Chapter 92: The Thirst

Waking from my slumber, I rise like the zombie I feel like. Having stayed up so late last night, it messed my body clock up. Pushing my desire to return to bed aside, I venture forth towards my kitchen. Finding a sesame seed bagel with my name on it. Carefully grilling and then lathering in butter before devouring the carbohydrate.

Bagal's are nice, but having them too often is not. The same with crumpets; “I miss crumpets.” Look at me getting sentimental at a griddlecake. I could miss my VR headset but no. I simply miss the food and the family most of all.

Having satiated my hunger, I finish my morning routine. Noting how squeaky clean my teeth are since this body hasn’t been used. Putting the dragon radio on, I dance my way through a shower. Putting on some armor. I would wear my wyvern armor, but alas I must wait for my clothes to be made.

With that finished, I head to a location I rarely visit. My target, the most common garbage town I could find. No insane focuses on nature, scariness, or military. I did realize my town is a good choice as well. But the idea of starting a cult where I live is somewhat distasteful.

I’m here today to just explore. Looking around the town for things of importance. Dangerous people, potential recruits, and anything else I can get my mental claws on. I have town because my vampire body isn’t mature yet. It still requires 9 more levels to be able to transfer the curse.

I notice some homeless people, but I write them off. No will to live or grow; just living day to day; I need someone stronger. People with fire and drive to be the cult it was meant to be. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right.

I begin to make a mental list of ideal traits for recruitment. Prime adult age; immortality is a son of a bitch. Has some will but lacks cunning. I don’t need the cult being flipped on me. And, most importantly, a good heart. I’m not making monsters, I’m making immortals.

Coming across a small park within the town, I sit and rest. Enjoying the sunny weather even if it has a chill to it. Spotting a young man of an impressionable age arguing with an older man. Getting closer I hear what they are arguing about.

The golden-haired young man shouts, “What good you ever done you, bastard!”

The aged man with wisps of grey and rough cloths replies; “Not a thing, my life; no one else, now scram you blunt pickaxe.”

The young man even angrier, “You just watched that thief run away, you could have stopped him. How could you be so callous.”

The older man barges him away, “And get a hole in my belly, you’re a self-righteous fool.”

“He was a coward; he stole that women's coin pouch; he wouldn’t have the nerve. All you had to do is drop a foot. Trip the thief.” Before he barges the man again.

“Well why you blaming me, go chase the thief down if you're so torn up.”

The boy cools slightly, stepping back. “If I could I would.” He says before turning away in a huff. His anger cooling like the descent of night; swift.

“Interesting, you might just be what I need,” I say to myself.

Following the young man as he walks towards the market. A slight limp on his right leg; that makes more sense. I watch him for a time, in the shadows. Getting a sense of where he goes to and from. Looking up, in my stalking I’ve lost track of time. Noon has passed already, the potential vic… recruit has distracted me. Would you look at me, already thinking in a predatory manner. Shivering at the thought.

Heading home I create some quartz spheres, placing them on top of a metal receptacle above my castle. Gazing in a trance-like state as they slowly become milky like flowing clouds. Gathering sunlight for one of the levels as a vampire. An important level as it gives some level of sunlight tolerance. So instant death is not a risk. Of course, it will not be a concern for me as I become a daywalker but it’s important for other less fortunate vampires.

Heading back out to the town now that the crystals are charging. I start searching for a meal. Spotting a nice-looking restaurant with a giant circle for a sign. Walking inside I see a menu with images, how familiar. A pizza shop, something I've not seen so far; to which my excitement rises at the thought of pizza. Sitting down, I call a waiter to order. Selecting the closest thing to a margarita they offer to get a baseline. They have a far wider variety of pizzas than normal, including some sweet varieties which are interesting.

Another day before I’ll touch those desserts, I’m not ready. The waiter quickly comes over, “Hello, I would like the cheese and tomato pizza please.”

“Yes sir, your pizza will be here shortly.” He says quickly before walking away. Writing a ticket in a notepad before passing it through a slot in the wall. Hearing familiar sounds from the kitchen as it processes my order. The odd bang and clang with inaudible shouts; I remember my time in a kitchen fondly. Although it's one of the most stressful jobs I had ever been in. You just get used to being told off for everything. They wish for perfection from you within an imperfect kitchen.

Higher quality restaurants have you doing 1 job very well but cheaper restaurants treat you as a jack of all trades. Of course, you wouldn’t get it perfect if you're splitting your experience gain between 5 sections. Just something I always found silly; it did do something good thought. It helped me get over the anxiety of being told off. I always felt awful whenever I got an earful but after 3 months in a kitchen. Yeah, I didn’t even flinch at getting fired from that point on.

My pizza quickly arrives. It's in the normal format, a round meaty pizza with lots of cheese and a tomato base. Not an Italian or Spanish variant, just a normal pizza. Which I appreciate immensely as I devour the larger than expected pizza. Finding the experience so wonderful and familiar I order a second. This one simply called a sweet-based meat master. Ambigous, makes me curios.

Ordering it, I’m quickly presented with a smokey pizza with every meat I know and some I don’t. Bitting into the monster of a pizza, the realization hits me that I’m not finishing this beast. It's nice, not as good as a margarita, my favorite. But I like it; it's interesting and id order this again. Reminds me of BBQ but a little less sweet and has a spicy kick.

Finishing only a few slices before I wave the white flag. The rest is quickly placed in my bag of holding for snacking later. The best feature of this thing is the fact it keeps things fresh. Snacking has become even easier, and in fact healthier because fruit could sit in here for a year or longer. Not having tested it but as far as I can tell time travels at a snail's pace within the bag.

If living things could enter it would make a great form of stasis. Alas, living things cannot enter the void.

With a happy belly, I look outside to see the sun still relatively high in the sky. Suppressing the hint of disappointment at not being able to immediately test my vampiric form. Let’s go spell training to grind some XP.

I've neglected it a little recently only having gained 2 levels in the last week. Finding myself at a commendable level 33, but it's not enough. So, settling down into a calm state of mind, I begin grinding. Shooting spells over and over at valid targets to get rapid experience. Taking the time to go for a long walk while doing so.

I can only use my dig spell while walking but it's not a terrible XP amount so I walk. Spell grinding is rather boring if you don’t do something with it. It was fun at first but because of its inflexibility, it feels like shooting a gun. The spells are set in stone within my spellbook. I can't change or manipulate them only shoot them and overcharge them. As much fun as it is shooting overcharged dig spells at mountains. It does get stale rather quickly, unfortunately.

What I would love is true magic. The kind where you are the core of it, you control it and direct it without a focus. You are the power, foci, and control of the spell. Like earth manipulation or charms; something you can control and get better at with practice and talent.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found such a magic form yet within Minecraft. I will keep looking. The mod that adds the force from Star Wars is promising.

Looking at the setting sun, finally; I've been dying to try out the new body. Entering the shell storage with little hesitation as I’m suddenly flung into my vampiric body. Feeling the shift in sensations makes me extremely nauseous but as it happens, I've got nothing in this body to vomit. Sitting on the floor until I feel better. Flexing my limbs as I feel there contained power like muscles of steel wire and bones of obsidian.

I quickly clone this body, having forgotten to do so previously. Happy with the realization that it does in fact clone the vampiric body as if it was my original body.

Feeling a subtle thirst encroaching on my throat. Realization dawns that I have to consume blood to survive in this body. Feeling my body going paler than it already was. “You can do this Aeternum, you accepted the curse,” I say to myself in a failed attempt at cheering myself up.

Eventually, the emotions broiling under my skin pass, suppressed by the quickly rising thirst. I need food, I will get food; simple as. Teleporting to the outside of my target town, named Coalburn.

Entering the town, I am assaulted with a cacophony of sounds and bright lights. Stepping away to calm down, everything is brighter and louder with my heightened senses. Entering a slightly meditative state helped to calm my senses down. I slowly walk through the residential district, disappearing into invisibility with my illuminate pet.

Slowly I find a door with 2 steady heartbeats audible within. The door is unlocked, so I enter. Quieter than I’ve ever walked. Something within myself tells me how to walk, screams at me to hunt. Pushing the wild desires down and focusing solely on the knowledge it imparts me.

Quietly creeping to the room with 2 steady heartbeats, I enter. Finding a man and woman in bed, middle-aged. Slowly coming to the side of the bed, smelling an alluring sweet scent between the smells of soap and musk. My fangs making themselves known with no input from me.

Now all the vampire stories I've read said the first bite will be nearly impossible to stop. I hope that’s not the case but just in case I've got my dislocator in hand. Focusing my will inwards I come into laser focus. Slowly biting down on the neck, noting not a single reaction.

Instantly a sweet flavor flows down my throat. Warm and calming, like the greatest of baths with a massage and the best food. The moment of bliss almost blinds me. Pulling away early to be sure. Finding my body stiff and unhappy at having the meal stopped. Moving onto the next person, the woman, I bite down also.

Finding her less sweet, with a hint of spiciness, yet still just as wonderful. Internally I find the act of drinking blood slightly repulsive, but that part of me is quiet; dimmed. The beast that desires to hunt, fighting my rational mind in a quiet battlefield within myself, a terrifying prospect.

As my thirst begins to feel quenched, I’m suddenly assaulted by the thirst once more. Pulses of energy pass through my body as I feel myself getting stronger. The thirst back with force. I fail to stop before she grunts and awakens. I disappear like smoke before I actually hurt her. “That was close.” Leveling up is a nasty business, it makes you really hungry.

At least I’m level 2 and not nearly as thirsty.