Daemon thrust forward, his leech claws pushing the creature back a few feet. "What's with this mutt barking in my face?" he said, his voice dripping with disdain.
He also noticed around him... multiple skeletons on the ground.
With the creature now backed away, Daemon got a proper look at it. The creature stood over seven feet tall, its body a grotesque patchwork of rotting flesh fused together with pulsating veins of sickly green energy. The stench of decay hung heavy in the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood.
Jagged horns protruded from its skull, framing a pair of glowing eyes that could pierce through darkness. Its maw resembling that of a wolf, it was filled with razor-sharp teeth.
The creature looked down at Daemon with a condescending gaze. "Who are you to dare ruin my ritual?" it snarled its voice a low growl.
The creature wondered who this intruder was as it was aware of everyone who enters and leaves the village.
Daemon glanced at Elder Kellan and then back at the creature. "Oh, so you're the real guardian of the village? Well, I'm afraid this is where it ends," he declared.
The creature's eyes narrowed. "He knows about the village too," it muttered before turning to Elder Kellan. "Kellan, quickly explain what is happening here. I specifically told you to keep our activities a secret unless my old memories are failing me."
Elder Kellan swallowed hard crawling toward the creature. "I did, Leader. I found him suspicious. I tried to scare him into leaving, but he didn't. Then I asked the Iron Chain Cartel to deal with him, but they failed. Now it seems like he killed them."
Elder Kellan's mind raced as he looked between Eldric and Daemon. He had served Eldric since his youth, trained rigorously to assist in the rituals that maintained the village's dark secrets. His position of elder, though prestigious, came with a heavy burden.
He was taught to revere Eldric, to believe that the rituals were essential for the village's protection and prosperity. However, the cost had always troubled him the sacrifices, the fear, the lives lost.
Eldric had chosen Kellan, just as he had chosen elders before him, for their loyalty and malleability.
'Leader? So this must be Eldric, the leader and creator of the village. I thought he would have been dead. Did his deal with the demon cost too much?' Daemon thought.
Daemon decided to examine the creature's stats because if it had the powers of a demon, it must be pretty strong. He needed to know how to approach the situation.
-Eldric-
-Race: Half Vile-
-Strength: 130/200-
-Agility: 115/200-
-Endurance: 150/200-
-Intelligence: 100/100-
-Abilities: Corrupting Influence, Regenerative Healing, Roar -
'A vile creature... did he become half-cursed because he failed the deal with the demon? But he's also strong. No wonder Kellan was so weak; he was just a pawn. Eldric is the real threat,' Daemon thought. He then noticed one of Eldric's abilities. 'Corrupting Influence... is that how he gained control of the villagers?' he wondered.
He knew that forging a pact with a demon came with significant risks and consequences. The individual becomes bound to their demonic patron serving their dark agenda and furthering their evil schemes.
Additionally the individual who did have a pact may be required to fulfill ongoing obligations or perform evil tasks on behalf of their demonic master. Breaking the terms of the pact can have dire consequences, ranging from the forfeiture of one's soul to the unleashing of vengeful curses or demonic entities upon the individual and their loved ones.
It was for those who are will to enter into the Pact with Demons do so at great peril, knowing that the powers they gain come with a heavy price.
Daemon had never encountered a supernatural creature in his past life, so he couldn't help but wonder how many races existed in the world and how they became such creatures. Maybe he could get his own powers in the future.
While Eldric was still distracted with Elder Kellan, Daemon decided to use the seven hundred fear points he gained from killing and scaring the cartel members, along with the pain points from torturing the man.
Given how much stronger Eldric was, Daemon traded in the seven hundred points for 14 attribute points. He quickly allocated ten points into strength and the remaining four into agility.
He thought that since Eldric's strength was so much higher, he would need to match it. Afterward, he felt his strength surge, as if his body was ready to explode past its limits, but something seemed to block it.
"Useless," Eldric said, kicking Kellan aside before turning to Daemon. "The blood in you smells of pure evil but there's also good, just overwhelmed by the evil... you'll be perfect for the growth of my full strength."
"First, you want to sacrifice villagers under the guise of protection, but it seems more like a price you had to pay for that fake power of yours," Daemon retorted.
As a half-vile creature, Eldric now had borrowed power, not the true strength of a vile demon he thought
"Fake? Yes, my power may have come at the cost of something I loved, but it has helped me a lot. It's weakened now because of fewer sacrifices from the Iron Chain Cartel," Eldric admitted.
Daemon walked face to face with Eldric with a cold smirk on his face pointed at wrist. "Kneel before me like the mutt you are," he commanded, his voice dripping with disdain. "Maybe then you'll get a scrap of my mercy."
The reason why Daemon stood face to face with Eldric and commanded him was he saw in Eldric just an obstacle to be overcome... to instill fear and the need for fear points. Also he refused to cower before Eldric, refused to let fear dictate his actions. Daemon had always been a fighter just like for his art than costed him his life, and he would be damned if he allowed himself to be intimidated by a mere half-vile creature or anyone in his life... he may be known as The Broken Reaper.
"You think you can defeat me? I will crush you like an insect," Eldric sneered.
With a roar that shook the surrounding cavern, Eldric roar should have had a paralyze effect on Daemon filling him with fear. However Daemon, having long since conquered his fear stood unfazed. Seeing his roar failed Eldric charged, his massive fists aiming to pulverize his Daemon.
Daemon moved with blinding speed, narrowly evading Eldric powerful blow. Though the gap in their raw stats was significant, Daemon's slowly mastering his death manipulation allowed his strength to surpass what the system indicated. Eldric fist collided with the stone floor, sending shockwaves through the underground chamber, cracking the ground and sending debris flying.
'He's strong there really is a gap. I need to be precise, using my speed against him,' Daemon thought.
Daemon retaliated with a swift strike of his leech claws, aiming for Eldric torso. His claws sliced through the air, leaving a small mark, but Eldric regenerative abilities kicked in instantly, healing the wounds almost as soon as they were made.
"No matter how many time your attack land it will be pointless"
Eldric sneered and swung his fist again, grazing Daemon's shoulder and sending him skidding across the cavern floor.
Daemon rolled to his feet, using the momentum to launch himself at the demon. He slashed with his claws, each strike aimed at a vital point. Eldric roars filled the cavern, his regeneration struggling to keep up with the barrage of attacks, each attack Daemon did was a calculated effort to overwhelm Edric healing factor.
"Enough!" Edric roared.
He unleashed a terrifying roar that reverberated through the cavern once more, the sheer force of it cracking the stone walls and disorienting Daemon slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, Eldric lunged forward, his massive fist connecting with Daemon's midsection and sending him crashing through a stone pillar. The pillar crumbled, debris raining down on Daemon.
Groaning, Daemon pushed himself up from the rubble. 'Damn, that's one of the hardest hits I've ever felt before. His body is very different from before,' he thought spitting out some blood.
Knowing he had to end the fight quickly before Eldric regeneration made it impossible, Daemon summoned every ounce of his strength. He charged at Eldric , his leech claws glowing brighter than ever.
Eldric roared again and swung both fists downward, aiming to crush Daemon into the ground. But Daemon leapt into the air, flipping over Edric's fists and landing behind him. With a swift, powerful slash, he cut deep into Eldric back, his claws draining his life force with every moment.
Just as Daemon thought he had the upper hand, Eldric twisted his body at an unnatural angle, delivering a powerful uppercut that sent both of them flying into the air. The force of the blow was so immense that it broke through the ground, propelling them back up into the forest above.