For several seconds nothing happened. I did a small circle from my spot in the middle of the church, but nothing appeared to have changed. I glanced down at the sparkling crystal in my hand and wondered if there was something I was supposed to do. Suddenly, a small rumble shook the floor beneath my feet, before the sound of concrete shattering rang out from near the raised dais. Spinning around, I watched as the tiled floor split apart, and a medal pillar rose up from the ground. The pillar was covered in carved symbols of unknown origin, that gleamed with a mysterious purple light. The pillar was just over four feet tall and had a large foot long bowl on top.
After the mysterious pillar settled in place, the rumbling ceased. With tentative steps I walked down the thrashed carpet, up the several steps and stood in front of the pillar. Glancing at the empty bowl placed on top and then at the crystal in my hand, I shrugged and muttered, "I'm guessing this goes in here?"
Placing the life force crystal inside the bowl, I took a step back straight away and readied myself. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, maybe a mystical charge of power or something but what actually happened appeared very anticlimactic at first. The symbols etched on the pillar began to blink in purple light repeatedly, starting from the bottom and rising to the top. Once the bowl was lit up in blinking light, the life force crystal inside was surrounded by a swirling purple fog and began to dissolve. As if it was acid, the crystal broke down into a thick liquid that sparkled and glowed, filling the bowl.
Then like a plug had been opened, the liquid swirled around the bowl and flowed into the pillar, disappearing in moments. The life force turned liquid, lit up the pillar like veins travelling down the dark metal surface before gliding across the church's tiled floor like an intricate web. The purple lines etched itself across every surface of the building, from floor to ceiling, it even spread across the four massive knight statues running on either side of the church.
The biggest line of them all ran down the center of the church's floor, right between my feet making me jump back in surprise. The once gloomy church now glowed with fluorescence like some dingy neon nightclub. The lines crisscrossing the building pulsed rapidly over the next minute getting brighter every second before in one last pulse the light was so sharp it blinded me for a moment. Making me blink my eyes repeatedly so I could clear my vision.
After clearing the water out of my eyes, the site revealed to me, made me think that I had been transported to a completely different building for a second. It wasn't exactly like the church had actually changed, instead it had become an entirely blank slate, with every piece of furniture and decoration removed. The glowing spider web of lines were the only thing that left that decorated what now looked like the inside of a bare concrete bunker. "Is that it?" I couldn't help but feel cheated gazing at the smooth but boring walls and empty floor. "Could have at least left me the carpet." As if in response to my complaining, a set of notifications soon filled my vision.
[You have designated a place of faith as your first territory as a new inhabitant to the universal system, unlocking a hidden feature. Due to the building having a previous connection with a fallen god in the higher planes, your land and presence have now come into the sight of several higher beings.]
After reading the notification, a bad feeling rose inside me, as if I was an ant now being looked down upon by giants who all had their planet sized boots hovering over me. A shiver ran down my spine, and I tried to look up but to my horror I found I couldn't move at all. Several waves of what felt like air ran over my body, each carrying different distinctive traits. Some smelled of sunshine and felt warm like a spring breeze, others carried the clear metallic taste of blood and the smell of smoke, one presence however was much stronger than the others.
Although all of these waves of air brought me a slight discomfort, and the feeling of being spied upon while on the toilet. This new air twisting around my frozen form, made me cold to the bone as if I had been dipped into a frozen tub of water. It carried the whiff of decay and brought the sound of screeching phantoms to ring in my head. The howls echoed like the wails of thousands of different entities crying in pain and torment. My brain felt like it was taking a beating under this new gaze, as I was not just stripped bare but someone or thing had actually chiseled my skull open and was rooting around in my thoughts.
As if in defiance to this presence invading my being and filling my body with its malicious taint a bestial roar rose up from within. Alongside this roar was the sound of several other aged voices all in different dialects and accents. They joined the guttural roar of the beast within me, like they were being summoned by its presence. My entire body and soul began to shout out in defiance, as a red hue like a mist of blood began to surround my frozen form. It was like my very bloodline was shouting in defiance to the decayed invasion.
'Get out!!' I joined the roaring within me and a force billowed up and blasted against the foreign intrusion surrounding me. The presence dispersed under the crimson wave billowing out from me, finally ridding my ears and nose of the smell of decay and anguish. The sweet release was brief however, as the rotting gaze, as if it was offended at my defiance, came back hard and fast. I was soon engulfed under this new gaze, and the bellowing rising from within was also silenced, with only the roaring beast left to cry out alone. It's voice sounding more like the sounds of an injured animal the longer I was engulfed.
My mind was flooded with the wailings of the pained and I felt like the blood running in my veins was literally boiling. Considering how many times I felt like I was close to death the couple of days, in this moment, I truly felt the grip of the reaper hanging over my head. Before the last embers of my life could be snuffed out, a new presence made itself known. Although the decayed gaze dripping with malice was the only one still inspecting me, the other presences were still lingering around the area, as if watching what was going to happen to me. However, with the addition of this new presence they all scattered like fireflies.
This new presence came down like a cascading waterfall, slamming into the decayed touch holding me in place and swept it away. The tortured voices filling my mind, let out one last scream of relentless pain before rushing away as if fleeing in terror. This new presence was also weighty like the last, but this one held no malice, instead it gave me the feeling of intense curiosity and for some reason severe boredom. It smelled of age, like a dusty attic, but also like a library, filled with the smell of books and the sounds of silent wisdom. There was also an intense hunger in its gaze, but a hunger for something intangible, something I couldn't put my finger on.
This presence also felt like it could see every part of me, leaving all my thoughts and secrets bare but it refrained from doing so, not because it couldn't but more like it didn't want to. As if it was beneath them to even try. The presence swirled off of me and swept over the bare building, finally stopping at the now empty hole in the floor that was once filled with blood, and I took my oh so glorious bath. It travelled over the hole for almost as long as it had me before dispersing into the air.
"Finally." With a gasping breath, I was able to move again and dropped to my knees. "What in all the world was that shit. Goddamn you system can't you give me a bloody break." After a groan and spitting out some phlegm speckled with blood, I rose to my feet and was rewarded with a brand-new notification.
[The Forgotten One has been attracted by your arrival in the universal system. Your status as a foreign being and a progenitor to a new Vampiric bloodline has brought its interest upon you. As one of the oldest higher beings it does not require your devotion or faith, it works under its own whims. It has decided to bless your territory. If you hope to acquire more blessings from The Forgotten One the system recommends you access its altar.]
[Congratulations. Your territory, Sentinel Church, has received the blessing of the Forgotten One. It has converted the church's cellar to a Level 1 - Spawn Nest. You have been given the chance to choose between one out of two possible spawns.]
[Option 1. Blight Bat (Minion/Familiar) - At the cost of 20 Vital energy points, summon one Blight Bat for an unlimited duration.
[Option 2. Blight Rat (Minion/Familiar) - At the cost of 10 Vital energy points, summon one Blight Rat for an unlimited duration.]
"A rat or a bat? Seriously? And... what the hell? There's no more information?" After reading the two choices I did my best to try to focus on the individual spawns for some more information but received nothing, much to my frustration. While cursing at the lousy system again, for a moment I could have sworn I heard what sounded like a throaty chuckle echo in my head. Spinning around, I found nobody else but myself and shook the momentary distraction off. After pondering for a few more moments, I decided to just go with what I thought would be the most helpful to my current self. "Well as a sort of vampire, I guess bats are the most reasonable choice. And their basically just flying rats."
[Blight Bat has been confirmed. For more information on your available spawn access the Spawning Nest control pedestal in the Spawning Nest.]
The sound of rumbling echoed out from under my feet, making my entire body vibrate right after I finished reading the spawn notification. "Shit on me." Through chattering teeth, I did my best to ground myself and ride out what felt like a mini earthquake happening below me. When it was all over, and the church was back in a state of stillness I noticed the lines of pulsing energy had dimmed considerably. Looking around at the blank slate that was the church. I couldn't help but frown and wonder how I was supposed to search furniture in this dead city.
While pondering and planning to find out where the entrance to the new spawn nest is, a new notification arose. This one was another intrusive one, begging to be read.
[Your claim of territory upon this dead land has been seen as a challenge to the territory of the surrounding beings. The protection of the system will be nullified in sixty seconds. Please prepare. System note: Now as an owner of a system granted territory, any further additions, modifications or expansions purchased from the system pedestal will require vital energy or specific materials. Any being felled by your or a companion's hand in your territory can be assigned to your vital energy pool or to your own experience total.]
Once again, on cue, just after readying the notification and processing its details several roars could be heard coming from outside. Some appeared closer than the others, but they were all filled with violent rage. "Well, I guess if I want a chair to sit on or a place to poop, I better work for it." After drily chuckling to myself, I uncoiled the whip from around my shoulder and took a spot in the middle of the now barren church. Flicking the whip back and forth, I loosened my wrist as I listened to the sound of surging steps and hungry growls coming closer every second.
Although I was readying myself for the coming fight and knew that it was going to be a quite a slog going by the many roars that echoed out in challenge. Considering my new body's capabilities and power, I was also quite aware I was severely lacking in experience, which could be a deadly combo in a fight. However, I couldn't help the large grin that began to spread over my face, as I felt my teeth elongate and grow into points. With my new acute hearing, I could have sworn that my blood began to run faster and faster, sounding like a rapid river was rushing through my body and filling me with bloodthirsty energy.
With a crack from my whip into the air, I let out a guttural roar of my own, that sounded far more beast than man. And before I knew it a swarm of zombies were clawing their way through the large double doors.