“The magic you’re using. You said Essence is what makes monsters?” Rissa touched the side of Serenity’s head and gently turned it to face her.

Serenity met her eyes. “Yes. That’s what makes it dangerous.”

Rissa shook her head. “No, inexperience is what makes it dangerous. Having the magic that can fix exactly what you’re worried about is what makes it safer. If something goes wrong, it’s a long term concern, right? So there will be time to learn how to fix it. I know something about Time.”

Rissa grinned cheekily, emphasizing the irony of a Seer saying she knew something of Time. “Past that … I saw how quickly what I gave you earlier faded. I’m not sure that all four of us together have enough mana regen. We might be able to manage it long enough to get you through the bottom floor, but we use mana to fight, too. If this is even slightly more efficient, it’s worth it. It’s going to have to be up to each of us individually if it’s blood or this, but for me it’s an easy choice.”

“But - people fear most monsters, and the changes are far more severe than the Paths. You saw me hatch from an egg-“ Serenity had to be sure Rissa understood the risk.

“If our positions were reversed, knowing everything you do about this, would you accept? We can try it with blood if this doesn’t work.” Rissa didn’t look like she was going to take no for an answer.

Serenity had to admit (if only to himself) that she was right; if their positions were reversed, he’d accept in a heartbeat. The situations weren’t the same, though; he’d already had to accept that he wasn’t human anymore, and he knew that the consequences of his choice were becoming a dragon.

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Maybe Rissa would find something she could tolerate if she did become a chimera.

Or maybe he’d be able to fix it with more time and knowledge, as she’d suggested.

Serenity didn’t want to put her at extra risk just because he despised the idea of becoming a vampire, yet he also didn’t want to drink her - anyone’s! - blood.

Was he being selfish in trying to find another option, or was this actually a better option? He couldn’t tell.

“Serenity.” Rissa’s voice was soft. “It’s time to stop stalling and get started. I know you’re worried, but the only way out of this is through. What do you need me to do?”

Serenity tried to focus. It was hard. Everything felt a little foggy. He was very, very tired. “Come sit in front of me. Then concentrate on making all of your mana be Death-attuned. I’ll do the rest.”

Rissa nodded and moved.

Serenity took her hands in his and concentrated on creating the same sort of network he had once before. As it moved into her, he was able to feel wisps of Death mana being grabbed by his aura through Eat Death, but he didn’t want to stop until the network was done. He’d just have to accept the lost mana for now.

He was too tired to customize the network or limit it the way he had with Finley’s, so he did the easier task and emulated his own. It was a little different; she was human, not a draconic chimera, and he could feel the network warping as he created it. He accepted the corrections as her body fed them to him. Finley’s body hadn’t done that at all; Serenity had simply laid the network in by brute force. This was much easier. Even so, he felt a lot of mana being lost to him, stolen to feed his Aspect.

When it was done, Serenity felt something click into place. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was followed by a flood of Death-attuned mana. He had to make a decision quickly on what to do with it - how exactly was he supposed to use it? Eat it? That’s what he’d done with the blood, and it had worked fine.

He directed it at his stomach - the organ that had replaced his stomach - instead. That had to be where the energy was handled, after all.

It absorbed the Death-attuned mana as quickly as Rissa could send it. Some was still being split off and consumed to heal his Aspect, but most of it made it to his belly. It quickly began to ache, but somehow he knew it was the feeling of a stomach that hadn’t been used in too long suddenly being presented with food. It was hard to judge how much was there, when it had been completely empty for so long.

Eventually, the flood slowed and Serenity released Rissa’s hands. There was another feeling like the click when the network was completed, but this time it was a disconnection instead of a connection. He’d simply known her network was there and been able to use it like his own, until he released her hands.

He didn’t know if that was important or not. He hadn’t felt it with Finley, but he also knew that the network he’d imposed on Finley wasn’t well suited to him, while Rissa’s was fit to her as well as he could manage.

He felt like he’d eaten far too much, but his healing pool still only showed “Some”. He was grateful that there was anything there; that meant he’d taken in energy faster than his body could spend it to heal him.

Serenity was still trying to focus when the first full meal he’d had in days caught up with him and he passed out, completely asleep.

“So how do you feel?” Lancaster asked as he picked Serenity up to move him onto one of the bedrolls. Serenity looked like he was going to sleep for a bit, and Lancaster didn’t see any need to wake him. They’d already spent long enough in this cave that if anything was going to attack them, it would have.

“I’m fine. Low on mana, but that’s not a surprise. No low-mana headache, though. That part’s a surprise.” Rissa sat down on the next bedroll over from the one Serenity was on. “My status sheet looks normal, so that’s fine too. It was really pretty easy, I didn’t feel anything until he finished, then I just knew he was there and what he was asking for.”

“Do you think we should …” Lancaster wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence. He hadn’t been aware of the original scheme to feed Serenity death mana-laced blood, but he’d had time to think about that while Serenity did whatever this was, and he’d decided it wasn’t really any different from giving blood. A bit more personal, but at least he knew the blood would get used, and by someone he liked.

This seemed even more personal. If he understood it correctly, Serenity had changed Rissa’s body to be able to move mana more easily. That wasn’t exactly what he’d said, but that was sure what it sounded like. Lancaster liked the idea of being able to use magic; he’d given up on it when he was told how terrible his Affinities were, but he was coming to think that had been a mistake.

A couple of the instructors had talked down Death affinity as being weak and useless, but look at what Serenity had done with his Death affinity. Yes, he was paying a price for doing it, but that didn’t make it useless. It was funny. A couple of the students Lancaster had seen going to Serenity’s Death magic class had insulted those particular instructors as well. It almost made Lancaster wish he’d made time to see what Serenity was teaching; it had sounded different from the other magic classes.

Lancaster was beginning to think that the instructors who’d told him his Affinities were useless didn’t know what they were talking about.

There was risk in what Serenity had proposed. Lancaster definitely didn’t want to become as odd-looking as Serenity was now. At the same time, if it gave him better magic, it’d be worth it. “Rissa? Does it help you move your magic the rest of the time?”

“Huh? Uh, let’s see. I don’t have much available but-” Rissa closed her eyes and didn’t say anything for a moment. “Yeah, it does. It’s like it’s more precise, I can shape it more easily.”

It sounded like better magic use was likely while the cost was only a possibility. Plus, it would help Serenity and all it would take was Lancaster’s mana, which he wasn’t using anyway.

It was an easy choice for Lancaster.

The group spent a day in the underwater cave. Serenity would wake up, spend a couple hours doing whatever it was he needed to do to get at the mana, then fall back asleep again for a couple hours. By the time he’d made it through the three others, Rissa’s mana had recovered. Serenity managed to stay awake long enough to drain her again.

This time, Serenity felt the click immediately when he reached out to Rissa, and he was able to start pulling Death-tinted mana immediately. It only took fifteen minutes this time, and Serenity was confident he’d ended up with a much higher percentage of the mana. His stomach had started recovering, but it ached once more as he fell asleep.

When he woke up again, everyone was up and moving except for Echo, who had apparently decided to sleep in. Serenity immediately shifted out of his dragonling form; he didn’t need to be called “cute” in front of everyone.

Serenity felt immensely better than he had the day before. He was hungry and his healing reservoir was empty, but he no longer felt starved. It seemed like he hadn’t declined as much overnight as he had been. Was that because he’d managed to feed some Death energy to his Aspect the previous day?

Lancaster walked over to Serenity. “So, ready for breakfast? We talked while you were sleeping, I get to take the morning shift since I don’t use mana in combat; the girls will help out when we finish the level or go to bed.”

Serenity groaned. “Only if you don’t call it that. I’m trying very hard not to think of this as eating.”

Lancaster shrugged. “Not sure what to call it, then. Still, you ready?”

“Yeah.” Serenity reached out and took Lancaster’s hands. He felt the click and started pulling Death-attuned mana. He wondered how much of the work he was doing and how much was being done by Lancaster. It was just like moving his own mana, and he knew Lancaster wasn’t a mage at all.

When he finished, Serenity’s stomach ached but it was only like he’d eaten too much. He was really starting to feel better, and this time he didn’t feel like falling asleep immediately.

When he checked his Status, it was clear that something he’d realized had changed the way Essence Affinity worked. He sort of wondered if there was a dragon type that had an overall affinity for magic or mana; it seemed like that would be similar to having an affinity for Essence.

It was also clear that he definitely hadn’t completely stopped the change into a vampire, but at least it was only added to his "heritage", whatever that meant.

Name: Serenity

Species: Essence Dragon Chimera (Hatchling)

Core: Unique

Progression: 15.9%

Tier: 0

Features: 3/10

True

Crystal

Link

Path: Battle Adept

Level: 21 (40/220)

Tier: 0, 0/100 Spent

Path History: Death-Eater

Condition: Hungry

Healing Available: Some

Mana: 830/830

Stamina: 850/850

Might: 75

Agility: 75

Phys: 75

Understanding: 73

Will: 77

Mind: 73

Perception: 75

Luck: 71 - 168%

Essence

Pure (Innate)

Ev: 623 (Purified)

Essence Techniques

Chimeric Alteration

Claim Mana

Devour Mana

Purify

Resistances

Chemical: 137+10

Cold: 553 (53 active)+10

Curse: 263

Darkness: 277 (27 active)+10

Heat: 532+10

Light: 298+10

Pain: 1038 (38 active)

Pleasure: 26

Shock: 334+10

Sleep: 1

Unknown

Affinities

Death: 160%

Life: 14%

Mind: 30%

Arcane: 50%

Plasma: 42%

Liquid: 6%

Vapor: 14%

Solid: 17%

Energy: 40%

Void: 60%

Time: 58%

Space: 31%

Concepts

Death

Mind: 15%

Arcane: 78%

Plasma: 26%

Energy: 52%

Void: 25%

SpaceTime: 30%

Essence: 15%

Aspects

Essence: Growth (Bloodline)

Time: Nascent

Death: Damaged, Healing (Restricted)

Titles

Previous Supreme Existence

First of A Kind

Named

Ghost in the System

Aspect Pathfinder

Chimeric Heritage

Pure (Innate)

Essence Dragon (Bloodline)

Asura

Draugr, Sage

Godling

Human, Earth

Lich, Paramount

Vampire, Daywalker

Coin

89 Etherium