Solar Blood Masters (180)

Chapter 180 - Elixen Belkelium

Swish… Swish…

A shadow zipped through the dense forest from one shadowed alcove to the next. It moved with a cautious urgency while avoiding the patrols of monstrous beasts.

This was Raphael, and he was scared.

Being small and human in Yama Yaguai was stressful. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, every guttural growl sent his heart racing. His Solar Essence Density, though potent, was suppressed by Thienika’s Solar Seed. He was vulnerable.

He scaled a volcanic slope, carefully avoiding the streams of lava and the Blazoids basking in their heat.

Finally, he reached his destination. A massive, red torii gate, dripping lava, marked the entrance to Gastaroid’s forge.

He materialized behind a rock, panting and sweating.

“Whew! That was stressful! Those Nightmare Calamities… they’re everywhere! Dropping off the Amethyst Silk Scriptures at Pi Muram’s front gate was the most I could manage. This small human body… it’s so fragile.”

He wiped his brow. “I need to see if Gastaroid is done with that weapon then get back to Black Wind and find Lu Jade.”

He entered the forge.

The heat was intense, but familiar. Gastaroid’s huge form moved about the chamber. He was tinkering with several mechanisms, his molten hands adjusting dials and levers with surprising dexterity.

Raphael let out a sigh of relief. ‘He’s here. Good.’

Gastaroid seemed even larger than Raphael remembered, now that Raphael himself was so small.

“Gastaroid!” Raphael called out.

Gastaroid paused, scratching his ear. “Did I hear something?” He shrugged and returned to his work.

Raphael unleashed a burst of Solar Essence.

“Hmmm? That energy signature…” Gastaroid turned and looked down. He saw a tiny figure standing near the entrance.

“An ant has crawled into my forge?”

“Yo, Gastaroid! It’s me! Raphael!”

“Raphael? That bull? So, Sindoll finally finished? It took her five years to graft that Super Human Constitution. However… I expected you to be… taller. And your strength… It’s diminished. This…”

Raphael felt a pang of embarrassment. “I know, I know. I’m… small. My power decreased… not because of my new form, but because of that seed I showed you five years ago. Man, I still can’t believe it’s been THAT long.”

He shook his head. “So… How goes the Weapon Grafting? Have you completed that thing?”

“Almost. But your early arrival, it has interrupted my flow. We agreed at a much later date, didn’t we?”

“Almost? I thought it would be done by now.”

“There were… complications. It took a full year to smelt down Thienika’s remains. And another six months to re-engineer the components of the Ignitor Sun Cycle. I had to detach them, then carefully graft them onto the divine weapon’s design.

The fusion process was delicate. Her draconic essence… it’s potent. Unstable even. I had to create a series of dampeners, to regulate the energy flow, to prevent a catastrophic backlash.

Then there was the matter of integrating the soul sonic frequencies. They had to be harmonized with the Sun Cycle’s heat, otherwise the weapon would… well… it would sing a very unpleasant tune. Imagine a thousand screeching bats amplified by dragon fire…”

He paused, taking a deep breath, then continued.

“I’m now in need of a compatible Solar Consciousness to bring the weapon to fruition. And some more of your Solar Essence.”

“Hmmm…” Raphael flew up and hovered beside Gastaroid. He observed the many intricate components.

“What about Hellphet’s soul? I still have it. Will that work?”

“Hellphet’s soul? A Nightmare Calamity… fire attribute. Not bad. I’ve already added a few fire souls to the weapon. It could work. I’ll refine it with your Solar Essence then create a Soul Planet. A planet with a linked attribute to the weapon. What do you say?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Raphael produced Hellphet’s Solar Consciousness, a blazing orange orb.

Gastaroid created a small platform of molten rock for Raphael to sit on.

He then placed the soul within a fiery mechanism and gestured to Raphael. “Pour your Solar Essence into that opening.”

Raphael channeled a stream of golden energy into the mechanism. It glowed, then began humming. Within its confines, Hellphet’s soul pulsed and shifted then flickered as if screaming then a blinding white light flash.

When the process was complete, the soul split in two.

Gastaroid took one half and tossed it into the cauldron.

He then helped Raphael shape the other half into a Soul Planet.

It was milky white with an orange core. Streaks of orange, resembling veins were across its surface. Small pillars protruded from its poles.

“We shall call it the ‘Gas Pillar Soul Planet’.” Gastaroid declared with a booming laugh.

Raphael absorbed the planet into his Cosmic Mind Sea. He installed it onto his Astro Soul Orbital, surrounding his Golden Bull Thork sun center. It was a seamless integration.

‘My Astro Soul Orbital is maxed out now. I can still create Soul Moons and Soul Satellites to enhance them and I’ve already awakened my Star Soul Orbital. So, if I come across any potent Solar Consciousnesses in the future, I can easily stack them there. This is amazing.’

Suddenly, he felt the Gas Pillar Soul Planet pulsing, impacting his entire Teterahek. He was pulled back to reality, gasping for air.

He coughed blood.

“What’s happening?!”

The cauldron flared.

“A Rejection Anomaly,” Gastaroid explained calmly. “It happens from time to time. The soul’s counterpart, embedded within the weapon… it’s… disturbed. Don’t worry, I’ve encountered this several times before.”

He began manipulating the forge’s mechanisms, adjusting dials and levers. The cauldron’s flames shifted, their colors changing from orange to blue, then to a soothing green.

Raphael’s chest and head burned. But as Gastaroid worked, the pain subsided.

“It is… FINISHED!” Gastaroid roared triumphantly.

He plunged his hands into the lava and pulled out a large, black pillar. It was smooth and polished, glistening in the firelight.

Raphael stared at it, unimpressed. ‘That’s it? A huge pillar? This Gastaroid… he’s so obsessed with pillars. That thing isn’t that much different from his Bull Demon Pillars. Couldn’t he have been more creative?’

“Muwahaha!”

With a satisfied grin, Gastaroid glanced at Raphael’s small human form. He then shrunk the black pillar to roughly Raphael’s height and placed it on the platform beside him.

“There you go, bull. My brand new masterpiece.”

“This…” Raphael approached the pillar cautiously, observing it with a newfound curiosity.

It was four feet long, with a diameter of one foot. On both spherical faces, sensitive areas glowed with tiny red orbs that responded to his touch. Tiny breathing holes lined its edges. Intricate patterns, resembling ancient runes, adorned its smooth, black surface, which was covered in faint, silver scales similar to Thienika’s bark. And within its translucent depths, a network of glowing veins and arteries pulsed around a central, beating heart.

The weapon… It was alive.

“Hmmm… Compared to its bland exterior, it does give off a feeling of superiority. Even when compared to the Ignitor Sun Cycle.”

“Bland design?!” Gastaroid looked slightly offended. “You have no idea what you possess, bull.”

He pointed at the pillar. “This is the Elixen Belkelium, a Divine Grade weapon tied to a soul’s evolution! I created 3 transformation modes: Gas Pillar Mode, Draconic Star Armor Mode, and Battle God Mode!

I’ve installed a manual for each mode detailing their properties, you’ll discover them once you’ve unlocked each mode. And I can assure you, bull, each design is superb! It'll even make your jaw drop, what do you say?!”

“Oh… different modes…” Raphael grinned. He reached out and tried to lift the pillar.

“What the hell?! I can’t even budge it! It’s so heavy!”

CRACK!

His spine almost snapped.

“MUWAHAHAHAHA!”

Gastaroid laughed.

“The weapon is currently locked, bull. Its weight is approximately 450,000 tons. I’ve reduced the size to suit your new Super Human Constitution, but the weight remains the same. After bonding with it, the burden will be reduced to a mere 450 tons. To unlock the first mode, Gas Pillar Mode, and for the Elixen Belkelium to recognize you as its master, you must feed it with your Solar Blood. TWENTY THOUSAND gallons.”

“Twenty thousand?!” Raphael’s jaw dropped. ‘My tiny human body… it doesn’t have that much blood! How…? Wait…’

He remembered something vital. He was a Bloodthorne, with an excessive Blood Pool, a capacity of 70,000 gallons.

‘I can use my Blood Pool to unlock the weapon.’

He activated his Dark Blood Domain.

He vanished.

He found himself standing within a vast, dark space, the very sky itself was black. Beneath him was a sea of blood, its surface rippled gently. Multiple, vertical streams of blood twisted upwards, converging towards a massive, pulsating, purple nest. The nest was slowly acquiring an orange hue.

‘That nest… It appeared in my Dark Blood Domain after I absorbed Kwan Yuu’s soul. I’d almost forgotten it existed. Why has it started drinking so much of my Blood Pool?’

He activated his Lingshi Eye.

“Zhu Jian.”

A sliver of emerald light materialized. The Sagewood Script spun, then transformed into a humanoid figure, 6 feet tall.

Zhu Jian now had a portly physique, a noticeable pot belly, a long white beard with streaks of green, long, flowing blue-green hair, kind green eyes, and two small horns on his head. He wore a viridian robe, his limbs were encased in green shells, and three Sagewood Scripts, each with a paintbrush tucked inside, rested on his back. He resembled a scholarly sage, a being of wisdom and knowledge.

‘Zhu Jian’s features… they’ve evolved? Why does he almost look like… Lingshi? And that height…’ Raphael felt a pang of humiliation at his own diminutive size.

“Zhu Jian, what’s with that… nest?” he asked, gesturing towards the pulsating Purple Blood Nest.

“Its gestation period must be over, Master Raphael. It’s preparing to be birthed.”

“But it’s sucking up all of my Blood Pool! Is this normal?”

“I don’t know, Master Raphael. This occurrence… It’s new… to me. Let us observe and see what happens.”

“Ok.”

Raphael watched as the last drops of his blood flowed into the nest. It pulsed, swelled; its orange hue intensified.

‘It didn’t even leave a drop behind? How greedy! Now how am I supposed to unlock this… Elix… what was it called again?’

“The Elixen Belkelium, Master. According to Gastaroid, it weighs approximately 450,000 tons, despite its shrunken size. However, he explained that after unlocking it with your blood, the burden will be reduced to 450 tons. It has three modes: Gas Pillar Mode…”

“That’s enough, Zhu Jian. I’m already aware of its properties.”

“Understood, Master. If you require any more insightful information, do not hesitate.”

BOOM!

The nest exploded!

A creature tumbled out.

It was massive, resembling a Shadow Bat in its dark coloration, yet… different. It had four legs and two large, thick, orange arms, a bloated belly glowing with orange liquid, menacing facial features dominated by a long elephant trunk. Massive black wings with blazing tips, extended from its back. And from its back, curls of Abyss Nylon wrapped protectively around a swollen, orange orb that pulsed with heat. Six nodes on the orb’s surface glowed, indicating release ports for the fiery sands within.

Raphael and Zhu Jian observed the creature. Its Solar Essence Density… 1st Layer Nightmare Calamity.

“ROAR!” It let out a powerful growl that shook the Dark Blood Domain.

“I am Hell Ryu! The most magnificent of Master’s creations!” It boasted, spitting out a stream of fire and sand.

Then, its gaze settled on Raphael.

“You… You smell… familiar…”

“You… devoured Master’s Solar Consciousness! I can smell it on your soul! Prepare to face my wrath! I shall avenge my Master!”

“What?! No! I am the Master! I am the Golden Bull Thork!” Raphael protested, but Hell Ryu didn’t listen.

“Lies! Deception! You cannot fool me! I will have my vengeance!”