Wolf of the Blood Moon: A Blood Magic - Book 4: Chapter 8: The System

Scarlet

“This information is generally locked until you’re Class V, but father gave the okay to tell you,” Tar says as I slowly begin continue making my way through the cave. “Everything you believe the System is doing, it’s not the one doing it. Absorbing life force is a natural process in your universe, although the System altered it to only give you the life force of things of a different species from you centuries after it was introduced just to stop people from murdering their own species to grow stronger.”

That’s… huh. If that’s the case, are there instances of people growing strong without the System’s help?

“Well, from what I learned in my lessons as a child, Tartarus used to have mages before the System was created,” Tar explains. “They were far weaker than the System users of today though. Mostly because they had to figure out how to use their magic without any assistance, not to mention figure out what their magic was in the first place and how to absorb life force.”

Yeah, that makes sense. But if that’s the case, then-

“No, the System restricts its users from using their magic outside of their skills,” Tar answers my question before I can even ask it. “That’s never really been an issue though. Some users tend to get a skill that lets them directly manipulate their magic in a way, such as your grandfather’s Blood Domain skill, which lets him do anything with blood as long as it’s within the domain.”

Interesting… does White have a skill like that?

“No, she doesn’t,” Tar answers. “I think there are only a few domain skills in existence right now. The Blood Domain for one, then there’s The Reaper’s Death Domain, and the Lady of Devouring’s Domain of Devouring.”

A shiver runs down my spine at the exact magics connected to the other two domains. One made simply from death magic, and the other a magic that lets them literally eat the minds and even the realities of other beings.

More beetles round the corner and I quickly begin to fight them as I grunt out loud, “But what about ascensions?”

Tar seems to understand my question as he answers, “All the System is doing for ascensions is telling you how to do it. Technically someone without System access can do them as well, but they would have no way to know if they’re ready for an ascension, or how to do it themselves.”

I tear through the three beetles without much trouble before looking up at him and asking, “And the reality warps? Specifically the first one?”

“This one I only learned recently, but it’s because the System inserts reality energy into your body, giving it a bit of a jumpstart and making you enter Class I,” he explains, making me frown a little. “You can consider any regular person Class Zero. But entering Class I is what gives you access to your magic in the first place. Not the System.”

Huh. That’s rather interesting.

I wonder why this isn’t common knowledge on Earth?

“From what father said, it was because everyone who is told about it isn’t allowed to talk about it since it might make some humans and demons less willing to form a contract with a fae,” Tar answers. “And we fae kind of need contracts to survive.”

I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at that, but I don’t say anything. Because even if it’s kind of sneaky and absolutely withholding information from us, it’s for his people. So I can’t really blame him for it.

Not to mention that it sound like you can’t get very far without the System’s help anyways. Or at least, nowhere near as far as the System can take you.

Certainly something to think about. How things would’ve developed without the System, that is.

Although, that makes me wonder. Why can’t the fae absorb life force on their own?

I start walking again through the cave as the tanuki stays silent. And I can’t tell if he isn’t sure if he should answer, or if he’s asking permission.

But I get my answer soon enough as he says, “Father just gave me permission to tell you. To keep things simple, there are three types of beings in existence. Mortals. Spirits. And Void Creatures.”

I blink at that but otherwise stay silent, letting him continue, “The humans and demons and any other species living in the mortal universe are creatures that live off of biological processes, with their reality being powered by their life force. Meanwhile spirits, such as us fae, live solely through life force. And our magic is based on spirit instead of mana, which is a resource that doesn’t exist in the mortal realm. But at the same time, life force doesn’t exist in the Farshore, or any of the other Spirit Realms either. So while we’re gifted with long lifespans, we’re also left without any way of getting stronger or extending them without the help of mortals who we contract with.”

Wait a second, you’re talking as if there are other types of spirits besides the fae… is that true?

Tar appears in front of me with a serious look on his face as he nods, “Yes, that is true. But every Spirit Realm only has a connection to a single planet each, and not every planet has a Spirit Realm anchored to their own. Including Earth.”

That has me pausing mid-step.

“The last of the three types of beings,” Tar continues, taking my silence as his cue. “The creatures of the Void. They do not have any life force in them at all and run solely on Void Energy, both in terms of their nutrients, their lifespan, and their magic. But they generally are only found in certain locked pockets inside of the Void that nothing can escape from, so we don’t know very much about them beyond that none of the void creatures we have seen have had any sort of intelligence.”

I stare at him for several seconds without saying anything, only to eventually mutter, “This is a lot to take in.”

“You don’t seem all that surprised by it though,” Tar comments, pointing that out to me.

Yeah, probably because I’m getting rather used to having what I accept as normal blown out of proportion by now. First with all of the other secrets kept from the public, then the whole Princess thing, and my emotions, my parents and Gramps, not to mention the prophecy.

I don’t really think there’s much that can shake me anymore.

“I don’t know if I should feel pity for that or not…” Tar mutters, and I just shrug before beginning to walk through the tunnel of the cave again, only to hear a loud screech coming from deeper into the cave.

Looks like I’ve finally found the evolved demon in charge here.