Even though Kai's heart was thumping so loud that he had to use Biokinesis to calm it down, he didn't instantly fall for the Deep One's trick, accepting the ridiculous Offer.
The Extremity of True Ancestor, in name, could truly push him to the level of the Emperors.
Perhaps, a touch beyond.
Zelretch was an Ancestor-level existence.
Even though that alone didn't contribute to Him becoming a Deep One, it was still one of the core factors, along with Second Magic.
There might be some inherent, uncrossable gap between a Storyline Character becoming an Ancestor and a Contestant becoming an Ancestor, Kai knew.
However, it couldn't be that much.
One thing was sure, though.
Zelretch hadn't lied when He said that He was offering Fate Bubble's Extremity, or at least one of the many Extremities, when He offered Kai the seat of a True Ancestor.
"Should you choose to accept this offer," Zelretch continued, "you will obtain a Standalone Title — Dead Apostle."
Dead Apostle… The word repeated itself in Kai's mind.
He had learned a little about such beings from Meg, but even she wasn't privy to the intricate details. At least, not with the seal on her core memories.
Also, given that it wasn't something he could just buy, Kai had never considered asking for it through the Primordial Tower Trade Market, either.
Even in the Fate Bubble itself, neither Characters nor Contestants could become a true Dead Apostle even if they won the Holy Grail War.
Because, in that case, such a Dead Apostle would never reach the Extremity.
There was only one way to become a True Ancestor with the help of Dead Apostle Standalone Title — A Fate Bubble's Deep One's Blessing!
"A Dead Apostle is a Vampire," Zelretch explained. "Not only in name, but also in the truest sense. Just like you are not a human anymore. Through the Systems, you must have become a Yautja. As per the Great Old Contract, such a change gets reflected by The Root as well.
"Now, even your Source is that of a Yautja. Also, if one day you wished to return to your human roots again, you would find it utterly impossible. Even if you somehow became a human, The Root would not count you as one, considering you an abomination at best.
"Becoming a Vampire through the Standalone Title will be different. It will superimpose itself upon your Source, turning you into a Yautja-Vampire. And, I don't think you have any qualms regarding maintaining the status quo."
Kai licked his lips, taking a deep breath.
It didn't surprise him that Zelretch could see his Source directly.
The only things the Deep One like Him couldn't see were his Mysteries and the Yellow Sign on his forehead, Kai believed.
But Zelretch was right.
Kai didn't mind remaining a Yautja. He didn't even care about becoming an abomination, as long as it didn't affect his path to the Peak of Absolute Power.
But — he did mind one thing.
"What about Vampiric Impulses?" Kai asked. "Isn't that why all the seven non-human species, upon whom you bestowed the Blessing, died before reaching maturity?"
Standing in front of Kai, the corners of Zelretch's eyes flickered.
He was sure that it was Red's first time hearing about a group of Contestants having Blessings given by Him.
For Red to so accurately and precisely figure out the reason for those Contestants' deaths…
Was Red just lucky or… For the first time, Zelretch grabbed His white beard, falling into a thoughtful contemplation.
Of course, Kai couldn't see those motions.
To him, Zelretch was still standing like before.
"Vampiric Impulse is a psychological compulsion to suck the blood of others," Zelretch said after a while. "Though, in the case of Dead Apostles, they indeed need to physically suck blood to maintain their existence.
"As far as Contestants are concerned, a Dead Apostle needs to suck blood regularly. Otherwise, their Life Halt will keep on decreasing. Also, this sucking of blood will deplete others' Life Halt as well…
"You are right. The seven non-human species and one from the human side died because of this. But this was a price they willingly paid. You, of all, would understand why, yes?"
As much as Kai would like to disagree, he couldn't. He did understand the thought process behind choosing something that could end up killing you.
He was the same Kai who had chosen Blue Spider Lily as the reward, despite it forcing Genetic Disintegration in sunlight on him if consumed.
Of course, using Black, Kai had made the entire drawback useless.
And if he could make that useless, he could make the entire fiasco of Vampiric Impulse useless as well.
But — was that all to it?
Kai couldn't help but feel that Zelretch wasn't mentioning the full scale of this threat.
Unless he learned at what stage other Dead Apostles had died, he wouldn't know how truly absurd this phenomenon could be.
"Corpse, Ghoul, Undead, Nightkin, Nightmare, Dead Apostle Inferior, Dead Apostle Superior, Successor, and Ancestor," Zelretch named. "These are the Nine Ranks of the Dead Apostle Standalone Title. The Contestant who is still alive is a Rank 8 — Successor."
The King… Kai thought, recalling Deep One's earlier words. A Successor…
He couldn't help but notice how masterfully the Deep One avoided mentioning the Ranks of the dead Contestants.
"Focus on what matters the most to you," Zelretch said, knowing Red's thoughts well. "If this wasn't enough for you already, then let me name you the Power you will have through it.
"Mystic Eyes. Immortality as the Curse of Restoration. Do not make the mistake of comparing it with your Biokinesis.
"With higher Ranks, you will have an opportunity to create your own Principle, and... if you survive to become an Ancestor, an Idea Blood as well.
"At the Rank of Successor, you will have Marble Phantasm, letting you manifest an entire Bubble's Uniqueness anywhere you wish.
"And most of the abilities an Ancestor possesses are beyond even your comprehension.
"But all this — all these abilities — pale in comparison to what The Root itself bestows upon a Dead Apostle."
Something in Kai's Source stirred.
And Zelretch voiced the word, stirring Kai's Source even more. "… Mystery."
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