Chapter 91: Dark Relation

Chapter 91: Dark Relation

Reivyn bent over and gasped for breath. The Party had sprinted all the way to the second-floor boss room and taken up position at the top of the stairs. They had waited for twenty minutes for the horde of Revenants to appear, but they never did. After determining that the third-floor monsters wouldn't pursue them to the second floor, the Party had retreated all the way to above ground. The feeling of suppression from the Abyss Mana lingered, and they didn't feel relieved until they were once more in the sunlight eternally suspended over the Dungeon.

"Looks like nobody's going to be clearing the third floor until some really high-level Adventurers show up," Alisia said.

"The information from the Adventurer's Guild only says that it's not advised for anyone to go beyond the second floor for now," Melissa commented. "I thought that wouldn't apply to us because of how powerful our group is, but now I see that it's because of the suppression. I wonder why there isn't any more information than that on the third floor?"

"Probably because all of the people who went down there and didn't turn back once they got uncomfortable died," Alisia pointed out. "The Church might know what's down there, but their priority isn't clearing the Dungeon. They're here to prevent corrupted materials from spreading, and they only run the Dungeon to gain Levels and experience for the people here. They might send a high-Level team to check it out, but it's not that important for them. Anyone high enough Level to power through the suppression probably has access to Dungeons just as good as this one, anyway."

"If they know what's down there, wouldn't they spread the word to prevent needless deaths?" Erin asked.

"Yeah, that's why I said they might know about it," Alisia responded.

"I have a friend in the Church," Reivyn said after he caught his breath. He had taken a little more time than the others to recover because he expended vastly more resources than anyone else. "I'll ask him the next time I see him."

I should have realized what was going on when the others mentioned they were feeling uncomfortable but I wasn't, Reivyn mentally kicked himself. I got tunnel vision, and I was so focused on looking out for Revenants in my role as a vanguard, I hadn't been paying enough attention. Reivyn shook his head, a frown on his face. Melissa looked at him and noticed the action.

"What's wrong with you?" Melissa asked. "You saved all of us by stopping the Revenants and Spectres from overwhelming us in the corridor, why are you shaking your head?"

"I should have realized something was up down there," Reivyn answered. "I realized the issue was with the Mana in the depths, but I didn't think it would do anything other than cause discomfort. My own immunity to it caused me to dismiss the possibilities."

"How were you supposed to know it would behave any differently than it has before?" Alisia asked.

"I'm more sensitive to the different Mana coming from the Dungeon," Reivyn said. "If I had called a halt to our advancement, it might have given us a chance to discuss the issue. I might not have realized it would affect our own Mana, but it would have at least given a chance to everyone else to consider what the implications could have been."

"Be that as it may," Melissa said, placing her hand on his shoulder, "That was the first time we've ever experienced any kind of suppression from the different Mana.

"It's not just on you, we all had the opportunity to call a halt when the situation changed. We were just too eager, and we ignored the warning. It's not just your fault."

"I suppose you're right, but that still means I messed up. It just means everyone else did, too," Reivyn chuckled. "I also tell myself to not let myself get complacent or to get tunnel vision, and yet it happens over and over."

"I wouldn't say this was a case where you grew complacent," Alisia remarked. "You just didn't know what you didn't know. How were you supposed to realize we needed to stop and channel our Mana to verify if it was still effective? It would be complacent of you if you ran into a similar situation in the future and didn't do so now that you know it's a possibility."

"Thanks," Reivyn said, a smile on his face. "Your words make me feel a little better about the situation."

"You're welcome," Alisia said with a smile. "Now, let's get out of here. I don't think we're going to be going back to the third floor any time soon. That being said, I think it's a good idea to split our group up into smaller ones to maximize our Experience and Skill gains, and before we leave to go back to The Capital, I want to challenge the full Hard Mode of the second-floor boss. I think we can do it with a little more power."

Reivyn sat on his bed in Meditation circulating his Mana Affinities. He went over the events on the third floor, and the actions he had taken, trying to come up with a better way to handle it.

I didn't need to use so much Mana to destroy the Revenants and Spectres, Reivyn thought. I was just panicking and throwing everything I had at the problem. If I had calmed down and thought more rationally, I would have realized I could have done it in a better way. Using myself as a focus for the Inferno Blast Spell was a good idea, what with so many enemies rushing at us, but I didn't need to overpower it nearly so much.

If I can figure out the most effective way of doing it, I should be strong enough to solo even that battle. Especially after my parents finally helped me fill up my Bloodline. It's still not fully unlocked - there seems to be some hidden trigger that even my parents don't know about - but I still gained a ton of additional Stats from it.

Reivyn pulled up his Status Page.

Status Name: Reivyn Class: Light Magus Lvl 7

Fighter Age: 11 (17) Health: 4,860/4,860 (+200) Stamina: 7,821/9,330 (+260) Mana: 1,933/4,580 Physical Stats Mental Stats STR: 447 (+6) INT: 455 VIT: 486 (+20) MAG: 461 DEX: 447 (+6) CLA: 400 CHA: 139 PER: 404 LUK: 138 Bloodline: Unknown 26,413/∞;Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Additional Requirements to Unlock

Experience: 3,919/8,000

Reivyn had gained 216 additional points in each of his Physical and Mental Stats, and an additional 72 points in Charisma and Luck. He had gained a total of 300 points in his normal Stats and 100 points in the other two from dumping Experience and treasures into his Bloodline. The System simply calculated the equivalent Experience by using the natural treasures that his parents provided.

My Bloodline is clearly an evolution of the combination of my parents, but I have no idea what it's going to do once I fully unlock it. There also aren't any hints at what needs to be done to do so provided by the System. The only hint I have is the origination of my mother's Bloodline, but dad says his family doesn't remember anything about theirs. He just knows that it's not a derivative of the Imperial Vynn Bloodline.

He had been worried that he would lose the ability to siphon Experience into his Bloodline if he unlocked it, but his mother had allayed his concerns.

"Bloodlines can be upgraded further once they're unlocked. Because your Bloodline isn't fully activated, yet, the materials required are just within reach of your father and me. Our Bloodline is fairly powerful, though, and the level of materials required to upgrade it any further has to come from a Tier 5 Region or higher. That's one reason why Bloodlines found in lower Tier Regions are often weak.

"We had to flee our home before I was able to upgrade my Bloodline. Our family routinely sought after the natural treasures required to do so, but it was customary to wait until Tier 3 to go through the process."

His fears put to rest, Reivyn had absorbed the energies from the pile of resources his parents had procured. Several of the herbs had been refined into pills, and he simply had to swallow them and let the medicine do its work. Many of the treasures weren't ingredients in pills, though, and not all of them were even herbs. Some of the items were toxic, and consuming them like a pill would kill one before it enhanced the Bloodline.

It had been a week-long process and he did it during his break before heading to Magron, as the energies had to suffuse his Bloodline. He simply didn't have a large enough stomach to take them all in quick succession. If he took too many at once, the large amount of energy could also be detrimental. To absorb the energies from the toxic herbs and metals, he had been guided by his mother to gather up the energy with his Mana Manipulation Skill and slowly draw it into his body and direct it toward his heart.

He could feel his body grow more powerful over time, and he was greatly anticipating what would happen when the Experience counter finally reached the required ten million. The treasures had finally ticked the number over, and he waited with bated breath for the unlocking to happen. After sitting for several minutes with nothing happening, though, he checked his status and saw the change in his Bloodline.

He had discussed the issue with his parents, but neither of them had heard of a situation where an additional trigger was required to fully unlock a Bloodline. His parents had told him they would research their own Bloodlines and see if they could discover any clues to the matter, though his father had said it would probably take a long time since the history of his Bloodline had been lost generations ago.

Reivyn had also Leveled up twice when he gained just over 14,000 experience, most of it from the two instances of gaining 5,000 bonus Experience for technically clearing the second floor, from running the Dungeon over the past two weeks. He got almost zero Combat Experience, only getting a little for the couple of times he had intervened during the first foray with his roommates, and an additional 4,000 from decimating that horde of Revenants and Spectres.

I can definitely see some people exploiting this and running people through the first two floors for a fee. It's basically five Experience Crystals, and it could be sold at a cheaper price than the crystals themselves because one would have to travel all the way here and actually spend the time in the Dungeon.

It might seem like a loophole in the System for quickly gaining Experience, but then you run into the problem of gaining too many Levels too quickly. The System is pretty fair in balancing these issues.

Personally, I could wait a month and run the Dungeon the same way three more times to reach Level 9, or I could go ahead and turn my siphon ability back on - it still works - and move on to challenging the third floor with my parents' people. I think it's a better idea to clear it with them first before I attempt to solo it.

"I should hope so!" Galwit said, surprised. "If they weren't, then they wouldn't be family."

"So it's not you, personally, that's associated with an Abyss Cult, but it's your entire family," Reivyn said.

Prince Galwit's eyes widened, and he quickly pulled something out of a drawer, activating it. Reivyn could sense a magical barrier of some sort spring up and surround the office.

"Quiet! This place wasn't warded," Prince Galwit exclaimed with panic. He frowned and eyed Reivyn seriously for a short moment. "How do you know about the Abyss and my connection to it?" Reivyn pulled back in surprise.

"Wait, what? Isn't that what we were talking about?" Reivyn asked.

"No, I was talking about blood," Galwit said. "I felt a resonance in my blood when I passed by you nearly a year ago."

"Wouldn't that still be in the same territory?" Reivyn asked, confused. "Unless you really are an outlier, and it's just you that has an association with the Abyss." Prince Galwit considered Reivyn across from him a moment before he responded.

"No, it's my entire family," he said. "Eons ago, my ancestors were part of an invading force on this Realm. We lost the war, and they capitulated, agreeing to swear fealty to those that had defeated them in combat. The way back to the Abyss Realm had closed, and there was no way to retreat. My ancestors were split into two factions: One wanted to fully integrate into this Realm, and the other wanted to maintain a level of separation, refusing to give up their Abyss Mana.

"I figured that you were a descendant of the first faction, and it would have made sense that you didn't know about the connection to the Abyss Realm if your ancestors had fully integrated and erased any evidence of their origin. That's why I was so surprised when you suddenly blurted it out." Galwit paused for a second to gather his thoughts. "So your family is aware of their origins, then?"

"Umm, no?" Reivyn replied. "I simply saw you and your followers using Abyss Mana in the Cobbled Ruins. My family doesn't originate from the Abyss Realm, at all. I know perfectly well where my ancestry is from: The Tier 4 Vynn Empire. I just happened to gain access to the Tier 5 Abyss Affinity through an accident in the Dungeon, and I thought that was what you had sensed."

Galwit stared at Reivyn for another moment before throwing his head back and laughing.

"This is even better!" He cheered. "Our family's goal, over the millennia, has been to find a way to make Abyss Mana mainstream and not seen as Heretical, at least by the denizens of this Realm. We had long conceded that it might be impossible for the System itself to recognize that fact. My goal was to bring you along to Eldiar with me, and slowly, over time, use the example of your ancestry integrating into this Realm as a means to further the goal.

"That is if you had been who I thought you were.

"This is even better, though! You're a true member of this Realm, and yet you have access to the Abyss Affinity! Do you know what this means?" Reivyn shook his head. "It means we might be able to find a way for the System itself to stop viewing Abyss Mana as Heretical. After all, you have it, and I can see that you aren't considered a heretic."

"How do you know that?" Reivyn asked. "And aren't you worried that I'll rat you out to the Church of Light or something?"

"You would have already," Galwit waved away the concern. "I know you're friends with Senior Sword-Priest Josn. You would have told him about your findings if you had wanted to. And that very relationship is the reason I know you're not a heretic. I have a special magical item that hides my Abyss Mana, but I don't sense anything similar from you."

"Ok, so let me get this straight," Reivyn said. "Your family is descended from people who lost an ancient war, and you've kept your connection to the Abyss this entire time. You're not part of some cult organization, or have ties to one?"

"Hmph, the Cult," Galwit said with disdain. "They were a splinter group expelled from our ranks thousands of years ago. They risk jeopardizing everything we've accomplished so far. And for what? Brief personal power? We're not going to muster any grand crusade again, any time soon."

"Well, that's a relief," Reivyn responded. He could tell Galwit's feelings over the matter were completely genuine.

"Is that why you've been so cautious around me? Because of the people who incited the Dungeon Break?" Reivyn nodded his head. "Well, let me ask you this: What do you know about the Abyss Realm?"

"All I know is that it has bloodthirsty, sadistic people who turn other people into resources through dark alchemy. They can turn people into demons, and their overall vibe is one of darkness and death." Galwit stroked his chin as he considered Reivyn's words.

"You've only ever experienced things from the Cult," Galwit pointed out. "They were extremists. In reality, the Abyss Realm is almost identical to this Realm. There are Lifestyle Classes and Combat Classes, and the vast majority of people pursue a regular life.

"I can see the question in your eyes: 'how do I know this if I've never been there?'

"The answer to that is quite simple. My family was part of the group that chose to integrate, but we didn't want to give up our roots. We especially make sure to have internal lessons about the Abyss, and we've kept it up for thousands of years. Part of those lessons is to learn the truth of what the Abyss Realm is like.

"It's true that there are people like the cultists in the Abyss, and some people can be transformed into demons and other things. But that's not everyone. The way Abyss Mana works is it feeds on emotions to empower the people. Rage, hatred, and bloodthirst are common emotions for powerful Combat Classes, and so it would make sense that that is what you've experienced.

"Take Ren, for example. I recruited him as one of my followers because I had sensed the influence of Abyss Mana on him already. He was compromised by the people associated with the cultists who orchestrated the Dungeon Break long before you ever even met him. He was in the shadow of his twin sister his whole life, and that had fostered rage and resentment in him. I saw this connection, so I picked him up.

"Each of the other people I've recruited to follow me have similar situations, though it's not always negative emotions. The Lifestyle Classes in the Abyss are fueled by passion. Passion for their craft, passion for their loved ones, or passion for anything else.

"This is the heart of the reason for our goal of making Abyss Mana mainstream. We're all just people, like you."

"That's a lot to consider," Reivyn said. He sat in silence for a moment, mulling over the words. They rang truthful in his ears. "I have one last question, for now: You don't exhibit anything like what you just described."

"More of a statement than a question," Galwit mumbled. He chuckled and answered the implied question. "My lineage is one of nobility. It's not just that we're nobles in Eldiar, but my ancestors were nobles in the Abyss, too. Common citizens of the Abyss are empowered through embracing their emotions and passions, and the nobles are empowered by nurturing those emotions and passions in their followers.

"It makes for a great system. Each group gives and gets something from the other, far more tangible even than the nobility structures of this Realm. That's another reason why I recruited Ren. I was able to get him out of home confinement and help him develop his Class and Skills, and his loyalty directly contributes to my own."

"Okay, so all of that to convince me to join you in your grand endeavor," Reivyn mused out loud. "Well, I have my own plans, but I'm also not against extending what help I can. I'm not biased against the Abyss per se, just the ones that want to slaughter innocents or turn them into Experience Crystals. I say we let nature takes its course, and we can reconvene in Eldiar once I move to their Academy."

"That's all I ever hoped for," Galwit said with a smile. "I'll help you out with anything when we're there, and feel free to ask for my assistance with anything at any time, here, as well. I won't keep you any longer."

The two youths stood up and shook hands once more. Reivyn left feeling relieved that he wasn't going to have to defend against some other dark conspiracy involving a noble family of Eldiar.

I don't mind giving what assistance I can, especially if it leads to a peaceful conclusion, Reivyn thought as he exited the manor. I don't know why, but I'm sure that everything he said to me was the truth.

Skill Unlocked!

Tier 3:

Detect Lies/Truth (0 ->1)

Ahh, that would explain it, he chuckled.