29 Spawn (2/2)

It was said that to be rooted by Vulthoom was to have one's entire existence, down to every single cell, invaded with unspeakable pain and agony. Not even teleportation or time manipulation could cleanse the root.

”As for you,” said Li to the other vampire as he tried to talk through the bothersome din of the rooted vampire's screaming. ”You have no use for me.”

The blood root began, rather ironically, draining the vampire of its blood. The vampire, feeling its lifeblood escaping its body, tried clawing at the root, but could barely nick a scratch on the root even with the strength of his death throes.

Vampiric regeneration was nothing compared to the continued DPS of the blood root's absorption, and quickly enough, the vampire shriveled up into a husk desiccated skin, his eyes shriveling into tiny slivers before popping out their sockets.

Li retracted the blood root, and the vampire's corpse landed on the floor without much sound, having lost its mass.

Li came up to the rooted vampire and put a hand on his shoulder. ”It's such a sad thing to kill an immortal,” he said, knowing that the vampire could hear him even through his involuntary screams. ”But find solace in knowing that your death will serve one far higher than you.”

Li took his other hand and raised it under the vampire's eyes. Li's hand was slightly curled, as if he was cupping something. The vampire, unable to move his body, only managed to have his red pupils shift down.

”[Spawn of Atlach-Nacha]” said Li. A small rift in space sheared open on Li's hand. The tear, a small void of starry blackness, deposited one translucent egg into Li's hand before closing up. The egg looked as beautiful and brilliant as a pearl.

Li squeezed the vampire's shoulder one last time before he jammed the hand with the egg into the vampire's stomach. The vampire's eyes widened, but all he could manage was to scream as he had before. In fact, compared to the pain from the [Root of Vulthoom], this was probably nothing.

Li stepped back, eager to see how this spell would be like in the real world.

Despite feeling a sense of minor light-headedness from casting three A-ranked spells consecutively, he could still feel his eldritch Druidry coursing through his being, nourishing him. He could feel powers that were not meant to be, powers unbound by the laws of nature, of power heralding from existences that roamed the primordial and ever terrible dark of the universe, flowing through his veins.

It was an intoxicating feeling. It wasn't so much being drunk on power, but rather feeling a sense of belonging.

The vampire's eyes rolled into his head as the egg hatched in his stomach. Black tendrils erupted from his belly, latching onto the rest of his body and absorbing life force like breathing tubes, directing it all into the precious infant growing in the vampire.

Li snapped his fingers, cancelling the [Root of Vulthoom]. The vampire did not fall, instead standing haphazardly, as if drunk, his legs quivering like mad. Something was moving in his body, eager to get out, and his body contorted every which way, his spine snapping as his back folded in half. His arms splintered, curling like ribbons.

Only his face remained unmarred, merely twisting into an expression of endless, open-mouthed fear.

Eventually, the vampire's body exploded, revealing a rust-colored arachnid body the size of a bull. Eight segmented legs curled out to balance the body up. The legs were still shaking, still newborn, their hairs still glistening with eldritch amniotic fluid.

The vampire's face remained intact, stitched haphazardly where the spider's head should be. The skin was stretched out, distorting the vampire's expression, but it was still clearly one of abject terror.

Li wiped vampire bits from his face and patted down his stained hands on his trousers.

”Come, little one,” he said. The eldritch spawn crawled towards Li, now more in control of its body. Li felt the same pride in the spawn as a father would at his child's first steps. ”You're still keeping him alive, aren't you?”

In response, the spawn cooed. The sound came from the arachnid abdomen, not the vampire's face. That was where, hopefully, if this spell followed the lore, the vampire's mind still was, slowly being eaten away by the parasitic spawn.

”Help…me.” The vampire's mouth, stretched apart as it was, moved.

”My, you're awfully selfish, aren't you, asking for help.” Li shook his head, as if admonishing a child. After all, this was a child, an errant immortal that had acted far out of line. This was now his duly deserved punishment. ”You're supposed to be helping me. Now take me to your boss.”

”Yes,” said the vampire weakly, the parasitic spawn hijacking his mind and memories.

Li followed as the spawn scuttled about, leaving the pharmacy in a mess as it broke apart the floorboards, bulldozed through the runic protections sealing off the counter, and went further into the pharmacy, smashing apart several shelves and jars of materials.

Eventually, it stopped at the back of the shop, where a trapdoor lay hidden under a decorative slab of stone carved commemorating the duchess's rule. Clever. No average human would have the strength to move it, but any vampire could easily do it.

Li grabbed the slab and tossed it behind him. It sailed backwards, splintering wood as it slammed through a table. Beneath, a dark, square-shaped pit opened up. A rank and familiar stench filled the room.

”The sewers?” said Li. ”You vampires are living like rats. Quite sad to see, honestly.”

Li patted the spawn's abdomen. ”Come now, child, lead the way while you still have the vampire's life to nurse you.”

The spawn rumbled in understanding before it gathered its legs together and crammed itself into the pit, squirming as it just barely squeezed through.