Jack leaned against the wall, struggling to catch his breath after releasing the monster. His head pounded, his whole body ached, but his mind was no longer solely his own. A voice, quiet yet sinister, echoed directly in his head.
"You're still alive? Remarkable. Few can endure that," the parasite's voice came suddenly, as if from the darkness itself.
Jack froze, hearing the voice inside his mind. He tried to respond aloud, but the words caught in his throat. The parasite sensed his discomfort and continued.
"Don't try to understand it all at once, mortal. I am an ancient being, one that existed long before your kind learned to walk on two legs. I was imprisoned in this cursed tower by a mage named Noel of the Tyven race. I fought him and his warriors, but in the end, they trapped me within the body of my previous host."
"Noel? The Tyvens?" Jack asked mentally, trying to gather his thoughts. The parasite continued, unfazed by his confusion.
"Yes, an S-rank mage. He was one of the most powerful of his race. The Tyvens once inhabited these lands. The tower used to be the center of their settlements, not for defense but to keep me locked away. That mage named Noel and his people bound me here with seals. But much time has passed, and those seals have weakened. You released me by chance, but I don't mind that."
Jack tried to process what he'd heard. If this parasite had been trapped by a mage and his people, and the seals had deteriorated, it meant the world outside had changed long ago.
"How much time has passed?" Jack asked mentally, feeling this information only deepened his confusion.
"A great deal of time. Judging by the weakening of the seals, it has been centuries. Everything beyond this tower has long since fallen to ruin. The settlements are no more, and whatever remained of the Tyvens was likely consumed by the world itself." The parasite spoke calmly, almost indifferently, as if it mattered little to him. "But now I am free, and you are my new host. You are weak, but I will help you grow if you agree to serve me."
Jack tensed. This phrase left no room for doubt: the parasite intended to use him for its own purposes. But what did that mean?
"Serve?" Jack asked warily.
"Yes, you're a feeble F-rank. Your chances of survival in this world are negligible. But I can help you become stronger. All you need to do is kill creatures and take energy stones from their hearts. I will consume that energy and share it with you."
Jack tensed. The parasite's words sounded tempting, but he felt this was only the beginning of a larger game where his role was not as leader but as pawn.
"Why did you destroy Brian and not me?" Jack finally asked, realizing this question troubled him the most. The parasite had destroyed Brian almost instantly, consuming him, yet it had left Jack alive.
The parasite paused for a moment, as if considering its response. Then its voice returned, sharper and mocking.
"Brian was weak. His will—pathetic. I consumed him because he could not resist. His mind was so fragile it broke under the slightest pressure. He was too greedy, blinded by his lust for power. He sought strength for the sake of control, but his will was not strong enough to accept me."
Jack remembered how Brian had thirsted for power, how his obsession had led to his downfall. He felt a shiver down his spine, realizing he could have shared Brian's fate.
"And you, Jack… You surprised me. Your will proved stronger. You didn't give up. You endured my arrival and retained your mind. This makes you a suitable host. Unlike Brian, you fought for your life. I need a strong host; otherwise, I cannot survive." The parasite spoke with cold confidence.
Jack tensed internally. He knew the parasite saw him only as a tool, yet it was a chance to survive. However, it was also a danger—the risk of losing himself as Brian had.
"I won't let you control me," Jack thought, and the parasite seemed to smirk in his mind.
"As long as you are strong, I will serve you. But remember: if you weaken, you'll be next, like Brian. I survive by the strength of my host. As long as your will holds firm, we can be allies."
Jack felt his heart race. In his mind still lingered the question of what to do next. Outside was a monster, and he knew an ordinary human's strength wouldn't be enough to face it.
"Outside… there's a monster. It'll kill us if we try to leave," Jack said, fear slipping into his voice.
The parasite spoke again with a sneer.
"That monster? It's a pathetic E-rank. Are you afraid of it? It's nothing compared to what awaits you beyond. The Tyvens could kill such creatures with one hand. But you are weak for now. I can lend you temporary power to deal with it."
"E-rank?" Jack repeated. He'd heard that even E-rank monsters could kill entire groups of people. Could he defeat one alone?
"You know very little, mortal. A wretched E-rank creature is nothing against me. But first... I'll grant you something." The parasite fell silent for a moment, and Jack felt a strange flash in his eyes.
"Focus on what you feel around you. I'll give you a sight that reveals the world of energies."
Jack closed his eyes and focused as the parasite instructed. After a few moments, his eyes began to see differently. In the world that unfolded before him, everything was bathed in a dark purple light, but against that backdrop, bright red circles of various sizes glowed. He saw four small circles—these were F-rank creatures—and one larger circle, E-rank.
"There they are. Those are F-rank creatures, and one is E-rank. You can fight them if I lend you some of my power. But remember, this strength is not yours. I am merely lending it to you."
Jack opened his eyes, his heart beating faster. He saw the red circles moving behind the tower walls. The parasite offered him power, but Jack understood that the price for it could be too high.
"Agreed?" the parasite asked, its voice dripping with mockery and authority.
Jack hesitated, feeling the parasite waiting for his decision, poised to unleash its power. The world around him seemed alien, perilous. The monster outside the tower terrified him, but the unknown tied to the parasite was even more frightening.
"Yes," Jack said mentally. "Give me your power."
"Very well. But remember, this is temporary. You won't be the master of this power—not yet," the parasite's voice echoed in his mind.
In that instant, a surge of energy pierced Jack's body. His muscles tightened, veins throbbed, as though an unknown darkness roared within him. He began to grow, his joints cracking, his bones stretching. Jack's height increased to over two meters, his arms blackened, hardening like rough armor. His fingers morphed into claws, and a sharp horn broke through his forehead. His eyes flared a bright red, animalistic, and he felt his will dissolving into a chaotic sea of power.
"Now you're ready. Show me what you're capable of," the parasite said, its tone filled with expectation and malice.
Jack felt a primal urge to fight, a raw desire to destroy. He charged toward the exit of the tower, heedless of what might come next. His body moved with inhuman speed and strength, nearly tearing the tower's wooden doors off as he burst through, facing the E-rank monster head-on.
The creature was massive—its bulky form a mixture of giant rat and armored lizard. Four legs, each the size of a tree, and a spiked back made it a fearsome sight. But now Jack saw it differently. It was not just a monster; it was an opponent to be annihilated.
Without a thought, Jack launched himself into the attack. He felt the parasite's power coursing through him, making his movements fast and powerful. His claws tore into the monster's flesh, ripping it apart as the beast roared in pain.
But he also felt something dark rising within him. He was losing control, giving in to instinct as he became more beast than man. Jack swung his arms, crushing everything in his path, his blows increasingly ferocious. The monster bellowed, trying to defend itself, but Jack was stronger, faster. Only echoes of his own thoughts remained—an insatiable desire to fight, to destroy, to kill.
With each blow, Jack felt his mind sinking deeper into chaos, his will weakening under the onslaught of primal instinct. He wasn't just fighting the monster—he was losing himself, turning into a savage beast ruled by pure rage.
At some point, when the monster was nearly defeated, Jack, roaring like a predator, plunged his claws into its chest. He felt the creature's hot blood flowing over his arms. With a final strike, the monster fell.
But at that moment, Jack realized he'd lost control. Darkness had overtaken his consciousness, and he could no longer stop himself. He was ready to continue destroying everything around him, even if it meant his own self-destruction.
"You're losing yourself," the parasite's voice suddenly sounded in his head, as if reminding him of his true nature.
With immense effort, Jack began to fight himself, forcing out the wild thoughts. He slowed down, his mind gradually returning to normal. The monster was defeated, but Jack realized he'd nearly become a victim of his own power.
Jack's breath was ragged. His body began to return to human size, the claws and black armor on his hands vanishing. He was himself again, but his mind was shaken. He felt fear—not of the monster, but of what might happen if he lost control completely.
"Afraid?" the parasite's voice echoed mockingly. "That's why you'll never be strong on your own. You fear power."
Jack ignored the taunt. He stood over the monster's body, whose blood continued to seep onto the ground. The parasite fell silent for a few seconds, then spoke with an almost indifferent tone:
"Now, take its heart. Plunge your hand into its chest and retrieve the crystal. It's the source of its energy, its life. If you want to grow stronger, this is your path."
Jack looked at the monster's chest, feeling a wave of revulsion at the thought of what he had to do. But he knew he had no choice. If he wanted to survive in this world, he had to accept this darkness as part of himself. Clenching his teeth, he plunged his hand into the beast's tough flesh.
He felt the searing heat of its blood burning his hand as he dug deeper toward the creature's heart. Finally, his fingers found the crystal—a solid, cold, pulsing core of energy. He tore it from the monster's body and held it up before him.
"There it is. This is the energy that will make you stronger," the parasite said, its voice full of greed.
Jack felt the parasite absorb the crystal's energy. In that moment, a wave of strength coursed through his body. It was like a lightning bolt, every muscle fiber filled with powerful energy. He felt his strength increase, his mind sharpen, but fear came with it too. He realized the parasite was not only granting him power but was also burrowing deeper into his consciousness.
"This is how it works, Jack. Every time you kill, you grow stronger. But remember, each time you use my power, I become more a part of you."
Jack stood in silence, clutching the crystal in his hand. Never in his life had he felt such power, but he had also never been so close to losing himself. He knew the parasite was ready to consume him the moment his will faltered. New battles awaited him, and now he understood that the most dangerous one would be the fight for his own mind.