Chapter 13: New Talent

Craig collapsed onto his knees, his hands planting firmly onto the cold, blood-soaked stone floor as he gasped for air.

Dense steam rose from his skin, the intense friction of his newly awakened core working overtime to circulate what little energy remained in his veins.

A single execution of that technique had completely emptied his mana reserves, leaving a hollow, burning ache at the center of his chest.

Yet, despite his physical exhaustion, a bright, triumphant smile spread across his face.

"There’s a reason why the Void Sword Dragon’s Art is a imperial martial technique reserved exclusively for the reigning Duke..." Craig whispered between heavy breaths, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"Just executing the first form once was enough to drain almost every drop of my mana reserves."

He paused, resting his forehead against his fist as he gathered his strength. "If I hadn’t merged with the Divine Draconic Physique first, the sheer strain of forcing mana through my pathways would have ruptured my veins instantly."

Pushing through the lingering fatigue, Craig slowly forced himself back onto his feet.

His legs wobbled slightly before his powerful physique stabilized his posture.

"I shouldn’t dare to use the Void Sword Dragon’s Art again until I reach at least the rank of Sword Sage," he resolved internally, shaking his head.

"For now, relying on basic Darkstar sword forms suited for atleast a Sword Runner will be far more efficient."

Craig exhaled a deep, heavy sigh, letting the cold subterranean air settle in his lungs.

A profound sense of relief washed over his mind.

The lingering ghost of his past timeline—the phantom memory of hundreds of loyal soldiers slaughtered by a grey-eyed horror in the West—had finally been put to rest.

This pest would never break out of this cage. It would never butcher the citizens of Lucerion, nor would it cost him an army fifteen years down the line.

His revenge against this monster was absolute.

However, his business inside this dark cell was far from finished.

He had descended into this underground facility for three distinct purposes:

First, to personally slay the Demon of Speed.

Second, to test the passive authority of his Special-Grade Talent, Monarch of Swords.

And third, to unleash the power of his second Special-Grade Talent:

Draconic Devourer.

According to the system’s explicit description, Draconic Devourer required him to consume a living target in order to strip away its innate traits, memories, and core energy.

And the Demon of Speed’s defining trait was absolute velocity.

Although Craig’s raw physical speed had already increased exponentially after fusing with the Divine Draconic Physique, adding a specialized speed trait to his arsenal was paramount.

He had personally witnessed what a true speedster could accomplish on a high-tier battlefield.

Strength and speed were two sides of the same coin. A blow could shatter mountains, but it meant nothing if it never hit its target.

While he pursued ultimate offensive power, he needed the velocity to catch whatever stood in his path.

"How exactly am I supposed to devour this?" Craig murmured, looking down at the bloody mess surrounding his boots.

A momentary wave of confusion hit him. Was he supposed to eat it raw, or would the system require him to cook the meat first?

He quickly shook the thought away as reality set in. Above the trapdoor, Ser Hughway and his guard contingent were waiting.

He had to keep the true nature of his abilities an absolute secret.

While it would be impossible to hide that he had slain the captive Abomination, no one could ever learn how he had accomplished it, nor could they know about his extra talents.

His public persona would strictly display Monarch of Swords as his sole awakened talent.

Draconic Devourer, the Divine Draconic Physique, and the sealed Inheritor of the Supreme Battle God had to remain hidden in the dark.

If the successors of the main estate or rival factions discovered he possessed four Special-Grade Talents before his Dragon’s Calling.

They wouldn’t hesitate to deploy high-rank assassins to erase him before he could grow into a threat.

Time was running out.

If he delayed any longer, Ser Hughway’s worry would overcome his discipline, and the Sword Master would descend into the cell to investigate.

"No choice then," Craig muttered through gritted teeth.

He dropped back onto his knees amidst the bloody carnage.

Setting his pride aside, Craig began gathering the severed pieces of the Abomination, forcing himself to consume the raw, mangled remains of the monster.

A look of intense disgust washed across his face as he swallowed the flesh.

The abyssal meat tasted atrociously bitter and bland, leaving a metallic, foul residue coating his tongue.

Yet, he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, forcing every single fragment down his throat with unyielding willpower.

The moment he swallowed the final piece of the Demon of Speed, the quiet air before his eyes shuddered.

The translucent cyan interface materialized, pulsing with a bright, rhythmic light.

Ding!

[ CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE CONSUMED A TARGET ORGANISM ]

[ INITIATING DIGESTION MODE... ]

’A Target? What does that mean?’ Craig frowned.

The instant the prompt vanished, a sudden, violent wave of heat erupted in the pit of Craig’s stomach.

It wasn’t painful; rather, it felt like a furnace igniting within his lower abdomen.

A brilliant crimson glow shone beneath his skin as his core violently expanded.

The raw, toxic abyssal properties woven into the monster’s flesh were instantly incinerated by his Draconic furnace, stripping away the dark corruption and refining the leftover energy into pure, pristine mana.

The refined energy flooded straight into his depleted pathways.

Craig slowly rose to his feet, a look of awe washing over his face as he felt his total mana capacity double in a matter of seconds.

The exhaustion that had weighed down his limbs vanished completely, replaced by a surging, restless power.

The cyan screen flashed once more, updating its text.

[ DIGESTION MODE COMPLETE ]

[ ASSIMILATION WITH 1ST-TIER ABOMINATION: SUCCESSFUL ]

[ YOU HAVE AWAKENED A NEW TALENT ]

• Talent: Speed Demon (A-Grade)

• Status: Awakened

• Description: Temporary increases movement, reaction, and attack speed by 200%. When activated, allows the user to perform short-distance spatial steps, leaving blurs in the physical realm.