The air turned heavy, and a bloodlust so strong filled the space that it became hard to breathe. Vell’s mind raced as he tried to think of a way to counter the creature, but no matter how many plans he came up with, they all led to his death.
[You should run. This is not a match you can win. But how you will do that is another question. Perhaps you should surrender?]
’Are you retarded? Does it look like it will accept my surrender? Haaah, a system like you is so useless.’
[You could try resonance with all your kids at once, though that might be dangerous at your current level.]
’Why are you only telling me this now? Fuck, what do I have to do to use resonance on all of them?’
[It is not hard. Just activate it, and you will be able to do it. There is no complicated explanation behind it. It is your skill, after all. You will instinctively know how to do it.]
He sighed, his body trembling under the pressure from the creature’s aura. The runes on his skin began to glow, and the air seemed to be sucked toward him as he activated the skill. His beasts glowed as well, and the connection between them grew stronger with each second. Unfortunately, he was not fast enough, as the creature appeared right beside him with a sinister smile on its face.
{Where did you punch me again? Was it here?}
A blow landed on his face, breaking his facial bones and sending him flying through the air. He crashed into a tree, and he let out a loud gasp. He struggled to breathe as his body collided with the ground with a sickening thud.
[Crap, master! Master! Are you alive?]
He was silent, and his body was motionless and bleeding out. Yenna was scared, and she was crying out for the creature to stop, but her words were unheard as it slowly approached him. It stood over him and looked down with a disappointed expression.
{Tch, that is it? You made me bleed, but that is all you can take? Are you trying to say I am weak?!}
It kicked him through the tree, and his body showed no signs of defiance. It then leaped above him, and its eyes still looked disappointed.
{You failed too, huh? I expected more. I am sorry, mother, it seems you were wrong.}
It came crashing down, and its attack connected, but it was not with Vell. It connected with his kids. All three of them took the brunt of the attack, and they crashed beside him.
{Huh? Are those his? Such loyalty.}
It landed and looked at their trembling bodies. The slimes were out for the count, but Wren got up. Her legs were trembling as she glared at the creature with hate and sadness in her eyes. She stood in front of her master, and her runes glowed as her claws grew, ready to strike.
Her body could barely stay on its feet, and her eyes were barely open, but she stood her ground. This touched the creature’s heart.
{You remind me of myself. Yes, even I-}
It instinctively jumped back as a cold sweat ran down its forehead.
A dark red aura surrounded Vell’s body, an aura so sinister that even Wren jumped back in fear. His body rose, or more accurately, it floated. The creature knew by instinct that it was facing death in the face.
"Haaaahhhhh." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✶𝓷𝓮𝓽
He exhaled a black smoke, and his eyes were pure dark, with only red pupils visible. His mana spread throughout the whole area, and it consumed everything in darkness.
[Master, what is this? What are you doing? This... this is not resonance. This is...]
[’Is the seal being undone? This is bad. Master is not ready to come back yet. I need to close it immediately.’]
Yenna covered her mouth. She was scared that if she made even the slightest noise, she would die. Wren and the slimes were quivering, scared of what their master had become. But the worst was the creature. Its world spun as many thoughts went through its head.
{’What is this... feeling? Is this... fear?’}
Its primal instinct to survive overrode its pride and bloodlust. Its legs trembled, and for the first time in its existence, it found itself unable to move, paralyzed by the suffocating presence before it.
"Hm? I see. The seal is getting undone. My memories are beginning to return. Yes, this is who I am, the embodiment of evil and destruction. My existence is a curse upon this world, a harbinger of chaos."
His voice was no longer his own. It was twisted and layered with something ancient, something otherworldly. His head tilted slightly, and his gaze pierced through the creature before him.
His mouth opened, and then a smirk formed, showing his pointy teeth.
The command was like a hammer striking the soul. The weight of that single word bore down upon the creature, and it forced its legs to buckle. It fell to its knees with a sharp gasp, and the ground beneath it cracked under the pressure of the oppressive aura. Its pride screamed in defiance, but its body betrayed it, quivering uncontrollably.
Vell—or whatever he had become—floated closer, and each step filled the air with an unbearable tension. His crimson pupils burned like embers in the darkness, and they locked onto the trembling figure before him.
"Do you feel it now?" he whispered, and his voice was low yet echoed like a thunderclap in the creature’s mind. "The weight of insignificance. The despair of knowing you are nothing in the face of true power."
[Master, please, stop this. You will destroy yourself! This power is not meant to be yours yet! The seal—]
"Silence. Watch that mouth of yours. I created you, and I can undo that with ease."
[You are not him. You are but a shell, an imposter, filth trying to act all mighty—]
He prepared to snap his fingers, to erase the system from existence, but it never came. His body froze as the runes in his arms shifted to the top of his hand, and they formed black circles.
"You... how dare you seal... me..."
His body went limp, and the oppressive mana disappeared. Everyone felt like they could finally breathe. His body collapsed, and Wren wasted no time running to his side. She rubbed her body against his, crying for him to be alright.
The creature was still on its knees, unable to get up, as the weight of his words still lingered, weighing it down. It slowly glanced at his collapsed body. It could attack him, but it could not find it in itself to do so. This was fear, a trauma that would last for a long time.
Not far from them was another group of similar-looking creatures. They were also sweating, and they kept a safe distance so they would not be sensed by Vell.
{Go inform mother. I believe she would love to hear this. Something dangerous has entered our home.}