Alex, still trapped in the mini dome, struggled with all his might. He struck, slammed into the walls, screaming in rage and helplessness. Each impact echoed like a desperate protest against his captivity. Outside, the old mage laughed, amused by the pathetic spectacle.
"Keep squirming, little monster… entertain me a bit more," he whispered with a smile split from ear to ear.
But Alex wasn't playing. His red eyes burned with a wild glow, and in a surge of desperation, he activated his skill:
[Skill: Retreat Explosion – Activated]
A violent blast shook the inside of the dome. A brutal, concentrated detonation. The explosion would have shredded an ordinary human to pieces. Yet, when the smoke cleared… Alex was intact. Not a scratch. The dome, however, didn't even have a crack.
The old mage stopped laughing. He observed the boy, a flicker of twisted admiration in his eyes.
"Fascinating… not the slightest injury. You'll make an exceptional research subject."
Without waiting, he planted his staff into the ground. The tip traced a complex circle surrounded by shifting symbols, forming an unstable magical network. In an instant, a beam of light fell from the sky, enveloping Alex and the mage. Then… nothing. The world around them tore apart.
When the light vanished, they stood at the heart of an ancient castle. The air was cold, heavy with dark magic. The floor seemed to sigh beneath their steps. Alex's dome became translucent, and through its surface, he saw the horror of the place.
A nightmare frozen in time.
The hall before him looked like the inside of a giant corpse. The walls, covered in dried blood, pulsed at times, as if still breathing. Chains hung from the vaulted ceiling, some ending in rusted hooks, others with remnants of bodies whose shapes were best left undescribed. Alex swallowed. His breath fogged against the barrier.
This was no laboratory.
It was a shrine to madness.
And the mage who lived here… no longer belonged to the living.
The old sorcerer slowly climbed the spiral staircase. Each step creaked under his weight, and soon, they reached his true laboratory. The place reeked of death. Dozens of dissected monster corpses lay on the tables. Some creatures seemed barely dead, their eyes still open, frozen in horror.
The mage dragged Alex to a cage reinforced by complex runes. With a gesture, he threw the bat into it. The bars crackled with dark magic. When Alex touched them, searing pain coursed through his body, forcing him back with a growl.
"Stay where you are," murmured the mage, eyes gleaming. "You're the best specimen I've ever had… and those pupils… such magnificence. I want to tear them out."
But Alex's eyes were already glowing red-hot.
[Skill: Mist Body – Activated]
In a breath, his body turned into black mist and passed through the bars. The old mage recoiled, panicked. He tried to chant an immobilization spell, but too late: Alex lunged at him and struck his legs with a sharp blow, unleashing the full power of his next skill.
[Skill: Static Shock – Activated]
A bolt of lightning burst out and paralyzed the old mage. He collapsed to the ground, unable to move. Alex didn't wait. He sank his fangs into his throat.
[Skill: Bloodthirsty Acquisition – Activated]
You drink the blood of your target…
[Level +7!]
Current level: 32
[You copy your target's knowledge: magical knowledge, alchemy art, sculpture art.]
[Craft Level +10]
Current level: 17
[New Skill Acquired: Mana Absorption]
[You greatly absorb your target's mana.]
[Level +3!]
Current level: 35
The mana… had a strange taste. Different from blood. Purer. More alive. And above all… incredibly delicious. Every drop made him stronger. More stable. More complete.
Beneath his fangs, the old mage withered. Deprived of his mana, he became a withered old man, his body nearly mummified. His eyes filled with tears, pain, and fear.
"Cursed… monster…" he sobbed.
At that very moment, the great door of the laboratory burst into pieces.
A man entered, resplendent. Blonde, golden eyes, clad in gleaming white armor. On his back, a massive sword radiated sacred light. Alex stared at him. A dangerous aura. Celestial… he had to leave.
"I am Paladin Lionnes Maximus," he declared. "Solovax, for your vile forbidden experiments, you are under arrest."
Alex, still perched near the window, listened in silence. He smirked. The old mage would finally pay. But he felt staying here would be a mistake.
Without a word, he leapt through the window and vanished into the night.
Farther away, he heard screams. Frantic voices. He headed toward them, his new skills in mind, the freshly gained power pulsing through his veins.
The shadow of the monster he was becoming had just taken on a new face.