Chapter 8: My Lord Blood God
Damon arrived at the city gates in under an hour as he ran non-stop using the very well known shortcut between the small town and the city.
Nieta Falls was one of the smaller cities, and the place wasn't crowded especially because players were yet to descend into the city en masse.
There were several level 5 to 10 beasts littered in the forest surrounding the city and if one did not know a safe path, they would be doomed unless they could handle a few of the beasts. In general, a player at least needed to be at level 10 to get here safely.
This was why Damon was a little surprised when he did not get the first achievement for arriving at the city. But then again, he had already spent two hours with the rabbits and another hour or so finishing up his race change quest. This was plenty of time for someone else to discover the city.
He could spot about a dozen players exploring the city streets as he walked in. Not too many but not too few either. There was one good quest that he wanted to do in this city, which might get snatched up by these players, but the awakening process was still his number one priority.
Damon hurriedly walked straight to the Cathedral of Silent Waters when an arrogant voice sounded behind him. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"Hmmm?" Damon turned to see the same three guys who had tried to follow him back in the starting town.
They were easy to recognize, loud, cocky, and wearing the exact same mismatched starter gear as before. The one in front had his nickname proudly displayed over his head in glaring red text: [DaddyBrutal].
"Well, well, if it isn't the Blood God," DaddyBrutal sneered, arms crossed. "You left in a real hurry back there. Got a nice juicy quest? How about you not be a stingy little bitch and share it with the rest of us? This Daddy will reward you well. Look at this." He pulled a woman to his side and winked.
Damon could tell in a single glance that she was a prostitute and the guy was acting as if he was a big deal just because he managed to pay for a prostitute. He gave a flat stare and turned to leave. "I don't talk to idiots."
That got a reaction. The guy's face twisted into an angry scowl, and his buddies behind him [Sniper] and [SirShankzAlot] started muttering "oooohs" like they were still in middle school.
Damon didn't stop walking. He had no time for idiots. Not today. "If you're looking for a fight," he added, not even turning around, "try the forest. Maybe a rabbit will take you seriously."
"Bitch, you are going to regret this. I have connections in this place, I am telling you. Look. I have the first discoverer title.
Damon didn't stop. "Congratulations," he called over his shoulder. "Must've been hard, finding your way here without a GPS and adult supervision."
DaddyBrutal's shout of rage echoed behind him, but Damon was already gone, slipping around the corner and then through a couple of alleyways. He had no interest in indulging these idiots, even though he was mildly curious how they managed to get the first discoverer title for the city.
But then again, it was not a big deal. It gave a single stat point boost, and unless one went about solely discovering all the cities one after the other which was near impossible, the achievement didn't really matter.
As for the nonsense they were spouting, he was way too mature to care about that. Or maybe he was not.
Damon could sense a player following behind him. The trio must have had a fourth stealth player among them who was tailing him now and trying to catch with him. Probably hoping to spy on his movements and steal whatever secrets they thought he had.
PVP was not allowed inside the city, and from the looks of it these guys knew it. They were pretty brazenly following him without worrying about any repercussions. But they missed a key piece of information.
The charm Damon wore around his neck took care of this little detail for him.
Damon slowed down and acted as if he was looking around. Then, just as the player caught up with him, he decisively made his move.
He aimed for the man's throat and swiped his long nails, and in a single second, the guy was sent flying back with a loud, wet crack, slamming against the alley wall like a ragdoll. A gasp escaped from his lips, blood spurting as he dropped dead to the ground.
[Ding! You have killed player [Lurking Panda]. You have gained +1 notoriety.]
Damon exhaled slowly and looked up toward the spire of the cathedral in the distance. He needed to get there fast. Thankfully, there were no other disturbances, and he reached the Cathedral entrance in a few minutes.
However, he did not enter it from the main gate. He entered it from a side gate, and just like he had hoped, a familiar figure was guarding the entrance. A young man in his twenties who was also a lousy drunkard.
As soon as the young man saw Damon's face, his attitude changed. "My Lord Blood God, I am here to serve you. Are you here for the awakening pool? Please come this way."
Damon smiled and put up a confident pose. Yup, the guy had seen his nickname and mistook him for someone high in the vampire nobility rank. Maybe there were a few vampire npcs named blood god or something similar, but both in this life and last life, this drunkard fell for the exact same thing.
It was thanks to him that he was able to use this Awakening pool for his second awakening and third awakening, which played a big part in cementing his progress.
And now, thanks to him, he was going to use the Awakening pool for his very first Awakening. Damon clenched his fists in excitement as he followed the drunkard into the Cathedral.
The interior of the Cathedral of Silent Waters was exactly as Damon remembered it. Ancient stained-glass windows filtered in narrow beams of colored light, illuminating various statues.
The drunkard led him through a narrow corridor that twisted and spiraled downward. The Cathedral was pretty much deserted with no one around. Nieta Falls was a small city, so it wasn't that popular for awakening ceremonies.
After a couple of minutes, they reached a dead end with a door. The guard took his time fishing out his key and then opened the door clumsily all the while apologizing to Damon.
"I will be fine on my own now." Damon nodded at him in a prideful manner. The drunkard respectfully bowed and closed the door behind him.
Damon stepped inside alone. The Awakening Pool sat in the center of a cavernous chamber. One would think from the name that there was a big pool under the Cathedral, but the actual Awakening Pool was just a small puddle.
A perfect circle of still, silver water, surrounded by some runes. Damon had no idea what these runes meant. He quickly stepped inside the pool, shaking off his worn-out boots. The water came only up to his ankle, which was a little surprising because the last time around, it had reached all the way up to his knee.
But there was little he could do about it. So, he silently observed the small puddle.
The moment his foot touched the water, it responded, glowing red as if infused with molten blood. The charm he was wearing was ineffective, and his vampire form was completely exposed. Sure, this was a huge risk, but the rewards were worth it.
Besides, Damon knew that this place was almost always deserted. Only children of high nobility were allowed here, and Nieta Falls was a small city. Besides, he was already in it now. There was no point in worrying if someone was going to burst in mid-awakening.
Worst case scenario, he was ready to commit suicide. It wouldn't affect his awakening. As long as the process got done, he was all set. He quickly pulled out his body tempering liquid and drank it all in like a shot to make the awakening process even more effective.
He had done everything he could do. Now, the rest was up to the Awakening Pool.
"Come on. Come on. Faster." Damon anxiously murmured, but the water was taking its sweet time.
[Ding! Awakening Initiated]
[Your Race: Vampire]
[Affinity Detected: Blood | Darkness | ???]
[Body Tempering Boost Applied – Potency +38%]
[Special Conditions Met – Initiating Bloodline Scan...]
Damon's face changed. What the hell? This was new.