Death Heir’s Devouring System

'Who would have thought that me, lurking the Blood Knotted out of the Blizzard Region, would attract Victor too?' Azrael mused, dancing between the strikes of the knights encircling him.

It was fortunate that they knew each other and that Victor's Inborn Trait subconsciously made him crave danger since he felt joy out of it.

The behemoth of a man was already upon Raven, his axe coming down in a staggeringly fast strike.

Yet she didn't flinch. Calmly raising her reaper, she intercepted Victor's strike, getting ready to tear him in two with her whip.

"You've always been mental. The Hollow Tree won't miss you at all." She boldly declared.

Before she could land the final blow, Azrael appeared behind her. He swung his scythe like a lever, yanking her toward him. Normally, a move like that wouldn't work; she was far stronger than him. But Isolde's pressure on the Proven made the impossible possible.

"Out of all the Marked I've slain, you're by far the most annoying!"

With a roar, Raven spun, ready to meet him head-on. Only to see the remaining knights that had been pursuing Azrael until now.

He let out a heavy sigh, feeling the exhaustion in his body slowly building up. In the few short seconds when Raven was distracted by the knight monsters, he took a glance at his Corruption.

Corruption Progression: [73/100]

The grip on his weapon tightened, jaw clenching. He had devoured too much Corruption, and Seraphina wasn't near to cleanse him.

'Who would have thought that I'd need to depend on someone?' he thought bitterly, shaking his head a few seconds later.

This wasn't just about power anymore. If he wanted to remain sane, he had to rank up his Purity at all costs.

"Isolde." He reached out mentally, relaying the risky plan he had come up with in the limited amount of time he had.

[Yes, I can do it.]

That was all the confirmation he needed.

"Hold her down!" Azrael commanded, sparing a simple glance at Victor.

The man's smile widened. Moving silently as his giant body allowed him to, he positioned himself behind Raven.

She, having just cut through the last wave of monsters Azrael had attracted, sensed a shadow looming behind her. Quickly turning, she lashed with her whip. The weapon coiled around Victor's body, twisting around his torso, shoulders, and arms. The white fangs were buried deep in his frame, yet the unnatural smile remained as he attempted to get a hold of her.

"Meaningless," Raven hissed, stepping back, dodging the giant's motion with ease.

A second later, her eyes widened, her mind racing. 'Wait… What happened to the pressure Isolde was putting on me? It's gone?'

She was a seasoned fighter, one with a mountain of experience adapting to any changes—whether environmental or physical. It hadn't taken her long to get used to fighting under constant pressure applied to her body. But since the shift came from an external force, she would always need a few moments to gather her bearings before adjusting accordingly.

And now with the pressure suddenly gone, she faltered for just a brief moment. In order to get used to the unexpected change.

A fatal mistake the Heir of Death wasn't going to let go unpunished.

Realizing her mistake too late, Raven spun around only to see Azrael looming overhead, scythe mid-swing, about to be driven into her body.

Usually, a Marked wouldn't be able to leave a single dent on the armor of a Proven like herself. But there was a change, one that her trained eyes immediately picked up on.

The ground beneath Azrael's feet had shattered into a spiderweb pattern; the veins over his face had bulged with such intensity, as if ready to rupture any second. The Blessed scythe he willed had a dangerous edge… One it hadn't possessed before.

'Ah.' Raven's eyes widened, realization dawning upon her.

'Isolde… that bitch. She shifted the pressure—from me… to Azrael's weapon.'

Faster than one could blink, the scythe hit its mark, carving her body from left shoulder to right hip. Drawing crimson blood, staining the soil beneath.

An involuntary gasp escaped the lips of the Proven. Through sheer will, she bit down on her lower lip, healing light swirling around her body, starting a healing process.

But Azrael was always ready for the worst. The moment the momentum faded, he yanked the scythe free. Then struck again, beheading her in a single, clean motion.

The striking face of the Proven lost all of its charming appeal. It toppled to the ground lifelessly with a frozen expression of pure shock.

The knees of the beheaded body buckled, falling into a kneeling pose, blood seeping from the wounds, causing a crimson rain to fall around her, staining Azrael's figure.

Unbothered by his condition, he took a steady breath, calming his erratically beating heart.

Then he heard it, the monotone voice of the system.

[Pure soul has been devoured. The flicker in your soul grows brighter.]

Purity Progression: [100/100]

[The Divine power in your soul has reached full saturation.]

[Evolution is available.]

"We did it." He muttered, taking a few steps back.

It didn't take him more than a second to calm his raging nerves. His eyes snapped to Victor. The man had clearly been hurt before even finding them, and now he didn't look like he would go far without a healer.

"Appreciate the help." Azrael nodded, calling forth the miraculous cigar. He lit it up and tossed it towards Victor.

"Smoke. It heals. Not the best stuff, but it would do the trick."

Victor eyed the cigar for a few seconds, then gazed at Raven's body. With a loud laugh, he proceeded to take a deep puff.

"I knew following the Blood Knotted was the right call. Otherwise, I'd have missed one hell of a fight."

Azrael didn't pay much attention to his words. There would be time for conversation later. Right now there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"Do you sense anyone nearing?" he asked Isolde, making use of the mental connection.

[Not yet.]

That was welcome news. With a mountain of corpses surrounding them and a forest fire blazing on all sides, Azrael knew it was only a matter of time before the other Proven were drawn in. They needed to move fast.

"I presume you want off this cursed planet?" he asked Victor. "We found the boss monster. The more help we get, the better. Climb aboard."

Taking another puff from the cigar, Victor smirked. "Are you sure your bird can fly with all three of us?"

"Isolde's got it covered."

With an arched brow, the man stepped on Cinder. Only to feel his body get lighter—whatever power Isolde possessed really was a lifesaver.

With a screech, Cinder soared through the skies, going full speed ahead towards the Ruined Kingdom, where Seraphina had hopefully located the Death Knight.

After a quick survey of the landscape, Azrael turned to the two passengers taking a ride upon his Remembrance.

"Hold the fort for a bit."

Without waiting for a response, he glanced at his system.

[Evolution is available.]

"This is going to hurt," he cursed, clenching his fists.

[Evolution commencing…]