Chapter 51

During the time when Sunny broke the chains containing the Crimson Spire's truth, the White artificial sun expanded and collected every soul shard it could. The Crimson Terror tried to become a Titan this way, but in her attempt, she was killed by Nephis. This situation also led to the death of everything and everyone above the ground or those who were weak, meaning the population of Nightmare Creatures in Forgotten Shore decreased to unprecedentedly low figures, especially creatures closer to the proximity of the Spire.

Needless to say, the first few days were rough for Kiyotaka. There were no creatures he could kill around the Crimson Spire, so he set off without any rest right after Nephis's departure. There were times when he came very close to succumbing to his Flaw, but he persisted. Fortunately, he had Mamba and Asher. The former would transport him at high speed without Kiyotaka needing to run and expend essence, while the latter would help him scout for potential prey and assist him in fights.

Not that those fights were easy. The creatures that survived were mostly of the Fallen Rank, with few exceptions that were lucky enough. This made hunting for Kiyotaka more hectic and audacious as he sometimes had to give his all to guarantee a kill. Thankfully, today was not such a day.

[ You have slain Fallen Demon ]

[ Your war spirit grows stronger ]

Sitting atop an abominable creature resembling a lion, his Abyssal Reaver plunged deep into its skull as he silently gazed at it. The crimson aura enveloped him, taking a deeper shade of red. There were many cuts and bite marks all over the lion's body, including some burnt skin. Next to the body of the slain demon stood two figures: a giant dark snake and a blue-haired human. Both of their eyes were as emotionless and hollow as their master's.

This particular Fallen Demon wasn't much trouble as it mostly specialized in pure physical stats, without much resistance to poisons and curse attacks. Sometimes Kiyotaka had to fight Fallen Demons that were much more versatile; compared to them, this abominable lion was just a plaything.

Summoning his runes, he studied them for a second.

Name: Kiyotaka

True Name: Angel of War

Rank: Dreamer

Class: Demon

Soul Core: Dormant

War Fragments: [2940/3000]

Memories: [Bloodsword], [Tunic of Warrior], [Torch], [Eye of the Night], [Blood Fervor], [Wing of Fall], [Abyssal Reaver]

Echoes: [Asher], [Mamba]

Attributes: [The Seeker of Freedom], [Flame of Divinity], [Child of War], [Bloodborne Ascendant]

Aspect: [Warrior of the End]

Aspect Rank: Divine

Aspect Description: [You are a miraculous survivor of the bloodline of the Goddess of War. The last warrior who stood his ground against all odds and defied his fate.]

Aspect Legacy: [Bloodbound Warfare]

Legacy Description: [The legacy that has been incorporated with the help of divinity and limitless potential. Allows the bearer to always passively reach the limits of what is possible within a rank.]

Innate Ability: [Broken Limits]

Ability Description: [An ability that makes it possible for you to temporarily break free from your power limits and gain strength beyond your Rank and Level.]

Dormant Ability: [Blood Manipulation]

Ability Description: [Allows the user to manipulate blood.]

The formation of a third soul core made Kiyotaka's aura more profound and deeper, its augmentation effect now three times that of base Kiyotaka. He was looking toward becoming a Devil, possibly unlocking some new ability.

Nightmare Creatures unlocked new abilities when they became a Devil. One such example was the Forsaken Knight back in the Ruined Cathedral of Dark City with its darkness healing. Kiyotaka himself was very close to such a level, only needing 40 more fragments, or 15 more slain Fallen creatures.

There was no definite answer as to whether humans would gain certain abilities as there weren't any records of humans attaining four soul cores. Still, he had a premonition there would be some change.

Speaking of premonitions, he felt he neared the northern edge of the Forgotten Shore. The air seemed to grow colder, and the usual grey sky started clearing out and turning more crystal blue.

As he sighed to himself, he resumed his journey to the North.

As he rested on top of Mamba, he couldn't help but think of his friends. The loneliness in his heart crept in. He also couldn't help but be curious: what was happening to his body in the waking world? Did the Cohort visit him from time to time? How did it feel to Awaken?

He also imagined how the Legacy Clans and Government reacted.

Sighing to himself, he mused, "I will get my answers eventually. For now, my priority is to explore the north... that said, it's getting quite cold and, at this rate, my tunic's enchantment will stop providing me enough heat in a few days."

That was one of his current concerns: to continue exploring the depths of the Northern territory, he would have to attain a new armor type memory of higher rank... or he could do something else.

Stopping Mamba in its place, he sat up in a lotus position. Breathing calmly, he slowly let the heating effect of his armor subside. Immediately, the freezing cold assaulted him, making him shudder from the change in temperature. Letting the effects of the cold sink in, he slowly used his blood manipulation ability and set the minuscule amount of blood within himself ablaze. As he did so, the heat from inside repelled the cold from outside. But it didn't stop there.

The small sparks of crimson fire in his body made Kiyotaka shudder as he struggled to maintain the balance in his body. Sometimes he would mess up, and his skin would get burnt; other times, the heat would disappear, and his skin would freeze. His veins would rupture from the intense fluctuations, sending waves of agony through his body. Blood trickled down his arms and legs, his muscles twitching violently as he fought to control the chaotic energy within.

His mind was a battleground, a storm of madness and pain. The burning sensation clashed with the freezing cold, threatening to tear him apart from the inside. His vision blurred, and dark spots danced before his eyes. Every breath was a labor, his chest heaving as he forced air into his lungs.

Despite the torment, Kiyotaka refused to give in. He clenched his teeth, pushing through the agony, his determination unyielding. His essence flared, creating a fragile equilibrium between the internal fire and external frost. Each moment was a desperate struggle to maintain that balance, to keep himself from collapsing into a state of madness.

With each passing second, the pain became more bearable, his control more precise. He could feel the energy stabilizing, the crimson sparks harmonizing with his essence. Slowly, the agony receded, replaced by a steady warmth that radiated from within. His veins healed, the ruptures mending as the blood manipulation worked its magic.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kiyotaka opened his eyes. His body still ached, but the worst was over. He had managed to harness the internal fire, using it to combat the external cold. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to keep him moving forward.

The essence expenses are minimal, with time it should become a passive ability.

Exhaling a deep breath, he looked around, the northern expanse of the Forgotten Shore stretching out before him.

"Let's go," he murmured, directing Mamba forward. The North was near , and his painfull method will only increase his control over blood, making him able to venture deeper.