The tunnel air was thick with moisture and tension. Kael's senses were alive, every nerve pulsing with anticipation. The Forbidden Immortal System clicked in rapid, precise rhythms, each line of data flashing in his mind like a machine breathing.
[High-Level Threat Detected | Power Level Unknown | Engagement Recommended: Extreme Caution]
[Host Status: Strength 100/100 | Potential: 25% | Bloodline Absorption: 8%]
[Nearby Environmental Scan: Low Light, Confined Space]
From the darkness ahead, a figure emerged—massive, impossibly tall, cloaked in shifting shadows that seemed to writhe as though alive. Its eyes glowed faintly red, piercing the gloom. Kael's system reacted instantly, clicking and pulsing warnings in rapid succession.
[Target Classification: Unknown | Strength Estimate: >100 | Threat Level: Extreme]
Kael's grin widened. "Finally… a challenge worth my attention."
He flexed his fingers, energy threads snapping from his fingertips. The system highlighted weak points on the creature's massive frame in glowing lines, pulsing with every heartbeat.
[Scan Complete | Weak Points Detected: Shoulder Joints, Lower Spine | Recommended Action: Tactical Engagement]
The shadow moved like liquid, faster than any human or soldier Kael had ever seen. He lunged, energy streaking from his hands, threading through the air with mechanical precision.
The system chimed:
[Attack Analysis: Strike Predicted | Success Probability: 72% | Risk: High]
Kael's fist collided with the creature's shoulder, energy exploding outward. A pulse of force hit him back, but he barely staggered—his body was already adapting. Threads of stolen strength and reflexes fed into his muscles and senses.
[Host Strength +12 | Reflexes +5% | Curse Activity Rising]
The creature roared—a sound that shook the stone walls, reverberating in Kael's bones. Its hands lashed out, swift and precise. Kael ducked, feeling the system calculate trajectories in milliseconds.
[Incoming Strike Detected | Evasion Probability: 88%]
He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a crushing blow that could have shattered bones. The system pulsed mechanically:
[Combat Feedback: Host Reaction Optimal | Threat Level Increased]
Kael grinned. Every strike, every motion, every breath was now a duel of calculation and instinct. He could feel the creature testing him, its energy brushing against his own, teasing, probing.
[Observation: Enemy Energy Pattern – Unstable | Attack Predictability: Moderate | Exploit Opportunity Detected]
Kael's hands moved in a blur. He struck again, this time targeting the lower spine, threads of system-guided energy locking onto the weak point. The creature twisted, its shadows stretching and writhing, but the force hit true.
[Target Weakness Exploited | Combat Essence +15% | Host Strength 110/100 | Warning: Curse Rising]
The system beeped rapidly as Kael absorbed fragments of raw energy from the unknown being. His vision sharpened, reflexes honed, strength skyrocketing. Yet even as his body grew more powerful, the system whispered in low, chilling tones:
[Warning: Curse Activity High | Continued Absorption May Cause Irreversible Effects]
Kael's grin hardened. The curse was a distant shadow compared to the power before him. "I don't care," he muttered, voice low, cold. "I will not be denied."
The shadow recoiled, then lunged with terrifying speed. Kael reacted instinctively, energy snapping around his arms as he parried. Sparks of force danced across the tunnel, the sound of impact echoing like thunder.
[Host Combat Adaptation: Active | Reflex Enhancement +12% | Strength +20 | Potential 35%]
The two clashed again and again—Kael moving fluidly, the system predicting, calculating, adjusting. Each strike he absorbed made him stronger, faster, more precise. The shadow entity roared in frustration, its glowing eyes narrowing.
Then, the creature struck with a burst of energy far stronger than Kael anticipated. He was thrown against the wall, pain lancing through him, and the system clicked an alarm:
[Critical Warning: Host Damage Detected | Structural Integrity of Body: 92% | High-Level Threat: Escalating]
Kael shook off the pain, the system feeding him tactical feedback. Threads of energy wrapped around his limbs, reinforcing muscles, guiding movements, syncing with his instincts.
[Adaptive Override: Host Optimization Complete | Reflexes +20% | Strength +25 | Curse Alert: Extreme]
He rose from the impact, energy flaring around him like a halo of living fire. "You're strong… but I am stronger," he whispered.
The creature hesitated, its form flickering as if unsure how to respond. Kael's system pulsed urgently, highlighting every weak joint, every exposed nerve.
[Target Analysis: Core Weakness Detected | Recommended Strike: Coordinated Multi-Thread Attack]
Kael smiled, threads of energy snapping into motion. His hands moved faster than thought, each strike feeding into the next, every blow guided by the system's calculations.
The shadow entity let out a strangled roar as energy surged from its form into Kael, partially absorbed. The system clicked, whirring with satisfaction:
[Combat Essence Acquired +25% | Host Strength 140/100 | Curse Pull: Extreme | Potential: 45%]
Kael staggered slightly, sweat and energy crackling around him. The curse tugged at the edges of his mind, whispering threats, but the thrill of power drowned out all caution.
He narrowed his eyes. This was no ordinary opponent. Every fiber of Kael's being demanded victory, demanded growth, demanded that the world tremble at his hands.
And then, the shadow entity glowed brighter, larger, its form shifting impossibly. Kael's system pulsed violently, the clicking lines spinning in warning and anticipation:
[High-Level Threat – Evolution Detected | Host Response Required | Extreme Danger]
Kael's grin widened, teeth glinting in the dim light. "Finally… something worthy of me."
Energy flared around him as he braced for the next strike, threads of the system snapping in anticipation, calculating every possible outcome. The battle had only just begun, and Kael's hunger—for power, for revenge, for supremacy—burned hotter than ever.