The Citadel gates, once symbols of unbreakable power, lay shattered at Kael's feet. Smoke curled from broken walls, the scent of ozone and energy thick in the air. His body thrummed with raw, stolen strength, every nerve screaming with exhilaration—and with the relentless pull of the curse.
[Host Status: Strength 500/100 | Potential: 250% | Bloodline Absorption: 30%]
[Curse Activity: Critical | Risk of Host Corruption: 85% | Stabilization Recommended]
[Nearby Threats: Remaining Imperial Forces | Strength Range: 80–150 | Alert Level: Maximum]
Kael strode through the streets of Ardentium, threads of energy snapping from his fingertips like lightning snakes. Soldiers scrambled at his approach, their weapons useless against a being who had absorbed the power of both human and divine bloodlines.
[Target Neutralized: Elite Guard Unit | Combat Essence +15% | Host Strength 520/100]
[Target Neutralized: Imperial Cavalry | Combat Essence +20% | Host Strength 550/100]
The system clicked rapidly, scanning, calculating, predicting. Every move Kael made was precise, fluid, unstoppable. The curse tugged at him, whispering, tempting him to unleash destruction without restraint.
"Let them fall," Kael whispered, grin widening. "Let them see the storm they've awakened."
From the Citadel's throne room, the remnants of the imperial council watched in terror. The empire's strongest had underestimated Kael—the "weakest son" who had returned from death more powerful than any god dared imagine.
The system highlighted all remaining threats: patrols, commanders, magical wards, and elite assassins. Clicking lines traced the perfect paths through chaos, guiding Kael like a predator through prey.
[High-Level Target Detected: Imperial General Voren | Strength 160/100 | Bloodline Fragment Present | Engagement Suggested]
Kael's grin sharpened. "Finally… a proper challenge."
He leapt forward, energy threads flaring, intercepting General Voren before he could summon reinforcements. The general's armor glowed with ancestral magic, but Kael's system analyzed every weak point, every joint, every flaw.
[Combat Optimization: Active | Host Strength 600/100 | Potential 300% | Curse Pull: Critical]
Threads of energy struck Voren's limbs, siphoning strength into Kael. Sparks flew as the system calculated every strike with perfect precision, converting absorbed essence into raw power. Voren roared, but even his bloodline-enhanced strength could not withstand Kael's assault.
[Target Neutralized: Voren | Combat Essence +50% | Host Strength 650/100 | Curse Pull: Severe]
The system clicked violently, warning Kael of the curse's increasing pull.
[Warning: Curse Activity – Maximum | Host Mental Integrity 60% | Stabilization Recommended]
Kael ignored it. Power was intoxicating; the curse was simply part of the price. Threads of energy snaked around him, glowing crimson, black, and gold, feeding him, guiding him, transforming him.
Across the city, the surviving soldiers began to scatter. Kael's presence alone inspired terror. The empire that had executed him, abandoned him, and betrayed him was crumbling under a single man whose body had transcended mortality.
From the rooftops, Kael's system highlighted another target: the High Magister of Ardentium, the master of forbidden magic and a relic of the empire's ancient power.
[Target Locked: High Magister Elowen | Strength 170/100 | Magical Bloodline Fragment Detected | Threat Level: Extreme]
Kael's grin widened. "A magic user? Perfect."
He leapt across rooftops, energy threads snaking toward Elowen as the system displayed her weak points: joints, mana conduits, and core energy nodes. His strikes were precise, surgical, and unstoppable.
[Target Weak Point Exploited | Combat Essence +70% | Host Strength 700/100 | Curse Pull: Critical]
Elowen tried to retaliate, unleashing torrents of arcane fire, but Kael absorbed fragments effortlessly. Each pulse of energy increased his strength and potential.
[Host Status: Strength 750/100 | Potential 350% | Bloodline Absorption: 35% | Curse Activity: MAXIMUM]
Even as he drained her power, the system clicked, warning:
[Warning: Host Stability 55% | Curse Pull – Critical | Risk of Corruption: Near Total]
Kael grinned wider. "Corruption? I call it evolution."
With a final strike, he shattered Elowen's magical core, absorbing the last vestiges of her bloodline. The city trembled as his body glowed with unholy light. Every system thread, every curse warning, every pulse of stolen energy converged into a single point of terrifying power.
The empire's remaining forces were paralyzed, their morale shattered. Kael stood atop the Citadel ruins, crimson energy swirling around him like a crown of storms. The system clicked mechanically, rapidly displaying total stats:
[Host Strength 800/100 | Potential 400% | Bloodline Absorption 40% | Curse Pull: TOTAL | Host Corruption Risk: EXTREME]
Kael's voice echoed through the ruined streets: "Let this empire kneel before me. Let the heavens take notice. I am Kael—the Cursed Heir of Eternity!"
From the skies above, threads of divine energy shifted, and somewhere beyond the clouds, gods stirred, whispering of a mortal who had consumed power meant for them.
Kael's grin widened as he felt the full surge of his system, his curse, and his stolen bloodlines. The empire was in chaos. The gods were watching. And Kael… Kael had only just begun.