Sign of Death

Robb returned to the workshop in high spirits. The successful evaluation had left him feeling especially light-hearted.

Being able to skip directly to the third-phase courses meant gaining access to advanced knowledge much sooner, something he had long yearned for.

"Valenwood, I'm back!" he called out cheerfully as he pushed open the workshop door.

The dryad stood quietly in the corner. Upon hearing Robb's voice, she gently turned, her leaves drawing glowing letters in the air:

"Congratulations, Master. The exam must have gone well."

Robb nodded and hung his outer robe on the coat rack by the door.

"Better than expected. They've allowed me to jump straight to the third phase."

As he spoke, he walked over to Valenwood and examined her closely, the creature that had once been pure plant life.

Over the past days, her changes had become quite pronounced. Her form had fully taken on a soft, feminine silhouette. The "dress" woven from vines now reached the floor, creating an elegant and mysterious appearance.

However, Robb also noticed that compared to a few days ago, Valenwood's transformation had halted.

Her facial features remained vague, recognizable positions for eyes, nose, and mouth, but still far from the sharp definition of a human face.

"How are you feeling lately, Valenwood?" Robb asked softly, concern in his voice.

Valenwood's vines quivered slightly.

"Very calm, Master. The dreams… have stopped coming."

Robb nodded thoughtfully.

Just as he'd suspected, Valenwood's evolution seemed to have reached a bottleneck.

The energy in the leftover potion residues was no longer enough to push her further toward a higher form.

"That's normal," Robb reassured her. "Every evolution requires sufficient energy buildup. We can try some new methods."

He picked up a small vial from his workbench, which contained leftover residue from a freshly refined batch of Sunfire Essence. Despite being waste by human standards, it still held traces of active energy.

While worthless to a typical potion user, to Valenwood, it might still offer nourishment.

"Try this," he said, handing her the vial. "This residue is from the latest batch and might be more compatible with your needs."

Valenwood carefully poured the contents at the base of her roots.

Almost instantly, the residue was absorbed. Her vines and leaves began to tremble slightly, as if she were savoring the warmth flowing into her body.

"It feels… warm," she wrote smoothly in the air. "Thank you, Master."

Robb smiled and turned toward his lab bench.

Though Valenwood was stable for now, her further evolution would clearly require more potent energy sources, and more precise bloodline activation techniques.

"Once I've fully mastered bloodline modulation and activation, I'll try to help you awaken further," Robb said while tidying his equipment. "I believe there's a far older, more powerful bloodline slumbering within you."

Valenwood was silent for a moment. Then her vines moved again.

"Master… do you think I could become more like the ones I saw in my dreams?"

"I believe you can," Robb said firmly. "Every being has its own potential. You've already shown remarkable promise, Valenwood."

Her branches swayed gently, conveying silent gratitude and anticipation.

Robb turned his attention to preparing for tonight's important ritual.

Meanwhile, in the Enforcement Squad's temporary outpost, Andrey was robotically repeating his work, sorting various wood samples collected from the edge of the Black Mist Forest.

His hands moved with practiced ease, fingers nimbly dividing the pieces based on grain and hardness.

But clearly, his mind wasn't on the task.

"Seventy-eight… seventy-nine… wait, this one belongs in the hardwood pile…"

He muttered, moving a miscategorized piece.

The dim room was lit only by a few magestone lamps. Tools and forest samples lay scattered in the corners. A detailed map of the forest hung on the wall, marked with threat levels and patrol routes.

Nearby, Norris was reviewing patrol reports.

He looked up at Andrey with a frown.

"That's your third mistake today. Focus."

"Sorry," Andrey said, forcing a smile. "Something's been bothering me."

Norris sighed. Knowing Andrey's royal background, he softened his tone a little: "Everyone has problems, but one moment of distraction during a mission could be fatal. Last week, that apprentice Jacob almost got hit with poison from a three-eyed toad just because he zoned out."

Andrey nodded, trying to concentrate. But his mind kept drifting to the upcoming bloodline activation ritual.

Ever since confirming the details with Robb, he'd felt a strange mix of anticipation and dread.

Awakening a bloodline meant power, but also risk.

Lost in thought, his hand slipped. A sharp wood shard cut across his finger, leaving a thin trail of blood.

"Damn it!" he cursed, pressing a clean cloth to the wound.

Norris sighed again and came over.

"You're really out of it today. Here."

He handed over a small bottle of healing potion.

"It's just a scratch. No need to trouble you, sir," Andrey said, waving it off.

"It's not about the scratch," Norris said sternly.

"It's about your focus. Next time, it might not be just a finger."

Andrey gave a weak smile and accepted the potion, dabbing a drop on the wound. The cut healed quickly, but the unease in his heart did not.

Just then, the door burst open. A squad captain rushed in, face tense.

"Emergency! A patrol team found a body on the northern edge. We need to respond immediately!"

Andrey and Norris shot to their feet.

"What happened?" Norris asked, already gathering gear.

"Karl. One of the apprentices who often took border missions," the captain replied. "Looks like he was attacked by a mutant. The body shows clear signs of corruption."

Andrey's heart sank.

Karl, he knew him. A fellow Farwynd countryman. They weren't close, but familiar enough.

"A mutant? This close to the academy?" Norris frowned.

"Yes. Karl had almost made it to safety," the captain said grimly. "If he'd been a little faster, he might've survived. We need to handle the body now, before the corruption spreads."

Andrey grabbed his emergency gear. He knew mutated corpses would continue releasing corruptive energy.

If not handled quickly, they could destroy the environment, or spawn more abominations.

"Let's move. You help too," Norris ordered.

Andrey followed the team out, but he knew, this mission would likely make him miss the bloodline ritual with Robb.

Sunset.

Robb added the final drop of reagent into the beaker. The liquid shifted from dark red to a glowing amber with golden sparkles, releasing a mesmerizing aroma.

"Perfect."

He nodded in satisfaction and carefully transferred the mixture into a special crystal vial.

"This is it. The final version of the bloodline activation potion."

Valenwood stood beside him, watching attentively.

Her leaves swirled softly.

"Master's craftsmanship is becoming increasingly refined."

Robb smiled and tucked away the vial.

"This is the one I'm most proud of so far. Theoretically, it should guide the activation direction with precision, and significantly reduce the risk of mutation."

He glanced at the window. The sun had dipped into a red glow, casting a golden veil over the forest.

"Strange. Andrey should've arrived by now."

He looked at the wall clock and frowned.

"He's usually very punctual."

Robb decided to relax and reached for Foundations of Alchemy from the shelf.

Last time, this book had improved his alchemical skills. Maybe another round of reading would offer fresh insight.

The core of alchemy lies in understanding the essence of matter and rearranging its components…

He traced the words with his finger, reading aloud softly.

…Through specific procedures and media, one can transform material forms, even alter their fundamental properties…

As he read on, the knowledge slowly settled into his mind. Connections formed like puzzle pieces coming together.

[Basic Alchemy (Novice) EXP +1]

Indeed, potion-making and alchemy shared many principles, both focused on transformation and energy flow, differing only in methods and applications.

As a skilled Potion Master with the Deep Knowledge trait, Robb advanced quickly in alchemy.

Before he knew it, half an hour had passed. His alchemy XP had steadily risen to (Novice 12/50).

He closed the book and rubbed his tired eyes. Looking outside again, night had fully fallen.

The magestone lights in the workshop flicked on automatically, chasing away the shadows. But Andrey was still nowhere to be seen.

"This isn't right…" Robb murmured. "He's not the kind to be late, let alone miss an appointment."

Just as he was about to head to the Enforcement Squad to ask, Valenwood's voice formed in the air:

"Master, someone's here. It's Lord Andrey."

Moments later, urgent knocking confirmed her warning.

Robb rushed to open the door.

Andrey stood there, his face etched with fatigue and worry. His clothes were stained and rumpled, clearly showing signs of some unpleasant ordeal.

"I'm so sorry, Robb," he said the moment he entered. "Something came up. I had to take care of it first."

"What happened?" Robb asked, handing him a cup of hot tea.

"You look exhausted."

Andrey took a deep breath and a sip.

"Karl is dead."

"Karl?" Robb searched his memory, remembering Mira had once traded information about him.

"He and his partner went missing near the forest edge. So it's true…"

Andrey nodded grimly.

"Yes. He was almost back inside the safe zone when a mutant attacked him. The squad moved fast, but it was too late."

He continued: "The body was already showing signs of mutation and corruption. We had to deal with it immediately, or it could've spread and caused more mutants to appear."

Robb listened in silence, the image of the grotesque, twisted Darude flashing in his mind, the battle that nearly killed him.

Back then, he was lucky. He hadn't been infected. He didn't even have the watch to cleanse corruption yet.

"Mutant activity really is increasing near the academy."

Andrey nodded.

"Some say it's due to secret experiments leaking. Others think the corruption itself is spreading…"

He shook his head, as if trying to shake off the heavy mood.

"Anyway, once we cleaned up, I rushed back. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's not your fault. These things are beyond your control."

Robb clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"The ritual doesn't have to be rushed. Rest a bit first."

Andrey nodded gratefully, though exhaustion still weighed on him.

Originally, he'd suggested doing it tomorrow at noon, but Robb had reconsidered.

With how volatile the activation energy already was, adding the noon sun's boost might make the ritual suicidal…

As night deepened, tension inside the workshop grew.

Robb and Andrey stood in the center of a specially prepared ritual space, surrounded by seven enchanted candles. Their flickering light gave the room a mystical aura.

A complex ritual circle was drawn on the floor, designed by Robb using details from The Complete Guide to Bloodline Activation and secret notes Andrey had provided from the royal archives.

The circle resembled a sun, with seven main channels extending outward. Each was inscribed with symbols representing Life, Power, Balance, Purification, Stability, Guidance, and Awakening.

"Are you ready?" Robb asked quietly, holding the glowing bloodline activation potion.

Andrey stood shirtless in the center, his skin gleaming under the candlelight.

He took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm ready. I've waited a long time for this."

Robb sensed his friend's tension, but didn't mention it.

Instead, he began executing the ritual, step by step.

"First, activate the circle as planned."

He took out seven small energy crystals soaked in Solargrass essence. These would guide the flow of solar energy.

One by one, he placed them at the seven key points of the circle. As the final crystal settled, the circle lit up with a soft golden glow.

"Now, the second step."

Robb cast a concerned glance at Andrey, whose clenched jaw was audibly grinding from stress.

"The runes don't go on the circle alone. They must also be painted onto your body to direct the potion's flow to the correct body meridians and bloodline nodes."

He took out a bottle of special silver ink and began carefully painting runes onto Andrey's skin.

The ink was cool and caused a slight sting, evidence of the active ingredients within.

Robb's hands moved with practiced precision. Each symbol landed perfectly on the critical acupoints.

Andrey felt something strange, as if the runes weren't merely on the surface, but sinking deep into muscle and bone.

"And now, the final, and most crucial, step."

Robb held out the potion.

"Drink it. Stay conscious. Guide the power, don't let it guide you."

Andrey nodded, accepting the vial.

The light shining through the crystal container reflected a sea of gold in his eyes.

"Robb… if… if the ritual fails, if something goes wrong… and you ever return... to the kingdom… can I ask you... to look... after…"

He trailed off, voice unsteady, the glow in his eyes dimming with fear.