Excerpt from The Profound and Pretty Princess' Ultimate Guide to Cultivation, Captivation, Cuteness, and Carving Your Way to the Top, English Edition (the worst-selling guide in the history of Putijama)

On Bloodline Strength and Bloodline-Strengthening Treasures

Bloodline Strength

The strength of a bloodline is a very hard thing to measure. Since every power varies, especially among the rift bond beasts, trying to compare them becomes a game of pedantry. A gray bat's power allows it to easily dodge attacks while flying but a black black bear has enhanced stealth and resistance to disease. Try measuring those against each other!

Still, what we can measure is how much a bloodline has been enhanced from a baseline. This requires comparing two creatures with the same bloodline and essentially saying the lowest ever measurement is said baseline. Very scientific!

The actual measurements involve some testing that tries to account for differences in cultivation but isn't perfect. The wind bat, for instance, they have the bat fly through an obstacle course and then use its bloodline power to fly through a second time. The change in time gives a good indication.

Stealth isn't that hard to measure, though it's mostly only to spiritual sense. It's nearly impossible to repeat a visual stealth test. The one person who tried to test a black black bear's resistance to disease to measure their bloodline strength was ruled to have committed suicide after he was found with long slashes across his abdomen.

Bloodline-Strengthening Treasures

As far as anyone has found, the only way to strengthen a bloodline is through a bloodline-strengthening treasure. They can range from small stones that people absorb by holding it against their skin and pushing in mana to hunks of meat that someone has to consume.

If someone in the rift has a bloodline when a bloodline-strengthening treasure drops, the general practice is simply for them to use it. For some reason, that significantly enhances its efficacy with none of the drawbacks.

There are two types, though one is far rarer than the other.

The ultra-rare type of treasures is unaspected. Usually, these types of treasures only drop in higher-Tier rifts, typically Tier 5 or above. There are a few drawbacks to these types of treasures however. The first is that they strengthen the bloodline less than an aspected treasure, often around 20% of baseline strength. The second is that they deteriorate very quickly, most lasting less than a few days after they are pulled from a rift.

The other type of treasure is, surprise surprise, aspected. These are aspected to a type of essence, making it so only a creature with that essence aspect should absorb the treasure. The increase from baseline, depending on how fresh the treasure is, can range from 40% all the way up to 100%.

If a creature, whether rift bond or not, absorbs a bloodline-strengthening treasure of an essence-aspect that doesn't match their own, things can get a bit odd. Usually, the only effect is that their bloodline strength drops a bit. But about a third of the time, at least from what researchers can gather, there is a bloodline 'poisoning' effect, where they entirely lose their bloodline power which can lead to crippling or even death.

In many of the sentient beast races, if a family can get their hands on a bloodline-strengthening treasure, they will try to match a child's essence to the treasure, specifically Igniting them with a concentrated dose of that essence. The sentient beast bloodline's are not inherently aspected to an essence type.

As I left Gema's, feeling oddly good from the absolute shitshow of an event, I signaled to Tiesa who was standing across the nondescript alley, her tongue sticking out of her smiling mouth.

"Tell Gabor I say hi," I said and she smiled in return.

"He says to tell you to stop causing trouble."

"You don't know the half of it," I said with a shake of the head.

She looked me up and down. "You look… different. Not just the clothes. Good or bad?"

"A bit of both?" I said, not really sure myself.

She clapped me on the back as we began our trek to the inn. We walked mostly in silence, Tiesa filling the space somewhat with an update on Gabor's adventures, but I thought she could sense something was off.

"You head up to your room, grab Steve, and I'll be right behind you," she said as if I were about to get a rather stern talking to.

Am I going to get lectured about existing? I don't find trouble, it finds me.

I grabbed the little monster from Romie and when I turned around, Tiesa was already at my door somehow carrying four bottles of liquor and two glasses.

"Don't you have a spatial storage sack?" I asked.

"Isn't nearly as dramatic as this," she said, indicating her overly full arms.

Once inside the room, she pulled a comfy looking chair from her spatial storage and took Steve. There was a knock at the door and we received two large charcuterie boards that Tiesa had also ordered. I put them on the small desk and took out the chair to face her.

We each grabbed a glass of booze, a sweet smelling liqueur that Tiesa promised would give me a nice buzz with a limited hangover. I still hadn't gotten a full handle on clearing alcohol from my system, so that was a plus.

I knocked back the entire glass and poured myself another.

"Was it really that bad?" she asked.

"Yes and no."

Upon his whining, we set out a little glass for Steve on a small side table, though his was full of water that he actually managed to lift without spilling.

"So, you want to actually tell me what happened?" she asked.

I started to recount the night but she couldn't help but interrupt.

"Did you get a picture of the outfit? No, of course you didn't, you can't there… but still, I really want to see what she cooked up for you."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"It was really bad. The loincloth was designed so any movement meant flashing everyone, I swear. Probably an enchantment or something. Erectus ejectus."

Tiesa laughed so hard, she let go of Steve, who shot over and grabbed some food. I let him get two fistfuls before I pulled him back and sat down with him on my shoulder, crumbs raining down as he munched.

"Okay, so you ended up in a less revealing outfit, is that really what went so bad? Seems pretty tame."

Once I got to the part about having [Fly] cast on me, Tiesa got a wistful look. "I always really wanted that spell. It's so much fun."

"Yeah, it is, until your barrier snaps while you're in the air and someone casts a spell at you," I said, taking another large drink.

"What?" she almost whispered, but there was death in her tone.

I knew some people thought Tiesa was scary; even the Mayor of Pitola made specific plans to not anger her. But the ripple of power from her was truly frightening.

Steve whined and she reached over, loading up a full plate before pulling him into her lap. She fed him slowly as he quieted down.

"Yeah, a group teamed up specifically to try to lock me in place and snap the barrier. People had behaved up to that point – well mostly – and so no one was really on the lookout for it. I should have kept up my guard…"

"If you have to be ready for an attack at all times, you can't live your life. I won't let her keep me from going with you next time so you have that," she said.

"Ha, you or Selim Koval I guess." Tiesa looked utterly confused. "Before she could actually hit me, he did something, I couldn't see what, and then bam, her hand was on the floor bleeding instead of me. Supposedly, Gema says I was safe and that the spell was only a really painful one but—"

"Then why was it even one of the spells being demonstrated?" Tiesa asked, venom in her voice.

"The barrier made any effect essentially useless. It was for people to cast and I'd act like it hurt. It did tickle, even through the barrier, like licking a 9V battery but through my whole body. Not painful, just, you know, uncomfortable but not in a too bad way."

After a long explanation about Earth-based batteries and why people licked them, we got back to the point.

"So Selim actually stepped in? Why?" Tiesa asked.

"Said I was basically a harmless child and letting people torture me was not okay," I said with a small chuckle.

"Wait, he actually told you? That was a rhetorical question. When did you actually speak with him? Why was he there?"

I filled her in on the rest of the night. She shrieked with joy when I mentioned selling the woman's hand back to her. It was at that point, I realized Gema never gave me a final total so I sent her a slightly buzzed message. I did love how at least AAI messaging prevented drunk text misspellings.

[Hi. You never gave me a final tally. When do I get my Tier 3???] I tried to add something like a smiley face but there wasn't really anything equivalent.

Shit, have to invent emojis too?

[Incoming message from Gema Raila: If you had worn the outfit… 71 total purchases, four short. She did purchase the hand.]

At my groan, Tiesa gave me a funny look. "I didn't quite hit the free Tier 3 skill."

"Good, you probably would have tried to absorb it now. You crazy kids and ideas about cultivation," she said laughing.

"I'm older than you," I grumbled as I sent Gema a message. [You owe me four favors, 200 gold for the hand, 50% of the entrance fees for the five people who attacked me, and four purchases of Tier 1 skills for 50 gold.]

[Incoming message from Gema Raila: Two favors, your meeting with Selim cost you two. 180 gold, 10% commission is standard. No to the entrance fees but I will add another purchase. Therefore five purchases for 50 gold each. Now leave me be to my evening activities. My guest is not pleased with you.]

I had no desire to figure out exactly what she meant and did as she requested.

"So… what does this mean with Selim?" Tiesa asked.

"Based on our conversation, we're on, I guess 'not bad' terms now. He understands I have been hurt just as much, probably more, by Cornelius and his bullshit. I obviously didn't share too much about my plans but Selim agreed to back off harassing us while we're in Pitola. So we don't have to hurry back."

"Hmm, I was hoping to get back in two days but I guess another day won't be too bad."

"I'm sorry if you wanted me to really screw him over, it just felt like it wasn't worth the effort. I did want something more gratifying, to really rub his past wrongs in his face, but just moving past it for my bigger goals was… oddly satisfying."

Tiesa grabbed some food and then settled back in her chair, spreading a soft cheese on her cracker before taking a bite with a satisfied smile. "I'm proud of how you handled everything in there. You could have tried to force everything, especially with the group that attacked you, but… I like the new you."

"New me?" I asked, slightly taken aback.

"Yup. In the last week or so, you've started to relax again. I was starting to get worried about you, going from crisis to crisis. You were getting wound up around just about anything. Justifiably honestly… But there's a lightness there now. Like the weight of the world, or I guess worlds," she said with a laugh, "isn't on your shoulders any more. I like it, it suits you."

"Uh, thanks?" I said, not sure how to react. "I guess this delve trip was good for me. Some fun and relaxation and—"

"And getting laid?" Tiesa cut in.

"Actually, no. I wasn't kidding about that. I'm not chaste or anything but I have a tendency to jump into things relationship wise that just aren't good for me. And yes, I know sex and relationships aren't inherently the same, especially here. But they tend to be for me. I catch feelings pretty easily."

She laughed. "You just needed someone to make out with? I should have found you that earlier."

Deciding to ignore her comment, I probed a bit deeper. "How did you manage it all when you were still low Tier? I guess it was pretty different for you, coming up in the military. But just, you seem grounded. And Gabor, if a bit goofy, has maintained a sense of humor about it all. My old life didn't prepare me for this."

"I wish I had a manual to hand you. But you're doing the best you can. Yeah, there are different choices I would make but I can't point to many, at least other than charging into that damn dungeon, that I would say were bad. You could have become either a little mouse or a madman and you aren't either. What more could you ask of yourself?"

I thought for a while. "Maybe to be more ruthless? I was already thinking about who to give my spell purchases to when I really need to be thinking about my own long-term safety."

"Yeah, maybe start running those things past me. I'll point you in the right direction," Tiesa chuckled, draining her glass.

"Is that your signal you're off to bed?" I asked.

"Just about. I'll say two more things. I really do think Ileana, whatever you two have or had, was good for you. I don't want you to take everything too seriously. Only the things that need it. I'm not sure if I want you to end up with her, this whole 'shipping' thing you have from Earth is hilarious."

"Oh god, please do not start that."

Tiesa chuckled. "I do like her though. And I looked into her. She's good people. I have some feelers out about her ex since I picked up a bit about that whole situation…"

"Did you learn anything?"

"About the ex, not yet. But I really liked talking to her when you were in a team delve and the rest of us were waiting for you to emerge. But I guess that's not what I was going for."

I rolled my eyes. "So you did have a point? What was it?"

"Basically, find time for the joy. It sounds like your last life was safe but honestly low on joy. Find it here. You want to know why I fought so hard to get where I am? Because I get to build the life I dreamed of with the man of my dreams. Yes, cheesy but my days are filled with doing what I want."

What would actually be that thing to 'spark joy' as Marie Kondo said? I guess 'be happy' is a silly goal because there's ups and downs but what would make my life better? Make me satisfied when I go to bed at night?

It wasn't really something I had ever delved deeply into.

I tried therapy twice on Earth but just didn't connect with either person. One asked me 'and how does that make you feel' repeatedly and my response of 'isn't that your job?' didn't go over well. The other hardly said anything so it started to feel like an awkward date and thus I filled the silence. Nervously talking about myself did not help much.

My job had stopped being all that interesting or fun – and the travel was getting brutal – but it was pretty simple and it occasionally let me do some cool things. And it paid well. But it felt like I was slowly trudging towards heart disease and a resentment towards the world.

"Putijama to Terry," Tiesa said, bringing my attention back to her.

"Sorry, was thinking. You made a good point. For once."

She stuck her tongue out at me. As much as she was good at being mature, she was as good at being immature.

"You said you had two things to say. The first was find joy. What was the other?"

"That your fly is open," Tiesa said, getting up. As I looked down at my pants, which didn't even have a fly, she laughed. "Got ya!" She swept from the room, grabbing most of the leftover food, much to Steve's chagrin.

"Okay Steve, what do you think?"

I wanted to spend a bit more time talking to him but the alcohol took over and we snuggled up and fell asleep.

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