《Origins: Blood Fall》


 Chapter 1 - The device

    Silverlake city ¨C Year 2250


    The city of Silverlake was built floating 100 meters above the centre of an expansive silver glittering lake and was truly a future-oriented wonder. Its grace was matched by the backdrop of a majestic mountain which has helped shape the city to what it is today.


    The skyline is sprinkled with elegant futuristic skyscrapers and there is no place on earth with anything like this.


    It is rich with resources and had abundant talents specialised in different fields, the living quality, health and services were faultless in Silverlake city which attracted worldwide attention.


    ...


    Within a certain lab situated in a high-rise building owned by Moon fall technologies, a young man stood facing his completed device for a science exam project. He has spent over 2 years working on this and it has received a lot of enthusiastic response from the higher ups in the college and Silverlake city¡¯s mayor.


    This device¡¯s purpose was to condense blood with high regenerative abilities and purify it to a level where it can become a propelling agent for a health elixir. Using the latest fusion reactor technologies and biochemical gene stimulation, he managed to create an algorithm that should make this possible.


    His long black hair was clumsily tied in a ponytail while loose strands were clinging over his tense face, glittering grey eyes focused and sweat dripping from his nose.


    ¡°Aura, start initiation!¡±


    He said nervously to his artificial intelligence, while thinking to himself all the positive changes he could bring with this invention


    ¡°Initiation prompt received¡±


    came a females voice ringing mechanically in the lab


    ¡°starting countdown 3,2,1 BEEP! fusion reactor engaged... injecting type XT2 blood gene... Analysingcell structures, no anomalies found in DNA... starting compression sequence.¡±


    Fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into the flesh of his palms, and heart in his throat waiting for the final stage, he always failed at this point. If this succeeded, not only would he ace his exam with flying colors but, also be the creator of a brand-new health elixir that was unequalled.


    ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± asked Cyris.


    Kirin shifted slightly on his feet and looked at his older brother.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about the ripples this device will cause, I¡¯m certain if Argent succeeds and decides topublicize the results. Many greedy and dangerous eyes will have him in their scope. History willrepeat itself!¡±


    ¡°How is that a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± His gaze hardened


    ¡°He¡¯s different from us Cyris. With his kind personality I don¡¯t think he is ready to handle all the pressure that will come from this!¡±


    Cyris looked back at Kirin and sighed softly...


    ¡°I know, and you¡¯re right¡± he glanced at Argents still immature and handsome face.


    ¡°But still, we cannot protect him for ever bro. He needs tempering, the trials and tribulations to come from this will harden his resolve. I¡¯m afraid he is too soft and indecisive in conflicts; I hope to use this as a character refinement for him. I believe this will build his character and let him see with his own eyes what lengths some people will go to, in order to take everything from him¡±


    ¡°Ehh... that¡¯s bullshit bro! You want him to go through the same shit you went through, when you developed the first exo suit? How many times did you almost die then?... Shit, if you connect all the scars on your body into a single line. It will end up taller than you!¡±


    ¡°...Hmm, I never thought of it like that¡± Cyris said, trying to visualize it.


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, till today the enemies you made are still plotting your death, wanting to pry open your pretty little brain¡±


    ¡°haha and look how I turned out, isn¡¯t it a good thing nah?¡±


    ¡°Say what? you must be joking, how is that any good bro. Seriously. Your cold as fuck and can watcha baby kitten die in front of you without caring.¡± Kirin said shell shocked


    ¡°I mean they are so cute with their furry paws and pea sized little faces! how can one be so heartless?!¡± He exaggerated with wide eyes.


    Argent looked over his shoulder seeing his two older brothers chatting leisurely, he couldn¡¯t help smiling. Cyris the oldest of the lot and the CEO of Moonfall technologies. The rising star of the science world, and a genius in advanced bioengineering, mechanics and machine learning. He single handedly built his success on creating powerful first-generation weapons, exoskeleton suits andmilitary grade A. I¡¯s as a living selling it to the highest bidder


    He is by no means a nice guy. Cyris has sold weapons that have been used by terrorists, corrupt governments and warlords. Cold and cunning, quick-witted with a serious lack of empathy, his ruthlessness to his enemies has shocked nations and earned him the moniker of Evil genius. The only things he keeps close to his heart is his love for technology and his two brothers, if the rest of theworld evaporates into dust, he wouldn¡¯t even blink an eye.


    ¡°Ey can you guys stop joking around please, it¡¯s going to start any minute¡± Argent said trying to keepa straight face.


    ¡°Haha ok ok, sorry Argent, I was just letting Cyris over here know of how big of a saint hero he is¡± Kirin winked to his youngest brother.


    Cyris rolled his eyes, he was already used to his brothers antics since long ago.


    Kirin Moonfall was 24 years old and the second oldest and have been somewhat mildly influenced by his older brothers lack of moral compass. As young he became involved in organized crime and have been very successful in climbing up the hierarchy ladder, he is currently the right-hand man of the boss of the Onyx Rose syndicate.


    A very intelligent man but more street smart than book smart like his two brothers. He is a specialist in reading people, his ability to socialise with both gangsters and officials coupled with his humour and quick wit has made him to be one of the most likable criminals in history. His motto has always been ¡°why have enemies? when you can have friends¡± yet won''t hesitate for a second when thosefriends turn to enemies to lay them to waste. His ambition has no end and his drive infectious.


    ¡°Have you triple checked the algorithm and the program¡¯s baseline framework?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°The emergency fluid coolants in reactor? Als--¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes and yes! relax Cyris I have made all the preparations needed this time, for sure¡± Argent interrupted with confidence.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you said last time and look what happened then, the explosion burnt all of Cyris¡¯s facial hair, making his head look like a shining magic orb, hahaha! It was epic¡± Kirin chirped in from the side with a smirk.


    ¡°Pfft! HAHA it was kinda funny still, ouch!¡± Argent was holding his stomach. While Cyris slapped himacross the back of his head.


    Argent Moonfall turned 17 this year and was the most normal of his brothers, a college student. He is a kind and gentle spirit who loves to help others, a little introverted and dislikes confrontation. However, he also takes after his oldest brother in his love for technology but has yet to choose a path for himself.


    Since being the youngest of the three, his brothers have been overprotective of him and this has led him to be gentler in nature. Their father was a mercenary and professional martial artist, he taught them all close quarters combat and trained them in a variety of weapon techniques since they were young. So, the three are very capable in their own right and have ferocious prowess.


    Sadly, the father died while on a mission to hunt down a vicious war criminal when he was 8 years old. This led to Cyris having to raise his siblings for the second half of their lives. Their bond is like the firmament, unbreakable.


    Cyris turned his face to Kirin and asked with a serious and solemn tone


    ¡°Have you found or heard anything about Murdock''s whereabouts yet?¡±


    ¡°Nah nothing still...He went off the grid, none of my intel teams have seen or caught a whiff of him since that day you almost wasted him, it''s like he ghosted¡±


    ¡°Ok... Make sure to keep your ears and eyes open, you know as well as I do... that bastard will never stop. Until we see his corpse as proof, never assume he is dead!¡±


    As the two were talking, the blood inside the compartment within the fusion reactor, started emitting a blinding light. One could see the blood sample in there being compressed to a horrifying degree, whilst shaking uncontrollably. It slowly started to pulse with energy, changing colour from crimson red into a lighter shade of scarlet and then changed once again to light orange. Just when it looked like it was about to stop transforming, a strange force exploded the drop of blood into millions of smaller fragments. Yet before it scattered, the same force quickly compressed it again into a liquid substance, slowly turning it transparent to the point the blood became a milky white, glossy colour. Invisible energy waves were surrounding it making it look enchanted, it was breathtaking, to say the least.


    ¡°YEESS! OH MY GOD!!, big bro, the condensation stage is completed it worked! Hahaha It worked!¡±Argent jumped while shouting excitedly.


    Cyris looked at him with a kind smile¡°Haha! calm down¡± he replied slightly amused


    ¡°the most important part is starting now, so don¡¯t lose focus of the end goal kid¡±


    Trying hard to hide his own excitement. He was very surprised and baffled by Argent¡¯s idea and praised him when he first read his theory of the condensation and purification of blood. He was sceptical at first, thinking it would not be something a college student could achieve. Yet after the first failed experiment he was utterly dumbfounded by what he saw and felt from the energy waves released by the blood sample. The pride and satisfaction he felt for his little brother¡¯s achievement could clearly be seen in his facial expression. For he understood the impact it would have on the planet would be earth-shattering.


    Being called a genius himself he doubted he would come up with something similar. His eyes were glittering with moisture


    ¡°Pops, I wish you could see Argent. You would be so proud! Haha I''m afraidI''m too inferior compared to him, he will soon surpass me and swim in the expansive sea of stars!¡± He said inwardly.


    ¡°BEEP! Condensation has reached 100% completion; further compression is not advised...¡±


    the voice of the A.I rang out bringing Argent back from his earlier excitement


    ¡°Aura start purification sequence now! Open valve 1 and 2 simultaneously.¡±


    The reflection of the milky white blood could be seen in his eyes, he has never felt so nervous, excited and fulfilled at the same time.


    Just as the purification process started, the alarm systems in the lab suddenly started to ring loudly


    ¡°W-what''s happening!? How can there be something wrong, the data shows nothing irregular, it''s still going very smooth¡±


    Argent asked his brothers stunned, he shouted with panic to Aura


    ¡°Check thermal heat expos--¡± but before he could finish his command, Kirin grabbed him.


    ¡± ARGENT get back now!! there¡¯s nothing wrong with the experiment¡° Kirlin shouted, emitting abone-chilling killing intent.


    ¡°Intruders have killed their way up and are about to breach the lab! Take cover inside the decontamination room, its reinforced glass doors should be strong enough to shield you from theline of fire¡±


    Pushing Argent gently, the door closed slowly locking him inside, then he fired a shot at the control panel so no one could get access from the outside.


    ¡°W-what? Enemies! Wh-¡±


    Argent¡¯s face paled with panic and was truly afraid, he could not understand what was happening.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time! Quick. I promise nothing is gonna happen to you little brother, so just stay there and wait for me and Cyris to handle this ok? When everything is settled, command Aura to overridethe system and let you out. Got it?¡±


    Argent nodded his head quickly like a frightened fox.


    With that said, Kirin pulled out a pitch-black titanium sword sheathed on his back and unstrapped his gun from his leg holster, a modified gold-plated desert eagle with double barrels. Looking at his little brothers anxious and nervous expression, his rage was simmering, like a volcano ready to erupt. Kirlin was pissed


    ¡°how dare they mess up his big moment like this! Whoever they are they are DEAD!¡±


    He swore to himself silently. His little brother was different than himself and Cyris, they both were killers and emotionless in doing so. They both strangely enjoyed dancing on a knifes edge, the thrill they felt from it was something they inherited from their father. Argent on the other hand took after their mother who was kind gentle and caring, he loved his little brother and wished would remain the way he was.


    ¡°Master Cyris!! The enemy have infiltrated the building and killed almost everyone! We can¡¯t holdthem back, they are all elites! I have requested bac¡ªARRRGH!!¡±


    The voice of Captain Linux rang over the intercom inside the lab, echoing loudly. His anguished screams scared Argent to the bones. He was shaking so hard he had to bite his tounge to regain composure


    ¡°KHEKEKE! Master Cyris was it? You can serve him in your next life, you will be meeting him soon!¡±a strange husky voice grated on the brother''s ears. Kirin and Cyris were both shocked. They recognised who it belonged to


    ¡°Cyris! That¡¯s Murdo--¡±


    when he looked to his older brother he suddenly froze. His tounge went slack and refused to complete the words, stopping midway. As a veteran warrior Kirin has been through many near-deathbattles himself and have never been fazed. Yet when he saw Cyris¡¯s expression, his spine tingled andall the hair on his body raised in alarm


    ¡°w-what the... that look in his eyes, what kind of eyes are those?!!¡±...


    Two teams dressed in black combat gear stood outside the lab, the white hallway leading to it was littered with blood and the dead guards from moon fall corporation. You could tell they were professionals with a single glance.


    A long, slim blade made of diamonds was held by a grip wrapped in expensive, red platinum looking prosthetic arm. Its razor-sharp point made this weapon a perfect choice if you wished to puncture your enemies to death with ruthless speed and precision.


    Red, shoulder length hair revealed a chiseled, wild face. His remaining eye was bloodshot and deep black. A terrible scar was reaching from just under the left eye, running towards the other eye that was blinded and ending on his forehead. It left a stinging memory of his previous assassination attempts on the Moonfall brothers.


    This is the face of Jaylin Murdock, 25 years old and a true hunter among assassins. A legend in the making within the underworld kingdom that has received the nurturing of the legendary king of shadows. With 188 confirmed kills, he was the most lethal in the younger generation, and has only failed twice.


    He lost his eye to Kirin on his first failed attempt and his arm to Cyris on his second, the two brothers were his mortal enemies and he would never stop until one side perishes.


    ¡°Clips! hurry the fuck up with the explosives, MOVE!!¡±


    Shouted Jaylin filled with murderous intent and excitement. The battle lust in his every cell threatened to explode at any second. He considered Cyris as his true opponent and their ability were on the same level, Kirin on the other hand was a level weaker. The only reason he lost was because the brothers ganged up on him.


    ¡°Hehe you bastards I brought ten with me this time, how can you survive this. I will make you beg for mercy!!¡± a crazed look appeared in his eyes scaring his team members.


    ¡°Boss the setup is ready to go¡± replied the man called Clips.


    ¡°Good, let''s do this quick, remember the game plan. Our source of intel is solid, Argent Moonfall the youngest is in there with them. No failure is allowed as you all know the higher ups are paying closeattention to this OP. Team two, you know what to do.¡± he said to everyone, while taking cover waiting for the explosion to incinerate the door.


    ¡°Blast off!¡±BOOOM!


    The whole building shook from the overwhelming force, the red light was flickering nonstop and the blaring noise of the alarm system made the senses turn numb. But as soon as the smoke and fire cleared, he gave his order to charge in.


    ¡°ATTACK!!¡±


    The first team rushed in to the lab with blinding speed.

 Chapter 2 - Death

    Jaylin Murdock was the first to storm into the lab, followed closely by Clips and his team in a tight formation. Their fluent movement echoed of an elite division. All he could see was smoke and the falling debris from the exploded equipment. Soon enough he saw a shadow trying to climb back on their feet,


    ¡°Kirin!! Hehe, taste this u fuck¡±


    He flipped his palm and a short black shotgun appeared in his hand, taking aim with deadly precision he pulled the trigger as fast as he could, BANG! BANG! 12 bullets cut across the air with a sonic boom. Their angles were blocking all of Kirin¡¯s escape routes.


    His legs burst with such speed his body left behind a faint afterimage momentarily. Leaning forward strangely, he was keeping close right behind the rain of bullets. He raised his poisoned diamond blade waiting for the right timing to puncture Kirin¡¯s heart.


    ¡°OH Shit!¡±


    Kirin¡¯s expression changed as he saw the shadow¡¯s face that was flying towards him


    "IT''S HIM!¡±


    This was the most powerful enemy he had encountered in his life. The shadow king¡¯s student and coupled with his conviction to never stop until he was dead, made Kirin lose many nights of sleep. The only reason he managed to injure him last time was because of Cyris¡¯s help, otherwise, he would have been dead long ago.


    With no time to hesitate he fired off six shots from his desert eagle. Blocking 8 of the 12 bullets shot by Jaylin,


    SWOOSH! DING DING


    then he slashed out with his black titanium sword deflecting the remaining four bullets. His pupils constricted to the size of needle pins because the enemy¡¯s sword light was flashing towards him.


    ¡°TOO FAST! I can¡¯t block or dodge!¡±


    His heightened perception slowed down everything around him, and his brain¡¯s computing ability was at its limit, Kirin turned his body slightly to the side so that the blade would avoid puncturing his heart.


    ¡°ARGHH!¡± the blade went through his chest like butter and came out the other end.


    Cyris was thrown to the other side of the lab when the explosion hit and just recovered his bearings. He saw Jaylin, his nemesis rush with such ferocity towards his brother, meanwhile Kirin was still in half kneeling position. Cyris knew instantly from the pace that Kirin would not be able to ward of Jaylin¡¯s attack.


    ¡°KIRIN!¡±


    His exoskeleton prototype boots released bursts of black smoke as his figure instantly vanished from where he stood. Two blood red, glowing daggers slashed towards Jaylin¡¯s throat and arm that held the sword that was still inside Kirin¡¯s chest.


    CLINK! CLINK! Two distinct noises of metal colliding against metal sounded out.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?!!¡±


    Cyris was shocked by the resistance met to his daggers, Jaylin¡¯s sword arm was a prosthetic which didn¡¯t surprise him since he was the one to cut it off in the first place. What did shock him was the dagger that should have cleanly sliced his throat open was blocked by a small weird metal that was changing shape and moving on its own? His expression turned ugly as he groaned


    ¡°Shit! The Ghost king¡¯s armament?!¡± with no time to think he grabbed Kirin and tried to jump back.


    ¡°HAHAHA, what''s wrong Cyris? it looks like you have seen a ghost¡±


    Jaylin¡¯s menacing laughter sounded out next to his ear. Turning his daggers around he blocked the incoming blade and used the force of the blow to retreat. His retreat made him land right in the middle of Clips and the others.


    With a cold flash in his eyes, Cyris tapped lightly on the floor with his foot and disappeared, a moment later hails of bullets struck right where he stood. The concrete and metal floor exploding from his force, he reappeared in front of Clips. ¡°DIE!¡± he sliced his throat with a clean flash. Blood spurting into the air, yet not a drop landed on him as he had already flashed away like a ghost to his next victim slashing out again. Within five seconds everyone in team one was dead.


    Kirin still in his arms, Cyris rushed towards the members of team two that was now coming in through the entrance. He knew killing Jaylin was out of the question, now that he had such a protective measure as the ghost king¡¯s armament. His thoughts went to wasting the others and then hold Jaylin off to give argent and Kirin a chance to escape. Yet before he reached them, Jaylin came up from behind him firing off three rounds from his shotgun.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    BANG! BANG BANG!


    The rain of bullets rapidly closed in on Cyris¡¯s vitals from behind, if it landed, he would suffer fatal injuries. His figure disappeared with a puff of black smoke, looking like a phantom. He managed to dodge the bullets by a breath''s hair. Not noticing the slight grin on Jaylin''s face, as if the path he would jump to was already pre-made for him.


    CLINK!


    His right foot stepped on the ghost king¡¯s armament that laid on the floor, seven metallic shards controlled by liquid metal strings swiftly climbed up his leg, spinning around with lightning speed.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Cyris reacted immediately and jumped away, yet it was too late. Everything below his right leg''s thigh was shredded into mincemeat.


    ¡°ARRGHH!¡±


    He screamed in agony; the pain was unbearable as blood flowed like a river. The sharp, burning sensation was all Cyris could focus on. Sweat pouring from his forehead, his hands were clammy and trembling and teeth gritting hard. For a second Cyris considered listening to his body which was telling him to stop, to just give up and drop to the floor.


    ¡°NO NO NO! CYRIS, CYRIS! AURA OVERRIDE THE FUCKING SYSTEM, OPEN THE DOOR NOW! NOW! HURRY¡±


    Argent howled loudly to his A.I, his eyes bloodshot as tears were streaming down his face.


    ¡°Override denied¡± Replied Aura calmly with her mechanical voice.


    ¡°Master Cyris has initiated A-rank key encryption on the control panel, cracking it would take 89 hours and 22 minutes with my current Central processing unit¡±.


    Argent went completely insane, smashing the reinforced glass doors with his fists over and over. His knuckles turned bloody, and bones were jutting out from them. His brothers were going to die in front of him, while he stood in safety behind closed doors.


    ¡± WAIT! WAIT! TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT,¡± he cried desperately


    ¡± IS IT THE FORMULA FOR THE SOLUTION?! OR THE ALGORITHM!? I WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING SO PLEASE STOP!!¡± His despairing howls could be heard from the whole building.


    ¡°HAHAHA, can you hear that Cyris?¡± Jaylin looked down at Cyris mockingly


    ¡°This is what happens when you overprotect a tiger, it turns into a frightened kitten... Your little brother is begging for your life, HEHE! how does that make you feel? The evil genius can¡¯t even die with his dignity. How shameful! Tsk¡± he clicked his tongue with disgust.


    ¡°Fuck you, talking about dignity in front of me?! What a joke, what dignity do you have left after running to you master begging him for help?! How else did you get the ghost king¡¯s armament...HAHA, you are truly pitiful it''s kinda sad, you''re just a worm looking up to a snake¡±


    Cyris looked at Jaylin with hatred in his eyes. He knew he should have done everything in his power to end this bastard¡¯s life. After the previous attempt where he cut his arm off, he had chased him for 2 weeks yet failed in eliminating him. Now it seems it came back to bite him viciously in the ass.


    ¡°Hehe, That¡¯s quite funny actually... If I¡¯m a worm, then...¡±


    SWISH SWISH SWISH!


    With three quick flashes of his sword, he cut off both off Cyris¡¯s arms and remaining leg.


    ¡°AAARGHHHH¡±


    He looked down at Cyris wriggling in a pool of blood and said with a happy expression


    ¡°Then you¡¯re a maggot, that can be crushed beneath my feet! HAHAHA... DIE!¡±


    With that he brought his right foot down viciously with a force that could crumble a stone, right on Cyris¡¯s chest breaking the ribs and pulverizing his heart in an instant.


    Cyris¡¯s eyes slowly turned lifeless as his last breath seeped out of him. Kirin laid close by equally lifeless, his face a horrifying blend of blue and black, bleeding from his orifices. The poison on Jaylin¡¯s sword ended him almost immediately after he was stabbed in the chest.


    How ironic, Jaylin thought silently with satisfaction as if he was suddenly enlightened...


    ¡°in life you shined liked the moon, yet your family name has destined you to fall¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 3 - Rebirth

    ¡°...Aura self-destruct the fusion reactor¡±


    Feeling powerless and in despair, Argent decided to self-destruct the device hoping the explosion would kill Jaylin and his crew. His deep hatred demanded revenge; it was the only thing left in hismind and he didn¡¯t want to free himself from it. These scumbags had to die for what they did to hisbrothers!


    ¡°Self-destruction prompt received... BEEP! injecting combustion fluid¡±


    Although Cyris blocked his A.I from overriding the operating system for the door, the device belonged to him solely and anything related to it could be carried out by Aura.


    ¡°BEEP!! Warning, warning! the reactor will explode in 10 seconds, engage containment unit immediately! 10.. 9.. 8¡±


    Jaylin¡¯s head jerked back towards the device when he heard the blaring sound of the alarm and when he saw the countdown ticking, his eyes turned wide with fear. He exploded with a terrifying force towards the exit shouting to his team


    ¡°RETREAT!¡±


    in an instant he was over 100 meters away rushing for his life.


    Argent knew that he would be safe from the explosion since he was confined inside the decontamination room. The materials used for this room was designed to withstand heavy impact, the explosion from the reactor wouldn¡¯t be able to leave a scratch on it.


    Looking at the assassins running away, he felt worried and prayed that they wouldn¡¯t escape too far from the coming blast.


    His gaze turned to Kirin and Cyris laying there in their blood, he was devastated that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bury them.


    When all of a sudden Aura¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°WARNING!!! ANOMALY DETECTED. PURIFIED BLOOD SAMPLE EMITTING UNSTABLE ENERGY UNDULATIONS! A CHAIN REACTION OF DISASTOURUS PROPORTIONS WILL OCCUR! AN ESTIMATED LEVEL 10.2 EXPLOSION!¡±


    ¡°What?!! Level 10.2???... shit Aura abort abort!!!¡±


    A level 10.2 explosion is on the same scale as a nuclear warhead, it would incinerate half of Silverlake city, if not more and countless people would die


    Yet it was too late


    ¡°...2...1¡±BOOOOOOM!!!


    The device and reactor exploded simultaneously, when the force of the flames touched the blood sample. The most peculiar thing happened, the invisible energy ripples surrounding the milky white blood drop started to absorb and compress the flames!


    The massive flames that should have already burnt down the lab was being sucked into the blood sample.


    Argent had his eyes wide open and couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The glossy white color was going through extraordinary changes it was actually getting bigger... it exploded into a silver color and became the size of a grape. It didn¡¯t stop there as it once again turned into light gold then deep gold, by now it was the size of an egg.


    It was shining like a miniature sun, when all the flames were sucked in completely it turned a deep red and gold color that was the size of a human head. It was spinning mysteriously while releasing energy ripples so strong it disturbed the air 60 meters around it.


    Argent sucked in a cold breath of air as he was shocked at what was happening. He could see the first energy wave rippling towards him. His heart stopped when it crashed over him and his mind went blank for a moment, all the problems and difficulties he came across in his theory of condensation vanished and he saw the full puzzle.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    But that was only for an instance as the red and gold, blood ball exploded with a blinding force. All the buildings in 1500 km 2 radius was turned to dust, 5 million people exploded into a mist of blood that was then absorbed by the blood ball.


    The whole Silverlake city was in chaos as it started to fall from the sky, the impact of the explosion was truly too shocking and destroyed its foundations. The survivors all looked up at the same time as the city was falling and saw a golden ¨C red ball the size of a house spinning, suspended in the air.


    BOOOOOM!!


    It then disappeared with a deafening noise, breaking the air causing a 100-meter-long rift in the sky to form.


    From that day forward, the world had changed, the rift in the sky had still not healed...hundreds of years later Argent¡¯s research and theories on blood condensation would be regarded as world level breakthrough in biochemical gene stimulation and ushered in a new era of blood force. An era where espers with superpowers, meta beasts, and specialized bloodlines were created using his research as basis.


    One thing for sure is... It got exciting


    But that¡¯s a whole another story...


    .....


    Meanwhile In a different star system in a faraway world, a mysterious energy undulation came from nowhere and the blood ball tore open the black space and fell swiftly towards a planet thousands of times bigger than earth.


    It was so big, that certain mountains on the continents and forests could be seen from space, the oceans were so majestic, they had a deep blue and purple color so intense it felt like looking at an azure amethyst crystal. It was spectacular and truly mystical to behold; its hemisphere so thick it created a flowing like membrane...


    This was planet Embriyan!


    WOOOSHH!!!


    The house sized blood ball started vibrating excitedly as if it could not wait to return home. It fell like a star and entered the planet, the hemisphere spread out ripples, like a stone being thrown into a large lake.


    Just as it met the atmosphere the blood ball exploded into 5 million golden red blood drops, scattering like lightning across the sky. The sight was a feast for the eyes...


    All the citizens of this planet that saw this scene playing out in the sky was spellbound, they saw showers of millions of golden red lights streaking across the sky vanishing in different directions. From their perspectives it looked like a golden net was enclosing the world from above.


    This event was remembered by the people across this world as the starburst phenomenon. Years later epic tales will be told about legendary villains such as Jee Lin ¡°The left eyed demon¡± and Kyrion ¡°Phoenix scryer¡± the many earth-shattering battles of these two enemies are mentioned the most, story tellers have titled them as ¡°the demonic duo¡± ...


    Arfang the extraordinary skywolf beast-man and mysterious heroes such as Aurora ¡°the lady in the lake¡±.


    Thousands of noteworthy people rise in power, each one so powerful their actions will influence the whole planet Embriyan and leave its history books shaking for millennials.


    Strangely many of these legends have one thing in common, they were all related to the starburst phenomenon, so people started calling them Fallen stars.


    That¡¯s a story that will be told in the near future...for now, let''s return to the present...


    ......


    -Kingdom of Nidaros in the Qara empire Year 8550-


    The Qara empire was the domain of the beast race and the Nidaros kingdom was ruled by the Skywolf clan. Deep within a lush forest stood a gigantic mountain the shape of a howling wolf, it was hundreds of kilometers tall stretching towards the heaven as if it could swallow the moon, the capital city Nova Ara was built on this majestic mountain.


    The royal district was located on its highest peak...


    Within the royal palace inside the queen''s chamber, a woman was laying on her bed screaming in agony and howling like a wolf... She was giving birth.


    ¡°UAAAHRRHHGH¡±


    ¡°My queen, just a bit more! it is almost out; I can see the head¡±


    ¡°ARRGHH!! GET THIS THING OUT FROM ME!¡± screamed Queen Nyla.


    ¡°haaack!...I can¡¯t do it¡± she shuddered in pain


    ¡°Yes, you can my lady! Come on now get ready for it, LAST PUSH come now push...¡±


    ¡°AAARRRRGGGHHHH¡±


    ...


    ¡°Congratulations my queen It¡¯s a boy!¡± said the old midwife with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Why is he not crying? What''s wrong with him, he should be crying right now!!¡±


    ¡°My Queen he is not breathing!!¡± the midwife panicked and tried everything in her power to revive the newborn prince. The queen''s heart was on complete standstill praying for her son to start breathing again...


    SWOOSH


    Suddenly a bright light flew into the queen¡¯s chamber heading directly towards the newborn prince, the royal guards protecting the queen thought it was an attack and rushed towards the queen and her baby, but they were too slow to react and failed to block the light. It hit the newborn prince directly in the forehead with such force his tiny head rocked backwards, scaring the wits out of everyone present.


    ¡°NOOO MY SON!!!¡± Nyla shouted at the top of her lungs; her heart was bleeding seeing her newborn baby getting hit by an unknown projectile.


    The prince¡¯s head was releasing light smoke from the impact and on his forehead a tiny faint blood drop shaped mark could be seen fading out. He slowly opened his eyes and a golden red light flashed by momentarily.


    ¡°THE PRINCE IS ALIVE!!!¡±


    ¡°OOUUAAAAHH OUUAHHH¡±¡± the baby cried.

 Chapter 4 - The blood force

    "This is incredible! I can''t believe Arfang survived such a blow" said a servant in the royal palace.


    "HAHA! Our little prince is so amazing already, so young but yet ferocious enough to take such a heavy hit like that and still be fine afterward"


    Replied a cute maid with excitement, her hazel brown hair bobbing everywhere as she described the events of that day, to a group of servants in the palace''s kitchens


    "This is a good sign of fortune for our kingdom! The little prince will grow up to be unequaled in power and bring endless glory to our race"


    "Yes! most definitely, with a start like this it shows that the prince is destined for great things!" said another fat servant.


    Conversations like these could be heard everywhere in the royal district, stirring many of its nobles and citizens. The circumstances surrounding the prince''s birth could not be kept a secret, its nature too shocking.


    ¡­


    ''What''s going on...where am I? Didn''t I die? Why can''t I move?!... hold up, I can move! But wait, shit, why are my legs and arms so tiny?... huh this taste, wow it''s amazing... mmmh so creamy an--. No, stop. Focus, I need to focus, something weird is going on for sure!''


    Inside the queen''s bedchamber, the prince laid in his mother''s arms feeding enjoyably with vigor. Then he stopped momentarily while opening his eyes and staring at his mother, his wide eyes were glued to the Queen''s face whilst milk was running down the corner of his mouth.


    "PPFFFTT!! Hahaha, oh my god look at his silly grin mama!" the Queen''s daughter laughed uncontrollably when she saw this scene. She was leaning over Nyla''s shoulder watching Arfang feeding happily, she was 8 years old, bubbly and very mischievous to boot.


    ''Woah, who is that? So pretty, is that meant to be my mother?'' Argent''s thoughts were racing as the memories of what happened flashed in his mind. ''It seems that drop of red and gold blood somehow kept my soul and memories intact, it then entered this kid''s body that was lifeless, and I took over his body? Oh, my g- isn''t this a complete rebirth?! How is that even possible...Don''t tell me those light novels and books I read for fun back then were real?''


    After thinking for a bit, Argent gave up on trying to find logic and reason behind these strange occurrences, all he knew was that he was still breathing and somehow had another chance at life. He focused on the two people looming over him. As the reality of the situation sunk in, he accepted that nothing would ever be the same. The ever-helpful Aura, his device, Kirin and Cyris, he was sad he would never ever see his two brothers again.


    ''Apparently, my name is Arfang now, and since that cute girl called this lady her mother means she is this boy''s sister. No, my sister? Ok, so weird...But, eh, this don''t seem that bad either, I am a prince now... ok need to calm down...let''s take this one step at the time then...first I need to grow up so I can move on my own, then find out as much information as I can about this world.... woah, what the --so sleepy, shit, seems like concentrating is a hard task for a newborn, all my energy is seeped out *sigh*''...


    "Sshh he is tired Aliya don''t disturb your brother"


    said the Queen softly, her gaze never leaving her son''s eyes, she could see moments of sadness, concentrated focus, and clear-headedness. She was captivated by his gaze as it burned with something she could not put into words. ''My dear son what in the world are you thinking so hard about hmm?... Wow, you really are a cute one, aren''t you... Hehe seems like you inherited my looks instead of your fathers'' She thought with a beautiful smile, she then started humming a lovely lullaby as she held Arfang in her warm embrace, rocking him gently to sleep


    Argent closed his eyes slowly as he drifted into a deep sleep.


    ¡­


    His days continued like this for a while longer, eating, thinking and sleeping. When his mother saw his intelligent eyes and hungry curiosity, she started telling bedtime stories about this world. Every time she mentioned the fantastic things in this world his eyes would widen with intrigue, the queen was so delighted in seeing his awe, sometimes shock but mostly wonder. she loved watching the play of expressions on his adorable face as she told her tales and continued doing so every night.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The planet Embriyan was thousands of times bigger than earth and filled with millions of different races, powerful beasts such as destructive serpents, dragons and phoenixes even dwell in mysterious continents. Some races have the same physical traits as humans, whereas many are very different. You can find beings with horns, wings, a half monster half human hybrids and all sorts of weird and fantastical things. This world is in a sense, vast and endless with limitless variations of lifeforms. The energy in the atmosphere was so thick and pure one would feel refreshed just breathing the air.


    ...


    5 years later...


    ''Unbelievable, this world is so much more interesting than earth, it''s just like a fantasy! I can''t wait to go to the bloodline hall in two days to test the purity level of my blood. The king, my father said it''s the tradition of the skywolf clan, to send their youths when they reach 5 years old to take this test''. Arfang was thinking to himself as he put down a heavy book titled "Types of blood crystals and their uses". He was sitting inside the royal library with piles of books as tall his height all over the table.


    Ever since he started walking, he could be seen running around everywhere in the royal palace, filled with endless curiosity as he touched and looked at everything in his surroundings.


    He slowly came to realize that this place had many strange and wonderful concepts, the most shocking to him though was the blood force system.


    When he finally learned how to read, he found out that, this planet had a power system that relied on the blood in one''s veins. A person would absorb the essence of blood crystals or powerful beasts into his/her bloodstream, then condense and purify that same energy to make it one''s own source of power. Reading these books detailing the steps and process of the blood force concept, he was truly baffled, it was almost identical to his research theory of condensation back on earth, with some differences of course.


    On earth, he would use sophisticated equipment to achieve the means to condense and purify the blood, but in this world, the heart was used as the medium instead. One would manipulate the blood vessels in the heart and since there were millions of blood vessels in the heart, each method would be different. Some methods used the blood vessels to form shapes of palaces, some formed lotus flowers, armors, weapons, and other strange variations. The blood essence energy would then wash over these forms and make it stronger. But the end goal was the same principle, the more condensed the blood shape was, the more powerful one would be.


    The realms one could achieve if you trained diligently were divided into ten realms, they were as follows from weakest to strongest. The blood condensation stage, blood eruption stage, blood warrior, blood knight, and blood master. The other five realms were too obscure knowledge and he couldn''t find the information within the library. But these realms were enough to know for now as even the strongest expert in this kingdom, his father was at the blood master stage.


    These realms were further divided into nine separate stages, the first three stages are white blood, the middle is silver blood and late stages is gold blood. To achieve a breakthrough the warrior must store enough blood essence in his heart and compress it until his origin form changes color.


    ''I really must have lucked out here, or was it fate?'' He thought as he stood up and prepared to leave the library. This system was intriguing him and aligned perfectly with his prior knowledge, but before he could start training in blood force he had to go and get tested in the bloodline hall. Excitement plastered on his face, ''once I start training, I can try all these ideas I have in store, that blast before I died cleared my head mysteriously. My final moments enlightened me and opened many doors I previously thought were impossible''