City of Verdan 2

"We're approaching the city!" The shout of an adventurer at the Traven's front jolted me out of my trance.

I'd been idly lazing around for hours. It had been about a day and a half since we left for Verdan, and the sun was directly above my head.

Apart from interacting with the members of the adventure party, I was becoming increasingly bored as time passed.

I had been fighting with my thoughts throughout the journey, attempting to find out the best way to use my newfound bloodline power.

With nothing else to do, my imagination frequently drifted into unlimited possibilities. I considered many tactics and implementations of my bloodline ability.

Throughout the journey, my thoughts converged on a few major findings regarding my bloodline, which I learned via guilt-tripping Edda for keeping information hidden from me.

For starters, it became clear that my distinctive bloodline's primary ability was not to emulate or mimic other bloodlines.

Instead, it hinted at an entirely new and previously unknown capability.My bloodline's actual nature remained a mystery, and I could only imagine the incredible abilities that awaited me when it fully awakened.

Another revelation emerged, implying that no matter how many other bloodlines I assimilated, my own race would stay untouched.

Despite my Phoenix heritage, I would always retain my human appearance and features. I wouldn't be able to inherit the Phoenix's innate abilities, such as the ability to shapeshift into a human form or its majestic beast-like original form.

Because I am simply emulating their bloodline and not genuinely integrating with it, there will be no physical change in my body.

The third thing I discovered was that I needed a person's blood essence to imitate their bloodline.

The demand for blood essence was more than just collecting a blood sample; it was essentially taking a piece of a person's life. The word "blood essence" took on a fresh significance in this world, referring to the life force that flowed through one's body and was inextricably linked to the awakened bloodline.

Obtaining blood essence was like asking for a piece of someone's life, and it could only be done through physical contact.

'Either Sylvia is crazy or she got too excited for taking in a disciple'.

That was the only explanation I could think of for why she would give me a portion of her life or blood essence, even if she could live for millennia.

Giving or receiving blood essence was more than simply an odd activity; it was considered a severe taboo by many races.

This was primarily because it directly contradicted the teachings and beliefs associated with the goddess of life, who was worshipped as one of the world's primordial deities.

It's not that no one does it, but if they are caught, they will all be executed. This is carried out in every race.

This brought to mind something I'd been thinking about for the majority of the trip.

The women I had to rizz in order for them to freely offer me their blood essence, even if the world considers it taboo.

Most of them fell into one of two categories: they are either the descendants of gods, also known as the heroines, or they are the women whose roles are those of the game's villainesses.

Adding to the complexity was the fact that the women I sought were typically at two extremes.

They were either dangerously unhinged and would become fanatically obsessed with me if they fell in love with me, falling into the "yandere" category, or they wielded powers so formidable that a mere thought could end me with little to no effort.

The rest of them either have a weak bloodline or are too fragile for my taste.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" .The woman's voice, which came from behind me and that I had been listening to from the beginning of the journey, brought me back to reality.

"Just thinking about some stuff," I said, not turning to face her. Jessica and I had grown closer over the journey, creating a sort of camaraderie as we shared our thoughts and opinions.

"Hmmm, anyway, look, the city arrived and nothing bad happened."As she approached me, she stated

Throughout the entire time, I had the feeling that something was wrong with the whole situation, and I told Jessica about it.

"Good thing nothing happened," I said, stepping closer to the front of the carriages as the Traven drew to a stop outside the city gates. Nonetheless, a nagging sensation of doom stayed within me.

I approached Max, one of our adventure group's members, with a polite greeting.

"Sir Max," I addressed the magician.

"Ahhh, Neil," he replied, taken aback by my sudden approach.

"Where is Lady Lana?" I queried, recognizing that his partner, who was usually nearby, was not there.

"She is with the merchant leader for his protection," Max explained, his fingers nervously tracing a pattern on his staff.

"You look kind of nervous," I observed, noting the sweat on his face and the restless movement of his fingers. My curiosity was piqued, and I couldn't help but wonder what had caused his unease.

"Ha-ha, it's that obvious."With a light chuckle, Max responded to my observation, to which I nodded my head.

"Well, this is the place where Lana and I spent our childhood. There's an orphanage we both come from, run by a kind nun who has always taken care of―"

"Get to the point, man. What's there to be nervous about?".Cutting him short,I asked, not knowing where the conversation was going.

Max leaned in closer, and I followed suit. He spoke in a hushed tone, "I'm going to ask Lana to marry me tomorrow, in the orphanage where we grew up."He said this while showing me his ring box from his side pocket.

"Aren't you diving headfirst into the pits of hell, comrade?"I said, moving away from him as I saw Lana coming closer towards us.

"What do you know, brat? Love is the most.―".Max became offended by my statements and began lecturing me on love. With an elbow to the side, I swiftly silenced him and directed my gaze toward Lana, who was approaching us.