The room in the underground workshop was dimly lit by oil lamps. Shadows danced across the metallic walls, cast by the flickering light. In the center, an iron tank bubbled with a viscous mixture of dark red, almost black, which emitted a faint reddish vapor upon contact with the cold underground air.
Ethan stood beside the container, dressed in a white cloth lab coat, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was cold. In his internal vision, the data projected by AION fluctuated constantly: temperature curves, pressure, molecular composition, and a spiritual resonance graph that blinked in red.
[Full analysis of the sample in progress...]
[Preliminary result: increase in spiritual energy detected. Magnitude: 243% compared to the standard of fresh demon beast blood.]
"Two hundred and forty-three percent?" Ethan murmured without taking his eyes off the tank.
[Confirmed. The mixture has exceeded the expected passive absorption capacity. I presume an unforeseen synergy between the compounds and the plant-based spiritual catalysts.]
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Does that mean it's viable as a strengthening medium?"
[Probable viability. However, the process remains unknown. Possible collateral reactions.]
"Probability of rejection in human subjects?"
[High. Baseline physical resistance and immune status will significantly influence outcomes.]
Ethan turned slightly toward a nearby table, where several syringes, sealed vials, and records with names lay neatly arranged.
"Then it's time to stop simulating," he said softly.
With that, he directed his gaze toward a Vesper standing motionless near the entrance. The soldier quickly caught the message and left without a word.
A few seconds later, he returned accompanied by a group of Vespers.
Among them, they dragged four chained prisoners.
One of them struggled weakly, trying to retreat upon seeing the bubbling tank in the middle of the room, terrified of what might happen.
AION displayed the information of the four prisoners before Ethan. Two were mortals, with no trace of cultivation; the other two were prisoners captured during the last attack on the city.
[Subjects 1 and 2: physical condition within acceptable parameters. Elevated stress levels, but not critical.]
[Subjects 3 and 4: acceptable physical condition. Elevated stress levels. Spiritual force detected — cultivators of the fourth and fifth stage of Qi refinement.]
As he reviewed the data with AION projected in his vision, Ethan turned his gaze to the first of them, a trembling man with a lost look. He had been part of a recently exchanged group of prisoners in Prosperity City.
"Let's begin with the first one," Ethan ordered emotionlessly.
Two Vespers responded immediately, dragging the prisoner to a metal platform beside the bubbling tank.
[Recording started.]
[Vital scan active. Real-time monitoring operational.]
[Stable parameters. Immersion may begin.]
Ethan nodded slowly. Without the need for further words, the Vespers understood the command.
The prisoner began to struggle as he saw they were taking him toward the tank.
"No! Let me go! Damn demons!"
His screams echoed off the walls without provoking any reaction. The Vespers, unshaken, held him firmly and submerged him in the thick, dark liquid. The bubbling mixture licked his skin slowly, seeping into his pores with an unsettling warmth. The metal straps clamped down on his arms, immobilizing him.
At first, he resisted with pure desperation, driven by the fear of the unknown. But after a few seconds, his body began to relax. A strange sensation of well-being took hold of him: warmth, strength. He took a deep breath, as if absorbing the very energy of the fluid.
Ethan watched him closely, passing no judgment. In front of his vision, AION projected every biometric reading, graphing the changes in real time.
[Active scan. Heart rate stabilized. Homeostasis maintained.]
But the relief was short-lived.
Within minutes, the subject's body temperature began to rise alarmingly.
His skin shifted from a healthy reddish tone to a bright crimson, then to a deep red, as if his veins were burning from within. The prisoner began to shake violently, his muscles convulsing against the restraints.
[Warning: anomalous reading detected.]
[Body temperature: 42.6 °C… 43.1 °C… 44.5 °C. Rising.]
[Anomaly: fluid temperature remains stable. Not correlated with internal increase.]
[Warning: Critical condition detected. If temperature continues rising, the subject's internal systems will disintegrate.]
Ethan squinted, intrigued. It wasn't a fever. It was internal combustion... as if the body was trying to absorb more than it could contain.
[Body temperature: 45.8 °C… 46.9 °C… 47.6 °C.]
The prisoner's body arched violently. The veins beneath his skin began to swell, outlining reddish patterns that resembled burning roots. His breathing became erratic. Dense steam escaped from his mouth and nose with every gasp, as if his soul were evaporating.
[Critical warning: Body temperature has exceeded human survival threshold.]
[Analysis: Thermoregulation system collapsed. Vital organs undergoing thermal necrosis. Irreversible multi-organ failure in progress.]
The prisoner's eyes rolled back for a moment. Then, one final spark of consciousness allowed him to release a harrowing scream, barely human.
His body convulsed one last time… then fell still.
His chest did not rise again. The glowing veins dimmed like embers without oxygen. The bubbling liquid in the tank suddenly stilled, as if the failure had silenced the mixture.
[Subject 1: Deceased – Probable cause: Cellular incapacity to adapt to accelerated energy absorption. The high conductivity of the fluid triggered a cascading thermal reaction. Result: collapse of the central nervous system and cardiac arrest due to critical hyperthermia.]
Ethan remained silent.
The workshop fell quiet, save for the slow dripping of sweat from one of the prisoners. The body floated motionless, skin marked with red traces like extinguished embers.
"Log the parameters. Scan the tank," he ordered mentally.
[Scan complete. Observation: 10.3% loss of accumulated spiritual energy in the fluid.]
Ethan nodded slightly. Then, in a cold voice, he added,
"Clean the tank. Proceed with Subject Three."
Without another word, he withdrew to an adjacent room, separated by thick steel bars that allowed observation without risk. From there, he could analyze the next trial from a safer position. After all, the Blood Baptism had been designed specifically for cultivators. He couldn't underestimate the risks.
The Vespers moved without changing expression, unaffected by the recent death. To any outside observer, what occurred in that place would seem cruel, even inhuman. But to Ethan and the Vespers, it was a necessary stage. The lives of condemned prisoners and enemies would fuel the foundation of Astralis's future.
Subject Three was dragged in. Unlike the previous one, he was a cultivator.
He was completely bound, with reinforced restraints. A gag sealed his mouth to prevent shouting, techniques, or verbal manipulation. Though his body had once been strong, days of hunger, injuries, and sensory deprivation had weakened him noticeably.
Two Vespers forced him toward the tank while others flanked him cautiously. This time, an additional measure was taken: from one of the side walls, a Maxim machine gun was aimed directly at the tank, ready to fire in case of anomaly.
Ethan, from the other room, clasped his fingers as he analyzed every detail projected in his vision.
The cultivator was submerged in the tank, struggling until the last moment.
The chains held him firmly as the reddish liquid rose up his torso to cover his chest. The prisoner's temperature began to rise again, though not reaching previous critical levels.
During the first few seconds, Subject Three thrashed violently. His tense muscles tried to resist, but soon he went still. His eyes opened wide, breathing heavily through his nose while his whole body trembled.
Ethan, from the adjoining room, watched closely. Graphs began to project in his vision.
[Body temperature: 38.7 °C… 39.4 °C… 40.1 °C.]
[Sustained increase, but within tolerance threshold.]
[Alert: Energy transfer detected.]
The lines on the prisoner's body began to define themselves. The open wounds on his torso slowly closed, as if accelerated regeneration had begun. His skin took on a healthier tone, and his breathing, though labored, stabilized.
[Observation: Spiritual energy levels in the fluid dropping. 31.6% loss since immersion.]
[Analysis: Subject is actively absorbing spiritual energy.]
[Muscle tissue shows signs of restoration. Cell recovery rate increased by 83%.]
Ethan narrowed his eyes, analyzing the data swiftly.
"Interesting…"
AION projected new energy curves as the subject remained immersed. The liquid around his body no longer bubbled as before. Instead, it seemed to swirl softly around his abdomen and chest, as if responding to an internal flow.
[Temperature stabilized at 40.8 °C. Neural activity within elevated but non-critical parameters.]
A dozen minutes later, the cultivator opened his eyes. The fluid level in the tank had dropped by 90%. The little that remained floated slowly, without glow or energy.
The prisoner did not move. He only breathed, trembling slightly. His pupils, dilated, glowed with a faint red light that pulsed in rhythm with his breathing.
Ethan crossed his arms. He frowned.
"It's not over yet. Extract the subject and strap him to the observation table."
Without resistance, the cultivator was removed from the tank. The Vespers secured him with reinforced straps onto a metallic surface. The body still trembled from residual tension.
Once secured, Ethan entered the room again. AION projected a three-dimensional scan into the air, above the table.
[Full scan complete.]
[Result: Subject 3 shows increased spiritual energy, advancement from Fourth to Fifth Level of Qi Cultivation detected.]
Ethan observed the projection in silence. His gaze swept over the data without blinking.