NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Demon Dominion System!
Creed's eyes widened as he stared at the notification glowing before him in the darkness. The words felt like a thunderclap echoing through his mind.
For a moment, he could only gape, trying to process what he was seeing. But then, a massive grin spread across his face, and a wild surge of joy burst out of him.
'Finally!'
Ever since he had transmigrated to this world sixteen years ago, he had been waiting, hoping, convinced his cheat system would activate just like in the stories.
Afterall, if reincarnation into the worlds of stories was possible, why couldn't systems be real as well?
Yet, after years went by and he failed to activate anything, he had given up hope. He had resigned himself to being an ordinary extra without a cheat, struggling and suffering in this doomed world.
He let out an uncontrollable laugh, giddy with excitement. "I knew it! I knew I was destined for greatness!"
He pumped his fist—and immediately lost his balance, the slippery stomach walls catching him off guard. He slipped, arms flailing, and slid down the slimy surface, landing with a splat in the sticky, acidic goo.
The embarrassing moment didn't even faze him; he was too busy grinning ear to ear.
He glanced up at the words glowing in front of him again: Demon Dominion System.
Even the name of his talent was "Demon Lord." Everything about him seemed tied to demons—and he wasn't sure if he should be proud or worried about that. He had no idea why that was so and what it meant.
In this strange, mythical world, strength was everything. People without strength were doomed to remain under the rule of those stronger than them.
Amongst the Humans, those with supernatural strength were called warriors. They could perform extraordinary feats and could battle demons.
Yet even amongst the warriors, there were two distinct types.
Most were ordinary warriors, who formed what was called a life seed—usually through a ritual. This seed served as a basic wellspring of power, but it wasn't that strong.
Special warriors, though, were on a different level. They didn't need a life seed. Instead, they awakened an innate talent before the age of sixteen, allowing them to form a life core—a dense, powerful core of energy far superior to the fragile seed.
Special warriors were about three times as strong as any normal warrior at the same stage, thanks to their talents and life cores.
This was why Creed was feeling so much disbelief at the moment. His 16th birthday was yesterday, which meant he had already passed the maximum age for him to awaken his talent and form a Life Core.
He'd never heard of anyone awakening their talent after the age of sixteen. Yet, here he was, a day late and a system richer.
'Could it be the system that awakened my talent?' he wondered, trying deduce the reason for his unbelievable awakening.
Just then, the stomach walls around him began to contract, and a sickening, wet squelch echoed through the fleshy chamber.
The acid coating the walls grew thicker and hotter, starting to sting his skin like tiny needles.
His vision began to blur, and panic set in as he realised the wraith must have sensed it hadn't digested him yet and was now intensifying its stomach acid to finish the job.
"I need to get out of here first," he thought. Not only was the place getting more dangerous due to the acid, he was also running out of air.
Desperate, Creed gripped the red ring on his finger, transforming it into a sword with a flick of his wrist.
He stabbed at the stomach wall with all his strength, but the blade barely scratched it, leaving the tiniest of marks.
The slimy, pulsing wall was tougher than it looked, and his blade was doing little more than scratching it.
At this rate, he was going to die!
"Are you kidding me?" he groaned, eyes wide with disbelief. He was stuck in a wraith's belly, armed with a sword that couldn't even cut its way out.
'This was not the glorious adventure I signed up for,' he thought bitterly, his heart pounding with rising panic. Images flashed through his mind of dissolving away in the acid, nothing left but a faint memory inside a monster's stomach.
His hands shook as he clutched his sword tighter. "Really? I'm going to die in a wraith's stomach?" he muttered to himself. "Not exactly the glorious end I'd imagined."
Taking a shaky breath, he thought desperately, 'Come on, system. You're supposed to be my cheat code, right? What can you do?! Do something!'
To his surprise, a calm voice echoed in his mind:
[Ding! The Demon Dominion System allows you to bind demons to your soul, placing a life mark on them. With every milestone your marked demons achieve, you receive ten times the usual rewards.]
Creed blinked, hardly daring to believe what he'd just heard. Binding Demon's Souls? Ten times the reward? This system wasn't just powerful—it was on a whole other level.
An idea took root in his mind instantly, piecing itself together as he thought of his desperate situation.
He glanced around, his gaze landing on the only other creature in the wraith's stomach—the Fiend demon.
The demon lay half-submerged in acid, its body scarred and smoking from the corrosive slime. But despite its battered appearance, it was still alive. It was breathing, even if just barely.
A risky idea flashed through his mind.
Without wasting a second, Creed hurried over to the Fiend, carefully peeling away the slime covering its body with his sword.
His hands trembled with a mix of excitement and nerves as he examined the demon's chest, watching for the rise and fall that meant it was still alive. It was weak but breathing. Perfect.
He leaned close, patting the demon's shoulder, trying to rouse it. "Hey, wake up!" he whispered urgently, his tone halfway between command and plea.
The Fiend stirred, its eyes slowly fluttering open, dazed and confused.
Creed smirked, holding up his red sword. "Looks like I don't have much choice," he murmured, amusement and dread mixing in his voice. "Guess it's time to make a deal... with a demon."
[WebNovel Rising Star II Entry] ALL SUPPORT is appreciated.
Don't hesitate to add it to your library and give Power Stones!!
_____
Power stone Goal!
20 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
50 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
100 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.