Chapter 14: Sanguine Sonata

Part 1: You are what you eat

.

.

.

(((3rd February 6017)))

(((Jaune)))

Lake Lullaby City, or Lull City for short can be said to be divided by 2 portion, Porteast and Guildwest. The city itself is massive, spanning over 23 kilometers alongside the southwest coast of Lake Lullaby.

The Guildwest is dominated by Hunters and businesses that caters to them. While Porteast handle most of the trades across the massive lake that is more accurate to be called an inland freshwater sea instead. The lake flow out through the Sloth River at the east coast, which connected to the Anima Strait. The river is busy with traffics that come to trade from Anima and Solitas.

Today, Soren had brought me into the city to register my name into the Drifter Union.

"So, I don't need need to pass some kind of tests for a license at all?"

"Well, if you go into hunting and die, that's just skill issue on your part.", Soren just lazily replies. "Originally we would just mind our own business, but then Lake Lullaby happened and push us out of the corner. So, we start to unionized, well, whatever loose union we have and formed our own sub-culture of sorts."

I observed the armbadge tied to Soren's left arm. It is a silver plate with a dandelion logo stamped on it. Dandelion is the symbol that Drifters has taken for themselves.

"Why do you guys take dandelion as your symbol?"

"The story goes that the earliest Drifters would ride hot air balloon and let the wind drift them across the sky, going to save one small pocket of survivors to another. That's why we took dandelion as a symbol. The weed that spread their seeds by the wind, drifting through air."

"Weed, huh?", that's a rather odd choice for a symbol to pick. "Why did you guys not pick a better meaning symbol?"

"It's a bit of a dark humor. Dandelions for all its worth, has no real value. It just sprout on ground, flowers and then spread its seed everywhere. Sure, it has some medicinal value, but really, who really use dandelion when you can just buy actual medicines? Some poetic asshole may say it symbolize hope and resilience or whatever but I am never been into that flower language crap. Besides, Dandelion aptly describes us. A weed with some usage but ultimately no one actually needs. We sprout and dies. That's it."

I sweatdrops over hearing the bleak symbolism. "You're not really selling me well about this Drifter thing. Besides, I heard you guys roam around countryside that can't afford to pay for Hunters. Surely you guys do have value to the world! You guys must be heroes for those poor folks!"

Soren just gives me a dark grin, but he kept quite, keeping whatever dark joke he has to himself.

"Well, here we are."

We stood by a rundown area in Porteast. There is an old hotel with the dull looking sign wrote Continental Hotel which looks like it had not been wiped for several years.

Soren then gestured grandly to the hotel.

"Welcome to Lull City's Continental Hotel, one of the five branch that opened in every Blue Zones."

"I thought we're going to register my name to the list. This is err…"

Well, I didn't want to say it, but the place looks like a shady hotel that Mrs Zane will go for her weekly orgies.

"Here.", Soren the passed to me a gold coin. It has the image of a skull minted on the coin. "Just follow my lead."

I shrugged and follow him into the hotel. As I expected, it's a rundown hotel, which for some reason are still open for business. The receptionist is an old elf, so old that he looks like he is about to crumble to dust if he even move an inch. The stench of black mold and damp rugs permeates the air.

I follow Soren entering a lift, and saw him inserting the gold coin into a slot by the lift buttons panel. I inserted my own.

Then, the lift goes down. It took a minute for the lift to stop. Just how deep into the ground are we?

When the lift door opens, I am greeted with the sight a lavish, luxurious hotel lobby. Golden light floods the lobby from the chandeliers, and classical music are played by a live band, enhancing the luxury atmosphere. People in well dressed suits walk across the lobby, going to the many amenities within the underground hotel.

"What is this place?!!"

"Welcome to the Continental Hotel, Lull City branch. Long story short, it's a neutral ground for criminals that has a long history of establishment."

I gawked over him. A criminal neutral ground?! You just brought me into a mafia den?!! Don't tell me there's about to be a massacre going to happen here!

"Relax, Jaune. Even I wouldn't take lightly of the Continental Hotel."

"There's a criminal group that even you wont dare to touch?!"

Soren just looked at me as if I just asked something that's obviously stupid.

"Contrary to popular belief, Jaune, I don't really go out of my way to kill criminals all the time. Oldtown gangs are petty scums. They're cockroaches that refuse to go extinct no matter how much I cull them. Actual pro criminal organizations like this though is something I actually rather like."

I follow Soren as we reached some kind of storage counter. I felt embarrassed coz I just came here with a hoodie with a leather vest over it, along with my Vorpal Blade. Man, I really need to find a proper steel sword soon. You only use silver weapons for some monsters. It's not very ideal for things that's not allergic to silver.

Soren then clicked his tongue and pointed to my sword. I get his meaning and gave it to the clerk. However, Soren doesn't passed to him his own sword.

I looked around, and everyone seems like they are unarmed, though I don't know if they carry concealed weapons under their suits.

"Soren, why do you get to keep your sword?"

He just shrugs. It looks like he ain't going to explain shit. I'm just gonna chalk it off as it's just him being a big deal to whoever owned the place, so he gets the free pass.

We then enter the restaurant by the east wing of the lobby floor. I looked so out of place here. I knew something was off when Soren, who usually just dressed in a tracksuit everyday decide to wear a full set of suit today. He's having a laugh at my expense. We took a table by the corner and wait for the waiter to come.

The waiter that came to our table looks at me and disapprove of my shoddy attire, but he offers no comment.

"We'll be having 2 set of steaks. Hmm… make it dragon tail. Base portion"

I almost spit out the cold water I was drinking.

"S-soren?! Aren't you broke?!"

"I can eat here for free anytime I want."

What?! Just what kind of VIP are you that you can just eat here for free?!! Hell, a dragon tail steak at that?!

"Oh yea, as for drinks, let's go with Atlesian Artic Cola this time. Make it two bottle."

"A fine menu, sir."

The waiter then left us, with me still gawking over the ridiculous menu he just ordered. I heard of Altesian Artic Cola, which is one of the most expensive soda you can buy. Still, shouldn't you drink wine or something when you're in a classy restaurant?! Who the hell paired a luxury steak with soft drinks?!

"Nervous, right? Well enjoy the meal, Jaune. You won't get to taste this for years."

"How come you can order something as expensive as a dragon meat for free?!"

"Eh, beats me. I skipped the loredrop back home but the gist was one of my ancestors did something and now I can use any Continental Hotel services for free. I just don't use it often just to be polite."

We waited for over 10 minutes and our orders arrive. Soren take his cutleries and began to eat the dragon steak with gusto.

I tried a bite, and then I am overwhelmed with pure energy! It felt like wind and air courses through my body. I feel like I had been exhausted my whole life and now I had finally feel rejuvenated.

"This is why Hunting is a booming business, Jaune.", Soren hold his fork, pointing a piece of the steak to me. "This is Power. Concentrated into every muscle fiber. Once you eat it you can never really settle for ordinary low rank food ingredients anymore.

I ate like I have been starved my whole life. I can feel the Dust Capacity within me expands rapidly. I can feel my body is being nourished across all my cells. This is indeed, Power in consumable form.

"What you're eating is a regular dragon. Mind you, a regular dragon is still the peak of lifeform at Rank 5. Just eating a slab of a dragon tail is already upgrading you from a low-end to Low-Mid of Rank 2. Should be closing at a solid Mid once you fully digest it. Well, in Dust capacity that is. You still need to train your combat skills. Unfortunately, most of the nutrient from your steak will go to waste. Your body can barely assimilate even 3% of the total nutrient content of a dragon meat."

I finished the steak, high on elation. Dear god! I really would never settle for regular food anymore! I thought the jackfrost I ate back in the beginning was the most delicious thing ever, but this? This make that jackfrost to be stale bread in comparison!

"You ruined me…"

Soren just smirk. "Eh, don't be so dramatic. Well, to begin with, as you grow stronger lower rank food does actually can't sustain your body anymore. Sure, you can recover Dust from breathing, but once you get into Rank 3 like me, simply meditating and breathing to recover Dust takes too long, unless I go dive in into the Red Zone. This is the price you pay when you are strong. In order to stay Powerful, you need to keep consuming Power. Now that you tasted a dragon, Rank 1 food items will taste like sand to you now. You may survive with Rank 2 foods, for now."

"So, we can grow stronger by eating higher ranked food. But at the same time, by Ranking Up, lower ranked food cannot sustain our body?"

"yep. Make no mistake, Jaune. There's always price to pay for power."

Soren then sip the glass of Atlesian Artic Cola. I took one of my own and then I further regret my life.

Why is a fizzy drink tastes like it belongs to the realm of the gods?!!

"Is this what my life going to be now? Obsessing over good food as I travel across the world?!"

I cry tears of joy and regret.

"Welcome to the club, bro."

Damn you Soren! You ruined me!!

.

.

.

(((Soren)))

Fufufu, foolish Jaune. Do you realize now that this RPG fic is actually a Toriko ripoff? Yes, step into my web. I have made you an addict of stupidly good food.

The Gourmet World is a path that hidden many delicacies.

Either way, this is just an eventuality. In this AU, you either powerup gradually for years through breathing exercise or go through a poorman cultivation diet ripoff by just eating strong creatures to raise up your Dust Tolerance fast.

I decide to at least get Jaune to the Middle Rank 2 level by shoving a Rank 5 Dragon Steak down his throat. Normally I wouldn't brute force his leveling with this much gap of power from his normal food intake, but Jaune would not survive the jobs with his current Dust Capacity. Brute-forcing Rank Up through High Gap Diet is how Hunters raise their Ranking fast, and that leads to them having a false sense of power. You're supposed to learn how to control your Aura and Mana while optimally eating just slightly above your current powerlevel. Hunters has poor control over their Dust to Aura conversion, wasting most of it as excess heat. It's why generally Hunters will lose to any actual warrior of the same level every time, unless they got some kind of bullshit Semblance.

Anyway, we finished our lunch, and I brought Jaune to the receptionist.

"Ah, it is the Young Lord Coldforge! It is good to see you again."

I have zero fucking idea how Charon, the Continental receptionist from John Wick movies fucking got here. My father introduced me to him back when I was 10, following him around Drifting. The Haitian (I think) accent is as thick as I remember from the movies.

I was pretty sure that Haiti doesn't exist here.

"Well Charon, this is Jaune Arc. He will be Drifting under me."

"Is that so?", the black receptionist scrutinized Jaune. "Pardon me, young lord, but he does not seem adequate to work for an esteemed Drifter as you."

"eh.", I just wave off his concern. "It's easier to teach a puppy new tricks. Everyone else I know are either shitty Hunters or crappy criminals."

"I see.", Charon then brought out some papers for Jaune to fill in. "Please fill in your personal details here."

"Errr… how come this place handles Drifter registration."

"Well, Mr Jaune Arc, unlike the Hunters, the Drifter does not have a unified resource to establish their own guild. The Drifter Clans have differing Creeds and methods in their line of work, so it's hard for them to centralized their network. Hence, they elected The Continental Group to serve as proxy for the Drifter Union. We handle their information network, weapon supply and maintenance, medical service, shelter and many more. Provided that you have a Cortez Coin to pay for our services."

Jaune listen to Charon's loredrop as he fills in the papers.

"Here.", Jaune then finished filling the details and passed the registration paper to Charon.

"Splendid penmanship.", Charon complimented.

"Thanks! I used to etch calligraphy on metalworks, so I learned to err…. Write really neatly."

Charon nodded, then he passed to Jaune a Drifter Armbadge.

"Wow, that quick?", Jaune asked.

"Consider this as gesture of faith over the young lord's recommendation. Normally, the papers will take a week to process, but because you are working for our esteemed VIP, we will expedite your registration."

"Well that's good an all.", I put a Cortez Coin on the reception counter and slide it over to Charon. "Tell me, what's that insane quack doctor doing nowadays?"

Charon looks at me incredulously. "Why are you seeking that lunatic?!"

Jaune looked over us in confusion.

"Oh you know, I made a zeppelin. Kinda need a medic on hand. I get tired of getting ripped off by healing hags at every villages every time. Figure I just get myself my own healer to save cost."

"Young Lord Coldforge, I implore you too seek someone else for your medic bay attendant instead! I may even recommend better medics I vouch personally!"

I shake my head. "Nah, I want this one. She's so cute."

"A lunatic True Vampire is not cute, young lord!"

"True Vampire?!", Jaune exclaimed.

"Look, it doesn't matter Charon. I can handle a True Vampire myself. Even Jaune! It's not like they're infectious anyway."

"That besides the point… oh young lord… you are just like your father. He too had always been attracted to…. peculiar women. I worry for you."

I laughed. "Yep, I know! I got an Assassin, a Tyrant and a Wolf Faunus Warlord as stepmoms! How the hell he also married my mom is beyond me. She was just a regular musician! Haha!"

"That is indeed a mystery. I can do nothing but warn you that your choice for a doctor is not wise. She is hardly a competent doctor and find enjoyment in making the treatment painful."

"I know.", I smiled. "I just believe in the shortstack supremacy!"

.

.

.

(((Narrator)))

"Arrrghhhh! Damn it Neo! You couldn't at least give me a painkiller before digging that bullet out of my shoulder?!!"

Roman Torchwick in the RWBY Canon has been a master thief. A criminal mastermind that can go toe to toe to First Year Beaconites. He did however lose to Blake in Season 2 during The Breach episode, but The Writer is not sure if that was an actual lose or just part of the plan on Roman's part.

Drifting Legacy Roman Torchwick however is an out of luck Hunter-wannabe just like many youngsters that has foolishly moved to the Lake Lullaby City. When he arrived to the city, Roman Torchwick finds out that a 21 years old zeppelin sailor was too old to enter a Hunter Academy. Not that he has the money for it to begin with.

So for four years, Roman had made a living by becoming a henchman that handles smuggling operation across the lake. Sailing a boat and a zeppelin isn't that much different really. You just sail in 2D instead of 3D.

Roman sighed. He thought he could make a break and live a lavish life as a Hunter but how foolish he was to spend all his life savings for a trip to this death trap of a city. The Hunters gatekeeps the membership only for their peers and rarely do outsider get to join the elite profession class. A regular sailor like Roman has no chance.

Meanwhile, Roman dread his bleak future. The boat he was sailing just an hour ago was caught by the lake patrol, and Roman had managed to evade them by diving into the cold lake, though a stray bullet did pierce into his shoulder. He then swam, reached shore and against his better judgement, run to this shady clinic to get treatment.

"Arghhh!!", Roman screams in pain as the petite doctor pour the highest concentration alcohol into his bullet wound. She then gleefully stitch the wound shut, no painkiller off course.

Roman passed out after it is done, not knowing that the petite quack doctor is now stabbing a needle into the vein of his arm, collecting his blood into an IV bag.

Once full, she took out the needle and taped a bandage to the puncture wound. What? She is a doctor. She isn't going to kill her patient.

Neo Politan, a True Vampire put the bloodbag into a freezer to keep fresh. She took out another bloodbag, half empty already. She figured she should finish off this one.

She pour the rest of the blood into a wine glass. Blood that belong to one Alicia Babbling, a poor single mother who works three jobs to support her five children. She took a sip, and shiver in ecstasy as she experience her memories. Ah, what a loving, sacrificing mother who does everything in her power to keep her children alive. So much memories of hardship, yet the few happy memories of hers shine bright.

This really worth paying the miserable woman 10k Lien for a bag. Neo consider if she should buy one more pint of blood from her.

There is four types of Vampires. Infection, Fae, Monster and Grimm.

True Vampire is the peak of Monster Vampire category. She does not know the exact history but somewhere around 3000 years ago ancestor had opened a portal from their original world to Remnant but ended up trapped here, but not before having many Vampiric Creatures set loose into Remnant. Monsters such as Katakan, Strigoi, Bruxa and so on.

Inferior species, she thought.

As a True Vampire, the apex species of Planet Sanguine, Neo Politan is born with many perks. Near perfect immortality, no typical weakness of regular vampires, high speed regeneration and the ability to see memories by drinking blood. Her species doesn't really need blood to survive, but it is satisfying to relive other people. Memories and emotions. The humans are so amusing. So, dramatic.

Now, if only her species is actually strong. The only reason they are considered as the Apex Species of Sanguine was because their absurd regeneration made them nigh unkillable.

Their strength however never make past Rank 1. Basically, they are the definition of an immortal cockroach.

Most True Vampires had been captured and stored as high quality alchemy regents, but Neo had managed to evade attention so far. She 19 this year, she thinks. So about 81 years left to live. True Vampires have a fixed lifespan. They are unkillable for 100 years and will dropped dead and fade into dust the moment they reach their 100th birthday.

Well, enough dreading about my life, she thinks. The bell by her clinic doer chimes again, and she has some new food to…..

Hmmm…..

10 guys in a suit? They don't look like patients.

"Neo Politan, is it?"

A wrinly old man shakily try to walk to her with his cane. He dressed rather fancy, so he's probably their boss

"A True Vampire! A True Immortal! You will give me the secret of immortality!"

Yikes, Neo thought to herself.

It looks like our quack doctor vampire is in a damsel in distress situation.

.

.

.

(((A/N)))

Urghh, I wrote this half asleep then posting after trying to fix any error I found. If there's even more errors? Sorreh.