System Activation: Demonic Pact Interface Initiated
Status:
Metric
Value
Health
19%
Stamina
5%
Demonic Energy
10%
Primal Energy
75%
System Alerts:
Type
Message
Warning
Demonic Energy depleted. Engaging reserves to stabilize core.
Warning
Energy release required. Deducting from highest available pool.
Warning
Core release limit exceeded. Removing core restrictions. Overflow parameters initiated.
Alert
Current core anomaly detected: incompatible with standard demonic core.
Update
New core discovered: -Redacted-. Integrating with meridians.
Alert
Meridian pathways incompatible. Adopting -Redacted- Meridian protocol.
Status
Success. Meridians of N’Zol The Black Prince integrated with target core.
----------------------------------------
Erik stumbled as the system’s first wave of energy crashed through him. The notifications flared, the crimson characters jagged and alien, reforming themselves into something he could barely comprehend.
A jolt of energy surged through his chest, and his vision blurred as his core pulsed violently. It wasn’t pain- it was pressure, a relentless force that seemed to tear through his body. Erik clenched his teeth, gripping his side as another notification burned into his mind:
“Warning: Core restrictions removed. Overflow parameters engaged.”
The words barely registered before his meridians flared to life, their pathways filling with raw, energy. It coursed through him like liquid fire, burning away his exhaustion even as it threatened to rip him apart. He fell to one knee, his breath ragged, as the system continued.
----------------------------------------
Alerts:
Type
Message
System Update
Host Race: “Human” incompatible. Searching for nearest compatible race.
Authorization
Race Located: Cambion. Royal Approval Found.
Update
Core stabilized. Primal and demonic energy aligned.
----------------------------------------
The notifications blurred together in Erik’s mind, the world around him dimming under the strain. He felt his body adapt in real-time, his core shifting, his meridians locking into place. Yet, every change came with a cost- his limbs trembled under the weight of the energy flooding through him, and his chest felt like it was about to collapse.
Finally, a single notification stood out, glowing brighter than the rest:
“Initial integration successful. Welcome to the Demonic System.”
----------------------------------------
Final Status:
Attribute
Value
Title
Unknown
Race
Cambion (Half Demon/Human)
Classification
Guardian Class
Group
Royal Protector Group
Skill Set
Developing
Rank
Brimstone
Level
1
----------------------------------------
New Skills Acquired:
Skill Type
Skill
Active
Sin Eater
Passive
Eldritch Detection
Passive
Demonic Detection
Passive
Demonic Eyesight
The final surge of energy coursed through Erik, overwhelming and terrifying, before it suddenly... settled. His core, once a chaotic force threatening to destroy him, now felt anchored. He inhaled sharply, the fire in his veins cooling to a simmer, leaving only raw power humming beneath the surface. His limbs still trembled, but his senses sharpened with precision unlike anything he had ever experienced.
The notifications dimmed, their crimson light fading from his vision, leaving behind only a chilling silence. Erik staggered to his feet, his eyes glowing faintly as the system’s final words etched themselves into his mind:
“Initialization complete.”
He didn’t fully understand what had just happened, but as his fingers flexed, feeling the raw strength coursing through him.
Dominion’s deep, guttural laugh echoed through the chamber, reverberating off the jagged stone walls like a cruel symphony. His figure loomed in the flickering light, wreathed in an aura of darkness so thick it felt alive. He tilted his head slightly, his now green bright eyes narrowing as he watched Erik stagger to his feet.
“You think this is enough?” Dominion’s voice dripped with mockery, his tone calm but edged with contempt.
“A little borrowed power, with some half-formed strength… and you believe you can stand against me?”
Erik’s body trembled, every muscle straining against the torrent of energy surging through him. His core burned, his meridians still aflame from the raw infusion of power. His hands clenched the hilt of his blade, his knuckles white with the effort it took just to stay upright. Yet, despite the inferno within him, Erik raised his head, his glowing eyes locking onto Dominion with unyielding defiance.
Dominion sneered.
“Look at you. Barely standing. You’ve tapped into something you don’t even understand, and it’s already eating you alive.”
He began to step forward, his movements slow and deliberate, each step exuding menace.
“You’re at your limit, boy. That pathetic attempt to ‘ascend’…it’s nothing more than a flash in the pan.”
Erik gritted his teeth, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fought to steady himself. The weight of Dominion’s words pressed against him, but he refused to falter.
Erik growled, his voice low but steady.
“If I’m so weak, finish it.”
Dominion stopped, his smirk widening as his aura darkened further, the shadows around him rippling like a living entity.
“Oh, I will,” he said, his voice like silk laced with venom.
“But first, I want to savor this moment- the look on your face when you realize you were never meant to win.”
With a sudden burst of motion, Dominion thrust his hand forward, Green and Black tendrils of eldritch energy lashing out toward Erik. The air crackled with malevolence, the raw power of the attack overwhelming in its intensity. Erik barely had time to react, his body instinctively moving, his blade rising to intercept the assault.
The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber, stone splintering and debris scattering as Erik was forced back, his feet skidding across the ground. His arms shook under the strain, the collision of forces driving him dangerously close to collapse. The demonic energy within him surged in response, pushing his body beyond its limits just to keep him standing.
Dominion laughed again, louder this time, the sound ringing with triumph.
“See? Even with your newfound strength, you’re nothing more than a pawn. Struggle all you want; it only makes your defeat more satisfying.”
Erik’s chest heaved as he steadied himself, sweat dripping from his brow. The fire within his core refused to dim, urging him forward despite the agony wracking his body. He tightened his grip on his blade, his gaze unwavering.
“You talk too much,” Erik spat, his voice cutting through the darkness like steel.
He took a step forward, pulling on the very lesson that Dominion had taught him, he reached into his new core and found the vastness astonishing… He was swimming in demonic energy like his body was float less and in complete control. He closed his eyes, and for the first time channeled and pushed his aura out flaring brighter, the demonic energy entwined within him igniting his very body in dark red flames, as he opened his eyes that emitted a now red crimson color.
Dominion’s smirk faltered for a split second, his gaze narrowing as Erik’s stance steadied, his defiance unbroken. Whatever Erik had become, it wasn’t what Dominion expected.
Erik’s lips curled into a faint, almost feral grin, as he disappeared in front of Dominion, only to appear in front; already half way through a brutal strike connecting with Dominion’s chest that sent a shockwave through the chamber, shattering the runic protections within the training chamber.
The green aura around Dominion faded like dispersing mist from a crashing wave, Dominion’s facade crumbling. Dominion’s robes, once immaculate and pristine, began to fray and decay before Erik’s eyes. The cloth seemed to rot away, disintegrating into tattered, soiled shreds that clung to his disfigured form. Dominion’s transformation was grotesque; his limbs elongated, twisted at unnatural angles, and his skin took on a pallid, corpse-like hue. Where once stood a seemingly human figure now stood a monstrosity, his mouth twisted in a perpetual grimace, teeth sharpened to ragged points, his voice shifting into something barely human; to a scraggly, echoing rasp that resonated like fingernails scraping on metal.
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“You… are mine,” Dominion hissed, its voice inhuman, the evil taint evident in every syllable.
Its eyes glowed with an eerie, greenish light, with the flesh and markings on its body shifted and swirled, forming grotesque symbols and various protrusions that oozed green ichor. Dominion’s body seemed to writhe as if it was alive, the energy inside it surging and moving beneath its flesh like a swarm of insects.
Dominions gaze pierced through Erik, the twisted grin widening, malice and ichor dripping from every inch of his disfigured elongated face. Dominion let out a shriek that tore through Erik’s mind like a thousand jagged shards leaping forward landing in an inhuman position of all fours mimicking somewhat of a millipede crawling towards its prey.
Dominion let out a guttural cough that turned into a wet gagging sound as a terrifying green plasma attack that started to form within its mouth that released droplets of putrid green ichor that burned the stone as it touched the ground. As Dominion approached Erik on the floor, with a mouth full of ichor and ooze, it launched itself upwards latching to the ceiling of the chamber, spitting the ooze as it continued to crawl on the ceiling on all fours.
Each attack missed Erik, causing Dominion to shriek in anger and abandon a ranged attack and changing into a frontal assault now with a tongue whipping out, full of warts oozing green pus and bits of plasma that made up the initial blast of green plasma.
Erik's chest heaved, his blade steady in his grasp despite the tremors running through his body. Dominion’s grotesque form loomed above him, its movements erratic yet unnervingly precise. The creature’s elongated limbs scuttled across the chamber’s ceiling, its claws gouging into the stone as it repositioned itself. Each hiss and shriek reverberated in Erik’s mind, an invasive assault that threatened to shatter his resolve.
The ichor dripped in slow, viscous droplets from Dominion’s maw, sizzling and burning through the stone floor below. Erik stepped carefully, his crimson eyes locking onto the creature’s every move. The sickly green plasma attack had missed him by inches, and the stench of the acidic substance still burned in his nostrils.
Dominion’s head jerked unnaturally, twisting at an impossible angle to face Erik. Its twisted grin widened further, revealing jagged teeth dripping with the same corrosive substance. With a guttural growl, it leapt from the ceiling, its body contorting mid-air as it landed mere feet from Erik. The impact cracked the stone beneath it, sending shards flying in every direction.
Without hesitation, Dominion lunged, its tongue whipping forward like a coiled serpent. The grotesque appendage lashed out, aiming for Erik’s chest, the warts and ichor along its length pulsing grotesquely. Erik twisted to the side, the tongue missing him by a hair’s breadth. The ground where it struck hissed and bubbled, leaving a deep, smoldering crater.
Erik retaliated with a sweeping slash of his blade, the steel glowing as demonic energy surged through it. The strike connected with Dominion’s tongue, severing its tip. The creature recoiled, letting out a high-pitched screech as the mutilated appendage writhed on the ground, oozing green ichor that burned through the stone like acid.
“Nasty.” Erik growled, stepping forward with renewed determination.
Dominion’s screech turned into a guttural snarl, its disfigured body writhing as it reared up to its full, monstrous height. The symbols etched into its flesh flared with sickly green light, pulsing in time with its erratic movements. It lashed out with one clawed arm, the jagged protrusions along its limbs whistling through the air like blades. Erik parried the strike, the force of the collision sending vibrations up his arms.
The creature lunged again, this time with both claws aiming to crush Erik between them. Erik crouched low, spinning beneath the attack with a grace that belied the exhaustion weighing on him. As Dominion’s claws slammed into the ground, Erik seized the opening, delivering a precise upward slash that tore through the creature’s forearm.
Dominion howled, its injured arm spasming violently as ichor sprayed from the wound. Erik pressed the advantage, channeling demonic energy into his legs as he launched himself forward. With a burst of speed, he appeared behind Dominion, slashing across its back. The strike left a deep, glowing gash that caused the runes on its body to flicker and dim.
Dominion staggered, its movements becoming more erratic as its twisted form struggled to hold itself together. The runes along its flesh writhed like living things, reshaping and reforming as the creature’s body began to morph.
“You dare…” it snarled, its voice layered with an otherworldly distortion.
The symbols on its body pulsed violently, and Dominion’s form grew larger, more grotesque. Additional limbs sprouted from its sides, clawed and twitching, as its body twisted into a horrifying amalgamation of beast and eldritch nightmare. Its glowing eyes fixed on Erik with renewed malice, and it let out a deafening roar that shook the chamber.
Erik braced himself as Dominion charged, its massive bulk crashing forward with terrifying speed. The ground quaked beneath its weight, the air thick with the stench of burning ichor. Erik sidestepped at the last second, his blade flashing as he aimed for the creature’s legs. The strike connected, severing one of its newly sprouted limbs, but Dominion’s momentum carried it forward, forcing Erik to dive out of the way.
Dominion hissed, its mutilated body twisting unnaturally as ichor dripped from its wounds. The grotesque runes on its flesh burned brighter, pulsating erratically as if feeding off its pain. Its elongated limbs clawed at the ground, tearing through the stone as it advanced.
Before Erik could react, Dominion’s form blurred, its massive bulk moving with impossible speed. It reappeared behind him, its claws raking across Erik’s side. The sharp talons slicing into flesh with brutal precision. Erik cried out, staggering forward as blood spattered the ground.
Dominion laughed, the sound reverberating through the chamber like a distorted melody.
“Did you think this power would make you untouchable? You’re nothing.”
Erik gritted his teeth, pressing a hand to his side as pain flared through him. The wound burned, the edges blackened by the acidic ichor left behind by Dominion’s claws. His vision swam, the room spinning for a moment before he forced himself to steady.
Dominion didn’t relent. With another inhuman screech, it lunged forward, slamming into Erik with the force of a battering ram. Erik flew backward, crashing into a pillar with a sickening thud that cracked the stone. The impact knocked the air from his lungs, and his blade slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground several feet away.
Erik struggled to push himself up, his muscles screaming in protest. Dominion loomed over him, its disfigured face twisting into a sadistic grin.
“Is this it?” it mocked, its voice low and menacing.
“The great warrior, brought low so easily?”
It raised one clawed hand, the runes along its arm flaring with a sickly green light. Erik barely had time to roll aside as the claw came crashing down, splitting the stone floor where he had been moments before. Dust and debris filled the air, choking Erik as he scrambled to his feet, every movement a battle against the searing pain in his side.
Dominion advanced again, its steps slow and deliberate, as though savoring the moment.
“You’re nothing without that sword,” it said, its voice echoing with cruel amusement.
“Go ahead; crawl to it. Show me how far you’ll go before I break you completely.”
Erik’s eyes flicked to his blade, lying just out of reach. He clenched his fists, his demonic core flaring within him as he summoned every ounce of strength he had left. The pain in his side was a relentless reminder of his limits, but he refused to let it consume him.
Dominion lunged once more, its grotesque form blurring as it closed the distance in an instant. Erik snatched his blade and raised it, bracing for impact, but the force of the strike sent him skidding back, his feet leaving marks on the stone floor. Pain radiated through his body, his blood pounding in his ears as Dominion’s mocking laughter echoed around him. Erik’s vision blurred, his core burning with demonic energy that surged wildly, desperately searching for an outlet. As Dominion’s claws came down again, Erik’s world seemed to slow, his body trembling not with fear, but with fury and pure unrelenting rage.
A notification flashed across his vision, jagged crimson letters that seemed to burn into his mind:
"Sin of Wrath Unlocked Skill. Channel the fury within. Become the storm."
The words barely registered before Erik’s body reacted. His core flared violently, flooding his meridians with molten energy. His eyes snapped open, glowing a deep, blood-red, the air around him thickened, vibrating with oppressive power as cracks spread beneath his feet, releasing fiery embers that danced along the ground. His muscles coiled with newfound strength, the pain in his body fading into insignificance as the rage consumed him and his face turned into a permanent snarl.
Dominion hesitated, its twisted grin faltering for the first time as Erik rose. Erik’s let out a low guttural growl cutting through the suffocating silence.
Dominion hissed, ichor dripping from its maw. It lunged forward, claws outstretched in desperation. With a single step, Erik vanished in a blur of motion, the ground beneath him exploding into shards of stone Erik met the attack head-on, his blade flashing in a crimson arc.
Dominion screeched, its claws sparking against Erik’s weapon as its momentum was stopped cold. Erik didn’t falter. His enhanced strength surged, driving Dominion back with each relentless strike. Every swing of his blade left glowing arcs in the air, the force of the blows breaking through Dominion’s defenses like brittle glass. The creature’s movements grew more frantic, its grotesque limbs flailing in an attempt to counter Erik’s onslaught.
“Die.” Erik growled, his voice guttural, layered with the raw fury of the Sin of Wrath.
With a roar, Dominion launched itself upward, clinging to the ceiling as it prepared another barrage of green plasma. Erik’s glowing crimson eyes followed the creature’s every movement, his senses heightened to an almost preternatural degree. Dominion released a torrent of acidic ichor from above, the vile liquid raining down in an attempt to engulf Erik.
Erik planted his feet, his core flaring brighter as he slashed upward with all his might. The arc of his blade unleashed a shockwave so powerful it split the falling plasma in two, the fragments sizzling harmlessly against the walls. The force struck Dominion mid-attack, sending it crashing to the ground in a tangled, writhing heap.
Dominion struggled to rise, its twisted form cracking and oozing as its energy faltered. Erik stood over it, his blade raised, the crimson glow reflecting off the broken stone around them. He channeled deep into his core, finding the deepest reserves possible, his sword bursting with deep bright red flames engulfed Erik. He tightened his grip on the blade, his will sharper than ever brought his sword down over and over until Dominions body was no longer tangibly identifiable.
Erik fell to one knee, his chest heaving, his body trembling with exhaustion. The air in the chamber thickened again, a faint, sickly green glow emanating from the scattered remains of Dominion’s dismembered body.
The demon’s voice growled, sharp and insistent.
“Do you think this is over!? His essence is reforming, he will reform again!”
Erik clenched his jaw, trying to gather strength he didn’t have. His vision swam, the edges darkening as his body threatened to give out completely.
“I have… nothing left,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
“You don’t need strength,” the demon hissed, its tone both urgent and commanding.
“Use Sin Eater. Consume the energy from the corpses; the eldritch essence, the power he left behind. Take it all before it’s too late!”
Erik’s eyes flicked toward Dominion’s remains. The ichor and shattered runes scattered across the floor had begun to shift, pulling together in grotesque, slithering motions. The sickly green energy spiraled upward, gathering into a pulsating core at the center of the room. It pulsed ominously, the eldritch essence knitting together fragments of Dominion’s ruined body.
Erik forced himself upright, leaning heavily on his blade. He closed his eyes, reaching deep into the fragments of his remaining willpower. Erik raised his trembling hand, the faint glow of demonic energy reigniting around him as he focused on the skill.
His voice was low, steady, and filled with grim resolve.
“Feed…”
The air around him shifted, the oppressive aura of Dominion’s essence faltering for a moment as Erik’s core responded. His eyes snapped open, glowing with renewed crimson light as an immense vortex of energy began to form around him. The scattered ichor, broken runes, and fragments of eldritch power were pulled toward Erik, spiraling faster and faster into the vortex.
Dominion’s essence screeched, the sound grating and unholy, as if it were resisting the pull. The green ichor twisted violently, clawing at the ground as it tried to escape. But Sin Eater was relentless, an insatiable force that consumed everything in its path. Tendrils of energy shot toward Erik, slamming into the mouth on his hand and flooding his core with raw, eldritch power.
The pain was immediate and searing. Erik felt as though his veins were on fire, his meridians struggling to contain the torrent of energy pouring into him. His knees buckled, but he held firm, gritting his teeth as the last of Dominion’s essence was ripped from the air.
The green core at the center of the room collapsed inward, its light dimming before it was finally consumed leaving behind only the sound of Erik’s ragged breathing. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, the chamber growing still as the eldritch resurrection was halted.
Erik dropped to the ground, his body completely spent. His vision blurred as exhaustion overtook him, the last remnants of the consumed energy settling uneasily within his core. The demon’s voice echoed faintly in his mind, its tone less harsh now, almost satisfied.
“Good.”
Erik’s lips twisted into a faint, bitter smile as his consciousness began to fade. The weight of the battle, the toll on his body, and the enormity of what he had just done pressed down on him like a mountain.
As the darkness claimed him, the rest of the structure also went dark, loosing the only connection tethering its disguise to the perception Dominion wanted everyone to believe was real.
The only thought that lingered for Erik was simple and final:
It’s over.
With a thud, Erik fell face forward laying down on the ground in the large training chamber surrounded by a brutal scene of crimson red and green ichor.
A new set of prompts continued to activate even though Erik lay unconscious.
Secondary Effect activated: (Sin Eater) Absorbs Eldritch energy to form a protective shield.
System Update: Post-Battle Status
Current Status:
Metric
Value
Health
29% (actively recovery)
Stamina
15% (actively recovery)
Demonic Energy
0% (actively recovery)
Primal Energy
8% (actively recovery)
-Redacted- Core
Absorbing Eldritch Core (8% converted to Primal Energy)
Recovery Systems:
System
Status
Sin of Wrath
Disengaged
Emergency Recovery
Activated
Time to Full Recovery
2 Days
System After-Action Update
Title Update:
Old Title
New Title
Unknown
Eldritch Exorcist
Skill Set Update:
Old Skill Set
New Skill Set
Developing
Seven Deadly Sins
Progression Update:
Attribute
Value
Progression to Next Level
99% Complete
Requirement to Level Up
Full Recovery Required
----------------------------------------
Skill Updates
Skill Acquired: Sin Eater
Type
Active Skill
Effect
Consume hostile energy to replenish core, stamina, and health. Boosts demonic power.
Secondary Effect
Absorbs Eldritch energy to form a protective shield. Reflects 10% of damage dealt.
Drawback
Overloading risks Sin Overload and Berserk Fury.
Cooldown
60 seconds
Duration
Up to 10 seconds; shield duration extended by core absorption.
Skill Acquired: Sin of Wrath
Type
Active/Passive Accumulation
Effect
Temporarily enhances physical abilities. Unleashes devastating shockwaves with strikes.
Secondary Effect
Rage Ignition: 4% chance to release a fiery shockwave when struck.
Drawback
Prolonged use leads to exhaustion and potential collateral damage.
Cooldown
24 hours
Duration
30 seconds, extended with kills (max 1 minute).
Passive Skills Unlocked:
Skill Name
Effect
Eldritch Detection
Detect Eldritch entities and measure threat level.
Demonic Detection
Identify demonic presences and weaknesses.
Demonic Eyesight
See in darkness, perceive magic, and read demonic sigils.