Chapter 12: Lurking Danger
Damon found himself enveloped in a surge of pure euphoria, his long spiked hair swirling gracefully in the ethereal breeze of divinity that swirled around him like living silk.
A smile illuminated his face, unsettling yet triumphant, the kind that promised both salvation and destruction in equal measure.
His right hand rested just below his chest, palm open as though drawing power from his very soul, while his left arm reached skyward in a gesture of deep reverence, fingers splayed toward the infinite firmament.
"Centuria!" he proclaimed, voice resonant and filled with mad joy that echoed through his temple realm. "Your worship resonates within the very essence of my being, your faith feeds me, strengthens me, binds us eternally!"
In that moment, his sanctuary of power transformed dramatically around him. The chamber dissolved into the sprawling, primordial forest of his inner world, ancient trees towering like silent guardians, their leaves whispering secrets of blood and conquest.
Before him awaited a towering twelve-foot creature, Centuria in her fully evolved glory, her black blade-like shell gleaming under divine light, multiple eyes blinking in perfect synchronization, blood-red legs poised with lethal elegance.
With unrestrained delight that bordered on mania, Damon clapped his hands together, the sound cracking like thunder through the realm. "Though merely two weeks have transpired in Avalonia," he exclaimed, eyes blazing with pride, "within my temple... three full months have unfolded for you, my child!"
Like a seasoned predator honed by endless battle, Centuria spun in a graceful yet deadly arc. Her tail sliced through the air with lethal precision, whistling as it carved invisible paths that could sever thick boulders.
"A commendable attack," Damon acknowledged, voice rich with approval as he activated the Pillar of Control at level four manipulation. A manic grin spread across his face, madness glinting in his crimson eyes.
He drove his right foot into the blood-soaked ground with deliberate slowness. The earth beneath him quivered like living jelly, absorbing the force before propelling him skyward in explosive launch. Below him, several thick ancient trees were hacked down effortlessly by the shockwave alone, trunks splintering like dry bones.
"This one truly merits my divinity," he mused aloud, his smile broadening into something both paternal and terrifying, Centuria loomed before him in all her evolved majesty, her expression wild and devoted, the sigil of his power shimmering atop her crowned head like a burning brand of eternal loyalty.
"She yearns to showcase her newfound strength,to prove her worthiness," Damon observed with deep satisfaction, activating the Pillar of Strength level two, Shura flare. Divine energy surged through his veins like molten gold.
He drew back his hand for what appeared to be an unremarkable punch, casual, almost lazy.
Yet soon, his fist ignited with raw divine energy, blazing like a comet streaking across forgotten heavens, trailing golden-crimson flames that warped the air itself.
Centuria unleashed her full, terrifying power without hesitation. Her teeth and pincers glowed with vibrant purple divine energy, power stolen and refined from countless devoured prey.
"Oragon Blast!" she roared, voice a chittering thunder that shook the forest.
"Plasma Attack!"
The sound began as a whisper, a deceptive hiss, but surged forward with terrifying velocity, a beam of concentrated divine plasma that could melt through Rank 3 defenses like paper.
"Child of Madness," Damon declared with proud reverence, meeting the plasma attack head-on without evasion or defense, "you have made me proud!"
His divine fist collided directly with the blast.
An immense explosion erupted, sending shockwaves that uprooted ancient trees and shattered boulders for miles within the temple realm. Golden-crimson light illuminated everything, divine pressure washing over the forest like heavenly tribulation.
In the aftermath, Damon descended gracefully through the settling dust and debris, landing softly on Centuria's broad, armored back. He placed a gentle hand upon her head in praise of her magnificent assault, fingers tracing the sigil with affectionate care.
Her fierce, predatory demeanor softened instantly, transforming into the innocent, devoted gaze of a child seeking approval as she nestled into his touch, massive body relaxing beneath him.
"Master," she conveyed directly to his mind, voice filled with simple, earnest pride, "based on my strength... I am now equivalent to a Rank 3 beast."
"My dear child," Damon replied, voice warm and reassuring like a father to his favored offspring, "that is splendid, beyond splendid." He gently patted her head, divinity flowing from his palm in soothing waves. "I sensed your every evolution; I felt the pulse of your heart, your unwavering devotion that burned brighter with each trial."
He paused, gazing at the glowing sigil upon her crown with quiet wonder. Yet this mark upon her... she has forcibly branded herself with the essence of my divinity, claiming me as I claim her. A genuine, proud smile broke across his face. "This child is the catalyst for my ascension, the embodiment of undying faith; I can feel it emanating from her very soul, pure and unbreakable."
With deliberate, loving care, he infused her massive body with gentle waves of divinity, enough to heal, strengthen, and prepare her for greater trials, coaxing her into a deep, restorative slumber.
"When she awakens," Damon commanded the sudo-soul residing within Centuria, voice firm yet affectionate,
"instruct her to seek me out immediately."
"You granted this one that gift," the sudo-soul responded, hesitation clear in its tone.
Damon merely smiled, resolve unyielding as ancient mountains.
"Is that not the essence of our existence?" he asked softly, crimson eyes distant with memories of lost glory. "My will is her will; it is akin to forging another version of myself in the guise of a beast, fierce, unrelenting, eternal. With no need for justification to kill, her eyes will be my eyes, her body my body, a perfect state where man and beast become one."
He fixed his cold, infinite gaze upon the sudo-soul, a silent warning radiating from his very being like divine judgment.
The sudo-soul fell silent, submitting without further question.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the treacherous Raksha borderlands, a realm of endless forests where ancient beasts roamed and the air itself carried the scent of blood and forgotten wars, a desperate chase unfolded under the shadowed canopy.
A boy with a perpetual, eerie smile bounced playfully through the undergrowth, his movements displaying slime-like agility that defied natural laws. With each leap off the ground, he seemed to touch the midnight moon, body compressing and rebounding with impossible grace, leaving trails of pinkish-red residue that dissolved into nothingness.
"Stop that bastard!" an old commander urged frantically, his expression twisted with anger and barely concealed fear, disheveled hair whipping in the wind as he pursued. "He must not escape, no matter what!"
"That creature cloaked in human skin, that abomination," he muttered through gritted teeth, a gnawing fear he could not fully comprehend eating at his heart. "I've lost count of how many times we've killed it... yet it refuses to stay dead."
For reasons known only to itself, the boy remained utterly silent, no cries of pain, no taunts, only that gentle, unchanging smile as he bounded ever forward.
Behind him, a palpable force began to build, pressure from the pursuing hunters' killing intent.
"Red Moon will be terribly disappointed if I don't bring that one back alive," the old commander thought grimly.
He unleashed a violent blade of condensed energy that sliced through the air like divine punishment.
It struck true, decapitating the boy's leg in a clean arc of blood and slime.
Yet not a sound escaped the boy. No expression of pain crossed his gentle face. His gaze remained fixed upon a distant target, the direction of the Void Territory.
"Zao, leave this one to me," a young voice cut through the chaos like silk over steel.
A boy with pale skin and devilishly handsome features emerged from the throng of hunters. His long white hair flowed like moonlight, and his fierce gaze commanded instant attention and submission.
"Young Master Alucard!" Commander Zao exclaimed, snapping to rigid attention, awe and reverence in his voice.
But silence enveloped the air as Alucard strode purposefully toward the still-bouncing slime boy, pride and hunger radiating from his every step.
"I can catch that one for myself, right?" Alucard inquired with a mischievous, fanged glint in his eyes.
Commander Zao stuttered, "Y-yes, Young Master, do as you please."
With those simple words, Alucard dashed forward. He leaped skyward with explosive grace to meet the slime boy head-on mid-bounce.
"Ah, I've heard so much about you!" he exclaimed with thrilled delight.
With tremendous, overwhelming force, he stomped down on the slime's head mid-air.
The impact caved in like soft mush, sending the boy crashing into the ground with earth-shaking power. Dirt and slime sprayed in all directions.
The slime boy retaliated instantly, reforming and launching a fierce punch aimed directly at Alucard's chest.
To everyone's astonishment, Alucard caught the fist effortlessly, fingers closing like iron shackles, refusing to let go.
He spun the boy around with casual strength before flinging him away like discarded trash.
"Hahaha," Alucard laughed, voice rich with exhilarated hunger, "you are truly entertaining! When I heard tales of a child who refused to die despite countless deaths, I knew I had to witness it, to taste it, for myself."
He licked his lips slowly, fangs glinting in the dim light.
"Do you know what this means?" Alucard asked, face alight with frenzied delight that bordered on ecstasy.
"An endless supply of blood! At last... I can drink to my heart's content, savoring the thrill of draining someone until they drop dead, again and again."
His expression twisted in rapturous joy, prompting the guards to beam with fierce pride.
"Our Young Lord Alucard," Commander Zao remarked with reverence and a thing of disgust, "first son of Red Moon, the one who surpassed even his father's legendary bloodline, inheritor of the Mornac seed."
"If it's him," Zao continued confidently, "I believe we can finally leave with that brat in chains."
The slime boy collided with a large boulder, his body compressing deeply into its surface, showcasing his unnatural properties as flesh and rock merged briefly.
"Rebound," Alucard observed with intrigued respect, a skill akin to perfect nullification. "The difference lies in its ability to defend perfectly... and return the attack with equal or greater force."
The boy rebounded like a living bullet, body launching forward with explosive speed. His palm excreted a peculiar, corrosive liquid that hissed and smoked on contact with air.
Alucard surged forward once more to seize the slime by its extended hand.
But to everyone's shock, he pulled back at the last moment, retreating swiftly from the pursuing slime.
"This one is tougher than I thought," Alucard mused, eyes narrowing with genuine caution for the first time. "I can't let that thing touch my flesh, this one has acid properties that could melt even my bloodline defenses."
His gaze scanned the chaotic battlefield as the slime pursued relentlessly.
Alucard suddenly halted, his speed which surpassed even Rank 5 movement arts.
He extended one pale hand forward, palm open.
"End this pointless struggle," he commanded, voice smooth yet laced with compelling force that demanded absolute submission.
His eyes emanated a hypnotic, compelling power, ancient ocular technique of the Endo bloodline awakening fully.
"And follow me quietly."
The slime boy slowed... hesitation flickering in his ember-like eyes for the first time.
The hunters held their breath.
Red Moon's predator had cornered its prey.
But in the distant Void Territory, Damon felt a faint disturbance in his web of divinity.