Chapter 11 Soul Devourer

The countdown ticked away relentlessly. Nine seconds. Eight seconds. A freezing black fog exploded from the purple crystal I held against my chest. It crawled up my arms like living ivy, sinking deep into my skin. I could feel a second heartbeat drumming wildly inside my own ribs. It was not my heart. It was the demon trying to wake up inside my body.

Seven seconds. The shadow demon began to laugh inside my head. The sound was horrible, like rusty metal scraping against bone. It told me I was weak. It told me it would wear my skin and slaughter everyone I loved. My vision faded into pure blackness. My knees hit the cold stone floor of the basement again.

Six seconds. I was completely paralyzed. The dark veins reached my neck and started crawling toward my face. The System screen flashed its terrifying black warning text again and again. My consciousness was slipping away into a deep, freezing ocean.

Five seconds. I refused to die like this. I had survived a fatal car crash in the modern world. I had survived the royal assassins. I had survived the giant golden dragon and the arena of true death. I was the true King. I would not let a mindless shadow beast take my crown.

Four seconds. I remembered the very first night in this magical world. I remembered the elite female assassin who tried to kill me in the ruined courtyard. I remembered how I survived her deadly poison. I had used a very specific dark skill to drain her life.

Three seconds. I gasped loudly and forced my jaw open. Blood spilled from my lips. "System, activate Soul Devour."

Two seconds. The System screen shattered and reformed into a brilliant, blinding purple color.

[Soul Devour skill activated. Target identified as Corrupted Shadow Demon Soul. Commencing extraction.]

One second. A terrifying vacuum opened up deep inside my chest. It felt like a massive black hole had just ignited inside my heart. I threw my head back and let out a roar that did not sound human at all. It was the pure, ancient roar of a furious dragon.

The dark black veins covering my skin instantly reversed direction. The laughing voice of the demon inside my head suddenly turned into a pathetic, high pitched scream of absolute terror. It realized too late that it was not the predator anymore. It was the prey.

I felt my soul open its jaws and bite down hard on the invading consciousness. I ripped the mind of the demon into a thousand tiny pieces and swallowed them all completely. The dark energy flooded my veins, but this time it was pure, clean power. The corruption was gone. I had eaten it.

The purple System screen chimed with a beautiful, melodic sound.

[Soul Devour complete. Corrupted consciousness deleted. Supreme Threat Core successfully purified and permanently bonded to the host.]

[The host may now cast all magic using the core energy. Human lifespan will no longer be deducted for magical costs.]

I collapsed onto the dirty dungeon floor, panting heavily. The heavy purple crystal sunk entirely into my chest, disappearing beneath my skin. I pressed my hand against the spot. There was no wound. There was only a warm, steady pulsing sensation right next to my own heartbeat. I had a bottomless well of monster energy to power my dragon fire now. I was finally ready for war.

I slowly stood up. My body felt lighter than air. My strength was absolutely incredible. I walked over to the broken iron chains and grabbed a thick link with one hand. I squeezed my fingers together. The solid iron crushed like dry mud. I smiled a grim, dangerous smile. Malakor was going to pay for everything he had done.

I turned around and walked confidently up the long, dark stone stairs. I reached the massive stone door at the top. I did not even need Elara to say the magic password this time. I placed both of my hands flat against the heavy stone and pushed. With a loud, grinding crunch, the massive door blasted completely off its heavy hinges. It crashed onto the floor of the upper laboratory, kicking up a massive cloud of ancient dust.

General Kaelen and Elara spun around in total shock. Kaelen had his heavy broadsword drawn, ready to fight whatever monster came out of the dark stairs. Elara had a glowing blue potion ready to throw. When the thick dust finally settled, they both stared at me with wide eyes.

I stepped completely into the light of the laboratory. My dark green dragon scales were shimmering with a faint, powerful purple glow. The energy rolling off my body was so intense it made the glass bottles on the wooden tables rattle violently.

"My King," Kaelen whispered, dropping his sword entirely. He fell to one knee instantly. "You defeated the beast."

"I did not just defeat it," I said softly, looking directly at Elara. "I consumed it."

Elara stared at my glowing eyes in pure horror and pure fascination. She slowly put the blue potion down on the table. Her hands were shaking.

"Only the darkest and most ancient dragons can eat a soul," Elara said quietly. "You really are a monster, Valen."

I smiled coldly. Then, the ceiling exploded, and five Imperial God Guards dropped inside.