Blood Absorption Training Technique.
Although the name sounded simple, its implications were so vast that Daneel had to take a few moments to judge whether he should be afraid for his own life.
So far, each and every encounter he had had with techniques that were related to blood hadn"t gone very well - and this was specifically so with those who trained in such techniques.
Although he had dabbled in them and used one to great benefit when he had had a great dearth in resources, Daneel knew just how harmful such techniques could be.
This situation, though, was definitely much more complex than the ones he had been through so far.
So, he took a moment to calm down and reflected on everything that he knew so far, instead of jumping to conclusions and doing things that he might regret later.
First of all, it was a fact that all this blood wasn"t being obtained by illegal or cruel means.
Well, it could be called cruel in a way, but Daneel had carefully investigated all the activities being done in that mountain which were causing the bloodshed in the first place.
All of them were typical Fighter training routines, and even Elanev had undergone them in that room under the Palace of Lanthanor. So, he knew that they were legitimate ways to increase one"s strength.
Of course, usually, the blood that was shed during such exercises would simply be left to be cleaned away by servants, but in this case, there were special formations that pulled and absorbed all the blood which appeared from the bodies of the Fighters the instant it was exposed to the air, without giving any time for it to fall and be contaminated.
There was even a filtration system that filtered out the sweat and dirt from it as much as it could without disturbing the inherent composition of the blood, which made it clear that this was a very sophisticated formation that had been built for this very specific purpose.
And now, when that purpose was revealed, Daneel realized that he actually had to consider that there was nothing wrong with it.
After all, couldn"t it be said that it was a kind of payment for allowing all those people to train with this Sect?
Daneel felt it was possible, and he also realized one other thing: that mountain had only been occupied by Fighters who didn"t have very high Body Potential. As for this one, even though he hadn"t gone to any other rooms, he could tell that there were many advanced facilities for actual Sect members who were hand-picked to use precious resources to full effect.
That, along with what he had seen when they had fallen through that cavity made it clear that this Sect, unlike the others, also had some sort of program for normal people even if they did not match the high standards that were typically the norm in all of the Big 4.
Whether that was for their betterment, or for the blood that was being collected… It was anyone"s guess, and it could even be that it was a mutual thing that left both parties happy.
Next, coming back to this old man, Daneel saw that even though his age had decreased substantially due to this technique, that wisdom that had been present in his eyes and brow before was still there, which made him tell himself that he still had to be cautious.
As for the chair, it had seemed very peculiar, and now, he understood why that was so.
It couldn"t be called a throne, as it wasn"t very grand, but it definitely stood out as it was made mostly from the skin of some sort of snake.
The material was thick, yet bouncy, which was evident from how the Chief had sunk into it when he sat down.
The four legs of the chair were connected to 4 pipes in the ground, which were continuously transferring blood from some sort of storage that must be under this room to the hands of the Chair, where it was all being absorbed into the Chief"s body without leaving behind any clue that there was even something like this happening.
Dale could only notice it all when he had switched on his elementary vision, and even then, he had to get past multiple illusion formations that sought to not let anyone know exactly what was happening.
The King wondered what he should say, but he kept quiet when he realized that this was, once again, the best option.
First of all, n.o.body was capable of doing what he had just done, so he still had to feign ignorance, but thankfully, he was relieved of that need because of the words that the Chief spoke after letting the King stay puzzled for a few seconds.
"You asked the purpose behind all that blood being collected in that mountain, right? This… Is that purpose. I am the oldest living Hero on this continent, even older than the present Head who took on his duties in my presence and with my blessings. All of this blood allows me to continue to live even though I am reduced to a husk of what I previously was, with only these situations where I am absorbing the blood allowing me to once again look like how I used to during the days of my prime. After I get up, though, you will see that old man once again, and although I was unhappy with it at one point because I always believed that the image of a Fighter should strike fear into an enemy and make them want to surrender right away, I have come to terms with it as it is who I am now. Let me make something clear, though. I"m not doing this because I want to give up my life even though I should have died long ago if I had lived naturally. Even now, my heart aches every time when I imagine the honest blood being shed by all those Fighters who came to this Sect to change their fates being gobbled up by me, like I"m some sort of monster. But I have no choice. The legacy of my Sect must live on. And for that, I have yet to find a suitable successor. The moment that happens, I will be more than happy to let everything go and drift away to the Heavens, where I will finally be able to join my brothers and sisters for a round of beer. Before we continue, do you have any questions?"
Daneel took a few seconds to absorb this monologue, which was spoken in a very sad tone while the Chief looked into his eyes with an honest expression on his face.
Daneel was even more divided now, but he decided to let it go for the moment and focus on just what the Chief wanted to say.
He once again remembered that scroll, and fixed it in his mind as that was his goal right now. From now on, each and every thing he would do would be to get closer to it, even if it meant that he might not succeed in his other objectives, It was just that important.
After all, with personal power, other things could also be achieved and accomplished, but if he didn"t pursue it, it would be too late to regret later when he was dead because he wasn"t strong enough for some situation.
Seeing him shake his head, the Chief continued.
Daneel had gotten a slight suspicion when he heard that last part, but that erased itself in his mind the moment he heard the Chief"s next words.
"And don"t be disillusioned into thinking that you are that Saviour who has magically come to this Sect to fulfill my last wish. That cannot be said regarding your friend, either, whose future I do not envy. The one who laid down the instructions regarding him was someone in whom I placed many hopes, and even though he couldn"t reach up to them, he still had an excellent stint in this Sect which makes me want to honor his request. What is true, though… Is that you are a different kind of individual when compared to the typical Sect members of my Fortress. But I don"t want to get into that now. Maybe, later on, you"ll understand the answer to this yourself. So let me leave you with one final statement regarding what you just saw, which might entice you to change your mind regarding certain things."
It was time for the hammer to drop, and so he took in a deep breath as he waited for the Chief to continue.
"There are two ways to get that scroll. The first is to become a Sect Member, and leave behind the Central Continent to train here solely as a fighter to reach the Champion level. After that, you can go through it, as each and every champion can do so. After all, the objective is always to find someone who could utilize what is written on that scroll to follow the same Path as our first set master, but alas, almost no one has been capable of that in thousands of years. The second way… Is to partic.i.p.ate in the annual Legacy Battle of our Sect. It begins in one month, but I must caution you - that is a public event, and I will not be responsible if you end up being buried in the ground even after this warning. The Head won"t be able to blame me, either. So, you have a choice to make. I expect that you will make one soon, so I"ll be looking forward to hearing what it will be. For now, you are dismissed. Bam will lead you to the quarters where your friend is already waiting for you. He wants to speak to you about something, too. Don"t be afraid- each and every thing in this Fortress is always under my purview. Nothing will happen to you unless you seek out dangerous situations yourself. And once again… Welcome to the Fortress."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Barely a second after that he finished his speech, Bam walked forward with these resounding booms that were caused by his bare feet hitting the ground with all the ma.s.s of his body bearing down on the poor material that had been used to construct the floor of this chamber.
As soon as he reached Daneel, he simply waved his hand and turned around before heading off in a different direction.
The Chief closed his eyes and continue to absorb the blood, which made Daneel understand that this audience really was over. If he wanted to say anything more to the Chief, he would have to seek another one.
So, he quickly followed after the giant, wondering just what the Chief had been talking about regarding Bam.
The doors that he was led to were the largest that he had seen yet - they even dwarfed the giant, standing at double his size and requiring his full strength to open them as they were made of metal instead of wood like the others.
Soon, it became clear why this was the case, as Daneel saw sunlight poured through the doors when they were open.
A loud buzz also reached his ears, which made him understand that he was entering the Sect grounds.
Yet, the moment he and Bam walked out to see a large open field that was clearly between the walls and the edifice in the middle of the Fort and was occupied by hundreds of Fighters who were training or chatting, the buzz ceased as everyone turned around to look at this unmistakable duo.
Open scorn could be seen, but Daneel had expected this as he was an "ant" from the Central Continent.
Only…What was peculiar was that that was not the only emotion he saw.
Some of the eyes that were staring at him… Were actually filled with admiration.
In the next second, Daneel found out why this was the case, as a random guy sprang forward from the crowd and knelt in front of him before saying, "You defeated Bam, and Bam can smash me to bits, so that means you are stronger than me. Can you teach me how you did it even though you are supposed to be just a worthless villager from the Central Continent?"