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236 - Adamas Organ [Cherno]
🕑 Added 2024-10-13 23:09:36 +0000 UTC“I think I remember,” Firminus said, looking off into space for a few moments. “Something about needing a reagent and a custom ritual. The eidolon should tell you what reagent you need through the system. It uh… I think it needs to gestate for some time before the ritual? You are not asking the right person here, you know.”
“Not many options at the moment,” she remarked, observing the grafter’s blade split her skin as if it were paper. The Adamas Organ appeared no less alien than the Heart Scarab, resembling no human organ. It was an oblong mass of spongy, black tissue, with a web of darkly metallic connective tissue running throughout it as a scaffold. Hair-like fibres of the same metallic substance came off in all directions, but especially from the ends of its connective tubes. Which ones were veins and which ones had different purposes was beyond Krahe’s ability to recognize at a glance.
While he worked, Krahe idly looked around the room. Her eyes landed upon that table from before. He had a section of Type-37 Biogel, the substance of her biosuit, stretched out on a rack. Next to it, two wet-storage capsules were plugged into the wall, clumps of the same biogel growing within them, floating about somewhat like the wax inside a lava lamp. She wondered how long it would take to grow into something large enough to make a new article of clothing. As a result, she also briefly considered how the church would deal with Firminus being absent from his usual post. She figured his patients would get redirected to another grafter.
Once the Adamas Organ was in place and her three lower left ribs were back where they belonged, Firminus shot her up with a serum of painkillers and rejection suppressants, and just like that, she was out of the grafting chair, carefully stretching her stiffened neck.
“One more thing,” Firminus said, getting out of his seat. He made his way over to a cabinet, from which he retrieved a standard church-branded medicinal box. “In order for your Adamas Organ to settle in properly, you will need to eat six of these twice a day for about a month. Chew them up if you can. If they taste bad, swallow them whole right after a meal.”
Krahe opened the box, and found that it contained two paper bags of dark, oblong beans. The scent was sort of woody, but also with a strong note of coffee and some cocoa. They had a star-like pattern on the underside, and she couldn’t help but see an uncanny resemblance to a curled-up beetle. There was also an inevitable resemblance to coffee beans, given the scent.
“Are these insects?” Krahe asked.
“Used to be,” Firminus said, as if it was the smallest thing. “My collaborator developed a plant that produces these fruits instead. If you keep eating them, your Adamas Organ might perform better than most. Can’t make promises, but they’re safe to eat, just in general.”
Thinking no more of it, Krahe tossed one in her mouth and bit down. The shell was more fragile than she had expected, while the interior was softer, somewhat like a cashew nut. They tasted just as they smelled, a cross between coffee beans and cocoa.
“So have Adamas Organ users been eating beetles for four thousand years or is this part of your improvement?” she asked.
“Mine. I believe we were using the beetles for ah… Twenty-four years, was it?” the grafter thought, looking back at her as he washed his hands. “How is the flavour, not too offensive I take it?”
“Tastes pretty good to me. Might eat these instead of coffee beans as a drinking snack,” she said, eating another.
“Coffee beans?” he asked, pausing for a moment. “Oh. Right. Pilgrim. Zastreon’s coffee comes from the roots of a kind of water lily. I think they pulp and ferment it or something of the sort. Funny thing, Casus remembers coffee being made from the nuts of a small, coniferous tree.”
“Huh. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Krahe shrugged. She raised the paper bag she’d opened, changing the subject. “I take it I can only get more of these from you, yeah?”
“Fear not, I will provide. It wouldn’t do to sabotage my own case study, would it? Before you bring it up, yes, yes, full anonymity and redaction. My own ethics aside, this is also part of standard procedure with unlettered apostles,” Firminus said.
Krahe returned to the library, checking the Adamas Organ’s system readout as she went.
[FIRMINUS-VALERIAN PATTERN ADAMAS ORGAN]
[Tags:]
Firminus-Valerian Pattern
Living Item
[Details:]
This graft expresses amplified performance metrics based upon the holder’s attributes and archetype level.
This graft fulfills all the functions of a spleen to an elevated degree, and supports the functions of the liver and kidneys. It can, to a limited extent, substitute the functionality of either.
This graft enhances the holder’s blood quality, immune system, and alters blood composition into “Black Blood.” Black Blood possesses enhanced properties in all aspects, excelling in oxygen carrying capacity and gradually reinforcing all bodily tissues over time. As part of this process, the holder’s bone marrow will be restructured to this graft’s standard. Once this process is complete, performance will increase further. Grafted bone marrow compatibility with this feature may vary and depends on graft hierarchy.
When agitated through a mental command, select reinforced tissues will enter a hardened state. If experiencing difficulties with activation, use the vocal command. In addition to a generalized increase in resilience, the affected tissues will become resistant to all damage categories other than Arcane (est. 50% resistance). Please exercise caution when using this feature — overuse may lead to soft tissue and vascular damage.
Current blood transmutation ratio: 1%
Current tissue reinforcement ratio: 0.2%
Current Black Blood reservoir: 6/340ml
Current lymphocyte reservoir: 0/30%
Current vocal command: adamas
Graft Synergy: Liminal Coil
This graft has been synchronized with the Liminal Coil’s “Sunken One Marrow,” resulting in improved overall performance. Black Blood will exhibit beneficially modified properties.
Comments
lizard King
My autocorrect sucks.
Bunny Waffles
OH. You mean Near-DEATH. I was staring at your comment for longer than I care to admit trying to figure out what having extremely poor hearing had to do with upping her combat potential. Like, all fear the Angel of Deaf.
lizard King
I can't wait for the near-death focus graft. Those earlier crafts are good but once you get the near-death focus graph. This is going to be quite a show. Thank you for this chapter keep up the good work
