His chest rose and fell with each breath. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving only the taste of metal and blood. But there was something more—something different.
The wind howled across the wasteland, a mournful sound that matched the emptiness inside him. But it wasn't just the wind. There was a beat—a thing inside, eating at him, reminding him what he had to do next.
He reached down to the ground where the Blightborne's soul core had fallen, a swirling mess of black and violet energy, a dim evil glow.
Normally when Kael held the soul core of a Ravager, the text would appear before him:
>◇ Attempting Soul Absorption.
> ◇ Absorption Failed.
> ◇ Void Resonance too low.
But as Kael's fingers touched the core, something shifted. He felt it—a ripple in the air, a wave of power running through his body, pulling at something deep. The core wasn't just reacting to him—it was calling.
The Resonance, an understanding he had with Blight, Aether'valis, felt different, stronger than before.
Almost... hungry.
> ◇ Attempting Soul Absorption.
> ◇ Absorption Success.
> ◇ Soul Core Integrated. Void Resonance Level 2 (1010/3000 VRP).
Kael stumbled back, his head spinning.
The core dissolved, absorbed into his body as the text disappeared. A jolt ran through him as he was filled with an overwhelming sense of energy.
His eyes snapped into focus, sharp, the world around him suddenly crystal clear.
'This is mine now.'
He ground his teeth as the energy washed over him, a burning heat that seemed to melt him from the inside out.
The growth was unlike anything he'd ever felt—a tangible, undeniable change.
Kael breathed deeply, his muscles trembling. The pain was brutal, but it was nothing compared to the growth.
He stood, wiping the blood from his sword, feeling Aether'valis in his hand once more. The weapon vibrated in his grip, as familiar as his own pulse.
--
He eventually escaped the ruins into a stretch of snow.
In the distance a settlement rose from the snow-covered plain, an uneven outline of cracked stone walls and rusted metal buildings.
The air was cold, smoke drifting up into the grey sky. The place looked looked as though a last resort for those with nowhere else to go, those with nothing left to lose.
Kael took one step, then another, his boots crunching on the frozen ground.
He would have died from blood loss and his wounds against the Blightborne, but absorbing the core made every damage non fatal.
They did not dissappear, but they were very swiftly healing.
His eyes narrowed as he walked towards the settlement, ignoring the sting in his side where the Blightborne's claws had dug in.
But something else caught his attention.
Not far away, in a blank patch of snow, two men stood. One was on his knees, his breath ragged, his hands up in a pleading gesture.
The other man stood over him, his face hidden in the hood, his movements slow. He drew a knife, the blade glinting, and then with a slow, casual motion, he drove it into the kneeling man's throat.
Blood sprayed from the wound, painting the snow red. The killer watched the man's body fall to the ground, unmoving, then wiped the blade on the victim's clothes.
He turned to Kael.
They stood there for a long moment. The wind carried the stink of blood.
Finally the killer spoke, his voice deep and unconcerned. "Don't be scared, kid. Welcome to the Nexus. First time here?"
Kael didn't change expression. He kept moving, eyes forward, didn't slow.
The killer's eyes narrowed. His hand went to the hilt of his sword, a smile spreading across his face.
"Sorry, but I'll be taking that sword from you."
Kael's hand moved before the killer could blink. Aether'valis flashed as Kael closed the distance in a flash. The killer's eyes went wide, but it was too late.
The sword sliced through the air like it was nothing. One quick strike. The man's head hit the ground, rolled away in the snow, his body following. The whole thing took less than a few seconds.
Kael stood there, looking down at the body as the blood began to pool around it, seeping into the snow. He could hear the wind howling louder now, laughing at the man's dying breaths.
He sheathed Aether'valis with a flick of his wrist. His clothes were already stained with the Blightborne's blood, now the killer's too.
He felt the core inside him, the power growing with every passing moment. He looked back at the settlement, a tiny speck of civilization in the vast wasteland.
"Tsk, first time? I ran this fucking place."
The words were out of his mouth before he even knew it, hanging in the air. The Nexus was his.
Kain Valtherion, The God Slayer...He ruled this chaos once.
And he would rule it again.
He looked at the settlement one more time, then turned and continued to it. The blood on his hands didn't matter.
It never did.