005 AWAKENING OF THE BLACK COCK
Suddenly, the blood soaked into the square—the blood of the fallen villagers—began to shift, flowing in unnatural currents. It spiraled toward Leo, encircling him in rivers of crimson, as if drawn by a dark force.
The dead were making their final offering, their blood awakening a magic that pulsed deep within him, the tattoo on his body.
"The Black Cock receives its sacrifice."
As the blood merged with Leo, a surge of power erupted through his veins. His body trembled violently as shadowy tendrils rose from the ground, twisting and weaving into the grotesque shape of a demonic rooster.
It had jagged, broken wings and a monstrous beak where its face should be. The Black Cock had awakened.
The bandits, once laughing, froze in terror.
Their grins vanished as the shadow loomed larger, casting an oppressive, malevolent presence over the square. The air grew thick with dread.
The bandit leader's eyes widened in horror. "What... is that demon Cock?!"
Leo, consumed by dark magic, stood as a devilish apparition loomed above him. The villagers' blood had awakened in him something far more sinister than anyone could have imagined.
Panic gripped the bandits as they tried to flee, abandoning their captives, but it was too late. The power Leo unleashed was unstoppable.
"Finally, I activated the magic codes in the totem square", Leo murmured.
Whatever awakened in Leo awakened his magic.
"Congratulations you have awakened your magic in this world and gained new features", Vanessa praised.
"New Features: Health and Mana."
Suddenly, two ethereal crystal balls appeared around Leo filled to the brim by liquid magic- one red, the other blue. These crystals weren't really there, they were only observable by Leo.
"What are these bloody crystals?" Leo asked.
"They are your health and mana bars. You have activated the feature after awakening your magic", she replied.
Drawing on his magic, Leo soon realized he could alter the codes in the totem square to obey his command.
The magic surrounding the square crackled to life—not a simple barrier, but a deadly trap.
"What the hell!!"
Invisible tendrils lashed out from the totem square, snaring the fleeing bandits like a spider's web. The more they struggled, the tighter the grip became.
"What's happening?!" a bandit screamed, his voice cracking with terror.
They flailed wildly, their weapons swinging in blind desperation. Nothing worked. No steel nor spell could free them from the glowing tendrils beneath their feet. The totem's magic had transformed into their prison.
Vanessa turned to Leo, her eyes sharp with suspicion. "What the hell did you do to the totem's magic?"
Leo shrugged, feigning innocence. "How should I know? It's the first time I've activated it."
Vanessa's gaze narrowed. "You're cheating. I can feel it."
The System's laws were absolute in the realm, governing magic and skill alike. Yet somehow, Leo seemed to be able to bend those rules at will, hacking the very essence of the System itself.
Leo could hack into this magical world.
"I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about," Leo replied, his tone casual, though the corner of his mouth twitched.
Vanessa crossed her arms, unconvinced. "We'll figure it out eventually. There are measures against cheating."
"Sure, whatever you say," Leo muttered, brushing off her suspicions.
Before she could press further, a soft chime echoed in his mind. Vanessa's expression shifted as she announced, "We've unlocked your first System Skill."
A translucent panel flickered into view before Leo, ethereal and glowing. At its center was an image of… a shadowy rooster with wings.
"What the hell is this?" Leo asked, his disbelief plain.
"Feature unlocked: Spell-Casting Panel."
"Spell Gained: Summon Flying Shadow Cocks."
Vanessa smirked, suppressing a laugh. "Go on, try it."
Reluctantly, Leo focused on the strange image.
With a mental nudge, he activated the spell. A surge of energy rushed through him, draining half his mana. The panel dimmed, the spell icon grayed out as a countdown timer appeared over it.
"You've got to be kidding me," Leo groaned. "There's a cooldown for this?"
Suddenly, dark shadows gathered at the edges, twisting into terrifying, demon-like beaky figures. Without warning, the shadow roosters surged, grabbing the bandits by their vile beaks.
The bandits screamed as the shadows pulled, and pecked, ripping their bodies apart with sickening force. Flesh tore, bones cracked, and the air was filled with the sound of brutal slaughter.
The villagers watched in horrified silence, but beneath the shock was a dark satisfaction. Justice—twisted and violent—was being served.
As blood gushed from the corpses, it flowed into the shadow cocks, which greedily absorbed it before returning to Leo. He stood at the center, radiating an aura of death.
Slowly, the demonic presence began to fade, leaving behind only silence and horror.
The prison that entrapped the bandits was cast from the totem square, but the shadow roosters came from Leo himself. He was the harbinger of a demonic awakening.
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From the other side of the square, Medicine Man, now supported by villagers, looked on in awe. Though weakened, he marveled at the transformation of the magic of his totem square.
"How did he cast the spell from our ancient totems? And cast them much better than me," he muttered in disbelief.
"I knew he can when I first saw his…bloody Cock," Dassa added, glancing at Leo's direction without shame.
"But how? Leo hasn't even unlocked magic. How could he possibly awaken the power of our ancestral totem?" Medicine Man questioned, still bewildered by what was unfolding.
Dassa shook her head. "Maybe he couldn't before, but he can now. I am more concerned about the shadow roosters he summoned."
"Yes, those demonic summoning did not originate from my totem square I am certain of it", Medicine Man replied.
"Those shadow demons came from him or more precisely, his Black Cock", Dassa added.
As they spoke, something extraordinary was happening within Leo. His body began to radiate an energy both strange and ancient.
A magical space was being born inside him—a space that every mage in the realm must unlock before they can wield magic. This was the Core of Magic, the Cakra, the very foundation of a mage's power.
"What's happening to me?" Leo gasped, overwhelmed by the surge of energy pulsing through him.