer’s presence transformed the atmosphere, formality replacing revelry. No, rather, it was the presence of the imperial commander.

No one said more than usual, or acted less than, there was always a keen reminder that a true authority was present.

At this point, one could imagine how Darkan’s family head felt.

After being continuously pressured for answers, the nobles took matters into their hands and literally sent their people to search the whole clan. Well, they would’ve succeeded if they weren’t dragons.

Numerous things were said to him that he had to endure. Things like, how would you let a soldier under you disrespect you like this? However, he just ignored them. Almost all of them hadn’t seen Jin before, so they didn’t know how he was.

His mere attitude could anger everyone in this party at once, yet his value was incalculable.

Once again, Aires Perseus, the clan’s rising star, drew attention during friendly spars, his prowess catching noble eyes. Some demanded his transfer, arguing the Darkans didn’t need both Jin and Aires.

Maybe the painful part was, Darkan’s leader couldn’t do anything. Thankfully, he was protected by this group of visitors from a different continent.

The church of light.

After swearing continuously, they had no ill will or schemes even with their god, they were let through. And who were they here for?

Aires Perseus.

As soon as he saw them, he felt the connection. Out of curiosity, he approached the woman at the forefront, a serene woman radiating a divine aura. "Excuse me, miss, I heard you’re from the Church of Light," he said shyly.

"That is correct," she replied, smiling warmly.

"Um, how do I put it?" Without a choice, he explained everything that had happened to him, "... and I feel the same power from you. Can you tell me what that place was?" He leaned closer, whispering, "Can you also tell me who that god was?"

The woman’s smile deepened. "How would you like to be a hero candidate?"

"Hero?" Aires blinked, caught off guard. After a moment, he nodded. "I think I would," He still wasn’t sure, but he knew he loved saving people and that was the basis of being a hero, right?

"That alone is enough. Come find us when you’re ready. Then you’ll know everything." A golden sword mark appeared on his hand, a divine sigil, and she gave him a plaque for identification.

With that, the church departed.

The Imperial Commander’s arrival followed, his silence deafening.

He joined the banquet, savoring food and music, but spoke to no one. His presence was a blade at the Darkans’ throat, yet no one dared approach him. The pressure was unrelenting, and when he couldn’t take it anymore, the Darkan Head leaned toward a servant, his voice low.

"Send a message to Jin. He has three days to end his holiday."