— — — — — —
Aswad and Giada both looked a little lost.
If it were Authority or Divinity, they could at least make sense of it using the materials Ryo had given them. But a "concept"? That was completely outside their understanding.
"What exactly is a concept?" Giada asked curiously. "And is it really that big a deal if someone controls it?"
Ryo raised an eyebrow and gave Giada a long, measured look before answering.
"If Authority is something purified and elevated from a power or an ability, then a concept is the foundation of power itself."
"Sometimes it doesn't matter much," he continued. "Other times, it matters more than anything."
"For example?" Aswad frowned, a faint sense of unease creeping up on him.
Ryo paused, glanced at the two of them, and explained.
"Take the concept of vampires."
"Imagine that concept as a mineral deposit. Whoever controls it gets to decide its price, its shape, even its uses. They can't change it completely, but they can exert a huge amount of influence over it."
"And generally, anyone who controls a racial concept like that is called an 'Origin.'"
As he said this, Ryo's lips curled into a slight smile. "Like an Origin Werewolf. Or an Origin Vampire. Or… an Origin Demon."
"You mean…"
Aswad's expression finally changed.
He understood now what it meant for a concept to be controlled.
It meant life and death were effectively in someone else's hands.
Even if the one who controlled the vampire concept couldn't directly command him, suppressing his power to a significant degree would absolutely be possible.
"Hey, seriously? That's actually possible?"
Giada's face darkened.
If the vampire concept in Little Garden was already controlled, then wouldn't they be completely at someone else's mercy once they got there?
"In Little Garden, anything is possible."
Ryo picked up a glass of red wine and took a small sip.
"I've heard that in the upper ranks of the three-digit levels, there are Gift Games that use entire universes as stakes. There are even Gift Games that can 'change history.'"
"The winner can become the master of a universe, or rewrite a past they never wanted to happen."
"That's insane…"
Giada clicked her tongue. She sounded dismissive, but deep down she was itching to rush into Little Garden and take part in games that decided history and the ownership of entire universes.
Still… with an Origin Vampire already there, the last thing she wanted was to end up as someone else's subordinate.
At that moment, Aswad turned to Ryo and asked seriously, "There should be a way to deal with concepts like this, right?"
Giada also looked up, staring straight at Ryo.
Since he had brought this up at all, there had to be a solution. Otherwise, he wouldn't have invited them a year ago.
"Of course," Ryo said with a slight nod. He set the wineglass down and narrowed his eyes. "There are plenty of ways."
"The most convenient is to establish a separate branch. You subdivide your racial concept and free yourself from the restriction."
"For example, under the concept of elves, you have dark elves and forest elves as sub-concepts."
"As for vampires, if you have the ability, you could split off a sub-concept like Blood Deva. Just so you know, that's something a five-digit existence can already do."
But as he said this, Ryo shook his head slightly. "Still, I don't recommend it."
"When a concept is already under someone else's control, forcibly splitting off a sub-concept is extremely dangerous. It's very easy to be noticed, unless you can initiate a Gift Game and defeat the original holder."
"Unfortunately, even though there are two holders of the vampire concept, every one of them is, as far as I know, a powerhouse among the four-digit ranks."
"Four digits…"
Aswad's eyelid twitched.
Four-digit beings could fight at light speed using pure power, with maximum output capable of destroying a planet.
Monsters like that were far beyond anything their entire Strike the Blood world could deal with, let alone beating one and stealing part of their concept.
Giada was startled too, but she quickly recovered and said, sounding a bit exasperated, "Stop dragging it out, boss. You definitely have another way, don't you?"
"I do," Ryo replied with a smile and a nod."There is a solution."
"What is it?" Aswad frowned, then his eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Don't tell me… you know that Origin Vampire in Little Garden?"
Ryo broke into a grin. "Sharp."
"One of the few remaining Origin Vampires does, in fact, belong to our Arcadia."
Giada's mouth twitched. "Well, that's one hell of a coincidence…"
The Arcadia that was recruiting them just happened to have a four-digit ancient Origin Vampire who controlled the vampire concept in Little Garden.
That kind of luck was ridiculous.
And judging by Ryo's tone, that vampire was probably his subordinate, or at least someone extremely close to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have casually suggested splitting off part of the vampire concept and turning it into a Blood Deva for them.
"So what's the price?"
Aswad asked calmly.
Getting an Origin Vampire who controlled a concept to divide her power was obviously not something that came for free.
Ryo's intentions were clear. He wanted him and Giada to split off the Blood Deva from the vampire concept, and then use that new concept for something else.
That "something else" was likely the real price.
"Talking to you is really easy," Ryo said, sounding relaxed now that Aswad had caught on.
"The price is actually very simple. Or rather, there isn't really a price at all."
"When you arrive in Little Garden, because you naturally fit the vampire concept, you'll inevitably be affected by it."
"But since the traits of Little Garden vampires are different from your current ones, that influence won't be too severe."
"However, if you split off the Blood Deva as a sub-concept of vampires, things change."
"Little Garden vampires will absorb the advantages of the Blood Deva, and the Blood Deva will gain the powers of Little Garden vampires. In a sense, both sides benefit."
"And as compensation, I want you to temporarily give up ownership of the Blood Deva concept and transfer it to Leticia, strengthening her power."
"Leticia is the member of Arcadia who holds the vampire concept."
Aswad's gaze flickered for a moment. Then she asked, "How long?"
Ryo thought it over and gave a rough answer. "A hundred years."
Aswad turned to look at Giada.
The two of them spoke at the same time.
"Deal!"
.
.
.