THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

But something felt off.

A sudden, gut-wrenching instinct seized him, a primal warning that surged through his veins. His senses screamed for him to move, and in the blink of an eye, David\'s body tensed. The monster, which he had assumed lay dead in the wake of his onslaught, stirred with a guttural snarl.

Its lower body was torn apart, barely holding together, and its once brilliant azure orb had shattered into fragments, but it wasn\'t done. Driven by pure malice, the creature lunged at him, shards of the broken orb pulsing with a desperate energy.

"Persistent vermin," David hissed under his breath.

Instinctively, his hand shot up, and in an instant, [ROOM] activated. The cube materialized around the monster, shimmering with distorted space. It wasn\'t just a barrier—it was a prison. The air within the cube twisted and churned, forming a vacuum that halted the creature\'s advance. Its grotesque body thrashed violently, but the void held firm, trapping it in a suspended state where no movement could escape David\'s control.

"Damn roach!"

David spat, his voice thick with disgust. His legs began to glow faintly, a dark blue light pulsating from them, gathering energy. It was time to finish this once and for all.

With a calm yet deadly precision, David raised his hand, invoking the power of his [Heaven Whispering Palm]. The energy surged up his arm, coiling like a serpent ready to strike. He moved swiftly, his foot pressing down onto the remaining shard of the monster\'s shattered orb. "[MOUNTAIN]," he whispered, his voice cold and resolute.

The ground beneath him responded to the weight of his skill, the earth fracturing and splitting under the immense force of his strike. A surge of power coursed through the battlefield, rippling outward. The monster\'s form, already weakened, began to disintegrate. Its body turned to shadowy wisps, the dark remnants of its existence swirling briefly in the air before vanishing into nothingness, consumed by the power of David\'s attack.

He stood there, surrounded by the stillness of victory, the echoes of the battle fading. The threat was gone, obliterated into oblivion, but David\'s eyes remained focused, scanning the horizon. There would always be another enemy, another fight waiting. But for now, he had won.

[Quest Complete].

The system notification flashed before David\'s eyes, the sudden appearance of the familiar window sending an electrifying thrill down his spine. His breath hitched, anticipation coiling in his chest. He had been waiting for this moment, the culmination of his battle against the infernal beast.

[Calculating rewards].

The system chimed, and David\'s eyes sparkled like stars against the backdrop of the night sky. He could already feel the surge of power building inside him, the promise of growth that came with each level.

[You have defeated the knight\'s inferno familiar: Erexis, the Veilborn Devourer].

The words appeared before him, and it felt like music—pure, harmonious music that made his blood sing. His heart pounded in rhythm with the system\'s announcements, each one pulling him closer to the reward he craved.

[You have levelled up]

, the system declared, and David\'s pulse raced. He could feel it—the intoxicating rush of strength coursing through his veins, his body becoming sharper, faster, more resilient. But that wasn\'t all.

[Skill activated: Eternal Gluttony].

The system continued, and like an addict to the sweet allure of power, David\'s breath caught in his throat. His vision momentarily blurred, consumed by the overwhelming sensation of newfound strength. Every fibre of his being thrummed with energy, a raw, primal force that surged within him.

[YOU HAVE DEVOURED A SKILL].

The system\'s final announcement hit him like a tidal wave, and David felt a jolt of euphoric power ripple through his body. It wasn\'t just an increase in strength—it was a fundamental shift in his very essence. He had consumed something powerful, something primal and dark, and it was now a part of him.

Without hesitation, David mentally commanded the system to reveal his status window. The familiar interface opened before his eyes, glowing faintly in the dim light. His heart raced as he scrolled through the details, eagerly searching for the new skill that had been absorbed into his arsenal.

Name: David De Gror

Race: Human

class: Ascendant

class division: Awakened, Type: [Vortex Adept]

Role: ???

[NEW!] LV: 20 >> 50 [500/10,000]

Skills: Eternal Gluttoney, Celestial Wheel, Wolf\'s grace, Heaven Whispering Plam, Sacred Essence Cultivation, Eyes of Veilborn Dissonance.

There it was—[Eyes of Veilborn Dissonance], a skill unlike any other. David could now fracture the minds of his enemies. A simple gaze would turn their world into chaos. Friends would morph into enemies, their own limbs would feel sluggish, as if controlled by invisible hands. With each second of eye contact, his victim\'s sense of reality would crumble further.

But that wasn\'t all.

"What... is this?"

he whispered to himself.

Eye of Dread:

David could now instil terror with just a glance, his enemies drowning in primal fear as countless spectral eyes bore down on them. Their resistance—both mental and physical—would weaken, making them easy prey.

And the list went on, figuring to examine it later.

David grinned, his eyes gleaming with the promise of future conquests. The rush of victory still coursed through him, but now it was amplified by the power he had just absorbed. He could already feel the edges of his new skill stirring within him, hungry for more.

"This is only the beginning," David muttered to himself, his voice low and filled with a dark excitement. He clenched his fists, feeling the raw energy pulsing beneath his skin. There was no limit now. With each battle, each victory, he would only grow stronger—devouring everything in his path.

****

Noelle sprinted through the dense forest, her legs burning with exertion as she cradled Ashley in her arms. David\'s last command echoed in her mind—

"Run and don\'t stop."

The urgency in his voice had left no room for argument. Though she had pleaded with him to let her stay, to fight beside him until the bitter end, David had been resolute. The plan was set, and this part of it was her responsibility.

Branches whipped at her skin as she tore through the foliage, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she pushed forward, determined. The forest blurred around her, the towering trees casting ominous shadows beneath the blood-red sky. She could barely see, but her focus remained singular: reaching the goddess\'s statue, their only way out.

No stopping. No turning back.

As the trees thinned, a familiar figure loomed ahead—the cold, towering statue of the Goddess. Relief washed over her, but only for a moment. Panic replaced it as she skidded to a halt before the imposing stone figure. David had mentioned the statue, but he hadn\'t said

how

they were supposed to activate it.

Panting heavily, Noelle muttered to herself, "How in the world am I supposed to get this gate working?"

Ashley stirred in her arms, slowly coming back to consciousness. Her pale fingers twitched before weakly stretching out toward the statue. Noelle watched in stunned silence as Ashley\'s hand pressed against the cold stone, her touch delicate but purposeful. For a second, nothing happened—just the eerie stillness of the forest. Then, with a low hum, the statue began to pulse with a strange energy. The stone glowed faintly before a swirling blue vortex materialized in front of them, a portal rippling with ethereal light.

Noelle blinked in disbelief.

"I guess that works,"

she mumbled, her voice laced with awe and exhaustion.

Without wasting another moment, she stepped into the portal, the cold air of the vortex wrapping around them like a protective shield. Ashley\'s weight in her arms felt lighter now, though her heartbeat still hammered in her chest. The pull of the portal tugged at her senses, warping the world around them.

Before they were fully enveloped in the shimmering blue light, Noelle cast a fleeting glance back toward the forest. Somewhere beyond those trees, David was still fighting. Her chest tightened at the thought, but she pushed it aside. He had made his choice, and she had to trust him.

The portal swirled, and with a final step, they were gone—leaving the battlefield behind.