Jason walked ahead, into the light at the end of the tunnel.
It wasn't long before he found himself in a chamber with a pedestal in the center of it. A vial placed on top of it, the red liquid inside shimmered.
The chamber around Jason remains unnervingly still, its vastness almost suffocating. The vial on the pedestal continues to shimmer with a deep, crimson light, its contents swirling with an energy that seems to hum, as if alive. The water around him ripples faintly, but the silence of the cavern is overwhelming. The air is thick with anticipation, and Jason feels the weight of the moment bearing down on him.
He stares at the vial with growing unease. The Leviathan's voice fills the chamber again, this time with a subtle, yet undeniable force.
"That blood is me."
The words struck him like a thunderclap, shaking the very foundation of the chamber. Jason's eyes snap back to the vial, a cold dread spreading through him.
"It is mine," the Leviathan continues, its voice deep and resonant, reverberating through the walls of the chamber. "The blood of the Leviathan, my essence, my sovereign blood. It is a force that transcends time and reality, and it has waited long for an inheritor. For a being worthy enough to claim it."
Jason's heart races, the implications of the Leviathan's words sinking in with horrifying clarity. The blood before him is the essence of the Leviathan itself, contained in that vial, waiting for someone to take it, someone to inherit its power.
His thoughts race, the magnitude of what this means clawing at his chest. The Leviathan has been searching for an inheritor—not of its past, but of its very being. A being who could carry its essence, who could hold its power and all that comes with it.
The weight of the choice before him feels heavier than anything he's ever faced.
"This trial, Jason, was never about you alone," the Leviathan's voice rumbles with ancient power. "It was never just to test your strength or your spirit. It was to test your worthiness to inherit the power I possess. The blood you see before you is a legacy, and I have watched countless beings come and go, searching for one who could bear the burden. One who could carry my essence, my will, and my power."
Jason's hands tremble at his sides as the realization settles in. The Leviathan is not just offering him power; it is offering him its very soul, its core, the force that drives the ancient beast. If he takes it, if he accepts this inheritance, he would become bound to the Leviathan in ways he cannot even begin to comprehend.
The Leviathan's presence presses in on him, filling the room with an unspoken pressure. Jason could feel its ancient will, its long wait for an heir, for someone to carry its blood, its power, its legacy.
"I have watched you, Jason," the Leviathan continues. "Watched as you walked through the trials, faced your past, and struggled with your own guilt. You are stronger than you know, and your spirit, though scarred, shows the potential to bear the weight of this power. But make no mistake—claiming this blood will not be without consequence. To inherit my essence is to become both a vessel and a weapon. You will carry the weight of my existence, my desires, and the burden of my ancient will."
Jason stands still, his mind a maelstrom of thoughts. This is no mere choice between gaining power or walking away from it. This is something far deeper—something that ties him to the Leviathan In a way he cannot yet fully understand.
"What would it mean to claim this blood?" Jason finally asks, his voice low but steady, trying to grasp the full scope of the decision before him.
The Leviathan's answer comes with a deep, resonant rumble, the cavern seeming to vibrate with the power in its words.
"It means becoming something more than you are. It means becoming a part of me. You will be both master and servant to this power, shaping the world in ways you cannot yet imagine. You will hold dominion over the oceans, over the creatures that dwell within them, and over the very elements themselves. But with this power comes an eternal bond, an unbreakable tie to my essence. You will be forever linked to me, to my will, and to the responsibilities I carry."
Jason's gaze shifts from the vial to the surrounding cavern. The ancient, cavernous depths are both a reflection of the Leviathan's might and its solitary existence.
"If I refuse," Jason murmurs, though he can already guess the answer.
"You will remain as you are," the Leviathan's voice is calm, but the weight of its words is clear. "A soul without purpose. A wandering being. You will be free, but aimless. This world will continue without you, as it always has, and you will never know the true extent of what you could have been."
Jason's pulse quickens, the decision now before him. The choice is clear—accept the Leviathan's blood, inherit its power and become something more than human, or refuse it, and remain as he is, with all the uncertainties and limitations of his current existence.
He can feel the gravity of the moment, the swirling currents of fate around him, and the weight of the Leviathan's gaze upon him.
"Choose now," the Leviathan intones, its voice a command that echoes through the chamber.
Jason takes one final glance at the vial—the essence of the Leviathan, waiting for an inheritor. This power, this burden, could change everything. The question remains: is he willing to accept the Leviathan's blood, and all that comes with it?
'System. It has been a while.'
[The System is always here, Host.]
'Of course…'
Jason chuckled to himself, wondering why the System never said as thing since he teleported a few weeks ago.
'Never mind that… System. Will drinking that blood help me become stronger? Or will it kill me?'
[ The probability is around eighty three percent that you will die, Host. This blood isn't like the blood of the runic white bear you consumed. It is a Sovereign Blood. The highest tier a species can reach. As you know, there is princely beasts, after that is Monarch Beasts. After that is Sovereign beasts. Not only will it be painful even trying to consume that blood. You will be in agonizing pain through out the process. That is if you can survive ingesting it.]
'… So there is a chance I wont die?'
[…]
[ You will die, Host. The System will try helping you. The Mana Core will try to adjust your cellular structure as you consume the blood to better adapt to it. Host, the chances are better now. At eighty percent, you might die.]
' Oh well.'
The moment Jason's hand closes around the vial, a surge of energy pulses through him—an electric, otherworldly force that seems to echo deep in his bones. The liquid inside the vial glows brighter, swirling with a vibrant, pulsating crimson light. It calls to him, an ancient pull he cannot resist. The Leviathan's presence, now undeniably palpable, surrounds him, its vast, deep power waiting to be claimed.
Jason lifts the vial to his lips, the weight of the decision pressing down on him like an immovable stone. He hesitates for just a moment, his breath catching in his throat, before he tilts the vial back and swallows the blood of the Leviathan.
The taste is unlike anything he has ever experienced—salt, sea, and something deeper, ancient, and raw. It's as if he is drinking the very essence of the ocean itself, the primal energy of the world's depths. The blood burns as it passes down his throat, setting his veins ablaze with fiery heat, like liquid fire coursing through him.
Instantly, the world around him begins to shift, warping in a dizzying, kaleidoscopic display of light and shadow. The cavern's walls seem to stretch, as if the very foundation of reality is bending under the weight of the power now flooding through him. His body feels as though it is being torn apart, reshaped, and reforged in an instant.
A voice, deep and thunderous, fills his mind—far more powerful now than before.
"You have claimed my blood, Jason. You are now bound to me. You are no longer simply a man. You are an inheritor of the Leviathan's will, a vessel for my power. But understand this—there is no turning back. Your fate is now intertwined with mine."
Jason gasps, his breath shallow and ragged, as a flood of memories, sensations, and visions crashes over him like a tidal wave. He sees vast oceans, deep and endless. He feels the weight of the world pressing against him—the power of the waves, the creatures of the sea, the storm clouds, and the abyss. He sees through the eyes of the Leviathan, experiences its ancient, eternal existence, its will and purpose.
And then, with an overwhelming surge, the power settles within him. He feels it coursing through his veins, settling deep in his core—a force like no other. It is the blood of the Leviathan, but it is now *his*.
The cavern around him quakes, and the dark waters ripple. The Leviathan's voice continues to echo in his mind, a constant presence now that he has claimed its power.
"You are mine, and I am yours," the Leviathan whispers, its tone a blend of approval and finality. "You now carry my blood, my strength, and my will. The oceans are yours to command. But with that power comes a responsibility—one that will weigh on you forever. You will be my vessel in this world. What you do with that power is yours to decide."
Jason's body trembles, and for a moment, he is overwhelmed by the magnitude of what he has done. His mind struggles to process the flood of information, the boundless power now surging within him. He is no longer just a man, no longer just a traveler on a ship. He is something else—something ancient, something vast.
His eyes glow with an eerie, crimson light, the reflection of the Leviathan's blood coursing through him. He feels the pulse of the sea, the currents, the storms, the creatures of the depths—all of it is now a part of him, waiting for his command.
He stands in the cavern, the weight of the Leviathan's essence settling into his being. The path ahead of him is no longer uncertain. He is bound to the Leviathan, but he is also free to shape his own destiny.
The question now is what he will do with this power, this legacy. The Leviathan has given him the means to command the seas, to shape the future. But the power is not without its cost. The responsibilities, the dangers, and the burden of such strength will follow him wherever he goes.
The Leviathan's voice, now a distant echo, fades into the back of his mind.
"Remember this, Jason. You are mine, but you are not a slave. You are the inheritor. And how you wield my power will determine your future."
The cavern grows silent, and the overwhelming force of the transformation begins to settle, leaving Jason standing at the precipice of his new life—no longer just a man, but something far greater, with the blood of the Leviathan pulsing in his veins.
The world is his to command now.