Kyel opened his eyes. Despite the change in his appearance, his eyes were currently pitch black, empty and devoid of color, having shed the false bloody red. After a moment, they returned to their usual red hue.
Kyel's body was sweaty, but he felt an explosive power within him—a tremendous magical force. He couldn't fully distinguish between his current self and who he had been the night before. However, he knew he hadn't just started cultivating last night; he had been in this state for several nights now.
The face of that black shadow lingered in his mind. Questions churned inside him, but even so, he rejected them and let them fade. He had to become stronger to get answers that would satisfy him.
He thought, System, show me my status, and a floating screen appeared in front of him, displaying his current state.
---
[System: Retrieval]
[Host: Kyel Arsène Vonghall Khan Everhart]
[Age: 19 years old]
[Cultivation (Double Core):
Sixth Step Abyss Warrior |
First Light of Existence|
Rank 3 Knight - Virtus| ]
[Bloodline: Primordial Devil (Dormant)]
[Skills: Ice Spear (M), Shadow Manipulation (A), Keen Observation (A), Dagger Fanatic (N), Abyss Flare (N)]
• N: Novice, A: Adept, M: Master, S: Sovereign (Skill Mastery Stages)
[Emotions: Indifference (DOMINANT)
Other Emotions State: Sealed]
[ Spirit: Not obtained yet ]
[ Physique: No physique achieved yet]
[ State: Lost from Fate, Out of Destiny's Hand]
===========================
Some memories flooded into his mind. They had always been there, but he now had access to them. The first thing he recalled was the Ranks of the Abyss.
Abyss Servant
Abyss Wraith
Abyss Warrior
Abyss Noble
Dark Duke
Abyssal Monarch
Archfiend
Void Ruler
Chaos Emperor
Primordial Entity
Before he started to cultivate, he had been a Third Step Abyss Wraith. Now, he was a Sixth Step Abyss Warrior.
To reach a higher rank, one had to progress through something called "steps." Each step required an enormous amount of energy and mana and a body capable of withstanding the power it granted.
Each rank contained nine steps, with each step requiring more energy than the last. The Ranks totaled ten, and with each breakthrough, a skill would be unlocked, automatically learned, and embedded in the blood of each Abyss creature, differing from one being to another. The skill Kyel acquired was Abyss Flare.
---
[Abyss Flare]
Unleashes a powerful explosion of dark, corrosive flames from the Abyss, searing everything in a wide radius. The flames bypass defenses, weaken enemies' morale, and drain surrounding mana to restore the user's own. After the flare fades, lingering shadow embers slow and sap health from anyone nearby. This skill is extremely potent but requires a vast amount of mana and can harm the user if overused. Abyss Flare turns the battlefield into a shadowed, nightmarish landscape, striking fear into all who witness it.
---
Kyel thought, Useless skill. I can't use it in this place unless I want to be discovered and killed. But it's a decent skill for a desperate moment.
He noticed another skill, Dagger Fanatic, and clicked on it.
---
[Dagger Fanatic (Secret Technique)]
The user unleashes a lightning-fast barrage of dagger strikes, each aimed at vital points and bypassing defenses. While active, the user gains heightened agility and evasion, making them nearly untouchable. This secret skill is incredibly draining, reserved only for critical moments to guarantee a swift, lethal assault.
---
Hmm… It might help a little, Kyel thought. He had obtained this skill by using Retrieval on Redderen's body. It was a secret technique of the Malzar Family.
Kyel stared at the status screen, noting the change in his knight cultivation. "Rank 3 Virtus…" he murmured, surprised. He had been a Rank 2 Virtus not long ago; this newfound demonic power must have pushed him up a level. The physical strength now coursing through him was unmistakable.
"System," he asked, "did my knight cultivation advance with the increase in demonic power?"
System: "Affirmative. Host's demonic cultivation boost has correspondingly raised knight cultivation to Rank 3 Virtus."
Kyel smirked, feeling the strength building in his muscles and bones, his body more resilient, more dangerous.
He asked, "System, how can I level up or upgrade skills and techniques?"
System: "Constant use and a good understanding of the skill will enhance your expertise in it. However, some skills are not upgradeable, as they are in their final form from the beginning. Learning them is extremely difficult and requires a great deal of effort, and any mistake could cost a person's life."
Kyel asked again in a cold voice, "There's something I need an answer to. What does it mean that 'I am lost from fate'?"
System: "Sorry, Host, but I can't answer that question at this time, as I have no answer to it myself."
Kyel didn't dwell on this matter. He already had an idea of what it might mean, but he wanted to see if there was a specific answer. Since the system didn't know, he decided to put it aside. For now, he had to increase his strength because he was weak—very weak.
But Kyel did not accept weakness, nor did he consider himself weak, either mentally or physically. Was it his soul that was weak? He didn't want to dwell on that thought. If his soul were weak, then everything he was doing was in vain. Yet he knew his soul was not fragile—no one had more resolve than he did.
Given this opportunity, he would create countless chances from it. He would try everything life had to offer, regardless of the consequences. Morality didn't concern him, nor did common sense. What sense was there in it? He was a demon. He would do anything that could grant him even a sliver of feeling or sensation.
Kyel felt he was still at the bottom of the Abyssal hierarchy, so he needed to grow stronger. However, he wasn't in a rush because he had other goals. With his identity as Redderen, he could do things here and there without accountability.
In addition to the tasks assigned to his four followers, he wanted to create chaos in this school. Despite his weakness, he wanted to see those stronger than him try to uncover his true identity. Perhaps toying with and manipulating them would give him a sense of satisfaction or a feeling of power and grandeur.
Would he do all this just to discover himself and the mystery surrounding him? What a reason!
Kyel asked the system, "My sense of time isn't regular. How long have I been here cultivating?"
The system's voice, devoid of any tone, replied, "The host has been cultivating for a full four nights. The current time is noon. The host has immersed himself in cultivation and has successfully breached more than twelve steps, advancing to the Sixth Step Abyssal Warrior."
---
Abyss Ranks:
Abyss Servant
Abyss Wraith
Abyss Warrior
Abyss Noble
Dark Duke
Abyssal Monarch
Archfiend
Void Ruler
Chaos Emperor
Primordial Entity
There are 9 steps between each Rank
---
Knight Ranks:
Rank 1
Rank 2
Rank 3
Rank 4
Rank 5
Rank 6
Rank 7
Rank 8
Rank 9
Each rank has three stages: Virtus, Valor, Honor