[CYA] Chapter 94: Transfusion

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<Alex, Real - Endure, High School Cafeteria>

Alex didn’t stand on ceremony, Analyzing the spear he’d just freed from the magic puzzle box.

Short Spear of Bleeding, Rare
This is a short, thrusting weapon usable with one or two hands.

Base damage dealt calculated based on Physical Power and Agility.
Base damage multiplied by 2.5x when wielded by two hands.

Damage type: Slashing or Piercing

Magical Effect: Bleed
Wounds caused by this weapon will continue to bleed until cauterized or magically healed. Pressure or binding will not reduce the rate of blood loss so long as the affected flesh remains.

Alex stated the description outloud so that everyone wouldn’t have to Analyze it themselves. He didn’t shout though, so those already leaving likely didn’t hear. He was rewarded by continued uses of the skill on himself.

Natasha took up the three and a half foot spear with a happy grin, examining the dark material of the all-metal design. Well, it wasn’t quite all metal. The head and shaft were metal, while there were two grips of woven leather secured strategically to allow for easier gripping during longer or messier fights.

Alex thought he’d seen small symbols etched into the spear, but he hadn’t seemed to be able to get them to come into focus as he’d shifted the weapon before it was taken, and he certainly hadn’t felt anything carved into the material.

Natasha nodded happily. “This will do quite nicely.”

Alex rested his hand on the table he was sitting on and called the six rings and three gems into his palm, looking at Natasha and John. A moment later, the two combat knives appeared beside his hand, barely touching it. “There. Two knives that cause distracting wounds, three mana crystals, and six rings, two each of Breathing and Regeneration for Mana and Health.”

Pilar’s eyes widened. “And you can combine System granted rewards?”

Alex smiled and nodded. “Yes, I think your Ring of Regeneration (Mana) should be able to be upgraded, if you had access to two more.”

Pilar swallowed. “But we don’t know how much it would improve?”

“Nope.”

She grimaced, but then, she still looked at her husband pleadingly.

John took a deep breath and laughed. “I never could say no to you.”

Alex felt the back of his neck prickle as he had an awful premonition.

<Alex, Imagining - What a man will do, High School Cafeteria>

John pulled his guns and shot everyone else in the head.

As Alex’s consciousness faded, he heard John sigh. “This is going to make things more difficult, you know.”

Pilar squealed and snatched up the rings. “Who cares? I got what I wanted. Thank you!”

“Sure thing, honey buns.”

<Alex, Real - Endure, High School Cafeteria>

Alex swallowed nervously, getting ready to use Life’s Active Defense. John must have sensed something, because he glazed Alex’s way, giving him an odd look before turning back to his wife. “I’ll see if they’re willing to let me take those two as my cut, even if that’s my whole portion.”

Alex cocked an eyebrow, feeling his growing apprehension start to melt away, but Natasha was the first to speak. “The spear is clearly a better reward than the knives. I am happy to take just the spear and one ring.”

Alex’s already raised eyebrow lifted higher. “But you are the one who found these among all the decoys.”

She shrugged. “Even so. So long as you get the two health regeneration rings, I’m happy.”

He opened his mouth to object, but then his face fell, and he gave her a flat look. “You’re just trying to keep me alive.”

She smiled in return. “Of course. You’re a lovely little experience mine. There is no way I’m letting you die if I can help it.”

The other five spear wielders who were still about—and seemed to be hanging on Natasha’s words—nodded along.

That seems… concerning. Still he sighed. “I was really hoping for one of the breathing rings, and the knife could be really useful in a pinch.”

John grunted. “I’ll take a knife and the two mana rings. I was basically just there, so that already seems like too great a reward for my portion. I’m happy to forgo the knife too.”

Natasha shrugged. “I think the knife is good for you to have. I’m fine with that division.”

Alex almost objected, but then he realized that he was getting everything he hoped for. It actually made him feel a bit guilty. “Huh… okay then.” He frowned, glancing toward Pilar. “Shall I test the combination first?”

The woman nodded. “That sounds fair.”

Alex brought the three health regeneration rings together and received the same prompt as before.

This time, he said ‘yes.’

All three simple rings began to glow, and Alex felt a surge of power in his palm as the two there seemed to become energy and flow into the one already on his right ring finger.

There was no heat—just a bit of warmth—and once that and the light settled down, it looked the same as it had previously.

With a grunt, he analyzed it.

Ring of Regeneration (Health), Common
Once Attuned, this ring will quintuple the wearer’s health regeneration.

Apology Tutorial Notice:
Due to combining System Rewards while one is in process of attuning to you, the resulting item is attuned to you automatically. This is a one time benefit for this item and removing the item will cause that attunement to be broken after the requisite time.

“Oh! It quintuples regeneration now. It’s a Common item, and it automatically attuned to me because I was wearing one of the three.”

Pilar’s smile grew, and she twitched toward the two mana rings, barely seeming to keep herself back.

John chuckled, taking the rings and handing them to her with mock solemnity. “A gift for my gift.”

Pilar laughed, tension clearly leaving her at his levity. “Thank you, my John.”

She immediately copied Alex’s actions, the combination process seeming identical from all that Alex could see or perceive.

Natasha grunted. “So, better than two rings, but a loss when compared to three?”

Alex shrugged. “You could see it that way, but as I already had the highest HP regeneration—to the best of my knowledge—I think that this gives our group the greatest total increase to the creation of that resource.”

The Russian gave him a suspicious look. “How high now?”

He shrugged, deciding not to be cagey. “A bit more than forty-seven per second.”

One of the Initiates from the other group had been taking a drink, and they practically choked, spraying coffee across a nearby table.

Natasha simply nodded. “You are so broken.” A smile grew over her lips. “Good. Stay alive, my little experience magnet. I need to be strong to see my family again.”

Alex gave her an uncomfortable look, but then shook his head, deciding not to make a thing of it. He turned to the four un-turned Initiates where they sat to one side in more comfortable chairs than the standard lunch-room variety.

Alex hesitated a second, then shook his head. No… not worth it. They don’t look that comfortable after all.

He held up his right ring finger, the magic item prominent upon it. “With this, I could at least half heal the two worst of you, and it would only take me around four days to fully recover.” He’d done the quick math in his head, but it was only after he’d said it that he realized what that meant. He was recovering Life at a rate of roughly one point every four minutes. Life, not HP.

Well, a bit faster than that.

That was incredible.

Still, Henry was the first to respond. “No.”

Alex blinked at him. “What?”

“I said ‘No.’ We aren’t going to be the reason you’re weakened for four days. What if this new attack comes during that time?” Then, he hesitated, seeming to realize that he wasn’t actually one of the ones that Alex had talked about. “Oh… Oh, I’m sorry, guys. I misheard him. You should be the ones to speak for yourselves.” The boy looked genuinely chagrined for his error.

Even so, Alex opened his mouth to push the idea, but the other two were quick to placate Henry before they raised the same objections. Alex grimaced. “What if I do it in batches? I could give a couple of hundred at a time? When that recovers, I could do it again?”

They didn’t have as strong objections to that, but they were still hesitant. Clearly they wanted to be healed, but they also wanted to survive, and the fact that he’d healed them seemed to indicate to them that Alex was necessary for that survival.

“I have some ideas… I could start with little bits, just so I don’t waste the recovery potential? Then, I can try a few experiments that might make the whole thing easier?”

The two turned and talked quietly before they finally nodded, agreeing so long as Alex didn’t overtax himself.

He did decide to try something with the first healing. “Which of you has the lowest Magical Fortitude?”

They all pointed to Mike, the man himself grinning. “I put basically all my points into physical stats.”

Alex nodded. “Alright, you’re first.”

As he moved closer, he saw Kaylee going to chat with those who were gathering with clear boxes out in the hall. Also, those in charge of the meals were beginning to gather as the next one was clearly near at hand.

He needed to be quick. As such, Alex focused on his Life Blood Transfusion skill, aiming to transfer a single drop of blood, loaded with fifty of his Life within it.

There was a bit of resistance, and Alex suspected it was because so much of a metaphysical resource was being moved in so small an amount of blood.

Come on. I can send Life with no physical transfer. This should be easier. He felt the skill straining under his pressure, but it didn’t feel like it was going to break or fail.

Finally, something clicked into place, and Mike’s eyes widened, something clearly happening.

Alex had just put the drop straight into the man’s heart, with no specific wound to address. Instead, he’d commanded the Life to heal, so that should work… he hoped.

There was an interesting, very minor green pulse from within Mike’s chest, only visible because his patient gown was a bit loose on him, and had exposed his sternum.

The clothing was different then the style Alex had seen on earth, but that was hardly pertinent.

Alex checked his resources and the Life he’d tried to send was gone, along with… he grinned. It had only cost him five mana to send the fifty Life, when using Basic Life Transfusion would have taken more than double that.

He then checked Mike’s infirmities to confirm that all fifty points had been properly applied.

They had been.

Mike, Initiate
Danger Level: Low
Infirmity: Late Onset Rigamortous, 2371 Life to Cure

Makri shifted, clearly excited, even while she was just as clearly tired. “Well? Did it work?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, now I’ll give you a bit.”

He repeated the action, a bit saddened that it took seven MP to give the same Life to her instead of five, but that made sense—he supposed—given her higher magical resistance.

That done, Alex checked that she had likewise improved, the Life seemingly going toward the Late Onset Rigamortous first.

Makri, Initiate
Danger Level: Low
Infirmity: Late Onset Rigamortous, 1277 Life to Cure
Missing Arm, 443 Life to Cure
Missing Leg, 629 Life to Cure
Missing Torso Portion, 740 Life to Cure

Good. He looked around with a smile. “Well, it won’t be as fast as it could be, but they should be able to recover in time.”

That got smiles all around among those who had stayed in the cafeteria.

Capitalizing on the good mood, Alex cleared his throat, garnering their attention once more. “Now, I need to try taking a bit of someone’s blood, magically. Who’s up for letting me try?”

Everyone instantly fell silent.

Grant huffed a laugh. “That’s one way to kill the mood.”

Alex grimaced. “Come on. I only need to take a little bit. Please?”

No one seemed excited to be his guinea pig, but after a long, uncomfortable silence, one of the male spear users raised his hand. “I’ll do it.” He sighed. “I used to give blood a lot. This shouldn’t be worse than that, right?”

Alex shook his head. “Not at all! I’ll only be aiming to take a couple of drops.”

The man cocked his eyebrow in concern. “Aiming?”

“I told you it was an experiment.”

He grimaced. “Well, the name’s Ben.”

“Good to meet you, Ben. Ready?”

Ben blinked, pulling back just slightly. “What? Now?”

Alex nodded. “Better now than later.”

“...Fine.”

Alex nodded again then lifted his hand toward the man, willing the skill to pull some blood to himself. It suddenly felt like he was trying to suck an ocean through one of those little coffee stirring straws… one made of paper, so it collapsed as soon as he tried to put any real suction to it.

He tried for a long ten count, nothing happening before Ben clutched his chest, his face going pale. “Oh, misapplied hyperbole!”

He dropped to his knees, pain dancing across his features.

Alex’s eyes widened as he was filled with horror. “What—? The skill failed! Nothing should have happened! How are you…”

Ben started chuckling, and Alex’s concern melted away.

“Not funny, Ben.” He gave the man a clearly unamused stare.

A few people in the room chuckled as Ben returned to his feet. “Eh, it was funny to me. So, it didn’t work?”

Alex grumbled. “No…” He sighed. “Thank you for letting me try.”

The big man shrugged. “Any time. It didn’t really cost me anything.”

Alex grinned mischievously at that. “Okay, I’ll remember that.”

Ben hesitated, looking around at the humorous looks on those around him. “I’m… I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

Natasha shrugged. “Only time will tell.” She patted Ben on the shoulder. “Only time will tell.”

Alex clapped his hands together. “Alright! Let’s get back to it. After all, the undead aren’t going to resist themselves.”

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