Chapter 8: Back To Basics
Warm sunlight poured on the Monotone Woods like warm bathwater. The Tribe of Blue Butt Monkeys wanted to play with the two people from yesterday, so they came back. They stared at Caleb and Amanda from the tops of Fir trees.
The two still sat cross-legged. Their concentration focused on suffering, but no matter how hard they thought about it, they couldn't understand the cryptic words of Elder Shuang. In their minds, the two states that really mattered consisted of tolerance and intolerance.
One could tolerate the pain of illness. One could tolerate the pain of overworked muscles. One could tolerate the pain of wounds. One could tolerate the pain of poison. One could tolerate the pain of torture. One could tolerate the distress of losing dignity or respect. One could tolerate the distress of a missing loved one. One could tolerate the hardship of losing a loved one, tolerating loss itself as a part of life.
Or!
One could not tolerate illness and cure it! One could not tolerate painful overworked muscles and rest! One could not tolerate painful wounds and treat them! One could not tolerate painful poison and use an antidote! One could not tolerate painful torture and escape! One could not tolerate dignity or respect, since neither are necessary to survive! One could not tolerate the distressful missing of a loved one and search for them! One could not tolerate the hardship of a lost loved one— not tolerating loss itself as the end of life!
Acceptance! Denial! Two diametrically opposed concepts! These were the motivations to give up or continue fighting! Suffering only described the feeling failure— the failure to accept or deny the outcome of circumstance and personal responsibility!
This line of thinking irritated both Caleb and Amanda. They felt no closer to mastering the stages of Cultivation than when they started practicing. Empathy of others' suffering did nothing to help. The sole use of empathy provided perspective, which allowed for better control in situations, whether to harm, swindle, ignore, or assist others.
As Caleb and Amanda's faces scrunched up and they grumbled increasingly in volume, the Blue Butt Monkeys climbed closer and closer. For hours, the Blue Butt Monkeys watched as innumerable thin tendrils of vitality extend from the two and search frantically. The tendrils probed the Sky, the Earth, the Nature, their own bodies, and the Wildlife!
The Blue Butt Monkeys tugged on the glowing green tendrils and swung on them like vines! A new game opened up for their own enjoyment! These two were strange sources of interesting things!
Finally, Caleb and Amanda simultaneously gave up. The thin green tendrils retracted and the Blue Butt Monkeys fell down. They wildly grabbed for support and made links of monkeys hanging off of each others' tails! They slammed into trees and dropped to the ground like rope.
""Hm?""
Caleb and Amanda saw the resulting chaos and watched the Blue Butt Monkeys retreat. They limped away, distrusting of anything from the duo ever again.
"Oh, it's them?" Amanda asked.
Their current appearance confused them.
Caleb jumped up and said, "Is there something dangerous?!"
They vigilantly scanned the trees to no avail. The threat, after all, came from themselves.
"We must've scared them when we got up," Amanda told Caleb, as she brushed off the bits of bark and fallen leaves in her hand.
"Hmph. If I can't find it now, it doesn't matter if I try to keep looking for it."
Caleb shrugged and helped brush off Amanda's clothes.
"You know you don't have to help me."
Amanda stepped away when Caleb's hands trailed up and down from her waist to her thighs, resting a bit too long in sensitive places.
"But I still wanna do it!~"
Amanda ignored him. After ridding themselves of most of the debris, they decided on what to do next.
Amanda commented, "The true question is… are we moving or are we staying?"
"We've been exposed to the Tao Sects, so it's a waste of time trying to hide from them anymore. We should set up here. The Dove Tree is lovely, too!"
Amanda puffed up her cheeks and said, "You're just being lazy again."
Caleb laughed, "Can't argue with that. I never wanted to leave our home in the first place. But… somewhere safe and comfy with you will always be my home."
Amanda waved him off as her cheeks reddened.
"You can say so much flattery, but it won't work on me this time. Now that I'm not as busy taking care of you, my head is clear enough so I can see you're teasing me."
"Ah? But it's still working, isn't it?"
Caleb turned her around and grabbed her chin. He looked into her brown eyes with his glittering sapphire eyes. His sweet breath tickled her nose and she flushed more.
"I see in your eyes that you mean the World to me."
Amanda jerked out of his grasp and climbed up the Dove Tree.
"S-stop doing that to me! Let's just get our things and settle down already!"
Her vitality pumped swiftly through her blood, flowing through her veins and powering her muscles! Her heartbeat shot up and pounded like a drum.
"..."
Caleb looked up to Amanda in confusion.
"... You do know that our stuff is down here?"
Amanda blushed redder than a cherry and started climbing back down.
"I-I knew that! Just stop teasing me!"
"But I'm not trying to do that! You're just too easy!"
"Ugh!"
Amanda stopped talking so Caleb would shut up. She climbed down faster, but because they climbed the Dove Tree so much, a piece of the bark used as a foothold finally gave way! It broke off from the trunk and left Amanda in free fall!
"Wah!" she shrieked.
"I got you! Uph!"
Caleb caught Amanda in his arms, but didn't expect her to flail her arms. This caused him to lose his balance and made him fall backwards! She landed on top of him and clung tightly like a leech!
"Are you okay?" he asked. "I didn't mean to scare you so much."
Amanda loosened up and rolled off Caleb.
"Ahem, yes. I'm sorry…"
Her flush spread to the tips of her ears.
"Amanda…" he whispered.
"Caleb?"
He scratched his growing stubble and looked off into the bright horizon.
"How about we start settling down like you said before?"
"I-I swear you have no sense of timing!"
So, Caleb and Amanda continued to lightly chat. Caleb unpacked a hatchet and began chopping brush and shrubbery. Amanda cleared away the remainders, setting out for a foundation. They started creating a new home…
Meanwhile, Bill lugged Vanessa on his back. She weighed him down in mental and emotional baggage, but he pressed on forwards to the Zultra Village.
Near the end of the Monotone Woods, he rested Vanessa in some bushes.
"I'm finding us some clothes. I'll be right back. Please, don't move."
She hadn't awakened since the incident. Regretfully, he knew nothing on how to treat her. All Bill knew she needed clothes and a place to rest and recover.
Bill snuck over the uneven wooden fencing and slowly made his way around the homes. He checked the nearest door and it opened. He slid it like a snail before staring into the crack. There was no movement, but also an open window he could've used instead…
Bill shook his head and concentrated on the task at hand. The light let in by the morning Sun shone on a mostly minimalistic room. Bill saw a few chairs, a table, a cabinet, and a flower vase on the window sill.
Bill pushed the door fully open and took one step at a time. He crouched low on his toes, listening for any noises. A constant snore bled through the floorboards above him.
Bill moved up the stairs with caution. His hands shook. An intriguing smell luring him further in at a faster pace.
A door stood in front of him. The wafting scent drew Bill to push it open without hesitation. A flood of temptation led him by the nose.
Under the covers, a man and a woman rested in the small bed. Their clothes strewed the floor, but Bill didn't grab them. He came closer and sniffed the air. It was like cooked bacon, glazed with honey, with a pinch of salt added in.
His mouth salivated and he couldn't stop himself from licking his lips. His tongue brushed along his teeth, yet somehow pricked itself on a sharp tooth.
Bill stopped mid-step and felt along his teeth. Sharp canines, almost like fangs, sprouted on either side of his incisors. He touched their unusually long and pointed end.
He thought, 'When did these appear?'
The woman groaned and shuffled under the covers. The disturbed covers revealed more of their bodies, wafting more of the attractive scent. Bill's body tingled and moved without thinking. He approached swifter than he consciously could.
One moment, Bill questioned his senses. The next moment, he enjoyed the taste swimming in his mouth. He lapped and bit. A thick, meaty Umami danced on his taste buds. Bill's extended fangs made short work.
When Bill realized what he'd done, the deed was finished. The slackened bodies of the couple laid unmoving. Multiple puncture wounds along their necks silenced their voices. Their faces showed a peaceful ignorance, almost unknowing to what act Bill committed.
Bill's stared at his hands and raised them to his face. They both were covered in flecks of blood. He rolled a droplet between his fingers. The warm liquid on his face, the seductive flavor, the elapsed time… His awareness shocked Bill. He didn't feel anything wrong, which terrified him.
No, he felt alive. He felt stronger. He felt… fulfilled. The deliciousness disappeared, but he got what he wanted.
Bill turned away and gathered all the clothes he could get his hands on. He ended up with a small pile, so he turned back to the bodies. He covered them up and wrapped them up like packages. Then, he picked them up and carried them on his back.
On the way out, Bill carefully made his steps quiet. He assured no one saw him and left the Zultra Village. He adjusted the strap made out of shirts before picking up Vanessa. Then, he went back into the Monotone Woods.
The vitality throbbing in Bill became more active. His predative features marginally awakened. As the contracted provider of Vanessa, Bill served as the superior in the relationship. Being superior to the ancient vampire Progenitor changed his body, so he could accustom to the vitality.
In addition to being the superior, Bill gained similar powers. One of these included enslavement.
The bodies packaged in their own clothing began twitching. The transformation process almost finished. Intricate designs blossomed over their hearts, clearly visible on their chests.
What one God planned for his Inheritance changed. There wasn't an ushering in of a new Age, with his Inheritor taking all of Humanity as his vampires. What happened instead was the dawn of two new Gods and the spread of vampirism.
The day passed as birds crowed and insects chirped. This spring ended like any other, but it was only the beginning.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
PettyOfficer
PettyOfficer Ok, I really am getting more and more lazy. I went through all of the Webtoon Lookism and binged on videos and reading.
It’s half as long as usual, but it’s something.
Edit: I tacked on more because f**k, why not? It’s still a shorter chapter than usual.
Edit++: The chapter didn’t load my new changes so I deleted it and now reposted it.
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