Blood and Qi: A Vampire Xianxia LitRPG

The world blurred past, and John stood before Avatar. The old woman smiled kindly at him and said, “Congratulations on winning the rewards for the World Quest! I’m proud of you.”

John grunted. Since he got the quest, every time he entered his Mind’s Eye to train, Avatar wouldn’t stop harping on him to solve it. He was happy that nonsense was done with. “Proud of me for what? I did nothing. What exactly did I do to solve anything?”

“Well, you found the entity, initiated communications, assessed its capabilities, its strange way of ranking up and ascending, found it contained a different type of life essence, and noted its soul was abnormal. If not for you, it would have been destroyed before the Eternal found the source of it, communicated with it, found out what it is, and convinced it to accept our nanites.”

John grunted again. “The energy Eternal? Won’t it hold a grudge against me now since I got the rewards rightfully due him? It?”

“Oh, it was rewarded. The NCS works very differently for energy beings. We can’t offer rewards and not give them out, so you get them. You had thirty-six percent of participation. The one known to you as Lilly was the only other ranking participant with eight percent.”

“Okay, so what was controlling Stretch?”

Avatar said, “The [Knowledge Base] was updated with this info. We’ve learned much more about something we knew little of before, and more of the Tree of Life itself. It was a world seed if you can believe it! A world seed on the path to full sapience. It doesn’t control the one known to you as Stretch as much as they are one and the same being. Fascinating.”

John replied, “Yes, fascinating.” He didn’t know what a world seed was, nor did he care to find out, but he was happy to know Stretch was fine. “What exactly is a Nano Control Unit and is my reward good? I can select something?”

Avatar put on the small glasses she wore in the classes she taught to John and said, “Your NCS can be upgraded in various ways. You’ve purchased many permanent NCU upgrades through the NCS already. One path of upgrading is with expansion slots that accept nanites dedicated to a specific function free of [NCU Energy Cost]. Yes, your rewards are good. In fact, most would consider them great rewards. The free opening of an NCU expansion as well as a C-grade NCU. In this sector, both rewards together would cost a fortune well out of reach of most on your Tree.”

Hearing his rewards were worth a fortune made John very happy. “Okay, what are my choices?”

“There’s over a hundred thousand choices for tech 1 C-grade NCUs. Why don’t we try and narrow the options down a bit. What function would you want most? An emergency essence-shield that self-activates? Nanite assistance thwarting attempts to unbind your manifestations? What are you looking for?”

After thinking for a long while about what he best needed, John decided to get an expert opinion. “What would you suggest, Avatar?”

Avatar stopped smiling. “What you are in dire need of is soul healing. The only NCU that could help provide some healing towards your soul is [Theta Enhancement – T1C]. It enhances [Theta Waves], [Heal Delta A], and [Heal Delta B] enough where it includes a small soul-heal component.

“The problem is it probably provides a similar amount of healing as does [Orb of the Crimson Palace], which hasn’t done much healing judging by the lack of increase to your [Runes] [Stat] outside of rank up and ascension. If what the one known to you as Lilly said was true, that all the spirit you converted has reinforced your soul too much, it could be resistant to [Theta Enhancement – T1C].”

After a pause, Avatar added on, “I’d still have to recommend it. Anything is better than nothing.”

John asked, “What about the physical reward I have coming to me? Do you think it could contain a soul-healing item?”

“We haven’t been informed of what it contains, sorry. I will say past rewards were focused on what a cultivator needed at the moment. Your soul issue is seen as a future problem for Diamond tier, though it must be addressed now.”

John’s heart sank some. He’d rather have help preventing unbinds than more passive healing, but then he remembered [Theta Waves] also helped heal his spirit, what others called inner-spirit or vigor, though some called shen spirit, the outer-spirit, or vigor too, and having more spirit healed was a great boon. “Okay. I’ll take…wait, how many expansion slots are possible? Can I purchase slots and NCUs to fill them from you?”

Avatar said, “You can spend energy credit to open slots. As for the purchase of NCUs for expansion slots from us? No, sorry, that’s not possible anymore. There’re professions that specialize in the NCS and creating NCUs. A World Quest is rare. You’ve seen many rarities due to the strangeness of your world and the tampering done to it. As for how many NCU expansion slots are possible to open? With a Tech 4 NCS, sixteen in total.”

“How long until Earth has people capable of creating NCUs?”

Avatar laughed. “Terra. And I don’t know. Five years? Ten? Twenty? We’re not focused on world building. We’re focused on helping you ascend, and correctly!”

Since John figured he had fifteen more slots to fill eventually, taking the recommended NCU could only help him, and not hurt him. “Okay, I’ll take the NCU you recommended then. Do you know how long until it arrives?”

Avatar smiled and said, “Immediately. Just because we don’t do something, doesn’t mean we can’t. People like job security. NCUs are just nanites dedicated to a task. [Theta Enhancement – T1C] will finish installation within seconds of you entering real time.”

John said, “Thank you, Avatar. Before I look at my status, I’d like to go over some options with you. There’re some spells I can’t cast anymore that still show, such as [Blood Dart]. Could they please be removed? I’m really only interested in seeing spells I’m going to cast again. Like my [Ultimate], I’ll never use that one again since I have plans for a much better one.”

Avatar pushed her glasses up higher and looked down her nose at John. “They’re manifestations, not spells. And you have full control of the settings, you know. But yes, we can do that. Do you want me to use best judgment, or run every change by you?”

“Best judgment, please, Avatar.”

Avatar harrumphed. “For all your settings or just spells?”

“All of them, please, but err on the side of caution.”

“Done. Would you like to see your status now?”

John had the feeling Avatar was annoyed with him and he had no idea why. “Uh, could I ask you a question first? Unrelated to settings. But I’d like to say thank you very much for all you do. I appreciate you very much.”

“You are very welcome, John,” replied Avatar. “What’s the question?”

“Do you know where I’m from? Originally? The country it is now?”

“Yes. Turkey.”

John was taken by great surprise. “The Turuks? From above the sea of Azaq? My people never even saw a horse, and I’m of those nomads?”

“No. And the applicable ones are from farther east, but nomads still, and you’re not of them either. Bioinformatics don’t show your specific markers in anyone else present as of this world being welcomed into the Tree of Life. I’m sorry to say you’re the last of your specific subtype of terrans. Your people are no more, John. You’re the last of them.”

John was greatly disheartened to find out nothing came of his children or his people. He knew his sons were all killed, as were their sons too, but he assumed his line through his daughters carried on. He didn’t have the chance to have many children before receiving the power and becoming sterile, and only five lived to adulthood.

But John now knew where he was from. And that was important to him. To know where he was from, to know where his father was from, his ancestors, and honor them.

John asked to see a map of his birthplace and was surprised it was so close to areas he had lived within for so long early in his life. He was certain it was much further away, likely somewhere along the Dānu Apr or Rhēnos or Istros rivers. Possibly even the Rhodanós. It took so long to get from his tribal region to Gubla, it felt like he traveled the whole span of the world.

Unlike Pixie, Avatar was never truly wrong, so John took her statements as truth. “Oh, I have something called a ‘band of suffering.’ Do you think I should use it?”

“Yes! It will be painful and seriously slow down your energy gathering, but it greatly strengthens channels and makes essence a little more potent. Now that you’re not creating spirit, gathering energy more slowly is no detriment at all. It should also help increase the [Skill] level of your cycling technique faster. Breathing technique a little too.”

“But I have to remove my cap to attune a neck piece. I’ll lose out on the reflect.”

“So? Learn a reflect manifestation with ‘protect’ and ‘change.’”

John grunted. “Good idea. I wish I had eyebrows and hair. The cap helped hide it.”

Avatar put on her serious face. “Stop it! You’re a very handsome boy even without eyebrows or hair. And you can still wear the cap. You just can’t have it attuned.”

John asked to see his summary. Avatar informed him the last time he checked his summary was right after he gained his new body. All the entities he’d drained, including the abnormal dark ones in New York, all the dark ones he fought with Hubaba in Paris, as well as Muzaran, added up to a [Stat] gain of two-point-six-one. She added that there were no notes to go over.

John fought many, many dark ones in Paris, and he put emphasis on hand-to-hand to try and raise that [Skill] since his claws worked very well against hard skin, as did his teeth since getting his new body [Perk].

Tier/Level/Race

2 (Mortal) (Copper), 9 (High), Terran-E

Active Title

Blessed by Magnus Gar’tar

Aspects/Affinities

Blood (98%) (Major), Leech (96%) (Major), Shadow (98%) (Average), Change (98%) (Minor), Protection (96%) (Minor), Battle* (97(96)%) (Minor)

NCU Energy Cost

24% (-48.1%)

Active NCU Upgrades

Nano Assistance, Emergency Heal, Theta Waves, Heal Delta A, Heal Delta B, Inexorable, Refractory, Nano Support C, Nano Support D, Lock and Key

NCU Expansion Upgrades

1 of 16 slots opened

1) Theta Enhancement – T1C

STATS

[Effective] Current (Increase)

Strength

[23%, 87.08] 70.8 (2.61)

Swiftness

[23%, 86.83] 70.59 (2.61)

Conditioning

[24%, 88.47] 71.35 (2.61)

Min. Power

[12%, 66.60] 59.46

Capacity

[13%, 56.31] 49.83

Runes

[10%, 16.53] 15.03

Physical Fortification

[23%, 88.35] 71.83 (2.61)

Elemental Fortification

[19%, 85.80] 72.1 (2.61)

Mental Fortification

[10%, 77.20] 70.18 (2.61)

Highest Skills

[Leech Feckless Retreat Technique] 96.44

[Mixed Style Swords] 93.65

[Mixed Navigation] 91.12

[Mixed Stealth] 88.85

Synergy Skills

Ready

Class

NA

Perks

Orb of the Crimson Palace, Dynamic, Physical, Potent, Protected, Strong, Fast, Healthy, Quick Thinking*, Resilient, Powerful, Expansive, Harden, Resistant, Soulful, Good Genes*, Leech Body of the Morning's Glory, Regeneration

Manifestations

Battle Closest, BB Buff, Blood Blade, Blood Heal, Blood Manipulation, Drain Essence, Flashburst Pulse, PB Shield, Slip

Last Achievement

Favored Few 5 - S

Highest Achievement

SSUR Body - SSUR

Titles

Blessed by Magnus Gar’tar, Ptagmog, Record Holder (System), Trailblazer (System)

-Start Notifications

27 tracked skills increased, 24 of interest. Scaled summary per notability/interest user profile.

Grandmaster: Mixed Style Swords - 93.65(.01)

Master: Mixed Stealth – 88.85(.02), Mixed Combat Offense – 87.28(.01), Mixed Archery – 85.43(.01), Mixed Combat Defense – 83.14(.01), Mixed Shield – 81.19(.02)

Journeyman: Mixed Style Unarmed – 39(3)

Apprentice: Essence Manipulation - 20(1)

Novice: Blood Manipulation – 15(3), Breath of the Serpent Clan Endless Technique – 15(2), Manifestation Defense – 12(2), Turmoil Within Tranquility Cycling Technique – 11(2), Flashburst Pulse – 10(2), Unbind defense – 10(2), Unbind Manifestation – 10(2), Blood Heal – 7(3), Blood Shield – 7(2)

Neophyte: BB Buff – 5(2), Coiled Center of the Universe Energy Gathering Technique – 4(1), Drain Essence – 3 (2), PB Shield – 3(3), Slip – 3(2), Self-Propelled Projectile Weapons – 2(2), Essence-Infused Projectile Weapons – 1(1)

7 common Achievements attained for a cumulative [NCU Energy Cost] reduction of .3%. Focus here to see each individually.

3 notable Achievements attained.

‘World Quest Winner’ attained (Unrated). Participate in and be the top contributor of a World Quest.

‘Favored Few 4’ attained (A-Rated). Participate in the killing of at least 4,000 members of the Forsaken faction, 0.60 [NCU Energy Cost] reduction, cumulative 57.4%.

‘Favored Few 5’ attained (S-Rated). Participate in the killing of at least 5,000 members of the Forsaken faction, 0.70 [NCU Energy Cost] reduction, cumulative 58.1%.

End notifications-

It bothered John most of his [Skill] increases seem to have come from his daily training and had few gains from actual battle. He was happy to see some of his highest [Skills] improved. He said, “Avatar, why aren’t my [Skills] increasing faster from combat?”

“The lower Mastery ones will if you don’t utilize us for training. Combat and practice and learning all intersect and impact [Skill] gains from one another up to a certain Mastery. There’s a natural balance, and your [Skill] gain is way above average, so don’t complain, boy. You increased twenty-four [Skills] of note, including many Master level [Skills], and a Grandmaster too! That’s basically unheard of. And keep in mind you’re only Copper tier. You just started up the bloody climb.”

John replied, “Understood. Is it tomorrow yet?”

Avatar laughed and said, “It’s always today, John, but I know what you’re asking, and no, you still have many hours left until you can train again.”

“Well, thank you, Avatar. I value you and appreciate all your help. I liked the changes to the settings.”

“Good. Have fun. And remember your duty and the collective mission. Your actions and inactions help or hinder the collective mission. We shall achieve core.”

John exited his Mind’s Eye and returned to the flying plane. He thought about how he was probably over the ocean and his adrenaline spiked. He always hated the ocean. He hated sailing on ships. He could swim but he liked being able to see the ground under the water. He didn’t mind rivers, ponds, or some lakes. He believed the ocean was filled with giant beasts that wanted nothing more than to mindlessly eat everything they saw.

John cursed internally. There was no way Lilly didn’t hear his heart rate change and notice he wasn’t meditating unless she was sleeping. He heard her get up and approach him as he pretended to meditate.

“Hey fuckface, how’s the rot? I haven’t heard you cough in a while.”

John was getting tired of being insulted. He assumed that Lilly just insulted him. He was never good at insulting. He had always stuck to the classics, such as calling someone base or a coward or a cur. His friends would often make fun of him over his poor ability to insult others.

John said, “Your face is the fuck, you cow-girl. And the rot is healed.”

Lilly cracked up laughing. “Oh, that was good. Do you think cowgirl is an insult?”

“Uh…no.” John figured she wouldn’t have asked if it was one.

“Yes, you do. You got all butthurt when I called you cowboy, didn’t you? You’ve been stewing about that this whole time, huh? Cowboys are cattle-ranching peasants people think are cool now. Even so, it’s not an insult to call someone a cowboy or a cowgirl. It’s kind of the opposite, in fact.”

Confused, John asked, “How could words ever cause my butt to hurt?”

Lilly laughed again and wrapped her arms around John’s neck and put her head on his cheek. “Oh, my dear heart, it’s so good to be back with you. I have your government issued phone. Try not to keep it in your ring. We just got informed we’re not going back to DC. We’re going to Hawaii. They won’t tell us why. President Gillis said she needs you for something. Humbaba will meet us there, I think.”

John said, “Hubaba.”

“Whatever you say, sweetie. He’ll be pleased – with this haul added to what was taken from the horde in Canada, he’ll never run out of Nether. We should charge him for it.

“And I guarantee this has to do with the g’athu. It’s how they think. Hawaii’s about the midpoint between their bases. Listen, this could be a trap. The g’athu could want you dead. I don’t think so. Be careful anyways. I think the G40 are trying to make a deal with the g’athu. If they do, they deserve everything they have coming. We’ll be fine though. Our [Titles] will protect us. You haven’t attacked them yet, right?”

“I have not. I will kill them all though.”

Lilly squeezed John’s neck. “Oh, my pretty little monkey, not if they create their usual tech. I don’t know how far along they are, but at some point, they’re going to be invincible to you. I doubt they’ve had enough time to create any of the good stuff yet. We’ll have to play it by ear.”

John worked out the phrase he just heard. He thought it must have to do with creating music. People playing instruments without knowing the music and trying to follow along as best they could. And Lilly applied it to mean the same, but outside of music. What a brilliant turn of phrase. Every bit as brilliant as how touché is now used.

John repeated ‘play it by ear’ in his mind multiple times hoping it would stick, and hoping a situation would arise where he could use it himself.

Lilly said, “Quick crash course in g’athu. They’re really smart. They’re psychos. I mean really sick fuckers. They have crazy tech. Ever wonder how nice the world would be if everyone thought exactly the same as you do? Well, the g’athu don’t have to wonder. They’re all exactly the same. Like clones, kind of. They all have the same aspects. Think the same. Act the same. Reason the same.”

“They’re asexual now. They do something called budding. Little polyps grow all over them until one…hatches? Blooms? It’s kind of disgusting – giving birth to yourself.”