The forest slept beneath a veil of midnight mist, broken only by the soft pulse of Essence flickering in the air around Cain. The battle at the ravine still echoed in his bones. His fists, wrapped in dried blood and bruises, trembled slightly as he sat cross-legged upon a blackened patch of soil where Hellfang had scorched the ground.
It had been hours since the fight ended. The bodies of the Epic Rank beasts had been devoured by the shadows—no flesh, no bones, only Essence condensed into gleaming cores. One by one, Cain had fed them into the Tyrant System, watching as his internal energy surged.
Now he sat alone, surrounded by the hushed breath of the woods. Laurifer's voice was quiet tonight, as though watching.
Cain opened his eyes. Crimson flickered within them.
> [Tyrant System – System Interface Active]
ESSENCE POINTS: 340/340
TYRANT POINTS (TP): 220
Available Functions:
– Skill Tree
– Bloodline Enhancement
– Essence Circulation
– Synthesis
– Embodiment of Chaos (3% Unlocked)
– Constitution Overview
– Shadow Inventory
Cain's gaze moved to the glowing [Embodiment of Chaos] window.
"Laurifer," he whispered. "What exactly is Chaos?"
The voice answered after a long pause.
"It's not an element. It's not a force. It is the rejection of order itself. A seed older than this world. And you… have inherited a part of it."
Cain closed his eyes, reaching inward.
Within his core, a sphere of light pulsed slowly—a rotating nucleus of fire, darkness, and lightning. But around that sphere, something else twisted. Something unshaped. Like a serpent coiled beyond comprehension.
He pressed deeper, activating the Chaos interface.
> [Embodiment of Chaos – Unlock Progress: 3%]
WARNING: The true nature of Chaos has not been fully revealed. Proceeding further may trigger irreversible changes.
→ Do you wish to continue?
[YES] [NO]
He hesitated, then pressed YES.
Instantly, agony.
It wasn't pain in the flesh—but in the mind, the soul, the very truth of what Cain was. Visions exploded behind his eyes: of a world of shadows screaming, of gods being ripped apart by spirals of entropy, of a throne made of shattered rules and logic, with no occupant.
Cain gritted his teeth as the world around him twisted.
> CHAOS AFFINITY – Recognized.
New Ability Unlocked: CHAOS BRAND (Lv.1)
– A passive mark placed on the soul. Causes any Essence-based structure (seal, ward, contract) to weaken or collapse in proximity.
– Higher ranks grant full immunity to binding, elemental interference, and spatial restriction.
Cain gasped. His body had begun to tremble, not from fear—but because something inside him had woken.
> ESSENCE BREAKTHROUGH INITIATED.
You have forcefully skipped a Realm due to merging Unique Essence Circulation with Chaos Brand.
→ Cultivation Rank Up!
Current Realm: Mid Great Warrior Realm
STRENGTH: 38
VITALITY: 41
MIND: ∞ (Unlocked Capacity: 34)
ESSENCE: 390/390
→ You have been awarded [NEW SKILL SLOTS] and [Tyrant Points +120]
Cain's breathing steadied as he felt the shift within. Every fiber of his being was tighter, stronger—unreal. Even the way the wind hit his skin had changed. The world had slowed around him.
The forest rustled.
A presence emerged behind him—low, heavy, and fiery. Hellfang padded forward from the tree line, red eyes glowing.
Cain turned, and the beast knelt slightly.
"I felt it too," Laurifer's voice said inside his mind. "The chaos leaked from your core… and Hellfang absorbed it."
> [Hellfang has evolved.]
Rank: Mid Ruler Realm
New Skill Unlocked:
– Ashstep (Lv.1): Allows Hellfang to dissolve into ash and rematerialize within a radius of 40 meters.
– Cinder Howl (Lv.1): A roar that disrupts enemy concentration and causes elemental instability in weaker beasts.
Cain's eyes widened slightly. Hellfang now radiated not only fire—but the barest scent of something wrong… something chaotic.
"Shadow Constitution," Cain muttered.
Hellfang's body rippled—and then, like smoke, dissolved into Cain's shadow.
He stood, body feeling light but brimming with Essence.
Laurifer spoke, tone lower now. "You've stepped beyond what most cultivators in the Mortal Stage can even dream of. You skipped a Realm using an unrefined system, forged from Azaroth blood and chaos itself. You're walking a path that never existed before."
Cain's eyes narrowed.
"Then I'll forge the rest of it in fire."
A gust of wind scattered ash through the trees. Far beyond the forest, the dark empire still hunted for the last of the Azaroth line.
But they were no longer hunting a boy.
They were hunting a Tyrant.
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