Cold. Mud. The taste of iron on my tongue. I tear my eyes open.
Rain lashes against my face, but the ringing in my ears is gone. I push myself upright—immediately. Without hesitation.
Eight meters away, Kai stands exactly where he was moments ago. He doesn't move. His face is frozen in pure disbelief. I haven't been gone for long—just a brief lapse in reality.
"How did you…?" he forces out, his gaze locked on my torso.
I follow his stare. Where Kai's sword nearly split me in half moments ago, my shirt is torn wide open. The fabric is cleanly cut, soaked in blood. I feel for the wound, but find nothing. No cut. No scar. Not even a scratch. My skin is smooth, as if the blade never touched me.
Did I imagine it? No. The fabric is gone. The blood is real.
"Ah. I see," Kai says. His voice is calm now. Analytical. "You have awakened your ability. Your mana color… white. A special type."
He takes a combat stance. Flames crawl up his blade, hissing as the rain strikes them. "You instinctively know how to use it now, don't you? But you have no idea how it actually works."
He's right. I feel it. Two concepts burn into the back of my mind like glowing seals: Blessing of Regeneration and Blessing of Speed. I use them without thinking; my survival instinct issues the commands.
"You think that saves you?!" Kai roars and charges. "You can't win! Not against me!"
I need to do it again. I need control. How about… Blessing of Invincibility? I whisper the words in my mind.
Nothing happens. No change. No power.
Why? That voice earlier… it was different. Loud. Commanding. Absolute.
Kai's sword comes down. I twist aside, but I'm too slow. Heat scorches my flank. I feel flesh sear. I flip onto my hands, spin, and scramble back to my feet to gain distance. He gives me no room to breathe. He's already in front of me again.
Now.
>> BLESSING OF REGENERATION << This time, my inner voice is a roaring storm. At the same moment, I feel a vast emptiness open inside me. My mana core drains at a terrifying rate, like a plug ripped from a barrel. The wound on my side closes mid-movement.
But the cost is insane. If this continues, I'll be empty in two minutes.
Kai swings again. I jump back—but a trail of fire bursts from his blade and slams into my stomach.
"Aaaargh!"
>> BLESSING OF SPEED << The world freezes. Rain hangs in the air like crystal beads. I move. In a blink, I kick Kai's sword out of his hand.
A sharp pain tears through my mana core. Time snaps back. Normality.
Kai looks startled—only for a moment. Then he recovers instantly and grabs me by the throat. No air. I can't breathe.
"Die, you filthy Otherworlder!" he snarls, tightening his grip.
These blessings… they use my mana as fuel, but they drain too much. Maybe I can control them? Throttle the flow? I can't burn everything at once. I have to regulate the output.
>> BLESSING OF STRENGTH << I grab the arm crushing my throat. I channel only a minimum amount of mana into my fingers—just enough. I squeeze. He tries to shove me away with his other hand, but I don't budge. Like a wall.
"I get it now," I say coldly. "I can grant myself blessings. Abilities that push my body beyond human limits."
I feel the mana flowing. It's a system. An inventory.
"Let go!" he screams and swings—
>> BLESSING OF SPEED << Ten percent output. No time stop. Just slightly faster reflexes. Enough to evade without draining my core.
I release his arm and slam my fist into his face. The blow is amplified by the still-active Blessing of Strength. Kai flies into the mud.
Ah. So I can stack them. But the mana drain is constant—even when I don't need it.
I focus. Cut the energy supply. Instantly, my strength and speed return to normal. But the blessings remain. Dormant. Ready. I just need to let the mana flow again.
"This is getting interesting," I say, walking toward him.
Kai struggles to his feet. He's shaking. "What kind of power is this…? It makes no sense…"
I look at him—an adult demon retreating from a child.
"You talked so much about human weakness, Kai," I say calmly. "But you forgot one thing: We're very good at creating tools to compensate for our weaknesses. And my blessings… are the ultimate tool."
Fear enters his eyes. Pure fear.
"Damn it… I have to get out of here!" He turns and runs. No pride. No honor. He flees into the castle.
I follow at a leisurely pace. Fear is an excellent motivator, and I want to see where it leads him.
The familiar corridors echo under my steps, but the former grandeur is draped in crimson. Corpses litter the marble floors—guards, their armor torn apart like paper. They have been dead for a while. Kai and his companion must have struck immediately after the negotiation.
Where is Daemon? Still fighting Azrhael? That demon notices me despite my suppressed presence. Dangerous. Can Daemon win?
As I take a fallen guard's sword, my thoughts drift to Aurora. She has created her special magic. If her opponent is on Kai's level, she should win—unless he carries an artifact. Then it'll be hard.
An open door catches my attention. I slip inside. Servants cower in the corners, trembling so violently their teeth chatter.
"It's alright," I say, my voice far too calm. "The demons are gone."
Suddenly, a maid grabs my leg. "M-M-Master Kael…" she sobs. "Run—"
Hell breaks loose. Kai erupts from behind them, his hand engulfed in flames, his face twisted with hatred.
"DIE!"
>> BLESSING OF SPEED << The world stretches. I slip past him as flames scorch the space I just occupied. In one fluid motion, I draw the sword and carve deep into his unprotected back.
Kai screams and collapses to his knees. "That's it, Kai. This is your end—"
Darkness.
My balance falters. An endless emptiness spreads through my chest. Damn it. My mana is completely depleted. The blessings shut down.
Kai staggers up and grabs the maid, clutching her by the neck, his hand blazing at her throat.
"One step closer and I kill her!"
I stare at him coldly.
"Stand up, woman!" he snarls. He glares at me. "I'll escape with her. Move and she dies."
She whimpers, begging me with her eyes. A laugh escapes my throat. Soft at first. Then louder. Cruel.
"Hahaha… HAHAHAHA!"
Kai stares at me in disbelief. "What's so funny?!"
"You really think her life means anything to me?" I ask, all warmth gone. "She's a servant. A tool. Replaceable."
"What are you saying?!"
Too late. A tiny spark of mana returns to my core—just enough for this one moment. I channel it directly into my arm muscles. I throw the sword.
Perfectly.
The blade pierces her body and buries itself deep in Kai's chest. Both mouths erupt in blood. Heart. Direct hit.
I walk closer, stopping right in front of him.
"It was fun fighting you," I whisper, slowly pulling the sword from both bodies. "I wanted this. A battle to break my limits and gain new power. Thanks for the experience. That's all you were worth."
The maid collapses lifelessly. Kai falls to his knees, clawing at the wound.
"Please… let me live…"
"Oh, poor Kai. How pathetic. You are dead the moment you turn your back."
"No—!"
One clean strike. His head rolls across the floor and stops at my feet.
I check the maid's pulse. Nothing. She's dead.
The other servants stare at me in horror. "How could you…?"
I look at them with such cold authority that the words die in their throats. They lower their heads.
Then—a presence.
I spin around. Maelis. My mother. Pale. Eyes wide with terror. She has seen everything.
"How long have you been standing there?" I ask, my voice ice-cold.
"Kael… the maid… why…?"
She knows now. Without another word, I charge forward, the blooded sword tight in my hand. I have to silence her.