Interruption

Lionel and a throng of others relentlessly pursued the mysterious figure who had kidnapped Alber. Hundreds of individuals—members of the Sky family, along with numerous guests and allies—spread out, determined to hunt down the mastermind behind the abduction.

High-level magic enveloped the search, as the connections of the Sky family proved invaluable.

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Meanwhile, deep beneath the underground, the enigmatic man cast aside his cloak, revealing the features of a bald, middle-aged man. His grin remained fixed as he gazed down at Alber, who lay still in his grasp.

Few knew his identity; he had isolated himself for over twenty years. His name was Diablo, a magus devoted entirely to dark magic.

His mastery had reached a level where he could forge his own spells, a feat that earned him the ominous title "Soul Eater."

Now, they occupied a grand chamber buried deep underground, filled with an array of research tools and arcane objects.

This was his secret lair, constructed more than thirty years ago. It had served as the backdrop for countless experiments—chimeras born, potions brewed, and weapons forged.

In all that time, its location remained hidden. It was a sanctuary where he could act without the constraints of morality or ethics.

"Now, how should I start?" Diablo murmured, laying Alber on the cold marble floor.

What he perceived from Alber's condition suggested that the child was blessed with a profound gift from heaven.

Yet, it was clear to him that this blessing had not been properly cultivated.

After a moment of contemplation, Diablo settled on his course of action. "Well then, let's begin," he declared, his grin widening.

In an instant, he ripped the boy's clothing away, leaving him bare from the waist up. From his left hand, a dark rune emerged, glowing faintly.

Without hesitation, he pressed his palm against Alber's chest, causing the dark rune to merge with the boy. Ancient symbols spread across his skin like creeping vines.

Alber's body reacted violently, convulsing as if in the throes of a seizure.

Diablo reveled in his triumph. He had just infused Alber with a spell of his own invention: "Voidborne Ascension," crafted to shatter the limits of a person's unique abilities.

This very spell had earned him the moniker Soul Eater.

As Alber writhed, thin wisps of smoke began to escape from his body, reminiscent of a soul departing the flesh.

Not wasting a moment, Diablo sliced his palm with a sharp nail, allowing his blood to drip down. With it, he traced a circle around Alber.

"Now for the final step," he remarked, a wicked glint in his eyes.

He began to chant in an incomprehensible language, his focus sharpening despite the exhilaration coursing through him, demonstrating his expertise.

"BURN!" he bellowed, slamming his hand onto the blood-soaked floor.

The spell reacted with immediate intensity; the blood circle flared to life, glowing a brilliant red. A shocking sight unfolded as the blood began to seep into Alber's skin, tinting the boy's complexion a sinister shade of red.

One minute passed. Five minutes. Ten minutes. The transformation was agonizing to behold, Alber's body increasingly resembling that of a corpse, his pores fully opened.

Diablo's grin widened as he observed Alber's condition. "The effects should manifest any moment now," he anticipated.

The process was complete; he merely awaited the results.

It didn't take long. Within five minutes, dense white smoke erupted from Alber's body.

Diablo's eyes gleamed with excitement, and a slow grin crept across his face, blossoming into a broad, malevolent smile.

"Finally, this time, you won't escape!" he exulted, his voice low and filled with glee.

The thick white smoke began to shift, transforming into a deep, blood-red hue.

"Your ability is mine now," Diablo proclaimed, his grin unwavering as he reached out to grasp the swirling red mist.

The crimson smoke coalesced in his grip, swirling like a concentrated vortex of power.

As the mass of red smoke intensified, it radiated an aura so potent that Diablo's hand began to bleed from the sheer force, gouging the floor beneath him.

Yet he held on tight. A ravenous hunger for power consumed him. Absorbing Alber's unique ability would allow him to reclaim his former glory, perhaps even surpass it.

With each passing second, the dark red aura grew fiercer, whipping the air into a violent storm around them.

Blood dripped steadily from Diablo's hand, his skin torn and raw. Sweat streamed down his face as he felt his energy being drained at an alarming rate, desperately consolidating the dark red aura.

The roar of the aura surged like a jet engine, its sound reverberating through the underground chamber.

"Come on, just a little more!" Diablo urged, pouring every ounce of his remaining strength into this critical moment.

With one final, powerful yank, he tore his hand away, severing the flow of aura from Alber's body. The connection was cut, and a dense orb of dark energy floated in Diablo's palm.

Words failed to express his elation as he beheld the concentrated sphere of power—an immense strength now rested at his fingertips.

"The power to command darkness is now mine!" Diablo proclaimed, his voice dripping with triumph and malice, his eyes gleaming with sinister delight.

Alber's unique ability was no ordinary gift—it was the ancestral power of the five founding families of the Nine Realms Guild, a rare and legendary gift that allowed its wielder to control darkness itself.

The history books Diablo had pored over spoke of this ability as a power long thought extinct, lost to time for centuries. Yet now, by a stroke of unparalleled fortune, he had claimed it with ease.

"The Legendary soul eater, my comeback will..." Diablo's voice trailled off as he suddenly felt a disturbance behind him. Instinct kicked in, and he spun around—only to be met with the swift approach of a sharp blade.

Stab!

A sword pierced through his neck!

Diablo's eyes widened in disbelief as he confronted the figure before him. A young man with black hair stood there, the sword embedded in his throat.

With a smirk, the young man proclaimed, "And now, that ability is mine!"