Xavier Halur

Core(Essence/Demonic): Tier-2 (1%)

Insignia: Dominance(1)

Bond - Trickster Demon(Adolescent - Lesser)

Primary Power: Shift,

Replicated Powers: Blade of Astor, Burst

Racial Trait: Sonic Boom

Source: [Minotaur Might - Beginner(1%)]

The Status had expanded a lot over the last few weeks, yet I felt like it was going to expand even further once Shift forced more updates upon the System.

I wondered what would happen when I killed demihumans. Or elves. What about dwarves? Since the System updates came from killing other races—the System registering new races—killing any of them would surely reward me with yet another System update.

That sounded interesting enough for me to check the Huntrice for wanted demihumans and fae the next morning. The elven receptionist looked at me oddly, or maybe it was I who looked weird to him, but that issue aside, the mission board looked boring.

"Do I have to accept the Culling Missions, or will House Gaia pay the rewards later if I don’t register the missions yet as well?" I asked, not feeling like accepting two dozen Culling Missions, considering how annoying the mission termination fees were.

"The Huntrice has made an exception for the Culling Missions registered by House Gaia. You do not have to accept one of their missions to be eligible for the mission rewards, as long as you return with the requested body parts," the elven receptionist explained calmly. "But be aware that we have analysis devices with which we can determine the ’living conditions’ of any creature as long as we have their body parts. Trying to fool us by registering multiple body parts of the same target won’t work either, just so you know."

I wasn’t planning to trick anyone, let alone the Huntrice, but it was good to know that they couldn’t be fooled all that easily.

"Thank you." That said, I took my leave.

Stepping outside the Huntrice, my head swiveled in search of Jer, but the Minotaur demihuman was nowhere to be seen, so I focused on my Status instead.

Source: [Minotaur Might - Beginner (1%)]

My understanding of the Bloodline System was still lackluster, to say the least, but this was quite helpful. For one, the consumed Bloodline had transformed into a ’Source’, like an origin of power. I couldn’t use Minotaur Might like a Power or a racial trait or anything like that, but I could feel its power. In fact, the strength Minotaur Might granted was far more pronounced than Clove’s blood had been.

In all likelihood, that was related to the amount of blood I’d received from both, as well as the potency of their blood. And, of course, it was also related to the System message and the Source that had been added to the Status. Clove’s Bloodline hadn’t transformed into one of my Sources just yet, while Jer’s had.

The more I thought about it, the more curious I grew. What would Clove’s Source look like? How much stronger could Minotaur Might become by consuming more of Jer’s blood?

Right now, I didn’t feel much of a difference. Strength pumped through my veins, but the difference was not as stark as it could have been.

That’s why they drained their targets until shriveled husks were all that remained, I told myself, thinking back to the Vampires’ atrocious acts.

They needed a lot of blood to create Sources and to nourish them. It made me wonder if the Bloodline System was even worth it, but I sure hoped so. In the worst case... what could happen? I wasn’t about to attack innocent people to suck them dry, so there was no downside for me. For the Vampires... well, I was fairly sure Jer was going to hunt them to the edge of the realm—them, and the demons who worked together to kill Jer’s father.

The older Minotaur demihuman’s death was still something I didn’t quite understand. Asking Jer didn’t feel right, for now, at least, but I couldn’t find Clove or Fern to answer my doubts either. Brook had been the strongest Chosen in Cintre at the time of the attack. He was at the 3rd Tier, if I wasn’t totally mistaken, yet he died while people like Jer survived?

Maybe the Khörs Vampires and Demons worked together to bring him down before he could do something to end the Infiltration prematurely? I mused to myself, turning to the familiar frame of Jer as he walked over.

The young Minotaur demihuman looked like he was about to go to war, which was probably not all that wrong. He carried a massive war-axe in each of his hands, his muscles bulging, and his eyes bloodshot. He didn’t look all that good, but that wasn’t because he mourned his father. No, he’d turned his father’s death into fuel to ignite the wrath blazing within him.

"You advanced," I commented. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Jer’s presence was unlike before. It cut through the air with the ferocity of a monster. The horns jutting from the sides of his head were longer than before as well, and his muscles twitched and bulged like they’d been exposed to a thousand electric currents.

"I did." The Minotaur demihuman nodded slowly. "It was necessary."

That was probably right. Entering the Eserian in search of Lesser and regular Demons was dangerous. Even at the 2nd Tier, our lives would be in danger. As Tier-1 Chosen, it was probably best to say that Jer did a good job by advancing his Core. Sure, his Core hadn’t been fully saturated, but I doubted Jer cared all too much about a perfectly saturated Core.

Still, the Vampires and Demons he’d killed during the Infiltration must have given him enough Essence for a proper breakthrough, or else his presence wouldn’t have been this sharp.

"Ready?" he asked, to which I nodded.

"Good. Let’s leave then."

There was no denying it. Jer had fallen victim to revenge. It was all that drove him forward now that his father was dead.

It was certainly not the best way to cope with the loss of a beloved one, but if the death of a few demons would help him, so be it. I, for one, was not going to judge him for using violence as a coping mechanism. After all, I’d probably be the same.