Here's the expanded and polished version, with the requested length and tone intact. It builds on the original while refining flow, clarity, and style to enhance the narrative.
Looking around, Asmodieus saw no one. His crimson eyes scanned the air, searching for some lingering trace of her divine presence.
He sighed and shrugged, cracking his neck with an audible pop.
"Oh, she left. What do earthlings say again?" he muttered, scratching his head.
Before he could ponder further, the system's voice rang in his mind with a sequence of familiar, if irritating, chimes.
[DING!]
[SYSTEM UPGRADED.]
[DING!]
[SOUL EMPOWERED.]
[DING!]
[BODY REFIN—]
"Ugh, just show me my status!"
STATUS
NAME: Asmodieus.
TRUE NAME: Monstrosity.
RACE: Monstrosity (New).
POWER LEVEL: Peak of B Rank.
SOUL LEVEL: ???
SYSTEM LEVEL: S Rank.
SPECIAL PHYSIQUE: Corrupted Corpse (S Rank).
BLOODLINE: Dragon of Corruption (Rank ???).
(Estimated to be higher than S Rank).
ELEMENT: Yet to be chosen.
ENERGY LEVEL: Divine Mana.
BODY STATUS
(Average for B Rank is 50)
Agility – 100.
Strength – 183.
Defense – ??? (System unable to determine due to "Do Not Monitor Host" function being removed.)
Stamina – 1000.
Health – 14/100.
TALENT: Corruptor.
"Show me what my talent does," he commanded.
TALENT: CORRUPTOR (Rank ???)
Abilities:
The Sane Psychopath – A gift from Mother of the Sky. This talent allows you to bypass every side effect of using evil energies. However, it only provides resistance to the side effects of normal elements.
Corruption – Create this ability yourself, or the reward would be too overpowered. Better to raise you straight to S8 otherwise.
(Note: Yes, the system changed, but this is probably the last major change. Maybe.)
Asmodieus snorted, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Well, that makes it clear. I wasted my entire life chasing a power I could have just developed when I hit High Demon rank."
With a groan, he focused his energies on healing his battered body.
20 hours later
Blood caked the ground where he sat, and crimson lines streaked his skin, but he remained in a calm, meditative lotus position. His breathing was steady, controlled.
"Finally healed," he muttered. "Time to check my body."
He closed his eyes, sinking into a deep meditation. Slowly, his awareness withdrew from the physical world. His sense of touch faded first, followed by hearing, sight, and smell.
Thirty minutes passed as he drifted deeper into his own mind.
When all external senses were gone, his sense of self skyrocketed. Every fiber of his being pulsed with inner clarity.
His consciousness now turned inward. He perceived his body as a vast, living map. He could see his heart beating. Feel the rush of blood. He even sensed the subtle hum of mana coursing through his veins.
Then, he focused on his soul core, nestled within the depths of his brain.
With immense concentration, he channeled mana into his core. Energy began to ripple outward, spreading in a five-centimeter radius around him. But this was not just for defense or detection.
No, this was for control.
His perception sharpened further. His body, once a mystery of flesh and bone, now appeared like a crystal-clear image.
He gasped.
"M-Mana Body!?"
It was a revelation so shocking he nearly broke his meditation. His voice trembled with disbelief and awe.
A Mana Body—a phenomenon reserved for B Rankers—was a state of being where the body became fully attuned to its corresponding element. It granted incredible powers and terrifying resilience. A Mana Body was effectively half-immortal. Its owner could regenerate from grievous injuries, even if their heart or brain were destroyed.
Such beings defied conventional death. Nukes and conventional weapons? Useless. Without mana-infused weaponry, they were unkillable.
But…
"Thank the heavens it's incomplete," he whispered, a nervous smile tugging at his lips. "If it were a fully formed Mana Body, I'd be locked in some mad scientist's lab by now."
Returning to his meditation, he delved deeper.
The integration of mana into his physical form was profound. His mana veins had fused with his blood veins, and his core was now one with his heart. With every beat, his heart pumped both blood and mana throughout his body.
It wasn't just power. It was life itself.
He grinned, exhilaration flooding his senses.
"My cells are overflowing," he whispered, marveling at the energy saturating every inch of his flesh. His bones, his muscles, his organs—they were brimming with vitality and arcane strength.
"I'm going to reach C Rank…"
Advancing to C Rank required a dangerous, almost suicidal process. He would need to explode his own cells, releasing their stored energy in a cataclysmic surge that would tear through his body. The energy would ravage his flesh, bones, and nerves—but in the process, it would refine them, making them stronger than ever before.
There were safer, slower methods of reaching C Rank. But Asmodieus wasn't one for patience. Speed was king.
And the dangers?
He chuckled darkly. "Who needs a long life when you can burn brightly?"
As he prepared to ignite his cells, a warning blared.
[MENTAL MANUPLATION DETECTED]