The mana stone shined brightly in his palm, covering the hallway with a bright blue light almost blinding
'So this is a mana stone.. Yet it's only C-rank and I can sense the undiscovered potential waiting inside it, for me to uncover and consume..'
He smiled softly as his mask burned even brighter, shoving tbe two crystals into his bag resting right beside Fenris
'Firstly.. I need a place to rest. Then I can meet with Eulysess tommorow.'
...
'This is the most cost effective inn?.. It looks ruined...'
Nathaniel sighed as he looked at the nearly rotten building infront of him, though it was large he could almost smell the dust from inside, overgrown vines embracing it's walls screaming "Don't enter!"
'Eden Inn... Is this supposed to be a Garden of Eden reference...'
He looked at the flora covering it's garden.. And walls and insticively felt repulsed shrinking back
'It'll do..'
With a soft sigh Nathaniel enterred the inn making sure his mask was no longer atop his head
Creak~
A soft, almost irritating noise would occur as the door creaked opened, though it irritated the adventurer as he hated unecesarry noise he manahed to stay calm walking towards the front
' ' Oh-! Oh! Welcome to Eden! ' '
A young woman with short black hair clumsilly greeted Nathaniel as she begin to tidy up her appearance keeping a bright hopeful smile as her eyes shined brightly, it was apparent the establishment didn't get many customers
' ' How much for a night here? ' '
Nathaniel asked as he took his pouch from his side taking one gold coin from his pocket
' ' 12 Silver for a night sir! Food included! ' '
She said enthisiatically as she began to take something below the table which ended up being a key and a number
' ' Here. ' '
With a smile, Nathaniel gave the young lady 2 gold coins as he took the key from the table
' ' Thank you! Enjoy your stay here! ' '
She yelled out excitedly waving the man away as he smiled returning the gesture with a gentle wave of his own
Creak~
The door once again creaked open as Nathaniel entered the room, dust covered it's few appliances such as the desk and cabinet yet strangely the bed didn't have much
'It's.. Well what can I expect? It'll serve it's purpose though.'
He soon dismissed his dissapointed thoughts as he dropped his bag gently on the bed, Fenris immeadietly jumping off, pouting
' ' Lad come on.. I'm sorry if it's unconfortable to have 2 mana stones next to you I'll make up for it promise.. ' '
He patted the pups head as he took out the mana stones before looking at Fenris
' ' Now I'll be busy, go sleep for a while ' '
He said whilst he sat down into an angel sit position keeping both mana stones in hand, he inhaled and exhaled sharply before closing his eyes
'Here goes nothing.'
With a sigh he began to cultivate his mana, letting the mana inside the stones to seep into his body, his veins, his blood, his everything
His body heated up, painful.. It was excrusiatingly painful, if he couldn't endurr and and stopped who knows what kind of consequences could occur.. After all... This technique was not of this world.. A technique from a world far gone...
...
The grass, the flora was grey, the atmosphere was depressing, it was a heavy weight on the Knight's heart as he stared at the demon infront of him
Yet strangely, the demon did not attack him, the black void like fog which acted as his body was.. Calm? In a calm voice the demon spoke to the knight
' ' Arthur. Welcome to the Grave of the Honoured.. Death's domain. ' '
' ' ...To think you'd allow a human in the castle of the 8th Demon king you might be insane lad. ' '
The knight tried to humour him as he walked toward the demon, walking side by side through the pale grey garden the two spoke with each other
' ' As of right now, even with my help Humanity stands no chance against the other 7 kings... ' '
The demob spoke solemnly, showing emotion, something the demon race was devoid of he spoke his heart with the Knight named "Arthur"
' ' So Nacht, what are you implying now? ' '
The Knight responded, calling the demon by his name, not by title, they stared at eachother before the demon continued to speak, replying to the knight's question
' ' I'm here to give you a fighting chance against Antares. ' '
The demon spoke as he summoned a blue stone from thin air, a technique known as spatial domain where one could store countless objects available only to the strongest
' ' I'll teach you the ways of a Demon, an Endless gluttony to consume other's strength to feed your own. ' '
The demon would smile as he began to channel his magical power, the Magic crystal's light quickly fading as the demon grew in power
' ' Are you interested? ' '
With a smile, the knight spoke with excitement as he approached the demon
' ' Did you even have to ask? ' '
' ' No I didn't. Let's get to work. ' '
...
A bright blue storm of mana surrounded Nathaniel's body as he continued to coneume the mana from the stones
'Demonic techniques being used by a human.. Hah.. Thank you. You damn bastard.'
He smiled as he thought of an old friend, gritting his teeth bo
th in joy and in pain as he focused all his might into devouring.
'Allow the mana from the crystal to naturally flow into your body, let it corrupt you.. And when all of it is inside use your own power to expell the impure mana.. To feed your own.'
...He slowly opened his eyes, wiping the sweat off his face as he rose from his feet
' ' It works. Gluttony works. ' '
He smiled as he touched his body, feeling the 3rd circle aroumd his heart
To be continued