Return of the Mythic Bloodline

"The seal on the ancient relic has been lifted. The real name of Amrita water is revealed.

Amrita water → The Blood of Fallen

Description: The Blood of Fallen is one of the four ancient relics needed to uplift the first ban on %@#*& bloodline. A thousand years ago, it vanished from Vyoman, only to appear again through the blood of the four ancient beast gods.

Note: If anyone without the %@#& bloodline touches this ancient relic, their body will be reduced to nothing."

"Th-this is ridiculous. I had an ancient relic right under my nose, and I was abusing it to replenish my body," I murmured, trying to calm my unstable heart that was vibrating uncontrollably.

"What is this—huff... huff—strange feeling?" Nymeria whispered, clutching her chest.

"Why's she also being affected?" I wondered.

My body felt strange due to Bloodline Resonance, a skill provided by Vivi. It was illogical for her to feel the same way unless either the Pool of Awakening was resonating with anyone near it or...

"Guys, what are you trying to do?" I asked, wanting to confirm a few things.

"Ya remember when I told ya some part of mah memories is being blocked by an unknown seal? Ay wasn't the only one whose memories are sealed..." Jambavan explained. "Vyaghra, Ruru, and even Her Majesty have the same seal cast on 'em."

"The most strange part is..." Ume added, "I was the one who casted this seal!"

"What!!? So you're telling me you blocked your own memories?" I gasped.

"I don't remember the reason, but that is indeed true."

"Since it was you who casted this seal, can't you remove it as well?"

"I casted it when I was at the zenith of my powers, so it can't be removed forcefully. However, it will be lifted once we regain our previous strength," she replied. Then, taking a brief pause, she spoke further, "The reason we are telling you this is because the me of the past left a message within the seal—to awaken the Blood of Fallen again and offer it to the savior."

"R-Raj, I'm not feeling well," Nymeria stammered, gripping my arm.

"Try to hold on for a moment, pretty lady," I said, touching her hand.

"You should enter the pond quickly," Ume ordered.

I gulped, staring at the crimson water erupting like violent lava as I slowly moved toward the pond.

"Sister, why aren't you going in?" Ume asked Nymeria.

"B-but Raj is the one—"

"You are also our savior, Sister."

Nymeria gazed at me as if asking for my opinion. I wouldn't have any problem sharing the relic with her, but the note at the end of the description was worrying me.

On the other hand, she was suffering from the same symptoms of Bloodline Resonance as I was, and she also carried the mark on her forehead.

"Vivi, can Nymeria enter the pond?"

"She can—and she absolutely should."

The window popped up on my face, clearly wanting her to enter as well. That message was enough to throw all my worries out the window.

I offered my hand to Nymeria and said, "Let's go together."

She accepted my hand, and the moment she did, strangely, my nervousness about entering the pool of lava-like fluid vanished.

"I never thought my fantasy of bathing with you would be fulfilled like this," I chuckled.

"How can you still joke in this situation?" she sighed.

We both raised our feet in unison and entered the pool side by side.

Ding...

"The Blood of Fallen has made contact with the Host's body. The first ban on the Host's bloodline is being lifted."

"Raj, I'm feeling something violent inside me about to break loose," Nymeria said. "It's like a cage is being destroyed within me."

That was exactly how I was feeling!

"Same here," I replied.

The fluid from the pond was being absorbed into our bodies through our skin, and as Nymeria said, it was repeatedly striking something like a cage inside us. After about thirty minutes of continuous impact, the cage broke, and a violent surge of energy erupted within my body.

Ding...

"The first ban has been successfully lifted. The metamorphosis of blood, bones, and flesh is beginning."

"Metamorphosis? This shit sounds incredible, but I'm damn sure another hell is waiting for me," I thought inwardly.

The freed energy rampaging inside me was soon brought under control by the fluid from the pond as it began wrapping itself around the energy packets. After completely engulfing them, the Blood of Fallen turned into millions of tiny crimson particles.

They began spreading from the center to every part of my body, and wherever they touched, everything was obliterated.

Bones shattered. Blood splattered. Skin peeled off.

An excruciating pain, even worse than what the Amrita water had caused during healing, surged through every part of my body.

"Aghhhhhhhh!" Nymeria screamed in agony as her blood also began to splatter before I could utter a word.

"Warning!!! The Host must stay conscious during metamorphosis, or the evolution will stop midway, which may cause disfigured body parts, missing bones, or permanent brain damage."

My pain tolerance was maxed out, so even though it was agonizing, I could endure it. However, Nymeria... she neither possessed an assistant like Vivi to provide her with skills, nor did I have any way to reduce her pain—she had to hold on with her own endurance.

I pulled her closer to me and hugged her, and with all the strength left in my body, suppressing the harrowing pain inside me, I whispered, "It'll be over soon."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me as tightly as she could, embedding her fingers into my back and screaming until her throat was peeled.

I, who was enduring the same suffering, buried my face in her neck, one hand clutching her lower back while the other gently patted her head.

My blood splashed on her body as hers did on mine. Our bodies merged into one, erasing the boundary of 'you' and 'I' between us.