"Embrace the darkness."
As I opened my eyes, The first thing that I saw was the beautiful, dimly lit full moon hanging in the sky. How beautiful, I murmured as the beauty of the night was revealed.
Staring at the sky, seemingly full of shining stars, I noticed a warm sensation flowing down my cheeks. My eyes were leaking salty tears in a stream.
All of the tears I held back from the original timeline—The moment of betrayal and my death—suddenly flowed like a river.
At that moment, I realized that embracing the darkness meant acknowledging and releasing the pain that had consumed me for so long.
The moon and stars seemed to offer solace, reminding me that even in the darkest of times, there is beauty like the thousand-lit stars in the starry sky.
.....
I quickly composed myself as soon as my senses returned to me. "It's nighttime. The old man will kill me."
Startled by the sudden realization, I quickly severed the demon's horn and put my hand on its chest.
Panic slowly consumed my whole body as I imagined the face of Old Vincent, that is making now.
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as the vivid image of Old Vincent's stern expression flashed before my eyes.
The lines etched on his weathered face seemed to deepen, reflecting disappointment and anger. "I'm almost certain that I'll be grounded for a week."
"Devour"
[WARNING]
[Due to the target's rank being way higher than yours, A penalty will be given.]
"I Don't have time for this now, system! Please devour!"
[Devour]
As I devour the demon's shadow, a strange chill emanates from my hands.
[The devour skill has been used on the target.]
[Calculating...]
[All stats have been increased by 10 due to the demon's high level.]
[Congratulations! The host has been promoted to F+.]
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[Penalty -5 to agility and stamina]
[Skill evolving]
[Devour]
Consume the shadow of the dead, taking random stat points and skill from the target.
[Ability has been gained from absorbing the demon]
[Demonic stare]
- This powerful ability allows the user to penetrate the deepest recesses of one's mind, unleashing a wave of paralyzing fear and uncertainty. The demonic stare has been passed down through generations, serving as a symbol of the Dream Clan's dominance.
- This skill scales with the user's rank.
- Highly effective on weaker targets and the effect is reduced on targets that are higher ranked than the user.
'I've hit the jackpot.'
[--Stats--]
[Strength]: 20
[Agility]: 25 [-5 PENALTY] 20
[Endurance]: 17
[Intelligence]: 28
[Stamina]: 20 [-5 PENALTY] 15
[Mana]: 63 [Quality]: F+
[Luck]: C
[talent]: (???)
[Rank]: F+
.....
As I was running very fast without taking breaks, I couldn't help but be anxious. Whether the old man is the reason or something entirely else, I couldn't help but be anxious.
My heart raced and my breath grew heavy, fueling my growing unease. The nagging feeling of exhaustion started to weigh on me, but I pushed through, determined to reach the gates as soon as possible.
I couldn't help but sigh in relief as soon as I saw the gates. But the strange anxiety that was inside of me persisted. It was as if a sense of foreboding lingered in the air, intensifying my unease. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, causing a knot to form in my stomach.
As I passed through the gates, the guards couldn't help but notice my battered state. They exchanged concerned glances before one of them approached me, offering a sympathetic smile.
"Are you alright? You look like you've been through quite the ordeal," he said, his voice filled with genuine concern.
I mustered a weak smile and nodded, grateful for their kindness. "Thank you for asking, I just needed a moment to catch my breath. I'm leaving now."
On my way to the lower street, I bought some chamlee tea powder, which is the old man's favorite. "This will make a good peace offering for the old man. I'm pretty sure he can't resist this expensive thing."
Halfway away from home, I noticed a cloud of smoke rising from the sky.
My heart raced as I quickened my pace, a sense of dread settling in.
Worried for the safety of the old man, I let go of the tea powders that I bought and hurried toward the source of the smoke.
As I saw our house burning, panic gripped my heart as if an invisible hand were holding it.
The billowing smoke filled the air, suffocating my lungs and clouding my thoughts. The crackling flames danced ominously, devouring everything in their path, leaving behind only charred remnants of our once beloved home.
A crowd has gathered around our burning home. I hysterically named the old man's name as tears slowly fell down my cheeks as panic consumed me.
"GRAMPSS!'
"OLD MAN VINCE!!"
"GRANDPAA!"
In an attempt to find the old man, I keep shouting a bunch of names that I used to call the old man in a bid to locate him.
The crowd around me growed restless, their worried expressions mirroring my own desperation. As I continue to call out names, my voice becomes hoarse and strained, each cry echoing into the night.
Frantically searching the area, my gaze paused on a certain part of the lower street. My face darkened as I saw a figure in the distance.
He was Infront of our apothecary neighbor.
A group of people is currently tending to a lying figure. The hand is bloodied, and a cloth is wrapped around his waist in a bid to stop the wound from bleeding.
"No... No! No!" I frantically ran to the figure lying in the distance.
As I saw the old man's condition, I couldn't help but choke on the words I was saying. His face was pale and filled with pain, and his eyes were barely open. The realization of his grave condition hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me speechless.
"Gramps. Hic... Hic..."
He recognized my desperate voice right away and grabbed my hands. Opening his mouth, a weak horse voice came out.
"Happy birthday, kiddo!" Tears welled up in my eyes as I held onto his trembling hands.
"Gramps, hang in there; drink this potion quickly.
I desperately searched for a potion in my makeshift bag." I rummaged through the bag, my heart pounding with fear and urgency.
Finally, my fingers closed around a small vial filled with a shimmering liquid. I quickly bit the lid to open the potion and assisted the old man in drinking it.
"Why the hell is it not working?" I furiously scream as I repeatedly punch the wall near me in a bid to release some of my desperation.
Suddenly, a hand reached out behind me. "Calm down, Adrian." I turned around to see our neighbor, Mr. Allen, standing there with a concerned look on their face.
Mr. Allen is one of the only few people that I knew who truly cared about me and the old man.
"We already tried everything; I tried pouring a potion and healing Mr. Vincent with my own magic, but the wounds are not closing. As an apothecary, I can say that It's like nothing I've ever seen before."
"A little earlier, I examined the wounds and found out that Mr. Vince has been poisoned, which is causing the wounds to resist any form of healing."
He looked at me with pity and a concerned look. "Mr. Vincent. Ahem... Got only a short time remaining to live."
I could see the deep sadness in his eyes as he delivered the devastating news.
The poison had taken its toll on Mr. Vince's body, leaving him with limited options for treatment and little hope for recovery.