Chapter seven

Luo Feng sat on the chair, holding the necklace with the red pendant in his hand. He ran his fingers over its smooth, cold surface, feeling the faint pulse of dark energy within. Taking a deep breath, he carefully placed it around his neck, the weight of it a reminder of the shadowy figure's words.

His gaze shifted to the tome lying on the table before him. Determination surged within him as he recalled the figure's instructions. He needed to embrace the pain, to form a connection with the tome that would unlock its secrets.

Closing his eyes, Luo Feng concentrated on the most painful memories he had—both his own and Chen Wei's. The betrayal, the suffering, the helplessness—all the anguish and torment flooded his mind. He clenched his fists, his body trembling as he let the emotions wash over him.

As the pain intensified, the air around him seemed to thicken, dark energy swirling in response. A low hum filled the room, growing louder with each passing second. Luo Feng's breathing became ragged, but he forced himself to endure, to embrace the agony.

Suddenly, the tome began to glow, a dark aura enveloping it. Luo Feng opened his eyes, feeling a strange connection to the book. With a trembling hand, he reached out and touched the tome's cover. It felt warm under his fingers, pulsing in sync with his own heartbeat.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the tome. To his astonishment, the previously unreadable words now shone in golden letters, as if they had been revealed to him for the first time. The script, elegant and fluid, seemed to dance across the pages, inviting him to explore.

Luo Feng's eyes widened in amazement. Though he did fully understand the words, the mere sight of them filled him with a sense of power. He began to flip through the pages, caressing them gently. The tome responded to his touch, the golden letters glowing brighter, as if acknowledging his presence.

As he continued to turn the pages, new ones appeared, filled with spells, incantations, and secrets of dark magic. Luo Feng felt a surge of excitement, realizing that the tome held the key to his rebirth and vengeance.

He didn't need to read the contents just yet; he knew that the answers would come in time. For now, the act of flipping through the tome and feeling its power was enough. The dark energy emanating from the book enveloped him, binding him to its secrets.

Luo Feng couldn't help but smile, a sense of triumph filling him. He had finally unlocked the tome's potential. With this newfound power, he would rise from the ashes of his former life and reclaim his place as a formidable force to be reckoned with.

The golden letters glowed brighter as he caressed the pages, the room fading away until there was only him and the tome. The dark energy bound them together, sealing a pact of power and ambition. Luo Feng knew that his journey was far from over, but with the tome by his side and the pendant around his neck, he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Luo Feng's resolve solidified,he would not remain the frail, powerless boy any longer. He would become a master of dark magic, and those who had betrayed him would pay dearly for their treachery.

His dark thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He noted with a touch of satisfaction that the woman now had the respect to knock before entering. Quickly, he closed the tome, but the dark energy it had released still pulsed throughout the room.

The door creaked open, revealing the woman carrying a tray of better-prepared, healthy food. Over the past few days, these meals had contributed to a slight improvement in his physical condition, giving him a little more flesh than the skeletal figure he had first seen in the mirror.

As the woman stepped into the room, a powerful surge of dark energy rippled through the air. She froze, her eyes widening in shock and fear. The tray slipped from her hands, the dishes clattering loudly to the floor and scattering food everywhere.

"What's wrong with you?" Luo Feng asked, genuinely perplexed by her reaction.

The woman's face contorted with horror, her gaze fixed on something behind him. Luo Feng turned, but there was nothing there. He faced her again, confusion deepening.

Her hands flew to her neck as if something invisible was choking her. Her eyes bulged, and she let out strangled gasps, her body convulsing. Luo Feng watched, a mixture of fascination and dread creeping over him.

She stumbled back, her feet dragging against the floor, her hands desperately clawing at her throat. The choking sounds grew more desperate, her face turning a ghastly shade of blue. It was as if her very life force was being drained away.

The woman's body began to wither, her skin clinging tightly to her bones as if something unseen was sucking the vitality out of her. She let out a piercing scream, a sound filled with pure agony and terror, her body collapsing to the ground. She continued to writhe, her form shrinking and becoming grotesquely thin, like a skeleton wrapped in parchment.

Luo Feng stepped back, his heart pounding. He hadn't intended for this to happen. Yet, the scene unfolding before him was a testament to the dark power that now surrounded him. The tome's energy, still lingering in the room, seemed to be exacting a sinister toll.

The woman's movements slowed, her breath becoming shallow. Her eyes, once filled with malice, now held only a desperate plea for mercy. Luo Feng could do nothing but watch as her life was drained from her, leaving behind a hollow, skeletal figure.

Finally, with a last, pitiful gasp, she fell silent. Her lifeless body lay crumpled on the floor, a grim reminder of the dark power Luo Feng had begun to tap into. He stood there, breathing heavily, trying to process what had just happened.

The room was filled with a heavy silence, the dark energy still thick in the air. Luo Feng glanced at the tome, its presence now even more foreboding. The power it held was immense, and the consequences of wielding it were terrifyingly clear.

But he couldn't let fear control him. This power, as dark and dangerous as it was, would be his key to survival and revenge. He would learn to harness it, to control it, and to use it against those who had wronged him.

As he approached the woman's lifeless body, he realized something: the tome was still slightly open. A chill ran down his spine as he understood that the tome's dark energy had caused the horrifying event. He carefully closed the book entirely, feeling the oppressive energy in the room recede slightly.

Luo Feng knelt beside the woman's corpse, a mix of revulsion and a strange sense of power swirling within him. The tome had sucked the very life force from her, showing him the extent of its dark capabilities. This was only the beginning. The path he was on was treacherous, but he was determined to walk it to the end.

He placed the tome back on the table and turned his attention to the body. He needed to dispose of it discreetly. As he lifted the frail, skeletal form, he couldn't help but feel a surge of determination.

Now he had to hide the body somewhere no one could find it.