Chapter 8: The Awakening of the Sukuan

Bateman stood at the pinnacle of his newfound power. His senses hummed with the rush of raw energy, his blood pulsing with the twisted strength of the mutants he had fused with. The night sky seemed to crackle with the power he had claimed, and the city below was but a mere playground for a god. But in his quest to dominate, Bateman had overlooked something—an ancient force, long dormant, lying beneath the surface of his soul.

He could feel it now. A presence. A whisper that echoed in the darkest corners of his mind.

It's time to awaken.

The words were not his own, yet they seemed to resonate deep within him, like the reverberations of a bell that had rung through time itself. The power he had absorbed from the mutants had unlocked something, something far older than even the vampires. It was as though the fabric of reality itself had been torn open by his actions. A force had entered his body, and with it, a new power.

A system. An entity.

As Bateman closed his eyes, the whispers grew louder. It wasn't just in his mind—it was within him, a consciousness melding with his own, offering something more. The ancient force was offering him power, control, something more than he had ever dreamed of. It promised him the means to ascend beyond the limitations of mere blood and flesh.

Suddenly, the world around him seemed to slow, warping and distorting as if reality itself was being bent to his will. A dark, ethereal interface appeared in his mind's eye. Strange symbols and words flashed before him, some of them incomprehensible, others familiar. And then he saw them—names and faces, none of them his own.

Sukuan.

Toji Fushiguro.

Bateman's heart stopped for a moment. He knew the names, had heard them in hushed whispers among the most dangerous circles, the stories of monsters and warriors whose power had been legendary. But these weren't just stories. The system had granted him something more—templates, blueprints for power. They were not merely fragments of forgotten warriors; they were now his.

A surge of energy coursed through Bateman's body as he absorbed their powers into himself. The change was immediate and overwhelming. His body began to pulse with dark energy, and for a brief moment, Bateman felt as though he had transcended the limits of human existence. The essence of Sukuan, the King of Curses, flowed through him. The fierce, unrelenting force of Toji Fushiguro, the unkillable warrior, became part of his very being.

As the process completed, Bateman could feel the shift inside him. He was no longer just a man or a vampire. He was a vessel of cursed energy, a being of unimaginable power.

He opened his eyes, and the world around him seemed to bend and break under his gaze. The darkness had become his ally, the shadows his domain. His senses were heightened to the point where even the smallest movement, the slightest change in the air, was like an explosion of information. He could hear the blood in the veins of the city's inhabitants, feel the pulse of every living creature. His strength had reached unprecedented levels—he was a god, but now, he was something more. He was a monster with the power to annihilate anything that dared stand in his path.

Bateman flexed his hands, his fingers curling into claws. The raw, cursed energy was overwhelming, and he revelled in it. The power he had gained from Sukuan and Toji was unlike anything he had ever felt. His movements were faster, his senses sharper. The cursed energy that flowed through him enhanced every part of his body, turning him into a weapon of destruction. His very aura had become a force of nature.

As the system integrated further into him, Bateman felt an unfamiliar presence take root in his mind—Sukuan's consciousness, a dark, malicious force that whispered its ancient knowledge and rage. He could hear the laughter of the King of Curses, feel the hunger for destruction that had defined him in life. It was a power that sought to consume, to break everything in its path.

But Bateman, now more than ever, understood that he was in control. The system had given him power, but it was his will that would determine its use. And with the power of Sukuan and Toji Fushiguro coursing through him, there was nothing—no hero, no villain, no force in the world—that could stand against him.

Bateman flexed his muscles, the cursed energy radiating off him in waves. He could feel his body becoming more powerful with every passing second. The tattoos of Sukuan began to appear on his skin, swirling with dark energy, marking him as something beyond human. His blood pulsed with the curse, the taste of destruction filling his mouth. It was intoxicating, this newfound power, this potential to reshape the world in his image.

But Bateman knew that with great power came great consequence. The transformation was not without its cost. The cursed energy threatened to consume him, to twist his mind and soul until he was no longer human, but a creature of pure violence. It was a battle he would have to fight every day—to keep the darkness at bay, to wield the power without becoming a slave to it.

The system continued to provide him with new abilities, offering up the templates of even greater warriors, more dangerous entities. Bateman's eyes glowed with the fire of ambition as he contemplated what he would do next. He had already reached a level of power beyond most of the world's greatest heroes and villains, but now he had access to a wealth of untapped potential.

He began to experiment with his new abilities. The cursed energy allowed him to bend the world to his will, to manipulate the very fabric of reality. He could create monstrous manifestations of cursed power, summon destructive blasts of energy, and even summon fragments of Sukuan's immense strength. Toji's combat skills flowed through his body like muscle memory, his reflexes sharpened to the point where he could take on entire armies of enemies without breaking a sweat.

But Bateman's true goal remained the same. He wanted to become the Blood God, to claim ultimate power and bend the world to his will. And now, with the power of Sukuan and Toji Fushiguro, he was closer than ever to achieving that goal.

His first test was simple—he needed to see how the world would react to his new power. Bateman knew that with his newfound strength, no one could stand against him—not even the most powerful heroes, villains, or organizations. He could burn entire cities to the ground if he wished, but that would be too easy. Instead, he decided to send a message, one that would shake the very foundations of the world.

Bateman took to the streets, his footsteps echoing through the empty city. The air crackled with cursed energy, and the shadows seemed to writhe in response to his presence. As he walked, people fled in fear, sensing the dark power that radiated from him. Bateman's heart swelled with satisfaction.

But he wasn't just here to destroy. No, he had something far more important in mind. He was going to establish his rule. He was going to take control of this world, and no one—not even the greatest heroes or the most fearsome villains—could stop him.

As he walked through the streets, he could feel the tension building in the air, the anticipation of the destruction that was to come. He was no longer a man, no longer a monster. He was a god, and the world would tremble before him.