Chapter 4 The Soul Devourer

I stared at the black screen. Sixty seconds. The countdown flashed in bright white numbers. Fifty nine. Fifty eight.

I looked down at the assassin. She was trapped in my grip. Her eyes were wide with pure terror. She knew something terrible was about to happen.

"Please," she begged softly. The cruel confidence from earlier was completely gone. "I was only following orders."

Forty five seconds. My chest started to burn. The Forbidden Debt was calling for its payment. If I did not pay the price, my soul would be destroyed forever. I did not want to be a monster. I was just a normal guy who got hit by a truck. But this world was not normal. In this world, weakness meant death.

"You came here to cut off my head," I said. My voice was completely cold. "I am just returning the favor."

Thirty seconds. The burning in my chest turned into absolute agony. I could not wait any longer.

"Activate Soul Devour," I commanded the System.

[Skill Activated. Commencing Soul Devour.]

A blinding black light erupted from my right hand. The dark energy wrapped around the neck of the assassin. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. Instead, a stream of glowing silver mist flowed out of her mouth and eyes. The mist rushed directly into my skin.

It felt like drinking ice cold water after days in a hot desert. The terrible pain in my chest vanished. My muscles grew thicker and stronger. I closed my eyes as a sudden rush of strange memories flooded my brain. I saw training camps, dark castles, and the face of the false king giving her the order to kill me. I was literally absorbing her life and her knowledge.

In less than ten seconds, the silver mist stopped flowing. The black light faded away. I let go of her neck. Her body hit the stone ground with a dull thud. She was completely lifeless.

I stood there breathing heavily. I felt sick to my stomach but I also felt incredibly powerful. The black System screen shattered and turned back to its normal bright blue color.

[Soul Devour complete.]

[Forbidden Debt has been fully repaid.]

[Bonus Reward: The host has absorbed fifty days of extra lifespan from the target.]

[Remaining Lifespan: Four Months and Twenty Days.]

I let out a long sigh of relief. I had bought myself a little more time. But my relief did not last long.

The ground beneath my feet began to tremble violently. The sound of marching boots and clashing armor echoed through the night air. The glowing purple crystal on the ground was still flashing brightly. The royal army was almost here. One thousand heavily armed men were coming to finish what the assassin started.

I turned around and looked at the broken wooden doors of the courtyard. Beyond them was the dark and foggy forest. It was my only way out. I ran as fast as my new legs could carry me. The dark red energy from my earlier power surge still pumped through my veins, making me incredibly fast.

I crossed the courtyard in seconds and sprinted straight into the thick grey fog of the trees. The air in the forest was freezing cold. Huge twisted branches reached out like bony fingers in the dark. I did not stop running. I heard the massive iron gates of the courtyard smash open behind me.

"Spread out!" a loud voice commanded in the distance. "Find the King and bring me his head!"

I pushed deeper into the woods. The fog grew thicker and thicker until I could barely see my own hands. I needed to find a place to hide and plan my next move. I had to figure out how to sneak into the heavily guarded palace and steal my brother's blood.

Suddenly, my foot caught on a thick tree root. I stumbled forward and fell hard down a steep muddy hill. I rolled over and over, crashing through sharp bushes and wet dirt. I finally slammed into a solid stone wall at the bottom of the slope.

I groaned and slowly pushed myself up. I was sitting in the entrance of a massive dark cave. The air inside the cave smelled ancient and full of strong magic.

I took a step inside to hide from the soldiers. But as soon as my foot touched the cave floor, the System screen suddenly flashed a blinding and dangerous gold color.

[Warning. Host has entered the resting place of the First Dragon Ancestor.]

[The Ancestor demands a sacrifice. Provide a royal blood offering in ten seconds or be burned to ash.]

From the deep darkness of the cave, two massive golden eyes suddenly opened. They were the size of small houses. A low growl shook the entire mountain. I had just escaped an army only to walk right into the mouth of a literal god.