In the dimly lit chamber of the ancient temple, Reynold found himself face to face with the enigmatic dark entity. This being, shrouded in shadows, emanated an aura of ancient power and malevolence. The entity's laughter echoed through the stone walls, filling the room with an eerie resonance.
Reynold couldn't help but feel a shiver crawl down his spine. This encounter had taken a turn he hadn't expected. The dark entity, still chuckling, turned his piercing gaze upon Reynold, and with a voice that seemed to emanate from the depths of the underworld, he spoke.
"If I gave you these powers, then you need to sacrifice something," the entity declared, his eyes gleaming with a wicked intelligence.
Reynold's eyes widened in realization, and without thinking, he blurted out, "Are you a devil?" Immediately, he clapped a hand over his mouth, as if trying to take back the words he had just spoken.
The dark entity chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down Reynold's spine. "Wow, now you compare me to beings who love chaos and malevolence, beings whom I fight against."
Reynold's mind raced with questions, but he managed to find his voice. "Then why ask for a sacrifice? And even if you're not a devil, do I have anything to give?"
The entity's eyes glinted with an otherworldly wisdom as he leaned closer to Reynold. "You do," he said, pointing a long, skeletal finger at the young man.
Reynold instinctively took a step back, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "No, I won't give my body or sell myself, even if you're not a devil."
The dark entity sighed, as if disappointed by Reynold's resistance. "Not your body or to corrupt it," he clarified, "but I need your emotions."
Reynold furrowed his brow, utterly perplexed. "Why would you want my emotions? What does that mean, and what would you gain from them?"
The entity, now seated, appeared defeated for a moment. He mumbled to himself, "Why are you my successor?" Then, addressing Reynold once more, he sighed and explained, "I don't want you to have emotions because they will be a burden on your journey. Whenever you are killing a corrupt hero or loving someone, those emotions can be turned against you."
Reynold contemplated this revelation for a few seconds, his mind swirling with conflicting thoughts. "I'm okay with the corrupt hero part," he admitted, "but why not love? Love can be a source of strength."
The dark entity leaned forward, his shadowy form seeming to absorb the feeble light in the chamber. "Love can be turned into weakness when you're fighting against the whole world of corrupt heroes. They would use your love against you, and then your anger will bring nothing but destruction if your love dies—or even if she doesn't die and you save her."
Reynold's eyes widened as he considered the implications. "True," he reluctantly conceded, "but let's say if I win this war, what then? I need my emotions to love someone."
The dark entity nodded sagely, as if this was the response he had been waiting for. "Now, we've come to the stipulation part of gaining my powers," he declared. "I will give you 2/5 of my powers, but in return, I require your emotions. However, you can earn them back by giving hope to people honestly and diligently."
Reynold absorbed this information, his gaze unwavering. "2/5 is kind of a low power," he remarked, "but I can accept that. However, you won't just leave after I gain your powers, right?"
The dark entity let out a deep, resonating laugh that shook the very foundations of the temple, sending tremors through Reynold's body. The young man couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear. "Boy, your ignorance will be the death of you," the entity said, still chuckling. "But you will realize how powerful you are once I give you my powers. And no, I won't leave. You will be with me for five years in Earth time, but here, in this realm, you will experience five hundred years."
Reynold's eyes widened in shock and concern. "How will the world be if I leave for that long?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Isn't five hundred years too much for my body, mind, and soul if I am outside of my planet?"
The dark entity's response was stern and final. "Take the powers or leave the temple, boy. Your options are very limited here. You can either train here for five hundred years, which will be five years in Earth time, and then get rid of corrupt heroes, or you can go back and live in misery."
Reynold swallowed hard, his choices narrowing to a single path. He knew what he had to do, and with a determined resolve, he spoke the words that would seal his fate. "Okay, then. I am ready. Take my emotions and give me 2/5 of your powers. Train me for five hundred years."
The dark entity, with a sinister smile, performed a mesmerizing gesture in the air. In an instant, Reynold was enveloped in a shimmering cocoon of energy. This cocoon served as a conduit, allowing his body to receive the dark entity's powers, but it also transported Reynold's consciousness into a realm of the mind, where he would meet the entity on a deeper, more profound level.
Inside this mental realm, Reynold faced the dark entity once more. The entity's eyes gleamed with an unsettling mix of knowledge and malevolence. "Are you ready to learn the powers and use them to fight evil and malevolence in your world?" the entity asked, his voice reverberating through Reynold's very being.
Reynold met the entity's gaze with unyielding determination. "Absolutely," he replied, his journey into darkness and power beginning in earnest