Blood and Qi: A Vampire Xianxia LitRPG

Legends tend to change – the true story is altered to become easier to understand or follow, to become more exciting or inspirational, to become more palatable, or sometimes just easier for people to swallow.

The legend of Sunfire told of a girl born as a slave, had all paths of ascension cut off by her slave-collar, and was forced to fight in an endless labyrinth without ever knowing the sun for a thousand years. She first saw the sun after she led an uprising in the labyrinth, removed her own collar, ascended many tiers, and overthrew the evil tyrant, the dreaded necromancer Emperor Malakhi.

That made for a far more inspirational and palatable story than the information available in the NCS which stated Malakhi overthrew a tyrannical empire oppressing many galaxies and was cheered by all the peoples of all the galaxies of the empire as he ascended the throne.

Historians and scholars tend to agree that the overthrown family’s race was most likely a mid to high-graded alpha-type and naturally powerful, strong, resilient, and very long-lived.

Most of the tyrannical family members were executed. A princess, a mid-Bronze, was held captive as a prospective bride. She did wear a collar that restricted her cultivation and ascension. She was eventually put in a dungeon and forced to fight and survive horrible conditions for two hundred and eighty-eight standard years before she escaped. And she did eventually overthrow Emperor Malakhi.

But Malakhi was well liked and admired and quite popular when Sunfire killed him, and she was hated and feared throughout her bloody hundred-year reign before she absconded.

There were many fanciful novels and movies about the legendary Slave-Empress Sunfire. She was famous throughout the realities and universes. The truth of her story was easy to find for anyone with an NCS, but largely ignored. People preferred the legend.

[Sunfire Body of the Slave-Empress] was an SSR-rated body [Perk]. The stuff of legends. It was commonly believed only those of the core universes got SSR-rated bodies, and maybe some lucky alpha and omega-types outside of it.

The core knew different. Even among omega-types, SSUR-rated bodies were extremely rare. In the core, SSR-rated bodies were considered extraordinary and nearly unheard of. Even S-rated bodies were scarce. They had plenty of resources and took their time to do things right in the core. Even still, only the upper elites got S-rated bodies.

So, most members of the core watching John were angered or annoyed he didn’t seem to appreciate what he achieved with his body.

Usually, members of the core were impressed watching John the same as humans would be impressed to see a cute monkey do human activities such as cooking a meal, writing a check, or putting together a piece of Ikea furniture. They clapped and cheered the cute monkey onwards.

With [Leech Body of the Morning’s Glory], the monkey didn’t seem so cute anymore.

Avatar said, “Let’s see. Notes. We covered most everything. What’s really notable is you somehow managed to use a dark one as a material component. A rare and Greater version too. Lower tiered dark ones aren’t meant to merge so many tiers, and there’re limits. Sometimes those limits are broken, and you get rares and Greaters.

“Real shame about the bracer. You do know your bracer was used as a material component, correct?”

John mentally sighed. “I saw that. It couldn’t be removed. I still have the other though. Or Amber does. In the storage ring.”

“I don’t know a ritual that uses what you’re wearing or any other component besides what was specified in the ritual. Your ritual used everything that got near it, didn’t it? The ritual your companion made was something else. You were very lucky to have her on hand for…”

Knowing it was rude but since he always forgot to ask, John interrupted. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but why do you never use her name. You always say companion. You never say, ‘your wife,’ instead either. Her name’s Lilly. Or, I should say, she prefers to go by Lilly now.”

Putting her nose up, Avatar said, “Every user is an island. We help users ascend. Only a few actions that happen out there are our concern. Your personal relationships are your business alone.”

“Not always. You told me to not use Amber to heal my soul and to get her true name.”

Avatar froze. “Two things. First, if I were to say another user’s name, I’d have to say ‘the being or entity or user known to the user as X.’ It conflicts with my personality matrix. Second, let’s be clear - we did no such thing. Certain users with higher functions were able to make purchases that forced us to relay information to you. We already discussed this.”

John smiled. He could say it again. “Touché.” What a great word, he thought.

Avatar ignored John’s reply. “I should mention with your race being upgraded everything about you has generally improved. We covered Minimum Energy Unit efficiency. Any questions on other improvements or MEU efficiency?”

“No, thank you. I understood.”

Avatar took out a notepad and looked at it. “First asterisk. Next advancement event. What’s yours? Who knows! The next up you already met. After that is strengthening channels with aspects at Gold. Could apply to you, but I doubt it. Platinum requires a core condensed a certain amount. Shouldn’t apply. The one after will. Refined soul for Diamond.” She tsked. “Going to be an issue for you, that one, as things stand.”

Avatar looked at her notepad again. “Regeneration. You have three sources. Pericardium, vampirism, and the [Perk] you got from your body refinement. We have limited data as of now but two are conflicting. It could be an issue down the road, or it could just cause mild itching and discomfort.

“[Elemental Fortification]. So, it’s generally accurate, but specifically could be wrong. Your resistances to solar and shadow-related damage are much higher than your score. Keep in mind this doesn’t count against blunt or slashing damage from a shadow-type creature or manifestation, as you should well know. That you managed to majorly incorporate two such opposing and disparate elements is astonishing.”

Avatar smiled at John. “Look at you! Paying attention. This last note we already touched on. [Stats] gained by the body formation part of your body [Perk] increase in amount every ascension. And I’m required to tell you to remember your duty and the collective mission. Your actions and inactions help or hinder the collective mission. We shall achieve core.”

John was surprised that was all she had for him. “Can I cast [Slip] now? Wait, I maxed out training for the day. No, that was yesterday. It’s a new dawn.”

“It counted as today, and casting current manifestations is always allowed. What you really need to practice is using the info function of the UI. You keep forgetting. You can go practice now as long as you remember to change the name of your unnamed manifestation before exiting.”

John changed the spell’s name at once. [Unnamed Battle/Blood Enchantment] became [BB Buff]. Avatar rolled her eyes.

Avatar was correct. He needed to remember to use the info function, but in the midst of battle it was easy to forget to. He had a good idea what [Drain Essence] would do. He had no idea what [Slip] would do. He was excited to find out.

“All set,” said John to Lilly.

“Well, don’t leave me in suspense, my dear heart. Good, right? Is that…trailblazer [Title], huh? Looks like you owe your wife a big present.”

John laughed. “The [Title] is from something before. It just got decided on. The body went very well though. Thank you very much for all you put into it. Did you want details now? You said to tell you as we walked. Or ran.”

“Later.” Lilly held her strange metal half-ball that discharged beams of light out to John. “Can you see if your essence will recharge this? Strongest single essence. Put your finger in this hole-thing.”

John did as instructed. He used his new left hand to see if it worked the same as it did before. While imbuing the device, he asked, “What is this?”

“A laser. A good one. Ah, looks like…did it…it sort of worked. Better than nothing. Let me hop on your back. What’s the fastest way down for you?”

As he looked towards the missing wall, John noticed the traps did end up working. One contained a dead snake-woman, and the other a fungus moth-man. “Your traps worked.”

“Damn right they did. They better have. The materials I used cost me a fortune. That flying thing was gross enough I almost didn’t finish it off. I never drained Golds as a Wood before. That shit is potent. I more than doubled my [Stats] from the little I got out of those two. Still weak, though. Remember, you promised to take me farming. We got to go. Fastest way down?”

John wanted to test something. Once he was certain Lilly held on tight, instead of answering her, he jumped across the room and exited the building through the missing wall. He was not used to his much higher [Stats] and misjudged the jump dramatically, going much further out than he planned. He figured Lilly would scream but to her credit she remained silent. Her heartrate did increase considerably.

The fall was far too long of a distance to safely land, and John began to think he may have made a mistake as the ground rushed towards him and he was further from the building than he planned on being. He cursed himself for not going to the edge and jumping down.

John forced his shadow to crawl towards the building with a mighty effort. It barely touched but that was enough. He then slipped through his shadow and downwards, and downwards twice again to reach the ground.

Lilly couldn’t go with John through the slips, so she continued to fall as he slipped through shadows. The original plan was for him to slip down and casually stand as he caught his falling wife. He felt that would make him look tall and impressive.

Lilly was too far away for that plan to work, so John jumped to catch her. He loved having both his arms again. He landed safely across the road with his wife in his arms. She didn’t look happy as he set her down.

“You motherfucker! I almost shit my pants. I’d kill you if that wasn’t so much fun. Curse this child’s mind I have. Tell me next time. And stop manifesting. Your veil is great but it’s useless if you manifest. Come on, kneel down. I need to get back on. Alright, head up this street. We’re hanging a left two blocks up. If I pat you, it means freeze. Nice shadow slip by the way.”

“Thank you.”

John started jogging. He feared for Lilly’s safety if he picked up the pace. He had to make a small jump over a blockage of vehicles and it took him much further than he expected. He was having an issue adjusting to his new [Stats].

“Stop. You passed the block. Don’t run so fast. Just take this left.”

As soon as John started running down the road Lilly began patting his back frantically. John froze. He could hear her heartbeat spike and relax and spike and relax. He stretched out his senses. He hoped they’d be improved drastically. They did go out a little further and he could feel a little clearer, but he was in the sun, and he was used to being drained. He wasn’t certain if his senses improved at all, or if he was just adjusting.

Whatever Lilly sensed or felt was out of John’s range or capability to feel. He stayed frozen, the breathing and heartrate of his wife making him a little anxious. He was glad he was able to sense many humans still, but there were areas where many humans used to be but no longer were.

Lilly climbed higher up his back and whispered in his ear. “Don’t manifest anything. Stay quiet. Slowly, very slowly, enter that stone townhouse. The one with the red door two down and on the right.”

John had to struggle to sense humans in the estate she indicated. There were nine of them underground in a basement. They were hard to sense and well hidden. He easily sensed many humans in the estates around him and he thought the residents of the road he was on fared better than most. As he slowly crept forward, Lilly patted his back again. He froze and waited and tried to sense what she did. He waited for a long while. He whispered, “What is it? I can sense nothing.”

Lilly crawled higher up his back again. “There’s a lot. There’s about seven of those snakish things. I can’t sense any of those gross fliers, and I can sense beyond the water in all directions besides north. None of those shades either. Hardly any dark ones besides a few southwest.

“What has me worried is the strange thing I feel keeps disappearing. It appears south, disappears, and appears to the north. I hope it is. The time between appearing and disappearing is too far apart for me to tell if it’s the same thing. It kind of feels different but who knows?

“I think it’s learning to veil itself. Dark ones can’t do that. They can’t talk. They can’t think. They can’t veil. They’re mindless. If it’s two different things…I pray it isn’t or I think…I think…”

Lilly’s whispers trailed off. She climbed a little higher up on John, wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head on the back of his. “I love you, my dear, dear heart. It’s coming. It’s too fast. You’ll have to fight. You have about a minute. If you can escape, escape! Lead them away from here.”

As Lilly crawled down, John thought about telling her that dark ones could talk and think. Instead, he asked, “Do you have a weapon I could use?”

“A melee weapon? God, no! Well, I do, but they’re in storage rings I can’t access and they’re not for melee. Use your claws, cowboy. Throw a car or two. And you better stay alive. I love you. Stay alive!”

As Lilly ran, she turned her head back, a big smile on her face as she winked and yelled, “Or else!”

For some reason, John wasn’t nervous. He knew he should be, but it wouldn’t come. He wished there were more of the shadows he could try himself against. He thought he could hold them still with his ‘shadow’ concept, and then drain them with [Drain Essence]. He’d already proven he could defeat the higher form the shadows joined into, the big black blotch.

I’ve seen nothing in this city I need now fear, thought John as he jumped over and cleared the estates to his left, heading back south, away from his wife. He didn’t move as fast as he could, but it was still faster than he had ever moved before. Then he came to a sudden halt.

John finally was able to feel what frightened Lilly so much. He thought she sensed more of the big black blotches, or something like them. He thought she was being overly cautious and frightened, and like most, underestimated just what he was capable of. She wasn’t.

With all of John’s might he focused on controlling the terrible fear that crept up his spine. Since the Tribulation he had faced death many times. He faced enemies that caused some fear in him, but he could control it, and whether he’d fight or not was never in question, regardless of the tier or even the Tree of his enemies. What he felt then wasn’t nearly as frightening as the cold-dark, but it was the only creature he faced that he’d rather run from like a coward. His juice ran dry.