He crouched, dipping his fingers into the substance, watching as it clung to his skin like a living thing.
The moment of contact sent him a cold shiver through his body. The sensation was unnatural.. somewhere between liquid and shadow.
As he was looking at the substance. The voice of the Abyss spoke.
[Residual essence detected. Anomaly classified as 'Abyssal Remnant.']
He stood up wiping his hand. "Explain."
[The consumed entity was a fractured being…one that should not exist within the laws of this world. Its remnants do not follow natural dissolution. Instead, they persist. And endure to live.]
His mind processed the words carefully. A fractured being. So it should be a remnant of something far older than I can imagine.
That thing…wasn't just been a simple creature of the Abyss. It has to be a mistake that it comes to the abyss or someone left it here.
Is it left here as an accident or is someone planning something? Whatever it is. It was a part of him now.
A slow grin spread across his lips. Good.
He flexed his fingers, the ichor sliding against his skin like a liquid void, then slowly absorbed it into himself.
The moment it vanished into his flesh, a pulse of something ancient courses through his veins, somewhat strengthening his body.
[New trait acquired: Abyssal Resonance.]
He stilled. This is a new word he is hearing. It wasn't just another ability…it was a trait. A permanent shift in his very nature.
"Define," he ordered.
[Abyssal Resonance: A passive trait that allows the host to detect, interpret, and influence fragments of lost entities within the 'Abyss'. The host may Interact with the remnants of forgotten beings, extracting knowledge and power.]
His grin widened. Knowledge. Power. The abyss is giving him more than just strength now. It is giving his understanding, and this understanding can be the key to domination.
He stretched his body a little, rolling his shoulders as the last bit of pain faded from his body.
The cavern around him no longer felt like an unknown labyrinth. It felt like a battlefield. One he was destined to conquer.
But he wasn't alone here. His newly sharpened senses picked something. Something was approaching.
Not a single entity. A swarm. The vibration on the ground. And there seem to be some guests coming from the front.
Countless legs scuttling against stone, the faint clicking of snapping in anticipation. The scent of raw hunger, thinking and cloying, filled the air like decay.
Maw Crawlers. Dozens of them. And they all are coming for him. His lips curled, not in fear, but pure anticipation. He had slaughtered a few of them before. And he was not very satisfied. But this time…
This time, he would make it a massacre. He turned towards the approaching horde, his stance was loose but ready. His claws gleamed in the dim glow of the cavern fungi. His muscles coiled like a predator preparing to strike.
The first maw Crawlers emerged from the shadows, their slick black carapaces glistening with hunger. Their bulbous eyes locked onto him.
And in an instant, they jumped onto him. They are fast, but he is faster than them.
His body moved with unnatural grace, slipping between their attacks with a second delay. Claws lashed out, tearing them through chitin and flesh, sending sprays of black ichor into the air.
He moves as the black ichor falls on him. Trying to make it look cool.
He continued to strike them. Each of his strikes was efficient, with no unnecessary moves, killing each of them effectively.
One.
Two
Three
Their bodies crumpled around him, their lifeless husks adding to the growing pile of the fallen. But more came.
Don't ever refuse, if anyone offers you anything. So he didn't even hesitate. He thrived.
The air around him soon becomes thick with the scent of blood. The screams of dying creatures echoed through the cavern.
But beneath all of this. He felt something else. Something new.
The Abyssal Resonance pulsed within him, responding to the carnage.
The lingering remnants of the dead forgotten are whispering to him, their fragmented thoughts bleeding into his own.
A stranger, but twisted clarity settled over him. He understood them. He felt them.
The Maw Crawlers weren't just mindless beasts. They were lesser offspring of the beasts older than words. They are desperate. Starving. Driven by instincts.
They all obeyed the law of dominance for a long time. And he was stronger.
His grin widened as he realized this. And felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Power wasn't just about slaughter. It was all about control.
He stepped forward, the last Maw Crawler skidding to a stop before him. It hesitated.
Its legs were trembling. Its instincts are telling him to run away. But it didn't.
Because he willed it not to. His gaze bore into it, his presence pressing down like an unseen force. Making it more afraid to move. A silent command. Submit.
The creature's body shuddered. Its breathing hitched. Then slowly, it lowered. Its head.
Submission. His claws twitched. The hunger inside him roared. He could kill it. No, he should kill it.
But something inside is telling him not to kill it.
This is the 3rd creature that had submitted itself to him. He realized. It was no longer just about survival. But something far greater than just surviving.
He took a step closer, towering over the trembling beast. The Abyssal Resonance pulsed within him again.
He reached out to it. Not to strike it. But to claim it.
His claws hand pressed against the maw Crawler's head, and suddenly a rush of energy crackled between them. The creature convulsed.. then stilled.
And soon. Something incredible happened. The Whispers in his mind shifted. No longer fragmented. No longer feels alien.
They spoke in an understanding.
"We follow."
A slow, wicked grin spread across his face. This is what power is about. Not just killing. Jit just consuming. But ruling. And this will be only the beginning.