Chapter 11: The Mind Body and Bloodline Paths
“The deceased was a Transcendental of the Flesh sequence.”
Inside the cordoned-off Golden Oriole Tavern, members of the Night Watch and the Constantinople Police Department’s Special Task Force were investigating the murder that had occurred just hours earlier. The gunshots had been so loud that many residents had mistaken them for a gas explosion, and the first responders on the scene had been the city’s fire brigade.
“Based on our initial assessment, the deceased was dismembered into four separate piles of flesh, each pinned down with furniture in different corners of the room,” the Special Task Force officer reported. “We haven’t found any unusual symbols or markings, so we can rule out a ritualistic killing. The perpetrator likely dismembered the body to prevent regeneration, which is consistent with the Flesh II trait.”
“DNA analysis reveals the deceased was not a citizen of Constantinople, or even the Eastern Solomon Empire. He was an illegal immigrant. We also recovered four bullets from the walls, matching the four gunshots reported by witnesses. The bullets are .50 caliber, a highly powerful round with significant recoil, commonly known as ‘elephant bullets.’ Not something a novice shooter would use.”
“.50 caliber…” The Night Watch captain pondered. “Isn’t that a sniper rifle round?”
“A few handguns also use .50 caliber rounds. They’re often referred to as ‘hand cannons,'” the officer added. “The Desert Eagle, for example.”
“I’ll contact the Church’s Economic Affairs Bureau and have them run a check,” the captain said.
Moments later, the results arrived.
“Asker Leppius Achilles.” The captain chuckled, reading the Church’s report. “So, the victim’s family took matters into their own hands. That makes sense.”
“A level 0 took down a level 2,” the officer remarked, shaking his head in disbelief. “If this guy wasn’t a criminal, I’d try to recruit him for the Special Task Force. We’re always short on skilled individuals who can handle Transcendents.”
“Who says he’s a criminal?” The captain countered. “According to the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, he reported a nest of vampires to the Church. This latest victim was likely one of the escaped culprits. The Church even issued a bounty for their capture. In other words, Asker helped the Church eliminate a fugitive. They’ll probably reward him for it.”
Meanwhile, outside Asker’s family mansion, the Ironclad Paladin captain tossed a bag of coins towards Asker. “Here’s your reward. Not bad, kid. Taking down a vampire single-handedly?”
“Just lucky, I guess,” Asker replied modestly.
“Luck doesn’t always hold out.” The captain nodded. “Next time you encounter something like this, I suggest you contact the Church first.”
“Understood,” Asker agreed.
He closed the door, and the captain turned to leave. Neither of them mentioned the deceased’s supernatural essence.
As the captain rounded a corner, an informant emerged from a nearby alley.
“Identification Aura confirms he’s still level 0,” the informant reported. “He’s not a vampire, but there’s a faint trace of undigested ethereal energy. He probably stumbled upon the supernatural essence and absorbed the raw power within.”
“That’s the most likely scenario,” the captain agreed. “He doesn’t possess the Flesh I trait, so consuming a Flesh II elixir would have resulted in a mutation. And he wouldn’t be strolling around so casually if he had. We’ll maintain surveillance for another three days. I’ll report to the bishop personally.”
Inside the mansion, Asker ascended the stairs to his third-floor study. He pushed the door open, revealing four women seated on chairs, patiently awaiting his return.
“Apologies for the delay. I had some personal matters to attend to,” Asker said.
“Church officials?” Medea inquired, her voice laced with curiosity. “I sensed a powerful ethereal aura.”
The others tensed. The Eastern Solomon Empire’s Orthodox Church, while not as vehemently opposed to Transcendents as the Western Solomon Church, wasn’t exactly welcoming either. Peggy, in particular, was ready to bolt for the window at a moment’s notice.
“They were delivering my reward,” Asker chuckled. “For killing the vampire.”
“You killed a vampire?” Eleanor gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. She knew firsthand how dangerous vampires could be. Nuo stared at Peggy, her expression a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. She wondered if the slain vampire was somehow connected to Peggy.
“Let’s not dwell on that,” Asker said, changing the subject. “You’re all here, which means you’ve made your decision. You still want to become Transcendents, correct?”
“Yes,” Nuo and Eleanor replied in unison.
Two ordinary humans who want to become Transcendents… Medea observed them, her mind racing. A mischievous smile spread across her lips. “If you’re interested in becoming Transcendents, I happen to have a formula for a Mind sequence elixir.”
“Mind sequence?” Nuo asked eagerly. “What kind of abilities does it grant?”
“Mind I allows the Transcendental to sense nearby minds,” Medea explained, her voice smooth and alluring. Nuo grabbed a pen and paper, scribbling furiously. “It also grants the ability to communicate telepathically. The Transcendental can initiate or terminate telepathic contact at will, without the other party’s consent. They can also subtly influence the target’s thoughts and emotions.”
“Excuse me, what exactly is a ‘mind’?” Nuo asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.
“That’s classified information. And knowledge isn’t free,” Medea replied, a hint of mischief in her voice. “Fifteen pounds.”
Fifteen pounds was a year’s salary for a middle-class family. Nuo, however, didn’t hesitate. She pulled out two banknotes from her purse and handed them to Medea.
Is she truly wealthy and indifferent to such a paltry sum? Or is she simply impulsive, willing to invest in knowledge? Medea wondered, finding herself unable to read Nuo. If only I had the Conspiracy I trait, I could see through her facade.
“A human being can be divided into three layers: the physical body, the ethereal body, and the mind body,” Medea explained, pocketing the money. “The physical body encompasses both the flesh and the soul. The ethereal body is the soul in a broader sense, encompassing both the unconscious and the conscious.”
“The unconscious refers to information stored outside the cerebral cortex. Breathing, for example. You breathe constantly, but do you consciously control each breath? The act of breathing is regulated by the cerebellum, without your conscious input. Another example is the knee-jerk reflex. Tapping your knee causes your leg to extend involuntarily. This reflex is controlled by the spinal cord. These are examples of the unconscious aspect of the ethereal body.”
“The conscious, on the other hand, is a product of activity within the cerebral cortex. This is what we call the mind body. It’s essentially the ‘self’ that you’re aware of. The occultist Freud believed the mind body, or ego, could be divided into three parts: the id, the superego, and the ego.”
“The id refers to the influence of the physical body on the mind. For example, some individuals are born with genetic defects that prevent them from producing certain hormones, leading to impulsive and aggressive behavior. This predisposition towards anger is part of the id, an innate aspect of their physical being.”
“The superego, on the other hand, is shaped by upbringing and environment. For example, a child who is constantly warned about the dangers of the outside world might develop a cautious and timid personality. This is part of the superego.”
“If we remove the id and the superego from the ego, what remains is the true self. The true self is the most mysterious aspect of the mind body, its origins still shrouded in mystery. Jung, Freud’s student, suggested in his ‘Psychological Types’ that the true self is the essence of one’s being. When a person dies, the id remains within the decaying flesh, the superego merges with the collective unconscious, but the true self vanishes. Freud believed the true self might be a projection from a higher dimension, returning to its source upon death.”
“I’ve heard that some Transcendents of the Necromancy sequence can resurrect the dead,” Nuo asked curiously. “But the Solomon Church claims the resurrected individuals aren’t truly the same people. Is that because they lack the true self?”
“Precisely,” Medea confirmed. “Basic necromancy only reanimates the physical body, driven by the id. The resulting undead are mindless, driven by instinct. Some families seek out high-level psychics to retrieve the deceased’s superego from the collective unconscious and implant it within the reanimated body. This restores the deceased’s memories and intellect, allowing them to communicate and interact as they did in life.”
“However, without the true self, they don’t truly comprehend their own death. They lack emotions and ethereal energy. Over time, they often descend into madness or become possessed by malevolent entities,” Medea added. “There were several infamous cases in the Fourth Era where resurrected individuals, kept at home by their grieving families, eventually snapped and murdered their loved ones.”
Nuo shuddered, a chill running down her spine. She quickly jotted down notes about the mind body, determined to overcome her fear.
“So, consuming a Mind I elixir allows you to influence other people’s minds?” she asked.
“Indeed,” Medea confirmed. “However, I only have the formula for Mind I. You’ll have to find the formulas for higher-level Mind elixirs and other compatible sequences yourself.”
“Oh.” Nuo’s face fell. Then, she turned to Asker. “Mr. Asker, do you have any advice?”
“Transcendents progress from level 0 to level 10, each elixir consumed raising their level by one,” Asker explained. “Elixirs from different sequences often clash, leading to mutations and loss of control. Your first elixir choice is crucial. It determines which other sequences you can safely consume and ultimately shapes your final bloodline at level 10. I suggest you choose your desired bloodline first and then select elixirs that align with that path.”
“That’s the ideal scenario,” Medea interjected, a sardonic smile on her lips. “In reality, complete bloodline paths are closely guarded secrets, known only to the Eastern and Western Solomon Churches and a handful of secretive organizations. Unless you’re born into an ancient Transcendental family, you’re unlikely to encounter a complete path at level 0.”
“My advice is to choose your favorite elixir sequence first. Once you become a Transcendental, you can then search for a bloodline path that incorporates that sequence and identify compatible elixirs. Remember, many people don’t even have the luxury of choosing their first sequence. They have to grasp whatever opportunity presents itself, even if the available elixir isn’t their ideal choice.”
Asker smiled, remaining silent. That might be true for NPCs, but you underestimate the power of player forums.
“Mr. Asker,” Nuo said, noticing his knowing smile. “Do you… possess a complete bloodline path?”
