Sunny stared at the new memory resting in his soul. It did not resemble a weapon, nor armor, nor any of the strange, esoteric tools he had come to expect. Instead, it was simple — deceptively so. A single drop of blood, suspended in darkness, radiating an ancient, oppressive presence that made even his shadows freeze.
A divine drop of blood.
...That is Shadow God's blood, alright.
Sunny forced himself to look away from the enchanting [Drop of Ichor] and summoned the runes describing it. He had to make sure that his guess was right.
Memory: [Drop of Ichor].
Memory Rank: unknown
Memory Tier: unknown
Memory Type: unknown
Not surprised by the vagueness of the memory, he studied the string of runes that were his true goal.
Memory Description: [Before, there was only boundless, eternal void. From that dark abyss, the -unknown- were born. Just like chaos itself, they were endless and everlasting, vast and forever changing. But then came desire, and with it came direction. From it, the gods were born.
When gods appeared, the void was not eternal anymore.
When gods appeared, the darkness was not endless anymore.
When gods appeared, the chaos was not orderless anymore.
The gods appeared, and brought with them war. This drop of divine blood was spilled by Shadow on one of the battlefields of that war, before the void was bound.]
So there's a difference between the Unknown and the -unknown-. Primordial entities that existed before time, before space — before even death itself, drifting within a boundless, lightless void. And the Gods… they were something else entirely. Not the same, yet not separate either — born from them, perhaps, but fundamentally different.
At least now, the nature of the enemy the gods had once faced — long before the daemons and their rebellion was becoming clear. It also explained why the Shadow God had been driven to create Death in the first place. How else could one hope to destroy something that had never known an end?
Which raised an even more unsettling thought.
Were time, space, and all the other concepts Sunny knew… not fundamental laws at all, but weapons? Constructs forged by the gods in their war against the unknown?
At least it was easy to tell which side had emerged victorious. However...
The most frightening detail was that the description never said that the primordial void had been destroyed. Only that it had been "bound".
...Was it still bound, now that the gods were dead?
Sunny shivered and shook his head. The short description contained a vast amount of information, which had an even vaster amount of implications. He couldn't encompass all that in a small span of time.
Maybe after I consume the drop, I'll learn more.
He hesitated, then glanced at the radiant drop of golden liquid once again.
[You have acquired a drop of ichor. Do you wish to consume it?]
Sunny let out a quiet sigh, the memory of his ill-fated attempt at devouring divinity resurfaced, along with the sheer, unbearable agony that had followed.
Sunny's hesitation lingered for only a moment but before he could answer the Spell, a voice cut through his thoughts.
"Well? What did you get?"
Mahoraga calmly asked, taking a sip from [Endless Spring].
Sunny blinked, turning his head slightly, eyeing Mahoraga with a faint scowl, as if annoyed at the interruption.
For a brief moment he considered lying, the thought came as naturally as breathing. However the moment the thought formed — a sharp, invasive pain coiled around his throat and chest.
Sunny's expression remained unchanged.
But the answer was decided for him.
"A lineage."
The moment the truth came into open, the pain receded just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind only a faint reminder of its presence.
Mahoraga gave a small nod, seemingly unsurprised.
"I thought so."
Sunny's eyes narrowed slightly at the answer, a flicker of irritation passing through them as he studied Mahoraga's calm expression. "You don't sound surprised," he muttered.
Mahoraga studied him for a moment, then, slowly, a faint hint of amusement surfaced in his eyes. "Surprised?" he echoed, tilting his head slightly. "Why would I be?"
Raising [Endless Spring] to his lips, he took a sip unhurriedly, savoring the cool, pristine water as it slipped down his throat.
"Sunny dear, you are the only sleeper to claw your way out of the death trap that is the Forgotten Shore, and the only one foolish — or formidable — enough to stand against Nephis of the Immortal Flame Clan."
He paused briefly, a quiet note of recognition entering his voice. "I've heard of her, Sunny. The sole heir of Broken Sword — the prodigy who was the first to conquer the Third Nightmare." A soft whistle escaped him, low and impressed. "And you… you met her in battle and did not fall."
"Then," he continued casually, "you wandered into the Nightmare Desert. A place most Saints won't even approach, let alone cross. Long enough to find me, of all things."
A faint scoff left him, though there was no real mockery in it, only acknowledgment.
"Do you have any idea how absurd that is?" he asked, "People don't survive that sequence of disasters, Sunny. They die somewhere along the way, usually early, usually terribly."
"So no," he finished, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, "a lineage is the least surprising thing about you."
Sunny stared at him for a moment, his expression flat. The words should have sounded like praise — and perhaps they were. But all they did was remind him of exactly how many times he'd nearly not survived at all.
He clicked his tongue softly and looked away, "Yeah… lucky me."
For a few seconds, he remained silent, the ichor fading to the background of his thoughts. Then, a flicker of doubt surfaced in his mind.
"…Hey."
Mahoraga glanced at him without turning fully.
Sunny hesitated for a moment — not out of uncertainty, but because he already had a good idea of what the answer would be.
Still, he asked.
"What happens," Sunny said slowly, "if someone consumes another lineage when they already have one?"
Mahoraga didn't respond immediately.
He lowered the bottle, his gaze shifted to Sunny, studying him in silence. The faint trace of amusement from before was gone now, replaced by something more serious — fascination.
"That depends," he answered at last, "Lineages aren't meant to coexist. They aren't powers you stack — they're identities. Foundations."
He considered the idea for a second before continuing, "If you introduce another one, they'll reject each other. If one is overwhelmingly stronger, it consumes the other and takes its place. If they're close..." he exhaled faintly, "they tear you apart from the inside before either can win."
"Since you already possess a lineage," he added, his tone turning matter-of-factly, "I suggest you refrain from consuming that one for now. You're not strong enough to mediate the conflict yet. If you try, you won't be controlling anything — you'll just be watching the battle.
"When the time comes, when your will, and your body are refined enough, you might be able to suppress the clash. Find a way to make them coexist."
_____
A/N - DAMN! You all are stingy motherfuckers! How'd we already reach 138 powerstones in a day, we were at 70 yesterday. That's almost 60 powerstones in a single day, and to think we hit 70 after 5 days --- y'all are greedy. Start dropping those powerstones scrooge mcducks. Ion wanna see no 70 powerstones after 5 days anymore. I want 70 powerstones after a day!
Extra chapter coming in a few hours, after like 6 hours ig.