Chapter 69 - Monster

The silence of the dimly lit chamber fractured with a sudden, violent tremor as Adam's body began to convulse uncontrollably. His form jerked against the golden chains that bound him, his muscles spasming with a raw, animalistic force. Every inch of him seemed to rebel against his constraints, the sudden motion jarring enough to send echoes ricocheting off the chamber’s walls. The sound of his shackles scraping against the stone was almost drowned out by the sharp, uneven gasps of his breath.

Abbess Xinhui, who had been carefully documenting the results of her experiments on the boy, paused mid-motion, her quill hovering just above the parchment. Her sharp eyes narrowed, taking in the scene before her with a mix of clinical curiosity and faint irritation. The golden light that radiated from the chains around Adam flickered erratically, their divine glow dimming as though struggling to contain the escalating force within him.

"An anomaly..."

She muttered, taking a slow, deliberate step closer to the restrained boy. Her hands folded behind her back, her composure unbroken. Yet, despite her calm exterior, her mind raced.

“Have I pushed too far? Has his body reached its limit, or is this something else entirely?”

Although to be honest, the possibility intrigued her far more than it worried her.

Adam's convulsions grew more violent, his back arching sharply as if an invisible force were trying to split him apart. His head snapped backward, and for a brief moment, his eyes met hers—white, devoid of any pupil or iris, glowing faintly like two milky orbs. The sight made her pause, not out of fear, but fascination. She leaned in slightly, her keen gaze studying the change.

"Interesting, his ocular transformation is complete... but this reaction... what is triggering it?"

She murmured, but then, Adam screamed.

It was not the muffled cries of pain she had occasionally coaxed from him during her experiments. No, this was a raw, guttural sound, primal and unfiltered, that tore from his throat with such ferocity it seemed to reverberate through her very bones. The air around him shifted, thickening with an oppressive, suffocating energy. Abbess stopped mid-step, her body instinctively tensing as her golden aura flared slightly in response to the sudden shift.

His skin darkened, the pale, sweat-soaked flesh hardening and splitting in uneven patches. Thin, black lines etched their way across his body like creeping vines, spreading rapidly from his chest to his limbs. With every passing second, his figure distorted further. His back hunched unnaturally, the sound of his spine cracking echoing throughout the chamber. Then, with a wet, tearing sound, his transformation truly began.

From his back, four grotesque appendages erupted. Thick, jagged, and dripping with black ichor, they shot outward like the legs of a monstrous arachnid. Each one ended in a razor-sharp tip, glistening with a metallic sheen that reflected the dim light of the chamber. The air filled with the pungent stench of ruptured flesh and sulfur. The appendages twitched and flexed, testing their newfound mobility, their movements disturbingly deliberate.

Abbess Xinhui’s eyes widened—not with fear, but with an insatiable hunger for understanding. She stepped back slightly, granting herself a wider view of the spectacle.

"Incredible."

She whispered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of Adam's body breaking and reforming. Her fingers twitched, itching to take notes, but she was unwilling to look away.

"Something inside him... it’s reshaping him entirely. This is far beyond my expectations."

Adam’s lips split apart, the flesh tearing to reveal a second set of insect-like mandibles. The sharp, serrated edges clicked together in a sickening rhythm, the sound sharp and unnatural. His jaw extended, dislocating and elongating grotesquely, his teeth sharpening into jagged spikes that seemed built to rend flesh.

His hands trembled violently before his fingers began to stretch and crack. The bones within snapped audibly, elongating into cruel, blade-like claws. His arms thickened, sinew and muscle twisting under his darkened skin, forming limbs that pulsed with unnatural power. His chest expanded grotesquely, the ribs breaking outward to form a hardened, armor-like exoskeleton that gleamed faintly under the chamber’s light.

The changes continued, each one more horrifying than the last. Spikes jutted out from his shoulders, protrusions that glimmered menacingly like weapons. His legs bent backward at the knees, the joints twisting unnaturally to grant him a predator’s crouch. The flesh along his calves split open, revealing sinewy muscles reinforced with what appeared to be hardened, chitin-like structures.

Adam’s scream grew into a guttural roar, his voice resonating with an unnatural frequency that caused the very walls of the chamber to tremble. The golden chains binding him trembled visibly, their divine glow dimming further as though overwhelmed by the sheer, unrelenting power emanating from his body.

The Don took another step back, her golden robes swaying slightly as she moved. Her expression was one of pure awe, her lips parting in a faint smile.

"Such efficiency."

She remarked, her voice calm despite the chaos unfolding before her.

"Every part of him is being reshaped, optimized... Something is perfecting him. A predator born from human imperfection."

And with a deafening crack, the golden chains shattered... Fragments of divine metal scattered across the floor, their once unyielding strength rendered meaningless against the creature that had once been Adam. He dropped to the ground, his new limbs striking the stone floor with a force that sent small cracks spiderwebbing outward. He crouched low, his body twitching and vibrating with raw energy.

Then, he screamed once again—a piercing, unholy sound that seemed to ripple through the air itself. The vibrations shattered the reinforced glass windows in the adjoining corridors, the shards cascading like rain. The statues lining the walls trembled violently, several toppling over and shattering against the floor.

Abbess instinctively raised a hand to shield her face from the flying debris, her golden aura flaring protectively around her. When the chaos settled, she lowered her hand, her gaze locking onto the creature before her. Her expression remained composed, though her eyes gleamed with a dangerous excitement.

Adam straightened slightly, his monstrous frame towering over her. Despite his grotesque appearance, faint traces of his human form remained—enough to recognize the boy he once was, but twisted almost hopelessly. His milky-white eyes fixed on the woman, and a low, guttural growl rumbled from deep within his chest.

Abbess Xinhui tilted her head, a serene smile tugging at her lips.

"So, this is what you’ve become."

She said softly, her voice steady despite the destruction surrounding her.

"An apex predator. Perfectly engineered."

Adam crouched lower, his appendages bracing against the floor as though preparing to strike. Abbess took a step forward, her golden aura intensifying as she extended a hand toward him and said with a calm but commanding voice.

"Come then, show me what you’re capable of."

The mutated boy exploded into motion, his monstrous form blurred as he launched himself at the woman, his claws extended, each tip glinting with dark, necrotic energy. The air cracked with the sheer force of his movement, the sound akin to a cannonball breaking the sound barrier. He moved not like a man but like a beast driven purely by hunger, his predatory instincts honed to perfection by the parasite that now controlled his every action.

Abbess Xinhui’s golden eyes gleamed with a mixture of fascination and amusement as she effortlessly sidestepped the feral assault. Adam’s claws carved deep trenches into the stone floor where she had stood just a heartbeat before, chunks of rock flying in all directions. She remained unnervingly composed, her flowing robes barely disturbed by the chaos.

“Ah, my dear boy.”

She said with a lilting tone, as if chastising a misbehaving pet.

“You’ve truly become a marvel. I could not have dreamed of such perfection.”

Adam responded with a guttural roar that reverberated through the crumbling chamber, his claws lashing out again with terrifying speed. Abbess raised her arm, golden light encasing it as she deflected the strike with the back of her hand. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, shaking the foundations of the room and causing dust and debris to rain from above.

With a graceful spin, she countered, her palm glowing with divine energy as she thrust it toward Adam’s chest. The blow connected with a thunderous crack, sending the boy hurtling backward and his massive form collided with the wall, which crumbled under the force, but he recovered instantly, landing on all fours like a predator ready to pounce.

“You’re faster than I anticipated.”

Xinhui remarked, her voice calm yet tinged with intrigue.

“But speed alone won’t save you.”

Adam snarled, his jaws snapping audibly as if in response. His body convulsed for a moment, and then he surged forward again, faster, stronger, his claws slashing through the air in a relentless flurry of attacks. The Don weaved between his strikes with almost inhuman precision, her movements fluid and deliberate, each step calculated to keep her just out of his reach.

Their battle intensified, each exchange more brutal than the last. Adam’s claws tore through stone and steel with ease, the necrotic energy emanating from them leaving blackened scars on the ground. Abbess countered with precise strikes, her hands glowing with "Blessed Energy" as she deflected his attacks and retaliated with devastating palm strikes and kicks. Every blow she landed sent arcs of golden light flashing through the air, their brilliance stark against the darkened battlefield.

The sheer force of their combat soon overwhelmed the room. The walls cracked and collapsed under the strain, the ceiling caving in as their strikes sent shockwaves reverberating through the structure. Within moments, the laboratory of torture was no more, replaced by an open expanse of rubble and destruction.

However, Adam showed no signs of slowing. If anything, he seemed to thrive in the chaos. His monstrous body adapted with each passing second, his movements growing faster and more unpredictable. His claws elongated further, and his muscles rippled with unnatural strength. He was no longer a man—he was a horrifying predator in its purest form, driven by the instinct to dominate, to consume.

“Fascinating, you’re not merely surviving my attacks. You’re thriving on them.”

Abbess murmured as she dodged another lethal strike, her voice carrying over the cacophony of their battle. Adam’s only response was a guttural growl, his claws sweeping in a wide arc that forced the woman to leap back. The motion left a trench in the ground, deep and jagged, as though a titan’s blade had cleaved the earth itself.

Abbess’s amusement began to wane as she realized the implications. Her strikes, infused with "Blessed Energy," were supposed to be devastating to a creature like Adam, a being sustained by corrupted vitality. Yet instead of weakening him, the golden light seemed to fuel his monstrous resilience.

“No matter, either way, I cannot allow you to continue this rampage.”

She planted her feet firmly on the ground, her body radiating a blinding aura of divine light. The golden glow intensified, enveloping her entire form as she began to channel "Blessed Energy" into every fiber of her being. Her strikes became faster and stronger, each one leaving trails of searing light in their wake.

The battle reached a fevered pitch. Every blow exchanged between them tore through the surrounding rubble, sending debris flying in all directions. Adam adapted with horrifying efficiency, his body regenerating from Abbess’s strikes almost as quickly as they landed. He lunged at her with relentless aggression, his claws slashing through the golden barrier of her aura, forcing her to dodge and counter with increasing urgency.

“You think you can surpass me?”

The woman hissed, her calm demeanor cracking as the boy’s monstrous form closed the gap between them once again. She lashed out with a devastating kick, her leg glowing with radiant light as it connected with Adam’s side, sending him crashing into a nearby column. The stone pillar shattered like glass, collapsing in a cloud of dust and rubble.

For a moment, Abbess straightened, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she observed the destruction. But then, from the cloud of dust, Adam emerged once again. His body was a grotesque vision of power, his dark, pulsating flesh unmarred by the punishment he had endured. His claws gleamed, and his eyes burned with insatiable hunger.

He roared and charged, his claws sweeping upward in a deadly arc. The Don sidestepped, but the edge of his strike caught her cheek, leaving a thin, crimson line.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

Abbess Xinhui froze, her hand rising to her face. Her fingers came away stained with blood, and her golden eyes widened, the calm mask she wore shattering in an instant. Her expression twisted into one of fury, her lips curling in a snarl as she glared at Adam.

“You… dare.”

She whispered, her voice a low, venomous growl. Golden light erupted around her in a blinding inferno. Her "Blessed Energy" surged to its peak, crackling with the fury of a storm as her body became a living beacon of divine power. The ground beneath her feet melted and cracked under the sheer intensity of her aura.

“I will not forgive this aberration!”

She roared, her voice echoing like thunder, attacking with a ferocity that dwarfed anything she had shown before, each strike a blinding burst of golden energy. Adam met her with equal force, his monstrous claws tearing through the air with unrelenting savagery. Their clash shook the battlefield, their combined power threatening to tear apart everything around them.

And still, Adam grew stronger. Each blow he absorbed seemed to fuel his monstrous form further, the necrotic energy surging through his veins adapting to counter the divine light. Abbess, for all her skill and power, began to feel the weight of the impossible. The predator before her was not merely surviving—he was improving.

The fight had already escalated into a brutal, relentless exchange of blows. Adam launched himself at Abbess with a feral roar, his monstrous claws slashing through the air with terrifying speed and power, while his movements were erratic, wild, yet disturbingly efficient. The woman responded with equal ferocity, bringing out her staff as it deflected and countered his assaults. Each clash sent shockwaves through the stone floor beneath them, cracks spidering out from where they stood.

“You… beast!”

Abbess said, her voice firm but edged with exertion, Adam snarled in response, his clawed hand slamming down toward her. The Don sidestepped at the last moment, the massive appendage shattering the stone where she had stood, and with a fluid motion, she brought her staff around in a sharp arc, aiming for the monster’s ribs. The blow landed with a resounding crack, sending the creature staggering back, and for a moment, she thought she had gained the upper hand.

But Adam’s regeneration was accelerating. The wounds she inflicted closed almost as quickly as they were made, the grotesque transformation of his body adapting to her attacks. His muscles bulged unnaturally, his claws grew sharper, and his movements, though still wild, began to show an unsettling improvement in precision.

Abbess narrowed her eyes, her aura flaring brighter. The golden energy that surrounded her body pulsed with renewed intensity, and her movements became sharper, faster. She met his renewed assault with a series of precise strikes, her staff glowing with divine energy. Each hit landed with enough force to pulverize stone, but Adam’s resilience seemed boundless. He roared, his claws slashing through the air in a relentless assault that pushed his enemy to her limits.

For a brief moment, Xinhui found herself on the defensive. Adam’s strikes grew stronger, more calculated, and his monstrous body began to overpower her with sheer force. She gritted her teeth, dodging a vicious swipe aimed at her head, and retaliated with a spinning kick that connected with his chest. The impact sent him skidding back, but he recovered almost instantly, lunging at her again with a ferocity that seemed unending.

His claws lashed out in a wide arc, forcing the woman to leap back. The floor beneath her cracked and shattered under the force of his swing, sending debris flying in all directions. Before she could regain her footing, Adam lunged again, his claws aimed directly at her throat.

Xinhui reacted on instinct, twisting her body to avoid the attack and countering with a devastating strike from her staff. The blow connected with his shoulder, the divine energy in her weapon searing his flesh. Adam howled but didn’t retreat, instead, he pressed forward, his monstrous strength driving her back step by step.

She felt the strain in her muscles, the weight of every block and counterattack beginning to take its toll. Despite her superior technique and experience, Adam’s unyielding regeneration and growing strength were tipping the scales in his favor. For every wound she inflicted, he became faster, stronger, and more relentless.

Then it happened—Adam feinted to the right, drawing her guard just enough to create an opening. He lunged low, his claws carving through the air toward her legs. Xinhui barely managed to leap out of range, but the near miss left her momentarily off-balance. Seizing the opportunity, the beast followed up with a brutal overhead strike. She raised her staff to block, the impact sending a shockwave through her arms and forcing her to her knees.

Gritting her teeth, Abbess chanted under her breath. Her staff began to glow with an eerie light, and then it transformed. Eyes and a jagged mouth formed along its surface, the once-ordinary weapon now a living, snarling entity.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Devourer’s Wrath!”

She shouted, the living staff seeming to roar in response. She swung it in a wide arc, the weapon’s mouth opening as if to consume the very air around it. The strike connected with Adam’s chest, the force blasting him through the floor. The ground beneath him gave way entirely, his massive form crashing through several levels of the temple in a cacophony of shattering stone and collapsing wood.

For a moment, Xinhui remained still, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. The swirling dust and debris obscured her vision, but she didn’t let her guard down. She could still feel his presence, a dark, oppressive aura rising from the depths below.

“This isn’t over.”

She muttered, leaping into the hole with supernatural speed. Her golden aura flared as she descended through the ruined floors, her mind racing with the implications of what she had just witnessed.

When she reached the bottom, her breath caught in her throat. The once-grand hall was now a scene of carnage. Bodies of Shaolin monks littered the ground, their lifeless forms impaled on grotesque appendages that jutted from Adam’s body. The monstrous figure stood in the center of the room, his grotesque tendrils pulsing with a sickly light as they drained some ethereal energy from the fallen.

“No…”

Xinhui whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of fury and horror. Adam’s maw was open wide, and strange spectral energy flowed from the various corpses into his monstrous form. His body seemed to pulse with new strength, his transformation becoming even more horrifying.

She took a step forward, but her sharp gaze caught the reactions of the surviving monks. They weren’t rushing to her side or preparing to fight. Instead, they were retreating, their faces pale with terror. Even the most disciplined warriors among them were abandoning the fight, fleeing in every direction to escape the abomination before them.

“Cowards!”

The Don yelled, her voice cutting through the chaos. But her words fell on deaf ears. The monks continued to flee, their fear overwhelming their discipline. Adam turned his gaze toward her, his glowing eyes locking onto hers with an unnerving focus. For the first time, there was a spark of awareness in his expression, a glimmer of intelligence amidst the monstrous hunger.

Abbess tightened her grip on her living staff, its eyes gleaming with shared determination.

“I will end this, even if it costs me everything.”

Abbess Xinhui wasted no time. Her aura flared, and with explosive speed, she launched herself at Adam, intent on ending the nightmare before her. But before she could reach him, a surge of dark energy erupted from his grotesque form, and from his body spilled a swarm of spectral horrors, translucent figures made of swirling mist.

The first to emerge were small humanoid ghouls, their skeletal forms scrambling across the broken stone, like snakes, with unnatural speed; they moved in a frenzy, spreading in all directions. Following them were four-legged beasts resembling wolves, though their elongated, tooth-lined jaws stretched grotesquely where heads should have been. These beasts charged through the debris, their ethereal forms passing through walls and rubble like smoke, mauling any monk in their path. Above, aerial monstrosities that resembled winged crocodiles descended, their heavy forms smashing into fleeing warriors, their jaws snapping with bone-crushing force.

And then, stepping from the chaotic horde, came something more deliberate: a towering skeleton clad in gleaming golden armor. It wielded two massive swords, their edges shimmering faintly as though imbued with unearthly energy. The armored warrior let out a deafening battle cry and moved with horrifying precision, cutting down the monks who attempted to face it. Their martial arts techniques, honed over decades, proved futile against the unrelenting skill and power of the spectral soldier.

Xinhui gritted her teeth, her golden aura intensifying as she swung her staff in wide arcs, shattering the ghosts that dared to approach her. The living weapon in her hands roared as it tore through the spectral forms, its hunger insatiable. Yet, no matter how many she destroyed, more rose to take their place. The endless wave of horrors was a tide she couldn’t seem to stem.

“This is madness!”

She growled, her voice taut with frustration. Her strikes grew sharper, her movements more forceful, but it was clear she was being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Adam, now a distant shadow among the chaos, moved with purpose, seeking out new prey. Each time one of his tendrils pierced another life, his aura grew darker, denser, and more suffocating.

She clenched her teeth as she felt the oppressive energy surrounding the monster strengthen, meaning that with every death, the beast was evolving. The increase in power was subtle, almost imperceptible at first, but it was accumulating, and the longer this dragged on, the more insurmountable he would become.

“No!”

She roared, frustration giving way to fury. She forced her way through the spectral sea, her staff obliterating ghouls and beasts alike. But as fast as she could advance, the tide rose anew, clawing, biting, and swarming around her like a living wall.

As her frustration peaked, she felt something cold coil around her ankle. Her eyes darted downward, and a surge of revulsion tore through her. One of the fallen monks—a once-honorable warrior—had risen again. His form was grotesquely twisted, tentacles erupting from his flesh as his body mutated into something reminiscent of Adam’s monstrous shape. The monk’s face was a mockery of its former self, his eyes sunken and lifeless, his mouth stretched into an unnatural, tooth-filled grin.

“You dare… defile them?”

Abbess spat, her voice trembling with both rage and disgust. She swung her staff downward with brutal force, shattering the abomination into pieces. Yet even as she destroyed it, more of the fallen monks began to rise. Their bodies contorted, reshaping into horrific forms, each bearing the marks of Adam’s infection. The sight ignited a fire within her.

“You will not desecrate their honor like this!”

She shouted, her voice echoing through the temple. Her aura surged violently, burning brighter as she began unleashing stronger techniques. With each strike, the golden-blessed energy expanded, obliterating larger swathes of the infected and spectral horde. The temple trembled under the weight of her attacks, stone cracking and splintering under the force of her blows.

Her living staff roared in unison with her fury, its jaws snapping through the horde, swallowing spectral forms whole. Yet, even as she destroyed dozens, hundreds more rose to take their place again and again. The tide seemed endless, and her frustration only deepened. For every step forward, she was dragged back by the sheer weight of their numbers.

Then, as she cleared another path with a devastating sweep of her weapon, a sudden burst of energy erupted from her form. The explosion radiated outward, a wave of destructive force that incinerated everything in its radius. Ghosts, beasts, and infected monks were vaporized in an instant, leaving the hall eerily silent as the dust and smoke settled.

Xinhui lowered her staff, her chest heaving as she took in the destruction she had wrought. The temple was in ruins, the once-sacred space reduced to rubble. For a moment, she allowed herself a flicker of relief, thinking the worst was over.

But the silence was short-lived.

From within the dissipating smoke, a shadow moved with terrifying speed. Adam’s monstrous form lunged at her once more, his claws aimed directly at her throat. Abbess’s eyes widened, and she barely managed to twist her body, evading the attack by a hair’s breadth. His claws tore through her sleeve, leaving deep gashes in the stone behind her.

“How are you here again?”

She hissed, her tone sharp with disbelief.

“You were running! Feeding! Now you’re back to face me?”

Adam didn’t respond with words, only a guttural growl that sent chills down her spine. Then she felt it—the fading screams of her monks, the flickering of their spiritual energy as it was snuffed out, one by one. She sensed their life forces vanishing, and with each death, Adam’s oppressive presence grew stronger.

Her eyes narrowed as the realization struck her.

“It’s not just you.”

She said, her voice low but filled with conviction.

“Everything they kill... everything they consume... it’s feeding you.”

She gripped her staff tightly, her knuckles whitening.

“If I don’t stop this now… you’ll become unstoppable.”

She said, her voice trembling with both rage and urgency… Abbess’s movements were a blur of precision and fury and her staff swung in wide arcs, crackling with golden and a new reddish energy, the air around her rippling from the force of each strike. Adam, however, seemed unfazed by her assault. The monstrous form moved with eerie fluidity, his grotesque limbs twisting and contorting to dodge her attacks, and worst of all, where Xinhui’s strikes landed, they found only air or the ghostly shimmer of an intangible form.

Abbess grimaced, her Ki and “Blessed Energy”—forces capable of exorcising even the most stubborn undead—should have struck true. Yet Adam’s body seemed to phase in and out of reality, evading her blows. His figure flickered like a shadow under a strobe light, appearing solid one moment and spectral the next. When she adjusted her technique, pouring more energy into her strikes to counter his intangibility, spectral arms erupted from his torso, clawing and slashing at her from impossible angles.

"You think that will stop me?!"

The woman growled, her voice cutting through the chaos. Her staff shattered another wave of the infected as her aura blazed brighter. Her back arched slightly as her energy surged, and with a brilliant flash, radiant white wings materialized from her back. Each feather shimmered with a divine light, casting long shadows over the battlefield. Above her head, a glowing halo formed, its light pure and steady.

She lunged forward with renewed determination, her staff swinging with enough force to send shockwaves through the crumbling temple, yet Adam was relentless. Each time she pressed the advantage, he retreated, allowing his spectral army to swarm her. The ghouls and beasts threw themselves at her without hesitation, their numbers endless. She cut through them with ease, but the sheer volume slowed her, giving Adam precious seconds to regroup.

The monster’s strategy was clear. He never engaged for long. The moment the tide of battle shifted, Adam would fall back, allowing the ghosts and infected to fill the gap. Each time he returned, his power was greater, his movements faster, his strikes more devastating.

Abbess Xinhui cursed under her breath. She was one of the most powerful warriors in existence, yet the unending assault tested even her limits. Her thoughts raced as she parried another attack, her staff shattering one of Adam’s spectral limbs into wisps of dark smoke.

"He’s… evolving even more… If this continues..."

But the thought was cut short as Adam lunged forward, a blur of claws and jagged limbs. The woman pivoted, her wings folding tightly to her back as she narrowly dodged the attack. With a sharp cry, she extended her hand, and a sword of golden light materialized in her grasp. The blade burned with holy fire, its heat scorching the air around it, and she swung the weapon with unerring precision, aiming directly for Adam’s core.

The strike connected—or so she thought. the monster’s form flickered, becoming intangible at the last moment. The fiery blade passed through him harmlessly, but how? Xinhui stumbled slightly as the force of her own swing carried her forward, and before she could recover, Adam retreated again, his monstrous form melting into the shadows.

"Damn it!"

Abbess snarled, slashing through another wave of infected that charged her. Despite her divine aura and immense strength, she couldn’t close the distance fast enough. The battlefield itself seemed to conspire against her, the swarming enemies slowing her movements.

Her frustration boiled over, her voice a sharp command to the heavens.

"Enough!"

She shouted, her aura exploding outward in a wave of radiant energy. The blast disintegrated dozens of enemies at once, clearing a temporary path. But even as the dust settled, she knew it wouldn’t last. More were coming. They always were.

From her blind spot, Adam struck.

Multiple jagged limbs erupted from his body, moving faster than the woman could react. The first pierced her abdomen, the sharp point tearing through her robes and flesh like paper. Another clawed arm impaled her shoulder, pinning her in place. More followed, piercing her sides, her thighs, and her arms. Each strike was deliberate, precise, and brutal.

Abbess screamed, the sound raw and filled with agony. Her staff fell from her hand, clattering to the ground as her vision blurred with pain. The grotesque sound of Adam’s guttural growl filled the air, and for a moment, it almost sounded like laughter—a cruel, mocking sound that made her blood run cold.

The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It wasn’t just physical; it was something deeper, something primal. She felt as though her very soul was being torn apart, shredded by the tendrils of dark energy that now coursed through her body. Her wounds began to blacken, dark veins spreading outward from each point of entry.

"No! ... No! ..."

She gasped, her voice trembling with both pain and horror. She could feel it—the infection taking hold. Even her immortal body, blessed by the heavens, wasn’t immune. The corruption seeped into her, twisting and warping her Ki.

Her knees buckled, but she refused to fall. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to look up, her gaze piercing through the ruined ceiling of the temple. The sky above was dark, the faint light of stars obscured by the swirling energy that surrounded them.

"Lord Varek!"

She cried, her voice breaking with desperation.

"Hear me! Your servant... your humble servant begs you! I have been brought low by my ignorance, by my arrogance. I—"

Her voice cracked as another wave of pain shot through her, but she forced herself to continue.

"I will fulfill my part of the bargain! Take everything—take everything from me, but do not let me fall here!"

Her words echoed through the temple, her plea a desperate prayer to a power greater than herself. As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood and sweat that dripped from her chin. She closed her eyes, awaiting an answer—or the end.

Adam's monstrous figure loomed over Abbess Xinhui, his grotesque limbs still impaling her battered body. Her desperate plea to Lord Varek hung in the air like a dying ember. For a moment, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the faint moans of ghosts and the distant crackle of debris.

But suddenly, a flicker of light illuminated the ruins. Four translucent windows materialized in midair, their surfaces shimmering with text that appeared out of nowhere. A robotic voice echoed through the temple, its tone glitched and distorted, as if the system itself were struggling to contain the events unfolding.

⌠No■tic■e: UR-c■las■s Plo■t De■vic■e: 'Tarnishing■Their■Own■Beauty' ha■s bee■n us■ed.⌡

⌠Not■ic■e: SR-cla■ss Pl■ot D■evi■ce: 'Sudden■Bio-Augmentation■' ha■s be■en use■d.⌡

⌠Noti■ce: L-cl■ass P■lot D■evice: 'Oh,■the■irony' h■as b■een us■ed.⌡

⌠Warning: The treasure 'Jiang Shi 4th Tier: Yong Xian Sovereign’s heart' will merge with ų̶̥̪͕͚̥͒̾̋s̵̨̺̻̹̩̊͐̎̅͒̕̕ë̸̖̙̜̩r̶̖̥̲̦͒̽͜ Abbess Xinhui.⌡

The final notice was punctuated by a deep hum that vibrated through the temple's remains. A grotesque heart materialized midair, suspended in a pulsating field of corrupted energy. The organ, bloated and putrid, was covered in talismans etched with ancient, sinister runes. Each beat of the heart sent ripples of dark energy through the air, making the spectral entities surrounding them falter and waver.

Adam, still driven by primal instincts, narrowed his soulless eyes at the strange object. His grip on Abbess tightened, claws digging deeper into her flesh. But before he could react, a blinding beam of light erupted from the heart. It was pure, searing, and overwhelming.

The light forced Adam to close his eyes, his monstrous form recoiling as he shielded himself. Even in his unconscious state, he hissed in frustration, refusing to release his prey. Xinhui’s body, impaled and limp, began to shift as the talismans on the heart ignited one by one. The golden glow intensified, illuminating the temple’s crumbling walls, and then exploded in a wave of force that sent Adam hurtling backward.

The impact was cataclysmic. Adam’s body slammed into the temple's remains with such force that massive chunks of debris crumbled around him. His grotesque limbs bent at unnatural angles, snapping and shattering under the sheer power of the blow. Even his face, an amalgamation of warped flesh and bone, cracked and deformed, ichor seeping from the fractures. He lay still for a moment, buried in rubble, the world around him quaking from the explosion.

The battlefield froze. The ghosts and infected that swarmed the area stopped in their tracks, their spectral forms quivering as if consumed by an instinctual fear. The very air grew heavy with palpable dread, and from within the black smoke that now blanketed the heart of the temple ruins, a figure emerged.

Abbess Xinhui stepped forward—or rather, what remained of her.

Her transformation was monstrous yet hypnotic in its grotesque elegance. Her once radiant skin was now an ashen gray, mottled and lifeless, resembling cracked stone. Her eyes burned a vivid, blood-red, their pupils narrow and predatory. Black veins spidered across her face, crawling up her neck and arms. Her once pristine hair, which had glowed with divine energy, now hung in dark, silken strands that writhed as if alive. Her lips curled back in a sinister grin, revealing two enormous fangs that gleamed under the faint moonlight.

Her movements were deliberate, inhumanly precise, as if every step were guided by some unseen force. Her robes, torn and scorched, clung to her reshaped body, exposing sinewy muscle and jagged protrusions that hinted at her newfound power. The faint remnants of her former beauty lingered, but they were twisted, tarnished, and corrupted beyond recognition.

Abbess threw her head back and laughed—a sound that echoed with malice and madness. The deep, guttural timbre of her voice carried an unholy resonance, each note dripping with the promise of vengeance.

"I understand now."

She said, her voice low and venomous, as if speaking more to herself than to the world around her. Her crimson eyes glinted with a wicked determination.

"You thought you could end me. You thought this would be my defeat."

She clenched her hands into fists, her sharpened nails digging into her own palms, drawing thick, blackened blood.

"No, monster. You have only given me purpose."

She took another step forward, her new form exuding an aura of terror that made even the trembling infected recoil. Her gaze drifted to the rubble where Adam's shattered body lay. Though he was still too far to hear her, the woman spoke as if addressing him directly.

"I will dedicate the rest of my eternal existence to you."

She hissed. Her fangs glinted as her lips curled into a cruel smile.

"You will not die, boy. No... death would be mercy. I will make you immortal, just as I am now. And for the rest of time, you will know nothing but suffering."

Her laughter filled the air again, mingling with the faint whispers of the spectral entities that still lingered, now unwilling to approach her corrupted presence. The battlefield stood still, a moment of quiet before the storm, and upon Adam’s vision, finally his ‘Cursed Eyes’ began to work, altho he was in no condition to understand.

[ Jiang Shi 4th Tier: Yong Xian Sovereign - Rank A+ ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠The Yong Xian Sovereign is the pinnacle of Jiang Shi natural evolution, a celestial-level vampire-like entity revered and feared as the Lord of Undeads. It is said to emerge only under the darkest nights, its presence heralded by an unnatural stillness and an eclipse-like shrouding of the moon. This Jiang Shi wields an aura of oppressive dread that saps the strength and willpower of all living beings within its domain. Its power over death is so absolute that it can command legions of undead with a mere thought, bending ghosts, specters, and even lesser Jiang Shi to its will.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Notice: Can consume!⌡ ⌠Warning: Enemy title [Lord of Vampires] and [Lord of Undeads] ⌡ ⌠Hint: Can consume!⌡ ⌠CONSUME IT!⌡