The Broken Halo

Chapter 1040 - 1039: The Cost of Evolution

Simon glanced toward the doors leading into the practice courtyard.

He had been pleased with the house’s privacy formations. Now he wondered how much of the building would remain after the first bolt of tribulation lightning.

Probably not enough to live in.

He certainly wasn’t going to find out.

But the damage was only one problem.

The elders had just rewarded him for a ritual that required a beating Daemon heart, hundreds of other hearts, and a considerable number of deaths.

What would they think if Akaza and Sonya became Daemons without any of those things?

They would ask how he had done it. Then they would ask for the method.

And how many more methods did he possess?

Simon could almost hear Grand Elder Golden Tyrant asking that last question.

Taking them outside The Abyss wouldn’t solve everything. Their changed bloodlines would still be apparent when they returned. Besides, he would be weakened afterward, with newly evolved companions who had just endured a tribulation.

He would rather recover somewhere protected than in a wasteland.

Did The Abyss have a place prepared for such transformations? An isolated area where the lightning wouldn’t strike someone’s residence?

He would have to ask Enigma.

There was also the matter of who would be allowed to watch. Permission to use a protected location might come with questions he wasn’t ready to answer.

Simon lowered himself onto a couch.

”Give me a moment.”

Akaza nodded. Virella and Ammor sat nearby, while Sonya settled comfortably opposite him.

He could leave them as they were until he returned from Vhal-Sar.

But when would that be?

The Sovereign hadn’t even told him what assistance the four Daemons needed. He might finish quickly, or remain occupied for weeks.

Meanwhile, Akaza and Sonya would continue cultivating.

The higher their heart ranks became, the harder it would be to change their bloodlines. Asking them to stop advancing was hardly a solution. An opportunity might arise, or they might need to break through simply to survive a dangerous situation.

Waiting carried risks too.

[Explain the method,] Simon told Lilith. [What do I need, and what exactly will it do to me?]

[Their blood, your blood essence, and the power of your seeds.]

[No other materials?]

[No rare ingredients. Keep Hell Stones ready to replenish their demonic energy. You already have those.]

Simon rested his forearms on his knees.

[That sounds rather inexpensive.]

[You haven’t heard what it takes from you.]

He waited.

[They sit within a small formation drawn using their own blood. A circle, with lines leading inward. I’ll show you the inscriptions when you prepare it.]

As she spoke, Simon pictured red lines spreading around a seated figure.

[You must then draw several drops of blood essence from yourself and pass them through one of your Seeds of Sin. Condense its power into them until the blood can hold a complete imprint.]

[An imprint of the seed?]

[Its power. You are not removing the seed or giving it to them.]

That was an important distinction.

[Use that blood to draw a mark over their heart and connect it to the formation. When they begin circulating their energy, the lines will rise from the ground and settle across their skin.]

Simon imagined the blood lifting in thin strands, joining at the chest before sinking beneath it.

[The imprint will stir the ancestry buried within their bloodline. You must feed it continuously while they guide the change through their own bodies.]

[Until their bloodline evolves?]

[Until the awakened bloodline can sustain the change without you. Stop too early and it may collapse halfway through.]

Simon looked at Akaza.

[Will my blood affect what they become?]

[It carries the power to evolve their bloodlines. It does not give them your Uruqath or Byakko bloodline. You are awakening their own ancestry, not making copies of yourself.]

He nodded slightly.

That removed another concern.

[They must remain conscious and keep their demonic energy moving,] Lilith continued. [Their bones, flesh, and heart will be forced to accommodate the awakening. Pain will make concentration difficult. Panic will make it worse.]

[And failure?]

[They could damage their bloodline permanently. Lose their cultivation. Die. That depends on how far the change has progressed when they lose control.]

Simon’s fingers stopped moving against his knee.

[You can support the process. You cannot endure their transformation for them. Nor does beginning it guarantee that they will reach a Royal bloodline.]

He hadn’t expected that guarantee.

He still remembered what reaching his own bloodline’s origin had demanded.

[Then the tribulation comes.]

[Yes. Surviving the awakening only brings them to the next danger.]

Simon absorbed that before asking his next question.

[How much will it weaken me?]

[Even one evolution will feel as though the formation is drawing on everything inside you. Your blood essence, demonic energy, mental energy, and the seed supplying the imprint.]

[Do you think my regeneration would help with the recovery of my blood essence.]

[I’m not sure, but what I know is that you’ll need time to recover your lost blood essence. Also, filling your heart with energy won’t immediately remove the strain on your seed.]

She paused.

[And expect your heart to respond more weakly afterward.... At least till it recovers.]

Simon leaned back.

He had hoped to refine his new treasures and begin the Sovereign’s mission stronger than before.

Now he might have to recover from helping someone else advance first.

[How many can I help?]

[Four.]

His attention sharpened.

[Because I have four seeds?]

[At their present maturity, each can produce one complete awakening imprint. That is your current limit. You will need to grow stronger and develop them further before they can support more awakenings.]

Simon glanced at Virella and Ammor.

Neither had interrupted, but both were watching him.

[What would happen if I help those two along with Sonya and Akaza?]

[Then you’ll be reaching your limit. Fainting afterward would not surprise me. Trying to force yourself onward before recovering could do lasting damage.]

[Then I’ll have to take them one at a time.]

[You’d better. See how much the first one drains you before attempting the next.]

[And if I recover quickly?]

[Then you can continue. Just don’t let that absurd regeneration of yours convince you that you have an endless supply of blood essence.]

Simon exhaled.

Simon understood that this wasn’t a method he could use carelessly.

Even without considering the Bloodline Extinction Tribulation, the amount of energy and blood essence required meant that he couldn’t simply evolve the bloodline of every demon he encountered.

There was also the limits of his seeds of sin.

[Once they’ve evolved, will I need to keep supporting their bloodlines?]

Simon asked curiously.

[No. The imprint’s purpose is finished. They will have to cultivate their new bloodlines themselves.]

Good.

He wanted capable companions, not four people who needed him to maintain their bodies.

His thoughts returned to the elders.

He couldn’t keep the results hidden forever. But letting them know he could help two companions was different from allowing them to watch every stage.

The method he had given them was genuine. He had promised them that ritual, not every secret he possessed.

They could ask and he would decide what to answer.

For now, he needed a suitable location, time to recover, and a plan on how to go about everything.

None of that required beginning in his sitting room.

Simon straightened.

Akaza immediately leaned forward.

”Can you do it?”

”Yes.”

The relief in his expression came quickly.

Simon raised a hand before he could speak.

”But we’re not starting here. And you’re going to hear the risks and details before you begin.”

Sonya tilted her head.

”Is it that dangerous?”

Simon looked at each of them.

”Yes. It is. You could die at any stage of the evolution.”

Ammor’s expression tightened. Virella sat straighter.

Akaza remained still.

Simon glanced once more toward his new courtyard, then shook his head.

”First, I need to speak to Enigma. I need somewhere to do this without turning my home into a crater.”

Sonya raised a brow.

”Your home?”

Simon closed his eyes briefly and wisely chose not to respond.