Vampire: World of Blood-Chapter 162: Above and Below

As they began their cautious journey deeper into the strange field, Merciless’s mind was restless, trying to piece together the mystery of the Aristaeus. He turned slightly, keeping his voice low, his eyes still scanning the bizarre surroundings.

"Carmilla, you’ve been around longer than most.... your former true self that is... given that network most likely has a lot of information about Spawns, and Spawnlings in general I take it. What can you tell me about the Aristaeus?"

Merciless asked Carmilla, who at this point and time, is the only one that can see her, as that is how he willed it.

Carmilla, who had been calmly observing the shimmering trees, turned her attention to Merciless. Her inner expression was thoughtful as if she were trying to piece together fragmented memories.

She was once connected to the collective, but as she previously stated, she did not have access to the majority of the information within, so her knowledge of the subject matter was definitely lacking in the larger scope of the topic.

As such her response was as follows.

"Not much about their Queen, unfortunately...

She began, her voice measured.

"But I know enough about their abilities, their race. The Aristaeus are nothing like vampires. They’re another kind of Spawn species altogether, with one key difference—they don’t have ichor like you. They manipulate energy, but not just any energy. They adapt to whatever they’re exposed to, and with time, they become masters of it."

Merciless frowned slightly, absorbing the information.

"They sound like a weaker version of us."

He commented.

"A 7th-generation Spawn species… surely that puts a cap on their potential."

Carmilla shook her head.

"Yes and no. Individually, they don’t match us in raw strength, but the Aristaeus aren’t bound by the same limits. Their power grows as they understand the energy they come into contact with. For vampires, it’s your ichor that defines your abilities, tied to your heart. But for them, it’s the Lanca—a core that gives them the power to create and control unique forms of energy, shaped entirely by their understanding."

"While their Zenith will never be akin to the vampires, they are still extremley strong but like Ichors, the Lanca isn’t something to look down upon either."

Merciless raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term.

"Lanca?"

Carmilla nodded.

"It’s the core they inherit from the Sea of Gifts. Each Aristaeus possesses a Lanca, which grants them a unique form of energy—something only they can create and control. This energy isn’t bound by logic or reason, and as they deepen their understanding of it, their mastery grows. Each Aristaeus has an energy that only they can perceive, manipulate, and fully command."

Merciless’s interest piqued.

"So, they each wield their own energy... unique to themselves?"

"Exactly."

Carmilla said.

"The Lanca is the core of their unique power, much like the ichor is for vampires, but instead of a bloody fleshy organ, it allows them to generate supernatural energy. They manipulate this energy in ways that are completely esoteric—some can freeze concepts in place, others control motion, and I’ve even heard of one that can strip words of their meaning within a certain range. Their abilities, while often unpredictable and seemingly illogical, are all rooted in the manipulation of energy."

She paused, her tone growing slightly more serious.

"They call their attacks Magika attacks."

"And each spell they cast is unique to the energy from their Lanca. The only limit to their power is their imagination, as their abilities are entirely subjective in how they can be used based on what they got from the sea of gifts."

"Unlike vampires, who grow stronger through ichor evolution and the acquired system, the Aristaeus gain power through understanding. The more they learn about their own energy, the deeper their mastery becomes, and their reserves grow in turn."

Merciless considered her words, his gaze drifting to the glowing trees again.

"Interesting. But what are their weaknesses?"

Carmilla inwardly smirked.

"That’s the catch, isn’t it? Their energy depletes quickly when they overextend. Once they exhaust themselves, it takes time for their Lanca to recharge. Overusing their power leaves them vulnerable, and unlike vampires, they can’t regenerate without their own energy. Their abilities can reach cosmic scales, but they aren’t limitless—just immensely vast."

Carmilla replied to her boss.

Meanwhile Merciless nodded, mentally filing the information away.

"I know you said you don’t know much about their queen, but do you have any information about her at all, like any whatsoever? Is she anything like the vampire King or Queen?"

Carmilla’s face darkened inwardly of course.

"Well yeah, I do... but compared to your species king, and queen; Aristaeus queens are different."

When Merciless heard this, he raised a brow, as he complimented as such.

"Queens.... are you implying that they are more than one of them?"

Carmilla nodded as she continued her explanation of what she knew about the Aristaeus queens.

"The Queen is… different. There are many queens, and each one rules their own colony. But the Aristaeus Queens are known to travel between universes, spreading chaos wherever they go. They reproduce by laying eggs that feed off the life energy of entire planets to hatch. And once they do…

She didn’t finish the thought, but the weight of her words was clear.

Merciless’s eyes narrowed.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"So, we’re dealing with a species that can not only drain worlds dry but also evolve endlessly, albeit subjectively through their understanding of energy."

Carmilla nodded.

"Precisely. And there’s no telling how many Aristaeus might be under the Queen’s control. But their Magika isn’t the only thing we need to worry about."

Merciless tilted his head slightly, prompting her to continue.

"What else do they have that is problematic?"

He asked, and Carmilla responded.

But what she said next, he heard briefly but was glad he was finally getting some explanation on this.

"They can perceive the multiverse."

She explained.

"By connecting to any energy spectrum they have grown accustomed to, they can feel the flow of energy across different universes. It’s not future sight but rather cracked clairvoyance that allows them to perceive energy via their energy sense."

"You see they can sense where energy exists elsewhere and look only at that on a more in-depth and sensational level, and they can even randomly choose which universe to enter based on where the energy is flowing into. They navigate the multiverse like iron been drawn to a magnet."

He mulled over this for a moment, his mind racing with possibilities and potential threats.

"So, they’re dangerous not just because of their power, but because they can invade any universe at will?"

Carmilla nodded grimly.

"Exactly. That’s why they’re feared. Wherever they go, destruction follows. They are singularly focused on increasing their numbers, driven by an inherent chaos that they can’t control. Their invasions aren’t determined by any specific universe; they simply go where the energy flow takes them, which leads to random incursions across various universes or dimensions."

Said Carmilla, as she further explained going on a different subject matter.

"But let me tell you how the hierarchy is set up between their kind."

"You see...

As Carmilla continued, her tone shifted slightly, drawing Merciless’s full attention.

"Their breeding habits... has a lot to do, and the reason is...

But before she could elaborate, Merciless felt a shiver run down his spine. It was a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in the atmosphere, one that eluded the others around him. In his mastered state, his instincts heightened, allowing him to sense something lurking in the shadows of the surreal landscape.

He squinted against the strange lights of the field, and his future sight kicked in, but this was different from Ana’s powers. This was primal, instinctual—a manifestation of his eternal evolution. His cells began to replicate the scenarios in which he could perish, honing in on the imminent threat.

From above, he sensed it first: a surge of green energy raining down like lethal spears. It was foreign and incomprehensible, devoid of any attraction or familiarity. His body instinctively recoiled, but the energy itself seemed to have a mind of its own, striking at random and injecting a poison that overwhelmed him.

Merciless gritted his teeth, struggling against the sensation. It felt like the very essence of chaos had been unleashed, targeting him and everyone else in the vicinity.

As the toxic energy descended, he attempted to dodge, but another force from below their feets—an unfamiliar yellow light—sapped his speed and strength. Everyone around him, including Substance and Ana, moved like molasses, unable to react in time to the imminent danger.

Realization hit him hard. There was no time to warn them. With an instinct born from desperation, Merciless extended his cape, unfurling it like a protective blanket. In a single motion, he pulled everyone into his pocket dimension, like a blanket descending upon reality around him, hoping to shield them from the chaotic onslaught.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the world outside erupted in a cacophony of shrieks and blasts. The rain of green energy struck the ground, the chaotic force seeming to shred reality itself as the poison-like energy corroded a good amount of the trees. Yet within the confines of his dimension, it was eerily quiet.

Merciless took a moment to catch his breath, heart racing as he looked around at the stunned faces of those he had saved.

"What the hell just happened?"

He demanded his voice a sharp contrast to the stillness around them.

Carmilla’s expression mirrored his own alarm.

"I… I didn’t sense it either. That was something beyond my knowledge, something entirely alien."

"Exactly."

Merciless said, his mind racing as he fought to piece together the fragments of the attack.

"Whatever that was, it wasn’t just an attack; it was an ambush."

He turned to the others, focusing on their reactions. Substance looked bewildered, her eyes wide with confusion. Ana’s expression was steely, already calculating their next move.

"Umm I have no idea what the hell just happened, but what do we do now?"

Ana asked, breaking the heavy silence that hung in the air.

Merciless took a deep breath, still feeling the remnants of the strange energy coursing through him.

"First, we need to figure out what just tried to kill us. And then… we need to prepare for the worst. I have a feeling this isn’t over yet."

Meanwhile outside.

Two figures hung above the sky their eyes glowing different colors, one had green eyes male in shape, the other had Golden eyes, and female in shape, the figures had humanoid form, but they were far from it.

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