Chapter 8: I Want to Become Transcendental
The bellhop led them to a door, gave a quick knock, and promptly retreated.
Moments later, the door opened.
“Eleanor?” A young woman, barely in her twenties, greeted them. Her soft, flaxen hair framed a delicate, youthful face. Another stunning beauty.
Wait, why did I say “another”? Asker wondered to himself.
“And these are…?” Her voice trailed off as her gaze fell upon Asker and Peggy.
“This is the master I told you about!” Eleanor exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. “He’s invited me to join his team!”
“Really?” Nuo’s face lit up. “That calls for a celebration! I’ll get the champagne. Come in, come in.”
They stepped into the suite. It was massive, easily the size of an average apartment, spanning two floors and nearly two hundred square meters. The upper floor housed the bedroom, while the lower floor served as a lounge, furnished with ancient Solomonic-style sofas and tables. Stone sculptures, oil paintings, and tapestries adorned the walls. A small bar stood in the center of the room, its shelves lined with neatly arranged bottles, each bearing an elegant label.
Nuo retrieved a bottle from the bar, shook it vigorously, and aimed it at Eleanor, popping the cork with a flourish.
“Champagne attack!” she cried playfully.
Eleanor reacted instantly, drawing her shield to deflect the spray of bubbly.
“Spoilsport.” Nuo tossed the bottle into a nearby trash bin. “Your reflexes are getting too good, Ellie.”
“I’ve been getting beaten black and blue these past few days,” Eleanor retorted, lowering her shield. “I have to be quick on my feet.”
“So, this is the master who’s been putting you through your paces?” Nuo turned her attention to Asker, a playful smile on her lips.
“Allow me to introduce myself.” Asker extended his hand. “Asker Leppius Achilles, at your service. I’m currently assembling a team.”
“Nuo Valennis Licinius,” Nuo replied, introducing herself with an ancient Solomonic name.
“I hear you’re a graduate of the Solomon St. Mary’s Theological Seminary?” Asker got straight to the point. “A battle sister?”
“Indeed.” Nuo’s smile widened. Asker’s emphasis on “assembling a team” left no doubt about his intentions. “My work with Eleanor should serve as a testament to my skills.”
“Healing needles or supernatural abilities?” Asker pressed.
“Healing needles,” Nuo replied, momentarily taken aback. “Eleanor’s injuries are mostly bruises and internal bleeding. I treat them with a combination of biopeptides, platelet-rich plasma, and hemostatic gel. Seventy-five percent alcohol for disinfection, of course.”
“What about fractures?” Asker continued, slipping into interview mode.
“I use a sonic scope to assess the severity of the fracture,” Nuo responded smoothly. “For comminuted fractures, surgery is required to remove bone fragments. Otherwise, I immobilize the limb with a cast and administer healing injections. Dosage and location depend on the specific injury.”
“What about injuries caused by supernatural powers?” Asker asked, delivering his final question.
This one was clearly more challenging. Nuo furrowed her brow, pondering for a moment before replying, “First, I would need to determine if any residual energy remains within the body. If so, I would attempt to purge it. Then, I would treat the symptoms accordingly.”
“Besides healing, battle sisters also receive training in mechanical repair, correct?” Asker continued, his expression unreadable. “Can you repair firearms and vehicles?”
“Yes,” Nuo confirmed.
“Excellent.” Asker nodded decisively. “You’ve passed my interview, Miss Nuo.”
Eleanor clapped her hands in delight.
“Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Asker,” Nuo said, her smile returning. “Now, it’s my turn to state my terms.”
“As you can see, we’re still a startup,” Asker said earnestly. “While I’ve personally invested a thousand pounds in the team, I can’t offer exorbitant salaries. However, I can guarantee that our team will never exceed ten members, and everyone will receive equal compensation. So…”
“You misunderstand, Mr. Asker.” Nuo shook her head. “Salary isn’t my primary concern. As you can see, thanks to my parents’ generosity, I’m not lacking in funds.”
“Then what is it you require?” Asker asked.
“I want to become a Transcendental,” Nuo declared, her voice firm.
Silence descended upon the room. Eleanor’s breath hitched, while Peggy crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. Asker studied Nuo for a moment before asking, “Why do you desire such a thing?”
“Because Transcendents are powerful,” Nuo replied bluntly. “I’ve always dreamed of exploring the world’s mysteries. My first goal is to travel the world…”
“Do your parents support this ambition?” Asker asked, surprised. This wealthy young lady was quite unconventional. Was she a born adventurer, like Columbus?
“Of course,” Nuo replied without hesitation. “I’m the youngest daughter. Managing the family business isn’t my responsibility.”
That explains it. Asker nodded. The eldest son inheriting the family business while younger siblings pursued adventure was a common practice in this world.
“So, you want to become a Transcendental to protect yourself during your travels,” Asker summarized. “Just to be clear, do you truly understand what becoming a Transcendental entails?”
“It means consuming special elixirs,” Nuo replied. “My father once acquired a Gene Modification Serum from the Church, but it only enhances physical or mental attributes. It doesn’t grant supernatural traits. I’m more interested in the elixir route.”
“However, it also means transforming into something… inhuman,” Asker warned.
“Inhuman?” Nuo’s brow furrowed, confusion clouding her features. Her understanding of Transcendents was clearly limited. Peggy, however, recalled Asker’s story of Octavian, the emperor who transformed into a dragon upon death.
“I can help you become a Transcendental,” Asker said slowly. “But as John Milton once wrote, ‘The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.’ I can reveal the truth to you, but only after you sign a contract and join our team.”
“Very well.” Nuo hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Her desire to become a Transcendental outweighed her fear of the unknown.
Asker retrieved four parchment contracts from his bag and laid them on the table. Nuo and Eleanor examined the documents. They were standard mercenary contracts, with one key difference: all team members would receive equal compensation, regardless of their role.
This meant Asker’s team would remain small. A larger team would require a management structure, and skilled managers wouldn’t accept the same pay as rank-and-file members. Asker was serious about his “quality over quantity” approach.
Eleanor signed her name without hesitation. Nuo, however, hesitated. The contract didn’t mention anything about helping her become a Transcendental. However, considering both the Eastern and Western Churches’ stance on unauthorized Transcendents, even a signed contract wouldn’t offer any legal protection.
After careful consideration, she signed her name.
“Excellent.” Asker collected the contracts. “Now, we can be completely open with each other. Peggy?”
Peggy cursed inwardly. He was making her reveal her true nature. With a sigh, she removed her mask and lowered her hood, revealing her pale face and dark hair.
“I am a Transcendental,” she said coldly. “My current trait is Flesh I.”
“You’re a Transcendental?” Nuo gasped, her eyes widening. She had assumed the masked, cloaked figure was Asker’s servant or assistant. This small, unassuming girl was far from the imposing, awe-inspiring figure she had imagined.
But the true shock was yet to come. Peggy drew her short sword and, with a swift, decisive motion, sliced her own neck, just above her mail armor. Blood spurted from the wound, and Nuo screamed, while Eleanor leaped to her feet.
Her throat and trachea were severed, the raw, bloody flesh exposed. Yet, Peggy didn’t collapse. She remained standing, her body unnaturally still. Then, the flesh around the wound began to writhe, tiny tendrils of flesh reaching out, knitting themselves together at an alarming rate. Within moments, her neck was healed, the wound completely vanished.
“You… that’s… that’s…” Eleanor stammered, her mind reeling. Words failed her. Nuo, after a moment of stunned silence, grabbed a nearby trash bin and vomited, the gruesome display proving too much for her delicate stomach.
“Flesh I grants accelerated healing. Most vital points become non-existent,” Asker explained calmly. “Flesh II eliminates all vital points, making the individual incredibly difficult to kill. It also allows for shapeshifting, transforming flesh into weapons or shields.”
“I know of two bloodline paths based on the Flesh sequence,” Asker continued, turning to Peggy. “Path one involves consuming elixirs related to Mind, Life Steal, Shadow, and Illusion, ultimately culminating in the ‘Blood Moon Hunter’ bloodline. This Transcendental resembles the modern vampire, capable of manipulating minds, draining life force, controlling shadows, and shapeshifting.”
“Path two involves consuming elixirs related to Life Steal, Rat, Bat, Plague, and Toxin, ultimately culminating in the ‘Lord of Impurity’ bloodline. This Transcendental is closer to the ancient vampire archetype, capable of transforming into or controlling rats and bats, and spreading plagues and toxins.”
“Both paths lead to a complete transformation, a departure from humanity. The higher the level, the less likely a Transcendental can reproduce with ordinary humans. Reaching level 10 means complete reproductive isolation. They can no longer produce offspring with humans.”
“So…” Nuo’s voice trembled, her face pale with shock. “Becoming a Transcendental means… losing the ability to have children?”
“There is one exception,” Asker said. “Level 10 Transcendents can control their bloodlines. By suppressing their powers, two level 10 Transcendents can produce offspring. However, the conflicting bloodlines within the child will neutralize each other, resulting in an ordinary human with no supernatural abilities. These children are often frail and prone to early death.”
“Ultimately, becoming a Transcendental is a process of dehumanization. It’s like diluting pure human blood with other bloodlines. Can the resulting being truly be considered human? There’s an ancient Syris occult text called ‘The Ship of Theseus’ that explores the mysteries of bloodlines. I’ll show it to you sometime.”
Asker concluded his impromptu lecture on occult knowledge. Nuo, her hand trembling, scribbled “The Ship of Theseus” on a piece of paper.
“The path of the inhuman…” Eleanor murmured, her expression a mixture of fascination and apprehension.
“I’ve told you all I can for now. If, after careful consideration, you still desire to become Transcendents, come find me at this address.” Asker handed them a slip of paper with his family mansion’s address written on it. “Peggy, let’s go.”
