By The Blood

"But what does that matter?" Karl asked. "Even if I am the person you claim, what can I do against the Sovereign?" During his time in this world, he had absorbed the deep reverence people held for the Sovereign, and he didn’t like the direction this conversation was heading. Karl’s goal was to build a utopia and find freedom, not to fight for some empire.

"That’s because you’re a unique being—a product of an unknown evolution. The first of your kind, and likely the only one, unless some accident were to happen," Fredrick said with a bright smile, clearly delighted to talk about this subject.

Karl studied Fredrick. A unique being? Something about evolution? Am I a Sanguine?

As if reading his thoughts, Anette spoke up. "A unique being is the result of an evolution that creates something entirely new, something the world has never seen before," she explained with a rare smile. "Achieving such an evolution is extremely difficult because the world is always evolving—new life is constantly being born, whether through natural reproduction, inheritance of components, Sanguine evolution, or other mysterious means. But you..." She glanced at Fredrick.

"You were created by the Empress—your mother, The Star Empress" Fredrick continued. "No one knows what combination of creatures resulted in your birth or what you truly are, but the Empress called you the hope of the empire, the hope for humanity."

Karl frowned, unsure whether to believe them. One thing was clear, he was indeed different. Throughout his life, he had never felt emotions as strongly as others. Perhaps his "unique nature" explained that. But despite their explanations, more questions remained.

Reluctantly, Karl decided to ask. Knowing too little might get him killed, just as easily as the attacks he’d already faced. His vulnerabilities were more obvious than he’d realized.

"I have three questions," he began. "First, what does all of this mean for me? Second, what is Sanguine evolution, and how can it help me? And third, do I have to do any of this?" The last question felt bold, but Karl needed to ask. This responsibility... he didn’t want it. The more obligations he had, the less freedom he would have, and that was something he couldn’t accept. Not after all that had happened.

Anette looked at Fredrick, who frowned slightly. Karl, however, didn’t care. His gaze drifted to the books on the table, wondering if they held answers. In truth, he was trying to distract himself. From the way they spoke, it seemed like he wasn’t being given a choice.

"It means you are a beacon of hope," Fredrick said. "The Fallen Empire was founded by the Wraith King Kester Antigonus during the unification era. Back then, humans coexisted peacefully with the intelligent races. Sanguines existed, but there was order. Something like peace, which no longer exists after the First Order's declaration. Worse still, the Eleven Gods never granted permission for the Andronicus family to rule. It was more of a tacit acceptance."

"While you currently have nothing compared to the Andronicus family, who have corrupted humanity and ruled over an empire bloated out of proportion," Anette added, lowering her gaze, "you could rebuild. I truly believe that. For the sake of the races suffering under the First Order, this is for them."

"But why do you care?" Karl asked. "You’re both humans, right?" He needed to probe deeper.

"Although the term ‘human’ is a loose one for Sanguines, yes, we are," Fredrick answered. "But we also remember the beauty of the Fallen Empire. Yes, it had its chaos, but not like the endless wars that have claimed millions of lives today. You may not see it in Canen, being the empire’s capital, but out there... it’s chaos. Crusades are constantly being launched against different dominions, continents vastly more dangerous than the south."

"What chance do I have to achieve any of this?" Karl asked, hoping to dissuade them. He wanted no part in their plans.

"You are a unique being. While we don’t know all your abilities, we know that your power is linked to your memories," Fredrick explained.

Memories? Are they referring to the visions? Are those supposed to be my memories? Karl wondered. Clearly, those weren’t his memories—they must have belonged to the body he now inhabited. If that were true, it would explain why recalling them made him feel stronger. But there was a problem... If Karl had been a child for a thousand years, why did his memories include scenes of adults? Especially the man in the Forest of Blood Coral. This changes things. If these memories grant me power, then...

"My memories are linked to my powers?" Karl asked, hoping to make some decision for himself.

Anette nodded. "Yes, it seems to be one of your abilities or at least the key to unlocking others. But there’s more: you possess a rare and unique ability from what we call the Hidden Voice of the World."

The Hidden Voice? That was the deity the beastmen worshiped. Karl had never paid much attention to their myths, but the voice was said to guide them on many matters. Why worship a god that couldn’t save them from humans? he had always thought.

After a moment, Fredrick added, "Every creature in this world has a component—a power or ability unique to them. It could be something as simple as a cat’s ability to always land on its feet or as complex as a wraith’s power to teleport through mirrors. Every living thing—perhaps even humans—has some form of component, whether physical or mystical. These creatures usually don’t breed outside their species, but when they do, the offspring might inherit traits from both parents. This is the normal process of evolution."

He’s talking about evolution now, Karl noted, now fully engaged. Despite the revelations about his unique nature, he still wanted to evolve on his own terms. That choice was his right.

"The second method is through the use of grace and blood to create the Evolutionary Serum," Fredrick continued, opening one of the books and pointing to a few symbols. Karl, however, didn’t recognize them—he couldn’t read, except for basic Canenese. As for how he could, Karl simply chunked it up to the mysterious vague memories of the original Karl.

"This is the method used by humans and other intelligent races," Fredrick continued. "Grace is a mysterious substance. Some call it the tears of the world, others the blood of the creator. But one thing all Sanguines agree on is that grace is the ultimate binder. It can evolve a creature into another by combining it with the blood it’s mixed with. The serum is made from a specific creature’s dead blood and grace and then injected into the body. However, it’s not limited to blood. Anything—from a tree leaf to pieces of rock or even river water—can be used. Once mixed with grace and injected, it merges into the body, good and bad components alike. Some parts, of course, can be sacrificed."

Karl glanced at the symbols Fredrick was pointing to, trying to suppress his rising questions about his origins—more specifically, the origin of his body. He knew he’d find out eventually, but what intrigued him most was the notion of acquiring power through this process.

"After the injection, the person undergoes a painful transformation, with the intensity depending on the creature’s might and complexity. If they endure it, they evolve into that creature. If they can’t bear it, they die," Fredrick explained.

"But," Anette suddenly interrupted, "you cannot evolve."

"What?" Karl blurted out, startled. Were they saying he wouldn’t even have the chance to pursue his own path to power? This was the one choice he had!

"The reason is simple," Anette said, her voice tinged with concern. "You are a unique being. If you were to evolve, you risk losing one of your abilities during the process. Even if that doesn’t happen, merging incompatible components could cause you to break down. It’s too great a risk. We can’t afford to jeopardize the overall strength of your evolution."

So I can’t even have this? Karl thought, stifling the urge to sigh. He didn’t care much about learning what this risk of breaking down was—why worry about something you can’t have?

"But trust us," Anette added softly, "your current power is strong enough to guide you through your journey, and so are we." She looked as if she wanted to comfort Karl, understanding that despite his age, he was still a child thrust into a world far beyond his control.

What power will these memories even provide? Before, I thought they were just visions. But if they’re memories, doesn’t that mean they could reshape who I am? Karl pondered. He hadn’t fully recovered the memories from his time on Earth, and now this? What kind of conflict would this create?

"After evolution, Sanguines gain access to the Hidden Voice of the World and something known as the Face of the Soul," Fredrick said, as if attempting to lighten the tension. "The nature of the voice is unknown, but it helps identify creatures, fuse or sacrifice components, and, depending on one’s evolution, even provide information about mystical or physical abilities." He paused. "The Face of the Soul, on the other hand, is a mystical phenomenon. With just a thought, a Sanguine can visualize all their components and determine which ones are compatible or fusible."

For some reason, Karl thought of a system from his own world. He shrugged inwardly and focused on the idea of components. So there are divisions to this? Karl thought, pushing aside the growing flood of questions. He let Fredrick continue, it was best that way. Listening allowed him to learn, and understand.

"The voice typically aids in the fusion of components, allowing multiple evolutions to merge into one. This way, even after evolving several times, the components remain separate, and using them may require more mana. But when fused, all previous evolutions combine into a single form, possibly resulting in a unique evolution. Still, many prefer to evolve independently, although this is risky since the creature’s strength is reflected in its components, which in turn affects the pain associated with evolving it. It’s like a mother giving birth to a malformed child."

This seems more complicated than I thought, Karl admitted to himself.

"Over time, branches were developed to combine parts from different creatures through targeted sacrifices to achieve specific results," Fredrick said, pointing to an image of a snake with wings. "Take the feathered serpent, for instance. Though the race has long been extinct, a branch can be created by using components from various creatures, with the right sacrifices, to evolve into a feathered serpent. Most branches have anywhere from seven to fourteen evolutions, with the ultimate goal being to reach the demi-god class."

Demi-god? Karl’s eyes flickered at the word. There’s a class called demi-gods? What comes after that—desolation or something even higher? The sheer possibility of such power was tempting.

"The demi-god class is also known as the disaster class," Fredrick explained. "And with each class advancement, the Hidden Voice offers a reward."

A reward? So that’s the secret behind the class system? Karl had always assumed the class system was simply a way to rank power, but now he understood why there were rumors of something more. Advancing through the classes was like leveling up, each step bringing perks.

Fredrick continued, "The ordinary and advanced classes only grant additional strength. The special class offers enhanced healing, though it can’t regenerate lost limbs. That requires either a specific ability or a potion."

Karl remembered how the swordsmen back at the farm had healed themselves. Yes, they had regenerated. Their healing must have been tied to their class.

"Desolations are granted a familiar—a black bird they can summon to carry messages at incredible speeds. They can also 'customize' their bodies once a month, changing into anything from a female to an animal or even a giant. But these changes don’t bring any additional benefits. Even if they appear as a giant, they’ll still have the same strength as they did in their normal form."

Karl struggled to picture that.

"They are also given a... true name, or what’s now called a Noblesse," Fredrick added, pausing briefly. "Though I’d like to explain what that really is, I’m not certain you’ve reached the necessary level to handle that knowledge."

Necessary level? Karl thought, So some knowledge requires a certain level of understanding or strength to handle it? For a moment, Karl was suspicious, wondering if Fredrick was simply withholding information under the guise of this explanation. But recalling similar scenarios from books in his previous life, Karl reluctantly accepted it, though with some skepticism.