Chapter 1: Trial by Blood
Water is, by all measures, the most paradoxical of substances. It is soft enough to yield to the lightest touch, yet persistent enough to carve canyons from stone. It expands upon freezing, contracts upon cooling, and sustains life even as it erodes it. Chemically simple—two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen—yet incomparably complex in behavior.
Its strength lies in adaptability, with its phase, density, and structure all obeying the will of thermodynamics. A minute transfer of heat, and liquid turns to vapor, or ice sharpens into blades.
The greatest use of water manipulation lies not in its creation, but in the ability to command it. To take what already exists and compel it into new form.
It's unfortunate I can't use Lightning Alchemy, Azoth mused, leaning slightly to the side to dodge two arrows he had already foreseen with [Sage]. For now, at least.
With a sweeping motion of his left arm, the transmutation circle on his glove flared faintly, and in the next instant, a superheated steam blade, reminiscent of a Getsuga Tenshō, tore through the air, cleanly severing the Cryo Hilichurl Shooters' heads from their shoulders.
In the snow-laden expanse of Dragonspine, moisture was abundant both in the atmosphere and underfoot, an ideal battlefield for a Water Alchemist.
With his thoughts accelerated, Rebis observed the fountain of blood spraying from their now-headless necks in slow-motion.
Indeed, this isn't a game anymore. They won't just dissipate. His assumption had been correct.
This was good news. Hilichurls, after all, were as adaptive as humans—perhaps even more so—judging by their elemental acclimation to different environments. Their blood would serve as a viable base ingredient for the potion he intended to craft: one that could grant him the [Transhuman] Trait—the same one he'd nearly landed when he spun the Chaos Gacha—through the use of [Tinker: Alchemy (IV)].
Azoth's accelerated thoughts gradually aligned with real time, just as a Pyro Hilichurl Berserker charged forward, its fiery club swinging toward him. He pivoted, avoiding the strike by a hair's breadth.
The creature stumbled, struggling to stop its momentum in the thick snow before it fell off the cliff edge. Azoth didn't give it the chance, clapping both hands against the ground.
In an instant, a line of jagged ice spikes erupted from the snow, racing forward and impaling the Hilichurl in a fashion not unlike Vlad's Kazikli Bey.
After briefly scanning his surroundings and confirming no further enemies, Rebis walked toward the impaled Hilichurl, pondering.
From what I can recall, Hilichurl's soul's don't return to the Ley Lines…His eyes flicked back to his kills, but all he saw were unmoving bodies.
"How troublesome," He was more geared towards the scientific side of the world than the mystical. The [Brand of Sacrifice] curse might prove more problematic than he had anticipated, given that he currently had no way to detect or interact with souls.
Stopping before the Pyro Hilichurl, Azoth removed an ice spike piercing its bicep. With the wound exposed, blood spilled freely, but before it could reach the ground, he siphoned its thermal energy, instantly freezing the liquid.
He broke the frozen stream into fragments and tucked them into the pocket of his long coat, alongside the frozen slime condensate.
"Next—hm?" Standing at the cliff's edge, Azoth's gaze swept over the terrain before pausing at a figure below. "A Fatui Cryo Cicin Mage?" His lips twitched at the wordy title, then he furrowed his brows, scanning for others, but it appeared she was alone. "And this one is near Durin's heart…"
Should I take her out? Rebis considered the thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Too risky. Just because I don't see her colleagues doesn't mean she's the only one deployed in Dragonspine. The game made it clear that there are more than a few of them here…"
He had no desire to make an enemy of an organization that spanned the continent, no matter how curious he was about their body modifications or Delusions.
More importantly, the Fatui could be potential investors.
Key word being potential. Azoth had been weighing whether he should use the Gnosis as a Philosopher's Stone, given its ability to gather ambient elemental energy.
After all, the purpose of a Philosopher's Stone was to utilize the souls within it as fuel, circumventing the Law of Equivalent Exchange. With a Gnosis, he could achieve the same function while keeping his hands clean, and without painting a target on his back.
"Creating a Philosopher's Stone, or stealing the Gnosis… both will attract attention." Azoth turned back to the Pyro Hilichurl and stretched out his arm, placing his gloved hand over its mask.
"Take Over."
As the words left his mouth, a black-and-blue vortex appeared on the palm pressed against the Hilichurl's mask. He felt his magic snag on something small and hot that seemed to be rapidly vanishing. Without hesitation, he yanked at it.
"That was close—!!!" The sigh of relief that threatened to escape him caught in his throat as his pupils dilated. The skin on his arm began darkening, and in an instant, he realized what was happening.
Curse of Wilderness!
A curse afflicting all half-blooded Khaenri'ahn, transforming them into Hilichurls, and placed upon them by one of the Four Shining Shades, the Ruler of Death, Ronova.
And that very same curse had hidden within the dwindling power inside the Pyro Hilichurl deeply as he used Take Over, and had almost just taken root in him.
Almost.
Ba-dump!…Ba-dump!…Ba-dump!
"If I didn't have [Constant]…." A shiver of fear ran down Rebis' spine as he slipped his gloves off to look at his once more pale skin. "I was too careless."
He inhaled deeply, the freezing air filling his lungs, and realized he had not warmed himself in some time. Quickly sliding his gloves back on, he clapped his hands together; the water molecules in the air vaporized instantly.
Not enough to scald, but a warm mist formed around him, roughly thirty degrees or so.
Azoth exhaled softly, his elevated heartbeat returning to normal. "I need to get stronger."
It hadn't yet been a full day since his rebirth, and he already felt a sense of urgency. It reminded him that this world is in fact, on the road to destruction.
Looking at the darkening sky in the distance, Rebis crafted a wagasa—a Japanese-style umbrella—out of ice and turned to leave.
Tonight, he would gather as many materials as he could—outside and inside Dragonspine—not just for the [Transhuman] Trait, but for anything else that could prove useful.
"Yesterday is gone," There was no use lingering on the past, nor dwelling on regret.
"Tomorrow has not come yet," The future remained uncertain; to wait meant risking the chance slipping away.
"We have only today," The past was irreversible. The future was not guaranteed. Today, however, belonged entirely to him.
"Let us begin."
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A/N: Almost got Hilichurl-ized. I remembered a quote I heard before and couldn't help but add it at the end, it's from Mother Teresa.