Taboo (5)

60F (Author): Got it, I'll give it a try!
Shattered Cup.

I pulled out the second corpse.

The first human I'd killed—a woman whose belly I'd sliced open to drive the man out of his mind.

First, I washed the pot out with water and set it down ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beside the body.

Then I reached into the gaping cavity of her abdomen.

"Blood Drain."

Sssrrrk—

Blood rose like smoke from the corpse's opened belly and flowed into my hand.

Once I'd gathered enough, I moved my hand.

Splaaash—

I poured it into the pot.

I drained every last drop of blood that way.

Then I dipped my finger into the pot, infused it with mana, and...

Pushed the blood back into the open cavity of the corpse's gut.

......

I repeated ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that six times.

But.

"......It's not working."

Another failure.

The blood in the pot hadn't changed color at all.

All it did was stain my clothes even more.

I posted on the gallery again.

"No souls left behind," she said.

I was lost in confusion when some rando barged in.

"Hmm..."

The summoning suggestion got shot down immediately.

After that, a bunch of off-topic comments kept popping up, trying to distract me.

I ignored them and kept typing.

Blood Command.

Seemed like it was possible if I learned that spell.

They weren't really trying to stop me, though.

No way trying would ruin the corpse more.

It was already beyond ruined—couldn't get any worse.

I pulled the last one out of my inventory and dropped it on the floor.

Spluuuurt—!

It immediately oozed out.

Really wasn't even a corpse anymore—just a mashed-up lump of meat.

I reached my hand over it.

"Blood Drain."

Sssrrrk—!

Dark red blood surged up in clumps from the man's body.

I didn't put it in the pot this time.

"Gotta manipulate this..."

With the blood floating in midair, I spun my 1st circle in my dantian.

Viiiing—!!

"Blood Command."

The blood started dancing.

I focused to keep it from splattering everywhere, pouring all my concentration into my dantian.

Soon, the floating blood took on a shape.

A donut.

Why the hell a ring shape all of a sudden?

"Ah..."

I got it.

Probably because I was focusing on the circle, it mimicked that.

So then.

"If I concentrate and imagine a shape... it takes that form?"

I tested it out, making various shapes.

Sphere... tetrahedron... cube... star... whale...

I could mold them exactly as I imagined.

Wiggling my fingers helped for detailed shapes.

For moving the whole mass.

Swoooosh—!

Swinging my arm from the shoulder worked.

But the blood flow was too violent.

"Then."

I slowed the circle's rotation.

Wuuung—

The floating blood calmed down.

I moved my hand slowly. "Is this the feeling...?"

The blood followed my gestures perfectly.

I fully awakened the control sensation.

Now, slowly guide this blood over the corpse chunks...

Carefully settle it in.

"Good..."

I slowed the circle even more.

The blood moved slower, seeping into the fragmented corpse.

Then I ramped up the torque again.

Viiiing—!

The blood slithered between flesh and shattered bone, forcing paths and tracing trajectories.

Swoooosh—!

No need to infuse mana separately anymore—it was happening continuously as I moved the blood.

The moment I spun it through the body a few times.

Fwaaaah—!

The swirling blood started turning transparent.

And then.

"...Tea-colored."

I saw the color of black tea.

Finally, the soul had been hooked by the blood.

"Yes!"

A thrill ran through me.

Shuuuuaak—!

I manipulated the blood back into the air.

This was spirit blood.

"Good."

But now it was just the beginning.

Step 3 of the Spirit Blood Tea Ritual, the hardest part.

The process that creeped me out most when I read the description.

Time to do it.

Drinking the tea.

...I had to drink this liquid.

In just a few seconds.

And not just with my mouth—at least through the three upper orifices.

Couldn't even close my eyes.

I opened my mouth toward the floating transparent blood.

Gestured it toward me.

Pulled it to my face.

Spluuuurt—!!

In an instant, the liquid filled my mouth, eyes, and nose.

My throat clogged.

Vision blocked.

Couldn't breathe.

Felt like waterboarding.

Gulp gulp!

"Urgh...!"

Gulp gulp!

Like that.

The liquid started flowing down my esophagus, trachea, and into my head through my eyes.

"Cough cough cough!!!"

Being able to cough was lucky; holding back the vomit was a miracle.

My eyeballs felt like they'd pop from the pressure any second.

"Uuuugh...."

I groaned from the massive foreign sensation.

Almost there.

Just endure this.

This was the toughest hurdle.

...Even though Teacher Gonik said this step was the most fun.

"Hoo..."

After a desperate struggle, I'd taken it all in.

Not a single drop spilled on the floor.

My head felt full of water, buzzing, but I steadied my mind.

I focused entirely on calming my body.

Now step 4.

Circulate this spirit blood through my body.

Imprint the trapped soul firmly with its master.

This step enabled the Spirit Blood Tea Ritual's perks: permanent enslavement and absolute obedience.

And step 4...

Had two methods.

The original plan was the standard way: let the body digest and excrete the liquid.

But no need now.

No waiting till I had to pee.

I placed my hand on my belly.

"Blood Command."

I sent the blood coursing through my entire body.

"Aaaaagh...!!!"

Agony hit.

The spirit blood forced its way through my body like growing tree roots.

But this method made the enslavement more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠solid, apparently.

Since it imprinted every nook and cranny of my body.

Viiiing—!

I endured the pain while spinning my 1st circle like mad.

One stitch at a time, I engraved my mana into the permeating liquid.

And then.

Hand on my belly again, gathering all the spirit blood into my stomach.

"Uuuuugh!!!"

When the alien sensation hit its limit.

I bowed my head.

And vomited violently, tears spinning in my eyes.

"Bwaaaargh—!!"

The blood imprinted with my mana poured onto the man's corpse.

Sizzzzzzz—!

"..."

Silence flowed.

Quite a while passed with nothing happening.

"Failed...?"

I thought, reaching to open the gallery.

Shhhshshsh—!

The sound of bone fragments knitting together.

I looked up.

The poured blood rose on its own.

Kugugugu—

The blood wrapped the shattered skeleton seamlessly.

Soon, blood and flesh coagulated, hardening rapidly.

Crackleracklerackle—!

The blood formed a solid structure in place of flesh and skin.

The shape it took...

Was armor.

Thick breastplate in layered tiers.

Gauntlets and greaves sharpened like blades.

From the severed neck where the head was missing, it spewed blood mist.

Now the final step 5.

Naming.

"Blood Knight."

I named it.

That instant.

Thud—!

The blood knight knelt on one knee before me.

"......"

Just hours ago.

This was the guy who'd screamed in rage at his comrade's death.

Stared me down with bloodshot eyes, swinging his greatsword.

Lost his mind, charging with hatred to tear me apart.

But now.

The corpse spoke to me like this.

<Absolute...... loyalty......>