Damien glanced at the skin and then looked down at the blood in the bowl in front of him. Now for the final process, he picked up the bowl and poured the blood on his free hand.
[Skill Creation has been activated.]
The blood was slowly absorbed by his skin. At first, nothing grand happened but then —his skin started to glow with a faint reddish glow which started getting more and more intense with each passing second.
Until—
[Anti Venom Spell created for Impert Snake Beast.]
[Crimson Elixir.]
His fingertips were lighted up with small flickering wisps of red fumes. They resembled burning flames minus the orangish and golden glow but these fumes were not hot.
"Woah," Maui spoke in an awed voice as he stared at Damien whose face was lit up with a reddish glow. "I have never seen a spell like this before."
"Neither have I," muttered Xavier as he looked at Damien and the wisps on his fingertips. Something about this change in Damien made him feel slightly disconcerted.
"Let's see if this spell works or not?" Damien turned and glanced at Xavier and Maui who were already looking at him.
The two of them along with Damien watched with bated breath as Damien placed his fingertips on the infected wound. The wispy flames flickered and gleamed before lighting up the entire blackened region around the wound with a reddish glow.
"Nghhh," Damien gritted his teeth as he felt a subtle stab in his chest. This spell was using whatsoever mana he had recovered.
"The spell that you have created is for treating the venom at once," explained Dan sagely. "As the area of treatment is spread out, the amount of mana required is also great."
"I can see that, funnily enough," Damien gritted his teeth and sneered at the AI hologram.
"Does it hurt too much, host?" Dan asked curiously when he noticed the expression on Damien's face. "I mean—"
"Not now, Dan," said Damien sternly. "I don't want to answer these questions for now." As the pain in his chest became more and more intense, Damien grew more techy.
On and on the spell continued and just as Damien thought that he was going to die while treating this man—the spell stopped working and the tug in his chest vanished.
Damien swayed and fell on the ground at once that tug disappeared, as the only thing that had kept him going was the desire to save Samuel's life.
"Lord Damien!" Xavier got to his feet and walked over to Damien who had fallen for the second time. "Are you alright?"
"Hmm? I am —I am fine," Damien yawned. "Just tired. Pay attention to him," he tipped his chin at Samuel. "And I will take a nap."
His eyes fluttered closed as Damien let out one last yawn and fell asleep.
And the kind of fantastic nap he had! Of course, he would have loved to say this but —nope. His nap was marred by the sounds and yells of people who were getting tormented.
'Hello? Is this Satan's house? I am not ready to go there yet,' Damien thought in his head as he peered around at his surroundings. He stood in the middle of what looked like an abandoned and ancient palace.
It had now crumbled due to the lack of care and course inhabitants.
"Ah, my baby brother," a cold and amused voice echoed from every corner of the palace. "Finally you have returned. Too weak and too young at that. Perhaps this time around you will make a wise choice."
The voice caused Damien to scrunch up his face in pain. It felt horrid, like those big bullies who were about to push the weaker kids to do something bad.
Or the super senior resident doctors who pushed the new trainees to do their duties while taking credit for doing them.
"The last time you were misled, what now? Will you join me? You should brother. Look at us, what they have done to the both of us."
"If you do my bidding, I will give you what you want—whatever you desire will be at your feet."
The scene in front of Damien changed and he now stood in the middle of an auditorium. On the stage stood another Damien, much more confident and good-looking. His face looked regal and poised. He was holding a trophy in his hands and speaking about the AI system that he had created.
But soon the mirage cracked and the one standing on the stage was William. His face looked just as evil and smug as it had been when he had stabbed him.
Damien felt a surge of anger as he glared at the man. He tried to cry out and tell everyone that the man was a fake. A fraud.
But his voice didn't work.
The cold voice burst into laughter inside the ruins of the old palace.
And behind him, two hands snuck past the defences and clutched him around his throat. As if these hands would choke him to death if he were to make a mistake.
"Bring me back, brother," the voice had now become hungrier and greedier than before. "Help me come back to power and we shall raze this world that has forgotten us. Bring me the blood of the Impert Snake Beast. Those bastards —the transdentals who rule this world are all treacherous liars, don't listen to them."
"So poor, so unfair. They have made you a pawn once again. Be the ruler my brother —not a pawn."
The mist around Damien shimmered. The hands around his neck tightened and Damien felt his breath shortening.
He turned his head to look at what was behind him and yet there was nothing —
But the grip around his neck continued to tighten as if the thing was pulling him back while pulling itself forward.
"I will come back —I will have their heads."
Wake up, a voice in his head started speaking. He needed to wake up.
"WAKE UP!"