Kae
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Dungeon Diver CH739
🕑 Added 2025-01-06 00:00:12 +0000 UTCThe familiar vibrations of a Noble being ripple through me when the Wyvern appears, but after feeling the violent aura that came off of the Vermillion Family Head, I’m now certain there was something more to that display I couldn’t perceive.
“So, you spoke with the Grand Citadel’s Lord. It seems that the conversation was brief. Have we been exposed?”
I shake my head slowly, my questions about the Upper Realm growing more and more in my mind as I reply.
“No, my identity is secure for now. And as far as the family head is concerned, you are all still dead. Ava will be able to catch you up on what happened soon. We have over three weeks to prepare.”
The Wyvern’s expression doesn’t change at all, and its body stays still. However, by now, I’m used to its unchanging demeanor. Thousands of years of solitude must change one’s psyche to not react to small issues like this with urgency.
It replies.
“Impressive. I have moved to a private room in the High Orcs’ Tower, so no one can hear us. Ember’s words of your ambitions do not disappoint, but if you truly wish to challenge the Vermillion Family Head, you will need more knowledge of Nobility than what you have shown me.”
The moment Seraphel’s words cease, his entire holographic structure begins to vibrate with more intensity than it did before.
Instead of feeling insidious and cold, the aura coming off this noble being is warm and inviting.
My eyes widen, as if I’m lost in a trance while the Blue Wyvern brings its vibration intensity up to its maximum.
It feels as though I’m resonating perfectly; not a single wave from its being is lost from my perception, and in turn, my own ethereal Noble Form vibrates and shines brighter, giving off the same radiation back.
I feel no energy being produced or lost.
We are just existing and recognizing each other on the same frequency of Noble Wavelengths.
It brings on no fatigue at all. If anything, it feels slightly invigorating. Even the room around me seems warmer and brighter, but all of my true bodily senses tell me that nothing at all in this room has changed. It is a self-induced illusion.
The Wyvern speaks up again.
“You say you’ve managed to awaken a Noble Bloodline without being born into it. Please explain to me how this was achieved.”
At first instinct, I’m repelled by the thought of telling anyone how exactly my True Core’s main ability, paired with my absorption skill, works. Even back on the human world, I was always very hesitant to share this information.
Even now, I haven’t told anyone about my new ability to take memories from the beings I kill. It still feels natural to keep my cards as close to my chest as I can. Even if all of the surveillance in this tower has been blocked, it’s always possible that an enemy of higher ability is listening.
However, this being is allied with Ember and has far more valuable information to share with me, so a portion of the truth won’t hurt leaking.
“My True Core’s ability gives me a chance of obtaining traits from enemies I kill. I was lucky enough to have this activated in the battle with a Noble Demon that tried to take over my home world.”
My appearance shifts to the demon’s disguise and back to my natural Noble Form.
The Wyvern pauses for a few seconds, but replies.
“That is less interesting than expected… I was hoping for an inheritance tomb, something to do with that ring on your finger, or a unique bloodline transfusion technique that masks your true bloodline until its use is worn out.”
The Wyvern pauses again and whispers under its breath.
“But it seems it is a unique skill. Like that goblin you came with. The past always repeats itself—lower lifeforms given just enough luck, only to have their dreams crushed once they’re able to see the truth—”
I cut him off with a stern look in my eyes.
“Who cares if I’m born into it or not. What can you tell me about it? Why is this transformation I have referred to as a Path, and what are these vibrations? It feels real, but I’m certain their effects are an illusion.”
The Wyvern’s eyes sharpen as well, blocking out its memories of the past and stopping its cynical rambles to answer.
“Well, it is considered a Path because once you take a step into the world of Nobility, there is always somewhere higher you seek to climb. The simple transformation you’re showing now may just be the surface of your power. All that unseal this bloodline have different potential…”
It hesitates and shows a look of curiosity and wonder again.
“Though, if what you say is true, you stole Nobility from a demon… I do not know if the end of your path is where that demon would have landed, or if the humans now have a unique Noble Bloodline of their own.”
I raise an eyebrow, and the Wyvern sees that I am quite confused by its words still.
“Allow me to explain further. The world classifications—Fifth to First Class, then, of course, the Noble Grade Worlds—they are given these classifications to signify the density of mana or demonic energy present on each world. However, this isn’t the only metric used for the true grading scale.”
My attention is caught. “What other metric could there be?”
Reflexively, I begin sifting through tens of thousands of worlds in my mind, attempting to see the difference. However, upon first glance, the density of their energy is the only thing I really see.
I never thought to look at worlds in any other metric other than their mana or demonic energy contents. The average level of the beasts or intelligent life on them correlates almost exactly with these ranges.
Even in solar systems where divine threads are available in greater concentrations, usually only the strongest beings on those worlds wield them, so the total averages hardly change at all. My initial thoughts were that mana and demonic energy are the baseline of everything.
However, this Wyvern has planted a seed in my mind, and I can’t stop looking deeper.
It speaks as I continue to search curiously for myself.
“The amount of abundant Ether, of course.”
I raise an eyebrow. “There is Ether in the Lower Realm?”
Even now, sifting through thousands of civilizations with the advanced perception as if I’m standing on each world, I don’t sense a thing.
However, something Arie mentioned before lingers in my mind: the ‘Concentrated Essence’ he spoke of, and the fact that when I scanned his being, it felt faintly like a rudimentary form of Ether. I had brushed it aside as being some unique form of Qi mixed with his unique Spirit Archer skill.
Seraphel replies.
“Of course there is. There is Ether in every living being, even on a Fifth-Class world, far enough from the source that isn’t yet connected to the system. Though, once Ether is left dormant, either unused in one’s psyche or body, it grows stale and tends to change its form… Even worse if it is left to deteriorate on a dead world.”
I raise an eyebrow as something starts to click.
“Of course, with living organisms using its base form, it can be revitalized and eventually traded here in the Upper Realm as Low-Quality Ether. However, even now in the form we use it, it is certainly not fully refined…”
My mind completely wanders away from Seraphel and focuses on the strange outlier worlds in my consciousness. All the outlier worlds that have average levels over 10% higher than their class’s average have an abundant amount of Qi on their planet’s surface.
Large portions of the population in Second-Class and above worlds have cultivated some variation of Soul Energy. Most interesting of all, many of the high-density First-Class Demonic Worlds carry the highest percentage of outliers in individual levels. Those that outperform the masses commonly wield this ‘Concentrated Essence’ that Arie spoke of.
It is not Low-Quality Ether, that is for sure. However, it uses Qi as its conductor, and deep within the psyche and bones of its wielders, I can see it being slowly churned into a more refined source every second it resides inside a living being.
It subtly reminds me of the feeling locked away in my subconscious, when I slowly refined a small amount of Ether for over 900 thousand years in a simulated abyss.
The stagnant Qi in the air and the formation of crystals in the tombs of fallen great warriors of the past show this bright white material in its base form, ready to be refined on thousands of worlds.
I’m having a mind-blowing epiphany, but still have so many questions unanswered.
“What… does this have to do with Nobility then? What’s so special about these Noble-Grade Worlds?”
I don’t have a large sample to study. The only two Noble-Grade worlds in my possession look extremely similar. At closer inspection, they really just look like First-Class Demonic Worlds, with slightly more demonic energy on them.
Even when looking extremely closely, there are no other beings on these two worlds that have the [Noble Bloodline Transformation] buff on their status.
These strange vibrations that resonate between myself and Seraphel aren’t present on any of these worlds either. These vibrations still don’t give off any real energy signatures, making their relation to Ether even more confusing.
The Blue Wyvern replies.
“Well, to answer that, I’ll need to explain the history of Nobility. Let us start with the fact that the Demons did not always rule the Upper Realm.”
Comments
PikaAndrew
Tftc
Alexander Perez
Fusion hah!
Tim Scripter
TFTC
Joshua Wallison
Looks like he may be fusing his cores for a new power source soon... TFTC!!
