Chapter 3: The Vivisection of Magic
The library of the manor had become Serafina's second home, but books could only provide theory. As a woman of science, she knew that theory without clinical application was useless.
For three days, she had immersed herself in the fundamental texts of Solara, specifically The Dualism of Power: A Guide to Mana and Aura. She needed to understand the mechanics of the threats she would eventually face.
The Theory of Dynamics
In Solara, power was divided into two distinct biological processes:
Aura ( The Path of the Warrior):
This was an internal combustion engine. Humans possess a 'Life Force' stored in their cells. Warriors trained to condense this energy into their Dantian (a spiritual cavity in the lower abdomen). By burning this energy, they could reinforce their skin (Iron Body), accelerate their synapses (Flash Step), or project force outwards (Aura Slash). It was physical, visceral, and required intense bodily conditioning.
Magic (The Path of the Mage):
This was a solar panel system. Mages were born with a Mana Core near their sternum. They drew ambient Mana from the atmosphere, filtered it through their Core, and arranged it into geometric patterns (Spell Circles) to alter reality. It was cerebral, mathematical, and required high mental acuity.
The Hybrid Problem
Serafina sat cross-legged on the floor of her bedroom, attempting to meditate. She tried to locate a Dantian. Nothing. She tried to sense a Mana Core near her heart. Empty.
"My anatomy is fundamentally different," she murmured, opening her eyes. "I do not have the organs to process these energies naturally."
She had attempted to refine the ambient mana directly into her blood, but it was like trying to fuel a diesel engine with sunlight. It was inefficient. Her body rejected the raw atmospheric mana, and her muscles refused to generate Aura on their own. She hit a physiological wall.
"I cannot generate. I can only metabolize," she diagnosed. "I am a parasite. I need pre-processed fuel."
If she couldn't grow the crops, she would have to steal the harvest.
The Preparation
Serafina stood up. Her eyes, glowing a faint violet, turned toward the window. It was time for field research. But she was a ten-year-old girl. If she tried to overpower a grown man, she would lose, immortality notwithstanding. She needed an equalizer.
She went to the manor's garden. To the uneducated eye, it was a collection of pretty flowers. To a former medical prodigy, it was a biochemical arsenal.
She found Nightshade Bell (a source of atropine-like compounds) and the Blue-Spotted Toad that lived near the pond (its mucus contained a potent neurotoxin).
She retreated to the abandoned wine cellar she had claimed earlier that day. She had cleared out the casks, scrubbed the stone tables, and set up a makeshift laboratory using glass jars and distillation equipment stolen from the kitchen.
With steady, surgical hands, she crushed the dried Nightshade and mixed it with the toad's mucus. She heated the mixture over a candle, reducing it to a thick, clear viscous liquid.
"Tetrodotoxin derivative mixed with a paralytic alkaloid," she whispered, swirling the vial. "Onset time: 10 seconds. Duration: 2 hours. Effect: Total motor paralysis while maintaining consciousness."
She dipped two small, needle-like darts into the solution and carefully placed them in a pouch.
The Hunt
Midnight. The witching hour.
Serafina stripped off her heavy noble dress, wearing a simple black tunic and trousers she had pilfered from the male servant's laundry. She opened her balcony window.
Snap.
Her leather wings exploded from her back, spanning seven feet. The night air rushed over her skin, and she felt the +20% surge in her statistics. She pushed off the railing.
She didn't fall; she glided. With a powerful flap, she ascended, the wind whipping through her silver hair. Below, the manor shrank. She turned her gaze toward the nearby town of Riverwood.
Her vision shifted. The world wasn't just dark; it was a spectrum of greys and heat signatures. She could see the warmth of the rats in the fields; she could see the cooling embers of chimneys.
She soared over the town, circling like a hawk. She needed isolated prey.
She found them near the outskirts.
Target One: A man stumbling out of a tavern, a sword strapped to his hip. His gait suggested intoxication, but his muscular density indicated he was a Warrior. Rank F: Novice.
Target Two: A young woman in robes walking down a quiet alley, holding a glowing stone for light. The mana residue clinging to her was faint but distinct. Rank F: Apprentice Mage.
Serafina dove.
She swooped down silently, the wind noise dampened by the velvet texture of her wings. She landed on a thatched roof above the drunk Warrior. He paused to relieve himself against a wall.
Serafina pulled a blowgun—a hollow reed she had fashioned. She loaded a dart.
Phfft.
The dart struck the man's neck. He slapped it like a mosquito. "Damn bugs..."
He took one step. Stumbled. Tried to draw his sword. His hand went limp. His knees buckled, and he collapsed face-first into the mud, his eyes wide with panic, unable to scream.
Serafina dropped down. She grabbed him by the collar. He was heavy, perhaps 80 kilograms. During the day, she couldn't have lifted him. But tonight, with her vampiric strength magnified, she dragged him into the shadows.
Ten minutes later, she repeated the process with the female Mage. The girl didn't even hear her coming.
Getting them back was the hard part. She couldn't carry them both. She had to fly the Mage back first—she was lighter—dangling the girl beneath her like a bird of prey carrying a rabbit. She returned for the Warrior, straining her muscles to the limit to haul him through the air.
The Laboratory
The cellar smelled of damp stone and fear.
The two captives were chained to heavy wooden chairs, their wrists bound with iron shackles Serafina had found in the storage. The paralysis was beginning to wear off, their fingers twitching.
Serafina stood before them, wearing a white apron over her black tunic to protect it from stains. She looked like a doll playing doctor, if the doll was a predator.
"Wake up," she said softly.
The Warrior groaned, his eyes focusing on the girl with the silver hair. "Who... who are you? The King's bastard?"
The Mage was hyperventilating. "Please... my father is a merchant, he will pay..."
"I do not require gold," Serafina said, her voice clinical. "I require data."
She picked up a scalpel.
Experiment Phase 1: The Warrior
She approached the man. "You cultivate Aura. You harden your body."
She sliced a vein in his arm. He screamed, thrashing against the chains. Serafina ignored the noise. She collected a beaker of his blood.
Without hesitation, she lifted the beaker to her lips and drank.
The effect was instantaneous.
It wasn't just taste; it was fuel. As the blood hit her stomach, it didn't digest; it evaporated into energy. She felt a burning sensation rush through her limbs. Her muscles twitched, expanding and contracting rapidly.
Analysis: The Warrior's blood contains high concentrations of biological vitality and adrenaline.
She looked at her hand. A faint, white steam rose from her skin—the early signs of Aura.
"The Warrior's blood refines my body," she noted, writing in her notebook with her free hand. "It bypasses the need for training. I absorb his years of physical cultivation directly into my cellular structure."
She felt stronger. The fatigue from the flight vanished. Her skin felt tougher, denser.
Experiment Phase 2: The Mage
She turned to the woman. The Mage was sobbing now.
Serafina took a sample of her blood. It was darker, shimmering slightly in the candlelight.
Serafina drank.
This time, the reaction wasn't in her muscles. It was in her chest. Her heart—which usually beat slowly—gave a violent thrum. A cool, refreshing sensation washed over her brain. The 'Mana' the Mage had spent years gathering in her core was dissolved in her bloodstream.
Serafina absorbed it. Her own heart began to glow with a faint, internal rhythm.
"The Mage's blood refines my Core," she wrote. "Or rather, my Heart acts as the Core. Consuming mana-rich blood expands my storage capacity."
Experiment Phase 3: Elemental Affinity
Serafina approached a table where she had laid out several Attunement Stones. These were colorful crystals used to test a child's magical potential.
"Normally," Serafina lectured the terrified Mage, "a human has an affinity for one, maybe two elements. Let us see what I am."
She touched the Red Stone (Fire).
It flared bright orange.
The Mage gasped. "Fire affinity..."
Serafina touched the Blue Stone (Water).
It glowed a deep azure.
The Mage's eyes widened. "Dual affinity? That's rare..."
Serafina touched the Green Stone (Wind).
It hummed and turned emerald.
She touched the Brown Stone (Earth).
It vibrated and turned distinct amber.
She touched the Yellow Stone (Lightning).
It sparked violently.
Silence filled the cellar. Even the Warrior stopped struggling.
Serafina looked at her hand. "The hypothesis is confirmed. Blood is the universal medium. It sustains all life. Therefore, a creature of blood is compatible with all elements."
In this world, only Dragons—creatures of pure magic—could wield all elements. Humans were limited by their genetics. But Serafina wasn't limited by genetics; she stole them. By consuming the blood of different beings, she could adapt to any energy signature.
The Synthesis
She stepped back, closing her eyes. She felt the two new energies swirling inside her.
From the Warrior's blood, she pulled the heat, guiding it to her skin. She visualized the hardening technique she had read about. Her forearm turned a dull, metallic grey.
Technique Acquired: Iron Skin (Imperfect).
From the Mage's blood, she pulled the cool energy, guiding it to her fingertips. She visualized a flame. A small, purple fireball—colored by her own unique mana—ignited in her palm.
Spell Acquired: Fox Fire.
She exhaled. The exhaustion of the day was gone, replaced by a potent sense of power. She was no longer just a biological anomaly. She was a practitioner.
She picked up her notebook and dipped the quill.
Experiment Log: Day 4
* Subjects: 2 Human Captives (Rank F).
* Result: Successful integration of foreign energy.
* Discovery 1: Warrior Blood = XP for Strength/Aura.
* Discovery 2: Mage Blood = XP for Mana/Magic.
* Discovery 3: Elemental Affinity = Universal (Omni-elemental).
Current Status:
* Mage Rank: Apprentice (Novice)
* Warrior Rank: Apprentice (Novice)
She looked at the captives. They were pale, weak from blood loss, but alive. She wouldn't kill them. Not yet. They were renewable resources.
"You will stay here," Serafina said, extinguishing the candle, leaving them in the dark. "I have much more to learn, and you have much more blood to give."
She walked out of the cellar, locking the heavy iron door behind her. She climbed the stairs back to the manor, her mind already calculating the next step. She was an Apprentice now. But the gap between Apprentice and God was simply a matter of volume.
And she was very thirsty.