[System Message: Warning - Third foreign Non-Sword ego designated 'level 0̴̰͈͖̊͋0̴͎̟̣̈́̐0̵̠͉̥̔̊̈0̴̰͈͖̊͋0̴͎̟̣̈́̐ Blood Familiar (Qi Gathering: First stage) is invading the Consciousness Subsumation realm. User caution is advised due to the risk of ego/consciousness permanent consumption.]
The ground cracked open beneath the old man's feet, revealing a chasm filled with blood and sinew. From this abyss, a creature emerged, its body a grotesque mass of exposed muscle and bone.
The old man watched with his dark blade, stolen from the sword demon's tail, held aloft. His gaze was steady, though his mind churned. The metallic dark demon, Eclipse, stood beside him with its third eye glaring and bladed tail swaying. Both combatants observed the twisting landscape in stunned silence, their battle paused by the new arrival. Their halted death match had left marks on both: the old man's body bore bruises and cuts, whereas the demon's metal skin was dented, cracked, and chipped, though the blood it constantly absorbed seemed to slowly heal it, giving it a second, third, and fourth life against him. It was also completely comprised of some dark metal, devoid of internal organs and almost impossible to kill. He had gotten the better of the demon several times, believing himself close to victory, but the metal demon was surprisingly resilient and mimicked his moves with uncanny savagery, constantly healing itself through the endless blood of the realm.
Distracted, he felt the shifting weight of his weapon as it drank in the blood that flowed across the ground, growing in size and sharpness with each gallon, taking the shape of a sword better suited to his grip. Hmm... The demon's appendage consumes blood even after it's been separated, and its shape seems to depend on my will... that's useful. He sensed through the weapon that he could alter its edge as he wished, but somehow the edge of a sword similar to what the metal demon carried just felt... Right. Perfect. Fragmented thoughts swirled in his mind as his eyes moved from the settling blade to his wrists, then his arms, and then his shoulders, viewing the endless marks and scars that covered him. The scars mapped across his skin suggested a history of violence, yet his mind was devoid of any connecting memories. This absence of recollection left him questioning the essence of his being.
The towering blood beast fully emerged with its eyes blazing red. Its face was grotesque, predatory, and monstrous, yet bore a striking resemblance to his own. The old man hesitated with strange recognition. Both creatures bore faces both alien and unsettlingly familiar. "Do you see it too, sword-demon?" he muttered to his metal foe, not expecting an answer. "That twisted visage... So like ours, yet alien. It's as if I'm staring into a corrupted reflection." He paused, the realization sinking in.
"But which of us is the mirror?"
As the blood beast emerged, the old man felt a pang of recognition and wondered whether the flesh beast was his true form, or the blade demon. "Perhaps it's neither." He muttered, watching the grotesque amalgam of malleable flesh. It didn't matter, not really. He would have to defeat them both either way, according to the strange 'System' words he had glimpsed on the blood creature's arrival.
The blood creature advanced with claws that left red trails.
The ground beneath him pulsed in reaction to the creature's presence. Spikes of bone jutted upwards, forcing him to dodge and weave, every action a reflex born of experience he couldn't recall. But each successful dodge brought him closer to who he truly was.
So this new creature can freely control the blood and flesh in the land. Defeating it and the metal demon at the same time will be... difficult, he thought, observing how the landscape responded to the blood creature's every whim.
The demon, Eclipse, lunged at the bloodbeast, its movements wild yet purposeful. The old man followed, his dark blade slicing cleanly through the tendrils of flesh that rose to block his path. His blade, stolen from the sword demon's tail, absorbed any blood it came into contact with, growing darker with each cut.
As the demon moved, its tail whipped through the air to strike the old man, and its claws struck at him with calculated ferocity as the blood beast descended on them both.
A three-pronged battle ensued.
×××
The bloodbeast surged with primal joy, its massive form rippling with raw power. The sight of the bipedals before it, so small and fragile, filled it with ravenous ecstasy. It marvelled at the rarity of finding not one but two to devour. This was a feast it had long awaited. The sinewy muscles coiled beneath its exposed flesh as it lunged towards what its stolen memories called an 'old man', the vision of his consumption a tantalizing prospect.
Its claws, sharp as spears, slashed at the ground, ripping apart the landscape of flesh and bone, eager to trap the prey. The metallic taste of blood in the air was a symphony to its senses, heightening its frenzy. It felt so powerful! As it moved, the ground responded, tendrils of hardened blood reaching out to ensnare the adversaries.
KILL! HUNT! GROW! EVOLVE!
Its instincts surged as it lunged forward, aiming its massive claws at the closest figure, the metal demon. The demon sidestepped with a fluid motion and struck, causing the bloodbeast's claws to rake through the fleshy ground instead as it twisted in pain. The sensation of tearing through the environment's flesh was less satisfying than what it craved.
No matter, the old man was bound to be weaker. It turned and went for him instead.
×××
The Old Man
How many of these creatures are there? The old man wondered, feeling the ground tremble as the blood beast lunged with claws that tore through the crimson landscape. A massive claw missed him by inches, the air crackling with the force of the strike. His grip tightened, and he swung, the blade cutting through the thick, sinewy arm of the beast, dark blood spraying across the red-soaked ground. The beast's left side is wounded. If I can keep it focused on me, maybe the demon will take advantage of that. At the thought, the metal demon erupted from behind, claws flashing with metallic fury. The old man spun, deflecting a savage blow aimed at his neck, sparks flying as blade met claws.
Or... it can just attack me, too, he thought, driving the demon back with a swipe aimed at its third eye. "You're strong, demon. I'll give you that," The old man muttered, almost to himself. "But strength alone isn't what defines a being." The blood beast recovered with a roar that rippled through the receding landscape. It charged, the ground beneath its feet bubbling with flesh and bone, reaching out to ensnare the old man. He didn't leap or retreat. Instead, he raced forward, escaping the grasping tendrils and closing the distance. The beast's maw snapped shut, teeth the size of arms gnashing where the old man had stood. With a swift motion, he slashed at the tendrils, severing them, and landed in a crouch.
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Why are they both targeting me, anyway? Isn't this supposed to be a free-for-all?
The blood beast fought back, its claws smashing into both demon and man to send them stumbling to a stop.
I should've dodged that, he thought between gasps, before pondering the true nature of mastery, not just in skill but in understanding the very essence of his practice in combat. The blade in his hand did not distinguish between right and wrong, only cutting through whatever lay in its path.
The demon moved, first on two feet before it raced on all four, driven by an insatiable hunger. It bit into the blood beast, tearing chunks of flesh and absorbing its essence. Finally, that's more like it! The old man thought as he mirrored its motions, his blade slicing cleanly through the bloodbeast, tearing apart any its flesh or claws that rose to challenge him, his blade greedily absorbing the beast's lifeblood. With each ounce of flesh and blood absorbed, he felt a growing change within him, flashes of a life both familiar and foreign. His actions felt like an exploration of his limits, pushing him toward a deeper understanding of his own transformative potential as he reached for something beyond.
[Dao: True Immortality - Progress 1.1 > 1.2%]
The old man's blade continued to absorb the blood, weakening the creature whilst growing darker and heavier with each stroke. He felt deeply connected to the weapon, as if it were an extension of his own soul, each strike of the weapon not just regaining pieces of his self, but redefining it. He even remembered his name, now.
He was Alex.
And he was a sword. But more than that, he was a protector, too. As the memories came crashing back with each blade swing, like waves against sand, his motivations shifted. He was not just a blade, or a protector. He felt that he was a regular guy in a lot of ways, and many other things besides and then some more he had yet to discover. He missed his friends, his sister, and his grandfather, he even missed sweeping the dojo's grounds.
And he was tired of fighting. Even now, in the midst of battle, the pursuit of perfection in his martial form felt hollow without a greater purpose.
It was then, with a deep stab, that the memories of his purpose came crashing into him.
He remembered his purpose and the things that drove his martial obsession.
He would save Earth... and Pyra... and all system worlds.
He would reunite with his family, his friends, and Mei.
He would master Mana and perfect his mastery of Qi.
And he would destroy the imperials.
He would travel to every world they held and destroy them, leaving nothing left.
Or,
He would just find Earth and leave it all behind, for a while, utilising his unrestricted system to evolve Earth's system, bring all would-be enemies to thier knees, and create an army of overpowered Earthlings.
He hadn't decided yet.
In the wake of new memories, Alex found himself reflecting on the true nature of his self, his goals, combat and the parts of himself that he feared to acknowledge. He recognized the art in his movements, the precision in his strikes. Yet, he also saw the darkness within himself, a side that revelled in the act of killing. Since his rebirth, he had killed hundreds.
In some ways, he was a monster, too. Not much different from the demon or bloodbeast. It was time to embrace them both and end this.
"So my skills don't work here?" He muttered to himself, his memories almost wholly returned. But my stats feel inflated, like I'm only as strong as I think I am. Alex's blade clashed against the demon's claws, sending sparks flying. He twisted his wrist, deflecting the demon's attack and driving the blade deep into its chest before flinging it into the massive beast, the two crashing into each other with an impact that shook the land.
So I really am much stronger here. Mindscape shenanigans... gotta love 'em.
The demon's third eye blazed, its maw opening to emit a screeching roar. The Blood creature lunged beside it, its massive jaws snapping inches from his already moving face. He sidestepped, the dark blade arcing through the air and slicing clean through one of the beast's massive legs. The bloodbeast roared in pain, its limb severed, falling heavily to the ground. As the beast struggled to rise, Alex moved in, his blade a blur. He severed another limb, then a third, before he brought the sword down with precision, cleaving through the creature's neck. The bloodbeast's grotesque head fell to the ground, and its body collapsed, struggling to regenerate. Alex moved with precision, his dark blade severing the bloodbeast's tendrils, bones, blood, and flesh, spraying thick crimson fluid.
He heard steps racing behind him.
With swift, fluid movements, Alex spun and drove his blade into the demon's midsection, where the blade pierced the metal exterior to near bisection. The demon staggered, its movements faltering. He then spun back to the regenerating bloodbeast, deftly dodging a wild swipe. His dark blade found its mark, slashing across the beast's exposed core, severing it from muscle and sinew.
Alex stood, blood orbiting his blade, the bodies of the blood beast and the demon at his feet. The landscape around him stilled, the chaotic energy dissipating, a vortex sucked into his blade until nothing was left. The landscape was nothing but a metal plane devoid of flesh, with a single glowing pebble lying amidst the quickly fading remains, and the monster's spirit core.
The demon slowly rose to stand opposite him, equally worn and wary but without hostility. It stood a head taller than him with a form lithe and strong. Its horns were long and shot skyward, like a bulls, the welded sword in its hand was striking, long and imposing, almost like a greatsword, and its sword-tail swayed dangerously as it eyed him with reluctant caution.
[Quest ‘Inner Demons’ Completed - You have succeeded in Consciousness Subjugation]
[Logging rewards...]
[Skill ‘Soul Sword’ has consumed an ego weapon 'Eclipse’…
SoulBound Weapon & Ego ‘Eclipse’ has been added to your Soul Armoury! Enchantments gained!]
[D Ranked skill 'Absolution' (Passive) gained!]
[Absolution - Soulbound to a sword Ego ritualistically forged and doused in the blood of countless captured system beings, your insatiable hunger for unique and higher blood grants you enhanced potential for growth. You draw strength and power from any blood 'Eclipse' spills and absorbs, both the weapon and wielder will grow in tandem. The more unique, compatible, or higher blood it absorbs, the stronger both it and you will become, granting increased durability and demonic enchantments to the weapon and wielder. Requires the summoning of 'Eclipse' to activate.]
[D Ranked skill 'Bloodforged' (Passive) gained!]
[Bloodforged - Soulbound to a sword Ego ritualistically forged and doused in the blood of countless captured system beings. With every enemy slain, both the wielder and the sword absorb a fragment of their essence (0.001%). As the wielder continues their conquest, the weapon will retain a faint infinitesimal imprint of the prowess displayed by the defeated enemies during combat. the summoning of 'Eclipse' to activate.]
[SwordSoul - Mastery 0 > 11%]
[Error - Additional rewards detected... logged.]
[Familiar transformation halted. Spirit Beast transformation halted. Familiar tether to 'Unknown' removed. Current skill mastery is too low to incorporate non-sword ego. Host successfully eradicated foreign Non-Sword ego designated 'level 0̴̰͈͖̊͋0̴͎̟̣̈́̐0̵̠͉̥̔̊̈0̴̰͈͖̊͋0̴͎̟̣̈́̐ Blood Familiar (Qi Gathering: First stage)]
[Reverting host to original form...]
His mind snapped back to reality.
[Error - Energy conflict - Unable to remove residual element 'Spirit beast core'. Removal will result in catastrophic energy convergence.]
[...]
[Energy source 'Spirit Beast Core' (Type: Qi) gained!]
Alex opened his eyes to review the final notification.
"What!?"