Two weeks after the danger beast wave, in Kofi and Zara's house, Zara was in labor and an old woman was helping her.
Zara said "AHHHH... It- it's hard to even breathe..!"in pain.
Kofi's holding her hands anxiously.
Old woman said "Stay calm, my dear. Every mother walks this path. Breathe… You're the wife of a warrior, the daughter of a mother. This child will be born strong because you are strong. Now… push one more time!"
"Aaahhhhh" Zara's clenching her teeth, groaning.
"Dont give up! There... there it is! Life has returned to our tribe" old woman takes a breath with relief, smiling peacefully
"My... baby..."
Nalani's gently holding the baby, checking the umbilical cord " Healthy… and strong. I can feel it—his destiny will carve a long and powerful path."
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One month after the born, the weather had started to warm, and the dry season was approaching.
The entire tribe had gathered in front of the black log. There were around 50 people present.
The tribe peoples wore simple and rather revealing clothes.
The men wore loose white and green pants or shorts, usually with nothing on their upper bodies. The women also wore shorts or pants in white and green, and clothes on their upper bodies that covered only what was necessary.
They were wearing necklaces and bracelets made of bone, stone, and thread.
An elderly woman who helped with the birth, laid face down a crying baby on the black log and began piercing the tips of all ten fingers with a thin, bone-like needle.
A 4-5 year old child held a woman's hands and asked, "Mother, why is Nalani hurting the baby?"
This old woman's name was Nalani, she was wife of the tribe chief.
The woman padded the child's head and said, "This is a tradition passed down from our ancestors, dating back 1,000 years. When the dry season comes, all the babies blood is offered to the black log. When you were a baby, your blood was offered too." with a smile.
The child, with a confused look, asked, "What happens if we don't offer our blood, Mother?"
The woman smiled and replied, "Nothing happens, my dear. We do this only to inherit the strength of our ancestors and spirit of nature."
The child nodded.
The baby's blood started flowing all over the black log while he's crying.
The diameter of the black log was about 5 meters, and the baby was crying heartbreakingly, about a meter away from the stone.
Blood from all sides of the black log slowly began to flow toward the center, toward the stone in the shape of an inverted T.
Tribe peoples looked at the black log with serious or curious expressions. Kofi and Zara waited with great concern on their faces. The baby lying there was theirs.
At the beginning of the dry season, the tribe offers the blood of children to the black log. The black log comes from the spirit of nature, the stone in the center of the log was passed down from their ancestors 1000 years ago.
Before their ancestors passed away, he created a tribe around this black log. He told his children and grandchildren that if they offered the blood of those under one year of age, descended from their blood, they would gain its power. This had been a tradition for 1000 years.
The blood started to gather around the stone, and the baby stopped crying. He looked at the stone with curiosity, as though something was calling to him.
TIINNNNNG
The baby turned its head toward the source of the sound and saw a transparent screen floating just beside it. Strange symbols, unknown to the infant, began to form in the air.
"Candidate's blood is compatible with the Teigu."
The screen vanished, and the baby felt a powerful force pulling from the stone. Slowly, it began to move toward it. After a few minutes, it had reached the stone.
TIINNNNG
The transparent screen reappeared, and new letters started forming. The baby curiously reached out with its bleeding fingers, but they passed through the screen. He looked confused.
"Spiritual Compatibility Test Initiated."
The baby felt something invade its mind. Baby tried to clutch his head with its tiny arms.
Seeing this, Kofi and Zara stepped forward in panic, but Kaimana calmly stopped them and said "Do not fear. Everything is normal."
Kofi and Zara continued watching anxiously.
After a while, the lowest row of symbols on the stone building's walls began to glow. The dimly lit room, barely illuminated by a few candles, was now filling with blue lights from the glowing symbols.
TIINNNNG
"Lowest Compatibility Level: Passed."
The symbols above it started to shine as well, and the surroundings grew even brighter.
The writing changed:
"Low-Level Compatibility Test: Passed."
Kaimana stroked his beard with a happy expression and said "Our ancestors and the spirit of nature have granted this child great power. Other than Kato, no one in the tribe has ever inherited this much strength."
The symbols continued to light up, climbing higher and higher. Kaimana's expression changed. His eyes widened in shock. Seeing his face, Kofi and Zara grew more concerned but kept watching.
"Mid-Level Compatibility Test: Passed."
"High-Level Compatibility Test: Passed."
Gradually, every symbol on the stone building's walls lit up. The entire space was now glowing with a blue hue.
Kaimana stood frozen in disbelief. In his eighty years of life, he had never seen anyone inherit this much power.
"Full Compatibility Test: Passed."
The baby stopped trembling and began looking around. The floating letters had caught his attention.
Seeing their baby return to normal, Kofi and Zara finally let out a breath they had been holding.
BZZZZZTT
At that moment, the baby noticed the invisible panel slowly turning red. As he curiously reached out toward it, the symbols on the walls gradually shifted from a dim red to a deep blood-red.
Kaimana's eyes widened in horror. Kofi and Zara turned to him, their faces pale with fear.
"Elder, what's happening to my son!?" Kofi shouted, panic clear in his voice.
"I-I don't know! This has never happened before!"
Upon hearing that, Kofi stepped toward to the Black Log to save his child—but a powerful wind blasted him backward.
BZZZZZZT
"User confirmed. Physical integration initiating."
The text changed again. Ten streams of blood shot out from the baby's fingertips toward the stone. At the same time, red electrical currents surged from the stone into the baby's body.
A painful cry echoed throughout the stone building.
Kato stood frozen in shock, then suddenly launched himself toward the Black Log to save his nephew. But a strong wind threw him into the stone wall too.
Zara trembled and cried. Nalani came beside her and held her tightly.
"It will pass, Zara. He is a strong child. He'll survive this."
Minutes passed, and the baby's energy started to fade. He had lost so much blood, and it continued to flow.
Meanwhile, the brightness of the wall symbols began to dim.
About 15–20 minutes after the red symbols began to shine, they completely went out. The baby had stopped crying. His eyes, once black, were now glowing red.
TIINNNNNG
"User successfully integrated with Teigu."
Kato, Zara, Kofi, and Kaimana rushed to the baby. Kato quickly checked his pulse and shouted,
"He's alive!"
The entire tribe let out a collective sigh of relief.