parentshiftbook Chapter 406 - 327: Calamity Spring Demon Pulp, Night Demon Prince
Chapter 406 - 327: Calamity Spring Demon Pulp, Night Demon Prince
Chapter 406: Chapter 327: Calamity Spring Demon Pulp, Night Demon Prince
BOOM!
As the team forcefully pushed open a heavy wooden door and stepped into the pitch-black church, its floors soaked with blood, Byron had already drunk all 108 varieties of Blood Brew made from Fourth Order Blood of Metamorphosis.
DRIP. DROP. DRIP. DROP...
He didn’t know how many beast-transformed individuals he had slain along the way. The blood dripped from his sword tip too quickly, forming small streams on the church floor.
The special transcendent abilities of the 108 Blood Brews began to spread throughout his body as he continued his relentless slaughter.
His heartbeat sounded like a war drum. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! His heartbeat echoed through the cavernous interior of the dark church, forcefully suppressing the sounds of gunfire and battle cries.
Each breath carried the scent of blood-tinted alcohol. His skin was flushed red, emitting a rich aroma of wine, mingled with a faint yet distinct, sweet, and cloying smell of blood.
Even a Third Order Gourmet would die on the spot if they dared to drink all 108 Blood Brews.
But Byron not only survived; he was in excellent condition.
It seemed the 108 Blood Brews had reached some magical equilibrium within his body. They fought poison with poison, balanced each other out, and began to permanently transform his flesh.
From the very start, the transformation made one feel inherently replenished, creating an irresistible urge to bite him.
Luckily, aside from Violet and Jacqueline—both Third Order Transcendents who kept drawing closer—everyone else in the team was equipped with Azkek’s Cursed Coin. Thus, they felt no worldly delights, nor did they have the impulse to feast.
At the same time, misty lights and shadows emerged around Byron, and faint voices could be heard:
"Baron Byron of Torrentfort? He is, without a doubt, a true gentleman, even more elegant and benevolent than the great nobles I have met."
"From the inside out, his every gesture reflects an ancient noble bearing, starkly different from those pretentious and self-righteous types."
"Others may take pride in their titles, but I believe a mere barony does not do justice to the noble demeanor of the Sea Hunter."
"..."
Each sentence seemed to anchor Byron’s identity, guiding his transformation in a specific direction and preventing an immediate outburst of his Beastliness.
Ritual: Blood Banquet Holy Grail:
"Hold a grand blood banquet under the Blood Moon. Use the blood of various non-human creatures and the superior Blood of Metamorphosis from humans as a sacrifice to the Mother of Creation, Lilith.
The Blood Moon is rare in the outside world, but it is constantly present in the Blood Source Secret Realm. There, it is directly derived from the projection of that Old God in the Material World, making its effects superior.
Additionally, one must possess a noble title of at least baronial rank and cultivate noble etiquette, demeanor, and speech to be instantly recognizable as an aristocrat.
This anchors one’s identity, preventing a fall into becoming some beast-transformed creature or bizarre aberration.
Moreover, one needs enough Middle Sequence Blood of Metamorphosis to concoct all 108 types of Blood Brew and initiate the ritual.
The higher the grade of Blood of Metamorphosis used in the Blood Brew, the better.
In any case, a Transcendent with an alcohol allergy definitely cannot become a Night Demon."
Byron had recently obtained Fourth Order Blood of Metamorphosis from the Double-faced Person, the Smith Brothers, and the Infinite Evolver, Balboa. This allowed him to prepare the highest quality Blood Brew.
The blood of the Infinite Evolver, in particular, seemed to still contain some magical "force of evolution" that resonated incredibly well with this forbidden knowledge.
Perhaps there would be an unexpected additional benefit once the ritual concluded.
The stringent prerequisites for the Bloodline Sublimation Ritual ensured that only a very few lucky individuals could achieve a full ascension.
Most could only opt for the Ghoul’s path, compromising with their own Beastliness.
They settled for a lesser ascension, transforming into non-human Ghouls, or even the Mythical Creature known as the Gluttonous Lord.
This Blood Brew made with Fourth Order Blood of Metamorphosis... BURP... the alcohol is indeed a bit too strong. PHEW!
He exhaled slowly, then inhaled deeply.
Even Byron, who had reached the fringes of Divine Sight through the Flow State, barely clung to the last shred of clarity in his mind.
The side effect of tactile obsession, brought on by copiously consuming Blood Brew, had intensified to an indescribable degree.
At this moment, even a simple rope seemed exceptionally graceful to him.
He quickly stuffed several grilled squid tentacles into his mouth as a snack, attempting to temper the rampant Beastliness within him.
It was not just his appetite; the unique scents emanating from Violet and Jacqueline also grew increasingly rich.
Byron glanced at his cousin, then immediately averted his eyes.
Jacqueline’s figure was so angular that even a glance felt abrasive to him.
Even a drunken Byron could not appreciate it; he had his standards.
When he looked at Violet, the sensation he had felt when helping her inscribe the Curse Seal—her body supple as if boneless, light and soft—resurfaced in his mind.
Tactile Obsession: Humans → Non-humans → Indescribable beings with tentacles → Pure-bred octopuses (or squids).
The first two categories would stir affection, while the latter two would provoke appetite.
A predilection for tentacles led to a shift toward androgynous characteristics like "supple as if boneless" and "light and soft."
With the side effects greatly amplified, these alternative physical traits became exceptionally alluring.
Combined with their existing soul-deep connection, this allure was magnified manyfold.
At this moment, Byron thought of his father, his sister, Uncle Andrew, his cousin, and even the Social Clock’s eager expectation for him to continue the bloodline. Moved by both internal and external factors, he finally made an irrevocable decision.
As soon as I complete my ascension, I’ll go find...
Before he could finish the thought, the amount of blood from the slaughter had already reached the required level.
Commanding the army to advance with cannons and bombard the beast-transformed, no one was more efficient than he.
The blood on the ground swirled, centering on Byron’s body to form a crimson ritual circle with a pentagram at its core.
The others immediately backed far away.
Byron, mustering his strength, placed the remnants of the 108 cups of Blood Brew onto the 108 nodes of the circle.
The Blood Moon overhead seemed drawn by the ritual circle, slowly descending until it filled everyone’s vision.
Like the bloodshot eye of a terrifying behemoth, it stared down at everyone on the ground, seemingly scrutinizing them to decide which would taste best.
An icy chill instantly permeated the entire Blood Source Secret Realm.
All the beast-transformed and the Marines instinctively fell prostrate, not daring to take a deep breath.
It seemed any carelessness would result in them being served up as the entity’s next meal.
Only Byron, his body emanating the fragrance of wine, remained standing at the center of the circle. He lifted a pure gold goblet filled with the life essence from the Screaming Wells high above his head.
After all, the Blood Brew offerings within the ritual circle held a greater attraction for the Blood Moon than Byron, who had merely sipped from each of the 108 cups.
The next moment, SLURP. SLURP. Accompanied by these sounds, the high-grade Blood Brews in the circle were drained dry by an unseen entity.
A streak of crimson light flowed across the surface of the Blood Moon, eventually coalescing into a single, glittering drop of viscous nectar. It exuded a strong aroma of alcohol and a sweet, sanguine scent.
DING-DONG. It fell into the gold goblet in Byron’s hands.
It instantly transformed the clear life essence into a cup of exquisite wine.
—Calamity Curse Potion—
Its quality clearly surpassed any type of Blood of Metamorphosis and was only a step away from the Blood of Immortality.
Byron’s throat bobbed. He felt like a traveler who had trekked for three days in the desert without a single drop of water; every cell in his body yearned for that cup of wine.
Drink it! Drink it! Drink it...
Calamity Curse Potion... it really does seem to possess the power of a Devil, Byron thought, reminded of Violet’s Calamity Curse.
The two seemed an unexpectedly good match, although their names alone suggested they were anything but benign forces.
Without further hesitation, he downed it in one gulp.
The exquisitely sweet liquid turned into a cool stream upon touching his tongue, rushing into his bloodstream and melding with the 108 types of Blood Brew he had already consumed.
Like yeast in brewing or brine for tofu, it produced a miraculous effect, transforming the corrupt into the wondrous.
A glaring crimson light burst forth from within him.
It began transforming Byron from the inside out, into something non-human!
"AARGH!"
Immense pain assaulted every nerve in his body.
His body swelled and shrank; at times, he sprouted long ears, at other times, fur...
The sight was even more terrifying than the degeneration of the most debased Beast Spirit Warrior.
It was at this moment that the emblem of the Torrent Castle Baron slowly formed above his head, calming the drastic, beast-like changes.
But the next moment, an incomplete, shattered Crown continued to emerge above his head. It represented the secular rank of Heir to the Aztec Empire, the Prophesied Child of the Taya Empire, and Crown Prince of Hightins!
The emblem of the Torrent Castle Baron was forcibly shoved aside.
The ritual required at least a noble’s rank, but how could a mere barony compare to the crown of a great nation’s heir apparent?
The Blood Banquet Holy Grail ritual was significantly flexible. The most inferior path led from Ghoul to Gluttonous Lord.
The luckiest ascension path only progressed from Half-Night Devil to Night Demon.
But Byron was not only using Fourth Order Blood of Metamorphosis for his ascension; it also included the essence of an Infinite Evolver. Moreover, he held the rank of Crown Prince in more than one great empire.
Throughout the entire history of the Bloodthirsty Cult, there had never been such an extravagant set of circumstances.
At that moment, the ritual subtly underwent a change no one had anticipated.
A splendid golden hue quietly wove itself into the ritual circle’s crimson light, completing the broken Crown. The Crown then descended steadily to rest upon Byron’s head.
Simultaneously, a magnetic male voice resounded in his ear:
"If hard work led to riches, the rulers of the world would be donkeys!
Look up! Those seated high upon thrones are not toiling diligently; they are clearly blood-sucking beings in human guise.
The apex of the human food chain in the Kingdom has always been a feast for Dragons and Night Demons.
Scion of the Blood, welcome to our ranks. Join us as a Profiteer, an Exploiter, one of the Bloodthirsty! We greet you, respected... Prince of Night Demons!"