Chapter 1057: The Truth of the Blood Source 1
In the beginning, Yharnam was merely a remote, small city. Even the people of Yharnam had forgotten the origins of this place. The historical records concerning this small city were preserved only in Yharnam’s sole academic institution—Byrgenwerth College.
In reality, the geographical location of Yharnam was once the center of an ancient kingdom known as the “Pthumerian Civilization.” However, the Pthumerian Civilization had long since vanished into the river of history. Only the occasional excavation of Pthumerian-era tombs could offer a glimpse into the former glory of this ancient civilization.
Byrgenwerth College developed a profound interest in the unearthed Pthumerian ancient civilization. As more and more tombs were excavated, scholars discovered that these tombs contained records of many incomprehensible pieces of knowledge, such as “Great Ones,” “the Beast Scourge,” “the Higher Beings,” “Eyes,” “Transcendence of Thought,” and so on.
They speculated that the ancient Pthumerians had once coexisted with alien life forms known as the “Great Ones,” and had created a highly brilliant and splendid civilization, only to be suddenly destroyed by some mysterious power.
Thus, Byrgenwerth ignited a fervor for the study of the Pthumerian civilization, with the research led by the head of Byrgenwerth College, Master Willem.
They organized expeditions to delve deep into the tombs of the Pthumerian civilization. Although they encountered terrifying monsters never before seen, they also produced countless stunning archaeological discoveries.
The Pthumerian texts recorded: By acquiring the “Inner Eye,” also known as “Insight,” one could elevate the level of human thought, evolving to a level of thinking comparable to the “Great Ones,” gaining knowledge beyond human reach, and perceiving phenomena beyond the human field of vision, thereby achieving human evolution.
According to the records, the “Inner Eye” existed within the human brain. The greater the number, the higher the level of thought.
However, Master Willem had no clue how to obtain the “Inner Eye” until the excavation of the Great Isz Chalice.
This bizarre object was sealed at the center of a vast labyrinth, its shape strange and utterly devoid of any rules.
During research, it was proven to be a living entity. As long as human blood was placed within it, the chalice would release eggs into the blood. By then ingesting this blood, one could obtain the “Inner Eye.”
With the help of his prized disciple, Laurence, Master Willem injected this “blessed blood.” Within just a few days, the aged Master Willem felt his perception become sharper, and his mental state rapidly improved, as if countless eyes were observing the world simultaneously.
This result thrilled Byrgenwerth College. This blood began to be called “Blood of the Great Ones,” and the “Inner Eye” was renamed “Insight.”
Research revealed that continuous infusion of the Blood of the Great Ones would steadily increase the level of Insight. Thus, under Master Willem’s guidance, the college initiated large-scale blood transfusion experiments.
More students gained Insight, and the study of the Pthumerian civilization soon advanced at an even faster pace.
However, the side effects of the blood transfusions quickly became apparent.
The researchers who underwent transfusions exhibited varying degrees of blood dependency, constantly increasing the dosage to raise their Insight levels.
For humans, the increase in Insight was not limitless. Beyond a certain threshold, the human brain would go mad from being unable to bear the massive influx of information. Surplus Insight would even manifest on the human body in the form of eyeballs.
Master Willem discovered that numerous wriggling eyeballs had grown on his forehead, filling him with terror.
Finally, Byrgenwerth saw its first case of death caused by blood transfusion. This student, violating the rules, had undergone prolonged, massive blood transfusions, leading to violent suicide.
An autopsy revealed that the student’s head was covered in compound eyes, like those of a fly. The true nature of these eyes was a special type of parasite. These parasites perceived the outside world and transmitted the perceived information to the human brain—this was the true face of Insight.
The awakened Master Willem covered his eyes with a large hat, for he no longer needed his eyes to see the world.
Subsequently, Master Willem ordered a halt to the blood transfusion experiments to put an end to this suicidal behavior. However, this action sparked protests from his student Laurence and many other students who had become dependent on the Blood of the Great Ones.
Because research indicated that humans were not entirely incapable of handling large amounts of Insight; they simply needed something called the “Eye Rope.” As the name suggested, this thing was a cord connecting the brain to the eyes.
Laurence believed that the dependency and madness caused by transfusions were merely temporary side effects. As long as the “Eye Rope” could be found, everything would be resolved. The experiments should not be interrupted due to temporary setbacks.
In response, Master Willem gave a public lecture. During his investigation, he discovered that the “Eye Rope” was referred to as the “Third Umbilical Cord” in Pthumerian texts, because it was a physiological structure carried by the Great Ones at birth.
The Great Ones had three umbilical cords. The first connected the god to the mother; the second connected the god’s will to the cosmos; the third connected the brain to the Inner Eye.
Humans could indeed use the “Eye Rope,” or the “Third Umbilical Cord,” to control large amounts of Insight. However, the Third Umbilical Cord could only be obtained by killing a newborn Great One, which was nothing short of a fantasy.
Thus, Byrgenwerth terminated the blood transfusion experiments. “Fear the Blood of the Great Ones” became the admonition of this school.
Nevertheless, an explicit ban did not mean complete prohibition.
Byrgenwerth continued to study the Pthumerian tombs, and many addicted students continued to produce blood privately. They extracted blood from students who had already received transfusions and sought out high-quality blood source subjects.
It was speculated that the bloodline of such high-quality blood source subjects should be closer to that of the ancient Pthumerians, or even closer to the Great Ones.
Laurence, still ambitious, continued to explore the Pthumerian tombs. He discovered a new area around the original “Isz” burial grounds called “Loran City.” This was a city of the Pthumerian civilization, but it had been destroyed by the “Beast Scourge.”
Here, Laurence discovered a substance called “Blood of Oedon.” According to the texts, this formless Oedon was a genuine Great One. As long as one accepted the Blood of Oedon, at the right moment, a blessed womb would give birth to a child of the god.
In other words, the Third Umbilical Cord that Laurence so desperately sought could be obtained through this method.
So, Laurence took the Blood of Oedon and bid farewell to Master Willem. The master and disciple parted ways due to conflicting ideologies. A group of scholars followed Laurence, and they founded an organization called the “Healing Church.”
Using the fact that the Blood of Oedon could cure difficult and complicated diseases, Laurence led the Healing Church to promote the technique of blood healing throughout Yharnam. On one hand, this was to continuously expand the Healing Church’s influence; on the other hand, it was to find the right opportunity for the child of Oedon to be born into this world, thereby seizing the Third Umbilical Cord.