Without hesitation, Cairen moved to the next cage. The feathered serpent. The process then repeated, bound, the mark appeared, and the beast was reduced to nothing more than energy, devoured by the chain and absorbed by him.
After the serpent came the boar, and with each beast, the sensation of completeness grew. The fourth beast, the three-eyed lizard, yielded its essence, and Cairen felt such an intense wave of energy that his joints cracked.
He was at the brink. His body was nearly fully tempered.
Cairen then turned to the last cage. The great metallic raven flapped its wings, letting out a screech of pure terror, as if it understood the fate awaiting it.
Cairen raised his hand for the final time.
'Judgment!'
The chain found its target. The screech was silenced. The half-eye mark burned upon its head. The absorption began.
And then, when the last particle of energy from the fifth beast fused into him, something changed.
It was like a veil being ripped away from his senses. A unique sensation of absolute completeness overtook his entire being.
His body was finally tempered, a perfect, resilient vessel ready to contain greater power.
Immediately after, a new sensation flooded him. The surrounding air, once merely something to breathe, now seemed richer… more alive.
With every breath, it was as if he wasn't drawing in just air but a vital, vibrant energy that his lungs now knew how to process.
It was a pure energy, omnipresent, permeating everything and everywhere. He didn't need anyone to tell him. He knew.
That was Qi. He was finally, truly, sensing the Qi of this cultivation world.
'Status.' he whispered at once. And then the screen appeared before him.
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[Fallen System]
Name: Cairen Veyrith
Age: 16
Bloodline: Fallen Human (Grade 3), Fallen Narakai (Grade 3), Fallen Elthar (Grade 3)
Titles: *** ******** ***
Cultivation: 3º Stage of the Affinity Awakening Realm
Passive Abilities: Narakai Physique
Active Abilities: Spiritual Eyes
Fallen Abilities: Shackles of the False Genocider, The Serpent's Plague, Veil of Blindness
[Missions]
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And there it was. The peak of the Affinity Awakening Realm. His body was ready. All he needed to do now was guide the Qi he sensed into himself, channel it into his dantian, and begin the process of accumulation. And then, break through.
The threshold to the next realm was literally within his reach now.
**********************************************
High above, on a hidden balcony of one of the tallest towers surrounding the courtyard, two figures watched everything from above.
"What do you think of him?" The voice of the King of Rhyne rang cold and emotionless.
The old guardian, his ancient eyes fixed on Cairen's figure below, furrowed his brow for a moment before replying.
"I think he has the necessary talent. That… was not a demonic path technique or a common evil art. It was his own innate bloodline. His ability." The old man paused carefully with his words.
"It seems that as long as he has bodies to consume, he will evolve. And the speed appears terrifying."
He turned toward the King.
"But it is also interesting. A power of such voracious growth, if directed correctly…"
"I believe the princess chose well. He could become a sharp blade. Though a double-edged one, if we are not careful."
The King said not a word. His emerald-green eyes, impassive, remained on Cairen for a long moment.
Observing the young man who now breathed. The world, in a new way.
He had already seen what he needed. With an almost imperceptible movement of his head, he turned and departed.
His cloak dragged silently across the stone, leaving the old guardian alone with his thoughts and the vision of the potential that Princess Ling had brought home.
*******************************************
As Cairen stood motionless, absorbing the new sensory reality that opened before him, Ling stepped away from the column.
Her footsteps echoed heavily against the polished stone of the courtyard. She did not come too close, only stopping at a safe distance. But her gaze was intrusive, sweeping Cairen from head to toe.
She could see he was different. Not just physically, but in the way he occupied the space. The air around him seemed calmer, as if he had finally found his axis.
And in his black eyes, she saw a gleam of comprehension that hadn't been there before. He was sensing Qi. Truly sensing it.
"The beasts, were they enough?" she began, her clear voice cutting through the silence.
Cairen pulled his gaze from the void, focusing on the silver-haired figure of the princess.
"Yes. They were enough." Cairen replied, his voice a little hoarse.
Ling tilted her head as she spoke.
"Good. The method is truly efficient, then. Beasts are easier to acquire than condemned prisoners. They bring fewer… political complications."
She said it with practicality, as if the two were the same. To her, the moral question of killing did not exist, it was merely a matter of logistics and efficiency.
"You can feel it now, can't you?" she continued.
"The Qi around you, your body has finally begun to listen to the world."
"Yes." Cairen admitted, without elaborating.
"Excellent. Then the next step is accumulation. The castle's resources are at your disposal. Use them. And grow strong."
She concluded, her tone making it clear the training session had ended.
She turned to leave but cast one last word over her shoulder.
"Strong enough to accompany me. I will break through to the next realm soon."
And after saying this with a smile, she left, leaving him alone in the courtyard. Cairen felt he was one small step closer to freedom.