Chapter 85 – What a beautiful day!
Hael was in absolute shock as he realized he could no longer control his body.
And that means he had lost control over the blood.
His authority, snatched away by a young kid who, just a moment ago, was rolling on the ground, crying and begging for his life.
Hael’s thoughts paused.
"You... You fooled me," Hael finally realized.
It had all been an act. But how?
"How did you know all this? How can you control my blood? Answer me! ANSWER ME!!!" Hael shouted, panic mixing with fury as he finally entered Kaden’s heart.
Kaden just smiled.
"How did I know? You just have to experience it once... or maybe multiple times, if you’re a little greedy," Kaden said nonchalantly. And the moment the white-gold blood flowed into his heart,
"Synthesis," he muttered coldly, activating his trait.
This time, though, he was careful. The last time with the Dreadthorn Bear, he had learned his lesson.
So this time, he anchored his intention firmly: to synthesize the white-gold blood with his own red blood, which his heart was now pumping rapidly, almost hungrily.
He focused on one purpose only, and it was to use the white-gold blood as fuel to enhance the quality of his own blood.
The effect was immediate.
"No, no, no, no! You’re making a huge mistake, kid! You don’t know who I am! Stop this and let’s talk!" Hael started getting more aggressive, flipping between threats and desperate offers for peace.
But Kaden had no interest in negotiations.
"I don’t care who you are. And in my eyes, no matter what..."
"...It’s less dangerous for me to kill you and consume you here than to let you go," Kaden said, his voice cold and indifferent.
The choice was evident.
"You really don’t know what kind of situation you’re putting yourself into," Hael growled, he was feeling it...he was being consumed.
Something was overtaking him, absorbing him.
His identity was slipping, his form beginning to dissolve, forced into this... this transformation.
He gritted his soul, trying to resist the pull.
He was being used as fuel. He couldn’t accept that.
"Death... only death awaits you. The most cruel death you can imagine..." Hael threaten with a deep raw voice.
But,
"It’s not too late. Release me..." Hael begged now, his voice ragged, his form nearly gone.
Kaden smiled.
"Death, you say? Please don’t say that..."
"You’ll only make me look forward to it more."
There was almost joy in his voice.
Those words confused Hael deeply.
But before he could think more, his presence was fully absorbed into Kaden’s heart.
And instantly, a sharp pain exploded in Kaden’s chest.
He immediately looked inward, inside his body, and saw it—his blood was transforming.
Evolving.
It became denser. Richer. Its once deep-red hue now pulsed with faint strands of white-gold light.
It was magnificent.
And it wasn’t just his blood that was changing.
His body shifted—just slightly.
He stood a little taller, and his face... his face had changed.
More handsome. More defined. And now imbued with something extra. A subtle allure that made people instinctively want to be around him and to have good impression on him.
The famous beauty privilege.
Minutes passed, and Kaden’s transformation was complete.
He let out a slow breath, then looked around at the strange white realm surrounding him.
Instinctively, he felt something new—a connection.
A connection to this place.
But also... a connection to the beast outside.
The one Hael had called Little Rory.
Kaden sighed and started to rise, but before he could take a step, a panel appeared before his eyes:
[You have absorbed a small part of The Devourer of Souls’ bloodline.]
[Your attacks can now slightly touch the soul of your opponents.]
He read the notifications quietly, then gave a small nod.
’A small part... so that bastard wasn’t lying when he begged,’ he thought as he tilted his head slightly in a pensive way.
There really was a greater threat out there.
A bigger fish.
The Devourer of Souls.
"The Soulless... and the Devourer of Souls. Is that the same person?" Kaden muttered.
Could someone be soulless, and also the one who devoured souls?
He wasn’t sure.
He looked around the vast white realm, but nothing caught his eye except the coffin. So, naturally, he walked toward it and stopped just an inch away.
His instincts didn’t warn him of danger.
So he placed his hand on the coffin, channeling a small amount of mana into his palm—
CLICK—!
The coffin opened.
Kaden expected to see Hael’s body.
Instead—
"Holy Mother of Death..." he breathed, eyes wide in amazement.
There was no corpse.
Only two things.
The first, a small stone, glowing softly as if the very concept of creation was sealed inside it. It glowed in pristine white... yet within it, every color imaginable danced and shimmered.
Kaden didn’t need anyone to tell him.
This was an evolution stone—and not just any, but a very high-ranking one.
The second object was a simple black ring.
Or more accurately, a space ring.
Kaden took both items. Curious, he linked his mind to the ring to see what was inside.
"...Damn."
There was... nothing.
He clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"I was expecting a mountain of gold coins or something expensive I could use. But nothing?" he muttered. What a shame.
A missed chance to be financially worry-free.
Still, he didn’t dwell on it too long. There was a silver lining.
The space inside the ring was massive, large enough to store hundreds of full-grown cyclops bodies.
That was more than enough.
He accepted it without complaint.
"System, what’s the grade of these treasures?" Kaden finally asked.
[Evolution Stone: Legendary rank.]
[Space Ring: Legendary rank.]
"Finally...I can now take my evolution quest and go back home." Kaden muttered with a pleased smile.
But then—
DING!
{You have cleared the hidden dungeon flawlessly.}
{You were able to protect yourself from being consumed.}
{Rewards: Evolution Stone (Legendary rank), Origin Core of Scornhound of Blood (Unique Type Monster), Gold Coins: 2000.}
Kaden raised an eyebrow, thinking that was the end.
But—
{The dungeon: Eternal Resting Place, is now yours.}
At all these notifications,
Kaden smiled beautifully.
"What a beautiful day," he said.
...after dying five times in that very same day.
—End of Chapter 85—