Chapter 126: [Demonic Essence: 1]
Red veins erupted across his skin like lightning made of blood, spreading from his heart outward in branching patterns that traced down his arms and up his neck.
The sensation was like being branded from the inside, as if molten metal was flowing through his circulatory system, rewriting every nerve ending with liquid fire.
Jack collapsed to his knees, a scream tearing from his throat that echoed off the mountain walls.
His back arched as waves of agony crashed through him, each pulse feeling like his bones were being shattered and reformed.
The pain was so intense that his body convulsed, muscles seizing as if struck by lightning.
His vision went white, then black, then white again as consciousness threatened to abandon him entirely.
Saliva mixed with blood dripped from his mouth as he bit down hard enough to crack his teeth. Every heartbeat felt like a hammer blow against his ribs from the inside.
Corvin shrieked in alarm, flapping his wings frantically as his master writhed on the rocky ground like a man possessed.
Jack’s fingernails scraped against stone, leaving bloody trails as his hands clawed for something, anything, to anchor him against the tsunami of transformation tearing through his body.
[DING!]
[New Skill Obtained!]
[Devourer (Level 1): You have consumed the heart of a fallen enemy!]
[Eating the hearts of your enemies grants increased power and essence absorption!]
[New Skill Obtained!]
[Enhanced Constitution (Level 1): Demonic essence has reinforced your physical structure!]
[Your bones and skin have been strengthened by infernal energy. Blunt force trauma requires significantly more impact to cause injury. Recovery time from physical damage reduced by 40%.]
[Reward: +5 to all stats! +50,000 Reputation Points! +1 Demonic Essence!]
[The Abyssal Sovereign approves of your decision!]
[DING!]
[Demonic Essence has bonded with your soul!]
[Consume more Demonic Essence to evolve your body and unlock greater power!]
[Warning: Essence integration process is painful but not harmful]
[Integration complete in 3... 2... 1...]
The pain vanished as suddenly as it had begun, leaving Jack gasping on the cold stone.
The red veins faded from his skin, but he could still feel something different inside him, a warmth that hadn’t been there before, like a small flame burning in his chest.
As he pushed himself to his feet, Jack noticed something remarkable. His body felt denser somehow, as if his bones had been reinforced with steel. The scrapes on his hands from clawing at the stone should have been deeper, but the cuts seemed superficial despite the force he’d used.
He flexed his fingers experimentally, amazed to find that he felt stronger. Not just fed, but genuinely more powerful.
[Status Update]
Strength: 55 (+30)
Stamina: 55 (+25)
Agility: 55 (+25)
Vitality: 55 (+25)
Endurance: 55 (+30)
Magic: 105 (+40)
Mana: 400
HP: 1,875
Skill Points: 110
Stat Points: 77
Reputation Points: 66,096
Magic Talent Rank: S
Martial Talent Rank: S
[Demonic Essence: 1]
"What have I become?" Jack whispered, staring at his hands. They looked the same, but he could feel the change in his bones, in his blood, in the very structure of his being.
The transformation had left him altered.
Stronger, more resilient, but also something that was no longer entirely human.
Before the System could respond, another notification flashed across his vision:
[DING!]
[Congratulations! You have slain an enemy!]
[+2,500 EXP]
[+500 Death Tokens]
Jack’s new ring and bracelet suddenly flared with crimson light, their enchantments recognizing the kill and beginning their work.
The Crimson Recovery ring pulsed warmly against his finger, restoring health and mana he didn’t even know he’d lost.
But it was the next notification that made his blood run cold:
[Alert!]
[All monsters within 5 miles have detected your presence!]
[Demonic Essence resonance identified by hostile entities!]
[Prepare for combat!]
Jack looked around the barren mountain ledge, feeling suddenly exposed.
Somewhere out there, creatures were already moving toward him, drawn by whatever signal his equipment has sent out.
"Well," he said to Corvin, who had settled back onto his shoulder with obvious concern, "I guess we’re about to find out if eating demon hearts was worth it."
The wind picked up, carrying with it a new scent that made him recoil.
The unmistakable stench of rotten flesh.
Jack gripped his Lightning Spear and watched the shadows between the rocks, waiting for the first of his enemies to show themselves.
---
Far away in the mountain peaks, in a chamber carved from living obsidian and lit by flames that cast no shadows, an ancient communication crystal pulsed with urgent light.
The Abyssal Depths stretched endlessly in all directions, a realm of black stone and crimson skies where time moved differently and power was the only currency that mattered.
Here, in a throne room that could have housed a cathedral, figures moved with purpose that transcended mortal understanding.
An old man sat upon a throne carved from a single piece of midnight stone, his presence filling the vast chamber despite his human appearance.
His beard was long and silver, his frame still powerful despite apparent age, and the dark purple armor he wore made him look like a knight.
The communication crystal’s pulse grew more insistent, and he gestured languidly toward it. The crystal flared to life, its surface swirling with colors that existed only in nightmares.
"My lord," came a voice from within the crystal, tinged with confusion and growing concern. "I... I have lost track of the young master."
His dark eyes, dark as the void between stars, were fixed on the crystal with interest rather than anger. "Have you now?"
"He was in his chambers yesterday, but when I attempted to locate him for the afternoon’s activities, he had simply... vanished. No one has seen him leave the estate. It’s as if he simply ceased to exist."
A slow smile spread across the man’s ancient features, revealing teeth that were perhaps too sharp for human comfort.
"Oh, but I know exactly where young Jack Kaiser has gone."
Silence from the crystal, heavy with confusion.
"My lord, I... I don’t understand. Should I continue searching?"
"You will do nothing," he commanded, his voice carrying the weight of eons.
"Continue your duties as if nothing has changed. Observe. Report. But do not, under any circumstances, attempt to locate or interfere with the boy’s journey."
"But my lord, if something has happened to him..."
"Something has happened to him," the old man agreed, his smile widening.
"Something wonderful. The first Soul Warden in three centuries has just taken his first taste of demonic essence. Can you feel it? The resonance? The awakening?"
The crystal pulsed with energy that seemed almost excited.
"The prophecy speaks of one who will bridge the gap between mortal and divine, who will consume his enemies and transform their power into his own. Today, that prophecy takes its first real step toward fulfillment."
Footsteps echoed through the throne room, measured and precise. A figure approached from the shadows.
He was a tall, elegant man, dressed in the impeccable attire of a perfect butler. His appearance was human, but his eyes held depths that spoke of things far older and more dangerous.
They flared red as he spoke.
"My lord," the butler said, bowing with fluid grace. "I felt the resonance as well. The boy has begun his transformation."
He turned to regard his servant with approval. "Indeed, S. The items you gave Death are working perfectly."
S straightened, a satisfied expression crossing his refined features. "The Sanguine Accelerator and Crimson Recovery ring will serve him well. Though I confess, I had not expected him to embrace the essence so quickly."
"Desperation makes even the most civilized beings pragmatic," the Overlord mused. "And young Jack Kaiser is nothing if not a survivor."
The communication crystal pulsed again, and the Overlord waved a dismissive hand toward it. "Continue your surveillance, but remain invisible. The boy must never suspect that his journey is being guided."
The crystal went dark.
S moved closer to the throne, his expression thoughtful. "My lord, shall I personally observe his progress? The transformation period can be... unpredictable."
The Overlord considered this, his ancient gaze fixed on something far beyond the throne room’s walls.
"Yes, but maintain your distance. Death has taken an interest in the boy, and I have no desire to deal with that meddlesome deity’s protective instincts. He does not need to know that your master is I."
"Of course, my lord." The butler bowed again. "I shall ensure the young Soul Warden’s development proceeds smoothly."
As the butler faded back into the shadows, the Overlord leaned back in his throne, an expression of deep satisfaction settling over his features.