I closed my eyes and waited for... something. I felt relaxed, that's for sure, but other than that, I didn't feel anything. I sighed and opened my eyes to find myself no longer in the cultivation room. Instead, I was floating above an abstract galaxy of fractals and truths that made my head hurt to look at too long.

Comets of fundamental laws shot past me and I knew intrinsically that I was sensing the Dao. The farther I looked out the more obscured my view got. I had to look away as I felt as though my soul would vaporize if I even attempted to decipher the powerful ideas in the distance.

I could only comprehend the closest threads of the Dao. Concepts and ideas that built the universe and beyond floated around me. Some made no sense to me, others I received a flicker of understanding. I took a deep breath and spread out my awareness. There was something on the edge of my awareness. It felt like a curved blade, eager to reap. It could have sliced through crops or necks, it didn't matter so long as there was a harvest. I spotted it, a curved fractal tapered to a point, so sharp reality itself was simply a bountiful harvest.

It was a decent match, but my scythe was merely one tool of many I used. I had no special attachment to it. I cast it away, the blade spinning to find its next bounty. I searched for several more minutes, discarding Dao that had little to nothing to do with me. I tossed away the Dao of brotherhood with a scoff. I finally found another Dao that fit me, though I didn't like it. A chill ran down my spine as I spotted the twisting form that teased images of my worst nightmares. The Dao of fear. Stronger than my fear was the aspect of inflicting fear unto others.

I nearly threw it with all my mental might before pausing to think. The ability to inflict fear was tempting. A burst of fear at an inopportune moment could be the deciding factor in a desperate battle. I frowned. No, that would not be my path. I will not be the object of terror, for fear is indiscriminate. If I terrify my enemies, then there could be nothing stopping those I care about from fearing me. I imagined Ashley gazing at me in horror and tossed the Dao away.

I continued my search. More and more Dao passed by me, several tempting, but something more tantalizing was pulling me past them. The metallic scent of my kind's deepest desire pulled me forward. The sticky sensation of a freshly open artery caressed my senses.

I tried moving towards the sensation when I got distracted by another truth calling to me. This one was a Dao in flux. It rotated between two states, a sort of binary in constant motion. Each time it flickered between the states it was slightly different but always the same. I shook my head, this one was good, but the one that reeked of blood called to me more. I turned, attempting to search it only to find my vision blocked.

A black emptiness lay before me. I froze, knowing instantly what this was. The Dao of void. I stared deep in the abyss and felt something look back. A curved smile of plump red lips peeled back to reveal a forest of needles. The barest hint of something whispering, beckoning me forward was at the back of my mind. She wanted me, I knew it. She wanted us to be together. I was one of void, one under her.

A familiar fury billowed from my soul, this time it echoed my own. I ripped myself out of the stupor to find my hand nearly touching the Dao. I retracted my outstretched hand as if I was about to touch boiling acid. An echo of pouting lips was the last thing I saw in the void before I threw it aside.

Behind it was my prize. My first seed, the Dao of blood. I grinned and reached out, pulling it to me as it pulled me. A smile turned to horror as it made contact with me. Thick blood gushed from the oozing Dao. Endless truths about blood attempted to overwhelm me. A primal instinct in my soul informed me that I needed to understand my aspect of blood. What was blood to me?

As the red ichor slowly creeped over my body I thought furiously. Blood was food. It was fuel. No, that's too simple, too mundane. The blood crept up my chest. Blood was life given form. Everything alive had blood no matter what form that blood took. It could be the red iron based fluid of humans, it could be the thick hemolymph of bugs, or the molasses thick sap in plants. Even the incorporeal had blood in the form of mana. If it was life, it was blood. Blood gave life to vampires who, without the sweet liquid, would be little more than undead.

A burst of insight blasted the blood that was attempting to drown me in understandings that did not match me. Power filled me as an ephemeral oblong object nestled in my soul. A fragment that encapsulated my little understanding of the Dao. It was tiny, little more than a fraction of a fraction of the truth, but this would be the foundation that supports a mighty tree in the future.

Power filled my chest as the blood spatter around me coalesced into the Dao seed of blood. I felt my core overfill with more mana than it could take and an invisible barrier that prevented my progress shattered from the pressure. Rather than growing, the core shrunk. The mana within so condensed it was nearly liquid. Though it was a glimmering silver, the liquid mana was thick and held the scent of blood. I glowed with a huge smiled that rapidly faded as an intense cramp clenched my stomach.

My trance broke, the infinite truths before me vanished like a bad video edit as my eyes opened and a torrent of vile filth flowed from my mouth and onto the cultivation room floor. This filth was clumpy like spoiled milk was dyed black. A strong heat flushed my skin as I sweated a thick waxy substance. This expulsion lasted a solid minute before my gasping impurity encrusted form was able to stumble to the shower.

I turned on the faucet, caring more about ridding the foul stench more than facing the cold water. To my delight, however, the water came out hot. It was also scented, it took me a moment, but I realized it was the same scent of that bar of soap Eli gave me the last time I expelled impurities. I glanced to my left and saw the same bar there. The infused water would help, but the grit in the soap would be a godsend.

An hour of scrubbing later, I was finally squeaky clean. That gunk really liked to cling to unfortunate crevices. I stepped out of the shower, rubbing the nicest towel I've ever had the pleasure to use across my hair. The fibers seemed to be ravenous for any moisture it could touch. My long hair was dry as a bone quicker than any Earth hair dryer could have managed. I blinked in pleasant surprise as I noticed the puddle of impurities I vomited was gone as well. The room was likely enchanted.

Once I was dressed I stepped out feeling better than I had ever felt. After becoming a Vampire, I felt extremely strong, especially after forming my core. However, that was still in the realm of human expectation minus my inhuman speed. Now I felt like a superhero. I flexed my steel corded muscles and grinned. I couldn't wait to test out this silver ranked strength. First things first, I need to let my friends know I'm finished. I was also starving.

I stepped out of the cultivation room, steam still billowing from my shoulders in the cool air. It was early afternoon which caused me to pause. The sun was definitely touching on evening when we arrived at the apothecary. Dreya herself was at a shelf labeling some products when she heard my footsteps.

"Ah, our thirsty Lord returns. Must have been some trance. How many Dao did you see?" The short woman asked.

"I have many questions, but lets begin with what do you mean? There was an infinite amount," I asked.

She waved dismissively, "Yes, yes, I know. But how many were clear? You must have a powerful connection to the Dao if it took you half a month to decide on a Dao. So, how many?"

I gaped, "Half a month?! Is everyone okay? What about the attacks?"

"They're fine. They received housing in the Duke's estate and are visiting your other friends. Besides, it isn't the longest I've seen. Once knew this young genius who spent five months in his trance. He says that he was sorting through thousands of Dao, but I say he was just being overly picky. So, if you're not going to answer my question kiddo, how about you tell me what seed you chose?"

I shook my head, clearing it and replied, "Right, sorry. I wasn't keeping count. A hundred or so? Maybe two hundred? If they weren't suited to me I immediately tossed them. I chose the Dao of blood."

She nodded as if she had already guessed that, "Figures, at first I thought it was the Dao of slaughter due to how thick the scent of blood is on your Dao, but it lacked the ferocity. No, this one is more comforting, reinvigorating. Blood with aspects of healing?"

"Close, life from blood," I corrected.

"Oh, that's a good one. Not a common for those who choose blood, though blood itself isn't common to begin with. Typically healers or necromancers choose that one." I laughed awkwardly before asking if she knew where I could find my friends. She responded, "Yes, they asked me to convey that you can head to the Duke's manor and request their location from there." I thanked her for everything and departed.

It took me a bit and several requests for directions before I was pointed to a winding staircase as wide across as a highway that spiraled up the mountain. On either side of the staircase were city blocks filled with buildings of various uses. Thankfully, there was a trolley system that carted people up the stairs. Towards the summit of the stairs, I hopped off and walked into a large tunnel that headed inside the actual mountain.

A twisting labyrinth of tall tunnels wound inside the innards of the huge mountain. The ceiling was easily a hundred feet above me. Intricate engravings and statues that were carved out of the walls themselves decorated the hallways. Buildings that were the same lined the walls as well. It wasn't merely one long winding tunnel, streets, byways, and alleyways were everywhere. It appears that the city outside were just the tourist district. The core of the city was within the mountain. The mountain, however, was so huge that this enormous city only took up a small corner of the mountain.

An hour of walking later, I found myself outside a walled estate. Despite being inside a mountain, there was plenty of plant life. A lush garden greeted those that entered the gates. However, before I could do so, I was stopped by a pair of guards. "State your name and business."

I nodded a greeting and responded, "I am Lord Sanguine, a guest of the Duke and a friend of Eliara Helfist. I just completed my secluded cultivation and broke through to silver and was told I could find my friends here."

They saluted me after glancing at my dual pupil eye, "Ah, Lord Sanguine, we've been expecting you. Congratulations on your breakthrough. Madam Dreya is quite the skilled alchemist as I can see you have a solid foot into the silver rank despite just entering it. The Duke will surely host a celebration. Please, head inside. A steward will guide you once you knock on the door."

I gave them my thanks and headed through the now open stone gate. I marveled at the beautiful garden and the huge mushrooms that acted as trees. I glanced upward and saw the bright magical lights that illuminated the tunnel system. I guess they provide the necessary light for plants to grow. Beautiful and alien flowers were carefully cultivated in pleasing aesthetics. The Duke may not like extravagant shows of wealth, but she must love plants.

I knocked on the huge wooden door of the impressive manor. The building was five stories tall and possibly as large as a city block if not larger. To my surprise a human man in typical butler garb opened the door. He took one look at me and recognized who I was, a consummate professional. This was my first time meeting a human native to Veru. He bowed and said, "Lord Sanguine, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Lady Eliara has been singing your praises. Your timing is most fortunate, lunch will be served shortly. Please, follow me and I shall guide you to Duke Armstrong and your friends."

"Thank you, ah..."

He smiled, his middle aged face showing the first hint of laugh lines of a life spent smiling, "This humble servant is Michael Langstrom, my Lord."

"The pleasure is all mine, Michael. Please, after you." With that out of the way he led me through an opulent structure, despite Armstrong's attempts to downplay the gaudy manor. I was excited to see everyone again.