Chapter 810: Mutual Understanding At The Dining Table
“Flame Devil’s bloodline...”
In the laboratory, Sein scrutinized a tube of reagent as crimson as molten lava, shaking his head to clear his mind of distractions.
He had conducted numerous derivations of the Flame Devil bloodline fusion before.
In the Magus World, bloodline fusion experiments were not considered particularly sophisticated or difficult.
During the primordial era, the Magus World’s spellcasters had already pioneered various methods of bloodline fusion.
The Bloodline Warlock profession emerged as a more systematic and scientific approach within the Magus World.
Harnessing the bloodlines of powerful creatures to enhance one’s constitution was a practice long refined by the old generations of spellcasters.
In Sein’s case, absorbing the Flame Devil's bloodline was not out of admiration for its powerful pyro elemental energy.
For mages who had just reached Rank Two, the Flame Devil’s power was no doubt formidable.
However, for Sein, already on the path to Rank Three, acquiring this power was merely an enhancement—far from a groundbreaking advantage.
Besides, Sein took pride in his Magus World human mage bloodline.
Once he gained the pyro elemental particle affinity from the Flame Devil bloodline, he would likely cleanse his body of this blood once it outlived its usefulness.
Any power that came easily often had its flaws and limitations.
The truth of the Astral Realm was that nothing gained without effort came without consequences.
While the Flame Devil’s power was formidable, inheriting such a bloodline came with its own weaknesses.
For instance, Sein might become more violent, bloodthirsty, or addicted to molten lava baths after inheriting the Flame Devil’s bloodline.
He had already observed similar tendencies in others.
Reina’s overeating and Natalya’s impulsiveness, for example, were likely behaviors inherited from the foreign bloodlines within them.
Sein was not the type of mage to leave himself exposed to vulnerabilities.
He intended to use the Flame Devil’s bloodline as a tool but would definitely take steps to mitigate its negative traits afterward.
The Bloodline Purification Technique was one such safeguard.
After all, Sein was a mage who relied on intellect above all else. He was not particularly concerned about losing a fraction of the Flame Devil’s enhancement.
He placed the tube of precious Flame Devil blood essence into the test tube holder on the experimental table.
Turning to Yuri and Leena, he gave a brief nod, signaling his readiness to begin the experiment.
***
The Flame Devil bloodline fusion experiment was, overall, a success.
Yuri had been assisting Sein in experiments since his early days of body tempering, and Leena possessed knowledge not far behind Sein’s own as a fellow Rank Two mage.
With the experimental program meticulously designed by Sein, the likelihood of mishaps was minimal.
The blood fusion process lasted a full week, during which the bloodline rejection reaction persisted for only a brief period of two days.
Sein’s body demonstrated an impressive adaptability to the Flame Devil’s bloodline—a result of his extensive body tempering and his primary profession as a Pyromancer, which afforded him a natural affinity for the bloodline’s properties.
Once the rejection phase subsided, Sein hardly wait to test his newfound powers.
Standing naked on the experimental table, he snapped his fingers with his right hand.
“Flame Devil Transformation!”
SWOOSH!
In an instant, Sein was replaced by a humanoid devil engulfed in turquoise-red flames.
This new form bore similarities to the elemental body Sein had long mastered but with notable differences.
Unlike the pure elemental body of the past, his current form was far more formidable, with flesh and blood in its structure.
Sein had transitioned from a purely elemental state to a “half-elemental, half-flesh” hybrid body, capable of shifting between forms at will.
This meant he could now alternate between a purely elemental state and a more solid devil form.
The key distinction lay in the Flame Devil’s transformed state, which boasted superior pyro elemental affinity and a higher saturation of flame energy.
Additionally, this transformation endowed Sein with enhanced physical resilience, as well as regenerative and recovery capabilities reminiscent of the devil’s formidable constitution.
However, this power came with its drawbacks.
It changed Sein’s appearance, and he felt a slight surge of impulsive and violent tendencies.
Natalya had once called Sein “pretty face” because of his handsome features and refined, intellectual demeanor.
Yet, after activating his Flame Devil transformation, Sein’s face took on a rugged appearance, and a pair of devil horns grew on his head.
He was now giving off a totally different vibe compared to before.
While he could tolerate the newly sprouted devil wings on his back, he found it difficult to accept the sight of those horns.
“Seems like a bloodline purification experiment should be next on the agenda. All the useless traits in this Flame Devil’s bloodline need to be eliminated,” Sein remarked as he approached Leena.
“You don’t like the horns? I find them quite cool,” Leena commented, clearly able to read Sein’s mind.
She stood on her tiptoes and gently stroked the devil horns on Sein’s head.
“Are you sure you’re not just saying that to make me feel better?” Sein asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course,” Leena replied with a soft chuckle. “But if you truly don’t like them, you can always remove them.”
Although the bloodline fusion experiment had been successfully completed, it was far from the end of Sein’s work.
The “bloodline purification experiment” he had mentioned required a series of tests and meticulous data recording to be conducted in sequence.
Sein was a strict mage, disciplined in all aspects of his work.
However, alongside the intensive and rewarding research, he allowed himself moments of relaxation when significant milestones, such as the successful completion of the bloodline fusion experiment, were achieved.
Sein had gradually come to realize that balancing research with periodic breaks was far more effective for him.
Locking himself in the laboratory for days on end without respite was, in reality, inefficient and a waste of both time and energy.
This insight came from Tourmaline, who often insisted he step away from his work and enjoy some leisure time.
Empirical evidence confirmed that when Sein allowed himself moments to unwind, his productivity in research increased substantially.
On this particular day, having wrapped up the bloodline fusion experiment, Sein took the rare opportunity to enjoy a family dinner in the magic tower.
Three years ago, the Order of the Steel Fist had joined the battle in the Wild Gorilla World.
Sein’s father and his grandfathers had participated in the conflict within the star domain where the Wild Gorilla World was located, as members of the Order of the Steel Fist.
Since the Order of the Steel Fist and the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring were engaged in different war zones, Kelman and Julius remained with their order.
Sein’s father-in-law, Wilson, and other members of House Ernst, who were also part of the Order of the Steel Fist, stayed with them as well.
Only Sia, his mother-in-law, came to find her daughter, Natalya, instead of staying with the Order of the Steel Fist this time.
Both Natalya and Reina were officially registered knights of the Order of the Steel Fist.
However, due to their close ties to Sein and their connection to Lorianne, the Rank Four grand master of the order did not strictly require them to return to active duty.
Sia was an additional presence at this particular dinner.
As she glanced around the table, she noted Selina and Leena seated closer to Sein, while her silly daughter sat beside Reina, wolfing down their food while engaging in light-hearted chatter.
Sia cleared her throat and discreetly kicked Natalya under the table.
“What was that for?” Natalya asked, looking at her mother in confusion.
“It’s been a while since you’ve spent time with Sein. You should visit him tonight.” Sia told her daughter through mental focus.
Perhaps due to the hint of devil blood now running through Sein, Sia found herself softening toward him, even if she disapproved of her son-in-law’s unfaithfulness.
She had paid a considerable price to help Sein obtain the Flame Devil’s blood essence for an important reason—sharing the same devil bloodline would increase the likelihood of conception when he and Natalya were together.
Among the old knight houses of the Magus World, various methods existed to enhance fertility rates.
Sia’s approach of leveraging shared bloodlines was one of the more common ways.
Natalya paused, swallowing the bite of roasted meat she had just taken.
She cast a discreet glance at Sein at the head of the table, a flicker of realization passing through her.
Her mother’s reminder stirred a mix of emotions within her.
With a slight nod, she silently acknowledged her mother’s instruction, reaching a mutual understanding.