Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 43.2: Mana Poison

Kashi, Larsial and Shadow were guided by a centaur guard to a secluded area at the back of the village. There, they found Drixali, the chiefs and the shamans stood around an intricate mandala array made up of several animal bones, blood and leaves. Kashi spotted Drixlia stoically standing at the center of the array with a determined glint in its eyes.

Kashi let out a smile as he looked into the stallion's eyes. "Well, someone is definitely excited. Kept you waiting long, didn't I?"

Drixlia excitedly harrumphed and beat its front hooves against the ground.

Kashi didn't know why, but he could vaguely understand the stallion's intent. "Yeah, there's no way I'll abandon you." The daeben then turned to look at Drixali who stood outside the mandala with a stern expression. "How exactly does this work?"

Drixali nodded. "If I were not present, then the centaurs would have used a blood enhancement array spell, consisting of the blood and body parts of several high level beasts, and augment it with the aura left in my spear. This would have forcefully awakened the dormant bloodline in your stallion, or him with a new one. Both outcomes would increase the strength, speed and potential of this child to another level."

"I hear a lot of ifs and would haves," Kashi noted with a raised brow. "I take it you have something else planned?"

"Yes, master," Drixali stated with a solemn nod. "Although these methods will indeed improve this child's bloodline, the outcome would still be a slightly stronger stallion. No mount of my master can be such a common creature that can be easily found by throwing a stone onto a prairie."

Kashi chuckled and looked at Drixlia. "Are you going to take that? He just called you common." Drixlia coldly snorted and nodded in response. Kashi, in reply, shrugged and turned back to Drixali. "Alright then, since the one being insulted doesn't mind, it would be petty of me to dwell on the subject." He looked at Drixali and asked. "So, what do you have in mind?"

Drixali extended his left arm, revealing a deep gash from which blood unceasingly flowed out.

Kashi's eyes narrowed as he looked at the arm and then at the mandala. "You. Don't tell me..."

Drixali nodded. "Yes, I constructed the Blood Enhancement Array entirely out of my blood. It so happens that child has a trace of my bloodline in his veins. He must be a descendant of one of the stallions I blessed when I travelled the world. Even though it has been diluted over the centuries, it's still there. I will jumpstart that trace with my lifeforce and blood." The centaur demon leaked out a smile as he thought of the eventual outcome. "To be honest, even I do not know what this child will become after this. I will be lying if I say I am not the least beat curious."

Kashi's eyes were grave as he looked at the blood array and then at the gash on Drixali's arms. "I will let it pass this time, since you've already done it, but never do this again. I do not appreciate you endangering yourself just to help me."

"So you know about it." Drixali's eyes widened in shock and he let out a bitter smile. "As expected of my master." The truth was that using his lifeforce in such a manner to boost Drixlia's bloodline was not as simple as it sounded. It could severely injure him, leave him permanently damaged, or in an extreme case, even kill him. However, whether it was as a result of his loyalty, or his innate pride as a demon, Drixali could not abide Kashi riding on a regular stallion, hence his action. "Do not worry, master. In any other case, this might be considered a sacrifice, but any injuries I incur can easily be cured by Yggdrassil's aura."

Kashi thought about it and had to agree with the demon. Yggdrassil's healing aura was strong to the point of absurdity. It was a pity he could not access all of that aura at once or he would have become an impossible cockroach. Unless he was downed in one hit, he would always get back up at full health the very next second. Injuries that would be fatal otherwise were easily healed with its power.